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.
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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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She hears the music from a ways away, and for a young Imelda with barely thirteen years under her belt, it's one of the few things that feels familiar about this place. She knows that song--and she knows that voice singing it, too.

It draws her in, though she approaches carefully and quietly, trying not to be seen until she can be certain it's who she thinks it is. And even then, she hangs back, just to watch and listen to him play. She likes the way it calms her, and she doesn't want to interrupt him. She's already spent so much time being afraid and worried in this new place without knowing where her family is. But he's here, and that makes it a little okay. At least, that's the way his music makes her feel.

Edited 2019-04-04 03:35 (UTC)

He's distracted but not distracted enough he could miss her. Just enough that he doubletakes to see an Imelda young as his daughter is now. There's no reason the spell wouldn't have effected her too but still he didn't expect this.

It takes his breath, in truth, hit suddenly with the way the years have passed. That, and the fact she's there trying to watch his younger self play.

Oh no...

Bracing, he pushes off from the corner, heading for the girl's hiding place and kneeling low. He checks to see Teto is distracted before he speaks.

"Hola niña. You're Imelda right?"

She startles a moment as an adult that she doesn't recognize approaches her, and for half a second, it looks like she might flee. But then she stands her ground, straightening her spine a little, like she holds some measure of authority. It's a little more comical on a girl as young as she is, but it makes her feel braver.

"... Who are you? How do you know my name?" She's not supposed to talk to strange people or creatures, but that doesn't mean she always listens.

It's indescribably cute, seeing little Imelda, ever the pillar of authority. It's impossible to entirely resist a smile. He at least resists a laugh.

"I'm...Señor R," He says. "I'm a sort of friend slash distant relation of the Rivera family." Not... a lie... "I know most of your family's names. And I know a lady who is maybe looking for you."

A woman who would definitely not want her younger self anywhere near all this music, let alone the little músico making it.

It's a good thing he doesn't laugh. She's trying to be intimidating! Like her Mamá is more often than not.

The name Señor R gets a squint from her. That's awfully suspicious, just giving her a letter. What is he trying to hide? He said he was family, so does the R stand for Rivera? Why not just say that?

The mention of a yet unnamed woman that is looking for her only seems to make her more wary. That's exactly what a kidnapper would say.

"Who?" She demands, even as she can't help look around for someone that looks like the authority around here. Just in case she needs to run. "I'm not going with anyone that isn't my family."

Edited 2019-04-04 13:16 (UTC)

Ah.

Mierda.

He mentally goes back over all he just said and kicks himself for it, though, really, he can't think of how he would have made this better. He just never considered that he'd look like, well, that kind of guy.

"Ah, ha, I don't think anyone's families are here, Meldita. That's why a bunch of us here at the school want to make sure you kids are looked after. Can you trust me as a TA? That's kind of a teacher, but one who helps the main teacher. Or, if you want, we can go around some way where a lot of people can see? That way you don't have to be afraid of me because you won't be alone."

Unfortunately for Héctor, Imelda's stubbornness wasn't something she grew into. If anything, it was worse when she was younger--something that he's about to learn the hard way.

He didn't answer her question, so she assumes that this lady never existed in the first place. And he's still insisting that he go with her, just with a different angle this time.

She takes a step back from him, looking like she's going to bolt. "I'm not going anywhere with you. Leave me alone."

"Wait, wait!" His hands are thrown up in surrender the moment she looks like she's going to run. Ay... "Okay! Okay. I'm going." He rises and takes several steps back.

He'll just have to tell Imelda that her younger self is here. No doubt if he tells the girl to stay she'll vanish.

It leaves him no choice. He calls out. "Teto! No mas música! It's time to go!"

From off where he's playing Teto's fingers still mid song. He calls back without looking. "But I just started!"

Edited 2019-04-05 04:08 (UTC)

Oh. It was that easy? She looks up at him, still suspicious... But if he's going to leave, then that's fine. She can just stay here, and--

There's a surprised look on her face when he calls out to the boy. Are they together? Does Héctor know him? Or is he just not being careful about going with strangers?

"What are you doing?" She demands, looking from the boy back to the older man. "He doesn't have to go with you. You're not his guardian." At least not as far as she knows. Héctor has been around town for ages, but she's never seen this man before in her life.

Teto starts when he hears that voice, at last turning fully. His eyes are wide.

Héctor looks pretty surprised at the protest himself. Only to laugh. He can't help himself.

"Teto doesn't have a guardian. Do you Teto?" He calls that over and immediately Teto shoots up his hands and shouts, "El mundo es mi familia!" They both laugh.

He starts to sidle over then, curious and encouraged. Héctor meanwhile gives Imelda a pointed look, then explaining, "I'm just looking after him while he's here. It's a temporary thing."

And then as Teto makes it over, he smiles wide and blurts, "Imelda! It is you! ¡Hola!"

It's easy to see the flush on the girl's cheeks when the man says that Héctor has no guardian, and especially after they both start laughing--presumably at her. She's tempted to leave right then and there, but fortunately that's when the boy she knows comes over.

"Hola," she says back with much less excitement, still casting a frown at the older man. Which is about when she decides to take the boy by the elbow with one hand, pointing up at the man with the other.

"You stay here." It's a very firm command for a thirteen year old. Then she pulls the boy away, about fifteen or twenty paces.

"Who is that?"

Neither of them truly mean to laugh at her. At this point there are a few jokes that Señor R seems to pick up on like he's in on them. Teto doesn't question it.

He's more apt to question how unhappy Imelda looks now, his smile slipping a little at its muted nature and her glaring. She could be like that sometimes but he couldn't always tell what for.

Quite suddenly, Imelda is taking his arm. He watches her point at an adult like she's in charge and he thinks if it weren't Imelda and Señor R he'd panic a lot more at that. But Señor R just looks amused and says, "Alright. I'll be here when you're done."

And then with that he's being pulled off. Way off. He blinks at Imelda, a little dazed. "Huh? Oh. That's Señor R," he says, totally helpful. He at least belatedly adds, "I'm staying with him, kind of. Why?"

At least the weird man has the decency to keep to a single story--even if she still doesn't believe it. Señor R just sounds too suspicious...

"I don't trust him. He tried to say that he's family, but I've never heard of him before." It's no secret that she's talking about him, when she's still looking back in his direction and frowning--but then she looks at Héctor more directly. She still hasn't let go of his arm.

"Has he said anything weird to you? Or tried to take you to any weird places? He tried to tell me to follow him somewhere, but I wouldn't. Then he said there's a lady looking for me, and I think that's a lie, too."

"He's your family?" That's news to him. And pretty crazy. Imelda's family doesn't care about him.

To the rest he shakes his head.

"No, he hasn't tried to take me anywhere. He's usually trying to keep me in one place, which is dumb, because he's always gone when I wake up. He's really fussy, actually. I told him he worries too much and he got this super weird look like I punched him." Something he felt really bad for, after the fact. He frowns and shakes his head.

"Um, but he might be telling the truth about a lady looking for you. I think there's a lot of kids here who are being looked after by somebody else. My friend Ricky is with his hermano. This other kid I know keeps being followed by... I think it's his Papá but maybe not. I don't know. But I don't think Señor R's a bad guy."

"He's not my family," she insists, almost immediately after he says that. She doesn't care what the stupid R stands for. There's no way she's related to someone that she's never seen before in her life. Her parents would have told her. They know everyone they're related to.

But she lets Héctor go on, and she's at least a little more uncertain that he's actually some kind of kidnapper. It's kinda weird that he'd insist that Héctor stay here--unless this was the place they hold the kidnapped people? But then why would he want her to follow him somewhere else? That doesn't make any sense.

But when he adds the bit about everyone's family being here, some of her suspicious is replaced by a distinct sense of homesickness. She lets go of his arm finally, crossing her arms over her chest and holding them tight against her body. "...I asked him who the lady was, and I told him I'd only go with my family, but he wouldn't answer. If there is a lady, she's not my family. ...I don't think any of them are here. It's just me." And even if she's trying to be strong and brave, that's more than a little scary for her.

He puts his hands up in surrender, because he believes her, not her family! He doesn't know why Señor R would say that but he's sure it's fine.

But his face falls and his hands drop too when Imelda speaks again. It doesn't take a genius to tell she misses them. It brings him a sort of aching loneliness of his own. At least it's one he's used to.

"It's not just you," He says. He puts on a smile. "I'm here. And we're... we're friends, right?" He hopes so. "We've got each other. No matter what. If you want."

It's not just you. I'm here.

Imelda looks up at that, seeing him smile as he says those words--and it touches her. She wasn't expecting comfort from him. They're not that close. He's just a boy that plays in the plaza, and she's just a girl that likes to listen and sing along sometimes. They're not really friends, she doesn't think... but maybe they could be.

There's a faint smile that grows on her lips. She still misses her family a lot, but... She doesn't feel quite as scared when he says things like that. "...Okay," she says, nodding her head a little. They've got each other. She'll allow that.

With his words bolstering her courage, she uncrosses her arms and holds out her hand for him to take.

His smile grows easier at the sight of hers, then wider, when she says yes. The offered hand though wipes it all away. He looks surprised. In truth, he's a little breathless.

He reaches out and locks his hand with hers. Try as he might to avoid it, his face goes entirely red.

No one is ever going to believe this. He doesn't care. He might just be the luckiest kid in Santa Cecilia. Or wherever it is they are.

Edited 2019-04-06 05:23 (UTC)

It's not the first time that she's touched him, so it doesn't seem like a big deal to her--at least not in that way. His hand is warm, and his grip is tight. It makes her feel safe... If nothing else, there's at least one person from Santa Cecilia... even if that person is stuck here too.

She smiles back at him, letting their hands hang entwined between them. If she notices how flush he is, she doesn't say anything. Her attention is already shifting back to the older man.

"So... what do we do about him? You really think it's safe to trust him?"

"What, him?" He seems surprised, as if it wasn't already obvious she doesn't trust Señor R. But it's just baffling to him. "Oh yeah, for sure! He's totally fine! I've been with him for a while now and he's never been mean or anything. Sometimes he even shows me tricks on guitar!"

He grins. He'll totally have to show her some of those tricks later. But he'll give this all a moment's more thought, just to humor her.

"He goes away a lot in the day and I don't know where he goes," He admits. "He's just gone when I wake up. But I don't think he's doing anything bad. I think he's just a hobo or something and he sleeps outside. I don't want to do anything to him. He already looks like he got beat up anyway."

That's actually a little surprising to her. "He's un músico, too?" That's a little different of an idea that she had for him. And when Héctor adds that he thinks the man is a hobo--possibly homeless, she looks back at him and frowns in a different sort of way.

"Okay... I guess we don't have to do anything yet." Yet being the operative word. But at least she's willing to give the guy a chance now. She looks back to Héctor again, very seriously. "But you'll tell me if he does anything bad, right? Because we're friends?"

And if that man hurts her new friend, she's going to set him on fire. Or at least try.

Imeldita doesn't have to set him on fire. Imelda's going to do that herself when she finds out he didn't stop this from happening. Barely minutes and they're holding hands. How did this happen? He scrubs at his face a little while the kids aren't looking. Ay... well, he tried.

Teto, meanwhile, bobs his head, confirming the músico thing. It seems part true. An ex-músico, at least. He hopes with time Imelda will drop that "yet" part. When she looks back all serious, he's torn between a wide smile to be called her friend, and a nervous look over at Señor R. He really doesn't want to get anybody in trouble... but...

"...Okay. I'll tell you." If he sees anything. If he's really, really sure it's something bad. Maybe he can even convince Señor R not to do the hypothetical bad thing. "Because we're friends."

She seems satisfied with that. They have some kind of plan, and she's not alone. Without her family here, that's probably about as good as it's going to get. For a moment, she squeezes his hand tighter, trying to express her gratitude.

"Good. I guess... we can go back, then." The twenty paces back to where the older Héctor is standing. But she'll let Teto lead the way there, while keeping his hand in hers.

Teto's smile scrunches up a little, trying not to get overwhelmed by such a little gesture as her squeezing his hand. He squeezes back, just a little, then turns his attention to the adult here.

Señor R. Who is watching them. Who is watching them hold hands.

Héctor looks torn between tired and amused. He is so very metaphorically dead on top of the literal.

"I'm going to guess my verdict is good considering you're both still here," He says, brow raising.

The hand holding is just a united front! Against him! It doesn't mean anything!

At least that's what Imelda seems to think, otherwise she might have more of an inkling to let go. But holding onto Héctor's hand means that she can't be separated from him--or him from her, and that's the goal right now as they head back over to the older man.

"For now," she emphasizes, when the man takes their return as a vote in favor of him. She feels the need to remind him that she can always change her mind, just in case he was under the assumption that he's in the clear now.

When You Made Wishes: start! (player plot)

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