this is Salem, a land filled with magic and maladies. It is a place where witches and their elemental familiars gather, a home to legend and
lore that predates time itself. Yet of all the wicked and wonderful stories the past can tell us of, the most magical are the ones yet to happen.
This is Salem - this is the start of your very own journey. Welcome to starfall
Starfall is an animaga witch roleplay set in mostly modern times. Members play as witches in a world plagued by monsters, where the only safe spots are walled cities. Starfall strives to be a character-driven roleplay with expansive lore and a highly interactive plotline. We want to allow members to
create and look back on a magical journey, and mold the site and its plot as their characters grow.
Post by Charani Petrov on Aug 13, 2017 17:08:19 GMT
TAGS WINTER NOTES HK gay for you. pick a bb to play with him
❀
It was a rather nice day outside. At least nice enough for Charani to be wearing capri pants and a solid t-shirt. The sun was out as well and there was only a light breeze so that definitely helped.
The cafe was fairly busy at this point. It was around lunch time so there was enough hustle and bustle that a lone person just hanging around was not that suspicious. What was he doing? He didn't really know. He didn't have anything to do at the moment with some time to kill before he should be practicing his magic. On the other hand he could just read the book while he had some coffee. He hadn't been here in forever... not since that awkward time after the nightmares. Darn nightmares.
Okay this was the plan right now at least. The young man sat down on the nearest table and cracked open his book. It was a good old medieval fantasy novel. Far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise... you know all that fun stuff. No wait that was the other book in his bag. This one was about invisible spirits and malevolence tainting the world with a savior going on a journey to save the world. You know the good stuff.
He took a small sip of his coffee to stay awake as he read. Given how packed this place was it probably wouldn't be long before someone joined him. It was inevitable given how few seats there were in this place. He resigned himself to this cruel fate but maybe he could get at least a chapter or two in before that happened. Maybe he'd be lucky and it would be someone he knew. Or he'd by some miracle remain alone the entire time. Or even better Percy might come. Not very likely but still.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown yet longed for still.
she did not understand the helios knights, and it led to some kind of angry distrust in her heart: she was no girl to take things at face value, and no crane to suspect the littlest slieght of hand. she wanted...what did she want? she supposed it would be nice to have her future read to her- a dark and brooding prophecy. maybe she'd find little turht in it, or be surprised by what she found. maybe it would be a waste of money.
she slipped into the sun cafe, already suffocating from the number of people here, and then let severa go to find her a place 'preferably next to a quiet and amiable fellow, who can talk but doesn't too often' -- or so she had specified.
the black panther walked like a common housecat: graceful but wary of the things that towered over it. severa found an empty chair in front of a young man reading a book- he seemed the type whose company yvella did not immediately reject. which was saying something already, though severa did not know if she liked what she was hearing.
she climbed on the chair and sat down, tail twitching at the delicious aroma surrounding them. severa knew what yvella was like when she read books- decidedly happy and extremely averse to the outside world. but, she decided, she did not know what this young man was like when he read books.
"hello~" she said, raising her paw in salutations like she had seen many humans do. "my mistress told me to reserve a seat. i hope you don't mind? she's trying to find the fortune teller that sometimes puts up shop here..."
severa's tone was chatty and amiable, and her eyes suggested a flicker of mischeif.
It took him a moment before he heard the familiar speak to him. He was very much engrossed in the book he'd read well over a hundred times. Just by looking at the well worn pages you could tell it had been used quite well and just as often.
"I do not mind," he said, his book moving to uncover his face as he looked at the familiar. He had this inane desire to pet it. This was quickly shoved away as he set down his book to take a sip of his drink. He hummed a bit as the warm liquid slid down his throat. It was a pleasant experience. He like the warmth. That was a benefit of being around a certain boy as well. He was always warm and was very okay with lots of physical contact.
The feline familiar seemed to be fairly pleasant. Given this short interaction though it was hard to tell. He seemed a little uncomfortable with the interaction but this wasn't unusual for him. He much preferred to meet new people with someone else. Someone who is preferably blonde who could hold his hand when he just needed a little squeeze of encouragement. Okay so he was kinda grossly needy.
"Oh? The red haired lady you mean? I don't think she's here today... or at least I haven't noticed her..." he said as he placed down his coffee. He'd seen the woman a few times in the cafe since he was here fairly often. He had never actually gotten up the nerve to talk to her though. She seemed very mysterious and wise. Like he wanted to learn what she knew but he wasn't worthy. He was no seer after all.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown yet longed for still.
severa seemed to do the panther equivalent of a smile, her ears twitching and whiskers flaring. her eyes trailed to the side and spotted yvella before refocusing on the male. "oh? is that so?" the panther's tongue whipped outwards and smacked against its snout in amusement. "looks like she will be finding that out the hard way then." the familiar seemed awfully jolly about it all, and scooted automatically as the dark haired woman approached the table.
"hello, and do excuse me," she said, tone cautious and slow-spoken. she was carrying a cup of tea in one hand and coffee in the other. she slid into the seat and slid the coffee towards the panther. the feline hummed and began lapping away from the cup, and yvella gave a look as though she would sigh if only it did not make her look bad.
a well-worn and plastered smile across her face, yvella turned to charani with the feigned expression of faint curiosity. "oh, i do think i have seen your face before. pardon me for not remembering your name. are you a member of the helios knights?"
she lifted her tea off the table and held it in both hands, her elbows pressing into the table. the heat radiated off the cup of tea- thin white smoke obscuring the critical and defining sharpness of her eyes.
This was very much true. She probably wouldn't be looking for long since despite the place being packed... the fortune teller tended to stand out amongst a crowd. You know she just had that aura about her that made her stand out... or so he'd heard. He'd never talk to her after all.
"I suppose so," he hummed as he took another sip of something warm.
The feline familiar moved over for her witch and she was... older than he expected? He was expecting something closer to his age but she looked to be well into her twenties... maybe even older. He wasn't very good at guessing girls ages though so she could just be an old looking eighteen year old?
"We are... er... I am yes." He forgot he was alone. He was kind of used to having the tanned boy with him that he just started normally talking like he was here. He looked to his left at the empty chair beside him for a moment before he turned back to the woman. "I assume that means you are as well ma'am" he said like the polite little boy he was.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown yet longed for still.
Severa flicked her tail and spoke to Yvella while lapping at her coffee. See? I'm very good at picking out the kinds you like. You should trust me more.
Yvella tilted her head gently to the side as though not really understanding the boy's use of 'we' or even his general demeanor of apparent shyness. She blinked slowly and, as though realizing she was being rude, straightened her head and gave him an equally bashful smile.
And how do you know I like this kind?
Severa lifted her head out of her cupped and yawned loudly. You haven't been eating my head off about how he's a disgusting pig yet, so I'm assuming that counts as a plus? Anyway, he's reading a book and isn't intimidating. Those are definite pluses, no?
Yvella would have sighed if she had less control on her external features. Instead, she nodded. "Perceptive of you." No, really. She could have easily recognized him from a patrol or some event, but making the correct assumption she'd seen him around the hall was..unsettling. Had he seen her around as well, then? "I don't really like to tell people that..." Ah shit. That raised the question of why, didn't it? And he was a reader. Readers were bound to be inquisitive- always looking for truth as though reality held any semblance of that kind of fiction.
"But yes!" She smiled in an attempt to disarm her foe. "I am a member of the helios knights. You can call me Yvella, no need for such formalities." Her smile, with some deliberation, became sheepish. "It makes me feel old, honestly. What is your name?"
He was polite. He was to treat his elders with respect even when it wasn't always deserved. He vividly remembers disrespectful comments he'd made as a child about his own parents if he felt the need to call them that. They were flower children who didn't feel the need to actually raise their kids and were always just off somewhere without a thought in their minds. He could never say that in front of his grandparents though. She told him even if they didn't deserve it you should treat ones elders with respect.
"I see; well it is nice to meet you anyway." He didn't seem to want to pry, or didn't care to perhaps? He didn't seem to be very open at the moment, more like he wanted some peace and quiet. Like he didn't want to stir any waters up or churn the butter so to speak. You know old timey expressions.
The feline familiar didn't seem to be in the forefront of his mind at the moment. Though there was an urge to pet her in the back of his mind. He liked familiars and animals better than people. His own familiar never let him down after all. Of course there were people who he felt that same kind of trust with. Percy was the first that came to mind. His oldest sibling and his grandmother were the others.
"Charani." It was a simple word. Kah-ron-ee. That was all it was. His name. The culmination of who he was as an individual. It was kind of sad how small and freely given out things like names were. In some cultures names were power... if you knew a name you could harbor true power over the individual. It was a dangerous thing to have. Maybe that is why last names are a thing.
"I apologize Ma'am. Er... Ms Yvella..." he said quickly correcting himself. Okay so it was a start kind of? He was trying to be nice. He wasn't needlessly prying about things that didn't concern him or anything of the sort. He was just trying to fade into the background. Fade like he should.
Post by yvella strom on Sept 16, 2017 14:34:00 GMT
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The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown yet longed for still.
Huh. No question as to why she disliked speaking of her affiliation to the knights. Either the lad before her lacked curiosity or he really wasn't into their conversation; either way, she could get behind it. Less questions meant she had less to respond to- the less she said the more she could think. And what else could she say for someone her poor familiar had dragged out of the pleasant pages of a book?
"Charani," she repeated, the word sounding pleasant on her tongue. Names, names, names. It would be nice if you could control humans the way you could familiars-- a careless, absent-minded thought that crosses and passes just as quickly. Hah. It'd hardly been a year since joining the knights and already her mind was littered with thoughts of power. What a shame. "Ahah, yes, you're learning."
Yvella was introverted, not socially inept. She noticed the awkward pause in the atmosphere, and decided it was better to let the conversation rest than continue. She smiled apologetically. "Sorry for the intrusion, Charani. You can go back to reading. It'll be like I'm not here."
Severa, clicked her tongue in distaste before purring and stretching against Yvella's body. The panther then disappeared back into the inner strata, and Yvella looked down at her drink for a few moments before staring out of the window.
LAIKA OF GAGNAM STYLE
Charani Petrov // FORGIVE mE YVE IS QUIET AF LMK IF U CAn'T WORK W THIS
He was indeed learning. He was always learning... it was the only thing he could do. The only thing he could do right. After all he wasn't strong. He wasn't strong in mind or body. He was just a boy.
"May I ask you something?" he said, his book now firmly placed on the table. There was a page with a corner turned to mark where he was. It didn't really matter though he could start back again anywhere and know where he was. This was the beauty of this book... something he'd read a thousand times because he wanted it to be true. A fairy tale was all he desired... true love.
There was a sense of tension in the air as he thought about how best to ask his question. He didn't really wait for her to answer. Or actually it was more like no matter her answer he'd ask his question. This was something he wanted to know.
"What is your truth? What is the truth you wish to ask her..." he said as he stared down at the woman. His eyes looked... well there was an erie lack of emotion to them as he asked her this question. He was prodding why the woman wanted to talk to the fortune teller. To him it told them a lot about what kind of person you were. Was it for money... fame... what did they have to gain from knowing the future? What desire deep inside their hearts did they want to find?
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown yet longed for still.
Suddenly, the air is charged with an invisible current. The kind that makes Yvella sit a little straighter (hah, when is her posture not perfect?) and the kind that makes Severa’s tail stand on end, like some kind of shadowy lightsaber ready to attack.
Yvella watches the book as it is set aside-- she had already noticed its worn covers, but only now she began to seriously ponder them and wonder about this person before her. A youthful boy with hollowed eyes, like he was seeing past her.
He isn’t, Severa reminded her. Don’t worry, he can’t. Sometimes, the panther found it distasteful how fragile her witch was. But it was this fragility that gave her character, and so the familiar felt bound to protect it.
“My truth?” she asked, the self-defensive reply the most common and typical of someone reluctant to answer. Her eyes seemed vivid for a second, like they were surging with unfathomable energy. But then it disappeared and her hands uncomfortably wrung themselves around the cup of tea, her masquerade wrought its grip harsh against whatever fleeting truth there was.
“I can’t say I have any such pretensions. But sometimes, I worry for my sister. She’s a good one. And the world isn’t too kind to people like her.” The words do not ring hollow for they are the truth. But are they her truth?
Truth is something that is very different for people. Some truths are universal. The sky is blue and day always eventually follows night. Personal truths are not the same for everyone though. What is right and what is wrong... how you feel about a situation and what you would do to achieve something are all very different from person to person. These are the very truths of a person's soul.
The cafe was fairly busy still while were talking. People were walking past ordering coffee and doing this or that. There were conversations chattering all around the two witches but this had the boy's sole focus. It was like nothing else mattered to him and his eyes had a sort of hollowness to them but yet held this kind of unyielding intensity like a hungry void trying to swallow up everything around him. Maybe he'd consult the cards again tonight to see if it would all work out. They never gave him any answers he really wanted anymore. Never.
"Do you love your sister? Do you love her with all of your heart? Do you treasure your life with her as it is... or would you break anything to change what is yet to come... if she told you something bad was going to happen what would you do?" He rambled through this entire statement. What would she do if her entire world was ripped from her. What would she do if she found out something horrible and knew that she couldn't change the outcome. Would she try anyway? Would she allow fate to take its course? What would any of us do?
"I'm sorry if I came off kind of strong... I just... this isn't something to take lightly... you may not like the answer you arrive at.. nobody usually does..." he said with a small sigh, eyes closed as he let his nightmares play over in his brain again. It was never totally the same... but the outcomes were always very similar. No matter what he did the boy vanished. It was probably just his mind trying to figure out where it went wrong and desperately clinging to hope... after all he wasn't able to see the future right? He didn't have power. He was just a normal witch...
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown yet longed for still.
Each statemen the boy made rang through her ears and drowned out the noise around her- the thoughts that bubbled as a result of being questioned made everything else a blur. She realized then that the answers to those questions were yes (they had to be yes). After all, her idea of a "self" had disappeared a while ago. She'd lose it if her sister was destined to be anything less.
Was that all she cared for?
The trance is broken as the boy shifts his tone, apologetic. "Please, there is no reason to apologize for passion." If only she had someone to tell that to her. But no. Yvella was not the kind of person that could "come off as strong" in broad daylight with an audience and a stranger- she needed the company of the stars and a couple of drinks and an hour's recharge at the library to exhibit even half of the boy's zeal.
"You seem to hold Ms Vigo in high regard. Or is it fate in general? You must truly believe in destiny."
Did she believe in destiny? Her destiny? To be nothing, go nowhere, and live in the dust like her affinity: old and forgotten? It was then that it occured to her that she hadn't arrived here thinking about Evelyn at all. Yes, she wanted to ask about her sister. But only because asking would give her undeniable proof of the ash she smoldered in: if her sister was destined for the light, surely it was natural for her to remain outcast?
"Why do you say that? Nobody likes the answer... are all answers so bleak?"
Passion is a fire. Passion burns hot and wild with no regard for anything in the path before it. Passion without control leads to some pretty bleak futures... people who take their passions too far. He knows this. He fears this.
"It could be both... or neither to be honest... maybe it is faith? I'm not exactly sure how I feel sometimes." He just smiled that smile like he always did. Did he truly believe or was it just blind faith. They were not the same thing. Belief could change, mold and become truth... at least truth for one person. Faith was similar but not entirely the same. Faith was blind.
"Yes. No. Maybe. We all share the same fate after all but no... it is more that... most people lead unfulfilled lives. Most people face hardships and to know it is coming and to be able to do nothing about it... that feeling is horrible. Or maybe to know without a doubt something and snuff out the hope however in vain it is in their hearts. " For example a mother who's child has gone missing. She looks and looks for him but nothing is ever found. She still has hope that he is somewhere out there... that someday they will be together again. She does not know he rots in the ground in her neighbors yard. She does not know the man she trusts next door abused kidnapped and murdered her child. Giving her that answer... where her son is would destroy that hope and so many other things. That is the moral quandry of reading into somebodies future to close.
"But if you do want to know something she is the best. I hope you find the answer you seek and do not regret asking," he says with another sip of his dsrink. He stares at the familiar while he says this. He isn't sure why he does this even to be honest. Maybe it is because the creature reminds him of another fmailiar he misses. Another life he wishes to see again. Another time and another dream. Or perhaps another nightmare?
