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.
One of the things Tony enjoyed doing was to spend his hard earned cash on the finer things in life. Being born from a poor and struggling family, such luxuries were rare to come by - if they ever came at all. As a young child, he always found himself staring in from the outside, gritting his teeth in envy as he watched other families and other children enjoying delicious food or playing with nice looking toys.
And now, he found it hard to believe that he could afford to buy a cup of coffee or some kind of pastry. Back then, those things were already considered excesses they didn't need. They could only buy what was truly essential; the most basic of needs.
He entered the sun cafe, grinning at the barista behind the counter as he ordered some of their more expensive lattes. A few minutes later, he held his cup in his hands and realized that he'd forgotten to find a seat first.
Most of the cafe's patrons were gathered in groups, which made it harder to invite himself in. But Tony was not one who gives up when the going gets rough. He searched every nook and cranny of the cafe for a victim anyone in the room who was all by himself.
That was how he spotted a dark haired man sitting at one of the tables in the far corner of the room. While Tony didn't know what he was doing here, or if he was waiting for someone, he figured there was no harm in approaching him.
Balancing the cup in his hands - careful not to let even a drop of it spill out - he walked slowly towards the other man, putting on a bright and friendly smile to start off with.
"Hi there. I noticed that you're sitting here by yourself and I was wondering if you'd like some company."
[attr="class","jarburnbbat"] @anthonyskies || Gah hope this is ok im sorry he just focuses real hard on his work he's not this cold usually
[attr="class","jarburnbbr"]
[attr="class","jarburnbblyrics"]
[attr="class","jarburnbblyr"]Do you hear?
I couldn't get enough, so I had to self destruct, The heat was on, rising to the top Everybody's goin' strong That is when my spark got hot I heard somebody say Burn baby burn! Disco inferno!
[attr="class","jarburnbbrp"]
There's one corner of the Sun Cafe, hidden from view of the entrance. Mainly because there is a slight wall-like fixture that nearly extended the entire length of the small table. It makes Matteo think the table was placed here as an afterthought. [break][break] This is his favorite spot. Well, technically, it's his second favorite, his first being his small hole-in-the-wall which he calls his workshop. It's near the market, but there's few who ever come by, and so he usually locks himself within to tinker on his projects. It gets lonely there, and he's always been the type to enjoy company, even if it's just the presence of other people nearby him. [break][break] And so the small corner where few customers ever venture is where he'll bring his stuff. The manager doesn't mind, he thinks - the coffee machine sometimes needs a tune-up and Matteo being there means quick and easy free service. In return, Matteo can work there, with a free coffee or snack thrown in the mix. [break][break] Today he tinkers with a small appliance that was brought in - it's a small armband with a circle, enchanted to tell time. A watch that runs on mana. It really only needs a quick fix - he can tell just from listening to it and glancing at it that the gears need oiling. But the fixtures within are tiny and that's the sole reason this job is taking a little longer. He's no watch maker, but he's cheap and known to be able to fix just about anything. The statement brings a small smile to his lips as he works. [break][break] The background din of the cafe is interrupted by a voice in front of him, and he looks up to verdant green eyes, deep like pools of the sea. He blinks once, processing the question before giving a smile, albeit one with a quirked brow. "Sure," he says, a little unsure at this new development (how ironic). He gestures to the seat across. "I don't mind."[break][break] He actually does mind, just a little, because he's not used to others at his table. He's used to working alone. He shrugs his shoulders and returns to his work - he doesn't really care what the gent does, so long as he doesn't disturb him too much.
As soon as the other man said it was okay for him to take a seat, Tony wasted no time in setting down his cup on the table and pulling out a chair. He sat across the other, staring at whatever it was the dark haired man was fiddling with. Other than said item, there was nothing else on the table it seemed.
Seeing a lack of drink or food on the table made him wonder about the other's circumstances. He knew by experience that most establishments wouldn't allow anyone to loiter in their place of business for no reason at all. It told him that this person was either the owner, or someone of great importance - or usefulness, as he was slowly suspecting the longer he observed.
Not many people enjoyed doing laborious work like what the other was doing. In a society filled with magic-users it was rare to see someone working on machines or technology. Tony suspected that if his own magic hadn't been discovered, that he might've ended up doing menial, blue-collar types of work. While not a detestable job, it would've been a rough one.
His companion stayed silent even as he settled in, busy as he was with his tinkering. But Tony was more than happy to fill up the table with conversation himself. He took a sip from his cup first, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the warmth and the taste of great coffee, then sighed as he looked at the other man once more.
"Sooo, are you trying to fix that thing?" From his view, he couldn't see that it was a watch. All he saw was a tiny object with its lid open, revealing even tinier gears and bolts. It all looked so complicated.
[attr="class","jarburnbbat"] @anthonyskies || Well he's had a right 180 and thats literally because he's happy he fot the job done
[attr="class","jarburnbbr"]
[attr="class","jarburnbblyrics"]
[attr="class","jarburnbblyr"]Do you hear?
I couldn't get enough, so I had to self destruct, The heat was on, rising to the top Everybody's goin' strong That is when my spark got hot I heard somebody say Burn baby burn! Disco inferno!
[attr="class","jarburnbbrp"]
He's a little startled when the man opposite sits down almost immediately after his words fall from his lips. It makes him pause his work for a second, giving the man another quick glance before going back to his tinkering. [break][break] The silence is odd. He'd usually strike up a conversation, but he's also wrapped up in work. Matteo considers breaking the ice once or twice before feeling a little too shy. He keeps his eyes on his work. The smell of coffee permeates Matteo's one-track thoughts and it makes him crave a cup for himself. But being one to not stop a job until it's done, he promises to grab a cup later. [break][break] The man across breaks the quiet with a seemingly foolish question. Matteo gives him another glance with a quirked brow - if he wasn't fixing it, what on earth did it look like he was doing? Matteo shrugs and shakes away the thought. "Yeah. It's supposed to be returned tomorrow so I need to fix it by tonight. Plus all the extra doodads like polishing and all..." he trails off as he realizes he's getting to stuff that might make for a boring conversation. Going back to his work, he fiddles with a miniature screwdriver for a bit before a click resounds. It's music to his ears - the gears are aligned. [break][break] He leans back, placing the tool beside the watch and closing the delicate time keeper before looking his companion in the eyes. He flashes a grin. "And now I'm done!" He looks at the man's drink and nods approvingly. "That one's one of my favorites. Really gets the blood stirring in the morning." [break][break] Matteo gives a knock on the table, muttering a quick 'one sec' as he leaves, heads behind the counter, fixes himself a frappuccino and heads back, nearly but not quite spilling his drink as he sits back down. He takes a hearty sip before stretching out a hand.[break][break] "Matteo. Matteo Garcia," he says by way of introduction. He realizes his hands are covered in grease and he falters, starting to withdraw the outstretched limb. "Ah, my hands are dirty, um..."
Tony wanted to ask more about what he was doing. How it was broken. What he was doing to fix it. And everything else about how it worked; what made it tweak and such. While he probably wouldn't understand a single thing the other man said, it would be something he'd be interested to learn more about. After everything he and his family went through, he appreciated doing things by himself - even without the need for magic.
But he was too busy ogling and admiring the complexity of the shiny pieces to think of those questions. And in that moment, his table companion placed his things on the table and sat back. Tony grinned back at him as he picked up his cup and sipped. "This cafe always has good coffee and good food. It's the reason I keep coming back for more," he agreed.
He continued to drink as the other stood up and excused himself. His eyes followed the other's figure as he made his way to the counter and ordered something for himself. A few minutes later, he returned with a drink of his own - something cool and creamy.
When he held his hand out for an introduction, Tony immediately grabbed it and shook his hand, still with the grin on his face. "Please, that dirt isn't going to kill me...unless it will." He eyed the other's hand suspiciously, wondering if he'd just been cursed or marked for death. Since nothing was happening yet, he decided to take it in stride and went on. "Anthony Skies. Tony for short."
After, he settled back on his seat and stared at the watch. "Are you some kind of watchmaker? That looks awfully hard to fix." Of course, he knew nothing about fixing watches so everything about it seemed hard to him really.
I couldn't get enough, so I had to self destruct, The heat was on, rising to the top Everybody's goin' strong That is when my spark got hot I heard somebody say Burn baby burn! Disco inferno!
[attr="class","jarburnbbrp"]
He can see the other man's interested in his work, but he makes no comment - it's the sort of look that says "that's interesting, but I also don't understand any of it". He's seen that look a couple times, mainly when people drop of their small machines that need to be fixed. They wouldn't come to him, otherwise.[break][break] As to the handshake - Anthony, as he introduces himself, grabs his hand without another thought and gives it a hearty shake. Matteo warms up to him immediately - a guy who doesn't mind getting a bit of grime on his hands can't be all that bad. Especially one who shows some little bit of interest in tech. "It's nice to meet you, Tony," he says. He falters slightly. "It's okay for me to call you Tony, right?"[break][break] He glances back down at the watch and gives a short chuckle. "Ah, no, I'm not a watch maker. I just fix things - anything, really. So long as it's a machine or some sort of technology. And it's not really hard, not once you know what to do." He says it with a sort of reasurrance, but it's a bit more than that - you need a knack, a talent for it. He knows he has it, but he doesn't want to brag about it or anything. It's not like it's completely useful - if anything he'd do just about anything to get a talent in something else, like transfiguration or enchanting. Anything, except give up his love for technology. He won't give up that feeling of a good job done for anything.[break][break] "I could show you what I do, sometime, if you'd like," he offers hopefully. It's a possible chance to get a client, and possibly share his love for tech - it'll mean one more person on his side, another who knows that tech is not just something to be looked down on. "And as to cafe food....well I can maybe fix you up something, Sunday Mornings, free of charge," he says with a wink. "Not all the time, of course, but you know - if you ever need a picker-upper." He knows what it's like to want a cup of coffee to cheer him up - he's had enough days that were terrible and soul-sapping.
"Oh yeah, definitely call me Tony. I prefer people calling me Tony. One of the only people who use Anthony is my mother, who does it whenever she knows I'm up to no good." Just thinking of the scolding and the punishments he's had to endure made him tremble. Even now when he was older, his mother would sometimes pull out the mother card on him. Hearing the name Anthony coming from anyone of authority would have him running for his dear life.
When Matteo offered to show him some of what he did, he grinned. "Definitely! I might not be able to pick up on it quickly, but it still sounds interesting and I wanna see what you can do." Depending on that, he might even ask the other man for gadgets that he could use for missions. It was probably a good idea to have some kind of backup in case his magic failed him for some reason.
This was followed by Matteo's offer of food for free; on a regular basis. Tony's eyes went wide in disbelief. Then he glanced around the room once, checking to make sure there were no eavesdroppers, before leaning forward to whisper. "Do you have some kind of connections to this cafe? Owner? Son of the owner? That's incredible!"
For someone who had struggled financially for years, and has only recently been adjusting to the fact that they weren't going to die from starvation, anything offered for free was viewed as a miracle and a once in a blue moon opportunity that must never be turned down.
"I understand of course. I promise not to abuse your kindness." He placed a hand on his chest and lifted his two fingers up. "Scout's honor."
I couldn't get enough, so I had to self destruct, The heat was on, rising to the top Everybody's goin' strong That is when my spark got hot I heard somebody say Burn baby burn! Disco inferno!
[attr="class","jarburnbbrp"]
Matteo notes Anthony's expression when he hurriedly replies to call him Tony. He totally understands about mothers - his own called him Matt-Matt for the longest time, sometimes Matty, sometimes other really embarrassing names he'd rather not recall. He nods at Tony's request and gives him a knowing smile.[break][break] "Well, my shop's nearby the market, right across from the small fountain that's just outside. If you ever want to check it out, come by anytime other than Sundays. Shop's open then." Honestly, Matteo opening the shop is a hit or miss - some days, he simply doesn't feel like opening it, so he doesn't. Being self-employed has its benefits, but it's still pretty hard to motivate yourself to get up early to sit in the sun and then close the shop after doing nothing. And rent! To rent out the place costs him a pretty penny, even if it's in a more shady area. However that just means it's slightly cheaper there, and though he doesn't always get rich-looking clientele, it's better than nothing at all.[break][break] He laughs when Tony suggests that he might be the son of the owner. Ha, as if! Cain Delacour - surely everyone knew he ran the place? They looked nothing alike. "Hah, no, I'm just the barista that works here on those days. The manager's okay with me taking a small bite to eat for myself, so long as I work it off. I always do, though, so..." It's true - Matteo stays far longer than needed on those Sunday mornings just to earn that little bit of extra money that he can't through his tinkering.[break][break] He leans back and takes another sip of his cooled - down coffee. "I'll be trusting you on that scout's honor of yours," he says, wiggling his brows. He briefly wonders if Anthony was a scout. He doesn't quite look the type, but of course, don't judge a man by his looks. [break][break] His hand taps against the side of his mug, idly wondering what he should say next. He still doesn't know the guy too well - what else is there to say? There's a low rumble in his throat as he gives a short cough to break the silence. "So...what do you do?" The question is phrased awkwardly, but meant for openness - anything in terms of recreation or occupation, maybe a hint as to what coven Tony is in. After all, he's shared his job, and he feels that Tony should at least reciprocate.
Tony took another sip from his cup of coffee first before speaking. "Oh, I'll definitely come around to take a look. And if I have anything that needs fixing back home, I'll employ you to do it." His siblings were notorious in their playtime, and would probably break a thing or two every few weeks or so. Otherwise, his family of seven often abused their appliances, and struggled to have them fixed instead of buying new ones. Some old habits still remained, even in their current well-off situation.
He slumped his shoulders forward when Matteo assured him that he wasn't anyone special. Connections to important or powerful people were always a plus, though they weren't truly necessary. Still, being given free food for work was handy too. He remembered getting similar benefits when he worked part-time in odd jobs here and there.
"I look forward to drinking some of your coffee then." A pause and he shook his head, then grinned. "A barista and a tinkerer. Is there anything you can't do?" He half-expected Matteo to tell him he could bring people back to life or some other miraculous feat.
At Matteo's question, he leaned back on his chair, lifting the two forelegs up so that he was balanced on the back legs. "Oh some of this, some of that." Tony began, waving his hand casually in the air. "Mostly I do the odd job here and there. Find missing items, save lost pets, getting my hands dirty and all." He lifted his hands and wiggled them as he said the last part. "Anything to earn what I can, really."
I couldn't get enough, so I had to self destruct, The heat was on, rising to the top Everybody's goin' strong That is when my spark got hot I heard somebody say Burn baby burn! Disco inferno!
[attr="class","jarburnbbrp"]
Matteo's face breaks out in a wide grin with the musical sentence which promised future employment. He tries to hide it, but is unsuccessful. Instead he picks up his mug and takes a long sip, smiling around the coffee. "Excellent!" he exclaims, putting down the mug with a good solid thud. "I don't wanna brag, but I'm probably the best tinkerer in town," he remarks, trying to sound modest and still failing.[break][break] He feels a twinge of surprise when Tony looks disheartened after he'd assured him that he wasn't the son of the cafe manager. It wasn't like it was a prestigious position or anything. And Matteo had just offered him free food and drinks. Had he said something wrong? His smile dims slightly. He worries that he's ruined his chances for a potential customer. Surely he hadn't?[break][break] His anxieties are eased slightly when Tony remarks that he looks forward to drinking the coffee. Matteo leans back and relaxes, though it's only slight - there's a tautness to his shoulders that remains, a tautness from constant energy and work. However, his smile freezes on his face at Tony's next sentence.[break][break] Ahaha, if only Tony knew. If Tony knew that he was a complete failure at magic ... surely he'd find Matteo useless. Matteo's smile has a bitter tinge to it now, but he doesn't reply to Tony's question. Let him dwell on his imagination. There's no need to tell Tony that he can't even perform the simplest of spells.[break][break] He's glad that Tony's now focusing on the changes subject, and he nods enthusiastically at the man's words. "Mmm, so fledgling work - I've had to do much of the same," he agrees. He knows that the fledgelings are often shoved the manual work, lots of labour, and general annoying tasks. Heck, he had to search for a cat and lift around boxes. But at least it gets him some reward. He won't turn down anything that adds to his pocket. That, he can agree with heartily. And hey, Matteo can always appreciate someone who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty.[break][break] "Seems you're a lot like me in the 'take any job' department," Matteo says with a small smirk. "Maybe we can take on some mission sometime."
Tony smirked as he picked up his own coffee and sipped again. By now it was half-empty and getting pretty cold. "Oh, you never know. There could be others out there better than you," he teased. "Hiding deep in their small tinkering burrows. Munching on iron or gears or something. Becoming one with machinery. Having tiny machine babies." He waved his hand to signify that the list could go on and on.
Talk of fledgling work, and how trivial and dull it could often be, made Tony sigh. Though he always tried to entertain himself and find any other opportunity that arose while in the middle of a job, it rarely happened. Mostly he ended up tired, sore or worse. The repetitive cycle was wearing on him.
"Hopefully it won't always be like that. I'm going to work my way up the ranks and get the fun missions. The ones riddled with adventure and priceless rewards." His eyes twinkled as he thought about it. "Saving damsels in distress, stealing an ancient artifact, infiltrating an old ruin." Those he could depend on never being dull or uneventful.
At Matteo's suggestion, he grinned and nodded. "Sure! I'm always up to do missions. Uh...let's see...how would we call on each other for that?"
If he was lucky, Matteo would be the type of witch who didn't care about coven loyalty and still hang out with him despite their differences. If not, well he could probably enjoy at least one mission along with him before the fun comes to and end and he would never see Matteo again.
I couldn't get enough, so I had to self destruct, The heat was on, rising to the top Everybody's goin' strong That is when my spark got hot I heard somebody say Burn baby burn! Disco inferno!
[attr="class","jarburnbbrp"]
Matteo brushes Tony's tease aside with a scoff. "As if there are many witches out there who'll voluntarily take on tinkering jobs," he says, though there's that slight seed of doubt that remains. As far as he knows, witches still dislike technology, preferring magic over machines. There's a part of him that hopes for it to remain so - otherwise, he might very well be out of a job. There's another part of him that wants this to change, so that he doesn't have to be labelled a failure anymore. The contradiction is enough to make his stomach flop, and he's glad for the change in subject.[break][break] He can see the ambition sparkling in Tony's eyes. Or maybe that's just the sunlight coming in through the window, but he's glad to see Tony so happy about rising up in rank. He, too, has been working at it slowly, but it's been arduous work. He laughs once more. "Big dreams you've got there!" he says, a happy note to his voice. "I won't deny I've been longing for something other than fledgling work. It's....monotonous."[break][break] As to Tony's question, he simply glances around and shrugs. "Well, you can meet me here. I'm here quite often, not just Sundays. Or you could drop by my workshop - I did tell you where it was, didn't I?" Matteo reaches into his toolbelt, grabs the notebook and pen inside, and quickly scribbles down the address before handing the slip to Tony.
He grinned back at Matteo and chuckled, sharing in the laughter and good rapport. "Of course! You gotta dream big or go home. No point in sticking to small goals when you could aspire for more!" Others would say he was being too idealistic, or that his optimism would be his downfall if he didn't think realistically. But Tony believed dreams were meant to be just that. Something that may seem unlikely and may happen in a different place, a different universe, but something that - given a chance - you could reach for. And if he failed, then he would've at least tried. That was all that mattered to him.
Oozing with confidence, he brought his arms behind his head and crossed one leg over the other. "It's just a matter of time before I get noticed for my skills and become someone famous. Someone respected and admired." Someone who'd receive so much money he wouldn't know what to do with it anymore even after giving enough for his family to live in luxury. Big dreams indeed. He could even write a book about it. A romanticized story of a young, poor boy who rose up from his station to become someone who made a difference.
As Matteo wrote on a piece of paper, Tony nodded. "Oh yeah, you did mention it. But writing it down would be really helpful." Especially for someone who often got distracted by many other things.
Just as he accepted the note from Matteo, his eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. "Or you know what, you could take me there now! That way I'd remember how to get there. I know my way around the city. It'll be no problem finding your shop after I visit it once." With a loud thud, he brought the chair back down and sat back properly.
Leaving his coffee on the table, he began to stand up, then paused as he glanced at Matteo sheepishly. "That is...unless you're too busy to go now? I don't mind. This is more than enough." He lifted the paper, holding it between two fingers, and waved it around.
I couldn't get enough, so I had to self destruct, The heat was on, rising to the top Everybody's goin' strong That is when my spark got hot I heard somebody say Burn baby burn! Disco inferno!
[attr="class","jarburnbbrp"]
Matteo smiles, enjoying Anthony's enthusiasm as he thinks back to his own past. Big dreams ... oh he's had big dreams, all right. But sometimes, you've got to face reality. Or at least, that was what he'd learned of the years of continuous failure. Dreams couldn't change fact. And he's been bitter with that thought for so long, he can't remember when it even budded and embedded itself into his thoughts.[break][break] Every day is a reminder of the fact he's horrible at magic. His only solace is his tinkering ... though now he thinks about it, perhaps there's more to it than just a love for technology. He's always been good at fixing and building things when it came to magic mixed with machines.[break][break] Maybe he really can do more than what he's currently doing. His dreams of being in Helios are all but tatters, but he's already gotten over that - sort of. There's always going to be that slight tinge of regret, but he doesn't think that Jester's is a bad fit for him. But perhaps, for once, he can allow himself to dream big once more.[break][break] Matteo smiles. "Well, when you become famous, be sure to let me know so I can serve a celebrity," he teases, finishing his drink. He grabsthe empty coffee mugs and puts them aside, gathering his things into his bag and toolbelt.[break][break] "I've got to put away stuff in my workshop anywa," he admits, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "So we can go there now. Shall we?" He ensures the table is neat and orderly, a side effect of working in the place, before he ushers Tony along and out of the doors. There's a smile on his face, one that speaks of anticipation and excitement, and Matteo can't wait to show Tony what he can do.
