daybreakacademy | When You Made Wishes: start! (player plot)

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When You Made Wishes: start! (player plot)

Imagine Wist's surprise when April rolled around and their plan for a great prank was foiled on account of all those students just...leaving??? Truly, they have become the April fool... It's what they wanted, of course -- for the pitiful humans to find freedom -- and sure there are some stragglers around, but...in the end, they decide to take the win and enjoy a short break of their own. Good thing, too, or they might have pulled out all their hair in frustration when Spring Break comes to an end and the swarm of students and faculty willingly return to their prison.

While settling back into the academy and resigning themselves to a routine, the people of Daybreak will be soothed by a gentle tune rising up from the forest. It isn't a song they've heard before, and yet, somehow...it's nostalgic, isn't it? The soft notes of the pan flute stir up something in their hearts, tugging at old memories and drawing forth a feeling of dissatisfaction and longing out from under them. Let the song lull them into taking a moment to withdraw from the hustle and bustle -- hey, turns out they sort of need it. Maybe they're coming down with a cold, or just some quick little bug...
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>> user M3G4M4G1CH4XX posted on April 6th, 2019:
Why did you come back? You don't have to live like this.

Weren't things better back then? Try to remember what it used to be like.
--
The odd message from an iris account that doesn't exist isn't up for long before the spell kicks into the next phase. However they manifest and from when differs from person to person, but those affected will all have the bizarre experience of watching some ghost of themselves from their past be born from their soul's memory. Don't think there are those that can escape this fate just by returning at a later time, either -- Wist can keep up this panpipe nonsense all day, every day if they have to. If that what it takes to get their point across...

Good luck trying to comprehend whatever point that may be, because now Daybreak is the new home to a bunch of familiar-looking rugrats and has to contend with whatever complications they may bring along with them.
---
[For more information on this plot, please see this ooc infopost!]

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"Pepita."

The cat accepts the petting by pressing into his hand, a low rumbling purr starting up in her throat. Imelda smiles a little, despite herself. "I think she likes you."

Which isn't a surprise. Pepita tends to like most people that she's fond of, and she's certainly fond of both children and of him. But even so, her voice turns a little sterner as she continues and her smile vanishes again. "But you still can't go doing dangerous things like that. You could have hurt yourself very badly."

The purr and Imelda's statement make him smile wider. He reaches then, daring to scoop the cat up and pull her closer into his lap, half hugging her.

He looks up as the scolding tone returns, smile slipping just a bit. "Aw, it's okay, I do dumb stuff all the time and I don't get hurt bad. I've only lost baby teeth ever." Which means he's fine, clearly. Danger? What danger?

"I only slipped because the fireworks were louder than I thought they'd be."

Pepita squirms in his grip, wiggling out of the boy's arms and into his lap--but she's content to flop down there instead, so long as she's not being held. The purring continues.

Imelda, meanwhile, is trying her hardest not to raise her voice. "No, it is not okay." She's half prepared to detail exactly how horrible things could have gone for him... when she just sighs. She should know this isn't going to go anywhere.

"Look. How about this... No more climbing on things or setting off fireworks. No more dangerous things. If you can do that for me, I'll do whatever else you want to do."

Well, that's okay too. She's purring and that's nice and if he were a cat he'd be doing that too. He can almost forget she was a monster just a second ago.

He flinches a little with the Lady's firm correction though. It's alarming. He didn't break anything. Maybe the fountain is hers? But more than that he really doesn't know what to do with the bribe. Either she's offering a lot or she's lying.

"Um. I was just trying to find my friend. His name is Ernesto? He always does things with me, but he's not here. I don't know where he is. I think he got lost. Or I did." Or both. That would be even worse. "But he likes stuff like this. I thought I could find him this way."

The mention of Ernesto immediately earns a tight lipped frown. Somehow, even knowing how close they were as boys, she didn't consider that he'd be Héctor's primary concern. But he's still young, and she manages to hold her tongue for the most part.

"Your friend isn't here, so I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to find him." Not that sorry, though. In fact, not really sorry about that part at all. "I'm sure that he's back where he's supposed to be, so for now try not to worry about him. Can you do that for me?"

Her tone is tense, almost cold. He still doesn't even know where he is or how he got here. It scares him, the way he's being asked not to worry by those older, because that means there probably is something to worry about.

But more than that is the dismissal of Ernesto. He won't find him. He's not supposed to worry. His breath pulls faster. His head shakes.

"No... no. Ernesto wouldn't leave me. He's my best friend. We're practically family. He wouldn't forget about me. He- he wouldn't... just..."

He chokes on a sob. Gently, he lifts Pepita up out of his lap to draw up his knees and hide his face.

Oh.

Imelda stares at the boy as he starts to cry with a helpless look on her face. That wasn't what she was expecting at all... But it probably should have been. As much as she disliked the man, he was still like a brother to Héctor when growing up.

"Ay, Mijo--" She kneels down in front of the boy, placing her hands on his shoulders. If he looks up for her, she'll cup one of his cheeks with her hand. "No llores... None of that. No one is going to forget about you. I don't see how they could. I'm sure that he'll be waiting for you, when you get back, and everything will be fine."

He feels her touch his shoulders, hears her call him mijo though she doesn't even know his name. His head doesn't lift. Not until she says no one will forget him. She touches his cheek and he wipes at his face with the back of his arm.

"Really?" He sniffs. He can't look at her for long. "Señor R. won't listen when I talk about him. He's doing that thing adults do. When something bad happens or someone doesn't want you anymore. They always do that to me. But if Ernesto doesn't like me anymore then probably nobody does. But Ernesto does like me. So I thought if I did this he'd find me."

Edited 2019-04-05 06:26 (UTC)

He wipes at his tears with his arm, and she smiles faintly at that, using her thumb to catch any that he missed. The mention of a Señor R gives her pause, but only for a moment. That must be Héctor... So at least he's aware of this boy.

"Well... I'm sure that Señor R has his reasons, and they're nothing to do with you. Some things are just difficult to talk about, even for adults..." She tucks a knuckle under the boy's chin, lifting his head.

"But... I like you. So, until we get you back home, I can be your familia. If that's okay with you?"

There's a pointed meow from a cat who is determined not to be forgotten. Imelda shorts a little, but smiles. "Pepita, too."

His brows furrow. Difficult to talk about? Did something happen to Señor R? He wonders if he should ask now. He wonders if that wouldn't just be difficult too.

She brings his chin to lift and he blinks back any tears that threaten, looking up at her. It's hard though. Especially when she says things like that.

I can be your familia.

He doesn't know why she likes him. How she could when she doesn't know him? But his hand comes up to take hers. And then a small laugh and a smile breaks as he brings Pepita back in close too with his other hand.

"Okay. Um. What's your name?"

Edited 2019-04-05 12:55 (UTC)

She smiles more when he does, and there's a little relief caught in that. She's glad that he seems to have calmed down now. Pepita, for her part, nestles up against him and rubs her head against his side.

When he asks about her name, she laughs just a little. "What, you don't want to call me Señora Bruja?" she teases him with a bit of a mischievous look. "Or maybe that's too much of a mouthful. Tía Bruja, then?"

Pepita is a really good cat and he likes Pepita very much.

"Oh, haha." He flushes. "I feel a little mean, calling you bruja now." Maybe she doesn't have a name. "I guess Tía's okay. I've never had a Tía before." He hasn't had an anybody but that's besides the point.

"I'm Héctor," He tells her. "I'm from Santa Cecelia. Do you live here?"

Edited 2019-04-05 13:51 (UTC)

"It's alright. And just Tía is fine." But if he actually adds "Bruja" to that, she might not be so easy to forgive next time. "A good witch never gives out her real name. That could be dangerous." Though she doesn't say why just yet.

"It's nice to meet you, Héctor." A proper greeting for a boy she already knows. "I live here right now, but I'm also from Santa Cecilia. I lived there when I was a little girl." Which isn't a lie. She also lives there presently, when she's not here at the school.

His eyes go wide with awe and wonder. "That's so cool..." She really was a witch! But a nice one, it seemed.

And no less cool; "You're from Santa Cecilia too? Really? Does that mean we can go there? You, me, and Pepita?"

Though, if she doesn't live there anymore she may not even have a house. His fosters wouldn't like him bringing back a cat and a witch probably.

"Mmm," she hums as she thinks to herself. She can't take him back to Santa Cecilia like this. She's not sure who his present foster family is, but they certainly wouldn't be expecting to be raising Héctor all over again some 20 years later.

"I'm afraid I can go back right now, so no, I can't take you there. But I will look for a way to send you back where you're supposed to be. Until then, you're welcome to stay with me and Pepita, if you want."

His present fosters weren't necessarily his last anyway. But Teto's not concerned with that. He'd raise himself if he had to. He just wants home.

And she denies him that. His face falls.

Surprise does at least manage to replace it. "I can stay with you? Really?" He looks around them. He speaks in hush. "Do you live in a spooky house?"

She can't help it; she laughs. "I do not live in a spooky house. This is a school, and I live in a dormitory."

Crushing all of his dreams here.

"But I'm sure that I can get you a cot and some blankets--and I can make you food whenever you get hungry." Since she knows a certain someone doesn't eat. "...How do you feel about chapulines?"

"Oh," He says. It is a little bit disappointing. A spooky house would be cool. And he's not sure how cool a dormitory is supposed to be. He's never been in one.

He's about to point out that Señor R lets him have his bed, but then she mentions food. His eyes go wider. Then wider still as he's sucking a breath.

"I love them! I love them! Please, can I have some? Can we go get some now? Where's your dormitory? Can we go now?"

Goodness, it's been a while since she's smiled this much. She'd forgotten how adorable little boys could be... or how charming this one in particular was.

"Cálmese..." she shushes him, even as she's getting to her feet again. "Yes, we can go now. I'll show you where it is." And she'll hold out a hand for Teto to take, once he's on his feet.

And once they're on their way, she's going to absently pull out her phone and send Héctor a text message:

Are you missing a someone?

Edited 2019-04-08 21:19 (UTC)

He shushes, but it's hard to stop bouncing on his feet as he springs to them. He hesitates for only a second before taking her hand.

Only to shout, "Wait!"

He lets go, running back around the fountain. When he returns there's a guitar on his back. He reaches for her hand again.

"Okay, lets go."

A text arrives for Imelda.

...it would seem so.
Ay, that kid never stops.
Give me a moment I've got to get the ice off me.
Where are you?

Ah. A guitar.

She freezes up a little to see him running back with that, but the hand that he reaches for still grasps his back. She's going to have to make him aware of the rules on floor three when they get there... and hope that he doesn't cause a fuss about it.

She sends a text back to Héctor.

Heading to my floor.
Do you really expect him to stay cooped up while you're indisposed?

Edited 2019-04-09 18:52 (UTC)

For whatever it's worth, Teto doesn't notice her freezing up. He walks hand in hand with her, peering about at their surroundings, a smile upon him.

There's the ping of another text.

I don't exactly have much of a choice.
I've been trying to at least keep him in dorm but that's not working clearly.
And I think he's been sleeping more into the day but it's still not enough.

Well, thank you for finding him.
I'll be there soon.

Pepita trails along behind them, though sometimes she darts ahead a few paces and then waits for them to pass her again, like it's some kind of game.

You're welcome. And take your time.
He's a twig, and I'm going to feed him before I send him off with you.

...Don't cry when you see what we're making.

He's glad to see Pepita dart ahead. Every moment he catches sight of her summons a little grin. He tries to reach and graze her fur as she passes.

Of course he's a twig, have you seen me? He's not growing out of that.

... Why? What are you making?

Edited 2019-04-10 04:06 (UTC)

Pepita is quick, but Teto might get a brush of fur as she passes by, and a flick of her tail for good measure.

Chapulines.

I figured that might keep him in one spot for a little while.

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