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.
feeling of something or rather someone looking their way. He glances up an sees a masked lady with pink hair, which immediately reminds him of a certain pink-hair lady from before. This one, however, was different. Just a glance and she was back to her conversation minding her own business. He preferred this one much more than the every-irritating Dahlia....
He spots the little devil not that far away near their cover leader and sighs. Letting calming numbness freezing the irritation and loathing. Some people were just born differently to others. He had given up on the qualms about that, having long since known how unequal the world was. Bitterness digs up the memories of his last look at their parents as they buried the bodies and their childish innocence. You're loitering in the past again. There wasn't any judgement in Xue Mei's voice, just a statement and Xuan closes his eyes briefly, focusing on the detachment. After a moment, he opens them again, all traces of his turmoil erased and turns his attention back to Kasi.
"I think I see and admirer of yours, dear Kasi." Xuan knows her glance was just for a second but he keeps his eyes glued to the girl with the mask, slowly taking in every ounce of information he could get. Why would one arrive at a gala with a mask? It was a party for display of skills and strength and yet this one hides. Interesting.. What secrets does she want hidden?
Xuan looks around again and spots some of the guests' familiars out. I'm not coming out. You know that. He could almost imagine the haughty look Xue Mei would be giving him right now if she was to appear right now. You'd be a sight for sore eyes. He teased, knowing how much compliments get to her. She purrs happily but otherwise remains silent and he doesn't push her, instead watching for Kasimir's reaction.
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jul 29, 2017 11:23:15 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
"didn't take you for the gambling type," is karga's greeting, and kasimir feels the corners of his lips twist into a wry expression that could possibly pass as a smile - if one squinted. "i am not," he says quietly, and says no more. let the man infer from his words whatever he may.
there is something softer about karga now, here, away from the pink-haired girl that had presumably been his charge. more relaxed, perhaps. less hostile. if it is caused by distance from joshi, kasimir thinks he can completely relate. alas, it is not as such for kasimir himself; a too-familiar chill sinks its icy fingers into the ligaments of his spine, wraps its glacial hands around his neck, breathes out in a whisper that freezes his very soul. his expression blanks, posture stiffens, any trace of warmth or humanity vanishes beneath a stoic mask. he does not have to look to know that xuan jin has followed him across the room, has stationed himself behind kasimir, has anger writ in the curve of his smile.
no, kasimir does not have to look to know. the ice is telling enough.
inadvertently, his gaze slides away from karga to settle on the table overlooking all, where dmitri wisbane and other guests are seated - including joshi. he has thus far avoided them, delayed fulfilling his orders to sell his skills but... even they would be preferable to his blackmailer's company. his eyes flicker back to karga. "excuse me," he says to the man softly, glances to xuan jin with an inflectionless "sir," then with as much grace as he can muster, removes himself from the table.
he feels... slight regret for leaving karga so abruptly, in the company of xuan jin no less - but not nearly enough to have done any differently. perhaps he will make it up to karga later, somehow, in a way that cannot be traced back to him.
crimson hair like his own can never be truly unobtrusive, not really, but kasimir is not looking to hide tonight. he approaches the head table, green eyes flickering over each face seated there - joshi, he recognises, penrose too, certainly akamatsu and zephyr hart, but not the second pink-haired witch with a sable mask curved over half her face - before his gaze settles on the final three witches. "your grace," he greets his coven leader with a nod - but not a bow, not tonight; the fire in his veins and lungs still burns bright from his defiance of xuan jin. "sir," he says to basil, "ma'am," to riley.
and inevitably, his eyes gravitate back towards the high priest, his illustrious leader. dmitri wisbane is perhaps the only one outside of xuan jin to know what saskia means to kasimir - and for that, he is the second most dangerous person kasimir knows. "this one would like to offer you a pledge," he begins, extremely formal, extremely archaic in a way that is faultlessly deferential, but rebellious enough to satisfy the fire that composes his soul, that chafes at his restraints. it is these small acts of rebellion that he lives for, that keeps him sane. "that his skills and services are at your disposal, should you have need for them."
his expression is unreadable, though harsh lines seem almost muted, mellowed; taylan looks almost approachable. kasimir's reply offers no immediate insight: the quiet, red-haired boy remains an enigma. he wonders what would draw someone like kasimir to the gamblers' table -- comes up with no definite answer -- and before he can pose any sort of question ( of which he is hesitant to in the first place, skeptical about kasimir's potential reaction ), the other witch has slipped away, offering a polite 'excuse me' as he leaves.
( 'xuan jin,' is iris' observation, bell-like and crystal clear in his mind. taylan is tempted to turn around, but something keeps him from doing just that, eyes distractedly tracing the sharp edges of the playing cards instead. )
it lasts only a split second, then he corrects himself; his focus drifts upwards, back towards dahlia. the crowd around the high priest's ( and company ) table grows, and as he watches, kasimir seems to join the fray. he bears each individual no particular grudge, nothing personal, but each is marked as a potential threat -- a total of eight now, three decidedly high-ranking, a few wholly unknown apart from the fact that they are probably from the same coven, and a red-haired woman who seems somewhat familiar, in the manner of one commonly heard of but never actually properly met.
he stretches in his seat, expansive and almost cat-like, and makes a mental note to venture upwards eventually. there's a limit to how well a bodyguard works when he is separated from his charge by half a room, after all.
who do i even tag at this point tbh player -- but not now.
t seemed as if the game of cat and mouse has gone on for too long. Xuan stares after Kasi as he makes his exit, he knows that he could feel the chill that constantly surrounds him when his patience reaches it peak. Another sign of disobedience. Perhaps a few days of delay on Saskia's medicine. Xue Mei suggests and his smile turns sharper. Should I be so mean? But...that's a excellent idea She knows what he likes, she knows him better than, sometimes, even himself.
He knows how deep the hatred between them, the cruelty that was what to come for Kasimir when he learns of the delay for the medicine but what was Xuan to do with the one who had done that to Ju? His own little brother and Kasimir's best friend but one word of Guerra broke that bond. The old senile monster was dead, but he hadn't paid enough for his deeds. That was Guerra's mistake, for forgetting what kind of monster he had picked up from the streets that snowy night and Kasi's was for thinking that the truth could remain hidden.
He smiles at the back of Kasimir. "The deal's broken. All bets are off." He whispers after him and knowing the man's attuned attention to him, there's no way that he could not hear his voice from such a short distance. Both of them knew the consequences yet it seems that Kasimir is careless tonight. He would be sure to take care in mending this mistake.
He turns to the man he had met moments before."Taylan Karga," the names slips off his tongue. "It's nice to see you again, how's your luck for tonight?" He gives him a friendly smile, still the act of innocent Sumerian in place. He glances at Kasimir again, greeting Dmitri and the circle around them. Indeed, a lesson is in order. Xue Mei agrees.
[attr="class","gearcore"] "Her name's Sprocket. Or Spock, for short," he answers the masked woman, "Mine's Zephyr. Mind if I have th' honor of knowin' yours?" He didn't recall which name Erin was going by tonight, so he'd let her introduce herself. Perhaps it would seem a bit rude, but perhaps his manner of speech, which screamed that this event of elegance and class wasn't his element, would earn him some forgiveness.
As the second woman approaches, Zeph turns his body in his seat, arm now resting over the chair's back, to better face them both. Zeph snorts as Kasumi uses the term "charmer" to describe Spock. That was certainly one way to describe her, but Zeph had a better one: "She's a little demon is what she is." Spock simply grinned, considering that a compliment.
"Well, I can't blame 'im. Ya can't get everythin' by bein' friendly," he notes at Kasumi's characterization of her own familiar. Ironically enough, being friendly and sociable were essentially Zephyr's default tactics for getting information and access to certain events, but saying the more cynical thing usually sounded more down-to-earth, especially in a gala filled with unfriendly people.
Spock, true to her nature, points towards the densest area of the crowd, making it quite clear she wants to cause a bit of a scene. The initial burt of speed incites an excited yelp, which soon mellows out into a gleeful laugh as her mount weaves skillfully around the gala. As Spock quickly becomes more familiar with the cat's movements, she begins to become daring. When passing a waiter with a platter of food, she stands upright like a circus equestrian, feet clinging to Vasilios' fur as she snatches two handfuls of some kind of miniature wraps. Quickly falling forward to again lay flat against the cheetah's back, she stuffs some of the rolls in one hand into her mouth, while offering the rolls in her other hand to her ride by gently (but repeatedly) poking them against his lips.
When the duo returned to their humans, Spock offered Zeph one of the rolls, though it was a bit squished from how tightly she'd been clinging to it. "Yeh, looks like she had plenty o' fun," he chuckled as he easily popped Spock's offering into his mouth. "Mm!" he exclaims with a bit of surprise, "Those're really good. Like... really good. Do they enchant the food here?"
Post by kasumi akamatsu on Jul 30, 2017 0:02:59 GMT
❧
Kasumi was actually rather surprised at Vasilios’ treatment before reminding herself that the cheetah was not particularly unlike her: willing to do anything to gather connections within Sundial. The more people you know— especially people involved with things similar to their interests— the better your odds. It never hurt to know someone in a crowd, especially for a good cover-up, and Kasumi had taken advantage of these “relationships” far more than once. [break] “Isn’t everyone a bit of a demon these days,” Kasumi murmured in response, brows raised as yet another sip of champagne fell through her lips; despite the slightly harrowing remark, the amusement playing in her eyes was unmistakable even though the redhead was not particularly joking. “Especially with him” — she cast a glance at the blur that was her familiar — “he’s very protective; no nonsense sort of cat, but I suppose he likes his fun now and again, as you can see.” [break] I hate this, Vasilios’ voice growled into Kasumi’s mind, but the cat wasn’t too unhappy— how could he be at the offer of food? Once he felt the press of the food in question against his lips, he delicately slid it from her hands, careful to keep his sharp fangs away from the monkey’s skin. [break] Kasumi gave an appreciative nod and slight raise of her glass at the man’s next comment, a curious smile playing on her face. “No, you can’t,” she said, almost in a whisper, though despite her words, her general body language and demeanor gave off an air akin to control and dignity— not with a malicious feel to her. [break] Her crimson eyes flicked over to the pair of familiars, noting the quick fingers the monkey possessed once she’d adjusted to Vasilios’ speed and maneuvers, letting an airy laugh pass through her lips once the two had made their way back. [break] “I’m guessing you’ve enjoyed yourselves?” she inquired, looking between the two familiars— the monkey, she found out, being named Spock. [break] “I certainly hope she did,” Vasilios chuffed. “I’m happy I’ve practiced enough to make quick turns to avoid… well, damages.” [break] Kasumi let out a small laugh at her familiar’s words, before turning her attention back to the man as he spoke, having eaten the roll that Spock had acquired for him. “I wouldn’t put it on the bottom of a list of possibilities if they had,” Kasumi replied. “Though I’m sure a gala like this is bound to have rather skilled chefs working in the kitchen.” [break] Kasumi’s gaze broke back over to the masked woman she’d taken quite an interest in earlier— and this time, her eyes held a mix of studying the girl’s features as well as looking intrigued and sincere, hard to read through the conflict, though her features remained pleasant. Kasumi couldn’t shake the feeling of curiosity that came in waves over her simply due to the secrets this woman was hiding… [break] Perhaps secrets she could exploit later on to her advantage if she took the opportunity. [break] “You pay a pretty compliment,” Kasumi said softly, etching yet another smile for the girl. “Oh, I’ve been terribly rude… I haven’t even asked for your names. I’m Kasumi.” The redhead looked at the two, an imploring look overtaking her features— it was only polite to ask, especially considering they were caught in conversation.
Post by saoirse ó floinn on Jul 30, 2017 3:30:30 GMT
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be yourself; everyone else is already taken
[attr="class","jartoxpost"] she can feel eyes upon her back and sensation causes her to tense her shoulders. as her head turns in the direction that she thinks the gazer might be, the feeling vanishes, leaving her disconcerted and irked. she lingers for a little longer, before her eyes catch those of the smiling male beside that of the red-head. she freezes, unable to break her gaze and she feels her muscles seize. pursing her lips, she forces herself to look away to stare at her champagne, breathing in deeply. she could tell that she had caught his attention and it wasn't a delightful feeling. turning away, she looks at her coven member and the female witch, allowing another smile to grace her lips.[break][break]
she leaves her champagne flute on the table in front of her accepted seat. a sudden proclamation came from her coven member and she learns two things; his name is Zephyr and his familiar's is Sprocket, Spock. it's surprisingly cute and as he asks for her name, she's much more inclined to respond. before she does so, the other woman interjects with her own introduction and the author takes it in stride. allowing a gentle sway of her head in a slow nod of acknowledgement, she murmurs, "it is a pleasure to meet you both tonight. forgive me for not thinking to say it before, my name is Máire."[break][break]
her attention strays to and from her group to the silvertongue crowd every few minutes. their close proximity unsettles her and the edges of her lips tilt downwards a fraction. it would be good to at least keep an eye on them, especially the one that has a perpetual smile. a shiver goes down her spine as she looks at him again and she is quick to divert her gaze. creepy... [break][break]
blinking, she sniffs before addressing Kasumi and Zephyr, her tone curious and light, "what's brought you two to the gala tonight?" [break][break]
had he been more perceptive, had he cared more for the tensions between strangers he scarcely knew, he might have noticed. but his eyes are fixed upon the dealings of his charge and ears straining to catch the murmurs of the witches on the balcony, and the whispers pass him by.
he only knows, or assumes, that each witch is fulfilling their personal prerogative of selling their services -- proving which knife is the sharpest, which tongue most poisoned -- and silently, unwillingly, recounts his own past. a brief chitter in his mind and iris quiets, the dolphin disapproving; taylan closes the door on that room of thoughts. he's just a florist, really, and 'taylan karga' shouldn't know all too much about the dealings of mercenaries and assassins.
except, of course, he does, and he hates himself a little more for feeling so comfortable in this nest of snakes. he turns to xuan jin, aptly guarded. there's a sharp elegance to this man that makes him wary.
"not as bad as it could be." gambling makes taylan a generous man. he offers a few more words. "but not exactly good, either. are you thinking of trying your luck?"
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jul 30, 2017 15:01:01 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
"the deal is broken. all bets are off."
he hears the malicious whisper as he departs, clear as day, even through the white static waves of a hundred conversations drowning in his ears. attuned to xuan jin's very presence, his every smile and sigh and murmur as kasimir is, he cannot miss the words that prickle against his skin like thistlethorns drawing pinprick patters in blood.
dread wraps around his heart, seizes his lungs, tattoos a message of ice and darkness like shadowy wings spread across his back and warping the vertebrae of his spine - saskia, he thinks, the deal, saskia - he hadn't thought- he hadn't thought that he had pushed xuan jin enough for him to go after his little beloved sister just yet. kasimir, in all his impulsive fire, his short-sighted defiance, had thought that xuan jin would content himself by etching out his punishment in pain and fear and bitter frost on kasimir directly - not saskia.
if xuan jin is this angry this early on in the night... he will need to behave, for the remainder of the ball. yield, as he has for years, loath as he is to obey. tamper down on the flames that lick at his hands and heart and recarve himself from the unwavering stone. and...
kasimir will beg, if he needs, for xuan's threat to be reversed. for saskia's sake, kasimir will do nigh on anything.
dmitri tilted his head slightly-- somehow, from her word choice or from her general demeanor, it seemed like the girl wasn't too familiar with speaking all high-society. nevertheless, dmitri lacks the prejudice of most high priests and he shook his head. "that's no trouble. please to make your acquaintance, amelia."[break][break] "basil," basil said, a little gruff (and meanwhile riley either didn't hear amelia's request for a name at all, or pretended like it). "and yeah, what about you? i'm betting on the blond. or was anyway--" [break][break] a brief glance is spared at the gambling table where the cards have been flipped over. by virtue of elimination of all things, zephyr has won the round. [break][break] basil smirks and nudges dmitri who sighs and puts his glass of champagne down. the server at the side of their table moves the chips to accommodate the completion of the bets, showing a closer margin between the high priest and the dark skinned male. [break][break] riley is preoccupied with dahlia. "oh, everyone embarrasses him, he's a grouch. and that's quite a long list you've got there! the house must be hectic..." she seems alienated by the girl's siblings though and takes the compliment as a cue to switch tempo. "why, sundari is a lovely name, let's go with that. Joshi, was it? i think i know who you are a little better now." she smiled mischievously, unwilling to give up her little game of being the odd one out; nameless and history-less. [break][break] dmitri pushes a large stack of chips onto a number that corresponds with kasimir's participant number. riley, though engrossed in conversation, seems to make use of an extra eye and is quickly reeled back into her table. "ehhh? is he that good?" [break][break] basil sighs "fold." his attention flickers to kasumi after he's done with the bet. "so. tell us about yourself." [break][break] "i don't know," dmitri responds, turning to riley. "maybe you can make use of him though? he is an assassin..." riley's eyes have been taken by kasimir and there's a dark glint in them as she assesses the red head, scrutiny veiled by a soft and dainty smile. "i don't like him," she says bluntly after a mere moment's hesitation. [break][break] "oh?" dmitri asks, raising an eyebrow. "do tell." [break][break] "he's too conspicuous. i could memorize his mannerisms a mile away. and no fluidity; too rigid. seems like he thinks he's a dead man walking, the way he moves." she wrinkles her nose. "call. on the blonde from before." the chips are pushed forward. [break][break] riley's face turns sour when the cards are over turned. seeing dmitri on the verge of a chuckle, she holds out her hand to stop him. "the reason i'm disgusted is that he didn't cheat. really. what kind of assassin plays by the rules?" [break][break] she sighs and nods at kasumi and amelia. "you're both looking lovely. oh, aren't you going to bet for the next game?" she sounds like she's pouting, but the fact that the loss of that many chips hasn't even made a dent to her stack does all the explaining. [break][break] basil waved at the two. "your favorite's heading upstairs." [break][break] it was possible, if one tried very hard, to hear the murmur of "dear god" behind the raised wine glass in dmitri's hands. riley's expression neutralized and the server quickly fixed the position of chips in accordance with the last hand revealed. [break][break] kasimir's introduction is met with a quiet silence before dmitri responds: "why, here i was thinking you were working for me?"[break][break]
basil snickers. "he's certainly getting you the money." [break][break]
to which a slight laughter shifts through the other two, breaking the awkwardness of the out of place introduction. at this, there is a tense exchange of glances between dmitri and riley, something unspoken and hardly visible, yet for the keen observer the high priest seems to loose this little battle and looks outwards to the balcony as riley claps her hands cheerfully. [break][break] "well cutie, i'd love to have you for the night if that's what you mean." she teases easily, the previous apathy gone with the flick of the wand, but also vaguely pointing out the bland generalization of kasimir's aforementioned 'services.'
notes: dmitri acknowledges amelia and kasumi; basil introduces himself and asks about amelia's bets and asks kasumi to tell them about her; dmitri talks up kasimir and riley refuses to acknowledge him; riley urges everyone to place bets; riley tells kasi he qt and low-key that he's dumb [break][break] updates: erin and tay have lost their gold due to clashing bets; zephyr wins! kasimir wins round 2! no losses. round 3 is now open
[attr="class","gearcore"] Spock offers Kasumi a toothy grin and a nod in response to the question of whether she had a good time, patting the cheetah appreciatively on the head, though making no motion to dismount. "Y'know, babe, while you were runnin' off with a cheetah they announced ya won th' first round," Zeph says to Spock, inciting a confused tead-tilt from the monkey. She has questioning eyes as she points to Erin, who'd gotten a higher number than them. "Another guy drew the same. Over there." Zeph points to Taylan, answering her unspoken questions. Finally, Spock leaps from the cat's back and grips the edge of the table, hoisting herself up to get a better look at the man. She quickly decides that he's wonderful (because who could make Erin's life difficult and NOT be wonderful?), despite this game being based almost entirely in chance.
Zephyr could see her intent in her mind and quickly dug around his pockets to retrieve a small notepad to hand it to her. She snatches it, quickly scribbles a note onto it, reveals their cars for the current round, and bounds away across the table.
"Zephyr," the mechanic replies when Kasumi introduces herself, "I'm glad I've gotten t' meet ya both. You've made my night much less dull than I was expectin'." And then the question of why they were there -- "Well, I wasn't 'bout t' miss th' biggest event in Sundial t'night, an' I could always use a couple more employers, y'know?" he offers with a grin. "Though I'm more 'f a mechanic an' creator o' unique tools than a mercenary, so I tend t' find myself a bit out 'f place." He supposed now was as good a time to begin networking as any.
Meanwhile, a very happy-looking Spock had reached her current idol for the night. She shoves the written message in his face and, should he grab it to get a better look, would let go of the notebook and give him a quick peck on the cheek. The message read:
"The green-haired girl across the table lost a round from tying with you. You are a blessing. -S
Post by kasumi akamatsu on Jul 30, 2017 23:30:07 GMT
❧
Kasumi learns the man across from her’s name — Basil, he’d grumbled out, her sharp eyes momentarily studying him, as though committing his features to memory, though it was a quick look before she tore her gaze away and back around, noting the woman who had so tacitly gone about removing her name from the table, a smooth move nonetheless, something Kasumi could appreciate. [break] She had known Zephyr’s win before the cards were turned, as she was speaking to him and the masked woman mere moments prior when he announced to his familiar of their victory and Vasilios had kept her updated. He was still with them, likely lounging about, simply so that they could keep tabs on both the balcony and the floor below. Her attention, however, is quickly diverted once the man — Basil — addressed her; “so, tell us about yourself.” [break] Kasumi’s crimson eyes met his gaze, momentarily shifting to scan the rest of her table-mates before breaking back to him; she took another sip of her drink before responding. It was rather clear what he meant— what can you do for us. [break] The real question, in Kasumi’s mind, was what couldn’t she do for them? Twenty-seven years of non-stop training — even up until the day — and her work under the White Widow gave her a multitude of experience in handling various endeavors, but of course, she couldn’t let them know her particular connection. [break] Even if Silvertongue was the only coven that could prove themselves of keeping her operations as the Widow under wraps, she hadn’t made enough of a leg in to even consider truly revealing herself to them. [break] That didn’t, however, mean she couldn’t advertise her own abilities, Widow or otherwise. There was a reason the Widow had a signature style and mark— Kasumi did not for the sake of distance. [break] “Oh, I can’t say there’s much to tell, sir,” she began, though the steel, warrior like darkness in her eyes told a different story; a clear message to Basil that there was far more to her than she could necessarily say. “I’m a simple girl, really. Family, of course, would say otherwise… It’s not often you get a daughter willing to be… trained to handle whatever is thrown at her since she could form coherent thought, of course,” she finished with an airy laugh, though the edge to her comment was apparent in meaning. She didn’t consider her work a laughing matter — she hadn’t dedicated herself to her craft for decades only to treat it like a children’s pastime. [break] She looked away for a moment as she heard an almost off-hand comment from the nameless woman. They were speaking of an assassin— if Kasumi could take a guess, they were speaking of a man she’d worked with — was currently working with. Kasimir Burovski. [break] She turned her gaze back to Basil, tipping her head in the direction of the conversation; “Can’t help but agree,” she murmured, the implication rather clear; she was just as familiar with the job of murder and how to go about it, at least what she considered to be "properly." [break] Then, all of a sudden, the woman turned to herself and Amelia. “You pay a pretty compliment, madame. I’m afraid I don’t like gambling with luck; I’m more of a tactical girl myself, but it’s always a pleasure to watch the flow of the tides.” [break] Finally, Kasimir himself appeared, and the rigidity the woman spoke of seemed to shine through just as much, though Kasumi herself did not necessarily fault him for it. “Kasimir,” she greeted with a bow of her head. Turning back to Basil, she decided specificity was in order considering her partner for the mission was now in their presence. “He and I are currently in the process of investigating prospective betrayal within the Milano Mafia. I’d say it’s going rather smoothly; best to be careful, lest we get outed.” Her tone was almost bored, though still dignified and controlled, with her remark, making her meaning transparent — she liked higher-energy missions over slower infiltration, though she was capable of both.
[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"]"A pleasure, Basil." She hummed as she watched the blonde he'd put money on. It looked like he'd won this round. "You seem to be doing well." She eyed the chips as they moved around, "And while I do enjoy gambling, I can't say I'm in the mood tonight." She worked her drink as she watched the players and their cards. In her head, she played at who she might bet on this round and how much she'd wager. "I'm more here for business than for gambling." And she smiled, "It would be fun to gamble services and favors, but, well, it wasn't an option." Another shrug and another drink.
One of the players kept catching her eye for a reason she couldn't place. While the face was one she knew she'd never seen before, something about him felt familiar. Unsure why, she watched him closely as if it might come to her suddenly. Her attention was, however, inevitably taken by the banter between Dmitri and the girl who had decided to go by Sundari. Still, she continued to watch Taylan from the balcony until the man of the topic between Dmitri and Sundari came up and pledged allegiance in what was surely an archaic manner or else she'd misjudged Sundial's culture. She didn't understand the purpose of it. Hadn't they already sword allegiance and service when they'd joined the coven? Dmitri only seemed to mirror her thoughts. "Why, here i was thinking you were working for me?" He'd said after a moment. Basil's comment implied that whatever it was that Kasimir did, he did it well. Briefly, she considered if she too should try to pledge allegiance, but she decided there were better ways to market herself. Ways that wouldn't hurt her pride as much. Still, the display was interesting and she watched intently the exchanges as they happened. She saw the silent conversation between Dmitri and Sundari. Did the high priest lose or did he simply withdraw? Or perhaps she misread it?
"Well cutie, I'd love to have you for the night if that's what you mean." Amelia gave a short, quiet laugh at Sundari's comment, and she quickly looked to measure Kasimir's reaction. Would he take it all in stride or become embarrassed?
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Amelia replies to Basil and riley, eyes taylan karga and watches dmitri, riley, and dmitri
Post by saoirse ó floinn on Jul 31, 2017 10:20:39 GMT
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[attr="class","jartoxlyr"]
be yourself; everyone else is already taken
[attr="class","jartoxpost"] while her ankles do not ache from standing, the sudden lack of energy has saoirse sitting down and feeling ravenous. she sees a plate of dessert tarts and she feels saliva gradually building up in her mouth. holding a dainty hand to her mouth, she quickly grabs two of them and takes a bite. she holds back a groan of pleasure at the zesty taste of lemon as it assaults on her tastebuds. the champagne had long removed any other flavours from her mouth and this sudden reappearance is almost a shock. inhaling the lemon delicacy, she doesn't hesitate to grab another one, albeit with grace and no small amount of eagerness. perhaps she might be looked down upon for her apparent greediness, but for now she could care less. her peckish hunger had to be quelled.[break][break]
she goes through another two of the desserts, feeling immensely pleased and satisfied. while not a big eater, she is particularly fond of pastries and other foods from the bakery and is always happy to see gorgeous cakes and cute biscuits in the windows for her to peruse. her half-finished champagne has long since lost her interest and she instead asks for a glass of water. as she drains half of the glass, her bladder suddenly protests against her consumption of liquid. blushing to herself, she stands up before excusing herself from the table and strides away in search of a bathroom.[break][break]
finding it is no issue, but actually trying to enter it is a struggle. the line for the female's bathroom is long, ridiculously long. she makes small talk with some of the aristocratic women, not really bothering to listen to any of their complaints as they bemoan the most recent gossip. as she slowly passes through the bathroom, she rolls her eyes at the squabble of women who forget that the corner is not a place of conversation and block up space. she is in and out quickly and swiftly walks back into the crowd.[break][break]
she passes by the silvertongue coven with Zephyr in her sights, but before she can fully detach herself from them, she feels her head hit something, someone. she's startled and she tilts her head up to look at the person, uttering soft apologies. "ah, my apologies. i didn't see you." [break][break]
his eyes are fixed on the balcony despite his conversation ( or a short, taciturn excuse of one ), allowing his eyes to drift to xuan's only for the slightest moment before they return to dahlia. the girl seems well-suited to the situation, and his concerns abate a fraction. like a good bodyguard ( or whatever he assumes that to be ), he surveys the people around her once more; a split-second of unsolicited eye-contact with the red-haired woman and he averts his gaze immediately.
( 'a conversation for a later time,' supplies iris, and he can't help but to agree. )
he's of half a mind to leave the table, interest waning after his loss ( to which iris laughs ), when a note is shoved in his face. he blinks; considers what his life has come to; hesitantly receives the notebook from the cheerful monkey and earns a peck on the cheek for his efforts. "you're, uh," taylan is mildly perplexed by it all, but somehow, produces a single flower to offer the familiar. perks of being a florist and plantshaper. he's admittedly kinder to familiars than he is to witches. "welcome, i guess." curiously, he looks towards the green-haired girl in question, wondering what on earth she has done to make the monkey so delighted by her loss.
"sorry, please excuse me." by the time he turns back to xuan, his regular demeanour has returned, and while not rude per se, lacks the warmth of someone truly amiable. "i should be getting back to miss joshi." the slightest incline of his head follows in a nod of acknowledgement, and he stands to take his leave. "good evening to you, sir."
taylan makes his way across the room, pivots to pluck two dessert tarts from a passing waiter with more delicacy than one would expect, and continues on his way towards dahlia, fully intending to offer one to her should she wish. he doesn't get very far before there's a bump against his arm -- someone has, somehow, walked right into him.
"ah, my apologies. i didn't see you."
a nod, a semi-dismissive wave of the hand. "it's fine." politeness dictates he refrain from telling the girl than he never really saw her either.
tl;dr lowkey zones out in his conversation with Xuan Jin imsosorry and eventually takes his leave / makes awkward eye contact with @amelia / offers spock a flower ( Zephyr Hart ) / bumps into saoirse ó floinn
