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 percival grayreme on Apr 29, 2017 14:06:18 GMT
[attr="class","Morning"]
[attr="class","mff"]
[attr="class","scarlett"]Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
[attr="class","windyscarlett"]
This time around, Percy decides to step out of his comfort zone. That area around the certain comfort zone is, curiously, Bell's Bar.
Every time he visits the Leviathan headquarters he always, always lays eyes to the particular cabin. That place always smells of booze and seasalt. Percy had never witnessed a day in which the place became void of patrons. Quiet, yes, rarely. Empty? Never. There would always be a certain sailor enjoying a drink and talking to the bartender. At night the place is the liveliest of all the establishments in the port area. Laughter echoes, gossips gets passed around, everyone shares the good times.
Percy had never actually stepped foot inside the bar... until today.
Seraph's clicks and clacks are steadily getting more insistent and worried as Percy takes sure steps that would bring him inside the bar. Percy shushes her in his head. 'Relax, Seraph. It's daytime, surely I won't be caught in trouble when the sun is out, right? Besides, I could always yell for help!' he tells Seraph, which the familiar doesn't buy for one second.
Deep down Percy is nervous. He has no idea what to expect inside the bar. What would he do once he opens the twin doors? Buy a drink? But he doesn't drink alcohol! Too late, Percy's right in front of the door. Before his rational mind chickens out, he pushes the door open and steps inside.
He feels out of place, certainly. There are no more than ten people inside, none of them drinking, it seems, just enjoying lunch. The majority of them raise their heads, sizing up the newcomer. Percy looks away, to no particular direction, feeling conscious in such a place he knows he doesn't belong. Yes, he exudes confidence, but as a good human being, he knows when and where he should be confident.
But then he sees a familiar face in the direction he faces. He is sure he knows the figure of the particular woman, although he has not spoken to her at all. Nonetheless, Percy feels like he had just seen the sun for the first time in a rainy day. He starts towards her table, and calls out brightly, "Miss Gale!" hoping to catch her attention.
[attr="class","denomination"] Bell's Bar got rowdy at night, and lots of things you wouldn't want your kids to see were happening. But while the sun stood triumphantly at the centre of the horizon, the tavern was more of a mellow place with sailors enjoying their food and drinks, served by pretty hostesses wearing short skirts and frilly tops.
Rhea, despite having never ventured out to sea, had the 'smell of a sailor' or so she'd been told, a characteristic which had allowed her time and again to be privy to the gossip of seafarers and merchants alike. Even now as she sat at a table, she was engaged in quick conversation with someone she hadn't met before.
A setting like this excited her-- people telling tall tales of worlds beyond the walls. What would a world without monsters be like, a world where there were no boundaries?
The door creaks open but Rhea ignores it in favor of her food, until the new patron pretty much yells out her name. Shit. Was it someone he owed? If she had to make a daring escape now--
Her eyes traveled to the eager frame of a young boy she'd seen around but never really talked to. "Ayy!" she shouted back, a little confused as to why he was here. "Percy, was it?" Despite her looks, she wasn't terrible when it came to names. "Did something come up?" she asked casually, wondering if this had something to do with Leviathan, the coven she'd sworn life and blood to. A coven that someone managed to house the most interesting characters of all, like this boy.
Well, she supposed looks could be deceiving, but...
Post by percival grayreme on Apr 30, 2017 16:02:02 GMT
[attr="class","Morning"]
[attr="class","mff"]
[attr="class","scarlett"]Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
[attr="class","windyscarlett"]
Percy hurries to pull a chair and sit with Miss Gale. He musters a bright smile for the older woman. He is so so glad she is here. Just what would he do if she is not? Percy refuses to think about it. What is important is that he's got some good company.
Miss Gale is one of older members of Leviathan. He has seen her around, certainly, but that's about it. He is delighted to hear her speak of his name. Percy's only been member of the coven for about a year, it surprises him someone remembers him. As much as he likes to, he can't possibly accumulate all the information about every single member of the coven in one short year. It does not help that the coven is pretty small when it comes to members, and most of them don't stick around the headquarters. Percy sees this as an opportunity to get to know about Bell's Bar, and at the same time about this certain lady.
Screw the dignified reasons. Percy is just happy to see someone he knew, even if he knows only her name.
"Yes! Percival Grayreme," he says, snug at his seat in front of the lady. Percy comfortable means a more lax chatter. "Oh, not really. I was just wandering around. I always wanted to explore Bell's Bar. I'm always hearing stories every time I pass around here. I don't know if it's true or not, but all of them seems interesting. Are you a regular here, Miss Gale? Do you know any of these stories or so? I'd love to hear it!"
He hears a warning from Seraph, then, to lower his voice. Percy looks around and sure enough he is garnering attention. Maybe he has been speaking too loud for comfort... His mood shifts as he returns his attention to Miss Gale. He notices her food, and notes a seafood he hasn't seen before. "My bad, I am disturbing your lunch! Perhaps I can get you um, something, as compensation for being so sudden?" Percy offers generously. Perhaps while he's at it he could get his lunch, too...
rhea gale , 357 words, is kinda having writers block lmao
[attr="class","denomination"] "You know this boy?" the sailor sitting at the table next to hers asked.
Rhea was mutely amused when she saw the boy clamber forth and take up a chair to sit in front of her, and she spuns away from the others in the conversation to get a better look at the young male.
"Yeah," she said distractedly to the other person. "This here's my junior, or something like it. Aren't ya, Percy?" she asked, giving the other man a smirk. The table next to her appraised Percy with long, lingering looks, but eventually went back to their lunch. Rhea hadn't been sitting next to anyone, and it was easy to slip out of their conversation after she adjusted her chair to be sitting in front of Percy.
That being said she couldn't hide the little frown that formed with Percy told her it wasn't official business. Leviathan was a sketchy, sketchy group. To the point where two (or had it already been three?) years in, she still hadn't earned their trust.
Instead, she was left to go about her normal life until every other month or so where she'd receive a mysterious tip to head to a location or to deliver something seemingly inconsequential. She didn't get their game and it put her on edge. But she tried to shrug the uncomfortable thoughts from her mind as she focused her attention on the real world and nodded at Percy.
"Your first time?" she asked, bewildered, and then she laughed. "God, aren't you a good kid?"
She had the misfortune of wandering into the tavern in the middle of the night at sixteen years of age. Some memories were best left buried under a pile of others, and as fondly as Rhea thought of the port, there were some parts of it that were simply too dark to venture into. And even though she'd escaped with little more than a night full of embarrassment and a swollen fist, some people just weren't as lucky. If life had taught her anything it was that: no matter who or what you are, there's always someone less fortunate. And someone more fortunate.
A bunch of the patrons turned to stare at them, and Rhea turned to stare back, an amused smile on her lips. "Hey, don't worry about it," she said easily, watching with an arrogant, expectant look until the other customers turned back awkwardly to their plates.
Her eyes shifted back to Percy, frame still leaning into the back of the chair like she owned it. "But if you're offering, run to the counter and get me some rum, yeah? I'll have a story thought up for when you get back."
Post by percival grayreme on May 4, 2017 4:11:32 GMT
[attr="class","Morning"]
[attr="class","mff"]
[attr="class","scarlett"]Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
[attr="class","windyscarlett"]
His chatter trails off as he notices the attention he's getting. Granted, it is through Miss Gale, but he can't be wrong it is about him. He hears the influx of 'who is he' and 'what is he doing here' and other questions. Percy can't help but just to smile sheepishly. He is just a kid, after all. A kid who was pampered at home. He's got loving parents, eating three times a day with snacks in between, and the most extreme he's ever been as a kid is when he feel in a river when he was ten. He was stuck floating in a particularly deep spot, he was told. His rescuers were unsure how he survived. The river is flowing, and it had rained the night before so the current is particularly strong.
Looking back at it, perhaps that's when Percy discovered his element: water. His small body struggled to keep the water around him stagnant, therefore keeping him in place, for twelve straight hours. By ninth hour he had already been swept by the current for about a kilometer from where he fell. Just when his body is about to give up, rescuers found him.
That's a pretty amazing feat, Percy thinks. But still, it's nothing compared to the experiences of others born with lesser privileges.
Percy, snapping back to reality from his epiphany, nods twice before getting up and going to the counter. He very awkwardly orders a bottle of rum and a breadstick... it did not go quite well.
"Look at you," the bartender says mockingly. Percy glares at her. She looks past forty, with a stout face but curvaceous body. Her cleavage is showing through her Bell's Bar uniform. "Such a vibrant young lad. What are you, fifteen?"
"I am of legal age," he insists to the bartender. The burly woman just laughs and pushes him the bottle. Percy pays and takes his order before hastily walking away. His pace is not fast enough to miss the woman's words. "Must've grown up with a golden spoon in his mouth."
Percy decides not to mind that and tries his best to offer a genuine smile to Miss Gale. "Here you go. Please enlighten me of what you know, Miss Gale."
[attr="class","denomination"] Frankly, she doesn't care to listen much into the bartender's exchange with Percy, choosing instead to take in her surroundings and tap her ear into the interesting rumors that flooded the tavern. People here talked of all sorts of things, and the tirkc was distinguishing their imagination from what they'd witnessed, distinguishing fact from bias. It took practice, like any art.
Percy came back and she grabbed the bottle out of his hands as he sat down, grinning ear to ear. "Thank you~" she said, though coming from a theif and a criminal it almost felt like a joke. Emotion isn't her strong point, and while it isn't being naive per se Rhea does imagine that Percy's smile is a as real as he tries to make it. Other people's idscomfort simply isn't something she picks up on.
She takes a long chug and swallows, savoring the taste as her eyes glaze over for a few seconds before her attention finally drifts towards Percy again. "Hm?" she asks at first before shaking her head. "Right, the story."
She frowns as if just beginning to think of one and then her lips click in satisfaction. "Well, your name happened to remind me of one. You know Percival, right? The one that the old forest east of here is named after." To be fair, Rhea's never seen the forest herself. But she's heard enough stories about it to tell one in vivid detail.
"Apparently he was born in Messia-- some of those fancy scholars say that that's the old name, you know, for the Metropolis, but it wasn't exactly there-- and he had this grand dream of exploring all the continents. It made sense for someone so ridiculously powerful," Rhea's voice was loud and despite moving quickly it was also very clear and direct without too many 'fancy words' thrown in between, as she liked to call them.
As she spoke, she tilted the bottle and spun it around on one edge, letting the liquid squirm on the inside. "Rumors had started up, however, that the power was driving him mad, and that he was getting greedy and reckless. He turned rogue and said he'd conquer the whole realm, despite all the things he'd done for it...He took a band of friends to the unnamed forest to find new and uncharted lands to conquer. But like the legend goes, he died within it."
She leaned over onto the table, pressing her elbows into the wood as the bottle was dragged inbetween her arms. "But you know? No one ever found the bodies of his six other friends...." "Everyone thinks he was killed by monsters, and they use the story to make kids afraid of the woods. But some people say old Percival wasn't killed by monsters at all, but by his own madness. in his last moments, he saw something in the woods. And knowing he was going to die, he split his power into his six friends and entrusted them to make wise use of it. A sudden change of heart. But really, if someone managed to take all that evil power, would they just want to conquer the world again...?"
Rhea mused to herself after the story was finished. She liked the story. It left a lot of questions hanging and had a lot of different interpretations. It made you ask-- what did he see in the forest? And does power still exist?
Post by percival grayreme on May 12, 2017 2:40:55 GMT
[attr="class","Morning"]
[attr="class","mff"]
[attr="class","scarlett"]Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
[attr="class","windyscarlett"]
As Miss Gale spoke, Percy is reminded of her mother, of how she used to read bedtime stories to him, even at fifteen. It was annoying, but also endearing. He listens to the older Leviathan, attentive, quiet, and highly curious.
The Forest of Percival? As a child Percy often claims that the Forest of Percival is named after him. It made him the center of attention in his circle of friends. Inevitably the day came when knowledge dawned upon them, and Percy laughed it off. It was a good memory. Hearing the real story now, Percy brightens up.
"Such a grandiose dream," Percy comments, mostly to himself. Anything he says during the course of the story is not meant to be answered. He is emphasizing what Miss Gale had said just so he remembers it later. The late Percival is kind of like him, except much grander than Percy. It hasn't even crossed Percy's mind to venture out of of the walls, much less conquer continents. He just wants to be strong.
Percy frowns, then, at the mention of Percival's six other companions. "A sudden change of heart..." Percy repeats, looking away. "Then it must be good that the evil power is split. And it's even better, then, that no one person holds so much power." He says the words, but deep inside him he does not believe it. What is wrong with power? There's nothing wrong with strength, either. To have that much accessibility of pools and pools of mana... just thinking about it excites Percy.
But the Leviathan knows: the legend of Percival is a lesson. He cannot agree to it wholly, though. "Miss Gale, does power corrupt? I personally believe that, no, it does not. You just need the have the mental capacity to hold to such power, and have something worthwhile to pour it into."
[attr="class","denomination"] Rhea finishes her story, settling into the back of her chair (when had she leaned so far into the table? she's unsure). The sudden gap after finishing the story leaves her with a sense of incompleteness. If only life could be as grandiose as a story like that.
But not everyone was born a powerful wizard. Not everyone had skill or talent. Not everyone had legacy. Some peopl were born and died withou accomplishing a single one of their dreams. Some people never had any dreams to begin with. Rhea feels sick at the thought, but she can't deny the truth that resounds in her own mind, can she?
Stop whining, quips Zerif from her corners of her mind.
Then Percy speaks up, catching her attention before she can respond to her familiar.
She blinked once. And then twice. And then Rhea burst into a fit of laughter, the melancholy mood dissipating into the air. She was not discreet in the slightest about the laugh, finding no use in holding it back. She grabbed her stomach and wheezed once before smiling at Percy and then sighing in satisfaction.
"Ahh, look at you. I wish I could judge you for being young and saying things like that, but god I won't. That'd be too hypocritical, so I'll promise I won't look down on ya, Percy. At least..." she giggled a little. "That's the last time."
Sighing again, Rhea drummed her hands on the desk. "But since you asked me..."
"Power corrupts like birds fly, Percy." She said, confidently and smoothly countering his opinion without real regard for her offensive stance. "But I don't think it changes people. It just punches holes in their exterior, rots the flesh and shows the bone. After all..."
"If you wanna know what a man's like at his best, give him a lover. At his worst, give him an enemy. And if you just want to know a man...give him power."
Her eyes glistened for a moment and she let the thought sink in. Before she slammed an elbow into the table and put her chin on her palm, bringin her face level to Percy's. A smug yet encouraging smile formed on her face. "So you tell me, Percy. What would you do with power?"
Post by percival grayreme on May 15, 2017 6:10:03 GMT
[attr="class","Morning"]
[attr="class","mff"]
[attr="class","scarlett"]Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
[attr="class","windyscarlett"]
The younger Leviathan takes no offense in the woman's laughter. However he does not smile himself, and his face is stoic throughout the giggling fits. He does not mind getting looked down upon. Every time that happens to him, he takes it as a challenge. It won't be long before he surpasses everyone who has belittled him. So his smile is genuine when he says, "It's no problem. I like hearing other people's opinions. I know my perception is limited."
The following words would be very difficult for Percy to accept. Power corrupts like birds fly... Birds fly. That is natural law. If it compares to something as natural as flocks of birds flying, it must have meant that it is a given that power corrupts. It just happens. It's how the world is made. The woman's words, holding absolute truth, reverberated inside Percy's mind. He does not agree with it. He could even argue that it is not a fact, that it's just an opinion.
But deep inside, he knows. He'll lose the argument, so he keeps his mouth shut.
He jumps slightly in his seat, and his confused eyes met Miss Gale's own, fierce and challenging. They hold a staring contest for over two seconds before Percy looks away. He swallows bile and bites his lower lip, mulling over his reason.
Just what is his reason? Why does he want to be strong? For what reason? He said earlier that power would not corrupt if there is a worthwhile reason why it is accumulated. What is his reason?
"I..." he starts. He does not know what to say, but he have to say something. "I want to be admired. I figure it must feel wonderful, to hold so much power, to gain recognition. I just don't want to end up in limbo, living and passing as a regular human. I... want my name to be known."
Percy, heart thundering, sighs. "I don't even know. I just want it."
rhea gale , 330 words, existential crisis for my boi. and sorry for the delay!
[attr="class","denomination"] Rhea's almost taken aback by the boy's unphased smile. It's rare to see someone so determined, yet having determinatin without being stubborn. Its refreshing, but also unnerving. Somehow, she can't bring herself to trust such unwavering optimism.
She watches him squirm under her gaze, as many have done before. But Rhea knows better than to take pity on his unassuming form, because she'd already told him she won't underestimate him. So she lets him bite his lip and look away, obvious off-put but the direct question to his values.
His honesty catches her off guard, though, and she looks mildly surprised before she scoffs. "You don't even know? Sure, being admired is something that feels great. It sort of comes in the name, y'know?"
She finishes off the last of the rum before putting it on the table, surprisingly gentle with the cup. "But yeah. I see where you're coming from." Why not? Who the hell was she to judge a blind grab at power, considering that had been most of her life? "And I'll be the first to tell you that you have my thumbs up, Percy. If you have drive, you're already a hundrect percent better than anyone who doesn't." The memories of a certain someone come to mind, but the thought is repressed effortlessly.
She smiles at the last statement. "Yeah? Well you have a heck of a name to live up to, don't you?"
Rhea stands up, ready to leave the bar considering her meal is done.
Post by percival grayreme on May 27, 2017 7:08:22 GMT
[attr="class","Morning"]
[attr="class","mff"]
[attr="class","scarlett"]Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
[attr="class","windyscarlett"]
Letting out those words... Percy suddenly feels vulnerable. It's just like when he had been honest with Vera. A chill travels through Percy as he realizes the horrible truth. If his body is a container, and if he feels empty just by sharing his dreams, that must mean... He is very shallow, isn't he? That's all he is. His drive to improve and make a name of his own is everything he is. If the heavens would be so kind and allows him to achieve his exact dreams, what now? What would become of him?
Miss Gale had asked him the exact question he's asking himself now. What would he do once he has all those power?
Still, the very thought of reaching those dreams sounds so appealing to Percy. His vision tunnels towards that one goal. It's all he want now. What would he do once he gets there? He'll cross the bridge when the time comes.
"Thank you, Miss Gale," Percy says, standing up as she stands up. If she would walk to the door of the bar, Percy would go ahead and hold it open for her. It's the least he can do. "Your words made me realize a lot of things about myself. About what I lack and what I should improve. About the idea of extending my horizons beyond gaining recognition. I hope when we meet again, I'd be better than I am today."
The younger Leviathan smiles last time to the woman, then is the first to take his leave. Percy has not really left his comfort zone. Going to Bell's Bar is not the way to do it. That's okay, for today his eyes have been opened to more possibilities, more chances, more options, which he will all gladly take. His mind idly thinks of Percival, of Percival's Forest. Guess I have to live up to my namesake, Percy thinks.
Burning on the dancefloor,to rise like a Phoenix
