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.
now this is a strange sight to see in sundial city: a crowd of people gathered around a massive firepit, yet unlit. it is dark still, deep indigo night gradually giving way to softer shades of blue, pinks and purples lingering on the horizon - waiting, like the people are.[break][break]
and then: the sun peaks over the sealine crowned in gold and glory, streaks of light bedazzling the waves as if a clumsy princess had dropped her entire collection of precious jewels unto the ocean blue. a fireball is thrown, the bonfire blazes! the crowd erupts in cheers, leaping to their feet with faces as bright as the dawn, clapping and laughing and celebrating as the first day of saturnalia officially begins.
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[attr="class","stafftemptitle"] ooc notes
welcome to the first event thread of saturnalia! the first stage of day 1, aka the bonfire, will last for 3 days irl until january 18th gmt (unless verdi is a doof and needs more time), where there will be a staff post here indicating the start of the second stage of day 1, aka the nightingtales. for more detailed lore about this day, and the entire saturnalia event, visit the overall thread here.
[break][break]no this thread is not death enabled, or even injury enabled. yes anyone can join. please try to keep your posts related to the events of the day.[break][break]
posting 4 times or more in this thread over the course of both stages will count as a completed event thread for day 1 of saturnalia.
[attr="class","cclyrics"]bite my tongue bide my time
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[attr="class","ccscroll"]there is a song thrumming under her skin and the dawn in her eyes, a smile gentle on her lips as the sun breaks over the horizon. she wears flowers in her hair and weaves between the crowd with the scent of the wild lingering on a pale dress, fresh pine and deep shadows stretching infinitesimal through the woods. in her arms she holds countless paper effigies, monuments to new beginnings, their surfaces blank still. [break][break]
“sorry! coming through— sorry, ‘cuse me!” she spins, pauses, winds her way through the rest of the crowd until she reaches an empty stall at the back, where a middle-aged lady is in the process of setting up. with a wave, saskia deposits the armful of paper tokens into a wicker basket, dusts herself off, and then picks up the tokens one-by-one to lay them neatly out on the table. [break][break]
it is a task that requires little thinking, so she lets her mind drift, absently humming a tune under her breath. curious event-goers stop every once in a while to purchase a token or two, and she sends them on their way with a wave and a smile.[break][break]
at the corner of her vision, she spies a lingering figure. a pause, a whirl, a dazzling smile. she turns to face the stranger. “hi! how can i help you?”
[attr="class","ccnotes"]yeet
[attr="class","cchover"]shitpost central is back in action!
[attr="class","s1lyrics1"]constellation of tears on your lashes
[attr="class","s1lyrics2"]burn everythign you love then burn the ashes
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A lot has happened to him within the past year. There is a lot to be grateful for. But that’s not what the first day of Saturnalia is about. No, today is a day for deep thought, brooding, remembrance. A day for Corvus to take himself seriously for once and reflect on himself the past year and what he wished to strike for in the coming one. His thoughts roil in his head slowly trying to break through that suppression of negative memories and thoughts he had long tried to bury in the deepest well of his mind. He’d never really liked the ‘remembrance’ aspect of the first day. He preferred to forget everything. Just tuck it into the abyss and never let it surface back up. Focus on Goose, or Goosely as Zephyr Hart liked to refer to her. She seemed calm, for the most part as her walker for today was in a more broody kind of mood though, defintiely leading the charge, idly tugging Corvus in whatever direction she wanted. It seemed to work better than taking off and then being scolded when he finally caught up to her.
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Yeah. This was better. He liked jsut walking Goose, even if she wasn't technically his but... Well, he didn’t particularly enjoy being reminded of his shortcoming, like most. But for Corvus it was somewhat of a touchy feeling. His own incompetence was so internalized he carried it like a chip on his shoulder. A defeat before he’d even tried. Of course, this attitude he buried deep, deep down too. He didn’t’ like it. He liked being optimistic. He liked enjoying himself. He liked the company he had, a large black mastiff and how she and him managed to weave past people, moreso Goose pushing her way through with loud grumbles and short, controlled barks. He definitely liked distractions like red flames and a sunshine smile-
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Corvus stops in his tracks with a start, blinking out of his thoughts as something else consumes them entirely. The stop tugs on Goose's harness and she tugs twice before turning around to see what the hold up was. Like sand in the wind, thoughts of trying to be better, of trying to improve something by the end of Saturnalia were gone and he was back to mentally procrastinating that conversation with himself. He watched her work briefly, taking in her genuine cheer that was oh so infectious. Cute. It was cute. Goddamn cute. He opened his mouth to great her, recognizing the more powerful coven mate but she was working. Better catch up later-
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Or not. “What??” he asked as they locked eyes with each other before glancing around in case she was talking to an actual customer. He’d wandered too close, watched for too long. “Uhh….S-Saskia?” he called out closing the distance so he wouldn’t be yelling over people that were ACTUALLY trying to shop. Goose let out a soft 'ruff', confused but eager to keep moving, even if it wasn't closer to the bonfire and the smell of roasted meat. “Hi. I’m Corvus- Uh- we did a mission together with dogs once?” he explained, golden eyes dipping down as he fidgeted for a bit with Goose's leash. He hadn’t really interacted with her that much. Maybe just an occasional morning greeting but nothing else. The large dog settled around him though she does not sit, eager to keep moving. There's a couple of sniffs at Saskia, curious about the new stranger, before a big pink tongue lolls out of the side of her mouth and she let out a loud 'BOOF!'."This is Goose! Or Goosely!! Uh-.." there's a pause as he decides he doesn't want to take the fall for maddox rothscus ✨'s....eccentric naming conventions. "My cousin named her when he brougth her home one day. I'm walking her for him."
[attr="class","cclyrics"]bite my tongue bide my time
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[attr="class","ccscroll"]the stranger draws closer, and as it turns out, it is a not-stranger — it is corvus, in fact, fellow silvertongue and kind-hearted soul who spends his free time volunteering at a dog shelter, no matter how difficult the work may get. saskia has always had a knack for faces, and she remembers him vividly; their mission together has left somewhat of an impression.[break][break]
he seems somewhat startled by the greeting, so saskia waits patiently for him to walk closer, the grin never fading. outlined by the soft glowing rays of a new dawn, her smile is warm and genuine, the sparkle growing only ever brighter. she takes a step over to the side of the stall, allowing the stall’s actual owner to take over the selling of the tokens, about to crouch down to pet the dog that had wandered up with corvus before she realises that the dog is most definitely big enough for her to pet without bending down at all.[break][break]
“i remember you!” she says brightly to corvus, before giving the oddly-named dog a generous scratch on the head. goose — or goosely, apparently — looked nothing like a goose, though perhaps her deep barking could be reminiscent of a goose’s angry honking. even then, it’s a little bit of a stretch. and so to the dog, she says solemnly, “you have a very odd name.”[break][break]
saskia straightens up to face corvus, still absently petting the dog. “how’ve you been doing, anyway? i feel like i haven’t seen you properly in ages— oh! how are the dogs?”
I want to be strong. I want to be powerful. I want to be feared.
Saturnalia was a festival she didn't care that much for. Sure each of the days held their own unique charm and purpose but this is something they could condense heavily in her opinion. Who needed ten days to reflect and plan for the new year? Not her. Not most people probably. It was a lot.
The plus side was there were so many pretty stalls and events that happened during this time of year. She would never be bored... and it was an excuse to go out and watch the awkward social interactions that were sure to come. Awkward boys trying to confess their feelings and failing so hard. It was kind of funny. They reminded her of her books. Speaking of which there was a boy not to far from her that was being very awkward around a girl. Not usually her cup of tea but she was in a holiday mood.
The small familiar of hers stood on the ground near her as they stayed a bit back from the girl she didn't recognize well and the boy she knew very very well. He had that large mutt with him that one of the others had. Was it (z)Effy? No maybe Maddeline? She couldn't remember. She wasn't much of a dog person to be totally honest... though she did appreciate that they could be easily trained. Useful.
The teenage girl was in her more casual look. Also by casual she meant a short blue dress with a light white sweater on top of it because it tended to get chilly at night. You know gotta keep warm. She moved towards a nearby stall so she could still eavesdrop on their conversation but not be like suspiciously staring at them like a weirdo. That was just bad manners. Or something. You know?
[attr="class","a1lyric"]i got nothing but dreams inside[break] i got nothing but dreams
[attr="class","a1lyric2"]i'm just young enough to still believe, still believe [break]young enough not to know what to believe
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[attr="class","a1scroll"] When your family is old, you have history. Deep history entrenched in generations of blood and magic, bound together into one flesh mongrel that sought to walk the earth and bring with it a new piece of history. For Aiden, this was very much the case. The Cunnighams had a long, storied history intertwined with other names of the past, and Aiden had always taken delight in hearing them tell him of their exploits. Great weavers, and alchemists. Great wind witches like him. But he had always delighted in stories of Amelia, stories she hadn’t been able to tell him herself. And despite himself there was always that familiar sense of longing. He’d been too young when she died. What other stories could she have told him. Secret she kept from her parents. Would she have ever told Aiden about her lover? The one that has spawned him had probably not been her first or her last.
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She had always been pretty, and charming in her own unpolished way. At least, that’s how Rosario described his mother during her teens. Had she even been lonely? Had she ever hoped for a more complete family? Had she ever wishes she had dived deeper into magic, like he had. Where would she have gone? The knights? The Jesters? The Snakes even? He didn’t know and on a day like this, a day of remembrance and stories and history, he ached to know. But if anything, there is solace in one thing today. The Emersons, he begrudgingly thinks, have filled that void. His father’s family had a just as rich and impressive history. Maybe it wasn’t as entertaining or comical as the Cunnighams but it was rife with great legacies and exploits.
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As much as he disliked his other grandparents, he had sat rapt and read through their records collection under intrusion of a tutor in preparation for this day. It’s not that big a deal, just a formal dinner. A family reunion. Small, quiet, personal where he must uphold his end of the deal and do his utmost best to respect their legacy and uphold his status as heir. He must not be good like his father once was. He had to be better. But that was for tonight, and until then he had time to wander and try to enjoy himself. Impossible. Where thoughts of his mother flow away, thoughts of his best friend began to filter in like he was stuck in one giant loop of ‘remember that shit? Yeah that was fucking shitty huh?’
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Among the crown, sheltered in nothing but a hoodie, a thick coat, and some ripped jeans, he turned his eyes towards the ones around him. Maybe he would get a token this year. What would he write on it though? A name? Aiden snorted at the thought. It would be an insincere burning if he tried to write someone’s name down. What then? Maybe he’d figure it out as he went along. There had to be something…he just wasn’t trying hard enough. “I’ll grab one just in case then.” He muttered to himself as hobbled in between stalls, stopping short only at the sharp smell of something sweet. Sweet, and hot. His head whipped around to find the source: the unmistakable, subtle notes of cinnamon, the smell of baked bread, the sharp chocolate filling- Yes.
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“Churros.” He said, eyes locking onto the stall as he made a beeline, mechanical in his movements as his brain turned off every other need and thought. Nothing but this. Nothing but churros. It’d been so long. God fucking bless this lad, whoever they were. “'Scuse me,I’ll take cup of six chocolate please.” He said, stepping up to a person who looked like they were still deciding. Ha. Fools. The best one was obviously chocolate filled. If they needed to think about it they were lying to themselves. Ignorant, unguided sheep. Someone should tell them. Not him though he didn't fucking care. He wanted his churros. He spared a glance at the customer next to him. "Sorry, you looked like you were taking too long." he added, hand grasping a paper cup full of piping hot pastries as his other hand swapped gold with the guy serving it.
[attr="class","a1notes"] @churros
Last Edit: Jan 16, 2019 5:52:19 GMT by aiden emerson
[attr="class","s1lyrics1"]constellation of tears on your lashes
[attr="class","s1lyrics2"]burn everythign you love then burn the ashes
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He doesn’t expect much. After all the redhead was probably a busy enough witch. She’d been so much higher ranked than him when they’d met. But her dedication to the dogs was real, and very endearing. Some people didn’t like dogs a whole lot. He tried not to grimace at the memory of parker jones getting sat on by one of the strays they’d escorted back to the shelter, a leftover from the mess he’d made a month or so earlier. “Really?!” he blurted out despite himself. He hadn’t done much since joining Silvertongue except try to improve his magic. He’d taken great pains to study Kasimir on a mission, as well as trying to figure out the more intrinsic aspects of stealth from Desmond, even if he was a little off putting. Though for a moment he looked down at Goosely curiously unsure if Saskia meant the dog.
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The dog in question does not quite understand Saskia’s sentiment but nevertheless lets out a whine arching her nose upward to get those under-neck scritches she craved. Her hindquarters slowly began falling to the ground as she settled in for the pets. Walking? Sure. But this was the pets. She’d sit for attention any day. Corvus doesn’t quite notice his dearest younger cousin, Siobhan Kasparian , still caught up in the surprise. He felt his heart thump loudly for a split second before nodded. “Y-Yeah! I mean it’s to be expected of someone who named their familiar…Moosely. He’s a moose for the record.” Corvus continued to explain.
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Corvus hesitated, wondering how much he should say really. How much of this interaction was common courtesy and how much was genuine friendliness? He didn’t want to doubt here…but he also didn’t want to burden her. Not many were inclined to feel his excitement, and he felt it better to keep those things to himself. Maybe Goose was privy, but rarely many others. Still, there is something quite exciting happening to him that he never really thought would happen to him before and he thinks it’s interesting enough to share. “Oh well, you know I managed to rank up to novice and all but uh…well-” he tries to stay calm and be serious about it, but a smile twitches at the edges of his lips. “I’ve. Managed. To Pick Up. Starcalling.” He said, tone forced as he tried not to explode into a grin. Goosely jostled the witch as she stood upright, something catching her attention and jostling Corvus on purpose. “Oh right-” He held out his empty palm as a spark of mana appeared before sparking a second time. Something akin to glowing sand began to swirl and coalesce into a tiny ball before points jutted out of it. “They call ‘em starettes right? Never thought I’d see one of these myself.” He said eyes on his tiny creation.
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There’s a moment of contemplation before he crushes it in his hand it disappears. “And the dogs are alright. Come visit them, they’d love to go for a walk I bet.” He added before nodding at her. “What about you? Good news and updates I hope.” The dog meanwhile turned her head, the scent of something she recognized nearby. A good scent. Not the kind of thing you growled at. She began to pull at the slack in her leash and she turned around before staring down at a fellow cousin and waiting for affection. And then she would boof twice, hoping it really got the message across. That was her right? Had to be. Smelled faintly the same.
[attr="class","cclyrics"]bite my tongue bide my time
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[attr="class","ccscroll"]she hums, light and affirmative, not dwelling long on naming decisions, particularly not when presented with the announcement that corvus has since ranked up to novice. saskia claps her hands together, sunshine in her eyes and her smile, somehow, even more radiant. whatever restraint corvus may have in delivering the news, saskia shares none of it.[break][break]
“corvus!” she exclaims, now stepping out fully from the stall — this is a matter that demands her full attention. “that’s amazing! i’m so happy for you!” the starette that he summons is reflected in her eyes, wide and curious, reddish hues glimmering gold. it is small but beautiful, a little star pulled down from the great infinite sky above, a little piece of the heavens held in a palm. she is almost disappointed when it is crushed ( though, she hides this well ).[break][break]
she laughs, a bell-like sound. “i’d love to visit the dogs soon! they’re a joy to walk, always finding something interesting.” she loves it, truly, their carefree exuberance and optimism, and the way it rubs off on you. “i’ve been working! helping out, and all that, you know— the usual.” she waves a hand vaguely, still cheerful as ever. [break][break]
she doesn’t bother to tell him about her newfound ability in summoning ; there is nothing to be proud of, when one can pull weapons out of thin air ; there is nothing to be proud of, to be able to shed blood with greater efficiency. it is simply a necessary evil, one that she will not sully the air with this morning.[break][break]
the dog — goose — barks, her attention directed somewhere else. saskia redirects her focus, pulling her gaze from corvus to regard goose curiously. “did she see something? some nice-smelling food, maybe?”
Post by claire fermont on Jan 17, 2019 7:42:28 GMT
their words bared their teeth into the wall
i would rid the world of feral animals
[attr="class","dbody"]She sees familiar faces come. Some stay, some leaves immediately. She sees them talk among acquaintances, friends, lovers. Claire is not an expert when it comes to human emotions. She doesn't feel much of them, thus have lesser understanding on them. She recognizes general feelings like love, hate, disgust--but it's all in the surface. Deeper, Claire doesn't know. She doesn't like to know, too.
Saturnalia is not a new thing. Yet this is the first time Claire can actually join the festivities without being put on some kind of duty. You know, Knightly stuff. But the Knightly stuff is the same, is safe. This is the most familiar to Claire.
Then sunrise is unfamiliar, the golden waters are a mystery. The colorful hues of the sky is something she is just seeing. This moment has happened so many times, as old as the earth, yet Claire feels alien to it. She doesn't want to know, too.
Everything and everyone is familiar, but not so. And so is the elegant wave of white hair--this, Claire knows. Claire knows her. "Astartia," she utters, putting a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. "It's been a while."
come out upon my seas cursed missed opportunities am i a part of the cure or am I part of the disease
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"Sorry, sorry, excuse~" Percy keeps bumping on people and it's starting to annoy him. Well, the food stands are packed so it's no surprise. The churros is located way farther so he has to be quick. Percy is and will always be an upstanding member of society, but today he really has to make a sacrifice. To go against the rules. To disrupt peace and order. Just like a true Leviathan. So he whistles silently, lips puckered as he nonchalantly makes his way to the front. When the man right next begins to talk to the person behind him, Percy swiftly steps in and cuts in line.
Eyes right on the churros, he begins picking several pieces up, taking five in total before paying with gold. "No, no, I haven't been really waiting for long," he says rather cheerfully. The man has apparently noticed that he had cut in his line, and is judging him harshly.
And what about it? Percy wants to say.
But he remains mum when he actually sees the person beside him, also getting his fill with churros. Wow. Nice timing. "Well hello there. Goodbye!" He politely bows, smiling nicely, before slipping away without garnering more attention, apparently.
He makes his way to the very edge of the now raging bonfire. Goddamn Knights and heck this one particular Knight. Hoping Aiden lost him already, Percy makes himself comfortable eating alone... until he spots one familiar figure. His eyes brightens immediately. Way to turn this whole thing 90 degrees.
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I want to be strong. I want to be powerful. I want to be feared.
That damn mutt was going to give her away. The stand before her had jerky... or something like that. She couldnt really tell. She wasnt a big meat person... or a meat person at all. Sure she liked to beat the ever loving tar out of everything around her but she was strangely a vegetarian. What an odd girl.
She handed over some money and opened the bag for her familiar to grab a large piece out of. The small creature quickly moved low the the ground, not a hard feat with how small she is, towards the canine. The familiar reached her tiny hands out to the dog and threw the beef jerky like treat at the dog so it could catch it in its mouth.
Siobhan gave her familiar a little thumbs up low to her hip. Nice job. Nice job. The tiny Sheila also gave her witch a thumbs up as she scurried around to the cart on the other side of Saskia and Corvus. Her own other little eavesdropper on the other side of the conversation.
The teenage girl made sure not to look at the pair acting like she was looking around at a different little trinkets at the nearby carts. So far she gathered the little shit was now using starcalling magic. Shitty starcalling magic even and hadnt bothered to tell her... his family. Plus he was trying to use it to impress some girl? He was in for a punishment later.
Y'know, if the witch thing doesn't work out, Ling's pretty sure she'd make an ace festival planner. She loves them so much, all the colours and activities and traditions and people having fun. Stalls, food stands with the best ( and most unhealthy ) junk foods, fireworks and lanterns and laughter - she loves it all, revels in the celebratory atmosphere. And out of all the festivals, she thinks she likes Saturnalia the best - ten whole days of celebration, each steeped in history and tradition, who wouldn't like it?
She's all but skipping along the streets, waving enthusiastically at whoever she recognises ( which is, surprisingly, quite a few people ), but doesn't stop to talk 'cause that's not her goal right now. Spotting said goal, she fights her way through the throngs of people to reach a very particular shop, with her favourite shopkeeper ( besides Mr Tay ), selling some very particular items. "Hi Miss Kiki!" she greets cheerfully. "Happy Saturnalia! Could I buy some paper tokens please?"
She's had a good long think about what she wants to leave behind for the new year, all the bits and pieces and parts of herself that are pulling her down, keeping her from chasing the horizon for her ambitions and dreams. Self reflection went well - she may have had to reassure a concerned Jester that nothing was wrong after having curled up in a beanbag and stared at a wall for a few hours straight - but it was a very productive few hours, and she knows what she's going to burn.
Cowardice, the first paper says, a miniature phoenix bursting out from the ashes of her words as the token catches alight; cowardice, of being too afraid to step in and step up, of the type of missions her rank would imply responsibility towards, of monsters and of the uncertain future.
Defensiveness, says the second paper, and releases a fiery fox. Defensiveness of her rank, her affinity, her place in the coven - there will be criticism and rumours no matter what she says or does, and to anyone, really, so she's determined to stop reacting so sensitively and just hold her head high and move on.
Father and mother, she writes on the third, mouth knitted into a tight, sad line. But she writes the words with a steady hand, because this is important, and she is resolute. It's been over five years now, and she's sixteen, sixteen with her own accomplishments and a life she's happy with; she needs to stop looking back towards the childish hope of her parents coming back for her, because she needs to face the reality: that is, they don't want her. And besides, she's got a dad, the best dad, and Mr Tay is far more legitimate a father than the man who had abandoned her without a word. ( She's got two dads, once Mr Tay wises up and finally gets together with Mr Des, but that's something for another day. )
She's about to release this piece of paper into the bonfire, to let go and not look back, when a familiar voice calls out her name. Ling whirls around and sees him, face lighting up immediately as she waves so enthusiastically the people next to her look at her in askance. "Percy!" she yells back, bouncing over to tackle him with a hug. "Happy Saturnalia! How've you been?"
[attr="class","s1lyrics1"]constellation of tears on your lashes
[attr="class","s1lyrics2"]burn everythign you love then burn the ashes
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He felt his face burn brightly and a big grin erupted in response to Saskia’s excitement. It had been a big deal to him, of course, but he was happy someone else outside his family shared that sentiment. Then again, maybe that was his fault for not making any friends his age. His coven mates, most of them that he knew of, were all way older and some very broody. He doubted they would’ve been too receptive to his exuberance and had avoided burdening them with it. Then again, Saskia loved dogs, so he should’ve expected her to show this kind of excitement for good news of any sort. “R-right?! We’re the same rank now, kinda.” He said. Now she wouldn’t have to carry him on missions together. That is, if they did a mission together. Saskia was a busy person after all. Everyone high enough rank was.
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Then again, he was a novice now, he was about to get busy too right? But he was busy enough with the dogs…maybe he’d take it easy too. “The usual huh? You’re so hardworking.” The boy noted with a small laugh. By comparison he was pretty lazy when it came to most things. Floating by was just fine with him. Maybe that’s why his starcalling was still so unrefined. Philippe hadn’t been talking as much ever since it manifested itself, perhaps still mulling over whether to be excited or bitter. Probably both. Maybe his familiar was taking the brunt of his subconscious, filled to the brim with muddy feelings over the new magic. Most people probably didn’t take up an affinity that has hurt them. Maybe he wasn’t stuck with it though. He’d have to talk to someone about that.
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Goosely kept her eyes trained as she mulled over the familiar scent. Definitely familiar, definitely good. The mastiff is about to pad over to see if they were hiding or simply not paying attention to her call before the harsh smell of meat reaches her nostrils, and Goosely begins to look around hungrily. She locked eyes with Sheila before following the jerky as it flew up and snatching it out of the air with oversized jaws. Covus only then looked away from his companion and at Goosely. “Uhh.. Goosley-! What are you eating?” he asked a little worried she’d dug up some trash and began crunching on something dangerous. As he stepped over to see what she was doing Goosely revved up her eating, snarffing down and swallowing whatever was in her mouth before licking her snout, much to Corvus’ chargin.
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“Hopefully it was just food. I’ll have to keep watch on her for the next couple of days..” he said before turning back to his covenmate. “So, uh, I’m not interrupting you right? You mentioned you were working?” Corvus asked looking back at the woman she’d been helping. “I’d offer to help, but its Goosely’s walk after all.” Goosely perked up hearing her name and letting a small ‘boof’ before turning back her full attention to finding Sheila. She began sniffing the air and then dipped her nose to the ground blowing away dust with large nostrils. The jerky had been so distracting…where had that familiar gone?
[attr="class","a1lyric"]i got nothing but dreams inside[break] i got nothing but dreams
[attr="class","a1lyric2"]i'm just young enough to still believe, still believe [break]young enough not to know what to believe
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[attr="class","a1scroll"] Aiden just barely looked up from his sweets taking a good whiff of the hot chocolate filling before laying eyes on the other guy. There a moment of dull calmness, not really interested in the other person before his eyes are alight with recognition and he spits out one word. “Jack ass!” the redhead hissed recoiling from such a polite presence that had left a horrible taste in his mouth after the last time he’d had to dealt with him. He doesn’t smile back and before he can really say anything else the older man weaves himself into the crowd and Aiden followed, steaming and hot. He thought he’d seen the last of him for a while now.
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He wondered briefly if he had stayed away from Ling, aka the ideal. He had, after all, made her cry that one time he’d met him and honestly that had not been a good first impression. Still it had told him everything he needed to know on the subject. Percy sucked. Maybe that’s why he ran after him, half shoving, half weaving into the crowd trying to find him before slowing down a bit as he realized he was. Ugh. Why bother? As long as he stayed away from his friend that’d be fine. Besides, Ling could have very well not been anywhere nearby and simply intent on showing up later tonight.
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He heard random shouting but at that point he couldn’t really figure out where it was coming from. Oh well, whatever. He still had to figure out what he was throwing into the fire. Aiden could see the flames licking stacks of wood from this distance as he vaguely stuffed a chocolate filled churro in his mouth. Maybe he could write ‘gluttony’ on his token. Then again, that wasn’t very sincere either was it? Was there anything he had a hope of leaving behind honestly this year? “This is harder than I thought it’d be.” He sighed as McKenna jingle jangled into existence to tease him with her harness covered in silver bells. The noise only added to the cacophony of sound around him. “You’ve never taken it seriously. Why bother now?” she asked, teasing the redhead just a little. She’d never really cared either, but if it helped Aiden self-reflect then she wouldn’t object to it.
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The redhead shrugged, staring at the flames a little harder. “Maybe I should ask other people what they did?” The whole burning tokens thing was vague anyway. He approached the flames a little more hoping to catch people offering things to burn. He saw a few kids playing at it, though he swore he saw a marshmallow instead of a token. Valid. He said an old couple burning some flowers. A waste but power to them. And then he saw a small girl toss something into the fire. As he was struck by recognition someone uttered his thoughts out before him. “Ling!” Yeah it was her wasn’t it? He thought vaguely, wondering what she was throwing in the fire. That thought quickly dissipates as she watched the young girl throw herself onto another person, only to squint before grimacing in disgust. OF course. It’s fucking Percy. He swallowed his churro, half a mind on interrupting them. Had she taken him back? Was this a weird toxic on and off thing? He dind’t know.
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Then again, did he really have the emotional capacity to care right now? He weighed it in his head. Aiden wasn’t even sleeping right yet, much less capable of taking on more emotional stress than he already had. Probably best to stay away. And watch. He pulled his hood up and popped in another churro, tired of thinking about it.
[attr="class","j1scroll"] There was something about this tradition that makes Jelly wonder. Letting go of the past is anything but easy; one still needs to overcome personal struggles from past traumas before anything is released. Perhaps the first day of Saturnalia is a chance for the present to finally and completely spread wings. It's a recurring thought in Jelly's mind, and somehow she questions herself why she'd just discovered such tradition only just a day ago.[break][break]
She finds a large crowd -- large is an understatement, she'd say huge -- already at the center of everything, and she pauses for a minute to look at them, eyes wide and mouth slightly hanging open. She certainly doesn't know what to do with situations that involve crowds. For sure, there would be noisiness. She questions herself why she'd come in the first place.[break][break]
But she wants to join in for the festivities some time. Even with the large crowd and even with the noise that would surely erupt once she dives into the crowd more, she's ready to partake in it, even when alone.[break][break]
She has much more space to walk around; soon she had brought at least five paper tokens from Miss Kiki, who's been selling them until this very time. But writing comes later. There's still so much to be taken in.[break][break]
But she spots a familiar figure in the crowd, and a large smile immediately creeps up her lips. She knows this young man; he'd been kind enough to treat her to chocolate milk tea and chocolate cake after their rather... unlikely meeting in the lake. She had gone to a mission with him; that was something rather unforgettable, in her part.[break][break]
"Percy--"[break][break]
But she stops running once she realizes that there is someone else with him. She stands, blinks, tries to understand; her hands clutch the paper tokens hard; she tries to take in and process what she is seeing right now. But then again... she doesn't want to assume.[break][break]
( neither does she want to think that she and Percy have developed into something else in some way )[break][break]
