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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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.

"Imelda," Teto whispers to her, alarmed to hear such threat spoken to an adult's face. He quickly turns an apologetic smile onto Héctor, who continues to look at them both with that same tired but amused expression.

"For now is fine," Héctor concedes. It's a chance. It would be nice if he could assure Teto he's not the one to worry about but that will take time.

For now, a wry smirk appears upon him. He says to Imelda, "Noticed you were listening in earlier. Long time fan?"

The man's concession gives Imelda a false sense of security, despite Héctor's whispered warnings. She's got this. She knows what she's doing.

And then he asks that, and a flush comes to her cheeks. She has to fight the urge to yank her hand out of Héctor's grip. This is psychological warfare, and she refuses to let him win.

"I've heard him play before," she hedges. "It's okay."

Teto watches Imelda's face.

"Ah, just okay," Héctor repeats, nodding. A sympathetic smile is thrown Teto's way. "Ay, don't you worry, Teto, you'll get there."

What bit of red Teto hadn't gone is upon him now.

Just okay, he says, like that's a bad thing. She didn't mean it to sound bad at all--and yet, here is this Señor R, patronizing her new friend like he's so much better. She grips Héctor's hand a little tighter.

"I take it back! It's better than okay. He's one of the best musicians in the plaza--and I bet he could play circles around you! So don't act like you're so much better!"

"Imelda!" Teto gasps in alarm. His free hand is quickly going to wave as he shakes his. "No, no, don't say that!"

The boy is practically a tomato. Héctor laughs and lifts his hands. "Now, now, I never said he wasn't way better than I am."

Teto's panic pauses just so he can look back up, incredulous. "I'm not! You did that thing... the thing that... you know what I mean! I can't do that!"

"Yet."

Teto sputters and finally just tries to hide his red face behind his messy mop of hair.

"Unfortunately there's also certain rules for where and when we can play. This isn't the plaza." Just in case Imeldita got any ideas.

Imelda doesn't seem to take Teto's embarrassment to heart. She's confident in his playing--moreso than he seems to be himself. She knows he's talented; she's heard him play. He might be young now, but she's certain that he's going to be a famous musician some day.

But Señor R mentions the rules, and she wrinkles her nose in distaste.

"What kind of rules?" She has her suspicions, but... That's only on her floor that those dumb rules are there. Rules that she's been ignoring anyway. A couple people have warned her not to sing, but no one's actually yelled at her for it yet.

"Nothing I imagine applies to you, not to worry," He says. Mostly because as far as she was concerned there were very few rules that applied to her. Especially coming from him.

"But Teto, I am going to need you to wrap it up for a bit. Think you can do that?"

Teto looks from Imelda and back to Señor R, uncertain and a little uncomfortable as he tries to work out the thing to say to make everyone happy. "Um, yeah, I think so..."

"Gracias, Teto."

Well, at least he seems to get the gist, as far as how much she's willing to listen to him. But she still doesn't like that Teto has to stop playing. She wanted to hear more. This time, though, she doesn't protest. She just frowns, first down at the ground, and then up at Señor R... Her expression shifts as she looks to Teto instead.

"When are you playing out here again? I can meet you next time. If that's okay?" She doesn't know why it wouldn't be, but maybe it's a little weird to ask to be here next time he plays. She really just wants to hear his music again--without Señor R cutting their fun short.

Just as he thinks he's got this, he's worked his way out of causing trouble for Imelda, the little girl is challenging him again. His smile freezes in place.

"Oh, uh, I don't know," Teto admits. "I mean, sure! But, I hadn't really planned out a time..."

Héctor hopes. He hopes and hopes to no avail.

"When do you want me to be here? I can play for you then!"

When does she want? She thinks about that for a few seconds. She doesn't seem to notice Señor R's falling expression.

"What about sunset? That's easy to remember, yeah?"

"Sunset," Héctor repeats with dread.

"Sunset!" Teto exclaims in the same instance. "I can do that! That'd be great! Right here?"

"Sí! We can meet here." She sounds just as excited as Teto does, and once again Señor R's protests go unnoticed.

"I'll be waiting, okay? Don't forget."

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