Galgallin

Holy Terror
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Black Magic & Golden Hearts
  • The Story
    In the quiet river town of Aldenburg, magical creatures secretly live alongside humans. The masquerade has been successfully held for several years now, especially with a declining belief in the supernatural.

    However, a new force appears that threatens this quiet peace. An evil witch has set up an antique store in town and is selling cursed items to unsuspecting humans.

    It’s up to the townspeople to decide if they want to chase her out and protect their lifestyle, allow humans to learn about the secrets of magic, or harness these dark forces for themselves and remove all humans to create a magical paradise.
  • Setting
    Once upon a time, fairytales and myths were all perfectly real. However, human greed is a universal constant, and magical beings were forced into hiding as human civilization became more brutal and bloodthirsty through their technology.

    This brings us to modern day - specifically a certain, quiet riverside town where nothing much seems to happen, where no one seems to leave, and no one seems to get in.
    Aldenburg
    Green and hilly in the summer, and a snowy murderous death trap in the winter. Aldenburg is usually a pretty uneventful place, its most notable feature is a big river bisecting the town – and the silent majority of non-human citizens. But shhhh, people aren’t supposed to know about that. After all, if everyone knows, then it's not a secret anymore! And then we'd have to kill you.
    Downtown
    The financial and shopping district of Aldenburg. It reeks of forced development, subpar construction, and the desperate attempts of suburbia trying to be hip and cool. That might just be the essential oils, though. On the bright side, it has Starbucks. And Chipotle. Bringing avocados to the impoverished masses is important, right?
    High River
    The one and only High River, that splits Aldenburg in two. It runs roughly north-south, resulting in the richer West Aldenburg, where downtown is, and the poorer, more residential East Aldenburg.
    Miss Black's Antiques
    A strange little shop that opened overnight on the east bank of the river, in what used to be an abandoned storefront. It’s owned and operated by Miss Black and her horde of cats. Although she mostly sells antiques, she also apparently dabbles in the occult. Strange things happen to people who go to her store.
    Church of Saint Dimas
    An old Catholic church in East Aldenburg. It's a house of the Lord, named for the Good Thief and patron saint of undertakers, but it also seems to be its own bubble of inexplicable events. The building always smells strongly of incense, and sometimes something…. Danker.
    Saint Dimas' Cemetery
    Behind the church is a small cemetery, protected by a stone wall and iron gates and filled with lush grass and artistic tombstones. Almost every ghost story from Aldenburg involves Saint Dimas's cemetery. Almost every zombie story, too.
    Harmony High School
    The only public high school in Aldenburg, it was built in the 70s to "bring together" the two halves of the town. Yes, it saved money. No, it did not magically stop people from bickering about who is from the "right" or the "wrong" side of the river. No, no one takes its name seriously. The high school mascot used to be an angel until the 90s, when it was changed to a dove to be more religiously inclusive. It's unfortunate that there's a lot of hawks in the surrounding woods.
    Oakley Park
    A very pleasant and shaded park, full of old trees and wildflowers. It's a very popular place for long walks under the moonlight, if you catch the drift. Superstition says sharing your first kiss here will result in a long and happy relationship. Superstition also says that if you dump your girlfriend here, a nymph will rise out of the sewer grate and try to drown you, and also that said nymph is extremely fond of the third oak tree from the left of the municipal boat ramp.
    Aldenburg University
    A tiny liberal arts school where everyone has dated everyone else’s ex. It has a surprisingly wonderful computer lab, but that might be because the head of the IT department has a gaming addiction and never leaves the school basement. Unrelated, the pharmacy makes a killing in Vitamin D supplements.​
  • Creatures
    Below is a (very small and not at all comprehensive) selection of races you can choose for your characters. I don’t need any sort of specific ratio, so don’t worry about an even cast! All I ask is that if you’re the kind of person to play multiple characters, to please consider making a human at some point. I have a suspicion they will be vastly outnumbered by the monsters!
    Humans
    Totally normal inhabitants of Earth, mostly. Some humans can sense magic energies, and an even smaller number can manipulate this, earning titles over history such as Witch, Shaman, Sorceress, Mage, etc. Some people believe that those who have magical abilities have supernatural breeding. That’s quite silly though, who even believes in this stuff?
    Monsters
    The monsters and creatures of lore that you grew up with are real – and chances are, if they aren’t romping around on Earth, they are probably... actually still romping around on Earth, just with a bit more stealth. Can't have those hunters wiping out the last branches of the family, after all. Commonly thought-of “monsters” include fairies, werewolves, and sirens.
    Magic-Eaters
    These eerie blank-eyed shadow-like creatures do exactly as their name says – they appear in areas with high concentrations of magical energy and feed on it. While (mostly) harmless to normal humans, they can be a huge nuisance to magical beings by draining entire areas of energy. No one is entirely sure where they come from – some theorize that they’re the will of some sort of universal regulator, keeping the magic and the mundane in balance. Others think that they’re mutant chimeras or something, which honestly sounds way cooler.​
  • Factions
    Need an idea of what your character's motive is? There's not really official factions, but here's some fine and upstanding people your character might want to consider aligning with.
    Citizens of Aldenburg
    Nothing strange happening over here! At least, not out in the open. These folks are just trying to live their lives in peace and quiet.
    Hunters
    Witch hunters, monster hunters, demon hunters... The humans have a long standing tradition of seeing magic and deciding it is Bad, and Needs to Go. These people get hired to kill supernatural beings for a myriad of reasons, and it's not totally unheard of for someone to disappear in the night because some faraway businessman heard about some magical medicine to help keep his dick up.
    International Regulatory Board of Magic
    Picture the United Nations, but even more ineffectual. That's IRBM. These guys are supposed to be an international agency that helps protect supernatural beings from each other. Individual agents are fine, but the official boardroom is known as a pathetic proxy war between ancient pantheons. Last year's open forum is now known as simply "The Revenge of Carthage". Investigations are ongoing.
    Undead Union
    Look, the dead want to rest in peace. But noooo, these whippersnappers gotta go and stir the pot, mess with ancestral burial grounds, disrespect the dead - it's sacrilege! Simply put, UU is a club of undead beings who host conventions all over the globe on Halloween and complain about kids these days and how no one really respects death like they used to. They are unsure of what to make of atheists.​
  • Rules
    Be excellent to each other.

    Message Caracal with any questions.

    Post your profile in the Sign-Up thread, and I'll give you a shout when I approve your profile.

    Try to post about once a week, a paragraph or two per post.

    Join the OOC Discord server, we have a PVP bot, it's hilarious.
 
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Cain Lavan
Location: Miss Black's Antiques
Nearby: Miss Black @Caracal , Seamus @Loveless
Thoughts: You're either completely dense or completely ignorant to the situation here....


Cain stared at the woman in front of him, ignoring both the stain and the effort to hide it. An eyebrow raised as he reached into his coat pocket and took something out, keeping it in his closed hand as he cleared his throat.
"Miss Black, my name is Cain Lavan. I work for this town's police force. And before you ask, no. I am not the usual beat cop. I'm here for another matter." he told her as he revealed the contents of his hand; the pendant confiscated from the hospital.

"I am here because this has been involved in a series of incidents last night, and it was purchased here just yesterday." He told her matter-of-factly.
"Now. Before I begin jumping to unnecessary conclusions, would you care to explain what exactly it is you sold to a now-hospitalized adolescent?"

He really didn't need an answer. He already know exactly what he was holding, hence why he was wearing gloves in the first place.
Cain just preferred to give everyone a chance to explain themselves properly. It looks good on reports.
Also it can be refreshing when not EVERYONE is a ego-maniacal sociopath...​
 
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willow reeds

Another Autumn Day

A single golden leaf pirouetted down an invisible spiral of breeze, spinning through the air as it let itself be carried down. It shook slightly, as if it could have been whisked away any second by the grip of an icy wind, but it kept floating down the twirling course. It blew past Willow’s face and landed lightly on the ground; the shiny, vibrant color standing out against the ambers and bronzes beneath it. It was so delicate, she wanted to reach down and pick it up and hold it close to her heart, smoothing out any creases. “But…” she murmured, her voice soft “…it belongs here, this corpse of what was once summer.”

Willow tried to hide the sadness in her eyes as she stood in front of her beloved Oak tree. She can’t believe it’s almost sixty years ever since the incident. If only I hadn’t told that prophecy, then maybe… just maybe... you’re still with me.

To this day, Willow still haven’t forgiven herself. She tried, she really did but it was hard. Although these past few weeks, things are getting better thanks to a certain someone. A smile graced her features as the vibration from her pocket shook her thoughts. Blinking her monochromatic eyes, the naiad reached from her pocket and pulled out her phone only to see a notification that its already time for work.

You remember Dom, right? The dryad kid I talked to you about?” Willow whispered to the oak tree, the smile still on her face “Well, I really believe the gods gave me a chance with him. For you”

“Anyway, I’ll see you later as always.”

Soon the nymph made her way out of the park and leisurely walked around. For some odd reason, this autumn day has her sprits soaring beyond the colorful boughs above. The brilliant shafts of sunlight caress the carpet of reds and golds before her, laid out like a carpet for a royal. Each breath of the fresh air fills her with a sense of life that almost made her want to shout out loud, just to hear her voice echo amidst the trees - like a brave warrior of old. She lived here so long that the rough-barked beauties became her friends. Ah, if only they are dryads

She exchanged a couple of his and hellos with the people around her, some sweeping leaves and some walking their dogs. The dogs look so happy, like furry embodiment of smiles. They're so alive in the sunshine that Willow resisted the urge to run her hands through their fur while their tails wag in excitement. “As much as I want to pet them, I can’t. I love dogs but their scent is just...”

Deciding to not finish her sentence, Willow continued on her merry way only to stop on her tracks when the scent of coffee wafted the air and tempted her senses. “Ah, it seems my feet has brought me to Caffeinated” she spoke to herself while standing in front of the café’s door, hesitating for a little bit. Although she wanted to drink coffee so bad, she needs to get to work! But how can I function without coffee? Besides, I still have a couple of minutes to spare…

Willow entered the coffee shop and froze momentarily as some customers glanced up when the door swung open, heralded by a blast of cold wind. “Um, hi everyone” she greeted before the customers returned to their conversations as the door swung closed behind her, the cold breeze now forgotten.

The nymph then made her way to the cash register and ordered with a smile “Good morning! May I have a latte please?”

Her order didn’t take long and now Willow is currently sitting in a chair with a latte in front of her. It sits prettily in a white china cup, a leaf pattern in delicate milky foam among the pale brown. The nymph couldn’t help but wrap her fingers around it, enjoying the heat that spreads through her hands. She sips it like it is a great luxury before letting her eyes scan around and look for interesting people.

There’s quite a few of them but the only person to catch her mismatched eyes was a guy shaking a girl awake. If she remembers correctly, they’ve met a few times and exchanged a few his and hellos. “Hennessy was it? Henderson?” she murmured, trying to remember his name. “no. Hen… Henley? Henrietta? Ah, no. Henrietta is the nymph I met at the salon. Ugh, what is that guy’s name…”

“Oh I know! Its Hendrick!” she exclaimed happily to herself, fully unaware that she still got his name wrong, before taking another sip of her latte. “He’s the guy who I keep bumping to. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s stalking me”

Location: Oakley Park - Caffeinated
Interaction/Mentions: Dom, Aine, Henrik






 
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Dominic
Time: 7-8 am
Location: Just outside Caffeynated Cafe (Cafe of many names!)


Dominic moved from the porch onto the walkway. As he continued to walk, he finally paused at the garage door and weighed the risk of using his bike. While it might make him colder, it would make his errand faster. He frowned as his tongue rolled across his cheek. He decided finally then moved toward the metal doors. His hands reached for the bottom and lifted with his strength, causing it to rattle open.

Carefully, Dominic lowered his bike from the rack then rolled out onto the sidewalk. First stop was Caffeynated to have Cindy check out his charm. It had been cracked two days ago when a couple of boys chased him through the baseball field and cornered him in an alleyway. He was still sore from the beat down that happened.

He sighed at the memory. The autumn wind whipped through his illusion into the barkskin underneath, the cold making him tired. His balance wiggled side to side as his legs moved the wheels faster, but it didn’t seem to help. For a moment, he rested his eyes. He let the hill’s gravity do the work while his legs paused.

It was a big mistake.

By sheer luck, Dominic’s eyes snapped open. A bench appeared in his path! He widened his eyes as he cursed.

“SHIT!”

Dominic jerked his hands to the right. The front wheel slipped out from underneath and tossed him on his side, scraping his body along the way. Any walking pedestrians rushed out of the way to give him room to slide to a stop right in front of Caffeynated’s doorway. Dom just laid there cradling his side where Howard was kept for a while.

Finally, his figure stirred. He lifted a leg to kick off his bike then slowly sat up, the right side of his body pretty well scrapped up.

“That was a really stupid idea…” He mumbled under his breath.[/hr]
 
Aine O’Brien
~headed home … in a bit~

The fog of sleep danced thickly around Aine’s head, suppressing the caffeine she’d sucked down like a thick blanket smothering a fire. Even as she told Henrik her phone number, even as she turned to go, very little of what she did was of conscious will any longer. Pushing the door open was a preconditioned response, her body taking over so her mind could shut down for the briefest of moments.

The clatter just outside snapped her to focus, and her drooping eyelids shot open. A boy lay on the pavement wear he’d just fell after losing control of his bicycle. Her heart raced, her body frozen. Should she call 911? Was he okay?

One way or another, he was conscious. Stirring, he sat up to push the offending machine off his legs, and Aine rushed forward in a flurry of sympathetic limbs.

“Hey! Hey! Are you okay!? You fall off the bike? Honey, that was a really hard fall!” Though more used to dealing with aged bodies, Aine knew better than most how to check for injury. Carefully her hands began prodding and probing gently, seeking any hurt they might find.
@Fallenreaper
 
Dominic
Time: 7-8 am
Location: Just outside Caffeynated Cafe (Cafe of many names!)



As Dom turned about, he pulled himself into an upright position. Worries about the damage gave away to the pain fear about his plant. He frantically dug into his pocket before abruptly relaxing. He found Howdy nested in the thick material and perfectly safe, the creature’s large head pressed against the dryad's hand. It made the boy a little happy to notice his lifeline was unharmed after the crash.

Sadly, the same couldn’t be said about his charm. He left arm was cradled nearest his torso, but he wasn’t paying attention to the throbbing. When his arm pulled out of his coat, he paused to glance at it. The surface had a fine line crack across the surface. Any sheen had faded into a duller coloring than before causing him to feel a little concern over the aftermath, his eyes quickly checked his illusion over. Everything seemed in order for now, but he wasn’t sure how long it would last.

He didn’t have much time to collect himself when a woman, looking paler than death herself, approached him. Dominic’s head snapped into her direction. His mind was racing over how to explain this mess, only to find himself forced to admit it was his own fault.

“I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I tried to run over a bench, but I think I lost that round and landed here,” He answered.

When she began to probe his left arm, he hissed in pain. Aine wouldn’t feel any broken bones or disjointed limbs, but the tendons were stressed enough to hurt. Especially in the wrist area.

“I think I might’ve landed on that. It should be fine, right? If you don’t mind, it’s cold out here so can you help me up?” Dominic asked, unsure if he had broken it or not.

@Red Thunder[/hr]
 
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She made a lazy attempt to brush her hair out. Then set about getting dressed, collecting clothes from the piles of clothes that were strewn about her room. Ugh, she really had to clean her bedroom up. And unpack. There were still boxes in the corner from her move to this cheery little town. There came a knock at the door.

"Just a moment," Jade called. "Getting dressed."

"Breakfast is on the table," her cousin replied through the door.

Jade could bring her self to think of food. She already felt nauseous. Eating would just make her want to vomit. She went to her drawer set and opened the top drawer. Taking out a set of cotton underwear. She fastened the bra at the front, spun it around, and pulled it up.

"Thanks. In a rush. Can't stay." It was true. She was late.

Mondays were always the worst. The horrendous start to another disappointing week. To make it worse, she had to turn in coursework... Which she had yet to do. It was supposed to be submitted online but her aunt and uncle had strict rules about the internet only being available during certain hours. Those barbarians turned the wireless router off for most of the day. So Jade would have to go to the public library. That was okay by her though, she would get to drop by the coffee shop on the way.

She took her pajama bottoms off and pulled her underwear up. Then threw on a pair of jeans salvaged from her bedroom floor. They were a dark blue with ripped knees. Lastly Jade put on a loose fitting t-shirt. The shirt was black and along the front, written in pink, were the words Nerf This! with an exclamation mark on the end.

Lastly she grabbed her phone and earbuds off the top of her dresser. She made a lazy attempt to brush her bed hair down with her hands before opening the door. Her cousin was standing there, waiting?

"Escorting me breakfast?" she asked snidely.

"Aren't you late?" he asked.

She groaned and barged past him. Walking through the landing, straight to the stairs, and descending. She cut straight through the hallway and to the front door. Jade could hear her aunt approaching. Her heels clicking across the kitchen floor. Jade slipped toms on and was opening the door just as her aunt came out of the kitchen.

"Sorry, late, got to bolt," Jade called as she closed the door behind her. Her aunt did not even get a chance to say anything, luckily.

The sun was barely up as she stepped outside.

~~~​

She was coming up the street, earbuds in and music playing, ignoring the world. As Jade entered the cafe she passed by an "accident". She smiled and tried her hardest not to laugh.

"Ouch," she said as she walked past.

But once inside the cafe she paid it no mind. She was already late in submitting her coursework, what would it matter if it was even more late. Jade sat down at a table, alone, with her phone in hand. She was focused solely on her phone screen. When there were less people at the counter she planned to go up and order. It could wait though.
 
Aine O’Brien
~all in a day’s work~

“Not helping yah up yet, honey; not til that wrist is wrapped.”

Aine shushed further disagreement, paying little attention to Dominic save for the occasional glance up at any gasps or complaint about the injury, and the passing Jade was ignored entirely. Her exhaustion was shoved to the back of her mind, still weighing heavily but of less concern than tending to the need at hand. And tend she did, well as she could. There was thankfully a roll of ace bandage in her bag; it’s versatility had endeared the material to the nurse, and she’d carried with her for several years.

As she worked, Aine began humming out of habit. It occupied the higher functions of her mind, distracting it to allow her training-honed instinct to handle the actual care. In more tense scenarios, of course, she forewent the habit, but her working routine allowed and even encouraged it, and her residents at the home had expressed more than once the ease and restfulness it brought. The humming soon turned to singing, as if the song within her longed to break out.

My lover away, far away and again
To farther and greener shore
He promised me riches and glory, if I’d fain
If but for a wee bit more
No longer remains he, my lover away
To build us a loving abode
For farther and greener shore he did stray
To leave me this sorrowful load

Dominic might find himself overtaken most unexpectedly by a melancholy he couldn’t explain. Regret would come to mind of past wrongs committed, accompanied soon after by a mournful comfort that such things were past. Notably, the embarrassment of the bike accident might be soothed, understanding replacing it that all make mistakes, and worthwhile people don’t judge for them. The song ended as she finished her work. Giving a last, quick assessment of it, Aine stood then bent to assist Dominic in standing himself.

“C’mon, naow. Yah should be alright til yah can make it to a doctor’s office.”
@Fallenreaper
 
Dominic
Time: 7-8 am
Location: Just outside Caffeynated Cafe (Cafe of many names!)


Dominic protested under his breath. His arm cradled to his middle and he adjusted his legs, keeping himself off the cold pavement. The cold would only cause him to fall asleep, helping no one. Easily he could see his protests or complaints weren’t about to get him out of this so he decided to behave. Gently his injured arm stretched out to Aine who began to patch it.

His teeth pinched his tongue between them at each flare of pain. He refused to scream like a wuss. HIs attention was distracted when someone slipped past his peripheral vision. His hair ruffled when he turned his head, glancing to locate the source. A college girl slipped around the incident as she paused long enough to comment with an ‘Ouch’ then vanished inside. Annoyance fluttered across his core, but he simply rolled his eyes at her.

She sounded like one of the cheerleaders who felt they owned the world, but he knew the truth. Often their futures were bleak and limiting.

All the negativity vanished when his ears caught Aine sing. His head jerked back to her and something took hold, his attention distracted from the real world. The focus on the anger faded quicker than normal. He didn’t mind as he listened, locked in the rhythm.

When she finished up with his injuries, he snapped out of it and saw her arm being offered. He reached for it and pulled himself upright. He glanced at his wrapped arm. It was a better job than he had done on countless times, causing him to hid how impressed he was.

“I’ve had worse and always come back stronger. I’m like a weed, very resilient. Thanks.” He felt a bit guilty for holding her up, but he couldn't fix that now.

@Red Thunder[/hr]
 
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Past Experience:
  • Restaurant Waiter;
  • Credit Card Call-Center;
  • Fast Food Chain Employee;
  • Motorized In-home Delivery;
  • Supermarket Cashier and Stock Manager;
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This is life, I guess

Apparently Tipsy was quite the clever cat. Realizing Seamus' intention to leave for the back, the orange tabby had started following after- Or well, not really after, more like guiding the young man to the bag of cat food. That was good, though Sean would have liked it better if the feline would just do so quietly. We all get it cat, you want food, but it's not going to come faster with your annoying high-pitched noise-making than it would without it. The Earth doesn't revolve around you...or anybody, for that matter.

Part of him had wanted to move eeeeeven slower than normal just to spite the screaming furball, and maybe he would have, if there wasn't a situation going on currently. So as much as he would have liked to make his supervisor wait a little, Seamus decided that he wanted to be out of the scene even more, alternating gazes between the two one last time before he had effectively turned around and vanished upon entering the back of the store, trying not to make his discomfort too evident. Only guilty people run after all... and it was way too early in the morning for trouble.

Paying no mind to whatever was being talked about in the background, the young man followed the orange walking heap of fur's guidance, as the animal kept calling after him in the utmost irritating of pitches. Thus, to pretend that he wasn't listening, Sean had taken it upon himself to pay attention to the number of boxes and trinkets there were along the way, an experience not unlike one of a museum's. And just like those, he saw them, wondered about the genuineness of things, decided it wasn't his business and then kept going. A cashier job was an easy, relatively tranquil one, he wasn't going to risk this twist of luck by being curious now. As long as he got paid, he didn't have to know.

Wearing nothing but his usual indifferent expression through the whole trip, employee and cat supervisor had finally reached their destination, approaching a table that had a very distinct, almost neon blue-colored bag leaning next to it. He didn't even have to read the label to know, as if the color hadn't been enough, Tipsy's meows had grown more frequent and urgent. Smartass, so it recognized the bag that quick, huh?

Seamus let out a sigh before moving to grab the object. Instead of going through all the trouble of holstering it, the young man made sure to only raise it a little, making the package hover just slightly over the ground, then getting it near the bowl in 3 to 4 weird steps. Bad for one's back or not, there was no doubt that this was the quicker way of doing it. To put the kernels of food on the bowl, he had done similar, raising the bag in a bit of an angle and shoving his foot under it just so that he could keep an outward flow. Did it work? Yeah, the bowl was full, but he also had made a bit of a mess, pieces of the beloved Kibbles meal had scattered through the floor, missing the spot for very little. Well, the task was to feed the cat, not deal with any messes, so Sean took this as having done the deed. If the furball was any smart, it would probably eat the ones off the floor as well. Who needed to move when a round furry vacuum was nearby?

"There you go, food. Enjoy it, you Garfield.", he had said nonchalantly at the feline, gesturing at the now filled bowl.

The young man set the package aside and the sat down on the floor, leaning his back in the wall behind him. He glanced back towards the exit, wondering if the boss and that police officer were done with their conversation yet or not. He just wanted to go there, work, make a good impression and then be home by 8 PM for his soap novel. Easy-peasy, nothing to worry about.

"If I sleep, will you wake me up?", Sean had glanced over at Tipsy, just making some conversation for no reason, " 'course not, you're just a dumb cat."

A yawn escaped his mouth and he slid down the wall a bit, laying down making a weird angle with his back. Welp, guess there's nothing more to do now except wait...
Someone would probably come to pick him up whenever that situation was done... Hopefully, before he actually fell asleep.


 
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Reactions: BipboopRiri
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Location: The Caffeinated (for now)

Status: Making deliveries to distract herself

Interactions: @indiquilli

Next Full Moon in: 25 days
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Amidst the darkness of a boarded up cabin, the girl had awaken, with tired, hopeless eyes that wanted nothing more than to shut forever. Autumn was always complicated. As winter became more and more concrete, birds and other animals would migrate or prepare for hibernation making this side of town quite lonely and gloomy. It would get to her, the silence of the world yet, lack of it mentally, rushing, mean thoughts that'd come and go. Last night had been particularly troubled, not she had much clarity over it, at least not at first, but the evidence was there plain as day.

Without getting up, Rayda's pale blue eyes washed over the items beside her, which evoked a strong feeling of shame. Blood-stained cutlery lay spread over the wooden boards, memories of self-inflicted wound now long gone. Superficially. It still hurt, her mind burnt with self-hatred for the inescapable guilt of giving in, of doing it again and though the young girl just felt like remaining on the floor to cry she felt too ashamed of even doing so, emotions in such disarray that they wouldn't come out properly.

All that remained was a sense of nothingness. A lack of reason, a lack of purpose... To get up? For what? There was nothing getting up for, nothing she was expected to do. If anything, she doubted anyone would even miss her if she suddenly decided not to ever leave this cabin again. A life that continued solely for the fact that it refused to end itself, destined to keep hurting itself and others... With a chest aching, filled with nothing but guilt and regret, Rayda tried sleeping once more, closing her eyes in an attempt to feel a smidge of peace.

...Hours later, nothing. There had been no sleep and no tranquillity.

Instead, the girl had just remained on the floor, looking up at the ceiling, mind blank. Every time that a good thought came by, it would quickly be suffocated by tons of bad ones... And at the end, resignation was all that remained. No thoughts, so that the depressing ones wouldn't come, as the runaway mindlessly looked at her own hand up in the air, as if reaching for something. Something invisible, unattainable. By now the light from outside would shine through the gaps in-between the wood planks, letting Rayda know that she had spent too much time mopping.

The sudden income of light also shone over the scattered stained forks and knives, the way the luminosity shone over the blade seemingly calling to her. Oh, so beautiful, so alluring, tricking her with promises of relief and overlap of pain. It was as if Rayda could listen to their pleas, pale blue eyes locked over the metallic utensils. There was no denying that she was tempted, but once she stopped to really think it over, she had had enough. 3 days of this had been more than enough. In a fit of anger, she pushed the lying objects away from her, as far as she could. No more!

Frustration had prompted her to act in a whim and soon Rayda was up, picking up cutlery, un-boarding door and windows. Forks and knives were unceremoniously dropped in the sink to be dealt with later, boards were back on the corner after being removed one by one. A couple had snapped, unable to bear with the strength with which the girl had pulled them out. Shoot, adding new boards to the shopping list... again.

Once the inside was... Well, somewhat liveable, it was time to work on the outside. ... Huh, where had she left the watering can this time?


Quick fast forward and Rayda had tended to her plants, harvested the ones that were ready, taken a shower and looked more like a proper not depressed OR self-deprecative citizen. Could almost fool herself like this... Almost.

"Lemme see, today's stops are..."

She talked to herself, repeating names, addresses and quantities to herself, neatly placing each order in a plastic cone and wrapping it carefully to not harm the plants. That way, Rayda got to place everything separately and organized on her shopping bag, making it more practical to give each person their requested items. It was refreshing, to get to work with something so calm and harmless, putting the young lady in high spirits, even if just for a moment.

Having memorized all the addresses and routes she needed, the girl gave everything a second check-up and stepped outside, eying the left-behind mess and a certain carpet one last time before she closed the door, briefly looking down.

From there on, Rayda travelled far and wide through Aldenburg, delivering vegetables and fruits with a devised cheery disposition that cut like a knife as she went on. Going through crowds of people, the southern girl zig-zagged this and that way, always trying to not bump or have anyone bump into her. Trecks like these were always a bit unnerving since a slightly off movement could end up in quite the injury for someone else and not herself, which would be surprising despite her feeble size. No one expected such a frail-looking individual to be as sturdy as she actually was after all.

For her last, or almost last stop was the cafeteria. Why such uncertainty? Well, Rayda often made deliveries not just for the establishment's kitchen, but one of their re-occurring patrons. It all depended on whether they had missed each other on the way or not.

Passing-by quick, her gaze had washed over the two by the ground almost right in front of the, currently named, Caffeinated, though she hadn't made much of them except guessing they were busy. Similarly, upon entering Rayda had easily caught sight of Willow, the client/friend she was supposed to meet, sitting with a drink. For a while, the girl had stopped by entrance, uncertain of whether she should go talk to her, or wait. She did remain there for a while, gaze alternating between Willow and the store's counter until she had finally decided to not interrupt their chat.

Going around her, as discreet as she managed to be, Rayda had made her way inside, nervously glancing at the employee she was supposed to talk to. Breathe in, breathe out, okay, it's just a cashier. She had been here before, just, gotta say the same thing as every other time... Uhh, what had she say the past times?

"Uhh...", the anxious lady had managed to let out, the right words slowly fashing in her memory, "A'd like a ...latte? Yeah, a latte and... Is Miss Winterbloom around?"

The question had prompted them to look at her weird and it had taken Rayda more a couple seconds to realize that she had forgotten something important:

"Oh! Right, tell 'er it's Rayda, from the veggie delivery. And ah... If it turns out she's busy A can just come back later, easy-peasy!"

That seemed to satisfy them and the employee had turned around to get the requested latte. At that moment, however, Rayda asked them to wait a little as she scavenged her shopping bag for an iron cup. Cue more weird looks and unwanted questions, which the exasperated girl had answered with an excuse of 'just in case I need to run' stating she'd hate to waste more of their time by switching cups. Then they offered to put it on a travel foam cup, which Rayda promptly refused, really close to starting begging them to please just put it on the one she had brought.

Maybe they had noticed how upset and anxious this was making her, but giving the girl one last look the employee had finally accepted to use the provided cup. As they prepared the machine to start pouring the drink, Rayda had begun both thanking and appologising to them. Repeatedly. Making it seem as if whatever had occurred, had been a bigger deal than what it actually was.


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willow reeds

Memories, Worries, and Concerns

The green haired nymph continued to enjoy her coffee while observing the people around her as time slowly ticked by. She was fully aware that she only got a few minutes to spare before she heads to work but somehow, at that moment, she wanted to stay and spend the entire day at the cafe. It reminded her how she used to watch people back at her pond. It also reminded her that some people at the cafe used to come to her for wishes and advice.

"Like that fella over there" she murmured, directing her gaze to a middle aged man who's sitting at the far right wearing a business suit and reading the newspaper. That man came to my pond once while wishing to find true love. Perhaps he heard the rumors about me and was pretty desperate to find love. But sadly, the woman for him already married someone and setttled down. Now he's a bachelor. A businessman who prefers to work than enjoy life

Another person that visited her pond was the woman who was sitting not far away from her. The woman was in her thirties, wearing glasses and reading a book. That girl over there came to me when she was about twenty. Asking for an advice that she went strongly against. If I remember correctly, her boyfriend... A small wicked smile graced her features as she remembered a memory: the girl and a boy, arguing right in from of Willow's pond. They were shouting at each other, spouting hateful words until the boy decided that the relationship was over. The girl, deeply hurt and heartbroken, ran away while the boy who didn't show an ounce of regret drowned.

Ah yes. He was the third boy I drowned that year. Or was it the fourth? No matter. All I remember was his wide eyes and his muffled screams as I drag him deeper into the abyss~


The faint sound of somebody stumbling down made the nymph snap out of her toughts, her eyes now focused on where the sound came from.

It was none other than Dominic, the guy she's been stalking for a couple of weeks. It seems he stumbled into a bench and scraped his knee. Willow's initial thought was to duck and hide beneath the table and was just about to do that but luckily, she stopped herself. There was no reason for her to hide! And why would she be hiding? Dominic is currently injured and she needed to tend to him fast!

Willow was about to stand up to help him but it seems someone already beat her to it. The sleepy nurse was already at Dominic's side. Deciding not to fuss over him for now, the green haired nymph tried to look away from the scenario and focused on her now empty cup of coffee. I should refrain from helping him right now.. she commanded herself, her slender hands tightly grasping the cup If I come over there all worried and frantic, he might think its weird. I mean sure, we work at the same flower shop and talked a couple of times but I don't think its time for me to help him. I've been discreetly stalking him and I can't let him be suspicious of me. He's my retribution! I need to be...patient with him and give him space

Besides, I'll see him later at work so I can just ask him what happened and have a reason to talk to him


Willow tried hard not to think of Dominic and decided to distract herself by standing up and going to the counter to get another cup of coffee.

"Another cup of latte please" she ordered to the barista with a smile before turning to her left to see a black haired female.

Willow stopped for a moment and blinked. She was so distracted about Dominic that she didn't see Rayda until now! As usual, the poor girl was anxious and just seeing the sight of it made the nymph's maternal instict flared up and take action.

"Oh sweetie, calm down" Willow cooed, a smile still on her face. She wanted to pet Rayda to help her calm down but decided against it since they only met once or twice and didn't want the girl to feel uncomfortable "There's no need for you to apologize."

"Besides, they should be thanking you instead"
she stated, giving the barista a wink before focusing once again to Rayda "After all you brought your own cup didn't you? That very nice, you know. Saving the environment and all."

Once Willow got her cup of latte, she silently thanked the barista and looked at Rayda once again "Oh by the way, would you like to sit and have a chat with me? That is, if your not busy"

"Also, I just remembered that I need some groceries delivered to my po-, I mean, my home so I think I won't be taking no for an answer~"


Of course, Willow was only teasing that she won't take no for an answer. But little sweet Rayda doesn't know that~

Location: Caffeinated

Interaction/Mentions: NPCs, Dom, Aine, Rayda