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.
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i am not your rolling wheels, i am the highway
[attr="class","salvatore"]"T-Thank you. You're beautiful too, Miss Loraina!" the hummingbird stuttered, flapping its wings almost frantically but remaining grounded on the table. Hailey was never good with socializing with others, much less taking in compliments. Of course she would have panicked, especially if the compliment had come from the very woman that had frightened her moments before. Though, she had understood the situation, having been there from the beginning, and she understood as well Cain's intentions for staying in place. The two of them had been together long enough to understand just that. In fact, it had been Hailey's sweet company that had brought him through some hard times. She was kind, caring, though timid and shy. And she had always stuck by Cain's side, a reassuring company to have even if it was expected of a familiar. People would often comment on how contrasting they were as Loraina had been just moments before, but if Cain had anything to say about it, he wouldn't have preferred any other familiar.
"Hm?" Cain blinked, not expecting to hear Loraina speak in a rather gentle expectant voice, much less stutter. He looked up at her with slightly widened confused eyes, before finally understanding what it was she meant. "Oh," he continued, before looking down at Hailey. From as far back as he could remember, Hailey disliked being touched by anyone else other than her red-head witch, always panicking whenever she was, and burning up from it. By burning up, Cain meant literally too, the hummingbird having the capability of turning her feathers into flames whenever she got too agitated or embarrassed. "Uh--" Before he could warn her, though, she was already reaching forward with slender fingers, and placed it atop Hailey's head.
He could have sworn he heard the bird release a soft whimper, but despite the initial panic, the red-head was surprised to see Hailey actually calm down under her touch, remaining still and allowing the female to stroke her feathers as much as she wanted to. He stared, wide-eyed, and even placing his hands on the edge of the table to lean forward, to make sure that what he was seeing was actually the real thing. "Wow," Cain commented, an amused tone in his voice. "Hailey doesn't let other people touch her, usually," he tilted his head. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Hailey had known Loraina from the past? Cain had thought that she was just trying not to agitate Loraina, but from what he could see from her body language, facial expression and twitching wings, Hailey was actually enjoying it.
Cain smiled. There was just something about seeing her becoming comfortable with others that made him feel proud.
"Oh, well, yeah, sometimes, but she doesn't like being in that other realm for familiars, but she doesn't like being seen either. It was her choice, actually, and she's quite insistent on it. She only ever pops out when we're alone, or when I call for her. You know how shy she gets around strangers and in public," he explained, eyes still fixed at the beautiful sight before him.
[newclass=.salvatore]padding-top:10px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;font-size:11px;color:#2b2b2b;font-family:calibri;text-align:justify;[/newclass] [newclass=.salvatore b]color:#800517;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar]font-family:'Iceland';font-style:normal;font-size:22px;font-weight:400;color:#F70D1A;text-align:center;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar:hover]color: #800517;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass]
It was truly a nice sight to see how matured Hailey had gotten since the last time they've met. Still, color her skeptical about how a stoic, rugged man like Cain, who was the biggest pain in the derriere when he was still a wee young lad, got his hands on a familiar as gentle and as timid as that. It was an awfully stark contrast, but then again the selection process didn't really make sense to her to begin with.
For a second there, Loraina was slightly worried about having to deal with potential burns on her fingers. The last time she'd seen someone petting the tiny hummingbird, they had to wrap their fingers in bandages for quite awhile after that. Perhaps the familiarity was there, and how she often loved asking people about their familiars when she was younger, just to openly admit to how cool each and every single one of those magical companions were, and she paid special attention to those that were small and cute. Hailey had always been one she'd wanted to approach, but simply couldn't due to the nature of her owner and their relationship at the time.
"Dang, lil' birdie lookin' fine as ALL HELL!"
Having been so invested in the bird's reactions, the pinkette paid no mind to the creepy, yet endearing stare given to her by the redhead, as well as the creepy yet endearing comments made by her very own familiar. There were far better things to look at than someone who hadn't showered for what seemed like an eternity, after all. "Are you hungry, little darling? I've no clue what you regularly eat, or wish to eat on this occasion, but I'll see to it that you get it."
Generous, wasn't she? In some ways, she felt like a non-fiction version of Santa Claus - outside of the red and white combination which she probably wouldn't have been able to pull off. Often more than not, she preferred dark colors, but most associated that with darker things, thus explaining the white dress that she had on this particular afternoon, and the generally light scheme of outfits she seemingly prefers to wear.
"That reminds me. If I remember correctly, there were canned goods in the apartment room I've loaned you. They seem to last awhile, but I'm uncertain if they've already gone bad. If they hadn't, feel free to indulge."
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i am not your rolling wheels, i am the highway
[attr="class","salvatore"]"I'm fine, thank you," Hailey stuttered, lowering her head in embarrassment at the amount of attention she was receiving from Loraina. Cain still found himself awed at the scene before him. Other than Valencia, Loraina had been the first person ever to have maintained contact with Hailey for so long without getting burnt. He could tell that the little hummingbird was actually trying her best to stay calm, in fear of blazing up and harming the woman. He sighed, tilting his head and allowing a soft pout to come upon his lips. Seeing her get so close to Loraina like that, it made him feel a tad bit jealous, to be honest. For one, he had figured that he would be the only person Hailey would be comfortable around with. And second, the kindness that Loraina treated her was a clear contrast to how she had greeted him with. To be caressed lovingly by a beautiful woman such as she, he wondered how it felt like.
He then found himself pleasantly surprised once more as Loraina added food to the deal, and he stared up at her. This was just becoming too good to be true now. Just earlier, she had cursed him so much it gave the impression that she'd have wanted him dead, and would have killed him on the spot if they weren't in a public area. And now, she was actually offering him a chance to live a proper life, instead of continue struggling in the slums. Cain would not have been so skeptical about it all, if it hadn't come from her. It was too sharp of a turn for him to just accept, and he just pondered on the ingenuity of it.
"Why..." Cain started. He knew that he'd probably regret it, and have the offer rescinded if he didn't tread carefully, but his curiosity had grown to a level even he could not deny. "Why are you being so charitable to me?" It wasn't just her being nice to him that bothered him. It was the fact that it was him she was being nice to that gnawed at him as well. He had bullied her when they were kids, and pretty much played a major part in the nightmares of her childhood, and he felt utterly guilty about it. Yet here she was, extending a helping hand despite it all, and it only served to multiple that guilt manifold.
Had she truly deserved to have been treated as such? No, of course not. Hell, even if she wasn't being so kind to him at that moment, she wouldn't have deserved it either. No one did.
Cain had believed himself to have grown a great deal during his time in the slums, becoming more aware of the hardships in life, and learning how to deal with it, and survive on his own, but as how things had progressed now between them, Cain could not deny a stray thought that wandered into his head. The thought that despite all that, Loraina had been the one to grow and mature more between the two of them.
[newclass=.salvatore]padding-top:10px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;font-size:11px;color:#2b2b2b;font-family:calibri;text-align:justify;[/newclass] [newclass=.salvatore b]color:#800517;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar]font-family:'Iceland';font-style:normal;font-size:22px;font-weight:400;color:#F70D1A;text-align:center;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar:hover]color: #800517;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass]
Loraina wouldn't leave the darling little hummingbird uncomfortable for long, as she'd withdrawn from repeatedly petting her soon enough. If she had it her way, this would've lasted an entire day, just like those pet cafes she's heard so much about that are gaining tons of popularity with people of all age groups. She wondered what it'd be like to visit a place like that someday, but she knew it wasn't for her. Even if she enjoyed the thought of causing destruction and chaos, she wouldn't put the lives of innocent animals at stake if she could help it. "Off you go, back to your master's side."
Just by meeting Hailey, she seemed to be all smiles - which was a rare enough occurrence that would've warranted a commemorative photograph just so the redhead could prove that this actually did happen, and that it wasn't a bunch of made up malarky. Sure enough, she'd watch as the petite bird trotted back to its master's direction, just in time for the conversation to take a more serious turn, but truth be told, she had already expected this question the moment she made her offer.
"Honestly, I doubt I'm able to provide you with a fair and straight answer to that very question, because I do not have one." She'd wholeheartedly agree that it was a strange, albeit generous proposition that had no direct benefits to her. She was essentially helping out someone she deemed to be her enemy, someone who had successfully ruined her life on a good amount of occasions. Perhaps she did pity him, and perhaps his words had gotten to her.
"Do I feel good about it? No, not really. I don't feel anything at all. Do I still wish to maul your face like a tigress would to its meal? Certainly. That hasn't changed. But if you were to ask me why I'm doing this, why I'm being so dreadfully nice to you of all people, I'm afraid you'd have to wait another day to see if I could even fathom what it is I did today."
And just like that, she'd order another round of beverages. She was parched from talking so much, after all.
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i am not your rolling wheels, i am the highway
[attr="class","salvatore"]Hailey released a soft tweet in response to Loriana's dismissal, and she hopped back, this time perching on Cain's forearm, as it rested across the table in front of him. And there she remained, silent and passive as the two moved their topic to a more serious note. Cain could feel her heat up in nervousness as well, and realized that it was probably her simply emulating what he was feeling. Nervousness. For some reason, knowing that he was being offered such generous gifts by the one whose childhood he ruined in turn made him guilty to no end, and knowing whatever reason that could be made him feel nervous. Nervous about what it could possibly be. He couldn't even fathom a guess. And according to what she was saying, she didn't know either. He blinked. What was going on here?
He lowered his head, unable to look at her in the eye for a moment. It was inappropriate, but he actually felt relieved. Relieved that she wouldn't cut him off completely despite what he had done, and he wanted to believe that these offers of charity was her way of saying that she was open to reconciliation if he worked for it. That she'd give him a second chance if he proved himself deserving. She was, after all, not lacking at all in finances and these gifts probably wouldn't even put a dent in her wallet, but they were gifts nonetheless, and even the richest of aristocrats wouldn't give things away for free to their bitter enemies.
She was giving him a way in, he thought.
And suddenly, he felt a sharp grip on his forearm, and he blinked as he stared down at Hailey. The hummingbird would nervously hop to turn and face Cain, before shooting a glance back at Loriana. She lowered her gaze almost immediately, still not entirely warmed up to her, before looking back at Cain. "I'm sorry, Cain, but it's uhm... Almost 1," the hummingbird whispered, and Cain blinked. Oh crap, he completely lost track of the time. He stared out the window, towards the sky, and he saw the Sun hanging high. It was almost that time, wasn't it? He frowned. And he was making progress too.
"Loriana, thank you," he muttered softly, his lips curling slightly downwards, the gesture of gratitude obviously one that was rather hard for him to give. Whether it was his pride or guilt that held him back, even he wasn't sure. "You've offered me more than I deserve."
He finally turned to look at her, and then lowered his gaze as well. "I... Have to go. I've got an important job to take care of, and I'll be in big trouble if I don't get it sorted out. I'm sorry. I wish I could stay longer, really..."
[newclass=.salvatore]padding-top:10px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;font-size:11px;color:#2b2b2b;font-family:calibri;text-align:justify;[/newclass] [newclass=.salvatore b]color:#800517;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar]font-family:'Iceland';font-style:normal;font-size:22px;font-weight:400;color:#F70D1A;text-align:center;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar:hover]color: #800517;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass]
Loraina never appreciated moments of silence that went on far too long, lest she be the one who initiated it. In this case, her response wasn't met with anything she deemed to be appropriate, though she did understand why. It must have been awkward for him to be treated as well as he did, from a person he treated as foul as he did. Ultimately, it was his fault that she ended up the way she did today, but at the same time, that also meant she found her path in life thanks to him. Call it a strange token of her appreciation, but if he hadn't started bullying her, if he hadn't pushed her to her rock bottom, she wouldn't have done the thing she did.
She wouldn't have learned what it meant to live.
Of course, she wouldn't have expected him to know what had become of her. Rarely had she ever shown her true nature outside of her inner thoughts occasionally wanting to take a glance of the world, squirming right out of her consciousness and escaping her usually well-kept restraints. He'd seen her doing the deed once, but that was all.
"Ah, we'll meet again I suppose." Regardless of whether or not she wished for her own words to be true, the pinkette was more than certain it'd happen. Sundial City may have been a huge place, but fate brought them together and intertwined their threads, thus making it a literal impossibility for her to avoid the red haired male. Besides, as much as she feigned not caring about his current situation with his estranged family, she wanted to know what his next steps were, and what they'd do to either push him onward, or stifle him completely.
"If you do plan on accepting my offer, I'm sure the entire town already knows where I reside." Yes, even though she was by no means a celebrity, the media treated her as such, often reporting on pages of her life without her consent, and often getting things out of proportion just because they enjoyed a fair bit of drama. Controversy creates cash, that's what her father always said. "Though, do tell the guards if you're planning on dropping by. I'll put you on the guest list so they wouldn't eliminate you like they did the rest of the paparazzis."
As per usual, who could honestly tell if she meant her last words as a joke. Apart from a small wave goodbye, she'd go back to browsing her travel destination pamphlet, her expression soured even further when she realized they'd put a giant tree as a must-see location.
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
"T-Thank you. You're beautiful too, Miss Loraina!" the hummingbird stuttered, flapping its wings almost frantically but remaining grounded on the table. Hailey was never good with socializing with others, much less taking in compliments. Of course she would have panicked, especially if the compliment had come from the very woman that had frightened her moments before. Though, she had understood the situation, having been there from the beginning, and she understood as well Cain's intentions for staying in place. The two of them had been together long enough to understand just that. In fact, it had been Hailey's sweet company that had brought him through some hard times. She was kind, caring, though timid and shy. And she had always stuck by Cain's side, a reassuring company to have even if it was expected of a familiar. People would often comment on how contrasting they were as Loraina had been just moments before, but if Cain had anything to say about it, he wouldn't have preferred any other familiar.
