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.
Post by cassidy wolfe on Jul 19, 2017 16:08:15 GMT
Most of the time, when Cass sleeps, she does not dream ( or at least, she does not remember her dream ). She lays down on her bed, closes her eyes, and wakes the next morning, the remnants of her subconscious fantasy left on her bed. Last night, she had laid her head down with the same intent.
Unfortunately, tonight was very different.
When she opens her eyes, she finds herself in a dream too vibrant, surrounded by her friends and family. When she brandishes her blade, limbs moving on their own accord, she has a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something is undeniably, unexplicitly wrong. Mana runs through her body as she casts, strength filling into the bones and muscles of her arms.
Salt and Pepper fall first, their faces twisted with the look of betrayal as she finishes her stroke.
Blood. It covers her skin, sticky and bright against pale white. She looks into Erin's terrified eyes before delivering her final blow.
Blood. It drenches her blade and sprays over her clothes. Juls doesn't look scared. He sneers, looking smug, even when she has the tip of her blade on his neck. Cassidy closes her eyes before she swings--
And she wakes up.
Her body lurches forward, and she only hesitates for a split second before she breaks, quiet sobs fill the room for a couple minutes as she realizes what happened. She can feel Vali's confusions, but she reassures him that it's fine.
Minutes pass before she finally calms herself. Tired but unable to sleep again, she dresses herself and makes the walk to Juls' house. It shouldn't take more than five minutes, but in the middle of the night, terrified and alone, it feels like hours before she finds the familiar numbers of his house, and lets herself in.
It's dark except for the dim glow of Juls' atheneum interface. She hesitates, shaking away the feeling of blood on her hands. It's not real--it can't be. Juls has his eyes closed, but she has a feeling that he's awake. Cass gently presses on his shoulders anyways.
Post by julius kingston on Jul 21, 2017 16:09:22 GMT
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if my woman were a fire, oh she'd burn out before i wake[break]
AND BE REPLACED BY PINTS OF WHISKEY, CIGARETTES, AND OUTER SPACE---
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If there's anything his body wants after nights filled with tribulations taking the form of nightmares, it's a long and dreamless sleep- the kind that does not have to be coerced into existence by the smoke of cigarettes, the kind that is brought forth of its own accord- warm and vice-like to the touch. [break][break] Being no stranger to nightmares, however, did not mean that one ever really got used to having them as company.[break][break] There is very little you can fear, whether good or bad, once you have come to terms with death. But eventually, it becomes all that you fear. The forest hangs quiet- not even an owl hoots. The moon hangs high and too-close to the earth; the clouds sweep through the sky like plastic bags drifting in the wind. And then with a strike in the wind the moon goes red and blood splatters as the trees are ripped apart (with them, the bodies of those that had hung, gasping for air)- and suddenly the world distorts in the vibrations of the screams that resound, like the howling of wolfs, echoing through the night. [break][break] And Julius wakes up, gasping for air well. Except really, he shouldn't be. And when he realizes where he is, the gesture turns into a labored sigh and he finds his whole body shaking. He turns to the window. The coin-like eyes of his familiar-- usually angered or demure-- now radiate with sympathy; and all Julius wants to do is fall asleep without the added hassle of having to wake up a shivering mess. [break][break] It's July, for Merlin's sake...[break][break] In the darkness, the water witch lights a match.[break][break].... [break][break] When the door creaks open, Julius is awake on his couch, closing his eyes and attempting to cleanse his mind by steadily over-loading it with stored information. It's an interesting technique. Basically, the information stored in his interface over a few dozen years is plugged to his mind until everything fades to the next. When Cassidy appears, glistening like some maiden in the moonlight, Julius smiles despite himself (despite the fact that his heart's still shaking) and says, with no pretension and a wry smile, "Always."
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cassidy wolfe | has a nightmare and wakes up to hermione looking at him w pity in her eyes. probably lets her in behind the scenes. uses atheneum not v smartly. says something sarcastic while tired af. not even surprised cass showed up
Post by cassidy wolfe on Jul 21, 2017 16:41:39 GMT
The short walk to Juls' house is by no means dangerous. It lies in the midst of downtown Sundial, away from the prying eyes of monsters. Paranoia, however, manifests itself in the lingering memories of her nightmares. She asks for Vali's presence, who is otherwise wild and untamable. He can sense her fear--that for once, she is afraid of whatever is out there. A rarity in itself, Vali's pitiful eyes draw to her. He reluctantly nods, and they silently walk to Juls' house together.
When she enters the room, she finds him laid on the couch, under the soft glow of his atheneum interface. He's okay, she thinks, slightly relieved, because despite knowing that it was a nightmare, despite having no reason to kill him, it still felt so real, and there was that small, underlying fear that what had happened was reality.
But he's here, as solid as ever.
"Uh-huh...did you have a nightmare too?" She asks, keeping her voice light and steady even though she's feeling sick to her stomach. Cassidy seeks his affections, squeezing in on the couch next to him despite it's small size, and curls on top of his chest. Not much further is said; instead, she takes comfort in his presence, listening to the soft exhales of his breath.
Post by julius kingston on Jul 22, 2017 16:27:56 GMT
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if my woman were a fire, oh she'd burn out before i wake[break]
AND BE REPLACED BY PINTS OF WHISKEY, CIGARETTES, AND OUTER SPACE---
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It's easy to distinguish nightmare from reality- you just remind yourself, continuously and deliberately, that you have woken up and that the morning sun will cleanse away the other day. Or so his sister had once told him.[break][break]
When he sees Cassidy (and truly takes her in, awake and torn apart from the hazy vagueness of his little getaway), Julius suddenly knows for certain that he was indeed woken up. Vali stalks beside Cass, like a phantom of the moonlight. Cass falls into Julius's couch soundlessly and then her head is pressed against his chest and he's fully aware now that he is, after all, breathing. [break][break] In that suddenness of revelation, an arm reaches and loops itself about the girl's shoulders-- "Yeah, but when do I not have a nightmare," he jokes (the chuckle that should have been disappearing at his lips), even though he'd like to say so much more, he knows he will never find the words (nor, he supposes, the courage).[break][break]
And then realizing that Cassidy Wolfe --his girlfriend, Merlin, how did that happen-- was probably terrified and that was why she crumbling apart and curling next to him, that was why the tiger wasn't growling and attacking him, and that was why the whole neighborhood had woken up to screams and shouts and flashes of lights. [break][break] Then, his grip loosens, and he begins to gently caress her shoulder. Neither of them could fully comfort the other, but they could try and they would damned if they didn't. [break][break]
In front of them, the atheneu interface goes static, and is quickly replaced by the holographic scenery of several fish and dolphins swimming across the air. The room is light but its dull and fading blue, and neither of them really need the light. [break][break]
Hermione, from her perch in the kitchen, ruffles her feathers uneasily.
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cassidy wolfe | says ya and atheneum interface goes to screensaver mode and little fish n dolphins r running around. tries to comfort cass but doesnt know what to say. hermione getting the shivers
She wonders what she looks like under the glow of Juls' atheneum interface. Does she look scared, with wide eyes and chapped lips? Does she look afraid with Vali stalking quietly behind her? Cassidy does not like to show weakness, but in Juls' presence, she lets herself be vulnerable. She curls up against Juls, sighing in content when she wraps an arm around her shoulders.
She's well aware of Juls' history with nightmares, how he had them frequently in uni, how she'd be on the other side, unsure of what to say. Cassidy likes to think of them as a couple that gets along well, with easy-going jokes and and cheesy domesticity. But when they're hurting, when they're overwhelmed, they do not offer many comforting words, nor are they the type for sweet nothings. They take solidarity in quietness, and that is not always a bad thing.
His interface bursts into static before he replaces it with a scenery of an ocean. She can hear Vali's soft rumble behind her, and Hermione's probably nested in there somewhere. Surrounded and secure, she gentle closes her eyes and It's not real, and will never be. She thinks briefly, before she lets sleep take her.
Post by julius kingston on Jul 31, 2017 6:32:50 GMT
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if my woman were a fire, oh she'd burn out before i wake[break]
AND BE REPLACED BY PINTS OF WHISKEY, CIGARETTES, AND OUTER SPACE---
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Julius doesn't like the term morning person or evening person. He jokes that he is simply not a sleep person. He sleeps for about three hours before he wakes up and hums to himself as he finishes a cigarette, takes a shower and makes breakfast, and eats with Hermione[break][break] This all happens well before 5am, and a long long time before Cassidy wakes up at all. The girl sleeps like a rock, and Julius can't help but chuckle when he passes through the living room-- Cass's legs have rebelliously defied his attempt at putting a blanket on her, and somehow she's managed to make a throne out of the tattered sofa that occupies the most of his living room [break][break] The rings under her eyes from the night have vanished, her expression is as calm as still water. Julius sighs and walks over to the steps outside. Despite the nightmare passing, Julius knew what had happened last night-- he had laid awake while Cass slept, the sounds of the alarms and hurried steps, the groaning wheels of carriages as people made journies to reach their loved ones. [break][break] Sundial had been shaken. [break][break] His hands shake against the railing where the finished cigarette rests, piling ashes underneath it. He hears something stir from the inside and he turns to look. Cass is waking up slowly, and he wants to talk to her because while she's never one for unnecessary conversation (unlike himself), he finds that he likes the sound of her voice the most. [break][break] "Rise and shine!" he shouts, hands cupped around his mouth to grab her attention. "Your waffles went cold a while a go." [break][break] Hermione swoops in just then and the sheer wind of her velocity ruins Julius's perfect hair. She's also carrying a rat in her talons. "No roadkill in the house!" Julius shouts, and his familiar swoops straight out of the window and disappears into the sky again. [break][break] "She says goodmorning, clearly," Julius remarks, voice as dry as sandpaper.
There's not one word that could accurately describe Juls' sleeping schedule. Most times he only sleeps for hours at a time; she swears that sometimes he doesn't sleep at all. Warm sunlight slowly lulls her out of sleep, and she blinks blearily.
For a moment, she's only aware of the fact that she's at Juls' house, staring up at the white of his ceiling. Only a second passes, though, before she remembers the events from before. Nightmares; Vali's strangely quiet yet comforting presence, and the unshakable feeling that things had gone wrong. She blinks and rubs at the corners of her eyes, mind muddling through her thoughts.
Unfortunately, unlike most mornings, she's not alone.
She screams when he shouts at her, flinging a hand in the vague direction of his voice. A groan quickly follows, and she reluctantly sits up from her hill of pillows and blankets.
"You could've waited..." She whines, trailing off when she sees Hermione swoop in, flaps of her wings sweeping her bed-ridden hair. She gazes blearily at Vali, whose disappointment showed clearly on his face.
"Ugh." She says, running a hand through the tangles of her hair, throws her legs to the side, and slowly edges her way to the bathroom.
Post by julius kingston on Sept 28, 2017 6:27:35 GMT
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if my woman were a fire, oh she'd burn out before i wake[break]
AND BE REPLACED BY PINTS OF WHISKEY, CIGARETTES, AND OUTER SPACE---
[attr="class","paige_post"] "What, wait three hours? I'm not a saint," he teases, shaking his head. Three hours wasn't even an exaggeration at this point. He hadn't counted, but the time was surely close to that considering how late, even for an average person, Cassidy awoke. And how early, even for an average person, Julius awoke.[break][break] In hindsight, everything about them is mismatched: he is from a modern family in the city. Her family gave her a freaking naginata for her eighteenth birthday. He's an asshole with questionable morals. She probably looses sleep over insects she's killed. [break][break] And yet...that doesn't change the fact that she had been the one to approach him on the balcony on the third day of their dumb "tour" of Sundial city. The why and the how (for once) were unimportant.[break][break] She slid into the bathroom and he wordlessly watched her go, before sighing. What the hell had happened last night? Cassidy might have just barely woken up, but Julius had been thinking about the madness non-stop for the past three hours. What if it happened again? Why was this city, the so-called ancient capital of all of Salem, going through this kind of madness? [break][break] He didn't know. But he had a feeling that he'd find out. He rushed into his room and began digging through his clothes. And then winced at the state of his room. He heard the water go on in the restroom and set out to make things look presentable. He sighed when he heard the water stop and tossed his old quidditch jersey at the bathroom door. [break][break] "Here," he said, and slid to the floor to sit comfortably on his mismatched rug. Julius looked up at her, and, ever so quietly, attempting to overcome whatever had happened since joining Leviathan, he said: "You should move in." [break][break]
Post by cassidy wolfe on Sept 28, 2017 7:28:52 GMT
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D
oes Juls even sleep? She throws a lazy palm on his shoulders and nudges slightly, traces of a smile on her lips. She could sleep until the next day if she really wanted to. They couldn't be anymore different, but when she had walked through the glass doors, to the balcony overlooking Salem's oceans, she could never think of going back. To think, it was her that had to take the initiative. Asshole.
When she enters the bathroom, it's as messy as ever--but it's a familiar mess, something that could be called homely. Cassidy grabs the spare toothbrush and starts her morning routine. A warm, quick shower. Brushing out her hair. She goes through each task like a morning checklist; all while thinking about what had happened last night. Cassidy likes to think that she isn't very easy to scare; her family had gifted her with a naginata, for Merlin's sake.
But what had happened last night, in the darkness of her home--it didn't feel normal. She had seen squadrons of witches overhead, racing to save their coven members. It's strange; what if she hadn't woken up? There's no telling what could've happened; if there was a witch strong enough to cause this, then she didn't know if she could protect herself--or Juls. They attacked them in her dreams; she'd never heard of such magic before. Had she been poisoned? Or worst--was it an illusion?
She was so sure that it was a dream though, and that's what scares her the most.
Because everyone must sleep eventually. Even Juls.
She turns off the water and wraps a spare towel around herself Juls throws his old quidditch jersey towards the door, and she catches it just as it's about to hit the floor. "Thanks." She says, pulling it over her head with ease. It's large and thoroughly worn, but as comfortable as ever. The floor has grown cold during the night, and she's eager to step on to his colorful rug. When she catches sight of him, she notices that he's much more somber than usual, with less quips and teasing. He's in one of his athenuem moods again, thoughts palpable in those deep eyes of his. She wonders if he's also thinking about the nightmares from last night, surely about the circumstances, information leading up to the emergency responses--
but instead, in the softest voice imaginable, he asks her to move in.
Cassidy breathes, silently walking towards Juls before sliding down beside him, leaning against his shoulders before laying her (albiet somewhat wet) head in the crook on his neck. They hadn't exactly talked about it much--there was no need to, not while they lived so close, but she did entertain the idea sometimes.
Was she really ready to do that, though? She had never been the girl to take up many boyfriends, must less move in with them. But she's an adult now; there's no reason why they shouldn't move in together, if only for the convenience. She trusts Juls completely, and yet...she doesn't know.
"I don't know. Could you deal with me sleeping until noon everyday?"
❀ julius kingston ❀ hello take this shitpost that took like two hours to write for some reason
Post by julius kingston on Dec 5, 2017 15:26:56 GMT
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if my woman were a fire, oh she'd burn out before i wake[break]
AND BE REPLACED BY PINTS OF WHISKEY, CIGARETTES, AND OUTER SPACE---
[attr="class","paige_post"] What was wetness to a water witch? Cassidy's hair on his shoulder feels a little like Hermione perching there- and in essence, it's the same exact thing: a familiar presence conveying what words can't (or won't) say. And yes, the pun on familiar was wholly intended. Julius kind of wanted to vocalize this pun, but a part of him (that Cassidy had seen the growth of, he supposed) managed to kick the other part (the majority) and remind him that this wasn't the time or the place for a pun. Probably. This was still all guesswork to him.[break][break]Oh but she's wrong. He has been thinking of every single horrible event that had transpired since their coming to Sundial. And that's why she needs to move in. She should, right? Any other decision just wouldn't make sense, right? He can't think of anything else, at least. And he usually does his fair share of thinking. [break][break]But there is silence. A silence that makes him far more uncomfortable than the beads of water slowly soaking through his shirt and bone, a silence not even evaded by Hermione or his pervasive "athenum moods" as Cassidy called them. And he found himself holding his breath like he had at the balcony all those months ago, a thing he seldom did...[break][break]And then he wanted to laugh because her answer was absurd. But he couldn't because it wasn't absurd. He was the one that was being silly. Obviously, this was what she would say. Because subtlely and in her own way, Cassidy was implying that this was the only objection she had, that this was the only thing she could raise against him. [break][break] But to be fair, it was a good objection. [break][break] A smirk slowly spread across his face, lighting up his mouth and then the corners of his eyes and then the eyes himselves until even Hermione was smiling (wherever she was). "You're right. We're definitely not ready yet."[break][break] Hermione then flies into the room around them, and begins circling the lighting with loud, angry hoots, objecting their silly spat. So she had been listening in all along. Julius can't help but laugh at that.
