You dug me out of this shallow grave with your swiss army knife and only you could revive me

[unpocoloco]

WHO: Héctor and Semi-OTA
WHERE: The fountain, the archery range, around
WHEN: June wibbly wobbly
WHAT: Música! Fútbol! Archery (again)! Necromancy! One (1) temporary Ghost!
WARNINGS: Mark in header as needed.

Música - OTA

It's been strange, playing again. It's even stranger teaching it again. Nostalgic and even grounding after the nightmare ending last month. Like everything else, he's more than happy to pretend it didn't happen. If he's got dark circles under his eyes, they're the same ones he's always had being a walking corpse. If he's jittery, well, that's an old thing too.

Whether the lessons are just ending, just begun, or he's simply been caught at the right moment, Héctor plays upon his guitar and forgets the world in favor of the music and a smile. It's been so long since he could (mostly) play without guilt.

Fútbol - Closed to those in on his secret

He doesn't stray into town as far as he used to. Even with Imelda's tracking rune, it's hard not to jump when he's out there and harder not to remember things he'd rather not remember. But old habits die hard and you never know what you can find in a clean dumpster. Nothing he can use this time except an old soccer ball. He looks it over, tests it for air leaks, then decides to bring it back.

And the moment he runs into any person he can go to bones with, he's breaking into a wide grin. "Hey! Look what I found!"

He can't much play while he's fleshy but certain things just don't matter so much when you're made of bones, like a loose fibula. He tosses the ball up in the air as his markings light, indicating a half shift taking place which he stops above his knees. He's lifting said knee to bounce the ball off it to the other, then letting it fall to the ground.

Archery - OTA

"You're sure this is going to work?" He'd asked Peter, getting anywhere from firm reassurance to unquestionable doubt all in the same breath. Eventually, he had to just concede that he could either try it or not and it would be the only way to know.

The bow certainly speaks of Peter's touch in the design, but he notices other things, little signs of his own impression like the white of it and the tiny bits of shimmering gold-- painted on cheaply with their dumpster diving budget but nevertheless there and enough to make him smile. In light marks, to be washed off later if things need to be changed, are the runes to make it all lighter and easier for him to use. He hasn't a hope of ever gaining more strength or muscle than he died with, but this? This might work.

He's certainly got the aim. Lining up a shot, he makes the target, if a bit off center. "Hah!" He cheers.

Necromancy - Closed to Imelda

"So, we're really doing this?" It's asked nervously. He's trying not to be nervous. He's insisted he's not, because he trusts her, he does, it will all be fine. His voice and laugh go higher all the same.

There are a thousand ways it could go wrong, a thousand things to worry about. There's also a lot to think about it if it actually goes right. What will it feel like to be alive again? What will it feel like to not be able to come apart and change? Will he age suddenly or slowly or at all? Will he still be able to see the dead? Will the school be furious that he and Imelda took away their prime subject in the study to cure blight? What about the hunters, the mages, the secrecy clauses...?

It goes on and on and on but he forces a smile.

Haunting - OTA-ish

This was a bad idea. This was such a very, very bad idea. Sure neither of them are outright panicking anymore but that doesn't mean they're not panicked. He waffles on leaving behind his body, still there in the circle she made, but it's not as if he can help her move it. No, the best thing he can do is find help.

Help. Someone who could, for one, see and hear him clearly beyond flickering light and static noise, and for two, who wouldn't be a problem in the long run with the fact that he is-- was-- a corpse. But it's a magic school, right? Someone's bound to be able to see him. They can help Imelda and then... then...

Dios he hopes she can fix this. This hovering and passing through stuff thing isn't nearly so fun when he considers that he's managed to cut himself off from his girl again. Not to mention everyone else. Also not to mention he hasn't quite mastered either thing and sometimes slips through the air and objects with a yelp.

Sunshine - OTA-ish

He doesn't feel tired. Not even his normal not-actually-sleep sort of tired. He doesn't feel anything at all, not even the breeze. It's a sad sacrifice but for the moment, it's one he finds he's actually willing to pay. He watches the sun rise up in the sky, eyes wide and smile growing wider. The higher it goes the harder he is to see, just a flickering shimmer in the light that very occasionally coalesces to the shape of a man. He strolls around and sits by the fountain, seeing for the first time just how many people there are in the daytime. He'll need to go check up on Imelda, but not yet.

Comments

archery;

[inflictwounds]

Hieke doesn't leave the infirmary very often, and he goes to the range even less than that. He's trying to not be the man he was before, and avoiding the things he used to do seemed to be the way to do it. It's been hard, though, and after visiting the fair with Ky and Ky's class he...wants to start up archery again.

He's surprised when he sees Héctor there - had assumed the man was opposed to combat - but he tamps down his surprise as he watches the man shoot. After the first arrow, he claps softly. "Nice shot, Héctor."

[unpocoloco]

He's not a combat oriented guy. Definitely not. Far from it. But despite being dead he's had not just one, not just two, but multiple attempts on his dubious life. Two, in some senses of the word, succeeding.

Even worse, he's put his family in danger each time. He's got to do something. This seems like it could be it.

He jumps slightly at the sound of the clapping and the compliment, even spoken softly. But he turns and the moment he sees Hieke there he smiles. "Oh! Gracias." A pause. "Are you here to practice too?"

[inflictwounds]

That's all the more reason to learn how to fight. Not that Hieke knows any of this.

He nods at the question, lowering his hands to his side. He's not visibly armed - had just been planning on using one of the training bows - and he smiles softly at the man. "Yeah. I've been letting myself get rusty, and that's no good."

He tilts his head, raising his eyebrows. "That bow looks pretty nice. Did you make it yourself?"

[unpocoloco]

"You're experienced? Aw, geez, I hope I don't get in your way," He says, a nervous but friendly laugh on his breath. It surprises him that a demon would find a need for a bow and arrow but what does he know?

He looks to the bow and shakes his head. "Oh, no. Definitely not. This is Peter Parker's work. He's a smart boy. I, ah, I don't have the proper strength for normal bows, and with my illness, it's not really something I can build on much. He offered to make me something I could actually use. I'm testing it out now."

sunshine

[suddenlybees]

[ That's interesting.

He'd been outside, watching for a while, but at a mirage rather than the sun. Kano can be quiet when he wants to be, a black cat with silent footsteps in a row along the edge of the fountain, tip of his tail twitching in amusement as he slinks forward under the cover lengthening shadows until he's right behind him, turning back to his gremlin boy self and setting both hands on Héctor's shoulders to shout into his ear- ]

Hi, Héctor!!!

[ and hope he doesn't just fall straight through the ghost of a man and onto his face on the pavement, because ouch. ]

[unpocoloco]

[He doesn't notice the cat. In another time he might have paid more attention and even offer a small scritch under the chin, but his eyes are fixed on a world painted gold. He doesn't even notice the shift in shadows, though he really should.

Unfortunately for Kano, there is nothing solid about him at all at the moment.

Unfortunately for Héctor, Kano's attempt to spook him is still a success. He screams and jumps high, which results in him flipping up awkwardly into the air, likely the same time as Kano's hands slip right through.]

Kano!?

[His voice is surprised, concerned, and exasperated at once.]

[suddenlybees]

[ Ohh-- It's such a weird, jarring feeling, steeling himself to slam his chin into the back of Héctor's head when he jumps, not feeling that but feeling it two seconds later when he falls forward and tumbles to the ground with nothing to catch himself on.

He sits up and looks around- has trouble finding Héctor at first, but he keeps trying to find him in the same place as last, and finally catches a glimmer again. ]

.....Haha, ouch. How cool~ Can you fly?

Musica

[improbablenotimpossible]

The man was out and about with his own instrument, ready to play when he heard the strings of a guitar. "Arthur" smiles to himself as he sits down, and listens attentively. Héctor was quite skilled, this was obvious to both a casual listener and someone with trained ears, or so he thought.

Once there was a pause in the melody, the vampire politely applauds in appreciation. "You're quite wonderful to listen to."

[unpocoloco]

He lifts his head, drawn up out of that haze. He recognizes the man in a moment. He smiles in greeting.

"Hola Arthur. And, gracias." It's not that he's shy about his music, he knows he's good, but there's probably going to be that tinge of nervousness forever since he learned what became of his old songs. So long as he avoids them.

"Are you out to play too?"

[improbablenotimpossible]

He nods in confirmation. "It seemed like a good evening and I would hate to get out of practice. While my form may not change, my skills can wax and wane." With that, he pushes himself up to stand.

Haunting

[yokeye]

There's something weird happening. Flickering of a vaguely human shape, very faint; mostly just a perception of an image and not at all appearing tangible or connected. Visions have been coming strangely lately, a side effect of medication maybe. This could be related. Toki really doesn't want to get closer in case it turns out to be some weird eyeball creature or something, but it looks... familiar. For some reason, he knows it. An echoey sort of half-voice half-cracking static noise floating in and out too, now that he's closer. He can't understand it yet.

[unpocoloco]

This really isn't working. Hardly anyone can see him. People pass by and pass through and he swerves from them to avoid the weird feeling that comes with it.

"Can anyone hear me?" He asks aloud only to be ignored. So he keeps going. Until he gets that off feeling of being watched.

"Hello? Is someone-- Toki!!" The boy's looking at him! Well, squinting more like, but it' something! And for the moment he doesn't consider that Toki might not actually be the best help here. He moves to him with a wide grin. "Can you see me? Can you hear me?"

[yokeye]

Toki tilts his head; it just said something. It's a ghost! Oh my god! He manages to reign in his first impulse, which is to run away screaming. Maybe instead, he can try Jail's method of seeing the truth of the present. He hesitantly steps closer to the flickering ghost thing and attempts to look into its very core - what is it? Where did it come from? Most importantly, what does it want? It takes a minute of intense concentration and then...

"Héctor?"

Héctor's dead; he knows this. But he's a skeleton, not a ghost. How can a skeleton be a ghost?

Haunting

[trademark_skull]

While Héctor might be thankful that there was someone that could see and hear him, he probably shouldn't. Especially when that certain someone was something a ghost normally wouldn't want to be spotted by.

...It's a good thing Emizel was supposed to be on his 'best behavior', assuming this ghost was secretly a student or staff. Looked too old to be a student. He also wasn't given a scythe to 'practice' with either.

"Why am I not surprised this school has an infestation problem too," he mutters to himself anyway.

[unpocoloco]

This kid can see him. He's almost sure of it. Those eyes are too sharply focused on him, bringing a small spark of hope. He opens his mouth, about to ask and confirm that this is indeed the case.

"Hey!" He says instead. "I am not an infestation!"

Though, he does assume that he's the one the kid refers to all the same. His eyes narrow.

[trademark_skull]

Sure was talking about him.

"Then what are you?" As far as Emizel understood, ghosts weren't supposed to exist in the human world, or really anywhere for that matter. And that they latch on to old places and usually cause havoc for everybody else. ...Sounded a lot like a pest to him.

Haunting [Dweller Edition]

[hattersgonnahat]

Being a ghost is not that bad once you got the hang of it...and possibly 400 years to get used to it. Though it would be even better if you weren't bound to the only magical thing you died with.

Luckily, the ghost kid was capable of wandering part of the common room while the mask was still in Puella's room, which he used mostly as a time to watch people when there was nothing else to do. Which frankly was a lot of time. Especially on actual school days.

Despite being a ghost, meeting other ghosts was something he didn't trust so much. Possibly a result of being near a haunted forest for so long. The kid instinctively phased through the wall to hide when he spotted one, though a second after, just realized that they looked very familiar.

He peeked back out again for a second look, and he did recognize him! But how come he looked like that now...

The kid hovered closer and spun all around Héctor. Something ain't right.

[unpocoloco]

The kid might not be wrong about that, after all, he came to like being a skeleton once he was used to that. But he's most certainly not used to this. He's only half certain how to move at all with no way to push off anything.

He's not entirely focused on his surroundings when he sees that flash of a presence ahead of him. His head lifts. Despite having seen a few ghosts by now he still hasn't seen all that many. He frowns at that space, sure he saw something... A head pops out.

"Ah! It is you!" He blurts. He watches the kid move in and spiral around, letting him.

"Hah, yes, yes, I know. Just having some spell troubles." Understatement.

[hattersgonnahat]

How very curious indeed. What kind of spell could have done that? What magic does he have?

The kid tilts his head in confusion.

Haunting

[subconmodo]

Héctor has managed to find someone who can see him app right, though how much help that someone will be remains to be seen.

Avery stares at Héctor over his mug of coffee, looking incredibly unimpressed. "So are you really going to make me ask how this happened or should we just get to the point?"

Re: Haunting

[unpocoloco]

Avery isn't surprised to see him like this, which, in itself, isn't really that surprising either. Not after all the trouble Avery's witnessed the aftermath of him getting into.

"Nothing attacked me this time! I'll say that! And, um, I'm sure it'll be worked out soon enough. It's just, you see, Imelda was kind of thinking the best thing to do for our situation would be to, um... to bring me back... to life...?" He laughs nervously. "Sssooo, we might have tried a little teensy tiny bit of necromancy and... ah... it didn't go as planned entirely..."

[subconmodo]

He lowers his mug and pinches the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. Necromancy. Of course it's necromancy. Why wouldn't it be?

"And here I was thinking Imelda was responsible." He takes a long drink of coffee, wishing it was a tad more Irish, and leans back in his chair, legs crossed and his head leaning on one hand.

"You know, I've been working on ways to bind a soul to a vessel. So you two could just come to me instead of changing the ways you're dead."

Necromancy

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

Despite Héctor's nervousness, Imelda is deeply focused on marking out symbols on the bare floor of her dorm room with a piece of white chalk. They're intricate in nature, forming a circle in the center of the room large enough for a grown man to stand in--a grown man like Héctor. His chatter almost goes unnoticed by her, concentrating as hard as she is on getting every detail correct... But thre's something about the tone in his voice that manages to break through.

She looks up at him, blinking--only to realize what it was that she heard in his voice. Her expression softens a moment later. She sets the chalk aside.

"It's okay to be nervous. This is... not exactly charted territory for either of us." Though being a necromancer, she's a little more familiar with it than he is. But her realm of knowledge has always been with spirits and summoning--not quite the affixing of souls to corporeal bodies, or the animation of said bodies.

But despite all that, she reaches over to take his hand in hers. "I won't let anything happen to you." Not anything she's not at least mostly confident she can reverse, anyway.

Re: Necromancy

[unpocoloco]

Despite her saying it's okay, guilt brings his gaze to drop. So much for trusting. The nerves are apparently written upon him.

"This is going to be a big deal. You'd think it wouldn't be since I've been walking around this whole time, but it's different. I don't even remember what alive is supposed to feel like. I mean, I kind of do when I was Teto but it's..." He blows a breath through his teeth.

He squeezes her hands, holding tight. He tries joking, pulling up a wry smile, "I hope you're prepared for life re-education."

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she warns, but his joking still brings a small to her own lips. A little bit of her tension eases--but not much. This is still a dangerous and highly experimental spell that she's trying to perform.

"It's really like riding a bike, anyway. You probably haven't forgotten anything." As long as he remembers to breathe, they can take care of everything else. She squeezes his hand tightly for a moment, then releases it so she can go back to finishing her chalked runes.