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.
Mimi’s world was as a torrent of chaos. Never before had she stood in a room that was so full of life. The crowds were cheering and laughing, the music jolly, the air heavy with the smell of the sweet and savory snacks that were out on display. If she were a braver soul, like her brothers, then the festivities would be nothing but pure delight. No doubt the rambunctious pair would find friends aplenty among the boisterous crowd. But her? Her only accomplishment in life was being the eldest of three. A party like this was far too exciting and lavish for the likes of her.
Mimi had found perch upon a wooden chair near the wall. Her hands cupped around a mug of spiced mulled wine and it would be with wide, emerald eyes that she surveyed the crowd. In a way, the occasion reminded her a lot of home- the way she used to watch the customers from her backroom of the tailor shop. The little tailor always held a curious eye as to what the fine ladies and gents would choose for their tastes. Yet, as she sat here, Mimi terribly missed the safety of the wall that used to so kindly separate herself from the rest of the shop. A fine place such as this was open, free. It made the little fledgling feel so vulnerable and small.
Pressing her back harder against the smooth surface of the wall, Mimi took another sip of the wine and tried to calm her nerves by focusing on the cuts and seams of the sea of outfits that were spread before her- perhaps a little too intently.
She lost herself to spotting the stitching of drying coats, of fine buttons and tidy hems. It was all a distraction to keep a realization at bay: Mimi had spent her whole life being prepared for nothing at all.
Post by raven delacroix on Jan 25, 2019 16:36:45 GMT
It’s a festive day with an equally festive mood. Raven is up for party and no one could stop her. Not even Dai. He tried, of course, all to no avail. He is a constant nagging presence in Raven’s mind the first few hours, reminding her to take it easy, not to get too drunk, not to flirt with too much people, not to shout randomly at guests. His warnings are in vain as Raven downs her fifth cup of booze. The girl is spent, yet her energy just seems to escalate the longer the hours draw. It’s like her very own concert—except her head’s become heavy with too much alcohol, speech slurred—the closer the ending the hyper the crowd.
“COME ON, BRING IT!” she yells as one man dares her into a game of truth or dare. Raven doesn’t care what the repercussions are anymore. Hey, it’s Saturnalia. She deserves to have some fun. As expected, Raven loses, and she is dared to dance sexily on the table. As expected, too, Raven refuses and gets into a fight with a lowly customer and is purposely kicked out of the game and the drinking circle.
“Fucking bastards trying to take advantage of me,” Raven slurs, tipping into the wall for support and almost knocking out one girl from her seat. “Oops, sorry… Hey, why are you just sitting there? You’re not supposed to be there…!” Raven leans into the girl as she tries to get her up. “Not fair, just sitting there!!!”
Green eyes grew wide as a drunk, staggering girl started to make her way toward Mimi. Defensively, she tried to shrink. Long fingers gripping the cup tightly to her chest as bony shoulders rolled forward in a poor attempt to disappear. It was a shame that her magic wasn’t something useful like invisibility.
“I-I’m not?”
The words were stuttered as Mimi looked up to crimson eyes in embarrassment. The little fledgling was twisted this way and that as to avoid the other’s touch, effectively being trapped between the wall and the drunkard. Although, as far as drunkards go, this one was rather pretty. Silver linings and such, she supposed.
“Oh, no. It’s alright. I’m quite alright-“
The words fell on deaf ears as Mimi was pried from her seat. She blinked as a primal fear started to settle within her mind. Oh dear. This wasn’t going to go very well, was it?
Post by raven delacroix on Jan 27, 2019 5:20:48 GMT
Raven doesn't understand why the girl is just sitting there. This is a party and everyone is supposed to participate! Why isn't she having fun? She says she's all right, though. She successfully gets her up, however she loosens her grip on her arms just as quickly.
"Come join the--" Raven stops to burp, and then takes a step back, disoriented. Just who is this fellow? Raven eyes her from head to toe just like what she always does with new people she meets... but the girl doubles and triples in her sight.
"Urgh... stop moving!!! Can't see you properly...." Her head really hurts now and it's harder to stand up. She slumps against the wall, trying hard not to slide down but it's getting really really really hard to keep her bearings. She looks at the girl, then, sitting so comfortably on her chair. Chair. That's right. She needs a chair.
"Chair... chair... need a chair..." She reaches out for a chair blindly, not knowing if she is reaching for one at all. Hopefully she gets her hands into one because she's so close to collapsing on top of the girl.
Mimi had never needed to deal with such a sort before. Her family, for the most part, were calm and reserved folk. Her days, in the past, were often spent joining them in drinking tea and discussing the day or gossiping about the latest fetching vest design they had recently spotted. This? The dangerous swaying, the ghastly burping, the tell-tale slurring…It was like watching a strange, foreign creature at the zoo.
“Yes! Yes. A chair. We can get you a chair!”
The words were a squeaky panic and Mimi set her drink down upon a nearby table as long, awkward limbs scrambled to edge the nearby stool closer and closer to the girl. When the poor lass seemed to almost be at a topple, the little fledgling grimaced and reached out to firmly grip the other’s shoulders, helping her to settle down upon a proper seat. Ugh, the smell of booze upon her breath was nearly overwhelming.
Now what?
She couldn’t just…leave the girl here on her own, can she? It felt too much like a cold and cruel abandonment. Soft, pink lips drew into a thin line as Mimi struggled to think of what to do next. Green eyes looked to the crowd in hopes of a savior to miraculously step forward and take this stressful situation off her hands. Unfortunately, her hopes and prayers never manifested.
“Right,” She sighed regretfully, smoothing down her skirt before bending slightly to look the other in eye. Introductions seem like a perfect place to start. “How do you do? My name is Maria- but you can call me Mimi if you wish. What is your name?”
A thought was spared to offer her hand to shake but it was quickly pushed aside. Even to her, it felt too formal.
“Um, is there anything you need? Anything I can do to help?”
Post by raven delacroix on Jan 28, 2019 7:10:58 GMT
Raven reaches out for nothing, though, and surprisingly that does not frustrate her. It's so easy to just lay on the ground instead. She is just about to do that when nimble arms force her down into a chair. Wow, a chair. Good chair, very comfortable. Raven sits down and sighs, putting her entire weight at the mercy of the chair. She's light, though, so it's no problem. Eyelids droop, covering hazy crimson eyes. Her head lolls to the side.
Which raises back up. Right, a question. Need to answer the question. She forces herself to focus on the kind face of the girl in front of her. Black hair, pink lips. She's talking to Raven. "Mimi," Raven repeats in a rather low voice. She offers her hand--she does not know why. Perhaps a handshake? She babbles on, then, at the opportunity to introduce herself. In the middle of it all, the thought from before riddles her mind again. Why isn't this girl having fun? "My name is Raven. Delacroix. That's right, I sing and dance and act and pose for paintings.... It's always so noisy and restless but I'm happy.... Most of the time.... How about you? Are you happy?"
She looks up, then, and thank Merlin she's seeing properly. Raven just stares at her, searching for answer perhaps for too long. "Uh. Nothing. Water." Yes, she's thirsty. But she's drinking just a while ago.... Strange.
The name sounded familiar. Too familiar. Dark brows knitted in thought as she tried to place it, her mind tumbling as fast and a spinning wheel used for thread…yet, the answers eluded her.
“Nothing. Water. Got it!”
The words no sooner had fallen from Raven’s lips before Mimi disappeared into the roaring crowd, weaving her way to the counter where drinks were being served. She had always been thin and spindly, her lack of presence- or personality, if we’re being honest- made her practically invisible to the rough and boisterous crowd. To some, they may see it as a gift. To Mimi, she merely saw it as a badge of being someone terribly unremarkable.
It took only a moment, maybe two, before Mimi reemerged before Raven with large stein of water grasped within two hands. She nearly held it in an white-knuckle grip in fear of spilling even a drop.
“Here you are.I asked for the biggest glass.” She meekly grinned, offering the water as if it were a sacrifice to the god of booze and poor balance. The little fledgling didn’t bother to mention that she became terribly flustered ordering it (Was it nothing? Or was it water? Or was 'nothing water' a new kind of drink she never heard of??) Such little details are best to be kept secret.
“I think I know where I recognize your name from.” She started, tucking her skirt beneath her as she moved to a crouch. Standing while one’s company is sitting was, after all, rather poor taste. “My family owns a tailor shop. I think we may have mended a few of your family’s performance pieces? Very lovely quality, if I do recall. The hidden stitching was sublime and the fabric? You must’ve had it shipped. I’ve never seen such beautiful weaving and colours in my life! Ah, I’m envious of the hands that got to make such pieces of art.”
Unaware of her swooning, Mimi cupped her head in her hands and recalled back to the amazing craftsmanship. It was enough to inspire her, to maybe try her hand at making such fine pieces of her own.
Post by raven delacroix on Jan 31, 2019 8:05:08 GMT
Raven watches the girl disappear in the mass of bodies. Probably to get water. The girl is slowly starting to get her wits back, starting to resurface from drowning in a sea of booze. She doesn't even drink more than five, that's how weak she is at handling her alcohol. Her head throbs and she wants nothing more just to get it away. Perhaps sleeping would solve her problems.
She manages to take a very short and delirious nap--she dreamt of many many strange things in that short five minutes--and she wakes up with her head hurting more. Mimi's back with a glass of water, though, and Raven has to shake her head twice to get the idea of actually getting the glass and drinking out of it. Cool liquid gushes douses her gums and made her brain freeze, and relieves the uncomfortable warmth of her throat. She drinks half of it in one go.
"Thank you," Raven murmurs. She feels her pockets--yes her dresses have pockets, thank God for the tailors--for her hankies and fishes out one. She moves in a slower pace now she's seated and is actually, really comfortable. Her energy leaves her all at once and she's just staring into empty space. She half-expects Mimi to leave, but to her surprise, she doesn't. Instead she crouches in front of her. It gives Raven the excuse to drop her head.
Maybe Mimi recognizes her....? But it's not for the reason Raven expects--and for that she's quietly relieved. The mention of tailors and costumes prompted flashbacks of her old performances. Fitting for a costume is one of the most exciting parts, and seeing the costume and actually wearing for dress rehearsals? Priceless. "I didn't know," she slurs, hunching her shoulders and hanging her head. "Which one? I don't perform in musicals as much as I did before, but I do remember production having distinct costume designs...."
“You don’t recall?” She asked, almost shocked at the idea. To Mimi, every piece her hands ever touched held a personality. The tailor would talk to the vests and and skirts as she mended them, confessing secrets and guessing of the piece’s futures. Each one held a place in her heart that could never be replaced. For the longest time, they had been her dearest friends.
“There was the Galaxy. It had layers of sheer purples and blues. I stitched tiny stars in the skirt and crafted the milky way from shoulder to hip out of the most delicate beads. In the light, it dazzled and in the dark it almost glowed. The other one was the Swan. I had sewn lace and feathers so that the cape of it caught the wind when you raised your arms up so you looked alike a bird in flight. That one was very ambitious, very spunky. The last one- and my favourite- was the Saint. It was just a dress of pure white, gentle curves and a neckline I haven’t seen since. It was simple- but regal.”
Mimi’s expression was fond as she talked about the dresses- almost as if she was reminiscing about the good ol’ days. Thumbs ran over her calloused, pin pricked fingers. Becoming a witch was nice and all, but a part of her longed for the little room in the back of the tailor’s shop.
Post by raven delacroix on Feb 1, 2019 12:24:20 GMT
Raven shrugs. "I was cast by different productions, and each one of them have their own tailors. I can't really tell them apart now...." It's not her fault she can't remember. She's been performing in musicals since she was little, and she's been through a lot of them. Besides, there is much more to a musical than the costume, than the dress. Sure, they're fantastic, but there's also the songs, the dancing, the acting.
Mimi talks about dresses with a passion Raven knows she has lost. She stares at Mimi as she listens, and does not recognize the expression. Sadness washes over the white-haired woman. She used to talk about the stars and the galaxies like that too, her eyes literally shining with pride, with curiosity and interest. She can see a bit of her reflection on Mimi's dark eyes--and she just looks tired. So, so tired.
Maybe it's the booze. Maybe it's something else.
"I think," Raven says slowly. She's averted her eyes, staring to empty space now. Memories of glitter and gold, the dark stage with an only spotlight on trained on hers. Wearing that dress, Raven sings. Her crimson eyes shone with the dress. "I remember them. Particularly the first dress. It's one of the few costumes I insisted to keep. That one is put inside a glass, like the ones in a museum. Only that one isn't in a museum, it's in my wardrobe."
Raven doesn't say she's lost her passion, though. She still loves to sing and dance and perform. And seeing someone else have the same enthusiasm over a craft, it makes Raven happy. "I really like that dress. Is that what you do for work? Tailoring?"
A part of her soul withered when the young actress mentioned about putting the dress in a glass case. What a sad way of existence, she thought, to look too pretty to be worn. In many ways, the confession was a compliment. Her own two hands weaved a work of art so endearing to this stranger that she preserved it to last the test of time…only, the fledgling remembered that dress. The words Mimi whispered to it were fame and love- not isolation and loneliness. However, it wasn’t her place to comment on the keeping of someone’s wares. Such was simply poor taste.
“Uh, yes.” She replied, a little startled that the conversation had took a turn towards her. Please, no. “My family runs one of the most notable tailor shops in town. We cater to many fine and powerful clients.”
Nervously, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shifted uncomfortably. Mimi could feel the eyes upon her which caused green eyes to stare at the stitching of her boots instead. “I used to work there…until recently. I’ve just gained my license, you see. Now I’m here. At Jester. What about you? Are you also here? Ah- as a Jester, I mean.”
Post by raven delacroix on Feb 3, 2019 4:32:17 GMT
Ah, that makes sense. No wonder she recognizes the Delacroix family. Absentmindedly Raven realizes that her paranoia is really uncalled for. She shouldn't be afraid to mingle with individuals, because chances are, they don't know her. Part of Raven is sad they don't actually know her, because that must mean her fame isn't really reaching so far. Then again this is Mirrorlight Metropolis, not Sundial City, where her music seems to be quite popular, whether it be ballads or pop. She doesn't do rock so much.
Raven nods. "I see," she hums. Mimi mentions gaining her license, which would mean she's now a legally-practicing witch. It makes Raven wonder why she decides to focus all of her time with the coven. "Ah no, I'm from Sundial. A Helios Knight, actually. I just heard the Jesters are holding a party and decides to join. I thought I can handle my alcohol." She makes a face, not a fan of being reminded ( which is her fault ).
Minutes talking and Raven already feels so much better. She notices Mimi still crouching in front of her, and so Raven reaches out and pats the chair Mimi had been sitting on a while ago before Raven drunkenly bothers her. "Come sit. That must hurt your knees...."
A grateful nod was given at the offer and Mimi started to move to take it. Only, as she felt her weight shift, there was something terribly wrong: Her legs had fallen asleep. What was she to do? Bite the bullet and try to clamber onto the chair with limbs flailing like the legs of a newborn deer on ice? No, best not. She still had a shred of dignity to maintain. Swallowing hard, Mimi started to shrink upon herself.
“Ah, no it’s okay. It’s just that…” Discreetly, she pinched at the side of her leg. Nothing. It was as if she didn’t exist from the waist down. “The noise! Yes. The noise. It’s easier to hear you here like this. Besides, I don’t mind. Someone else may need the stool more.”
Which, technically was true. Someone with fine, feeling legs may need it to rest upon.
“But you’re a Knight?!” She exclaimed with more enthusiasm than intended. She needed to distract this woman somehow. “My brothers attend! I would have to write that I met you tonight. To think, what were the chances? Maybe next time I have a chance to visit them, we can meet up again?”
Mimi blinked which was quickly followed by a blush. Her hands began to wave desperately before her.
“Unless that’s too forward? I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to impose myself on you. Feel free to decline! It must’ve been the drinks, haha.”
Post by raven delacroix on Feb 3, 2019 15:57:51 GMT
Raven frowns when Mimi declines. "Are you sure?" Raven tries again. To her it sounds like it isn't even an offer, it's just something to be done... because it has to happen. Besides, who would decline a seat? This isn't mass transport or anything, this is a party. In parties, seats are always, always welcome. Especially if it's packed, which is certainly the case of Jester's Den right now.
Well, she's insistent. "Eh? Am I speaking too softly?" That's news for Raven, because she's always loud. "Well, I'll still save this for you," Raven says in a voice notch higher. If Mimi's insistent, so does Raven, and she's not about to let someone sit on this chair. It's Mimi's, no one else's. Raven pulls the chair close, right beside hers.
Attend? Attend what? Raven's mind, although beginning to clear, is not yet free from the influences of the booze. Mimi must mean the concerts, or musicals, or whatever else she is doing. So Mimi's brothers know her, eh? Finally, someone who actually acknowledges her music. She nods. "Yeah, for sure! Just contact me. Would your brothers like early access tickets? This is for a theater play next month. I'll just be a guest though so it's just one chance. I know I have some here..."
The white-haired Knight feels her pockets once more, and sure enough there are folded tickets in there. She always brings a small stash with her just in case this happens. Free promotion is the best promotion. She smiles reassuringly at Mimi. "Don't worry about it. It's my honor," Raven says as she hands over two tickets and a business card with her SMS address in it. Seeing the tickets make Raven a little sad. She just remembered... "Besides, the next theater might be my last gig for a while before I take the Adept Test. This time I might actually have to quit if I wanted to pursue this... career. I want to many people to see it."
Gently, the card was taken and cool, emerald eyes looked it over. Mimi said nothing as she slipped the parchments into her pocket as Raven continued on. Ah, so she was giving up her performance life. It may be a little bit selfish to say, but such was a shame. The tailor would miss opportunities to work on such beautiful dresses. They had been some of the most exciting work in all her years.
“It may be rude of me to say…” She started, brows furrowing as she tilted her head. “But it sounds like you don’t want to quit. Why do you have to give up something you enjoy just for the adept test? Surely, there had to be a way everything can work out.”
A warm, encouraging smile was offered. The world didn’t have to be so black and white. There shouldn’t need to be any sacrifice for gain. After all, look at her: She was nothing more that a boring elder sister. By all rights, nothing exciting should ever cross her path. Yet, here she was, talking to a fine actress no less! And what’s more- this successful lass was keeping one of Mimi’s dresses in a glad case somewhere.
No, the world doesn’t like to exist by it own rules. Then why should someone as sweet and kind- and maybe a little drunk- have to forfeit a passion such as this? It didn’t feel right.
