The Watchers of Night ([personal profile] thewatchers) wrote in [community profile] daybreakacademy2019-09-22 09:40 pm

LUNAR HARVEST



LUNAR HARVEST

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On the night of the 22nd, in the light of the hunter’s moon, a shining, bloody path cuts across the sky. The horn call shakes the sky and the procession sweeps across the grounds; the chorus of the hunters’ howling voices blending with the eager cries of their unnatural hounds.

For the length of one bloody night, the hunt descends. Will you join them? Will you attempt to save those swept up in its train and master your fears, or will you choose safety instead?


A. THE CALL
The urges start first. As the day fades into dusk, the call to throw away your restraint, to give into latent bloodlust, scratches at your mind - for those who are more susceptible. For those who aren’t, there’s the faint whispers of something coming regardless; a strange sense of foreboding.

And when the horn blasts with the rising moon, those urges turn from mere whispers into siren songs - enticing those most susceptible to come and ride with the Hunt.

B. THE HUNT
For those swept up in the hunt’s bloodlust, the road is easy to follow, the chase easier still. A personalized mount born from your unleashed, primal instincts - that answers to you alone - will serve as your steed for the hunt’s duration. You’ll need it to keep up as you follow the hunt’s trail across foreign, distant lands - because there’s plenty to destroy, and plenty of prey to chase. Creatures from Earth and the Outlands alike quail in fear and run before the hunt’s approach, and that alone marks them as quarry.

C. THE PURSUIT
For those who wish to save their friends, allies and acquaintances, dragging them away from the hunt, all is not lost. The path of the hunter respects those who are worthy, and though the Wild Hunt’s road is hard to follow for those who choose not to give into their inner beast, it’s not impossible.

Those who choose to pursue without becoming hunters themselves will find the road difficult at first - stepping foot on it fills them with the fear of the hunted prey, the urge to fly before the sounds of the hunt and the light of the moon. But once these things have been mastered, the road becomes wider, easier - and if you don’t have a way of catching up with the procession, then a special mount will be provided for you.

If you can catch up to those taken by the hunt and pull them off their mounts, holding them so they’re unable to follow, the spell will break. But as fae things so often do, this method comes with a catch - they’re hard to hold onto in some way, difficult to touch. Burning hot, freezingly cold, partially ethereal, and more - some may even shapeshift in their attempts to rid themselves of you. This supernatural effect extends even through any protective gear - it is, after all, ultimately a test of will.

And while the traditional method is through illusion and trickery, there's no accounting for how individuals will take such a thing. The transformations being made, and the injuries sustained from them, might turn out to be very, very real.

(The road is easily wide enough to accommodate cars, bikes, and other modern vehicles. The hunt is traditional in its choice of mounts, but it doesn’t bar more modern accommodations either.)

D. SPECIAL PREY
While it was long considered fool-hardy - one could instead attempt to stand their ground to fight, or to specifically challenge the Lord of the Hunt himself to a game of skill - he will only accept challenges that could in some way relate to the act of hunting. Once the gauntlet is thrown, he will prevent others from interfering, magically compelling his host from laying hands on his opponent, and ordering them to take down any one hoping to come to the challenger’s aid.

The Lord of the Hunt himself is a tall, imposing figure in gore-splattered and scorched dark armor and furs, his bearded face obscured by a mangled, antlered helmet, with a single red eye glowing from the shadows underneath. In his hand is a gnarled spear made entirely of wood that is constantly budding and shedding young leaves despite them being constantly slicked in blood and viscera. His steed is equally intimidating, an almost light-absorbing black stallion built like a draft horse, with wild mane that dissipates into smoke.

It seemed foolish to challenge such a being, however if successfully defeated - he might be forced to call off the Hunt. However, those who fail to overcome the Hunter will find a collar lashed around their throats, becoming another one of his hounds for the night.

E WILDCARD
For anything else that doesn’t fit in with any of the above prompts.

code bases by tricklet
unlogic: (original/what did _I_ do?)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-23 05:03 am (UTC)(link)
A-1: Refusal of the Call (action, Aube 1st and 2nd floors)
[Desidera was on her way back to the dorms after another day spent in the Mithril Cage. She spent longer this time than she had on previous training sessions, one near-miss earlier in the month having convinced her that she needed to work longer and harder at it. The fact that she hadn't seen that other girl anywhere since that particular day mostly served to just emphasize that need.

When the sun starts setting, she begins to feel things that she finds unsettling, deeply unsettling, to the point that she could even call them terrifying. It's no urge to flee; rather, it's quite the opposite, something gradually tugging at the inhuman side of her, calling for her to throw away her humanity and simply cut loose this night. But she refuses to give in. She doesn't want to give herself the chance to give in. She's here to make sure that she knows how to control herself and her magic, and if she lets this happen she's not sure what would come next for her.

With that decided, she rushes to Aube as quickly as possible, barreling through the door and running up the stairs—ignoring the elevator; there's no time for that!—to the second floor and into her room as fast as she is able, then promptly locks herself in the bathroom.]



A-2: Distractions from the Call (network, UN: SenzaLuce)
I need to talk to someone. Anyone. About anything. Please.

[She's desperate for a distraction from these awful things she's feeling. Whether any such distractions would actually be successful, who knows.]
shockingblue: (Pensive)

A-1

[personal profile] shockingblue 2019-09-23 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
[GV went about his day mostly as normal... a strange darkness lingered over him like a cloud most of the day, bringing the feeling of an ill wind blowing around the Academy. He himself... didn't really feel much else than that; just a very bad feeling that something was going to go wrong.

Unaware of what might be, he went with his gut and went back to his dorm room early that day. Ill-at-ease as he was all day, he found it too distracting to work, and instead opted to play on his video game console to try to get his mind off things... and that's what he was doing when Desidera burst in like a bat out of hell, making a beeline for the bathroom and locking herself in.

...At first, he just thought it might've been an emergency. ...But after awhile, with her clearly not coming out and just that bad feeling not going away, he paused his game and walked over to the door, giving it a gentle knock.]


...Desi? Is everything all right?

[....Why did it feel like the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up tonight...?]
unlogic: (original/worried)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-23 06:20 am (UTC)(link)
[It takes a few moments before he hears any answer.]

I'm. [That's it. That's the response. "I'm". Actually no, there's just a lengthy pause after that.]

I'm feeling this urge to just— [Another hesitation after abruptly cutting herself off. When she continues, she's abandoned that admission and opted for another.] I'm scared. I-I don't want to— Don't—

[Another pause, and when she speaks again, this time it's with all the urgency she can muster.]

Don't let me come out, GV.
shockingblue: (Melancholic)

[personal profile] shockingblue 2019-09-23 03:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[...The silence before her reply was deafening. That in and of itself told him something wasn't right, considering he was positive she could hear him. But then it gets worse, when she answers with only a single word.

He could feel himself tense up, the muscles in his chest contracting as his heart rate picked up, and he went into full alert mode. ...Her followup admissions didn't help him. That ill-at-ease feeling that was in the back of his mind all day quickly flooded into the forefront.

...What was he even supposed to say to all of this? All he could do was... wing it. Play it by ear.]


Okay. I won't let you come out.

[...The statement, he knows, is probably empty. If Desidera really wanted to break down that door, she could, and there'd be nothing he could do to stop that. ....And besides that, the lock was on her side anyway. She had full control of getting out whenever she wanted.

But he knew what this meant. She was afraid. Afraid of something. And he had a bad feeling he knew what it was. He glanced out the window, seeing the blood red moon begin to rise in over the horizon. If there was ever an ill omen...

GV paced over to his small work table in their dorm room, and picked up his Dart Leader. He had a feeling he was going to need it tonight... and he flicked it to the Taser setting... just in case.]


...It's that bad feeling everyone's been having today, isn't it?
unlogic: (original/u-um)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-23 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
It— It started just a bit ago for me. I'm feeling like I need to go and just...cut loose. [Pause.] You know what I am, GV. You've seen what I can do. We both— we both know it'd be really bad, and I don't— I don't want to do it.

[Yes, there are locks on the inside. There are locks on both sides, actually, as it's a shared bathroom between their room and the one next to them—this way the students in one room can't just go straight into the other—but none of those locks even really mean much when the girl trapping herself inside can blow things up or just tear the doors off their hinges.

Her telling Gunvolt to make sure she stays where she is isn't so much of an order to keep her in there as it is one to stop her if she gets out...and that's if she tries going through their own room. That there's no sound of anything happening in there yet is probably sign of how hard she's trying to keep herself together right now.

If the girls in the next room over are still actually in their room right now, maybe they've overheard some of the duo's exchange. Desi's part of it, at the very least.]
shockingblue: (Neutral)

[personal profile] shockingblue 2019-09-23 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[Gunvolt looked over his weapon briefly, keeping it close, before his eyes set on his armor. He had a feeling he was going to need it. He walked back over to the door, and flipped the lock latch on their side. ...It wasn't much. It definitely wouldn't hold for long if she really wanted to get out.

And he did know just how bad it could be if she wanted to get out.]


...I know what you are, yeah. But you're more than just that, too. You're not out to hurt people for the hell of it, and the very fact that you're in there at all is proof enough that you're strong enough to fight it.

[He walked over to his armor stand, and ran his hand over the chestplate, hidden runes flaring to life all across it, glowing a bright azure for a brief moment, before fading again.]

...But it's still okay to be afraid, you know? I can only imagine what you're feeling is... overwhelming.

[He starts taking off his casual clothes to switch over to change into his armor.]

And if gives you peace of mind... I might be able to do more to keep you in there until whatever this feeling is passes. But I'm not going to do it without you saying it's okay.
unlogic: (original/skeptical)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-23 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[This time, the answer comes much quicker.]

Do whatever you think you have to.
shockingblue: (Over the Shoulder)

[personal profile] shockingblue 2019-09-23 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I doubt Ruby and Weiss will be really happy about this, but I think this is one of those times that it's better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

[After Gunvolt finishes getting his gear on, he grabs his runic inscription tool from his workstation, and walks back over to the door.]

I'm going to put a temporary runic ward on the bathroom. Area wards aren't my specialty, but... it should work in a pinch. It'll act like a seal and keep anyone from going in or out for a few hours.

[He begins drawing the runes on the door, and eventually the room itself will flash with a bit of blue energy, before fading away. GV made one modification to his runic pattern on the door though... an easily recognizable symbol, a Greek Omega, symbolizing an Ohm... and next to it, he scribbled a small, unlocked lock. Erasing the Ohm would end the spell prematurely; he figured that might be clear enough for anyone to figure out.]

Hopefully, anyway.

[He couldn't rule out the possibility that Desi might be powerful enough to break out anyway. ...But if she did, it would create enough of a racket to be an alert to anyone in the building. Maybe. Assuming she didn't just dispel the ward somehow...]
unlogic: (original/pensive)

so this is the point where A-2 starts for anyone else I guess

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-23 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay. [She waits for a few moment, until she sees an indication that he's done what he said.] If— If they ask what's going on...I'll tell them.

[Going from willingly hiding away to actively (still willingly) trapped does have the effect of seemingly intensifying those urges, with there now being a growing need to escape so she can let herself go. In response, she curls herself up in a corner, into as tight of a ball as she can manage. The ward might keep her in there so she can't go and hurt anyone, but she could easily trash the bathroom itself if she gave in.

She doesn't want that either.

Some minutes later, she's pulling out her phone, shakily tapping out a message for the network, asking for distractions so she can try to take her mind off of what's happening.]

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unpocoloco: (Wounded)

A-2 - UN:Ollin

[personal profile] unpocoloco 2019-09-23 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
I
for different reasons maybe
could really use a distraction too.

Hola, I'm Héctor.
I don't know if we've met.
Are you okay at the moment, safetywise?
unlogic: (original/pensive)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-23 07:39 am (UTC)(link)
Mine is Desidera. Your name doesn't ring any bells, so we probably haven't met yet.
Though it's possible we could have crossed paths without realizing it.

I'm the girl with the black hair and the horns.
If you're in the library a lot you might have seen me.
Sometimes the Mithril Cage too.

I'm okay right now. Locked in a bathroom. Roommate's been told not to let me out.
unpocoloco: (long sigh three)

[personal profile] unpocoloco 2019-09-23 07:50 am (UTC)(link)
I'm nocturnal, TA the night classes.
I miss most of the day people that way.
I do tutor some of the night owl students in the library sometimes.
I'll have to keep an eye for you in the future.


[Assuming this blows over.]

It sounds like you're well prepared.
Your roommate might be able to talk to you through the door too
I
did that once.
It kind of helped, sometimes.
Might help to sing too.
Then again maybe not.


[Not when everything sounds so grating at the moment.]

If you still have time, check to be sure there's nothing around you you can hurt yourself on.
unlogic: (original/concern)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-23 08:11 am (UTC)(link)
I usually return to the dorm before too late, but I could change my routine a little more, maybe.
What subjects do you normally tutor for?

I might have damaged a door or two along my way. Didn't stop to see if I actually did or not.
Needed to get inside, away from people. I haven't felt like this before. It scares me.


[The idea of focusing on any other activity sounds like it's a good one. She might be trying to hum to herself now, working her way through a small variety of songs she knows.

As far as stuff she can hurt herself on goes, there's not too much beyond the usual bathroom things, but she's also doing her damnedest to force herself to sit still. It's...hard.

It's also taking some effort to not just punch her fingers straight through her phone.]
unpocoloco: (Wounded)

[personal profile] unpocoloco 2019-09-23 08:34 am (UTC)(link)
Mostly the normal ones.
Math, English, things like that.
But I've also helped a bit with Señor Atchison's contracting class.
I'm not knowledgeable with contracts, but Señor Atchison gives me plenty of information to work off of and I find it can be helpful to come in with the perspective of someone less familiar with this world.

Doors can be fixed.
The school might even enlist me for that if they really need it, so nothing to worry about.


[He hesitates here, wondering if he should go on. Wondering if he can. He draws a shuddering breath and continues typing.]

I felt this once before.
Not like this exactly, but it's close enough to bring me out here for a distraction it seems.
It's a scary thing, no way around that, but you're doing well.
And it's not your fault this is happening.
You've got to hang in there as long as you can.
Keep thinking of other things, and if that doesn't work, call back to whatever matters most to you.
Hold onto it.
If you slip for a bit, it's okay, just keep coming back.
You'll be okay.
Edited (sorry!!) 2019-09-23 08:37 (UTC)
unlogic: (original/tired)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-23 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm trying. It's hard.

[It's all still nagging at her, and probably will be for the whole night. She probably won't be getting any sleep later.]
unpocoloco: (Wondering)

[personal profile] unpocoloco 2019-09-24 12:53 am (UTC)(link)
I know. But keep trying.

[It's all anyone can do.]

We could go back to finding distractions.
Maybe you can tell me more about yourself.
Like hobbies or other things that interest you.
unlogic: (original/thoughtful)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-24 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
I like reading and listening to music.
Most genres are fine for both, except I don't like music where the singer is screaming instead of actually singing, and my favorites are fantasy novels (yes I'm aware of the irony in that) and electronica.

I'm not good at singing though and I never learned any instruments. Never had a chance to. Maybe I could while I'm here.

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heartofasamurai: (062)

A-1

[personal profile] heartofasamurai 2019-09-29 12:36 am (UTC)(link)
[The amount of emotions and their intensity make the normal dampening spells that Seiji use all but useless. He can sense the shift in his own feelings, the lure of anger that is very unlike him. Yes, he is aware of his temper and how easily certain triggers can bring it to the fore, but never like this with nothing to cause it. So he can only assume these feelings are being manipulated like all the others he is sensing in the dorm.

Some of them though are much closer to him, much stronger. He rarely takes the elevator as he does not like the feeling of being confined in that space--not after everything that occurred the previous year--but he did not expect to be slammed into with the emotions that overcome him. He knows the person is coming before he even sees her making her way up the stairs. His breath catches, Korin is briefly silenced by the strength of them and how close in proximity they are.]


What...What is wrong, miss?
unlogic: (original/what did you do?)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-29 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
[The most prominent of those feelings, which by itself may very well answer the question before Desi herself can, is one of terror. Not the sort of terror that comes with being in danger, but one that comes with being the danger, when you know (or even simply think) that you could seriously hurt someone despite wanting to do no such thing.

And that feeling spikes when she sees that she will need to pass Seiji before she can reach the second floor.]


I-I'm sorry, please excuse me, I can't—!

[Making her way around with as little pushing as she can manage—she doesn't want to shove him down the stairs or anything, after all—she bolts into 203.]
heartofasamurai: (029)

[personal profile] heartofasamurai 2019-09-29 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
[It is those feelings of terror, which he can sense are not the typical feelings of external fear, but something else, something deeper, that draws Seiji's worry the most. It seems such a foolish question to ask when the answer is so obvious. She rushes away from him and Seiji could leave her be, let her flee to wherever she is going, but he that level of fear can lead to people making dangerous choices.

So he follows her to her the room she enters and stops right at the door. He will not attempt to break into another student's room unless he feels it may be necessary. He steadies himself against the emotions around him before knocking on the door.]


Miss, what happened? If you are in trouble, someone can help you.
unlogic: (original/worried)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-29 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
[The feeling is still there, though mostly back to what it had originally been before it spiked so hard, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, which could tell him that she's making no attempt to, say, jump from one of the windows or break out through bathroom and the neighboring room that shares it.

When she responds, it's clear that she's not directly behind the door, but somewhere further inside the room.]


I don't— [A brief pause.] I— I'm feeling things that are just— It's wrong. I-I don't want to.

[If he can discern it lingering beneath that fear, there's the same urge that's been trying to worm its way into his own mind, and she's fighting against it as hard as she can.]
heartofasamurai: (005)

[personal profile] heartofasamurai 2019-09-29 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
[Her voice is distant, but he can still hear her well enough. So she is still in the room. Good. He does not hear any other sounds that imply that something terrible is occurring so he maintains his distance.]

Yes...I believe we are being attacked, somehow. Someone is attempting to manipulate our feelings. It may be...difficult, but you can sense it is not you. Another power is at work here.
unlogic: (original/u-um)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-29 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
[It does feel foreign, in that I've-never-felt-this-before sort of way; she had felt a desire to hurt people once before, in the past, but that had been in response to an actual attack on her home by strangers who sought to take her mother's life, whereas this was the urge to let go of everything holding her back simply for the sake of it.

The very opposite of what she came here for.

Hearing it suggested that these awful feelings are also literally foreign is simultaneously relieving and worrying.]


It— It's not?
heartofasamurai: (051)

[personal profile] heartofasamurai 2019-09-29 05:23 am (UTC)(link)
["Blood with be spilled and the prey will fall tonight. The innocent can be turned into beasts or prey..."

Seiji is steadfastly ignoring that as he focuses on the girl instead.]


No. Something...There is a power trying to dig into us and force the darkest parts of us to come to the surface. Do not let it sway you.
unlogic: (original/concern)

[personal profile] unlogic 2019-09-29 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm trying. It's hard. [Judging by the lack of other sounds in the room, though, she's probably managing well enough.



There's a bit of a delay after her response, but eventually she does call out:]


Are you still there?

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