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.
Why were they meeting this lady in this spooky place. This was not a good sign. Not a good sign at all. This place gave him the chills. It was so... well not right to be frank. He had the willies ever since he had shown up. Alone of course. Well mostly alone. Teddy was on a leash with him. It made them more inconspicuous. Just a boy walking his dog... through a graveyard.
It couldn't be to much longer until someone came along. If he stayed to long along he'd rouse suspicion. He could get away for a little bit... have his familiar pretend to take a doodoo on the ground even like the pup had strayed him this way in order to do his... late night business. Oh sugar fudge this was so creepy.
"Sweet Pecan Pie this is one creepy place..." He didn't seem to want to be here but he had to do it. For the orphans. He could feel for them on some level. He wanted to help those little girls. It was strange though that the nun wanted to meet them here first. Very strange. Suspicious. He kept his senses at full alert as something was approaching him. Who was it?
"Hello?" It was a simple word. Simple... but it came out meek and mild. It had a sense of fear in it that the boy didn't mean to give away. Maybe it was the flashbacks to the nightmare realm replaying in his head every second he was here. Maybe it was the cold chill in the air. He felt like someone or something was hovering over his shoulder. It was so much... sensory overload. Just a couple more minutes. That was it.
Post by saskia burovski on Sept 17, 2017 6:22:15 GMT
the things she does for the orphanage ( an orphanage -- she is unfamiliar with this particular one ). there is no denying that she is afraid, her hands seeking solace in luci's pale fur as she moves towards the cemetery. it is a peculiar place for a rendezvous, to say the least. or, in her own words, creepy as hell. who on earth arranged meetings in a cemetery, anyway?
for the orphans. she's doing this for the orphans. it doesn't change the fact that she wants to turn tail and flee almost immediately, but! the orphans! breathe, her familiar reminds her, not unkindly. she does, and almost immediately chokes on the stale air of dead-people-land. "for the orphans," she mutters under her breath, more to convince herself than anything else.
there is someone ahead of her, a boy and a dog. her mission partner? "hello?" he says, a tinge fearfully, and saskia can relate all too much.
"hi," she responds simply, and the bear beside her only extends a curious glance to the dog, presumably a familiar. saskia is quick to step closer, the cloying atmosphere of the graveyard sending chills down her spine. "it's spooky, isn't it? i hope she comes along soon."
There was a girl with red hair. She kind of reminded him of the fortune teller in a way. Maybe it was just the way she looked... or maybe it was that aura of sweetness that permeated the air even when it was trying to be hidden desperately.
At least he wasn't alone now though... and she seemed normal. She looked to be about his age too so it wasn't nearly as creepy as it could be. Not like it was some weird old man or anything. He'd had that experience before and it was... off putting to say the least.
"It's super spooky... like some kind of monster might pop up at any minute..." There was a visible shiver at the thought. He saw them often enough that you'd think he'd be desensitized to the creatures by now. Nope. Definitely not. There was rustle of leaves for just a moment in the direction behind them. The boy turned towards the noise, looking panicked as the nun appeared from behind a large grave stone and some bushes.
She looked like she had been waiting there for a while... there were some leaves in her hair that the young woman brushed off. She was on the younger side... well younger than he expected. Maybe mid-30s? She had long brown hair and was in a nun's outfit minus the headgear. She seemed friendly enough... she was even giggling at the boys reaction.
"I'm sorry... I had to make sure you weren't followed..." the woman said, a small voice coming out of her mouth... like a whisper. The woman crept closer to the two witches. She looked around and made a waving motion to them as she walked towards an old mausoleum that was to their right. "Quickly... we'll talk in here," she said, an air of caution and swiftness to her voice. Whatever it was... she was being way over cautious about it. Charani looked at the girl next to him and shrugged, following the woman.
Post by saskia burovski on Sept 18, 2017 6:18:03 GMT
the boy shivers at the thought of monsters, and she sympathizes greatly. her own eyes dart back out to the countless gravestones that litter the ground ahead of them, and she half expects a skeletal hand to explode out of the ground at any moment. she draws her sweater tighter closer around her, but it does little to guard against the chill in the air.
just then, there is a rustle from behind her and she gives a jump, spinning around with her eyes wide; a monster?! nope, just a nun with leaves in her hair, evidently having waited for some time. at least the nun seems friendly enough, even amused by the boy's fright. "i'm sorry... i had to make sure you weren't followed..." admits the woman, and saskia gives the rest of the graveyard a furtive look. she can't help but feel that she's being watched, but perhaps that just comes with being in a graveyard.
she returns the boy's shrug with one of her own, and as they follow, introduces herself in a hushed whisper and a sunny smile. in spite of it all, there is genuine friendliness in her tone. "my name's saskia. what's yours?"
Saskia was the girls name. Well at least she seemed rather friendly... more friendly than this creepy nun lady who was being all weird and like a horror movie. Could this lady play the horror nun trope any harder? Like she was a stereotype at this point it was that on point.
At least he wasn't alone when she turned out the be evil. That was his current theory. She had to be evil. Nobody was this creepy and was not pure evil. Maybe this mission was fake. Maybe she was here to... I don't know find children to devoir or something like that. Or maybe some evil curse. He didn't know. It didn't really matter.
"Charani," he whispered when asked his name. It was only a few steps before the door opened and the nun was waiting in the room. There was a visible shiver as the door would shut behind the two. It was like a mysterious wind closed it... or maybe some form of magic? He didn't know... it made his muscles tense though at the thought. He was right. He had to be right. He put his hand on his bag to ready for an attack.
The nun looked around the room as a soft sigh escaped her lips. Her face flashed for a moment before it became... different. Illusion magic no doubt. Within a flash her cloak opened and fell to the ground... to reveal... two kids standing on top of each other. Wait... what? The young girl jumped off the other girl and stood next to her with a sigh.
"Sorry for the disguise... we just didn't think the council would take our request if we told them the truth..." the girl on the right said. She was maybe 10... and the other girl was at most 12. The older girl patted the girl on the shoulder before looking at the two witches. "We think some kind of monster is attacking our orphanage. Two other kids have gone missing and the workers are trying to keep it all hush hush. We think they are in on it... so we want you guys to... pretend to be looking to adopt someone to infiltrate... and... you know get rid of the monster please..."
Well this is not what was expected. Not at all. "Um... wait what?" was all he could think to say. I mean really what the actual fudge. This was... so not in the job description. Like what the actual heck.
Post by saskia burovski on Sept 20, 2017 14:57:53 GMT
charani is a nice name, she thinks in earnest; but then again, anything seems nicer than the cold mausoleum, especially with the way the doors swing shut behind them, crowding both witches, their respective familiars, and the mysterious nun into the small space. the bear gives a small squeak of protest, pressing in closer against saskia, who is growing only increasingly certain that this is a scene out of a horror novel, not that she has much experience in that genre.
then, when her gaze returns from its furtive sweep of the room and resettles on the nun, saskia has to stifle a gasp. the "nun" is quickly revealed to be two children, disguised previously by virtue of some illusion -- they are either talented or resourceful, and saskia has wonderment and admiration for both.
the explanation is revealed shortly, and she cannot help but simply stop and stare for a moment, not a single coherent thought crossing her mind. all she says is, "you want us to what?"
this is, to say the least, unexpected.
"i mean, okay, i guess?" she can feel luci's hesitancy, but there is genuine fear in the children's voices, a certain helplessness that tugs at her more than she would like to admit. she can't just leave them here! she turns slightly to check on charani, just in case he felt like backing out, and fixes him with a mildly beseeching gaze. "but, like, would we even look old enough to try to adopt someone? how're we going to convince the workers?"
Saskia seemed at least as flabbergasted as he was. That meant she was either a good actress or she was just as surprised as he was about this turn of events. It was super strange. How did these kids expect them to pass as adopting ready adults. Maybe a fake mustache? A suit and tie? He'd probably have to try and deepen his voice as well. This seemed like a lot of work.
Charani simply shrugged at her when she looked at him. They had taken the mission after all so they should see it through to the best of their ability. This would probably be a little easier if they had been up front from the beginning as they could have gotten at least one older witch. Someone who at least looked to be over eighteen... because being technically an adult wasn't the same as being an actual adult.
"We could pretend to be newlyweds? Maybe our parents are pressuring us into it?" he hummed as he thought about how they could get around this lie. They'd have to be rather newly married given their age. Even with make up or magic they no doubt wouldn't pass for more than being in their early twenties. Maybe childhood sweethearts or an arranged marriage? "Maybe arranged marriage? Or childhood sweethearts?"
The two kids looked confused as the two witches started talking. Old enough? But they were like so old... like adults. "But you guys are like so old right? Like 20... that's old enough..." the younger girl on the right said. She was kind of annoying. Charani shot them an incredulous look. He was not going to be fooling most people given how he looks. He definitely had to have some illusion magic or make up to help his case. He'd have to wear platform shoes... maybe bigger ones than he had on now. He was only 5'2" naturally so he'd need to at least attempt to not look like a twelve year old by adding a few inches with shoes... or maybe a little stilt kind of action with fake shoes. That'd be to hard to walk in though.
Well this is not what was expected. Not at all. "What do you think?" he questioned Saskia. It was up to her. She was part of this and they had to fake being a couple for this to work. Just act. Just imagine you are with Percy and it'll be fine. A little light flirty teasing and some hand holding. Maybe a peck on the cheek or something like that. Something chaste since it is public. Or maybe he should be more like Percy? Strong, courageous and unconsciously protective of his mate. That'd probably be more believable. He was to gay for this shit.
Post by saskia burovski on Sept 22, 2017 11:10:11 GMT
there is a considerable difference between a legal adult and one that seems even barely capable of taking on a dependent, caring for a child. that difference is made even more stark probably by the fact that, right now, with no makeup to speak of and hardly any clue on 'how to adult' ( she makes a mental note to ask her brother when she sees him next ), saskia probably barely looks her age, let alone an adult. it's not like any other requests she has taken by silvertongue has ever given a damn about whether it was a kid or not, anyway.
she resists the urge to bury her face in her hands, and instead turns towards charani as he contemplates a plausible lie. "an arranged marriage could work," she agrees, pointedly ignoring the kid who next speaks up. there's only a flicker of annoyance in her gaze, but it vanishes quickly. they're just kids, she tells herself. kids who might land them in more trouble than necessary, against an unknown foe. there is no winning in this situation.
"it'll save us some trouble of having to act all lovey, i guess?" a story spins in her mind, as one often does. a side effect of having read too many books, probably. but she can play this role: stuck in an arranged marriage, not quite loveless, but not quite right, both parties agreeing to adopt a child as some odd form of compromise. or perhaps, a ploy to fool overbearing parents into thinking there is an heir! she grins, optimistic as always. a marriage to fake, some children to save. "i think this might actually work!"
It was decided. Arranged marriage was the most reasonable route. He hummed at the thought, nodding his head in the girl's direction agreeing to her statement. It would be the best course of action. They could always change it on the fly if need be but it made sense.
After all they were young so unless they were eloped or childhood sweethearts this wouldn't make sense. It would be hard to be convincing of the childhood sweethearts route as well given he isn't a great actor. He wasn't good with affection either as any boy he's ever been with could attest too. He was just awkward.
"I think I may know where we can get some outfits and things to help us out..." he said meekly. His mother would love nothing more than to dress them up in all sorts of weird outfits. His grandmother was probably a safer choice given he actually... you know likes his grandmother. She was much more strict though and probably would be able to get them all refined and such... or at least look like the products of two wealthily families.
"You kids should get back... we can be by in the morning?" he said sweetly to the two kids. The seemed to be okay with that plan. It would give them at least a night to get their act together and be able to fake this well enough. What kind of personas should they go about with? Stern man with a weak willed woman... maybe the other way around? Maybe they just didn't like each other and were incompatible. Maybe forced heir selection because of... certain common interests they had. There were a lot of possibilities.
The two kids seemed to be okay with this plan. Charani would turn to Saskia and offer his arm. They needed as much practice as possible after all. He should probably text his boyfriend to alert him to the mission. He could always just do it when they were at his grandmother's summer home... er... he assumed that is where she'd be at this time of the year. As long as she wasn't on a trip again that is. She did love to take her business trips. "Shall we go?"
Post by saskia burovski on Oct 7, 2017 15:11:47 GMT
she tilts her head, curious, at the offer. charani seems shy about whatever it may be, so she attempts to smile in a way she thinks is reassuring. "sounds good to me!" she chirps, ever cheery, eyes bright with the prospect of a successful mission and of saving children. saskia may lack the usefulness of being a powerful witch ( of which is a feat held in high regard in her coven, and frankly, she'd love to be respected for her power one day ) but it doesn't mean she is entirely useless. she can help! save some children! orphans! do some good!
luci rumbles silent affirmation and encouragement across their mental connection, along with a quiet plea and reminder to please, be careful. saskia's reply, as always, is carefree and breezy. ( i'll be fine, she tells luci, how bad could it even get? )
the plans are made quickly: the witches are to prepare overnight, get their act together, and start first thing in the morning. by dawnbreak ( or some time later, she supposes ), they'd be ready. ready for what, or with what, saskia has no idea. not that it stops her from being any more excited. "we'll be back," she tells the children, eyes glittering with optimism and hope and a promise that she wholeheartedly intends to keep. then she turns to charani, beaming, and takes the offered arm, albeit a little awkwardly. she's fairly sure this is what girls are expected to do in such a situation, right? dwelling on it won't help her, anyway.
It would not take to long to get to his grandmother's home. Well her summer home which was not nearly as extravagant as the main house. It was a simple two floor loft style condo in the heart of Sundial. By simple of course it was simple for a millionaire because it was not a small place to visit.
"Maybe if we are lucky nobody will be home..." he said with a sigh. Sure he kind of wanted his grandmother to be there so they could have some assistance but he also didn't want to deal with questions right now. She was always poking and prodding him for information he didn't seem to be readily willing to give. Things he didn't really want to experience right now. Time to find out.
Charani lead the young woman through the door to a luxury apartment complex, waving slightly the the man at the door as he opened it for the pair. The inside lobby was as extravagant as the outside alluded too. He looked around the red leather chairs and older witches talking in the lobby like he was looking for someone. She wasn't in the lobby... so maybe she was upstairs in the apartment... or maybe she wasn't here at all. They'd find out soon.
"Um... just... follow my lead.... sound okay?" he said sweetly to Saskia, steeling himself as he lead her to the elevators on the right side of the lobby. Once they got into the steel contraptions he pushed the button for his grandmother's floor. It was an uncomfortable few seconds as the elevator brought them upwards. He held his arm out as the door opened to keep it open, motioning for Saskia to step out first. Then they'd make the small treck down the hall.
He fished out the key to the place and with a click the door swung open. It was... well... not small. There was a large open living area with hardwood floors that they entered into which connected to a small kitchen. There were stairs to their left that lead to an overhead loft area which was also not small. This just smelled of aristocratic and power. Everything was neat and in place like nobody had touched it since it was built.
"Grandmother???" he shouted into the empty apartment. There was no response. Of course there wasn't. She wasn't here. She was probably somewhere off doing something equally as extravagant. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or sad that she wasn't here. At least they'd have time to prepare here... they had enough things to work with after all.
"My sister's room was upstairs... we can start there... you should fit fine into her old stuff..." he said ushering the girl upstairs. First they needed to look the part. The first door upstairs led to a large bedroom with a walk in closet. There were tons of different clothes for the picking... the summer collection as his sister called it. She had grown much more accustomed to his grandparents wealthy lifestyle than he had. Honestly most of his other siblings had. It'd come in handy now though... for once.
Post by saskia burovski on Oct 8, 2017 3:49:07 GMT
saskia is, quite frankly, amazed by the apartment, and undeniably feeling quite out of her depth. the ceiling stretches high above, the walls far and wide -- there's so much space! it makes her feel quite small ( smaller than usual ). to her credit, she does not balk, only stares around in sparkly-eyed excitement. she gives charani a curious look at his sigh; does he not like his family? not that she asks. no need to pry up information that might only make him uncomfortable.
"um... just... follow my lead.... sound okay?" he says, leading her upwards, the silence hanging between them. he must be important to know people of such wealth, she thinks as she steps out before him, hesitating ever so slightly before she follows him down the hallway, steps careful and light on the carpeted floor. then the door swings open with a click, and she stifles a quiet gasp.
she has never really had the chance to comprehend a room so grand, so synonymous with aristocracy and wealth and the sharp and almost geometrical arrangements, preserved so perfectly that she's afraid to step in. saskia lingers at the threshold of the doorway until he ushers her upstairs, to a wardrobe big enough for her to walk into, and stares wordlessly at the spread of clothing before her.
"how does your sister ever choose?" she exclaims, incredulous, fingers skimming feather-light across pale dresses and skirts the soft colours of butterfly wings. then she spins, looking back at him with a touch of anxiousness flitting over her features. "are you sure she won't mind me borrowing these?"
How did his sister choose her outfits? Honestly she had so much choice it was probably overwhelming. It was overwhelming for him sometimes and he didn't have even close to the amount of clothes she had. Well... if you didn't count all the stuff he left here or at his grandparents. He left mostly everything when he moved out and only took what he needed to live in his little one bedroom apartment.
"I think she just does; she's very fashion forward or so my other sisters tell me," he said with a small smile gracing his lips. He wasn't very fashionable himself and only had the clothes he had because of said sisters. He was a big fan of oversized sweaters and shorts himself honestly. He had a lot of tight jeans and tight shorts because of his sisters though if you looked through his closet. They were also the reason he had some mesh and floral tops... though he did like the flowers more than he let on.
"I don't think she'll notice? She's not the most organized... besides she'll probably just blame one of my other sisters if something is missing," he said with a small chuckle. That was the nice part about having a lot of sisters... nobody ever suspected him when something was taken. Sister infighting did wonders to help him get away with things.
"See anything you like? We can try one of the other rooms if you want too. Purses and accessories are in the other closet. We also have to stop by my old room for some stuff too," he just needed to get something that was more respectable. Maybe some of his old 'country clubesque' clothes would work. Button up shirts and maybe some skinny jeans so he looked like he was respectable without trying very hard.
There was indeed a closet behind them. Honestly if it wasn't for the daybed in the back of the room one would just assume this was one giant closet. It kind of was. There were a lot of fancy brands here but there were also some rolls of cloth scattered around the room. She'd probably been using this to make clothes within the last few months. She always did like to make her own outfits.
Post by saskia burovski on Oct 11, 2017 14:35:12 GMT
his reply leaves her with more questions than answers -- 'she just does'? what was that supposed to mean? what sort of mythical creature was his sister, to be able to pick and coordinate outfits so easily? "that's amazing," she murmurs, in both incredulity and awe, sweeping her gaze around the place once more. wait, were there clothes behind her as well? there were! how was it even humanly possible to keep this many gorgeous outfits? ( her mind arrives only at a single conclusion: charani's sister must be some sort of mythical, legendary fashion goddess. that's the only plausible explanation. )
the invitation does not go unnoticed ( by luci, at least ). you could take something, suggests the bear innocently. they wouldn't miss it. saskia is half-tempted to take her up on that offer. never in her life had she thought to be presented with such an opportunity; maybe she could just conveniently forget to return a dress. maybe it had simply slipped her mind! a silvertongue fledgling was always a busy person, after all.
"of course i see something i like," she exclaims, a grin lighting up her features. "the thing is, i like everything." thankfully, she doesn't grab everything she sees; saskia has the grace to be selective, picking out a white summer dress, elegant in its simplicity. it is pale, luxurious, and frankly, there's a reason why she doesn't tend to wear white. it's impractical. but if she's already risking potential bodily harm in facing off against some unknown foe, at least she can do it while looking cute.
she frets over the accessories once more, and decides wisely to opt for sophisticated simplicity -- a floppy straw hat and a small turquoise purse slung over her shoulder ( inside of which is largely empty, save for a coin purse and a little knife tucked away for emergency purposes ). saskia drags her eyes away from the rolls of cloth and the rows of clothing still untouched, finally meeting charani's gaze somewhat sheepishly. "sorry for taking so long," she says, her chosen outfit gathered loosely in her arms. "your room next, right?"
She was very much a girl. He could tell by how long she was taking just looking at everything and probably pining over his sister's clothes. He'd probably do the same thing if he was into this kind of thing. Fashion and all that. He tended to stick to shorts and oversized sweaters honestly. Sure his shorts were often colorful and pretty short but that was because he knew a certain boy's eyes were always drawn to him when he wore those.
Maybe it was the large size that made him feel safe. It was like a warm hug surrounding him. It also helped that he was a fairly short and lithe young man so certain boy's clothing was big on him. It smelled kind of woodsy and reminded him of a young man with sun kissed skin. Sun kissed skin that was a little calloused but still felt beautiful. Even with scars marring the surface it just felt right... until it felt wet. That is always how it felt in his dreams. It started off nice and warm... then warm and wet until it eventually became cold. Ice cold. He could never open his eyes during these dreams... or maybe it was he didn't want to. He knew why it was cold. He always knew.
"Did you want to change? I'll go get changed quick and meet you back in the living room? I'm sure you'll look beautiful in white..." His eyes started off distant as he was starting to talk. Eventually they seemed to focus on Saskia before he forced a smile to grace his lips. He would just be a moment. He waved the girl off as he walked next door to his room not waiting to see if she went to change in the room he left her in or came after him into his room.
"Don't think just breath," he hummed under his breath as he could feel his hands go cold. It was like he was touching it again. Touching him. There was a cold chill in the air that didn't exist. Maybe he'd consult the cards before they left just to be safe. It was something he did fairly often just to make sure his dreams were just that. Dreams. He was alive right?
He grabbed a plain button up shirt with a red sweater over it so that pretty much just the collar was showing. He topped it off with some dark skinny jeans to look like he wasn't trying to hard but had enough money and style that even his simple throwing on clothes were expensive. It only took him a moment or two to change before he made his way back towards the living room. Given how quick he was he probably was the first into the room. He made his way over to the end table near the couch and opened the drawer. Inside was a box he set on the glass table in front of the couch.
