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.
[break][break] "the main arena has been opened for all guests" was the announcement that rung through, repeated by a series of charms set up around the little venue. the double doors which had been open only for high-priority guests now opened widely for all visitors.[break][break]
many people began flocking to the scene, excited for the layered elimination blackjack that made up a large portion of the night's festivities. the networking would continue, of course, only now the contractors and the pieces would be made more apparent-- the inside of the building was divided to the main table and the balcony above from which the lavishly dressed and prominent sellswords (among other things) looked down onto the players. [break][break] dealing the cards, of course, was darling ms kiki. [break][break] people filed in whatever section they wanted to participate in, playing as either a better or a player. they bought their chips at the counter and moved quickly, afraid to lose the better seats. below, people would be engaged in an intense an every-man-for-themselves themselves version of blackjack.[break][break]
seated at a large table on the balcony was of course high priest wisbane and a few friends and silvertongue higher ups. in particular, a dark-skinned man with an eyepatch and a woman with flowers in her hair sat on his either side, lamenting about his minor involvement in the bets until now.
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how to participate
[break][break]
clarify if you are a player or not.
if you are playing, roll twice. use the roll button and specify the range as 1-13. or use [ roll range="1-13" ]
any edits made to posts without staff notification will disqualify the post immediately.
to participate you must risk an item. state what item you are putting at risk. alternatively, you can place 150gold at risk.
at the end of the round, the combination closest to 21 wins a prize. however, if you go over 21 with your rolls OR if any two combinations are the same, then both participants will lose their items/gold. you will not lose your goods unless you are eliminated in these fashion(s), so it's mostly safe!
at the end of the thread, the player with the highest number of wins will receive a bonus prize.
npcs will bet according to their preferences.
icly, you can choose not to participate and instead bet on players or just interact with a variety of NPCs along the balconies.
your goal should be to gain rapport or otherwise network.
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betting
icly, npcs bet on whoever they want to.
for ooc purposes,[break] + the dark skinned male will bet on anyone with a double odd combination.[break] + the girl with flowers in her hair will bet on anyone with a double even combination.[break] + dmitri will bet only on the first person to roll 13 in any given round.
Cass has never been one for extravagence. No, she's always left the likes of fashion and gossip to Erin. A long carriage pulled by horses, surrounded by her dear friends--they'd managed to pitch in enough money to reserve one for this night. She'd squeezed herself in the seat next to Erin's, settling down with her purse on her lap.
Cass peers into her pocket mirror. She's tied her hair up in a tight bun, laid underneath a waterfall of small curls. "How do I look?" She asks the carriage. Erin's expertly done her makeup, with deep red lipstick and dramatic eye shadow. She doesn't bother with fancy looks often, but when she does, she seeks perfection.
"I'll keep an eye out for Dmitri." She says, hushed under her breath, and snickers. It's a running joke between them, but she does keep that in mind.
They arrive in due time, people steaming in from all sorts of carriages. The door opens, and Cass steps out into the open, breathing in crisp, chill air. She turns around and sees Erin's hair peek out from behind the door ( that Juls had thrown closed ). She can tell what kind of face Erin will make before she sees it, and just as she peeks out, Cass waves apologetically before she's tugged in another direction, swallowed up by the crowd of people.
They stand under the stars, surrounded by Sundial's elite.
She seeks to enjoy the moment of silence, but Cass notes Juls'...staring. And when he notices his own mistake, her quickly glances away, and acts as if nothing had happened. Juls may be an ass, but he does have his own moments of vulnerability, however fleeting. She wordlessly smiles, looks at carefully manicured, painted nails, and smacks him firmly with her palm.
Post by kasumi akamatsu on Jul 25, 2017 5:52:06 GMT
❧
Kasumi was never one for parties — at least not inwardly so. She’d spent her entire life weaving herself into a warrior, someone the family could be proud of, and she’d never had much time to attend such things, nor to really make friends with people. She was really only going to satiate her own interests, to form relationships with those who were rather important and worthy of her time and effort; that, and it was only proper that she — as a Silvertongue member — attended the gala hosted by her own coven. [break] Vasilios had been trotting along beside her as she made her way into the lavish building, her long, laced dress lightly skirting the floor; she was never one to play down her beauty, and had dressed to fit the occasion. Her smooth, curled locks — blood red as ever — lay easily against her back and chest, as she’d forgone her hood; she didn’t need it, and it would simply look out of place, though her familiar did otherwise. She’d taken her time in choosing a suitable dress, though her interest did sway in favor of a darker color— black, to be precise. [break] While her dress was mixed with sheer and laced areas to accentuate her form, she had further added height to her body by way of open-toed, simple obsidian heels so as not to take away from her outfit, merely to compliment it. [break] I think this is where I leave you, Vasilios remarked as they reached the entrance, Kasumi nodding in return. [break] I can handle it from here. [break] With that, Vasilios vanished from her side, and Kasumi made her way inside. There was an abundance of people — primarily of Silvertongue, of course — and one could even say Kasumi was excited at the possibilities the gala held for her. Her eyes instinctively flit over the crowd before reaching the area where the more respected members were found; powerful, influential people. [break] People she’d quite like to make the acquaintance of. [break] She’d made her rounds, clear and concise with every conversation she held; it wasn’t odd to see people mingling for less than pure intentions, and Kasumi found herself involved in those interactions more than once, though she did have a bit of fun alongside that. [break] Eventually, the doors to the grand, main area had opened, and the crowd fumbled in excitedly, Kasumi flowing with the tide so to speak as she, too, went inside. A wry smile played on her lips once her eyes caught site of the various blackjack tables; she had no particular interest in participating, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have some fun. Betting on players was just as enjoyable as raising the stakes yourself, and Kasumi always loved to see people win in her favor. [break] Despite this, she couldn’t help the temptation of looking back over at the prestigious individuals up on the balcony; the urge to speak to them was particularly strong, but she wasn’t one for taking chances if she couldn’t discern whether it would result in an advantageous outcome. Despite her seeming involvement in the betting side of the games, her eyes hardly left those who were above them all; not enough to cause suspicion, but enough to establish interest. [break] If she was lucky, perhaps she’d catch one of their’s attention, but Kasumi was never one to rely on luck alone. [break] She just had to play her cards right. [break] Not currently a player; technically betting instead, but I haven't put one down just yet. [break] her dress her heels
573 words ● @open ● she's lowkey thirsting after the elites what a mood
Post by julius kingston on Jul 25, 2017 11:25:47 GMT
初めまして。
his words were an easy way to force his mind to think elsewhere (a good reason he was almost always talking). he's not even looking at cass when suddenly he feels the force of her palm slam into his shoulder- for a second, he wonders if she'd augmented it.
but cass has always been a hard hitter even without her affinity-- and when his eyes widen in surprise he has to stifle a "hey--" he looks at her and jerks his shoulder away. "ow, ow, merlin, woman what do you want?" his attention focuses back on cassidy and eyes her wordless smile. there's a second of silence, enough time lag to wonder if julius would really fumble with words twice in a row.
but alas, he's prepared this time around. and his own lips twist into a shit eating grin to reflect her own smile.
"do you want me to go back to pretending to make googly eyes at you?" he asks, tone sweetly serene and infinitely mocking.
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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Stunning is the least
anyone could say about their entrance. Stunning is the very least she expects to hear from the gala's attendants. "Stunning," is all Erin has to offer her best friend when she asks how she looks. She has to admit the carriage did indeed draw a lot of attention towards the group, arriving together in a fashion so flashy it would be all too easy to incriminate them all, should trouble arise. She knows this. She knows Zephyr isn't all too happy about it, and neither is Julius, though the threat to take Cassidy in the carriage and leave him to arrive on his own would be enough to persuade him, if needed. She knows Maddox wouldn't be happily basking in all this attention, either, had he not fallen ill and foregone the event altogether. Above all, Erin knows she, in turn, loves the attention, and when had she ever prioritized anyone but herself?
I can count at least three instances in which you have foregone your own comfort in favor of someone else, since I first met you.
Stop it, Siri, that was a rhetorical question. Besides, those were a long time ago.
It's precisely as she has this mental exchange with her familiar that Julius manages to get out the carriage, help Cass out, and close the damn door right in the faces of everyone else. She breathes out. Sighing would be giving him too much credit. "What a child," she mutters, offering the Leviathan members who didn't know Juls as well as she or Zeph did an apologetic look, before reopening the door. Funny that the only things she ever showed herself as apologetic for would be actions she didn't commit herself. If anyone were to point that out, she'd claim to simply be sorry she's friends with him at all.
Erin steps out with all the unabashed calm of a celebrity. First one leg, milky white unveiled by the long slit across the front of her dress; then the other, completely shrouded in black. She's uncertain about the color choice, to the point she considered dyeing her hair again for a bit more contrast between the black of her dress and the black of her loosely braided hairdo. She wanted to go with emerald green, so that anyone willing to argue she wasn't meant to be here could be thrown off, but both Cassidy and Leila liked the look of black on her, and she had no reason to go against their will.
If Cass was already teasing her about High Priest Wisbane ("Please don't," she'd answered the brunette's promise to keep an eye out for him on their way to the gala), Erin can only imagine how much more teasing she'd receive from her dear friend, had she donned the color of Silvertongue.
The enchantress is tempted to go after Julius and ruin the night for him, as thanks for the rude stunt he pulled, but she decides she's got better things to do. Building a network in Sundial, even if she was no member of the coven, was an attractive option, as were the double doors opening invitingly.
Erin was no fan of betting games, with their low probabilities of winning versus a proper business plan, but she sees no wrong in indulging in a tame game of Blackjack, especially when a side glance at her favorite crafter (not to mention the only one she knew) revealed he was interested in joining, as well. What better opportunity to humiliate her friends than playing against them? She laughs, deviously in the eyes of those who knew her, pulling him to the table while she goes off to buy a few chips for them.
"You sure the cards aren't rigged, Kiki?" she jokes when it's finally her turn to get the shopkeeper to deal her cards.
Post by saoirse ó floinn on Jul 26, 2017 12:18:07 GMT
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be yourself; everyone else is already taken
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just a year ago on this night, the author would have been cooped up in the comfort of her own home, relishing in the warmth that hot tea and soft cushions brought. now, she finds herself seated at an ornately decorated table, with a complete place setting for all guests. 'how grand,' she muses as she picks up the main course fork to inspect the delicate engravings upon the metal. placing it back down with the same meticulousness as the waiter had beforehand, she leans back into her seat, crossing her left leg over her right. on most days, she would not be as willing to attend events such as this, finding the concentrated atmosphere of arrogance and magniloquence to be suffocating and irritating. however tonight, she disregards her identity as the nobody Saoirse Ó Floinn and attends as the influential Máire Callaghan. [break][break]
for sake of preserving both of her lives, she wears an elegant black mask across her eyes, effectively concealing half of her face, leaving just a sensual curve of pink lips beneath. she went with simple for her outfit, choosing a black chiffon knee-length dress with bare shoulders to highlight her naturally pink hair and pale skin. never one for the flamboyance, she was pleased with the final look. Marchosias hadn't hesitated to shower her with praise and adoration when she had finished getting ready. she felt a slight twinge in her chest at not being able to bring him along, but her identity as Máire was a delicate matter and there was only one marchosias in the world. should someone connect the dots, perhaps neither Máire or Saoirse would survive the outcome. [break][break]
she says a gentle "thank you" to a young waiter as he carries a tray of champagne to her, offering a flute. holding the glass makes her feel awfully posh and just this once, she indulges herself with such opulence as she takes a sip of the golden beverage. it is a little bitter, a little fizzy, it is a taste she isn't sure she likes. pursing her lips at the tingling sensation upon sensitive flesh, she hums in contemplation. she shall see how the evening progresses, before making her judgement. [break][break]
it is said that silvertongue intermingles with the upper class, surely to form connections and to strike dubious deals. for all intents and purposes, her own affiliation with leviathan is null this evening. she swirls the champagne in its flute, hidden pink watching the liquid shine and fizz. she wonders to herself whether or not she will see something worth remembering later. [break][break]
oh. speak of an opportune moment.[break][break]
she watches as the large double doors swing open for the rest of the guests to come in, suddenly feeling the sensation of being important wash over her. it is an odd thought, yet oh-so-gratifying. her nerves tingle and she inhales, Marchosias' presence nudges at the back of her mind, his own smugness flooding through their bond. "you deserve this." he says. perhaps, she replies, perhaps. [break][break]
a game is abruptly in place and the pressure in the room becomes one of a gambling high. she does not move from her seat, still holding onto her champagne flute in her left hand and right elbow balanced on the table. eyes shining from behind her mask, her smile widens just slightly; now she might get to see something interesting.[break][break]
ooc: wethweaal i dunno what this is.[break] tl;dr saoirse has appeared at the gala as the infamous máire callaghan; her pseudonym for her writing endeavours. she's pretty influential, kinda. she's just enjoying some champagne and is watching the game unfold. pls say hi and be in awe of her saghaesga and she's not a player.[break][break] outfit[break]hair[break]mask
[attr="class","paige_lyrics"]all my life is wrapped up in today. No past or future here.[break]BUT THERE'S NO COMING HOME. THERE'S NO COMING HOME WITH A NAME LIKE MINE.
[attr="class","paige_post"]Amelia wasn't sure how to feel about the gala. Big parties weren't her thing unless she was crashing them and you couldn't pay her enough to make her crash this one. She owed a lot to the coven. They took her in when she was fleeing a government on the winning side of a war. That, surely, was a big risk on their part and she would be forever indebted to them for the kindness or, at least, seeing enough value in her to not seek out the bounty on her head. The absolute least she could do was pull her weight in the coven.
She pulled at the collar of her vest and played with it being popped or smoothed down. The last time she'd been to a party even remotely like this she'd been a child in her early teens. Her parents fought her into a dress too frilled and too stiff and told her to dance. Now, she wore black slacks and a black vest, ribbed like a corset but not kept nearly that tight, just enough to stick close to her and accentuate her sturdy and solid figure. She smoothed down her collar, hid a knife in a pocket stitched into the inside, and went on her way.
She walked into the hall with confidence she didn't necessarily have, but she was fashionably late and just in time for the big event. Precisely how she liked it and so she slid into the crowd and made her way to the main hall. Blackjack was the game tonight, it looked like. She liked cards or, more precisely, she liked to cheat at cards, but she wasn't here to play so she instead made her way to the balcony to watch from above. She chatted here and there as people placed bets and grabbed seats and the players below got set up. Being so new to Silvertongue and Sundial itself, this was a crucial opportunity to make herself known. She hardly knew where to start, though. She didn't recognize any faces, unsurprisingly, but as people settled down she found her options quickly reducing as fewer and fewer chairs were available. People seemed reluctant to sit at the large table still with a few empty chairs around it and she assumed those who were at the table were perhaps important figures, perhaps too important for her to talk to, but she wasn't going to let that stop her.
"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" She asked and while her words were polite, her tone was a much more casual.
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TL;DR - Amelia shows up late and attempts to sit with dmitri and co bc someone ought to interact with the npcs
Post by kasumi akamatsu on Jul 27, 2017 0:31:20 GMT
❧
Kasumi would be lying if she said she wasn’t enjoying herself; perhaps instead of true parties, prestigious galas were more her forte. Her eyes were pulled away from the various games when a waiter offered her a drink— a thin glass of likely very expensive champagne. She accepted it with a thin smile, her eyes remaining sharp, even though her preferences swayed toward wine and whiskey whenever she decided to indulge herself. As the waiter took leave of her company to move onto to the next individual, Kasumi took notice of the… lavish entrance of a group of people she didn’t recognize herself, but it mattered little to her — if they were worth it, she’d keep an eye, but her targets were currently up on the balcony instead. [break] I could take myself up there… there are empty seats, it seems. [break] With another look around the, for lack of a better word, gambling floor, she turned and made her way up to the balcony floor, turning her body to peek below as she advanced, sliding her delicate fingers along the banister and sipping her champagne before shifting her eyes to those she’d set as her targets for the night. She was weighing her choices for the moment, casting her bloodied eyes downward so as not to seem suspicious. Sit, or wait for someone to take notice of her? The latter was rather risky — there was a rather big chance that none of them would approach her, but the question was: how would she go about starting a dialogue with one of them? [break] She had leaned over the banister as she was lost in thought, her weight steadied onto her forearms, one leg folded forward and the other remaining steady. She was trying to think of her best plan of action, what to say, how to act, how to get what she wanted from this… opportunity, for lack of a better word. She figured they were betting — well, was almost positive that was the case. Perhaps that could be something to her advantage… she was involving herself in the betting scene herself, after all. [break] Pushing herself away from the banister and losing sight of the bustling activity down below, Kasumi approached the table, champagne still in hand, eyes locked on the man with an eyepatch— it definitely sparked her interest. [break] “Would it be alright if I sat here?” she asked, tone curious and sincere. She had no ill intentions— at least not for the time being. If he refused, she would respect it and move on, but there was no harm in trying, was there? She did come here to make connections, and considering where the man was sitting… well, he did seem particularly important.
[attr="class","gearcore"] Spock thought human clothes were incredibly silly. The bizarre species wrapped their skin in cloth to mark if they were rich, working-class, creative, professional, rebellious, or some combination of countless traits, trying to display their soul in physical colors. But, when going to a circus such as this, she didn't mind dressing a bit silly herself.
To just about any human eye, however, the monkey was dressed sharply in her complete outfit of fitting pants, vest, and tie. Although not particularly excited about this whole ordeal, she at least appeared to be resigned to her fashionable fate. Her human, on the other hand, couldn't seem to stop tugging at his sleeves and generally fidgeting in his outfit which fit differently than the much more casual attire he was accustomed to. Erin had even gone through the effort to get a potion that made his usually-unkempt hair silklike and shiny. What the fuck was that about?
"I can't b'lieve ya dragged me into this," Zeph complains (for the 5th or so time tonight) as they sit together in the carriage. Being uncomfortable compacted by sitting still with nothing to do was a lethal combination for the chronically active.
When the carriage finally reached its destination, despite the doors opening to freedom, Zeph didn't budge. He knew well enough that Juls would try to pull something dumb to get himself alone with Cass. After one door-to-the-face (not Zeph's face), Zeph calls "Later, lovebirds!" through the door.
The rest of them filter out from their ride, and Zeph intends to head straight to the food before eyeing the card game. Zeph loved almost any game -- especially games with prizes. He must have stared a bit too long, because he didn't even have to speak before Erin started dragged him over to the table. "They've got gamblin'? I didn't know they had gamblin'. Why didn't ya tell me they got gamblin'?" His tone indicated his mood had moderately improved. He even grins and offers a quick wave to Kiki before he sits.
Although Zeph seemed to be the one more excited for the game, Spock is the one to lean forward from her human's shoulder and flip over their two cards.
Erin Caulfield player - gambling away the monies spock's outfit b/c that's the only important outfit between these two obviously
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jul 27, 2017 14:33:20 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
the tension layering the air is thick. suffocating. dense like smoke on his tongue and in his lungs and curling in his veins. the idiomatic phrase may be a reference to its tangibility such that it could be cut by a knife, but kasimir is certain that even a particularly sharp whisper could splinter the atmosphere into jagged, hostile pieces.
or perhaps it is merely a product of his own mind, an electric sensitivity to the web of hatred binding he and xuan jin together, a deep-seated awareness of his blackmailer's mercurial mood. he has experienced enough of xuan jin's terrifying possessiveness to know that this meeting between joshi and xuan jin is to be feared - that the consequences thereof will be carved out in pain and biting words later in private; he is not so foolish as to miss the cold warning in xuan jin's smile as the dark-haired witch glances his way.
kasimir suppresses a grimace, a frisson of fear. resignation, he thinks, is far more bleak than most would ever consider.
green eyes drift back towards the dark-haired man that had, however unintentionally, incited this meeting. taylan karga - acting as a companion? a deterrent? a bodyguard? for joshi this night. kasimir's attention snags on the hooded look in his eyes, the stiffness in the set of his shoulders, the tension in his jaw - and his words, his tone, the undertone cold and stony - he is, as it seems, enjoying the proceedings as much as he himself is.
kasimir feels a sudden sense of kinship towards his fellow bodyguard. if only it were merely the two of them present.
an announcement slices through the white noise of a thousand conversations, declaring the gambling entertainment now open. the crowd, predictably, buzzes with excitement, rushing forth in a wave of called offers and glinting greed and exaggerated boasting from those who had perhaps had consumed more than a slight amount of alcohol; he presses his lips together as the noise assaults him, uncomfortable with the turn of events.
but kasimir is resigned to his participation tonight - he has not forgotten his orders, after all.
Post by kasumi akamatsu on Jul 27, 2017 21:58:29 GMT
❧
Kasumi sighed as her eyes roamed from table to table, deciding against hiding her usually, outwardly cold demeanor for the moment; not necessarily unapproachable, merely seeming as though she was rather bored, which wouldn’t be much of a stretch from the truth. Her entire life ran on adrenaline and action, so milling about was never an option for her. Having a clear objective in her mind did help, but part of her was almost restless; perhaps this was a good time to start truly observing the games, striking up more conversation with those she wasn’t acquainted with… and that group who had just arrived had certainly spiked some semblance of interest for her. [break] Just as the thought popped into her head, she felt Vasilios’ presence return, brows raising slightly as she eyed the cheetah. I see you’re back. Don’t you trust me? Despite the nature of her words, an almost teasing lilt overtook her tone. [break] I was bored, Vasilios drawled, adjusting the way his elaborate, lavish headpiece rested on his forehead by dipping down to draw the chain just between his deep, golden irises. Anything interesting happened so far? [break] Not yet… but there is a rather— well, intriguing group having arrived and claimed a table. I think I’d like to, ah, get to know them. Care to help? Kasumi tipped her head in the direction of the people in question, and Vasilios understood her meaning. [break] Vasilios chuffed quietly, no doubt rolling his eyes. Yes, yes; I’ll do my best, I suppose. [break] With that Vasilios left her side, slinking through the floor and making his way over to the people in question, mostly acting as though he was perusing the games around him to observe — entertain his little familiar heart, if you will — before nearing the table. He noticed another creature, one he assumed to be one of those witches own familiars, who seemed rather… excitable. Perhaps Vasilios could use this to his advantage…
348 words ● Zephyr Hart + open to people at the table? if you want rip ● lowkey a way to split things that are happening (npc v. other characters) so that i can post without relying on an npc hgjidfkjn
[attr="class","gearcore"] Spock throws up her arms in frustration as she sees they've been outdone by Erin. Even if it was just a game of chance, it was still a competition. Zeph pats her back (limp, slumped over his shoulder) sympathetically.
As he pets his familiar, Zeph's gaze turns to erin. "Well, if you're gonna win this round, we'll know for sure it's honest," he quips to her with a smirk. Despite the implication that no one would want to let her win if they were given that choice, it was the standard of their dynamic, not a genuine insult to be taken too seriously.
Spock glanced up at the cards, but the round hadn't yet ended, so nothing had changed. At this realization, her head slumped back down onto the fabric of her human's vest with an audible groan. This game was so slow and so boring. What was the point if all she was going to do was flip over random cards?
Catching a hint of movement out of the corner of her eye, Spock turns her head to see an upside-down and inverted cheetah. Upside-down because everything was upside-down, and inverted because its spots were light while its base fur was dark. It was also wearing a very pretty headdress.
The monkey bolts upright, eyes glued to the big cat, and exclaims with a sound which could be described as a short, excited shriek. She had immediately decided that she was going to ride that feline all around the gala. With practiced speed and precision, she leaps from her human's shoulder towards the cheetah's back.
Post by saoirse ó floinn on Jul 28, 2017 1:31:23 GMT
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be yourself; everyone else is already taken
[attr="class","jartoxpost"] the flute she holds is now empty, the final sip disappearing behind coral lips. she's still undecided about her opinion on champagne, whatever charm it has for other people completely washes over her and before she knows it, there are two other empty glasses on the table. exhaling, she gingerly puts her third class beside its siblings and stands up, chiffon falling gracefully around her knees. tucking a strand of pink hair behind her ear, she decides that it's time to go for a walk. hopefully her tolerance for alcohol is high enough for her not to end the night in a mess of confusion and misconduct.[break][break]
she's always known that it's the lesser alcohols that bring more of a thrill to one's experiences, than the heavy ones. champagne has always brought out the delirious flush in cheeks better than reckless shots of spirits. máire feels a pleasant tingle in her fingertips that travels down to the tips of her toes and she smiles to herself. feeling particularly sanguine, she weaves through the crowd with proud elegance, her heels providing solid support. her goal? the waiter yonder carrying her next glass of champagne. [break][break]
if he recognised her in the moment she appears before him, he doesn't show it, but he offers her a glass nonetheless. she takes one with a coy smile, peering at him from behind her mask and takes a sip, pressing the delicate rim to plush lips. perhaps he flushes, perhaps it's just a trick of the light; either way, she leaves him, feeling bubbly inside.[break][break]
she feels it too boring to return to her seat, where there is no one to talk to. while interacting with the gentry seems to be too tiresome, she wonders if she can catch any coven members of any sort. a shadow slinks in the corner of her eye and she turns to see a creature lurk in the crowd. a familiar. she muses to herself, to find a witch, their familiar is the quickest path.[break][break]
her movements are smooth as she bypasses small groups of high-pitched laughter and dark mutterings, slender fingers still gripped on the stem of the flute. as she nears the familiar, her eyes glitter at its beauty, barely registering the niggling displeasure of her own familiar at the back of her mind. Marchosias whispers to her not to approach it, hissing as she ignores him. she can feel him attempting to materialise and she is swift to silence him, reminding him what is at stake should he appear. he is quiet, after that.[break][break]
she is slow to the party for the smartly dressed monkey familiar of a male catches the attention of the cheetah by leaping onto its back. she approaches them, champagne flute pressed to her lips, smiling softly at the situation. she feels a sort of awkwardness come over her as she realises that she isn't sure what to say; would she be intrusive or welcomed? lifting her head to gaze up at the male witch, she contemplates him for a second, momentarily recognising him to be present at Maddox's pasta night without recalling his name, before speaking graciously, "good evening. what a marvellously dressed familiar you have." she is unsure of whom the cheetah belongs to, but she is sure that they are nearby somewhere amongst the crowd. [break][break]
he commits the names to memory -- xuan jin, kasimir -- and somewhat begrudgingly, answers xuan. "taylan karga." short and sweet, a name unrecognisable to almost all. he leaves the past behind, or tries to ( the name of altan demir surfaces in his mind, and he almost drowns in it ). a short glance; he skims over the two, and had he been less guarded, he might have examined kasimir's expression more closely. there's something just, ever so slightly, off. but he doesn't, instead using the annoucement as an excuse to look away momentarily. his interest is piqued immediately by the allure of cards; inwardly, iris sighs, resigned, nothing better than casually gambling away all your money for a moment's rush, is there?
taylan's reply, silent and almost reproachful: you've known me for long enough.
the tension is thick enough to cut. he's almost afraid that if he lets this continue for much longer, they'll be at each others throats, claws and fangs bared in a less than metaphorical way. he clears his throat, gruff and abrupt, and extends a hand towards the main arena. "shall we?" the invitation is directly primarily at dahlia and her new friend, but for a split second he glances at xuan and kasimir, watching their movement -- it always helps to be aware.
another glance is spared at the balconies, inadvertently meeting the gazes of a few watchful eyes, and immediately lowering his own to refocus on dahlia. he bisects his world neatly: the cards, and dahlia. a careless gesture follows; he sweeps up his cards and regards them dispassionately ( though perhaps, upon a closer examination, a mild curiosity ).
she wants to flaunt it, she got that look in her eye
He's underestimating her.
The thrill is amazing. She inwardly smiles as she judged Xuan's calculating gaze, it's always best to seem more emotional and less in control than how you actually are. She admits her temper can get the best of her, but this is her night. Her night and her bodyguard, and she relaxes her shoulders. Her gaze flirtatiously sweeps over Kasimir, and she winks in his direction as Taylan gets them the hell out of this situation.
He could use more practice in being better with the motions, more smooth, but she's alright with what's going on.
"Looking good Kasimir, and I don't think I'll be playing but hey, I'll sport you the cash to play darling."
The last part is directed at Taylan and she sweeps away, wiggling her fingers at Kasimir and co (what was his name? She deems this information unimportant and thus does not care, because Taylan will know) and looks expectantly at Adaline with a bright smile.
"Come along darling, you should meet my family."
Unimportant fluff but she spots her father in the fray, and then her Uncle not far off. Delight sparks in her blood knowing her new connections, and she wiggles her fingers at Dmitri with a brief wink. She'll make her way over in a moment but she glides across the floor, taller in her heels and thoroughly confident.
"I'm betting on you Taylan, do good yes? I'm going to go play nice, promise."
She glides away, smooth and elegant, and joins her father. He's slightly surprised to see her but introduces her unnecessarily to a few of the SilverTongue's he's been speaking with. He keeps her close, and she smiles and demurely bows her head in greeting with a small curtsy. She knows her place here, with the others.
Still she glances her Uncle's way, feels childish excitement in her veins.
She really does want to say hi, and excuses herself.
While she's walking she spots another near him and tilts her head, approaching with a gentle click of her heels.
"Hello there, Uncle, miss.
Amelia Penrose, that's her name. She smiles, all sweet and playing nice, and places her hands on her hips.
notes: betting on Taylan and interacting with Dmitri and Amelia
