Here in the dark, in these final hours, I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power

[unpocoloco]

WHO: Héctor, OTA Catch All
WHERE: Around the school
WHEN: Various times after the 9th and/or the Valentines dance
WHAT: Various opens in the late evening
WARNINGS: Standard spoilers

You can't turn around a bad day, week, month, year, decade... you can't turn any of that without trying first. And so, once the monster's beaten back, his lost arm is returned, and the dance wraps up, so begins his annual rejuvenation. It's his return to the grind, starting every January (late this year but, well, he's doing his best), when he goes back to the drawing board and renews his plans-- only this time, not just for his return home. He's got a few things in mind this year, and isn't that exciting in and of itself?

A - OTA

With his arm back in place and whole again (gone for that week of the 2nd to the 9th and leaving him looking more like a zombie to people than he'd ever let himself before), he can actually get back to repairing the other one who took some hits this past while.

Rather than steal from the shop class, this time Héctor has decided to break in. Which, considering how much they let him use this place for doing repairs around the school, it isn't really breaking in is it? He doesn't think so. And so, upon a work table, in the dead of night, he's lain out a broken guitar. He's got nails and tools, bits of wood and scrap metal, anything he thought he could need for trying to repair the old thing. The guitar's not going to sound good when he's done, but it'll be something.

Despite everything, he's not quite ready to give up on music yet. In fact, he takes to humming a little as he works, breaking into soft song only to quiet again into humming as he hammers and cuts and sands away at the guitar. Until he hears footsteps and abruptly stops, that is.

B - Aube

Not every night can be spent on fixing the guitar. He's still got occasional evening classes to TA for, things to mark, essays to read. On those nights, he settles in the Aube common room, quietly working this time.

Being nocturnal as he is means bad news for any kids sneaking out of the dorm late in the night. "Ah, ah!" He says to any looking a little too ready to go, eyes lifting from his work to them and brows lifting higher. "Did you text Bee for this little excursion?"

C - Aube

Of course, not every child getting up in the night is looking for rowdy adventure. He knows all too well by now that some of these kids have had more adventure than they ever asked or bargained for. Those quiet wanderers, or ones who settle in corners, they're no less apt to get his attention.

He gives them their moment of space and quiet. Just a moment. Then, trying not to scare or disturb them, he walks over, placing a hand to the back of any given chair and tilting his head down at them.

"Hey," He says, soft as he can. "You okay? Can't sleep?"

D - OTA

In the early mornings, for any early risers who seek him (and not one of the smarter or more experienced of adults in this place) he's of course there to tutor those who need it. He may not always know what he's doing with magic but he can work out a lesson and, more than that, he can work with kids.

He draws another example upon paper when he can't simply show it, and he presents it, explaining each piece and part. "Do you understand?" He asks.

Perhaps you're the one he's tutoring. Or, perhaps, you're catching him just as the last kid wanders off and he's gathering up the books and papers, time soon running out with the coming dawn. But he might have time for one more.

E - OTA

He doesn't know the first thing about this, any of this. He keeps telling himself he's not a fighter, but more and more he's coming to realize he might need to be. It's not just about him anymore.

That evening he finds himself in one of the training areas. The bow he takes up is tall and heavy, heavier than a guitar. He's got the dexterity for that and the experiencing of firing... his arm. But it's not the same and he hasn't entirely got the strength built in him for using this thing. He's not sure if he can build the strength or if what he's got is as good as it's going to get. But he can't see himself yet using anything else.

So, there he is in the range, practicing. His shots mostly miss but every now and again he gets somewhere and he's encouraged to go farther. He gives a little laugh of victory and surprise in these moments. Hopefully he's not interrupting anything.

Of course in all his focus, anyone interrupting him is almost certain to make him jump and yelp and send and arrow flying far off target.

F - OTA

At some point before the library's closing for the night, he's managed to surround himself so thoroughly in books that he's built something of a wall around himself. His hand is half tangled in his hair and his brow is knit with concentration, pencil tapping absentmindedly in his other hand as he reads. The books seem to be all about defensive and offensive runes and spells.

"Wait, what?" He straightens up, flipping pages back, and then to his current page, comparing them. "That doesn't make sense, how can you-- what?"

G -[Closed to Orihime]

"Orihime?"

The call comes with a knock. Finally, at long last, he can repay this girl. He's ready at her door, smiling in his newly repaired clothing and holding a bag of tools and materials (nabbed from the shop class as usual).

As the door opens he laughs and say, "Repair service! Is now a good time?"

H - St. Valentine's eve - [Closed to close CR and/or those who ask first]

He's only been here so long, only saved up so much and a lot of it goes towards his hopeful plans. But for this, he can spare a small expense.

The shopkeeper had eyed him curiously, as exhausted and nervous as he'd appeared to be that morning of the thirteenth, pushing the limits of his magic into the day. He knows, in some sense, that he shouldn't. He really, really shouldn't.

But it's the first time in ten years he could do anything and... well, she deserves something. After ten years she deserves so much and a simple carnation or rose just isn't cutting it. Even this doesn't quite but... he can't push more, because even with this, the best gift he could give is his distance.

The note simply reads "for Imelda Rivera" in fancy calligraphic script. He presses the tiny card to his lips then places it back into the bouquet. It's a bright one, colorful, with full, giant blooms. There's soft pinks and bright ones, oranges and reds and blues, greenery, and vivid purples-- her favorite. It'll remind her of home, he's sure.

Off he goes into the night, bringing his delivery to the Lumiere dorms. He just needs to leave it at her door and go. So far so good. He won't get to see her reaction like this, but that's fine. She doesn't need to be happy with him, he just needs her to be happy. That's what he tells himself as he slowly and quietly works his way back, turns the corner-- and freezes, a deer in headlights as the second worst thing that could happen here, does.

I - Other, Make your own

Comments

F IS *For* RUNES

[betheman]

Well this is an interesting sight.

Or maybe not 'interesting' exactly- it isn't as though a TA being in the library doesn't make sense. The Library has rather late hours- there's enough evening classes that it wouldn't really make a lot of sense otherwise, which means that while the place sure hasn't closed the sun sure has gone down.

Bear ears perk way way up at Héctor's exclamations, and soon enough Gongenzaka is peering over with curiosity.

"Auh- ...You are looking at runes, Héctor?"

[unpocoloco]

He looks up from his book at the sound of Gongenzaka's voice-- then jumps in his seat when he sees the boy's bear form. His hand goes over his heart and his breath rushes out.

"Oh, Gongen, you scared me there." He laughs a little at himself, then immediately makes space to the side of him so Gon can see what he's working on.

"Si, yes. That and other things. I had the time so I thought I'd do a little personal studying."

C

[schwanenritter]

Fakir had slipped out of his room, another nightmare and the room seemed a little too dark - too foreboding for him to get settled down - and all the tired had gone out of him.

It's too cold to slip outside, so he taken to quietly walking the halls - first his floor, and then the rest - quiet as a mouse and keep in thought, nearly starting as he heard a soft voice. He never had much reason to talk to Hector - or anyone really - but he recognized the man from seeing him around.

"I'll be fine," He answers cagily, before realizing for some people that's an invitation to pry. "I just don't feel tired right now."

[unpocoloco]

The problem with Fakir's logic is that a person who pries with "I'll be fine" is apt to pry no matter what. Only time would tell whether or not Héctor was to be an exception.

"I hear a good cup of tea can help that. Or anything warm that isn't caffeinated." He offers a smile and steps on back, returning to his work.

But he still addresses Fakir. "Just be sure not to stay up too late. You've still got classes in the morning."

e

[compendiem]

[ Minato hasn't seen much of Héctor, and likely vice versa, from the fact that Minato largely keeps to himself whether he's in the Aube dorm or wandering campus, always silent, save for the music filtering through his earphones and escaping from the cold metal that simply lies over his ears instead of pressing flush against them.

Most of the time, he's in his room. When he's not, he splits his time between the music building and the training grounds- watching, for the most part, rather than participating. Watching is what he's doing today, back against the wall in a far corner, knees drawn up to his chest and when Héctor makes a particularly nice shot (it actually reached the target board this time, instead of falling short, commendable in itself), Minato claps for him.

He doesn't say anything. Just sort of pulls his arms up and goes through a slow mime of pulling back and releasing when he has Héctor's attention. Remember to keep your arm straight, but loose. ]

[unpocoloco]

[So many kids here were loud or carrying big personalities. It was sad to say but sometimes quieter ones could just slip by. He doesn't even notice the boy in the corner, not until the clapping starts.

The boy's timing makes it so he's surprised but not startled. It takes him a moment to work out what's being "said" but then he quickly falls into mirroring the boy. He checks his posture then checks yo see if his improvement is going to be confirmed.

Perhaps he ought to feel embarrassed taking directions from someone so young but that seemed about par for course here. He corrects until he thinks he's got things right, then looses an arrow. To his surprise, this one lands even closer on target. He laughs and turns a grin on the kid.]

D

[yokeye]

Toki's here very last minute, as Héctor is gathering his things and getting ready to leave. He's likely beyond help before the midterms and may not even show up for them, but he's trying to make more of an effort. Which, for him, is any effort at all. He makes the assumption, as always, that everyone uses the translation software; so he has an excuse not to learn English at all, and makes minimal attempts with French. Toki doesn't give Héctor any warning he's there before he starts firing off questions in Japanese.

"Hello~! Are you Héctor?"

He completely butchers that into something like heiik'toru with more syllables than needed.

"If you are, can you help me with midterm stuff? Apparently, nothing's going to be multiple choice in any class and that's complete bullshit. What do you have experience in? How long have you been here? You know how these tests go, right; like what will be on them in general? What specific teachers tend to stick with year after year or whatever. I don't need a lot of help, really, just enough to get like a passing grade; and I mean just scraping by is fine! No extra work for you~!"

[unpocoloco]

He looks up and he manages to recognize a greeting and that, in there, is something that vaguely resembles his name. Everything else though is a sudden bulldozing. He straightens up and puts his hands out in alarm.

"Whoa, whoa, kid, slow down! I- I don't know the language you're speaking! Is that Japanese? Uh, ni-on des?" That's not quite it but he's trying. "I speak english. Y yo hablo español. Do you know these? Tú hablas español o inglés?" He speaks slow, hoping his own accent doesn't make it harder.

E pre Valentine's ball

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's not terribly quiet with his larger, heavy red dragon familiar lumbering into the practice range with him. Seeing someone else there does make him pause--there's other targets, of course, he just wants to make sure they won't cross with each other too much.

Yuya steps in front of his familiar, raising his hand and his voice. He starts with English, and hopes that's a language he understands. "Uh--excuse me?"

[unpocoloco]

It's definitely hard to focus watching an enormous dragon lumbering about. He's seen enough odd creatures in the outlands that he's not totally shocked, but that doesn't mean he isn't staring a little.

He just manages to force himself to look away when the boy at the dragon's feet draws his attention back.

"Si? Yes? I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

E

[silver_hombre]

"You sure you want a bow instead of a gun?"

Yeah, maybe he should have cleared his throat or knocked against the wall instead of just wandering on in. Too late now. His head turned to follow the arrow's flight as it punctured the metal garbage can with a loud 'CLANG!'

"...You killed the trash can."

A slow, shit-eating grin spread across his face. This was definitely going to get brought up later for teasing fuel. Gamma pushed away from the wall and went to retrieve the arrows that Hector had fired, examining them for quality. No sense practicing with shoddy weapons that wouldn't stay on course. "First time I've seen you train with any weapon. What's up?"

[unpocoloco]

Gamma should've cleared his throat. He hopes the yelp he just made makes Gamma's ears ring. As it is, he looks helplessly at the punctured trash can before turning a glare on Gamma and his big dumb grin.

This guy...

He sighs and sets the bow down then. He's not going to shoot while Gamma's walking out on to the range.

"You know... when I finally got out of the outlands I thought 'this is it! No more things coming after me, no more dying primos and turning corners to find them gone or worse! Just dumb hunters and getting home!' And you know, I could deal with that. But the things that show up here, the things these kids get into... Did I tell you I saw a ghost? An actual ghost, apparently I can see that now. Maybe two weeks ago? And in those two weeks, I watched him get ripped apart by monsters. And these kids want to fight that."

His eyes stare blindly at nothing as he shakes his head.

G

[leekspins]

Orihime's head tipped back a second after she opened the door, and on seeing Hector's broad smile, she couldn't help but return it in kind. The clothes fit well! And she was glad to see him in such good spirits too. "Sure! Please come in."

She opened the door all the way, stepping back to make room for him. The dorm was tidy, as neither she nor Tatsumaki were messy people. Orihime's shoes were neatly placed by the door, and she was reaching to pluck her coat off of the wall to shoulder it on in preparation for the cold he'd warned her about.

It probably wouldn't take him long. The window wasn't even squeaky or sticky, she just wanted to be extra courteous to Tatsumaki if Orihime needed to sneak out the window for Secret Training while her friend was asleep.

"It looks like everything fits okay! Do they feel comfortable?"

[unpocoloco]

He steps in as soon as she allows him tipping his head like he's got free hands and a hat to tip with.

"It's a little more snug than the uniform, but that's alright. It'll be perfect when it gets looser from the wash." And by that, and his quick meeting of her eyes, he means when he hasn't got even this much meat on his bones. He's clearly pleased.

He just barely stops himself on the mat when he sees how clean in is. "Where-- ah, ha--" He laughs as though at some private joke. He takes a minute to recover. "...Where should I put my shoes? I don't want to ruin your room unless you don't mind."

c;

[byhalves]

Usually, Shouto can get to sleep with no problem. Usually, he's not bothered by the distance between himself and his family or the shift in time zones or bothered by anything at all.

But then there are nights like tonight, where all he can think about is his mother and it gets him out of bed and into the common room. When Héctor notices him, he can't help the way he tenses up at first. "I'm fine," he mumbles out, fingers curling around the book he's been holding. "Just studying."

Even though he usually takes his time studying in their room or the library, so it's a relatively obvious lie.

did you make that a cute winking smile on purpose or-

[unpocoloco]

The boy's a quiet one, reclusive. He'd been more than a little nervous-- outright panicked actually-- when Shouto had shown up to be his roommate. But after the curtain dividing their room had been installed-- "This way, it only kind of feels like you're sharing with some lame adult, see?"-- that had been about that. Shouto never asked a question. He never tried to speak to him for much of anything. Honestly it had been like being without a roommate at all.

And he'd been okay with that! Relieved! But now, seeing the boy here and realizes he knows... next to nothing about him, he wonders if that was selfish.

He frowns, bobs his head, and almost turns back to his own work. But then he pauses. "Would you like to study with me? We could team up or... just keep working separately if you'd prefer. But there's plenty of space at my table."

F

[inkedspell]

[It's going to be another late night for Sarona, and she's already started on it even before the library has closed. She has a stack of books in her own arms as she walks by, but she definitely notices the wall of rune-related works. She's read almost all of them.

But then she peeks around the wall to see it's Héctor and shifts her stack to sitting against her hip instead of in front of her.]

You sound like you're being crushed by the mysteries of the universe.

[unpocoloco]

[His gaze lifts up from the book before to Sarona there, looking far more confident with her studies.

He laughs weakly, and the that laugh turns to a bit of a groan, hand scrubbing at his face. But he still smiles in good humor.]

That's very possible, unfortunately.

A

[ohgoodgrief]

Wen-li Yang is not really a tools-and-work sort. He barely knows what woodworking is, beyond what he has seen in PBS. It is pure happenstance, this evening, that leads him to the shop. Happenstance and, in that way that has defined Yang's life, a little bit of bad luck.

He has a prized wooden statue in his hands. In both of his hands, because the wood carving of a rider on horseback has the horse's head split clean off after a bad drop. He gives it a disappointed look as he approaches. Age, a lack of experience, and a few poor assumptions have led him to this moment. And, so, he asks himself: 'Isn't wood glue a thing?'

The shop seems to be the place to get it.

He doesn't have the keys, but he reasoned it wouldn't be locked. Nonetheless, his feet trudge to a stop. He hears Héctor's humming -- and hears it stop, at its obvious approach.

The black-haired man nudges the door open, poking his head inside. "Hello?" Yang asks, as he does. "Is someone in there?"

[unpocoloco]

His first instinct is to do what any normal person would do in this sort of situation. And that, namely, is to immediately try to hide.

He scrambles for the guitar, taking it up in a cradle under its base and broken neck. He looks left, then right, for his quick escape, starts forward a single step, then freezes, looking wide eyed at Wen-li.

And then he slaps on a sheepish grin, lays the guitar back down, and leans with one elbow on the table.

"¡Hola!" He says, like he's totally supposed to be here. "How can I help you?"

B

[made_up_names]

For once in his damn life, Peter isn't up and running around after midnight? Not in any way that Bee's forbidden, anyway. He's out in the common area with a rune textbook. Which initially he appears to be reading, but as soon as Héctor gets close, he'll see that he is, in fact, asleep. With the current pages stuck to his face courtesy of some drool.

This is the child you chose to adopt, Héc.

[unpocoloco]

A studying boy is not going to get nearly the scolding that a sneaky one will. But after calling out for the second time and getting no answer, he's most certainly getting up to investigate.

"Pete-- oh." He steps back from the boy. His hand rises up, some small attempt to muffle the breathy laughter that escapes. That's cute. Too cute in fact.

He fishes out his phone and spends a few minutes fiddling with it until he can pull up the camera option. The picture is snapped and sent to his Tía May with the caption of being "hard at work". He tucks the phone away.

He doesn't really want to wake the boy with how much trouble it is to get him to sleep, but he's not nearly strong enough to carry Peter to his room. Instead he takes the boy gently by the shoulders and says, "Mijo? Come on, that's enough studying for tonight. Off to bed now."

I - LET'S GO DRINKING

[spelleton]

It...honestly, it hasn't been long since he's seen Héctor, though that's been...pretty much entirely as a patient.

He knows Héctor still feels bad about that, somehow, for some reason. Ekkehardt understands why, though he finds it inconsequential - being a healer is his job, and sometimes he sees patients more than others, and that's how it is.

It's not hard to find him, once he puts his mind to it.

"Ah, Héctor. There you are. I was looking for you. Might I have a moment of your time?"

This might be ominous coming from a healer.

....

Ekkehardt makes no attempt to make it any less ominous...at all...because he is like this.

[unpocoloco]

He likes Ekkehardt a fair bit. Sure it might be his job to be a healer but they're all more than their positions here and it feels kind of sad reducing anyone to just that. But he does seem to only really see the guy through infirmary trips.

Which probably explains why he looks up with sudden fear and dread. "Oh god, what's happened now? No wait, hang on, I'm coming."

Whatever it is, he doesn't want to talk about it in front of anybody else. Ekkehardt's timing is perfect because he's just finishing up. He bids the student he's tutoring off to bed and then waits for the kid to close the study room door behind them before turning to Ekkehardt.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm ready, hit me. Is somebody hurt? Am I dying again? What- what's the matter?"

B

[hattersgonnahat]

One of the good things about being shorter than most of the students, it was a lot harder to get spotted. Unfortunately it does nothing for sound, besides maybe lighter footsteps.

Sadly a little bit of noise was all it took to get noticed. Puella quickly used this to duck behind a sofa, or whatever furniture was closest by...but really it was too late and whatever punishment was inevitable now. Even if she did stay in her hiding spot with brief awkward silence.

"Um...no?"

[unpocoloco]

The joke was on Puella. An old memory it might be but he's even more attuned to the sound of light and small steps, his head immediately turning in her direction. He just catches her darting feet before she's hidden away, but it's enough.

He smirks and lifts a brow her way. "And why is that, would you say?" He asks, managing to sound a little stern even with his amusement. "You know Bee lets everyone leave as long as they let him know first. Wouldn't be out causing trouble would you now?"

He gets up from his place walking slowly to that sofa.

hhhh

[deuteranope]

[After the debacle of receiving his own flower delivery, Maverick could really use a smoke. Why are people so dumb? Why is Valentine's so dumb? Why is he so -- what is this dude doing skulking around here

He's well out of the door, and there's zero chance that Héctor hasn't seen him, too, or the way his eyes automatically narrow with wariness. Maverick, living next door to Imelda, is quite literally the final obstacle.]

...Hey.

[unpocoloco]

[He remains silent, frozen where he is for a good minute. This wasn't supposed to happen, dios, why didn't any of these kids sleep?

He plasters on a bracing grin.]

...Hola...

[He takes a step back, closer to the wall.]

Just... making a delivery. Sorry to get in your way.