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.
She wiped the sweat from her brow as a few shallow breaths left her. Training seemed to take forever today and the ache in her bones reminded her that she shouldn't be so idle with keeping up her regimen. In the days that led up to this explosion in productivity, she'd found herself in a variety of situations with meeting other persons. The amount of trouble and confusing instances that she'd gotten herself into or at least walked into by accident would've given her mother a heart attack. Valencia could practically hear the older woman shouting off at the mouth about how irresponsible she was being and how she should take better care of herself.
Anything for an investment, she thought.
Valencia.
I know.
She sighed. It'd been like this for quite some time after Cain's whereabouts became known. Her belief in her families' innocence and reluctance to harm one of their own waned. And somehow, she'd become more and more irate with herself for playing into their hands even if she was helpless to their advances.
You were only a child, don't beat yourself up like this.
Arion served as her conscious, reminding her of when she was going too far, but today she just wanted a bit of silence. So she tied up her hair and took off her usual garbs which covered her upper body. In a tank top and pants, she continued hitting away at a punching bag to release whatever pent up anger she had. Occasionally, she would bounce on her feet and continue hitting as if wanting to break the bag and release what sand was inside.
It was doing well to get her frustration out but little for her concentration as she hadn't heard someone enter the training hall while she continued her assault.
Sometimes it's hard to learn from all your mistakes
There was a strict regiment that Percy had to keep in order to quite literally keep his boyish figure. It involved a lot of vitamins that alchemists gave him, a lot of dieting, and a lot of exercise. He'd been a bit lazy as of late and as a result some of those age old curves were coming back, something that straight up terrified him to think about. So he found himself in the one free resource he couldn't get enough of - the training halls in the coven center.
He walked in quietly, lamenting his life and wondering if he could get away with taking off his hoodie or if he should keep it on. He could practically hear his ribs creaking, the light bruising underneath the bandages a tell tale sign he needed to take better care of himself. Without the ability to get rid of his chest though.....
Life was getting more and more difficult.
Miserably he set his bag down on the floor, and watched Valencia for a moment as she went at her punching bag. He would have preferred for him to be the only one there, but he looked up to Valencia as a good role model. So beautiful, strong....comfortable seeming in her skin.
He was jealous.
"Hey."
He called out softly, just to be friendly. Hopefully though he could get some of his own training done today before he passed out.
The assault on the punching bag came to a halt as Arion announced that someone else had entered the training hall. Valencia took a step back and kept her gaze on the punching bag as it swung back and forth. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed another person standing there but couldn't quite put a name to the face. Arion huffed and reminded her that she needed to take care in remembering the names and faces of her subordinates or at least the people she'd helped before. But in truth, her head was feeling a bit fuzzy and she just wanted to hit something rather than think about what would happen if she did.
"Hi," she said.
Looking between the newcomer and the punching bag, she stepped aside.
"Did you want it?"
She jutted her thumb in the direction of the swinging piece of equipment and undid the straps on her hands. Her knuckles felt sore but it wasn't as bad as it could've been. At least she made sure not to aim her fist at the dry wall like her oldest brother had done so often when he was infuriated. Rubbing her knuckles with the pads of her fingers, she sighed.
That kid doesn't look very good.
Arion's voice resonated in her mind and at his behest, she turned her head to look at the newcomer. And true to his word something did seem off. She wasn't able to put a name to it but it was in his posture and the way he stood.
You may want to keep an eye on him in case anything should go awry.
To be fair, she wondered how long he was standing there and waiting as well. Coming to an agreement with Arion, she undid her ponytail and let her hair fall loose. Might as well get comfortable.
Sometimes it's hard to learn from all your mistakes
There was an awkward moment of silence in which Percy realized she didn't seem to know him, but he remembered her rather clearly. He shuffled his feet and was about to leave when she offered the punching bag to him, and while he knew it'd be bad to move just so much he couldn't stop himself from nodding meekly to her question.
"Uh yeah sure."
After all she was already unwrapping her hands, seemingly prepared to step back. In retaliation he brought out his own tape, did a rushed job of taping his hands up, and generally was a nervous body until she really allowed him space. He was jittery, wondering if she'd watch him, because he knew he wasn't the strongest kid around.
He just hoped he didn't embarrass himself too bad.
He rolled his shoulders and gave a few weak jabs toward the bag, feeling the resistance and the weight. Every time he hit, the pull in his ribs became harsher. He sucked in deep breaths, hoping to alleviate some of the pain, but it only seemed to make his lungs catch on fire.
With a wheeze he stopped his routine, hands on his knees and feeling dizzy.
"So, I'm taking it that you're pushing yourself further than what your body can take."
She'd seen it before. Mostly in herself considering that the will to 'give up' and rest wasn't in her blood. If it wasn't for Arion she doubted that she'd ever understand the meaning of a break or relaxation. Nonetheless, she walked back to where the punching bag was and reached out a hand to stop it from swinging. Once it was settled her gaze turned to the knight in question and her brow furrowed.
"Am I going to have to drag you to the infirmary or do you want to tell me?"
Valencia quirked a brow, one hand resting on her hip while the other was still holding the punching bag. She doubted with as much patience and sincerity that the fledgling had, he'd shove her aside to keep going. And even if he did, in his current state it would've been for naught.
From up close she could see that he practically looked like hell and that wasn't a compliment in the slightest. She sighed and removed her hand from the punching bag and knelt down to look the fledgling in the eye as he tried to catch his breath.
Sometimes it's hard to learn from all your mistakes
She was right, though he didn't want to admit it. His face flushed red as he hunched over, feeling saliva gather in his mouth and his stomach churn. He sniffled, unable to control himself suddenly from the tears gathering in his eyes. His life was pretty okay most of the time but he had gained a bit of weight, was going soft and he could see the curves coming back the more he gained, an dit was painful. Awful. Terrifying if he was honest.
"Maybe."
He did consider pushing her aside, but hesitated. He was too nice to do something so rude, but he did try to straighten up. He hunched his shoulders and stared sadly at the bag, wishing he had answers for questions he wasn't even all that sure about.
"I just.....I need to lose weight. My life is kind of in shambles right now. I really can't afford to gain anymore or I'll loose this figure and that would be awful."
He honestly sounded so stupid, but he pulled at his bindings, really just ace bandages dangerous wrapped around himself, and shifted on his feet. He needed to keep going, but he felt pale and withdrawn now.
Valencia was the youngest child and even though she wasn't coddled in her youth, she knew what the face of someone who needed help looked like. Her gaze softened and the chiding tone in her voice lessened as the first few tears sprung up in his eyes. While he spoke, she looked at him and observed his movements as he tugged at his chest and seemed to curl in on himself. It was a little cruel that she found herself disappointed that someone wasn't taking very good of themselves.
There were moments when she didn't care for herself as much as she should have either.
"I don't understand," she admitted. "I don't think I"ll be able to understand the way that you do."
She hesitantly reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.
"What's your name?"
Her other hand raised to touch his cheek like a mother would to her child. Wanting to wipe the tears away as gently as possible. Ease the wounds and the pains and help even if it was a little. And perhaps she was projecting her own emotions and repressed feelings onto someone else, but there was the undeniable feeling that he needed help.
Valencia.
Arion called out to her. Trying to remind her that they were in a public area and this boy may not have wanted to be touched at the moment. Easing her hands away, Valencia sighed.
"My name is Valencia Godfrey."
She wanted to try even for a moment to help alleviate the weight on his shoulders.
Sometimes it's hard to learn from all your mistakes
She touched his face, and admitted that she didn't know what he was talking about, and he nearly bawled his eyes out. Admittedly a few tears slipped down his face and he couldn't help but nearly lean into the touch but he stopped himself, realized he was a stranger to her, and the thought that he was so....forgettable, made him want to cry again.
" ¿Por qué la gente me olvida?" (Why do people forget me?) (I'm using google translate so forgive me snwnowcowolsq;l)
He blurted it out without thinking, in a different language no less. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a step back, taking a steadying breath and coughing once, twice, to try and lessen the pinch in his ribs. He shook his head, smiled slightly, and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sorry. That was nothing. I'm Perseus Fonseca. Call me Percy, everyone does. I'm newish, kinda. I haven't done many missions or anything...."
So he wasn't notable or anything. Vera had been keeping him reigned in for the most part, telling him to bide his time. They'd do things at their own pace, things like that. He sighed, rubbing his chest and wondering if he'd last the day. He really didn't want a cliche reveal, how awful would that be? He sat on a nearby bench, wondering if he needed another ally though. Gabriella had told him time and time again a lack of allies would be his downfall.
Valencia was at a loss for what she should be doing.
On one hand, it would've been a better idea for her to take him to the infirmary. If his chest was hurting and he was in this much pain then prolonging the inevitable would cause permanent damage. On the other hand, if he'd been to the doctor prior to the two of them meeting and was led to this conclusion then she would only be making him feel worse. The storm in her mind continued raging but her body was on auto pilot. She found herself sitting next to Perseus, and giving him a glance from the corner of her eye ever so often.
"Why are you grasping at your chest?"
She turned her head to look at him and arched a brow.
"If you are in some sort of pain then seeking out medical attention would be the best option."
Pushing yourself farther than what your limits allowed would only cause further damage. If he was in pain, he should seek medical attention. The thoughts running about Valencia's mind were only centered around these truths. It may have been because she was worried about him or because she was irritated at not knowing what to do.
"But, if you don't want to," she continued. "Maybe you can tell me what's going on?"
From what she'd heard from her father, the Helios Knights were supposed to band together. Be a family. Though it was ironic seeing as her own family didn't know how to do just that.
Sometimes it's hard to learn from all your mistakes
Ah, the real question. Should he tell her? What should he do? He pondered this for a moment, mulled it over, before making his decision. He pressed his fingers together, played with them as he glanced down and closed his eyes against her expression.
"I'm ah, well you see..."
He took a deep breath, what a cliche reveal.
"I'm binding my chest, and well it's been a while since I took them off. But all my shirts are semi-tight so taking the bindings off isn't much of an option for me you see? The medics don't want to let me on any missions until I better myself but really, what good will that do? And I've been gaining so much weight lately that my curves are coming back, so that's an issue too..."
He could feel his emotions coming around again, ebbing and flowing like the waves of the ocean. He took a steadying breath and sat back, rubbing at his eyes and awaiting her reaction.
Arion seemed to understand almost immediately and Valencia felt a twinge of sadness. She reached over to place her hand between his shoulder blades, giving a few gentle rubs in circles. It was the same way that her mother comforted her when she was small. Though it didn't happen very often the few times that she did meant the world to her. And Valencia could only imagine how much a comforting hand could mean to him.
"Binding your chest with bandages for a long period of time will cause pain to your upper abdomen," she said. "But I'm guessing you already know that."
She remembered the way that the tears sprung up in his eyes. That wouldn't do. Not at all.
"I can help you with losing weight," she offered. "And I know a few tailors that are very hush hush about my orders, we could try and make you something that would help you bind your chest."
Valencia smiled a little.
"That way you don't have to use the bandages anymore, would that be okay?"
Sometimes it's hard to learn from all your mistakes
There was a moment of silence, a beat where Percy wasn't sure what was going to happen. Then she just..seemed to accept him and he nearly broke down. His shoulders shook and he giggled, actually giggled, and rubbed his face looking exhausted. He held his face in his hands and sniffled, shaking his head and hunching in on himself as she rubbed his back.
"Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you. You have no idea, just the fear and the-the-the just...just.....they won't let me do missions. They won't let me do anything anymore because of this."
He was pulling apart at the seams. What kind of hero could he be because of this? Because he couldn't do missions, because he couldn't be who he was meant to be because of some stupid rules? This was tearing him apart really, honestly.
"This would mean so much to me, just some simple compression garment, a binder, that would be so much safer than binding like this. My ribs just....I can't take this anymore honestly."
