half of my heart is in havana | STARPOOL TRIP, NEW MEMBERS

[BASTILLEPAW]

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SING, GODDESS, OF THE RAGE OF ACHILLES

With a yawn, Bastille found his way outside of the Observatory after the meeting, as promised. It was easiest to get everyone gathered up for a trip when they'd already been gathered to begin with, in his opinion, so may as well get this over with. "Alright, any new members or any members from last week who need to get their shard for their pendants, gather up. We're leaving for the Starpool in a few minutes. I'll explain there," he yelled over his shoulder, and waited for a few minutes for them to cluster around before he nodded. "Right. Off we go."

It wasn't that far of a walk, and Bastille gave slight cues of what various markers were on the way so that they could find their way back, before coming to a stop on the banks of the Starpool. His gaze lingered briefly on the two necklaces hanging from the Oak tree at the center, before he cleared his throat and turned around. "So, one of our biggest traditions are our pendant necklaces. You're required to have one for ceremonies, but you don't have to wear it if you don't want to. Everyone will choose a meteorite shard from the Starpool, and our smiths will craft it into Fireball beads and a unique pendant for you. If you're a Fireball now, you'll earn your beads as you complete stages of your training. Pendants are earned as you rise to Observer, so those of you joining us as an Observer will need to receive all of your Fireball beads and pendant in this month's ceremony after you give us your shard to craft. Members can also receive rank beads or beads for zodiac and odyssey titles."

He paused, assuming that was mostly the gist of everything. "Any questions about that? If not, feel free to start fishing for a shard. If anyone needs help with the water and shit, let me know." He'd learned his lesson when Whitenoise had tried to go into the water, and with Gordon. Not today.

[ please refer to the pendant guide here for explanations / to list yourself and post in the july ceremonies to get your pendants and stuff after this thread !! ]

[b]BASTILLEPRISONER AURELIUS — ASTRAL SERAPH — THE ASCENDANTS — TAGS

[MirrorEdge]

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The young leopard cub dangled the cord in the air, curious. "So we're required to have these, huh?" She murmured, before wrapping it around her leg so it wouldn't be dropped on the way to the Starpool.

When they arrived, almost immediately after being told, Thea stuck her paw in, fishing around until something sharp pricked her paw, and hooked her claws into it, carefully bringing up the shard, and the cub showed it to Bastille, head tilting. "You mean these? They don't look like they came from space." As for the unique pendent, that confused Thea. What would hers be? She wasn't quite sure. She didn't stand for much. Maybe her fighting spirit or something. Did they choose, or Bastille? Huh. Weird. It piqued Thea's curiousity to no end.

[guts]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]Church was intrigued by the call for new members. He had been around for a bit, but he had never heard of this pendant tradition before. He wanders over with an interested expression behind his helmet, waiting near Bastille before following him once everyone was gathered. As they walked, he glanced around, watching as they passed by their territory. Eventually they reached the place they called the Starpool, whatever that was, his eyes lighting up as he took it in. The lake was a pleasant sight, the atmosphere calming almost. It was the first time he had really felt serene in a long time.

As instructed, he walks over to the shore, softly shrugging before dipping a paw in. He moves it around under the water, searching for something, before his paw hits a round object and he pulls it out. It was more jagged than he had originally thought, and it looked a lot like just a regular stone. Really he doubted the whole meteorite shard thing, but otherwise he didn't comment on it, deciding it wouldn't do any good to argue about it. He felt oddly at peace right now, anyways.

"SPEECH"

[madster]

while technically not a new member, he hadn't really participated in society, and so he decided he counted. as a fireball- although so close to being an adult- he'd have to earn his beads, huh? the tradition still confused him, but he had full trust in bastille.

he was silent as he walked, brows furrowed in thought. bastille was hot, but not exactly monstrous, but he was in a position of authority, and that was pretty hot. then he realized bastille was much older than him, probably, but that was okay too. he let his mind wander with the possibilities before they were there, and he was told to start searching. merihem watched the others search, and he too walked to the shore and searched blindly, not enjoying the feel of the water. finally, he retrieved a shard- he decided it was, since it looked similar to the others- and just stood there, unsure what to do next. 

[imperia]

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It is clear from how Imperia bounces along that she is quite excited to participate in the traditional fetching of meteorite shards. Well, she is just excited to finally be apart of something. Even though most everyone in the Ascendants is very kind, Imperia would be lying if she claimed to feel like she was actually one of them. Perhaps it is her shyness which keeps her on the outside, but her lack of close friends really makes it lonely. Peri truly enjoys talking with Agent Washington, but she is afraid to speak too much about herself and her own woes due to his private nature. She can sense his discomfort when it comes to getting close to people outside of his circle so as much as it disappoints her, Imperia is trying to keep her distance. Maybe now, when she finally receives her beads and pendant, Peri will finally find her place.

She slows herself as they arrive at the pool, gazing curiously down into the depths of the water. She reaches in, searching for one that suits her fancy, when she hears Thea's comment. "Space rock can be hard to identify. Achondrites are very similar to volcanic rock while chondrites are not as glassy. Chondrites are the type which contain carbon, organic compounds, and the iron which I am assuming is used to make the pendants," says the creature, not realizing that she is rattling off fact after unnecessary fact. Peri can't help it--she really likes rocks. And space. And plants. And learning in general. "You can actually find chondrites by using a magnet! Isn't that neat?" She says all of this without barely even taking a breath or glancing up. Instead, she casually shoves her head under water, snatches a medium-sized brain shaped rock in her teeth, and pops her head back up in a glorious spray of water. And she is still grinning.

[BASTILLEPAW]

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SING, GODDESS, OF THE RAGE OF ACHILLES

At the very least, no one is drowning or panicking. That's good enough for Bast, frankly. Last time had been a near disaster with White freaking out, but this batch of newcomers seemed tame enough. Well, newcomers mixed with newish members who still didn't have their pendants -- good, he noted, gaze flickering over Church and Meri. This was going particularly easy thus far, and he drawled in response to Thea, "Yeah, they're from the meteor that made this Pool, supposedly. That's what Starry told us." His attention slid briefly to the pendants hanging from the Oak tree, and he cleared his throat before providing, "Our founding Seraph. His was the sun pendant up there." A nod towards the tree as he provided, "We hang the necklaces of our dead, in remembrance."

His ice blue gaze locked on Imperia as she piped up, and he arched a brow at her with a hint of a smirk. "Right. What she said," he commented, adding, "I don't really know much about what's in the shards, to be honest. I just know they're meteorites. Iron-like is how I'd describe them, yeah." He tilted his head back, offering his necklace as an example: the triskele pendant and five Fireball beads were all the same dull grey metal, mixed in with the various colors of his rank beads. "Looks basically like iron when it's crafted, too."

[b]BASTILLEPRISONER AURELIUS — ASTRAL SERAPH — THE ASCENDANTS — TAGS

[MirrorEdge]

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Thea didn't understand much of what Imperia said, but nodded anyways, an ear flicking as she examined the rock she chose. At Bastille's words, the cub was about to ask who Starry was, but the question was answered with the next sentence, tilting her head a bit. "All of them? Even if they were weak?" She murmured, not quite understanding why that would happen. If you lost, you were weak. You weren't remembered. And if you were, it was because you couldn't defend yourself, with your own power, and had to depend on others. Which led to them being at risk as well. She just didn't get it.

[tori]

ALEXANDER

✯ — i prefer a happy ending

space

Space...space pieces. Alex blinked, staring into the Starpool as if something was going to jump out at any second, more curious than nervous. His reflection scattered when Thea fished around, diverting his attention to what she managed to catch. He looked over, trying to see what the shards looked like, then deciding to try to get one himself. He cautiously stuck his paw in the pool, shivering at the feeling of the water.

He pulled out one of the many shards, making a soft sound and flipping it over gently in his paw. "Pretty." He couldn't really put much else to it, unlike Peri, who was going off on space rock science beside him. And she dunked her whole head under there too, like she was fishing or something. He stared up at the necklaces Bast was referring to, blinking a few times with a mostly blank gaze. They swayed back and forth gently, the context of their current location making the sight relatively creepy to him.

"Still family." The words came out forced and a lot more blunt than Alex was ever to be expected of, if at all. He paused for a bit before the sudden rigidness faded away and he was back to being quiet and looking at his collected shard.

space

✯ — MALE. ASCENDANTS. EASY. — ✯

#psychosocial.

[Elon]

You spoke of roses- all I feel are thorns ・°☆ } ——— [size=10pt]info

Normally Elon wouldn't bother with something like this, oddly not one for community ritual despite what she is or once was. What peaks her interest is that these are rocks from space and therefore could provide her some easy magic or at least general specks of energy to leach off of. If she so chooses to pursue making one of these necklaces, she could wrap it around a new wand to extend that energy. Yes, it's worth a shot she believes. Yet she'll still have to go mucking along the shore to find the material for this expenditure and she's still feeling too tired (or maybe just far too lazy) to want to do it. Maybe it'd be better off as a location? But she couldn't be guaranteed solitude here if this is a common thing. Sighing, she gives in just like that and makes her way to the water's edge. Just the thought of getting her cute white paws dirty... it's just heartbreaking. Her approach is just in time to hear Alexander's comment and she nods. [b]"I agree. Shame it might be picked clean some day." Of course the means she catches his reaction to Imperia there too and his grated words. She smirks some but is quick to hide it. Little fragments of information are just as useful as these rocks may be.

Welp, time to get it over with really. Elon sums up the courage then just jumps into the pool, perhaps splashing someone, though not aiming to. She shivers and steps around in it, not content to just try to gather some from the water's edge. She'll need the best, the brightest, for her plans. "So any kinda neat stories connected to all this?" She inquires absentmindedly, fishing for hints while she does similar for her piece. By neat, she means what she would consider hokey, but she'll listen none-the-less. "I want to feel endeared while my tail is shriveling up." It's probably not even cold and she's just being a big baby, but a chance to complain is always good.

[BASTILLEPAW]

BASTILLEPRISONER AURELIUS — [color=#21201c]TAGS
Bastille's attention dipped to Thea once more, and he studied her for a moment in response to her question. He glanced at Alex, noting his rigid posture, and said evenly, "Even the weak. Weakness is relative, kiddo, and we honor our dead regardless of their failings or achievements in life. Death is the great equalizer." A pause as he added, watching her, "If we can't respect those who come before us, we're lost." He shifted his focus as Elon joined them, watching as a few more started hunting for their shards, and found himself offering a smirk once more at her words.

"Nah, there's not really much lore behind it, other than how the Pool was made. I mean, I'm sure the City of Stars has some story, but I'm not sure I know it," he provided, shrugging, before he added, "You could always make something up to tell people, though. What'd you think fits it best?"

© MADI