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.
I press the button and[break]it bursts into life[break]This time nothing will escape my sight
What does one wear on a date?! Ling frets as she frantically searches through her closet for the fifth time that morning, trying to find something suitable for her to wear. Even though she's always thought she had more than enough clothes, suddenly, she doesn't have enough at all, and nothing she can find is suitable. A t-shirt and shorts? Would that be too casual? Probably. What about a skirt? Or a dress? Would that be trying too hard? Running her fingers through her hair, Ling pulls on her long pigtails in sheer frustration and mild panic. If only there was someone she could ask!
Twenty more minutes of panic with no results, she gives up. "Val!" Spinning to face her amused familiar, Ling levels a finger at the small white fox. "Pick something for me, I don't care what. I'm gonna go get coffee. And do my hair. And not panic." So decided, she marches out the door and down to the main area of the Sun Cafe heedless of the fact that she's still in her pajamas - honestly, it's not like half of the customers and pretty much all of her fellow jesters haven't seen her like this before.
Coffee helps. It really, really does. Feeling much better, Ling makes her way back to her room to face the music. "So, what've you got for me?" she asks her familiar. Val gives her the driest look she can imagine, and then some. "Don't think too hard about it," he advises, and brings her a simple white dress with thin, horizontal black stripes. A nudge at her ankle. "He's nice. Don't worry. And if he's not, I'll bite him."
Somehow, Val always knows exactly what to say to make her feel better.
But by the time she's made her way to Whiskers and Wands where they've decided to meet, her nerves have risen again and she's once more fiddling with the ends of her pigtails, all but vibrating in place. What if she's early? What if she's late? What if Percy decides he's made a mistake and doesn't show up today?
It is the familiar who wakes up Percy from his deep slumber. Seraph pecks Percy's ankle repeatedly. When she gets no response except from annoyed snores, the swan gets a hold of his navy blue blanket, and with heave and a twist of her long neck, removes the drape over Percy's body. After a while, the boy twists and turns, hands trying to find the comfortable layer that isn't there anymore.
"I call foul play," Percy says upon realizing the absence of the blanket. He opens his eyes lazily. His vision adjusts to a grumpy looking (but still beautiful) Seraph staring at him with her beady eyes. For once she looks... really exasperated. Percy raises an eyebrow. "What's up?"
"You have a date. Get dressed."
The order is enough to spur Percy into wakefulness, but it isn't the only thing to make him sprint for the shower room. Guilt, excitement, and panic engulfs shortly after, and so he makes it out within a record-breaking twenty minutes. Seraph graciously picked his outfit for the day beforehand, and so he saves a heck ton of time. Seraph opts for a casual look, jeans and long-sleeves, black leather shoes and dashing looking belt.
Percy styles his hair with gel, and once he achieves the I-woke-up-like-this look, he's out of the house--only for Seraph to peck him. When Percy looks back, Seraph slides a small box with her beak.
In the box is the character necklace he bought for Ling. Percy lets out a long breath.
"Why don't you take a deep breath? You're a mess. And eat," Seraph says as Percy pockets the box.
It's not as if this is Percy's first date. He has been to many before, with both genders, so he doesn't understand why he is in such a hurry today. It's not just because of the time constraint... but probably because this date is not the priority.
The Whiskers and Wands is already in plain sight. Percy feels extremely guilty with the thought, and so he pushes it away until it could not bother him anymore--maybe later. Ling is waiting, and Percy is sure she's going to be cute as heck.
And she is.
"Hey there," Percy says, coming up behind her. He flashes a refreshing smile in anticipation of Ling facing him. "Good morning pretty lady, I hope you haven't waited for too long?"
Way to start a date--compliment the girl, and the day is off to a good start. All of Percy's compliments are honest to the heart, too.
I press the button and[break]it bursts into life[break]This time nothing will escape my sight
Ling is contemplating the best ways to open up the ground and hide herself there - she's an earth elemental, she could totally do it - when Percy arrives; and suddenly, all the nervous tension that's built up since the start of the day crashes and dissipates like mist in sunlight. Well, perhaps not into absolutely nohing - there's a fluttering in her stomach that she's pretty sure is the 'butterflies' romance novels love to describe - but she's pretty sure that's a normal experience. Still, she finds herself beaming at him, bright like the sun is shining from between the crevices of her teeth, brilliant like the stars flinging stardust into the skies.
"Percy!" she greets, blushing at his compliment. She bounds to his side and smiles up at him, a little shy, but honestly too happy to be too much so; "oh, don't worry, I only just got here myself," she says, and okay, maybe that's not perfectly honest but heck Percy is as kind as ever, the date is off to a great start and who needs negativity? besides, she was kinda early anyways. She's blushing again when she says, "you look really nice" - the jeans? the hair? really, really works for him.
What do people do on dates? She wonders what Percy has planned for today, a thrill of excitement sparking up her spine like lightning flickers. Hesitating for a moment, Ling decides to throw caution to the wind and carefully slips her hand into Percy's, offering her boyfriend another radiant smile.
Seraph relays to his witch the game plans as the date progresses. She stays in the inner strata, relying on what Percy's thinks in order for her to determine the best course of action. It irks her how she is in charge of this--most of the time, often enough, Percy can handle himself in front of girls. He well can... if he wants to, that is.
Today is just not the day that he wants to. He's still a natural at it, but it just isn't his heart.
No no no no no, Percy keeps repeating in his mind, the refreshing smile masking his internal turmoil. He laces his fingers in between Ling's, firmly holding her hand. He brings her soft back hand into his lips and gently kisses it. She looks so happy, so innocent, so sweet, that sways Percy into determination that he's going to make this day worth it.
First step: show her around the shop, then offer to buy her souvenir. "Let's go, miss beautiful?" He takes the lead and tows her towards the area of the animals.
Regarding Whiskers and Wands, Percy has several questions about the place. He is still smiling, but his face is more focused now, eyes trained to the pen division. Are the animals familiars of the workers, or are they regular pets, incapable of performing magic? And if they are familiars, is it ethical for them to be displayed for the sake of gold?
"Ah, well," Percy says, feeling the need to justify himself. "I chose Whiskers and Wands because I think it'll be a good idea to start the day with cute animals. And I can say, I'm not disappointed. Look at how cute they are!"
Percy does not reach out and let go of Ling's hand, instead he opts to just lean at the fence division, his back against the fence. He looks back at the lazy, dozing animals, his eyes zeroing on a particular polecat. "It looks like the familiar of... someone I know."
I press the button and[break]it bursts into life[break]This time nothing will escape my sight
His fingers thread through hers, warm and soft and piano-player slender. Then, he proceeds to bring her hand up to his lips and kiss it - a feathersoft brush, light and delicate like the fluttering of butterfly wings - and Ling blushes, caught off guard by the romantic gesture, tingles racing through her blood. Percy is entirely too sweet and too kind and too perfect and she just wants to hug him forever. Of course, she doesn't do that because hey, she's not that far gone yet, but it's a close thing.
"Flatterer," she teases, poking him gently in the side, though her cheeks are still warm.
They head into Whiskers and Wands, her boyfriend leading her forth with their hands still entwined, making her feel like some pretty lady on the arm of her chivalrous partner at a fairytale ball. Through her veins flows liquid gold, and happiness blossoms like roses in her stomach. Her smile fades slightly when her eyes flicker up to Percy's face, however; there is an odd shadow there, a hint of something... not quite right, a flicker of something off that she can't put her finger on and that vanishes when she blinks, as if it never was. A frisson of uneasiness creeps up her spine. Is she imagining things? Or is something wrong?
But then Percy speaks up, and her worry fades at his exclamation, his smile, their continued hand contact. "They are!" she agrees, leaning forwards to get a closer view. She grins up at him, cheerful like buttercups and daisies in spring. "I love animals."
Following her boyfriends gaze, she spots a polecat with deep silver-brown fur. It looks a lot like Marchosias actually, her fellow runescripter's familiar. "Is that someone called Saoirse?" she jokes, not actually expecting a confirmation or anything. Sundial is a big place, and the pink-haired woman isn't the most social person Ling knows.
"Ah," Percy says. A different name comes out of Ling's lips, and that is not what Percy is thinking. The image of a certain man solidifies inside Percy's mind. Blond hair, glasses, lean frame, and a sack full of gold. "I also know someone who has a polecat as a familiar. Not the Saoirse--" the male emphasizes the name as it sounds fancy enough, "you're talking about. He's, what do you call this, a rather peculiar guy."
He shrugs. "He's my friend. He taught young me how to budget my money so I don't lose my apartment and beg for food," he laughs quietly at that. "It's been a while since I saw him, though." Percy is still a petty fledgling when he met Tony. He ranked up faster than him. A few months later he had become an apprentice. Since then, he hasn't heard from the guy. Percy's a novice now. He wonders what rank is Tony right now?
Percy's eyebrows furrow slightly in irritation. He should be out there, training, taking missions, defeating monsters...
Focus, Seraph whispers in his mind, before (at least the swan hopes) Ling notices anything.
"Could I get you anything? A souvenir perhaps, to remind you of this lovely day?" Percy asks, squeezing Ling's hand. He continues to play his role of loving, attentive boyfriend even as the strain builds. A gorgeous cat trots to the couple, then very deliberately jumps on the fence then straight to Percy's shoulder. "Look," he croons. It's a fluffy, snow white maine coon. Instead of being annoyed, he nuzzles her and scratched its chin. It seems to be quite liking the fuss, and so he releases Ling's hand and fusses it even more.
The relief that courses through him after breaking contact makes Percy so guilty, he blinks rapidly, disoriented.
Very much like an illusion, Percy's mask cracks. The barely noticeable slip is the start of the fall.
It's hardly a surprise when no hint of recognition blooms across Percy's face - Sundial is a big place, after all, and really, what are the chances of her reclusive fellow runescripter knowing her boyfriend? Pretty much none. ( Wouldn't it be cool if all her friends knew each other though? Maybe she should organise a meeting sometime.... )
Meanwhile, she doesn't know who Percy is talking about ( of course ) but that doesn't mean she has nothing to say; no one's ever accused her of having nothing to say before ( not quite true, but close enough ) - quite the opposite, in fact. "He sounds like a really cool guy," she says, then looks up at her boyfriend, eyes earnest and wide. "You have your own apartment? That's so cool!"
Sometimes, Ling thinks about moving out of Jester's Den. Especially when she also thinks about possibly enrolling in university - she's only about a year or two off from the average undergraduate starting age, after all, and attemding Lux Uni is a dream of hers. She could probably even do it - Ling's been paying for her own rent for a little while now, having actually started getting regular paychecks from missions, and having more options due to higher rank. But... she doesn't think she could, not really - there's nothing to compare to the communal feel of Jester's Den, of so many of her fellow coven members and friends basically gathered in one place. And so, she stays.
That doesn't mean Percy's independence is any less cool though.
Her train of thoughts is such that she almost misses the flash of.... something that crosses her boyfriend's face. ( She doesn't though, because she's still a little nervous, and Percy is really cute, and she wants to be a good girlfriend, okay? ) It.... almost looks like... irritation? Annoyance?
But it's gone in a blink, and she's not sure if she hallucinated the entire thing or not; regardless, a frisson of unease and trepidation runs its fingers down her spine. Is he... Is he not enjoying himself? Or is she just overthinking?
Forcibly pushing it to the back of her mind when Percy speaks again, she makes an effort to smile brightly back at him, and shakes her head. "No need!" she says, and tightens her hold on his hand momentarily in return. "You don't have to buy me anything." There's nothing wrong. It's just her overactive imagination and her worry over the day, that's all. Nothing's wrong.
Or... so she thinks, up until a pretty white cat slinks over to their side, and he lets go of her hand and she's pretty sure she didn't hallucinate the flash of guilt that crosses his face like lightning in the next moment. Hesitating, Ling bites her lip, fidgeting hands finding her pigtails to worry at. Should she....
"Hey," she says tentatively, coming to his side. "Percy... are you okay? Is something wrong?" Did I do something wrong? The unspoken question hangs heavy in the air.
Post by percival grayreme on Jan 28, 2018 13:34:13 GMT
He scratches the back of his head with his then free hand. "Yeah, I do," he admits, smiling. His mind takes him back to the garage sale and mini auction he did with Tony. It was one of a kind. "It's just somewhere around Downtown Sundial. It's actually really tiny? But ever since I sold unnecessary fancy stuff I was able to maximize the space. And saved a lot of money, too."
Come to think of it, he's been faring well ever since. Since reaching novice he has received decent sums of money for missions, and with a quick mental math, he realizes he can actually move in to a bigger apartment. Perhaps buy a bigger bed. Or install air conditioning, because it's either he's living on hell or freezing to death. The errant thought, irrelevant at first, now feeds Percy's doubts. Missions, work, ranks...
Ling's urgent, 'no need' forcibly pulls him out of his guilty reverie, and he quickly shakes his head. "I insist," he says simply, then pats his pockets. Disappointingly the coins didn't make the cha-ching sound he's been expecting, and his cheeks flushes red in embarrassment. "Okay, my wallet failed me at the show of wealth, but I swear I've got us covered. It'll be a waste, Ling, come on!"
Percy has to admit it, he is distracted. His heart wasn't into it, and he should have either postponed it, or better, not entertain the cute girl's fondness of him. It's true, though, he finds Ling pretty and endearing. Her braids look good on her, her hands are soft, her face radiates happiness.
But it stops there. Just like any other romance he has had before.
When he lets go of the cat, lets it trot back to its pen, he is almost afraid to look at Ling in the eye. 'Man up,' Seraph says from the back of his mind, and Percy wants to laugh. Which he does. It sounds a bit strained. "Ah, just lack of sleep," he lies smoothly. "I was on out on a particular job that somehow spans days, I had to be on guard for so long."
He looks at Ling, his face tired but still kind. The emotions are real but the reasons he is telling the woman is not. "However this date is already set, so I went, no matter what. So uh, to the storefront? We'll not buy something expensive. Perhaps a small key chain, so we can carry each other's hearts around?" By this time Percy has moved to the glass case of key chains, inspecting each and everything.
But he does not register any design, nor like anything in particular.
OOC Notes // rip
Stay safe Stay strong And let me know that you'll be here while I am gone Because I'm coming home Coming home tonight Let's get this right I said I'm coming home Coming home
Ling’s not quite sure how to feel about Percy’s insistence on buying her a gift. On one hand, damn if it isn’t cute and sweet and romantic enough to make her want to blush. But on the other hand, she feels a little guilty about the societal notions of heteronormative behaviour that make it so that this kind of thing is ‘expected’. Not to mention, she’s sixteen, she’s an active witch of Jester’s Den, she regularly goes on missions and thus obtains paychecks, so she’s more than capable of paying for stuff by herself. Mooching off Percy feels… oddly wrong in a way that doesn’t happen when she’s mooching off her fellow coven members.
In the end, she acquiesces with a nod, pushing her turbulent thoughts away to the back of her mind and grins at her boyfriend’s display. “Yeah, okay,” she says, smiling.
She relaxes at Percy’s explanation, relieved that she hasn’t done anything to upset him or anything. Studying his face, Ling admits he really does look the wrong side of tired, with something strained in his eyes. Having pulled her fair share of late nights and all nighters, Ling knows intimately how exhaustion can make one behave weirdly, flatly, a little like a walking zombie functioning on determination and healthy doses of caffeine - her boyfriend’s slightly off behaviour makes sense.
But then, why can’t she shrug the persistent feeling of offness?
Determinedly shoving her self-centred thoughts aside, she nods in understanding. “Ah, the feel yeah,” she says sympathetically. Ling follows Percy to the display of keychains hung out for them to see, critically eyeing the designs. They’re all ( or, mostly ) quite pretty, but nothing is eye-catching - though that’s expected given where they are. She grins at her boyfriend’s suggestion. “That’s really sweet of you.”
There’s still something persistently flat in her boyfriend’s expression and demeanour though. Stepping closer, she can’t hide the worry that flashes through her eyes as she pokes him in the arm. “Get some sleep tonight, ‘kay?” Ling bites her lip for a moment, then forges on. “You know, if you’re really tired, we can cut this short so you can go home and nap.”
Post by percival grayreme on Apr 28, 2018 14:39:30 GMT
Ah... this is not going well. Percy remains cool about it, and the most Ling could feel is that something is off. He wears a perfectly smooth expression as he surveys the intricate designs. The carvings all blur under his gaze as he finds his mind drifting to elsewhere.
It would be fine if he begins to think about their next date. What's the harm on planning it out a little bit more? Sure, they had gone out a couple of times before this, and he couldn't deny that he had completely forgotten about this day. This could have been so much better, and not bland boring as it currently stands if he kept it in mind.
It would be fine if he begins to think about their immediate future. It would be fine if he thinks about their careers. Their wedding? No problem. The names of their kids? Completely fine. The architecture of their house? Perhaps a library in the middle--Ling would love that. It would actually be preferred if he thinks of how they should balance romance, career, and personal growth above all.
And he does see himself at the top, reaching his dreams and having all the fame and glory--
But not with Ling.
It's all beginning to make sense now.
Percy winces slightly as Ling pokes his arm. Careful not to show any hint of his grim realization, Percy looks at Ling. He could see his beautiful brown eyes, her cute outfit, and he squeezes her hand. Ling is pretty. But apart from admiration of her beauty and talent, he could not feel more... or desire more for that matter.
His silence has stretched too much. He does not even register most of Ling's words. "Oh, uh, yeah, sure," Percy mumbles. He feels so, so guilty... he would at least make an effort to end this day quite nicely. He decides to just go with his act, yawning and sighing after. "You're right, I should get some sleep... oh, but I know just the perfect place where to get some. I hope you have some books in tow!" Percy grins at her, seemingly back to normal.
"I know a place where they offer bean bags, pillows, and sofas, right in the middle of the library. It's not that well-stocked, but it should serve its purpose. How's that? Sounds like a date? Cuddles, hugs, or we can just laze over and sleep~" Around this time the boy is yearning for some quiet time, a moment they both would feel comfortable with silence.
He doubts it would happen. But he would try. He would look at Ling then, smiling playfully.
notes // omg so sorry for the delay qq
[attr="class","itemspercy"]items used //
[attr="class,"imagepercy"]
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
Stay safe Stay strong And let me know that you'll be here while I am gone Because I'm coming home Coming home tonight Let's get this right I said I'm coming home Coming
The persistent feeling of offness doesn't abate no matter how much she rationalises it, and no matter what her boyfriend does. She's beginning to think there's something wrong about her - about her senses, her perception, her brain. Maybe she's the one that's too tired ( Valkea rolls his eyes and very pointedly thinks about the string of late-night research sessions she's pulled ), or maybe her recent missions have simply put her a bit perpetually on edge.
Yeah, that's probably it. This weird feeling has nothing to do with the date. Percy's been nothing but attentive, and everything has gone ( mostly ) smoothly, and the sun is still shining bright and happy like a good omen. It's just her brain being stupid, that's all.
( and yet, she still can't stop feeling off )
Her boyfriend takes a while to respond, every passing millisecond increasing her anxiety by another exponent. She berates herself internally - she really, really needs to stop being so sensitive and needy - but there's a wealth of concern mixed in there as well because this sort of behaviour is really quite uncharacteristic of him and she doesn't know how to help.
It's an odd mix of relief, worry, and unease that floods through her when Percy takes up her suggestion. Cutting this date short is... disappointing, a little, but she'd much much rather her boyfriend actually take care of his health than force himself to trudge around for Ling's sake. Then he grins at her, bright and cheerful and so reminiscent of the first time they met, the entire reason she first began feeling a crush form, that she can't help but grin back, concerns and crowded thoughts momentarily banished. "Who do you take me for? I always have books with me." Under a storage seal, tucked in her pocket, even for a date. Ling wouldn't be Ling if she didn't.
She brightens at the suggestion, and nods eagerly. "Heck yeah!" she cheers, and reaches out to thread her fingers through his. "You know me, I'm always down for library time. And you can get some sleep! The beanbags are really comfortable."
( wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong, her subconsious whispers. she tells it to shut up. )
Post by percival grayreme on Jul 1, 2018 13:45:05 GMT
This is really not going well. Percy knows he's not fooling anyone, certainly not Ling. The girl is much too intelligent, much to perceptive to be taken away by his desperate act. Yet she's trying, trying hard, to play along the lie. Percy wants to tell her that it's not her fault. It's all on him. He shouldn't have pushed for this relationship, shouldn't have led her on this far. But he enjoyed himself before, so how can he act on something he hadn't yet felt?
Fate is playful sometimes.
Perhaps it's inevitable. Ling agrees to his simple request, to his desperate attempt to conceal his wayward feelings. His body won't make the appropriate actions. It won't move to hold her hand or to hug her and make her feel safe. His mind won't think of the right thoughts--it doesn't think of their future, it doesn't think of her, it doesn't think of his love for her.
Maybe because there is no love to begin with.
The realization hits Percy like a soft wave, a light gust, a drizzle. It doesn't shock him, because he had known all along. The best he can do is to end this day without making Ling more unhappy than she is right now.
"The bookworm you are, I'm not even surprised," Percy lightly teases. He leads the way towards the exit. They don't buy any keychain, and it looks like they're headed to the library this early. "Recommend me a good book, and read me a good story? If the story is so good, I might dream about it--" Percy is about to open the door, when his speech is cut short.
The lady speaks in a raspy voice. Percy eyes her weird-looking glass ball. Probably a fake fortuneteller. "Do you... want your fates to be revealed?" As expected. Percy looks over to Ling, waiting what she has to say.
notes // NOTES HERE
[attr="class","itemspercy"]items used //
[attr="class,"imagepercy"]
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
Shoot an apple off my head and a Trouble that can't be named A tiger's waiting to be tamed, singing Confusion that never stops The closing walls and the
Maybe it's just her stupid brain or her insecurities talking, but she can't help but feel that Percy is distracted by something other than mere tiredness as they make their way out. The earlier intimacy is gone - they're not holding hands, not brushing against each other as they walk; he seems occupied by his thoughts, and even his teasing sounds almost forced. But maybe Ling's just overthinking, just being needy. She certainly doesn't expect to be the center of her boyfriend's world, and she's the one to have suggested ending the date early, not him.
( but she doesn't miss the fact that the keychains are forgotten, can't help but feel the subtle wrongness pulse in her blood, her bones )
She's determined not to unload this uncharacteristic torrent of insecurity and worry on Percy, though, so she shoves her brain onto thoughts about books, thoughts about stories. Books are good, yes, she knows hundreds, and there are a few that should definitely be shared with everyone-
They stop in front of a fortune teller, an old lady with a crystal ball that greets them with an offer and an enigmatic smile. Ling looks on with a mix of curiosity and wonder - as part of the Jester's Den and having seen Erza in action, she has quite a bit more faith in divination than one might expect - she looks at Percy, glances back, and nods, smiling brightly. "Okay!"
Stepping closer, she watches with fascination as the lady lights two sticks of incense, smoke swirling through the air while fire flickers up around the crystal ball and she presses her fingers to its surface. She chants something in an odd and syllabic tongue ( and for an instant, she thinks she sees the ghostly form of a crane superimposed over the witch- ), beckoning both of them closer with eyes that suddenly seem to hold all the mysteries of the universe; the fire flares-
( she sees herself of the future, sees herself in her twenties, thirties, laughing and happy, crying and sad, hears the voices of nameless children and the fluttering of a lover's kiss on her cheek; and percy is not there, percy is not there- )
-and flickers out, leaving behind just the crystal ball and fortune teller, as if nothing had happened at all.
She's frozen on the spot, all but forgetting to breathe with her face pale-white and an indescribable tremble making itself at home in her bones. Ling barely hears what the fortune teller says after that, can't even bring herself to look at her boyfriend, check if he'd experienced the same thing as her; did she really see that? Did she really feel that? Or was it just a momentary hallucination, a slice of illusion?
Or maybe she'd imagined the whole thing up - she's got a pretty good imagination if she does say so herself - with the world around her buzzing on with its normality and materiality and mundanity, the thought that she might have had a vision been affected by the crystal ball and the strange fire suddenly seems very unlikely indeed.
Post by percival grayreme on Jul 17, 2018 16:20:25 GMT
At this point in time it's clear that both of them are faking it. Ling's bright 'okay!' elicits a needed smile on Percy's face. A smile is the appropriate reaction, and Percy is sure he is doing it right. But then again, the eyes can be deceived but the heart can't be fooled. He does not need to speak further as the old lady lights sticks of incense. Percy stays behind, watching carefully, head tilted to the side.
His brown eyes are lost to the patterns of the crystal ball, made so by the hypnotizing swirling images of smoke and fire. The old lady chants words which Percy can't understand. He does not know what Ling sees after that. He couldn't see. He only sees her, and with a blank expression he watches her freeze and shudder.
Percy, too, is frozen at his place. He couldn't see, but somehow, he knows. The fortuneteller looks at him with half-lidded eyes, and he stares right back. The old lady's face is wrinkled and her thin lips painted red. Jewels adorn her neck and pearls hung from her ears. She smiles ever so slightly, and raises her head to blow the remaining smoke away from her and the shocked brunette.
"The future isn't set," she says. "But the mind and heart is."
Ah, he's so screwed.
Percy reaches out, then, and holds Ling's hand. He tightens his hold, and tugs. He slides some gold onto the fortuneteller's table with his free hand, and says hastily, "Thank you, we're leaving now."
The old lady watches in silence as Percy pulls Ling into a hug as he tries to lead her outside. She sees Percy's sadness as he tries to save the girl from further falling apart, knowing he is the reason why she breaks today. Young love is dangerous, sudden, and commitment is alien to some. She hears when he mumbles, "What did you see? Are you okay? Forget about it. She's probably a ruse..." until their voices cut off as the door closes behind them.
Percy cradles her face in between the palms of his hand, forcing her to look at him if she won't resist. "Ling, Ling. Look at me."
notes // NOTES HERE
[attr="class","itemspercy"]items used //
[attr="class,"imagepercy"]
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
[attr="class","scrollpercy"]SCROLL NAME HERE
Shoot an apple off my head and a Trouble that can't be named A tiger's waiting to be tamed, singing Confusion that never stops The closing walls and the
She doesn't feel Percy reach out and grab her hand. Doesn't register him him pulling her away. Doesn't see the flash of gold, and aged sympathy in the fortune teller's face, the click of the door closing behind them. Doesn't hear his words, his questions; doesn't even react to Valkea slipping into materiality and pressing against her side. All she feels is a thunderance in her chest and ice in her veins, cracks creeping through her heart and static in her ears.
Sunlight skips across her eyes, and gentle hands cradle the sides of her face. She blinks once, twice, the world swimming into view, Percy's eyes swimming into view. And suddenly, she realises she's crying, realises there are drops of tears escaping the the corners of her eyes and trailing down her face.
"Oh," she says, voice small, blinking at the realisation. "Oh." She blinks again, sniffs a little. Then reaches up to wipe the wetness from her cheeks and gives Percy her best attempt at a smile. It feels small and feeble and watery, but she tries anyways. "Sorry about that, I...." What does she say? What can she possibly say? I think I just saw a glimpse of the future and I think I understand now why you've been feeling off all day? I just had the romantic veil torn from my eyes, and I'm sorry for being such a fool? "I really wasn't expecting that."
