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 kaelin ó'coileáin on Feb 9, 2018 13:39:43 GMT
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reestyle practice, kaelin thinks, is perhaps her favourite part of training, her favourite part of the day. freestyle practice is music flowing through her veins like stardust and blood, is swooping swirls of silver filigree traced onto ice in the wake of her skates, is flying across the arena like she has wings on her feet, is releasing all her emotions and memories and feelings into her spins and jumps and twirls. freestyle practice is fluid and graceful and dynamic and impulsive, is passionate and glacial and elegant and fiery; it is everything she wants to make it to be, everything she needs it to be; every time she freestyles, she is again reminded of just why she loves the ice, loves to skate.
dimly, she is aware of the muffled chatter from the general ice rink, separated from the area she is using by a reinforced glass wall; dimly, she is aware of her booked time coming to an end. final sweeping movements, skates flashing silver; flow into a combination spin, and spin and spin and spin like the universe flashing before her eyes; and her music slowly, slowly fades into the chilled air.
and she is done; and her time is up;
step off the ice and she is no longer ice princess with a crown of stars, no longer the conduit between the galaxies and music and any eyes who watch, no longer bleeding soul and feeling and everything she is across the glacial stage; she is just kaelin ó'coileáin, just an ice skater reaching for her dreams of the future.
she nods a greeting at the skaters that enter as she steps off the ice, then seats herself in the nearest seat to take off her skates. her muscles ache, but in that deep satisfying way following every good workout. after freeing her feet, she reaches up to free her hair too, releasing it from the carefully braided bun and shaking it free. kaelin smiles. it has been a good day.
[attr="class","sixoutoften-lyrics"]i feel like a six out of ten, i gotta get up early tomorrow again. what goes on behind the words, is there pity for the plain girl? I'll close my mouth, I won't say a word
[attr="class","sixoutoften-tags"]kaelin ó'coileáin - template borrowed from verdigris
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[attr="class","sixoutoften-innertextbox"] There was nothing better to do than take a walk, Jelly would always think to herself. She decided to go to the City Center to watch skaters twirl and move away. Bringing her familiar Obelisk with her, she departed from her home and started to walk over to the City Center.[break][break] By the time she arrived, the center wasn't really that full. Her feet was getting sore and she was quite tired from all that walking; the City Center is pretty far from her home. She sat herself on one of the benches and watched as the skters danced and twirled away on the ice. Obelisk couldn't say anything as he was busy watching the movements of those witches. It was no question for Jail; Obelisk had never been outside for quite a few already.[break][break] From the corner of her eye, she could see one of the skaters exit the skating rink; they sat themselves on a bench to remove their skating shoes. Jelly stood up and smiled. She should congratulate them for the magnificent job they did on the skating rink.[break][break] Jelly sat next to the skater and grinned. "Hello there!" She greeted cheerfully."You did a pretty good job there! Just wanted to say that." She added, turning her head to Obelisk before giving a satisfied nod.
[attr="class","sixoutoften-notes"]Yaay! New post. Now you go, Kaelin.
Post by kaelin ó'coileáin on Feb 11, 2018 10:55:10 GMT
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s she begins to comb out the waves in her hair with her fingers, kiska slithers over from where she had been observing from the glass. "that was a good session," the snake says cheerfully, curling around kaelin's wrist when she offers her arm to her familiar.
"it was," kaelin agrees, still glowing from the lingering joy of skating. a soft smile on her lips, she sets about cleaning her skates, brushing ice off her clothes, and is just about to stand up when another girl approaches her. she looks up, politely curious at the stranger - people recognising and approaching her has not been unusual for a while now, and if anywhere it occurs most, it would be at the ice rink.
there is no recognition in the girl's eyes, but that does not take anything away from the pride and happiness that courses through her veins at her compliment. "thank you!" kaelin says, smiling. a faint flush of pink brushes its fingers across her cheeks. "that is very kind of you to say."
[attr="class","sixoutoften-lyrics"]i feel like a six out of ten, i gotta get up early tomorrow again. what goes on behind the words, is there pity for the plain girl? I'll close my mouth, I won't say a word
[attr="class","sixoutoften-tags"]kaelin ó'coileáin - template borrowed from verdigris
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[attr="class","sixoutoften-innertextbox"] She recieved a thank you from the other witch, making Jelly giggle and nod. She waves a hand around the air as if in denial. "Oh, it's nothing. When I see something worth recognition for, I always come and compliment them for that hard work." She simply stated. Oh great, was she rambling again? Surely the girl would think of her as someone weird by now.[break][break] Jelly observed the girl seated next to her. She was someone she is not familiar with. Sure, it wouldn't be a surprise to know that she doesn't know everyone in Sundial yet, but Jelly was pretty sure she would have met her somewhere. She might come from either of the Helios Knights or Jester's Den group, but that was all she could speculate.[break][break] The question finally makes its way out of her mouth. "Say, what's your name? I actually find you quite familiar, you know. I may be wrong, but still. She asked the othe girl out of curiosity. It will be no surprise if she wouldn't answer her, but Jelly hoped she would. At least after she had told her name to her she would have someone to be familiar with.
Post by kaelin ó'coileáin on Feb 18, 2018 11:02:16 GMT
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he other girl is... very kind, in a way she does not quite expect from someone not also involved in the figure skating world; there is a distinct difference between receiving praise from a judge, from a fellow skater, from a fan, and from someone who knows not anything of who she is nor her reputation in this field. it brings her back to the days a decade prior where expectations had yet to be forged and skating was entirely synonymous with joy.
she returns the smile with one of her own. "that's very kind of you."
there is a lull in the conversation as kaelin digs out a cloth from her bag and begins to wipe down her skates, thoroughly drying the blades and sole. the other girl does not does not yet leave - she can feel eyes studying her even without the use of her own; still coiled around her wrist, kiska blinks at the stranger in gentle curiosity.
the question that is finally posed is not quite surprising. she straightens and looks at the other girl with a smile both proud and embarrassed - pride, for being successful enough that recognition is a reality, and embarrassment because attention has never been a goal of hers and she does not want to come across as arrogant. "ah- i'm kaelin ó'coileáin, it is a pleasure to meet you." she dips her head in greeting, faint flush of pink visible against her skin.
"you, uh, might have seen one of my competitions. i'm a figure skater, professionally," kaelin admits, blush becoming a shade more pronounced.
[attr="class","sixoutoften-lyrics"]i feel like a six out of ten, i gotta get up early tomorrow again. what goes on behind the words, is there pity for the plain girl? I'll close my mouth, I won't say a word
[attr="class","sixoutoften-tags"]kaelin ó'coileáin - template borrowed from verdigris
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[attr="class","sixoutoften-innertextbox"] The smile Jelly wore from earlier brightens up when she recieves a kind remark. "You're welcome." She says, though she was pretty sure she had already said that the second time. Ah, whatever. At least she could show the girl that she appreciates her talent.[break][break] The girl suddenly smiles, yet looks quite embarassed. Has she not recieved any praise from before? Regardless, she nods in understanding as the girl introduces herself to Jelly. "Kaelin O'Coileain, is it... huh, interesting name." She commented with a small smile. Ah, she should also introduce herself first; it woud be rude to leave the conversation without knowing each others names. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too. My name is Jelly Parim."[break][break] Kaelin, a skater by profession? Ah, it's no surprise! That also explains how she is good at skating. "That's actually quite impressive! No wonder you skate so beautifully."[break][break] Meanwhile, Obelisk from the small fish bowl strapped around Jelly's shoulder simply observes the conversation going on between the two witches. He then turns to the snake, which is this Kaelin's familiar. He smiles and calls out to the snake. "Hello there, fellow familiar. How are you doing in this fine day?" He asks the snake, hoping for a really conversation.
[attr="class","sixoutoften-notes"]i'm very sorry for being late! I've been quite busy...
Post by kaelin ó'coileáin on Feb 20, 2018 16:02:25 GMT
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here is no reaction to her name, no recognition sparking in her eyes, and kaelin does not know whether to be further embarrassed, to be disappointed at the arrogance inherent in her now-instinctive anticipation of meeting a fan, or to simply enjoy interacting normally with someone her age without concern for expectations. she decides on the latter ( even though a conscious intellectual decision does not negate her feeling all three responses - emotions are complicated ).
"jelly," she repeats, quirking a slight brow, though her tone and smile are friendly. "is that a nickname?" being named for a condiment has to be... unusual, to say the least. unless perhaps kaelin's standards of normal are skewered - though she does not think that very likely.
kaelin finds herself blushing at the compliment again, even though she has received far more extensive praise before from people far more difficult to impress ( for example, the judges ). "thank you!" responses like this are part of why she loves to skate so much, part of why she puts her heart and soul into each performance, each routine - to be able to touch people is a gift she cannot take for granted, is the core of what she aspires to achieve in life, and even though for jelly it was a mere display of beauty, that is enough.
too often she thinks of her impending mortality; but sometimes, sometimes she is reminded of what she has been able to live so far, what she has managed to experience, to enjoy, to achieve. and in those moments, her approaching death feels so much less devastating.
meanwhile, kiska partially uncoils from kaelin's wrist to regard the strange, small familiar addressing her from a fish bowl on the other girl's shoulder. white and fluffy-looking with little black tufts for ears, neither of them have any clue what base animal jelly's familiar is. "hello," kiska returns warmly. kaelin flips her hand palm up to allow the tiny snake to slither into her hand. "i am very well, thank you." tilting her head with curiosity bright in her eyes, she asks, "if it's not too rude, can i ask what species you are?"
[attr="class","sixoutoften-lyrics"]i feel like a six out of ten, i gotta get up early tomorrow again. what goes on behind the words, is there pity for the plain girl? I'll close my mouth, I won't say a word
[attr="class","sixoutoften-tags"]kaelin ó'coileáin - template borrowed from verdigris
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[attr="class","sixoutoften-innertextbox"] When she was asked if Jelly was a nickname, she felt suddenly offended. But the smile she wore meant that it wasn't to humor her, so she calmed down a bit. "Unfortunately, it isn't a nickname." She replied, her face flushing red once she said that. "But it does have a nickname itself. You may call me Jail anytime." [break][break] She didn't really know a single thing about skating, but watching others do the said sport seemed mesmerizing to her. The girl beside her was a good example of this. She chuckled heartily as she watched the girl stammer with a flushed face. "Probably might be the third time I said this, but you're welcome yet again. You deserve it." And indeed she did. This girl was a graceful skater.[break][break] Obelisk's objective of wanting to start a conversation with the snake seemed to succeed. His rude attitude seemed to fade away from him. He smiled once his question has been answered. "Oh. That's really good to hear." He said. Obelisk chuckled heartily once he was asked what species he is. "Unusual one I am, aren't I? But I am proud of my form. I am a sea bunny, fellow familiar, jorunna parva. Surely you have heard of such organisms, right?" He replied to her question.
[attr="class","sixoutoften-notes"]and again, a very late reply. I'm so sorry.
Post by kaelin ó'coileáin on Mar 29, 2018 12:05:03 GMT
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ffence flares like fire in the other girl’s eyes, and kaelin instantly feels the flush of embarrassment and regret wash over her. affronting jelly was entirely not her intention, but intention or not, that is what she has done - it is not the offender that decides if their actions are hurtful, after all. thankfully, the other girl seems to forgive her blunder - though kaelin will still apologise, of course.
“i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to be rude,” she says sincerely. with a slightly lighter tone, she continues, hoping to return levity to the conversation. “jail it is, then.” still a rather unusual name, but she has learnt her lesson on commenting on it.
kaelin is fairly certain that thanking jail for a fourth time would elicit yet another round of this strange ( and quite mortifying ) compliment-gratitude cycle - and she would prefer not the die of embarrassment thank you very much. instead, she searches for another conversational topic, one hopefully not centred around herself.
“so, do you skate too?” she asks, figuring that it is a relatively safe topic to ask about. not many people kaelin knows go to ice rinks to not skate, after all.
kiska, meanwhile, blinks at the other familiar wish large, gently astonished eyes. “a sea bunny?” she repeats, fascinated. “i can’t say i have,” she admits, then smiles softly, swaying her head minutely. “but, may i say, you are quite the distinguishable species.”
The Leviathan witch simply watches the other skaters dance on the ice rink, while still listening to the other girl, of course. She shouldn't be rude at her, even if she did offend her slightly at the name topic. She shook her head and smiled when Kaelin apologized to her. "Nah, it's all good. It's just a ridiculous name, anyway." She reassured the skater. Then she nodded thankfully once Kaelin started using Jail. "Jail's better. Thanks."
Jelly was definitely done complimenting the other girl. She was amazing, yes, but saying that she is really good at skating for four consecutive times will surely weird her out. The topic about her name took them out of it, thankfully, but not that much. But then, Jail couldn't think of a better conversation to talk about. Her mind was drawing a blank.
Thankfully the other girl started asking her if she knew how to skate. Now that is definitely something worth noted for a new conversation. But then, sadly, she would reply with a rather disappointing answer. "Haha, no. Not even a step on the ice rink." She replied to the girl's question, chuckling nervously and scratching the back of her nape. "I just come here to watch marvelous skaters perform on the ice rink, is all."
Obelisk, meanwhile, was not stunned when the snake told him she hadn't heard of his species. Well, it was no surprise, after all. They were rarely talked about by people, anyway. "Ah, it is no surprise. We are rarely ever mentioned by people when they want familiars or pets, anyway. Most of us stay hidden in the waters." He said to the snake. He seemed to like the last statement she had told him. "Yes, definitely we are. We are quite special."
Then the sea bunny turns back to the snake. "May I ask, madam? What is your name? You may call me Obelisk."
Post by kaelin ó'coileáin on Apr 3, 2018 12:52:59 GMT
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he follows jail’s gaze unto the rink she had just left, watching her fellow skaters sweep over the ice like swans with the grace of gods flowing through their veins. she is passingly familiar with many of them - the world of professional ice skating is only so big, after all - but there are a few faces she does not yet recognise; kaelin makes a quick mental note to rectify that when she gets the chance.
“oh! right.” she blinks, once, in surprise at the other girl’s answer - for some reason, she had unthinkingly assumed that jail’s presence here in the ice rink had to be that she skated also. there is a hint of nervousness ( or perhaps embarrassment? ) in jail’s demeanour, in her tone, and kaelin wonders if it a merely a figment of her own imagination that she also sees vague desire flashing through blue eyes.
the offer slips out without a conscious decision. “would you like to learn?” hints of pink rise along her cheeks at the impulsiveness of her question, to a stranger she has only known for a few minutes at most - her dad would throw a fit if he knew. but she cannot bring herself to regret it, not really. it is part of her dream, after all, to inspire and draw more people to love the beauty that is ice skating.
“the reality of being a little-known species,” kiska murmurs with gentle wryness, tilting her head at the sea bunny.
the tiny snake laughs, silver bell chimes soft in the air. light glitters off her scales in pale iridescence as she shifts forwards. “no need to be so formal,” she says kindly, gentle humour in her voice. “it’s lovely to meet you obelisk. you can call me kiska.”
@jail - another one of my templates, i'm honoured ouo
To be honest, Jelly ever rarely wanted to try new things. She was the lazy type of witch, one who never really liked doing some other stuff other than sit and lie around. Yet whenever she looked over to the skaters dancing gracefully in the ice rink, she suddenly felt kinda jealous. Well, it shouldn't be that bad, shouldn't? What was the reason why she went here again? Yeah, to watch skaters, but that was a pretty lame reason. There was probably something else in there that prompted her to go to the skating rink, right?
...Definitely right.
For the moment when Kaelin suddenly asked her if she wanted to learn, her heart skipped a beat. Really? This girl beside her, an expert in skating, to teach a girl like Jelly to skate? For a moment there were hundreds of questions in her mind. Did Kaelin really mean that question? Is Jelly really gonna do good at this? Is Kaelin really sure about that question? Will she just get mad if Jail failed?
But then, what came out of Jelly's mouth, as her cheeks flared a bright pink and as she turned to Kaelin with a smile, was an answer to the other girl's question. "Hehe... sure thing."
Obelisk hummed in understanding. "Kiska... what a lovely name." He complimented the snake, then turned to both their masters. The sea bunny giggled heartily. "Wow. I am very impressed with your master. She managed to convince someone as lazy as Jelly to actually learn to skate with her!" He nodded his head to Kiska contentedly. "Now Jelly is going to learn a thing or two from your master."
Post by kaelin ó'coileáin on Apr 4, 2018 6:47:15 GMT
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or a moment, she thinks jail will refuse her; for a moment, she thinks about what it means to teach, what it means to guide, the time and effort and friendship and bond, and she… is both regrets and is relieved. on one hand, kaelin is a professional ice skater with all the training and dedication it entails, a girl with a dream and a limited life to achieve it; on the other hand, to inspire and to guide and to watch more people go into her beloved sport is also a desire of hers.
but then, then the other girl looks at her with a shard of star in her eyes and a touch of dawn on her cheeks and agrees; and suddenly, suddenly all her worries and thoughts and regrets no longer mean anything. “it’s a date, then,” she says cheerfully with an answering smile. “i’m afraid i don’t quite have the time today, but later, definitely. are you free next saturday afternoon?”
the tiny snake draws back with a soft laugh. “flatterer,” she teases gently, even as kaelin cups her hands together to allow kiska to twine her way up her partner’s forearm, settling around the limb like a spiky, glittering ice bracelet, hissing quietly in contentment.
kaelin looks down at obelisk, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “i’m sure jail will pick it up quickly,” she says to the familiar.
The Leviathan witch simply stares back at Kaelin with a smile. What the hell did she just say? She'll be learning to skate with Kaelin O'Coileain, a skilled skater in the rink, to teach her. Jelly wasn't prepared for this. Not at all. But as Kaelin agreed and concluded that it was a date, she nodded enthusiastically. "Hehe... I look forward to it." She stated, then watched as Kaelin and her familiar exit the scene to join the other skaters again.
She hears Obelisk chuckle from his fishbowl, grinning up at her if he ever had a face. Jelly smiles back at the sea bunny, eyes sparkling with triumph. "Hey, answer me honestly, Jail." The sea bunny begins, humming curiously at her. "What made you agree to Kaelin's question? That you wanted to learn how to skate? Seriously, did that come from the heart or did it just come from not wanting to disappoint Kaelin?"
Jelly snorted at him and turned her head to the skaters. "It's... it's kinda the first one, Obelisk." She replied, sighing. "Like, I suddenly wanna try new things. Watching Kaelin in the rink was nice, you know?"
Indeed, it was. Without saying another word, Obelisk turns to the skating rink too and watches Kaelin and the other skaters dance in the rink.
