(figured Einar, Veronica, Stella, and Nessus can fly, so maybe Tomma and Sylvya ride? J seems like a runner, and Arthur is his own huge shifting beast so)
(nobody has to, to be clear. Just a suggestion to move us forward)
(sylvya is fast. She can swing around with her webs, although she doesn't do it often, and is otherwise fairly fast.)
Einar cleared his throat quietly; not like he wanted attention, but as if he was a preparing himself to speak.
"Ver…Veronica? Will you fly?" He tried not to seem uneasy or pushy, but his voice wavered uncertainly. "I'll be flying, but my oversized wings are really fast and clumsy."
That doesn't make sense.
It's fine.
He almost missed Valiel's shift, but the light caught his eye and he couldn't help staring a little as she changed to a creature he had never seen the likes of before. Einar also almost didn't notice the large metallic winged fella, but they were impossible to ignore once the gargoyle stepped closer to the group. He nodded to himself, noting just how many wings were present – so many unwanted flappers just like himself. His heart warmed a little, an unfamiliar sensation, at the thought of not being out of place here, of belonging.
J looks around at the group and smiles. Everyone was getting along well; there were even newcomers who were already adapting to the group.
That reminded her. . . but no, the last two would be able to find them. Either at the tree or in the camp, it would happen. She'd introduce them to Hive when she could.
She nods at Valiel, interested in her shifting but deciding to focus for now.
"I'm good on my own two feet," she grins broadly, bending back and then forward, then from side to side, stretching out her body for the impending trip.
"Let's get a move on, people!" she exclaims, bounding off into the trees fast on all fours, her lanky body lending itself well to the strange galloping run. As she ran, her form seemed to start to lengthen and thin, and start looking more. . . feral. A high, fluting and inhuman call escapes her as she runs, but whether it was intentional or not was unknown. Indeed, it seemed almost as if she had no idea that her body had changed at all.
Nessus came slowly up to the group, His joints creaking metallically as he moved. He kept somewhat of a distance but joined the group. "Nessus" He said softly, his voice a bit scratchy and hoarse with disuse, as though he hadn't spoken at a reasonably loud volume in a while. He turned to the creature who had spoken, nodding stiffly as they spoke. He opted to fly, even as his wings desperately needed to be oiled, he could still use them. He stepped back from the group and flexed his wings open, yet another metallic grating as he opened and closed them a few times, preparing to take off. He lifted off and flapped carefully a moment, following the rest of these creatures just above tree level, trying to keep an eye on those he was going with as he was unsure of the destination
Stella smiled happily at the person who complimented their wings. As Veronica's complement, her wings glowed brighter. When Valeil called out that it was time to go, Stella fluttered back over to Sylvya, before both took off in their own ways, Stella flying and Syl scurrying along, having no difficulty keeping up with the group. After a little bit, Stella grew tired and opted for a ride.
Aideen plucked another thorn from her jeans. She and Astraea had been in this swath of briars and blackberry bushes for the past day, and she was getting real tired of it. when there was a small open space for them to stand, it was small and they had to find their way out by ducking under the reaching arms of thorns or climbing the short, branchy trees that now populated the area. Several times, she'd noticed Astraea looking up and rolling her shoulders; she had to resist doing the same thing, focusing on not wanting to stretch her wings.
But why did her apprehensions feel so shallow now? Why did her instinct to stay normal sound quiet and untroubled? If this place was as she thought, was a last sanctuary for inhuman beings like her and Astraea, there was no need to appear human; they weren't human, after all.
"Trae," she called softly, pulling her sister's attention from the large green and blue beetle she was staring at. Her silver sky eyes met Aideen's. "Trae, I've been thinking."
"Pondering?" a smile curved Astraea's small mouth.
She nodded. "You could say that. I'm thinking that we're taking up lots of time here."
Astraea's head bobbed, along with her shoulders. "Yes. The briars are taking all the time."
"So…do you know which way to go?"
Her arm instantly lifted, pointing slightly to the left of their current trajectory. "Not far, as the hummingbird flies. Very far, as the briar root reaches."
"Well, we aren't briars or hummingbirds." Aideen let herself look to the sky, feeling her heart reach for the unobstructed air. "We're dragons, Trae."
Those ice blue eyes widened, surprised. "Yes," she murmured. "We are dragons." Her snowy skin at the corners of her eyes hardened and fractured into tiny grey-blue scales, shaping little swirls up to her temples and down her chin.
Aideen felt a muscle relax in her mind, and felt the scales creep over her skin too – her face felt a little stiff, unfamiliar with the change after not doing it for so long. She took her jacket off so her wings wouldn't damage it. She wadded it up and crammed it into her backpack. Her wings, dark orange with mottled red patches and yellow highlights unfolded from her back. She'd never understood how it worked – they seemed to unfold from her skin as if they'd been pressed there, but when they were hidden there was no evidence except a collection of freckles, like a wing-shaped spray of dark stars.
As she rolled her shoulders, she noticed Astraea doing the same. "You ready?"
One more big nod. Aideen raised her wings high, bending her knees. She and her sister pushed off and flapped downward at the same time, blowing the briars back from them with the powerful gust. With a few more flaps, she was above Astraea, quietly giggling as she did loops with her blue-grey wings. In the afternoon sunlight, her scales glinted like ice, her silver hair flowing and whipping about her face and shoulders. We should've put our hair up…we're gonna have some awful mats to detangle later.
"This way!" Astraea's little voice reached Aideen's ears over the flapping of her own wings as her sister began winging off to the south. Exhilaration swirled in her stomach as she let the wind carry her along, forgetting her troubles and enjoying the sky.
( @im-with-stoopid )
(I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is dead.)
(( should we just skip @im-with-stoopid and move on?))
(wouldn't be the worst idea. Think that makes it my turn. Gimme a minute)
(nuuu I don't want this to be dead😭)
(We're working on fixing it, don't worry.)
(I am indeed working on it! :)
(Polite poke.)
(Also, reminder to eat something and drimk some water.)
(can I join?)
( O.O Thanks for the nudge, Null. Not me just realizing it's been a week :X )
(( o-o ))
(can I join?)
( I dont think so; its been slow to say the least around here, and we're already pretty full. sorry)
(agh, mb for holding things up for so long- probably gonna have to drop this rp, tbh, as Tomma hasn't done much besides be hungry (same) and I'm not ideaing much rn to remedy that)
(thanks for having me on here, though!)
(its okay if u wanna drop out buddy! I know the feeling 😅. enjoyed having u on board!)
(Good to have you at all, Stubs!)