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.
They come to the Macros Marketplace in the middle of a Summer's heat daze, air so musty and hot that Cassidy nearly wilts under such heat. Light silk lays on her shoulders, and a veil keeps the sun from her skin, but it's as hot as ever. She finds solace in the cover of the market stalls.
Cassidy eyes the selection of glass blown trinkets, fragile and small. It's pretty. She picks up the owl, and is reminded of Jul's familiar, Hermoine. It's pitch black eyes are a sharp contrast against a light red body. When she holds it up to the sunlight, she can see the little subtleties in its plumage, flecks of gold glittering under clear glass.
It would make the perfect gift for Juls.
But she reckons that it'll cost a pretty penny, too. She turns to Erin, wherever she was, and offers it to her. "Erin, should I get this?"
there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying
that i should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
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Whose idea had it been,
to go shopping under this blazing heat? Certainly not Erin's. She didn't even expect shopping in Sundial would imply coming to the literal hellhole that was Mavros Marketplace. Cassidy has her veil to cover her from the UV rays, but Erin only has the sunscreen that she carefully applied earlier that morning, and she was honestly more worried about what an uncomfortable feeling this particular brand was giving her in situations of extreme heat, than about whatever it was that her friend was looking at.
She'd have to make a mental note: Siri, remind me to find a better skincare product next time we go home. Obviously, Erin did not trust Sundial's production as much as as her native Mirrorlight's.
When Cassidy does call for her, however, she has all of Erin's attention. She's asking her whether she should get the little trinket in her hands, which means Erin has to actually approach the stand and get a closer look at the piece of glass. It's an owl, dressed in strikes of gold that make it shimmer under the light. Erin's train of thought circles around its intricate design and the quality of the glass and even the gold paint itself, before returning to its shape. She looks up at her friend, squints, lets her feel her judging stare.
"It's for Julius, isn't it?"
There's no question about it, really. The little trinket has such an uncanny resemblance to Hermione that only a blind witch could be unaware of it. Erin makes as if to sigh: a subtle hint that Cass could be doing so much better, from a best friend who values her too much to allow her to waste her time with such a dork. Then, she really does sigh, but for a completely different reason. She sighs in defeat, because Erin would help Cass in anything she asked of her, even if she did not approve of the relationship. "Yeah, I think he'd like it," she admits.
Erin's eyes catch another shape lying close to where Cassidy picked up the owl. It's just as small, but no harder to discern because of it. While the owl is light red with flecks of gold acting as plumage, this one is painted orange, and the stripes look the color of obsidian. "This one looks like your boy." It's amazing how glass could be blown into the elegant form of a feline in such a small trinket. Her fingers graze it gently, as delicately as a piece of glass art requires it, before she picks it up.
It's been years since Erin's thought or read or cared about romanticism, but an idea sprouts in her mind, and it's so corny she's almost certain that Cass will laugh with her at it. "You could give this to him instead. Keep Hermione. Enchant them both so that your names show up when you're missing each other." She has an eyebrow arched, daring her not to consider it for a moment and laugh at the absurdity of it.
Post by cassidy wolfe on Jun 22, 2017 22:36:45 GMT
Cass can't help but laugh at how much Erin wilts under the heat. It was her idea to come so far out here, but now that she thinks about it, she's always liked Summer much more than Erin. She's barely wearing anything protective but sunscreen, and Cass makes a mental note to buy Erin some veils for next time.
When Erin looks at the trinkets in her hand, she briefly wonders if she could get away with such an obvious gift. Cass can't help but flush slightly, her lips twisting into a not-so-subtle grin. "...Maybe." She murmurs. She's well aware of Erin's feelings towards their relationship, and she doesn't seek to advertise it in front of her best friend.
But then Erin reaches over behind her, and Cass turns to see her pick up another glass figurine. Dark orange with coal black stripes, it's reminiscent of her own familiar, Vali. "Oh...It does." She says, and tilts her head to the side curiously. She listens to Erin's idea, and for how corny it is it's...not a bad one. She smiles. For all they talk about romance, she idly wonders if Erin ever thinks about dating.
"Thanks," She says, "That's actually a really good idea." Their group has never been so fond of romance, but she's sure that Julius would appreciate it. She doesn't laugh, but her shitty smile probably says everything. Erin's the last person she'd expected to have had this idea. "You know, one of these days I'll pick up a lucky girl or guy and set them up with you."
there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying
that i should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
[attr="class","rotation"]
[attr="id","invite"]
What? No. What?
"Cassidy!" Erin can't remember the last time she referred to her friend by first name, rather than nickname, but the situation calls for it. She couldn't possibly be serious. Couldn't be. Erin had been meaning to laugh the incredibly silly idea off, not be thanked and—what the hell?—taken seriously. Things were going well up until that point, what with Cass not admitting or denying the true purpose for the little glass owl. If Erin wanted, she could see it as shame. Shame for fancying Juls. Of course, Erin did so want to take Cass's answer this way.
She was going to, too. Until her other admission sinks in, and her offer to set her up, and at this point Erin can't take it anymore. "I feel like I'm losing you, Cass." She's frowning not only at the thought of actually losing her best friend to the clutches of love, but also at the thought of being introduced to anyone with the intent of dating.
The amused smile from before is completely gone. In her place, there is anger and confusion and impotence and sadness, all mixed in one cloudy shade of blue in her irises.
She would have laughed with me, back in uni, she tells Siri. The bat was present back then, and Siri's memory had always been better than Erin's, but she can't help but think it, as her own way of mourning Cassidy's cynical attitude towards romance.
There are many things Erin wants to say in response to Cass's offer. First of all, whatever witch she picked, no matter who it was, would be far from lucky when faced with someone like Erin. Secondly, Erin already had her, why would she need anyone other than Cass to keep her company? She settles on a vague "You know I'm married to my job." She couldn't exactly mention the Leviathan cause in such an open space, but that's exactly what she meant, and what she expected the other Leviathan member to understand.
Post by cassidy wolfe on Jun 23, 2017 18:01:53 GMT
She can't help but snicker at Erin's reaction; whether it's because of how turned off she was about dating, or because she'd actually called Cass by her full name. Erin hasn't changed since uni, and she hadn't expected her to. She's always stayed the same. Everyone has, technically.
And yet Cass has to admit that ever since she'd came to Sundial she's felt...different. And even more so with Juls. Her attitude...her outlook on life. It's morphed, and she can't tell if it's a good thing or a bad thing.
But all things must change eventually, right?
Cassidy laughs. "Oh please, you know I'm not like them, Erin." She says, referring to the girls she used to make fun of in uni. The ones that lose themselves in romance, as if it was the center of their universe. Why? She used to wonder, because there's so much more to life than love. But now she understands where they come from...because life shared with someone else feels just as nice.
Such sentiment would have never reached her thoughts before.
You've gone soft. Vali echoes from his inner strata, his voice a deep rumble in her head. She clicks her tongue. If he stood on front of her, Cass would've rolled her eyes.
Quiet, Vali.
When Erin speaks, saying that she's married to her job, and Cassidy can't help but give her a shitty grin, her eyes bright with mirth. Erin may protray herself like a high elitist, but Cass can see through her just as easily.
"That's not what those pictures of Dmitri Wisbane would say."
there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying
that i should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
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Cass is clearly getting some manner of
amusement out of this whole situation, if the light snickers are anything to go by. Erin is not. She's never appreciated being made fun of, or being laughed at in general. With Cass, with her friends, it was usually better. Fine, almost. Their little quips and teasing comments were something of a challenge, and Erin did not mind allowing them a win if their logic called for it. She had always appreciated a good challenge. They made for good mental exercise.
These snickers, though? They're dreadful. Not because she doesn't appreciate Cassidy's wit, but simply because the topic itself was too stressful to consider. "You're not like them yet," counters the enchantress. Before, she knew Cass would never become one of those girls. Now, she just hopes she doesn't.
At least she wouldn't have to worry about anybody else when she's being accused of something else—something as offensive as bias.
"Wha-what?" She blinks, flushes, stares wide-eyed at her friend. "What pictures are you talking about?" There's a fraction of a second in which she genuinely doesn't realize what pictures Cass could possibly be talking about, but her mind flies to the stack of news she collects regarding a certain Silvertongue leader. She never thought trying to keep up to date with local news would come back to bite her one day. She never thought giving her best friend free rein to access any part of her apartment would be so dangerous.
"Those are for research purposes only!" Even to her own ears, it sounds like she's making up excuses. Which she isn't, of course. So why are they coming out as excuses? She clears her throat, tries again. "There is nothing wrong with admiring the many feats of a high priest with his trajectory."
Post by cassidy wolfe on Jun 27, 2017 21:42:05 GMT
"Oh please, I was raised far better than that." Cass drawls. Her parents were strict. They'd taught her lessons that reached far into her adult life, and will ring true for years to come. Mother had been especially hard. She taught her discipline and loyalty, and at times, even about love. ( Even though back then, Cass had rolled her eyes, none the wiser about what would happen years later )
She brings her hand to her lips, but she doesn't bother to hide the edges of a snicker that lie behind her fingers. Even Erin has her weaknesses that she must exploit every once in a while.
Erin sputters, and she blinks, flushing underneath her purple and pink hair. "You know, those newspapers that only mention a certain blond hottie?" She says, emphasizing on the last word. It feels foreign and gross on her tongue, but if she's going to make her best friend squirm, she might as well go all in.
"Oh yeah? I should've known that hot-tempered bad boys were your type." She teases. She knows that Erin doesn't like it, but Cass can't help it. What else are best friends for? Not for comfort, that's for sure. She picks up the glass snake sitting nearby, forest green with beady red eyes. The symbol of Silvertongue; a coven that which Dmitri Wisbane leads.
there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying
that i should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
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[attr="id","invite"]
Erin isn't sure if
she's more outraged by the ludicrous idea that she, Erin Caulfield, would be somehow infatuated with Dmitri Wisbane, or by Cass's uncharacteristic usage of the word hottie. Probably both. She ought to find outrage in both, and she does. This is all needed to be just a misunderstanding, and she would make sure to leave that clear as water. She would. Just as soon as she recovered from the shell-shocked state in which she was caught. Because the stuttering and the flushing were just that: part of the shock. Nothing more.
"It's hardly my fault that he makes it to the news so often, Cass," she tries to defend herself. It's futile. Everything's spiraling out of control and Cass is taking the joke way too far, and Oh, for Morgan's sake, I should have hidden those things.
How did this outing go from helping Cass shop to a bad case of Teasing Erin In Public Until She Dies Of Embarrassment?
"They're not—I don't have a type, Cass! And I'm not sending him anything!" Although, if she stopped to think about it, the power and ambition that characterized the Silvertongue leader were indeed quite attractive. But, of course, that was the last thing Erin would admit to right now. "Consider me sapiosexual," she declares, instead. "Actually, that's not entirely accurate either. If anything, knowledge would be my type. Not knowledgeable witches, but knowledge itself. And money, obviously."
She's aware that she's taking this too seriously, though she's not aware that doing so could easily bring about even more teasing. Erin's unconsciously digging her own grave.
Time for a topic change.
"A-anyhow. You never did tell me how the whole thing with Juls came about. The, you know, dating thing."
Post by cassidy wolfe on Jul 18, 2017 11:40:19 GMT
Erin sputters, nearly growing red with the embarrassment. Cass is having way too much fun with this, and a better part of her feels guilty. But at the same time, she's sorry that she's not sorry for the slight bullying she's inflicted on Erin today.
"Sapiosexual?" Cass questions. She had no idea what that meant--fortunately, Erin explains it to her. "Ah, but lucky for you, High Priest Wisbane is very smart and unquestionably filthy rich." She snickers. Erin may try to defend herself, but she's just digging herself further into her grave.
Erin's ploy is easy to see through, and she's not that cruel, so Cass gives her the benefit of the doubt. At the mention of Juls, she can only smile bashfully, running a hand through her hair. "Oh. About that..." She laughs, "Not sure how it happened. It just kind of did."
Her answer is as vague as ever, and she's never been too good at talking about her feelings, even if it is to her best friend. It just feels like a admission of weakness, of vulnerability. But if there's anyone who deserves to know, it's her. "I didn't really see it at first--I almost rejected him, even. But I think we complement each other well."
Cass smiles, her gaze soft as she recalls their fist date. She flashes Erin an apologetic look; they're a trio. Now that she's dating Juls, their group is definitely changed in some ways. "When did you figure it out?"
there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying
that i should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
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She's perhaps a bit too
relieved when Cass decides to let the matter go, relieved to the point she can feel her lungs working again. "I have plenty of both, thank you very much," she ends indignantly. Dmitri Wisbane was indeed a very resourceful and well-to-do witch, and Erin did find these two traits to be quite desirable in a partner, as she had just shared; but she would bury herself alive before admitting to finding him attractive, or anyone else for that matter. Erin needed no one but herself if she wanted knowledge and money. Besides, she didn't even really know the man: never crossed paths or exchanged words. How could she like someone she'd never interacted with?
Then again, Erin couldn't understand how Cass could like someone they knew as well as Juls, either. The witch's vague words do little to clarify Erin's confusion. It seems like it was the athenian who had confessed, rather than Cass making the first move, and that's about as much as she can make out.
"Apart from the fact you two arrived together for pasta at Mads's place?" she asks, returning a spoonful of all of the teasing she'd had to endure in the past few minutes. Erin looks for her friend's gaze and holds it there, silent for a few seconds as she thinks of how much things had changed since their graduation. "You've been spending an awful lot of time with him lately," she shrugs. "And you look so—so oddly happy when you think no one is looking."
Erin's lips curve up into a small smile. She's still not pleased with this new arrangement, this new relationship of hers, but the enchantress can appreciate happiness in her best friend's life, even if she's not the cause of it. "You know how I feel about that immature fool, but if he truly makes you happy, I'm willing to turn a blind eye, for now." It's a few more seconds before her eyes return to scanning the many stalls who had decided to open despite the heat. Her hands wander, not really interested in any of the trinkets but itching for something to do. "He's, of course, taking a real beating if he ever hurts you, though I know you're plenty capable of administering that yourself," she adds casually.
Had they been anyone else, the two girls would probably be having an animated discussion about how exactly Juls's confession had gone, and what exactly Cass said in response, as well as every other little detail she could remember. Erin, being herself, had a more practical, considerably less dreamy approach: "How long have you been together now?" She goes over the admittedly few outings they'd had in the past few months in her mind. "I started to suspect something was going on after that night out at The Pink Cauldron last month... Oh goodness, it was then, wasn't it? Just under our noses. No wonder you two left together."
Speaking of the rest of the gang, "Were you two planning to tell Salt and Pepper at some point?" She has to wonder if they were planning to tell her at all, if she hadn't noticed it first—not like they were making any extra effort to hide it, anyhow.
Post by cassidy wolfe on Jul 27, 2017 10:33:03 GMT
"Ah--that was...after our date." She laughs bashfully. Of course. It wasn't like they were at all subtle; coming together to parties and gatherings, leaving together, snide comments less sarcastic but more...flirtatious, as much as she loathes to say so. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew. She can't help but feel embarrassed. Retribution for all the torture she'd just put Erin through, she's certain.
She lilts her head slightly at Erin's comment when she mentions being oddly happy. At this, her lips quirk into a soft smile. People often said that she was too serious during uni; that she tunnel visions to a goal so keenly that she could never stray from it. Juls--he's the one that brings her back to Earth. Someone who helps her stay sane in this crazy place known as Sundial.
And yet, there's no denying that Erin plays just as an important role. The one she confides in, whom she trusts with her life. There's a reason why she considers Erin her best friend. "Oh, don't worry. I'm well aware of what I signed up for." She snickers, alluding to Juls' not-so-mature personality at times. She takes a moment to nudge her friend with a soft elbow prod, and smiles. "I do really appreciate you, Erin. You're the best." Cassidy says. Her voice is void of any sarcasm, and for once, she's genuine.
Erin probably wouldn't appreciate being so cheesy, and she follows her lead when she asks questions. "A couple months." She admits, and looks away with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I was wondering when you'd figure it out."
Salt and Pepper, however, are a different story. The twins had gone ahead and joined the Helios Knights. They're keen enough to figure it out, but it's been difficult to get the whole together lately. Cassidy could keep it from them for a months, and they would be none the wiser.
She shrugs. "I was planning on it, but I never really got to it. It just...never came up."
there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying
that i should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
[attr="class","rotation"]
[attr="id","invite"]
If Cass is expecting
Erin to say she knew it and tease her further, she's wrong. At least, the enchantress wouldn't be doing that yet. Not because she didn't want to embarrass her in public or any selfless nonsense like that; Erin was very open about being the complete opposite of selfless. What was preoccupying her mind was accepting the fact that her best friend in the entire world and Julius, of all people, were indeed dating. Suspecting it was one thing, and Erin had been suspecting for a little while now, but giving those suspicions voice was a different matter entirely.
Hadn't Juls declared Cassidy his girlfriend, too, back then? Erin had snorted at him and assumed him to be joking (because in what alternate universe did she imagine Cass agreeing to date him? in this universe, apparently) and thought no more of it. Until now.
"That's me," she agrees, smugly accepting the compliment she's offered. The brunette's smile is contagious, however, and before long Erin's sporting a smile of her own. She already knows Cass appreciates her, and it's beyond obvious that Erin appreciates Cassidy just as much. Heartfelt monologues and public displays of affection simply weren't how she chose to show it.
A couple months is longer than Erin expected for their relationship to have lasted. A couple months, and she only noticed, what, a few weeks ago? Something was evidently very wrong if she was lagging so badly in terms of her best friend's life. "Oh, you were waiting for me to figure it out." All cheer is gone from her tone, leaving behind only a dry sentence.
Erin had always been particularly soft with Cassidy, a lot less sarcastic and vicious than she was with the rest of their group, but the one thing she despises is being left out of the loop, and finding one of the few people she actually trusts purposefully doing so is a bit shocking, to say the least. More than a silent complaint to her friend, though, it's a silent reprimand to herself: I've gotten sloppy.
She nods. The Shaker twins slowly separating themselves from Juls, Cass, and herself was to be expected, given their affiliations. No one speaks of it now, somehow it's become a taboo topic, but it's no doubt always burning at the back of their minds. To the twins, it may even look like the other three were salty (oh, the irony) at them making it into a big name coven like the Helios Knights, while the others found themselves in "smaller, lesser known covens." In truth, it was actually closer to the opposite—frequent interaction with them was too risky.
"Maybe you'll come to your senses and break up with him before you even need to tell them," she jokes. There's a tinge of sincerity in the joke that she's sure Cass will pick up on, but honestly: what were best friends for, if not to call out each others' terrible decisions? "Would be a pity, though, after buying these cute" —she makes a face— "matching trinkets."
[attr="class","cassbody"]She's surprised to see that Erin doesn't tease her for getting together with Juls--in fact, she seems more surprised than anything. The revelation must have shaken her. Cass peers at her friend's face, head slightly lilted to the side.
She keenly remembers a moment when Juls had openly admitted to Cassidy being his girlfriend. And of course, because it's Juls, everyone took it as a joke. He had responded to one of Erin's quips, well yeah, Cassidy's my girlfriend now, and despite her pink blush and punch to the shoulder, she couldn't erase that victorious smirk off his face. He'd gotten an earful after that day, and even though it was obvious to her, the group was none the wiser.
Erin's tone is more than a little dry, and Cass "Well. I didn't want Juls to tell you, for obvious reasons..." She says, laughing slightly. "I guess I got scared because I didn't know how you would react."
How could she think that Erin would be anything other than accepting?
She smiles, because even though Erin is joking, she can tell that she's genuine. "Maybe someday." She muses, although she's yet to entertain that line of thought. Cassidy holds the trinkets in the light, and says offhandedly, "Although I'd hate to see how he is after a breakup."
