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

Entry tags:

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

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

At least Odd-Eyes' isn't making any lunges for Hector, even if he snorts at Yuya's blandness about it.

"No, I didn't mean to scare you. It doesn't bother me." More people are affected by the blight directly than anyone really thinks about, and it doesn't make them a worse person than they were. He's not sure you can contract a sense of it without being afflicted in some way yourself, but he won't pry.

Yuya glances down, then moves forward to pick up the bow from the floor and offer it to Hector. "Here. Are you practicing for the fight at the ball?"

The kid seems to buy his explanation-- or at least, he thinks he does. He could admit to being blighted outright, probably with little drawback, but it would also invite the question of how he was blighted and he's not about to spread that around.

He takes the offered both with a look of surprise and then a grateful smile. "Thank you," He says. The kids here could be real kind. "Yes and no, I guess. I don't imagine I'm going to be nearly good at this enough in time to do much at the ball, but I'm... I am hoping to practice for the future. I get the feeling this won't be the last tango, so to speak." A brief grin quirks up.

"Are you practicing archery too?"

It definitely won't, and probably won't be the last time on campus. It's not even the first--but instead of confirming that Yuya only nods once to confirm the sentiment.

"Not archery." Yuya puts his hand back against Odd-Eyes, patting gently. "I was going to work on our connection, so we understand each other better in a fight. And maybe spitting fireballs, but I don't think that's a good one to use at the dance!"

Yuya laughs humorously. It's kind of a funny idea.

Definitely, definitely not.

He gives a bit of a nervous laugh himself at the thought of fireballs going off at the dance. And for that matter, he glances over at the archery targets too.

"You think this place and stuff here is fireproof...?" He's less than jazzed to test that. A sly look crosses over his face.

"...Because I've got a bit of an idea if it's not."

Yuya follows his gaze to the targets. On a general level, he's not sure how fireproof the actual buildings are? But the targets, he's pretty sure, aren't.

"What's your idea?" He glances to Hector with a bit of anticipation.

He grins a little wider.

"Well I was just thinking. You need to test fireballs, I need to test using this thing... and nothing in the sky is too flammable. You think the school will mind if we lose a few hours to an unfortunate fire accident?"

"If they're not prepared for fire now, they'll never be." Yuya puts his hands on his hips. "Are you thinking of setting the arrows on fire or something?"

He falters a little. "Well. Iiii don't think that's how fire safety works but..." The grins comes back. "But I figure, we find a little body of water, I aim the arrows, you aim the fireballs, and nothing is burnt in sky or water! And we both get to practice."

"Oh--that makes sense!" Yuya laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know about little, the fountains and the pond are probably still frozen... but there's the swimming pool in the gym. It's probably empty right now."

"Hmm...: He considers this. It's still inside, and could still be dangerous. He can't aim skyward so much, but on the other hand, they won't end up setting a flaming arrow loose into the town by mistake. But that left how exactly they would arrange themselves to shoot fire at an arrow without hitting each other or any part of the school.

His eyes trail from the boy to the beast.

"I think there's also a channel down to the east if your dragon can fly two people there..."

Hector is putting so much more consideration in the potential property damage than Yuya.

"Uh, he doesn't fly." He looks sideways to Odd-Eyes. "But he does run fast, and he can carry two people easily."

Especially skinny folk like Yuya and Hector.

When you have as many accumulated fines as he does, kid, you'll think about these things too. And, y'know. Being dead is a pretty solid wakeup call for dangerous schemes.

"Perfect! I hate flying anyway!" He says, only to falter. "He's not going to attack me if I get close, is he?"

Yuya tilts his head, raising a brow at Odd-Eyes. "Are you?"

Odd-Eyes lets out a low grumble, unintelligible to anyone else as he bumps his head against Yuya and pushes him a little. Yuya laughs, stumbling a little before turning to Hector. "It's fine, he won't hurt you. Odd-Eyes isn't like that at all."

Well, he's got to admit. Seeing that is pretty cute. That was summoning sorts, wasn't it. Like Imelda and Pepita. Unfortunately it's not quite enough for him to shake his nervousness. Not like that, but still considering him a thread for his blight.

He takes a breath and says, "Okay, lets do this. Let me grab some arrows. We're going to be going straight off from the school past the main markets." He goes about collecting those arrows into a quiver, packing it tight as he can and strapping it on tighter. He slings the bow around himself so as to better keep a hold. "After you, kid."

Yuya hoists himself up as Odd-Eyes lowers himself, bracing his feet against the dragon's back and gripping his horns. He tilts his head to gesture behind him.

"There's no seat, but you can hold onto me."

"Uuuh... okay." There's really no way to not awkwardly do this. Just a walking corpse climbing up on a dragon's back. This was at least partially his idea. It'd be fine. He braces his whole way up, prepared to be thrown off. Then he grips Yuya's shoulders.

"Okay," He says again. "Ready."

Yuya offers a thumbs up, steadying himself firmly. "Okay, Odd-Eyes, let's go!"

And Odd-Eyes goes, shifting up on his feet before dashing to the doors. Yuya tightens his grip with alarm.

"--wait, Wait! Don't bust through the doooor!"

They come to a sudden halt right on front of the door, and with a little growl Odd-Eyes reaches with his claws to carefully open the door.

He doesn't expect the sudden jolt forward and he's left scrambling for a tighter grip on the boy. And maybe, not exactly getting it either. He slides back on the dragon, arms going to grapple. He only just hears Yuya crying out in protests and then they're skidding to a halt-- loosening the last of his grip and sending him tumbling down the dragons back. He manages to just barely grasp the dragons tail, keeping him from entirely falling off.

He catches his breath, then slowly climbs back up. "...Are you sure this is safe?"

Yuya looks over his shoulder and reaches to offer Hector a hand back up with a brief laugh. "It's safe, it's safe! Maybe we should run a little slower?"

If only because the lack of a saddle means Hector's grip is a lot more precarious. "Um.. have you ever rode a horse or anything before?"

"A little slower would be good," He agrees, releasing a breath. He accepts the boy's hand back up.

There's a pause. "I... borrowed a horse once." He and Ernesto had wanted to see if they could stand on the horse's back, like surfers.

That had been a bad idea.

"It was a long time ago."

Edited 2019-03-11 07:00 (UTC)

Good enough.

"Well, you can ride kind of like that? Er, there's no reigns but you can hold onto his shoulders if you'd rather sit instead."

Odd-Eyes snorts, and Yuya absently pats his head. "And we'll go slower... you said it's east, right?"

He opens his mouth but ultimately deigns not to explain how he's definitely not going to ride like that. Instead, he'll just get back around the thing's shoulders. He holds on tight.

God, he's too old for this.

"Yup. Straight on east," He says, voice a little high with strain.

More like too dead.

Yuya ushers Odd-Eyes along, and the dragon lumbers at a slower pace--more like a jog than a run. These directions are vague so he's just going straight east unless he has to swerve around a building.

Yuya glances over his shoulder. "I'm Yuya, by the way. I don't think we've really met before?"

That too. He's grateful for the slower pace in light of either.

"Ahah, I'm Héctor. Mucho Gusto, Yuya. We probably haven't met, no. I TA the evening and night classes, so I don't tend to see most students except los vampiros and the ones who don't sleep when they should." The latter being far, far more common. None of these kids seemed to sleep when they should. If he could sleep in the night again no one would ever catch him wasting that.

"No, I don't take any evening classes... but a friend of mine does, if you've ever seen a bear?" He grins cheekily, mostly just expecting a passing familiarity if anything.

"So you're awake at night and sleep during the day or something?"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject