forum Underground Cryptids Community (character RP/Chat)

Started December 20, 2023 by @Serenity88 group

tune

Tommahud'd scarcely caught his own name; he was too wrapped up in the strangeness of this all. He could admit that he wasn't the most attentive – or even the third most attentive – guy he knew, but Hive's typings prickled the hair on the back of his neck. For all he knew, he was someplace strange, and Gueltik was too miffed to pay any mind. She wouldn't let him get hurt – he hoped – but until then, she'd raise his blood pressure instead.

"Uh. 'M twenty-one. Comin' up on twenty-two in… a while. Always forget the day 'til m'Mom calls. S'not much interestin' 'bout me – not that I'd remember it," Don't mutter like that. Show some confidence. "I wake up, feed the cat, the dog, work, and come home. S'pose I'm jus' tryin' to break out the loop, y'know? Find some purpose. Got a lot of… stuff weighin' down on me."

That's all he'd give for now; that was enough. Tommahud made a quick gesture for Atlas, Apollo, and Juno to take the reins. Or just Atlas – he seemed to be the only one of the three willing to speak up. At least he wasn't the only paranoid loner here.

Sylvya glanced at Stella. "Well… We're dating. Stella can't talk, as I mentioned, but she'll let you know how she feels."
Stella hummed happily.
Sylvya thought for a moment. "We don't have a home, as we like camping in various spots. We're kinda nomads."
Stella hummed again, her back glowing slightly. Quickly, she stopped humming, looking at Sylvya.
Making an excuse, Sylvya blamed it on non-existent parents.
"Is your mom trying to convince you to go home again?"
Stella nodded, looking uncomfortable

Hive, back in the forest, nodded to himself. He had singled out some of the most likely people to be cryptids, based on their appearance and demeanor. Sylvya, Stella, Atlas, Apollo, Juno, and some that seemed slightly less likely but were still on the possibility list.

Very good! Anything else before we move on?

He planned to take his suspected cryptids through a portal at the top of the next flight of stairs, but he had to do it tactfully so they wouldn't get spooked, and the humans wouldn't either.

Oh boy, what are we doing here?
I'm here to see if my careful deductions were correct and this is secretly a way to find other non-humans and connect with them.
Ok, but what if it's not so nice? What if its a human trying to find non-humans for nasty human reasons?
…shut up, me.

Einar realized he'd mouthed the last part of his mental argument, and had been scrunching his brow in a mean scowl. He quickly relaxed his clenched jaw, hoping no one had seen his expression and decided not to include him or to treat him different. He'd missed whatever it was the young woman – Valiel – had said in response. She stepped right up to the role of 'present leader', but not like she was taking control; more like she just fit into that spot in the group.

(uhhh not sure what to do from here??)

Valiel waited for their mysterious group leader to put more out there, but when he didn't, she got antsy. "Well, uh… maybe we should each talk a little bit about why we felt like we should seek out others like us. I can start."
She swallowed and glanced at the floor, thinking for a moment. "So… ever since I was a kid, I had this thing for animals. Not like horse girls, or furries or anything like that, just… an affinity for them. Like I knew what it was like to be them, and could empathize. That's why I became a vet- it's an easy job when you can kinda crawl around in the animal's brain." She looked up at the group, not making eye contact so much as looking past them. "But something about that little quirk stood out to people, and kinda made me an outcast. I've never really learned how to have healthy friendships, because I either can't get them to trust me and look past the weird, or I overcommit to them because I don't know how to set boundaries. Kinda like I'm doing now by spilling all this here." She looked around the room, taking in the odd assortment of people. "But… I was kinda hoping here, there'd be people who would be willing to be friendly and look past the weird."

Arthur nodded slowly, and jumped in. "I, um… I hear voices. Well, a voice, I guess. I kinda grew up in a more rural area, and when you're a scrawny kid from the backwoods with 6 fingers who hears voices… you don't really have a lot of friends either. Everyone thought my hand was contagious or something, and I got called 'witchy boy' by all the hicks." He backpedaled a bit, unsure of himself. "I mean, the voice isn't telling me to kill people or anything, I just… have conversations with it sometimes. I'm not a psycho…"
You know you sound crazy, right?
Shut up. You're no help.

Arthur trailed off, and Valiel looked next to Einar. "How about you? Care to share a little?"

(evening! had a lovely busy day, but im here now)

Einar's eyes opened wide for an instant, caught off guard. His face felt hot.
Stop being dumb, you've already shared twice with this bunch of people! why feel nervous now?

"Um." He glanced at the floor, seeking help from the patterns in the carpet. "Well… my family is… pretty big, and rich, and like well-known 'n' stuff. Kinda made it hard to make real friendships when I have my family's reputation hanging over my head. My parents aren't, umm, exactly into 'family time' —" he put air quotes around the words "— or being a real family with, like supportive parents who are there for their kid when he falls." He looked up to the ceiling now, trying desperately not to think into everything he was saying cause he might experience emotions and…
Yeah no, lets not

"Kinda difficult to believe anyone when they say, 'You're a good friend', or compliments like that cause I never know if they really value my friendship or if they just want to get tight with the rich kid with the rich family." Try as he might, the bitterness still soured his words. "I came here, I guess cause no one here knows of my folks, and I might be able to find some buddies who are my buddies for me. I… I also was hoping to address some possible mental issues that might have come up over the past years from my toxic upbringing."

Good god, did you have to be so honest? Are you even thinking of your words?
No. If I think it'll be much worse and I'll say more stupid shit than that.
More stupid than that sob story? Cant think of anything more stupid and soppy than all that tragic backstory that you didn't have to share!
Shut up me.

Looking up, he saw at least two others nodding with him.
I dont need your sympathy.

He pressed his lips tight together, determined to not let any more than necessary out of his mouth. But it came out anyway—

"And I have– um, a physical disability too. My… shoulders." The lie in his voice hurt as it rang in his ears. "They…um, its like hip dysplasia? I don't have so much range of motion without pain, plus they aren't very coordinated."

You're gonna regret that so, so much.

He swallowed, hoping the voice that sounded like his would shut up. It had made him slice the skin on his calfs last time he'd felt this way. Now, because of how close he was getting to sharing his heartfelt secrets to a bunch of strangers, he worried he might end up hurting himself much, much worse.

(Damnnnnn… sorry! didnt mean to get carried away! ahh, its fine. it only looks so long cause of the spaces between paragraphs.)

Syl thought for a bit, about what she could say that wouldn't tell everyone what they were. "Well… We both have weird skin pigmentation, and physical… Deformities. We… Uhm… Can't live normal lives. Stella… Dosent have hands. And…. Uhm…. Neither of us has a very good family situation. And I have a lot of… Allergies. It makes eating difficult. So….. "

Stella buzzed impatiently, pretty much telling Syl to just show the rest. But she knew that some might be human, and that wouldn't be good. So she just waited.

Stars above, it was Tommahud's turn again? Already?

"I. Don't think I'm all there, y'know?"

Yikes. Yikes. He should probably slow down, now-sap.

"I mean – Don't think I can focus. I forget things – a lot of things – and, uh. I got a lot distracting me. In my head."

Okay. That wasn't too terrible, was it? Hells, now that the words sank in, Arthur had something in his head, too, didn't he? Tommahud straightened in his chair, relaxing as a flicker of hope crossed his mind. A fellow Speaker here? Or was Arthur a Sighted, instead? Whichever it was, Tommahud was too deprived to be picky. When was the last time he'd spoken with anyone like him? Stars, that was a time ago. Four years, wasn't it..? Sounded about right.

"Spent a lotta time in the woods, too. Not really by choice, but details, details. Liked it better than the city 'ere, but… M'distractions were worse. Couldn't stand it – could hardly sleep. Felt like something was watching me. Always."

His gaze drifted around the room. He was gravitating towards Arthur, he realized, but he ought not to make it obvious. At least, that's what Gullie would say if she wasn't busy staring a hole into the back of his head. Lay off the woods-talk for now.

" 'Sides, didn't have much family out there. If I'da gotten hurt, would've been on my own, and Ion't think I'm gettin' anywhere fast."

His own gaze was drifting toward his bad leg. It didn't look too bad now – Tommad had cobbled up a boot that could fit the awkward quirk at his heel and the slanty ankle. In the dim light, it didn't look too terrible, though he could've stitched the sides a little better. His fingers twitched with the urge to pick at it. Not now.

"That's all I gotta say, I s'pose."

Arthur nodded slowly, giving Tomma half a smile, a look that communicated a little understanding. Admitting to hearing things, or talking to people who weren't there, was hard, regardless of your actual situation.
He looked across the room at Valiel, cutting her an expression that said they all sounds legit…

Valiel had been taking mental notes. Several "deformities" and physical limitations, some of them hearing things… sounded like a group of cryptids, for sure. Given that all of them seemed in control of their minds, and weren't throwing off the same vibes as a regular person crazy enough to hear voices… this was a safe room.
She looked over at Veronica, the sullen girl the only one not to share. "Veronica?"

It seemed like Veronica hunched a little further into her hoodie, before glancing at Einar. She seemed to swallow, before talking quickly and quietly. Her voice was rough, and sounded like she'd used sandpaper on her throat. It made you naturally want to cringe, and sounded painful, as well.
"I've got shoulder problems and don't like people. Had an… Incident a few years ago that messed up my voice, and now people run when I talk." That was all she felt like saying.

Valiel nodded slowly. Something about the way Veronica had said 'incident' made her worry it was darker and heavier than she would have initially thought. But other than that… she wasn't too sure about the girl.
Still. There were some humans, outcasts and downtrodden, who came through the portals on occasion. It wouldn't be unheard of to take the poor, friendless girl through.

Through the cameras and mics, across the worlds, Hive sat watching, thinking much the same thing. As best he could tell, everyone who had responded in this small group seemed like ideal candidates to bring through. So he typed quickly.

Thanks for sharing, everyone. Now, I have a proposal. He would need to say this next part carefully, so as not to freak anyone out.
There are lots of other folks like you, needing friendship and understanding and a place to heal. We've built a place for them to heal, and I'd like to welcome you to that place. It doesn't require a lot of commitment or money or even travel, just a willingness. Valiel, there is more information in the first room to the left at the top of the stairs, if you'd like to lead the group up there. That seemed inobtrusive enough.

Valiel's eyes widened a bit, as their host just laid it all out there. She wasn't sure about the upstairs thing, but… maybe there was a portal in this building she'd missed before? "Umm, ok. Sure." She stood and headed for the door, stopping long enough to say "Y'all are welcome to come along. Please do."
Back down the hallway, around the corner, and up the stairs she went. The first door on the left was a-… janitor's closet? Valiel frowned a bit, but turned the knob anyway.
As soon as she pulled the door open, she could feel it: that slight sense of static electricity that made your hair stand up, like something in the room was gathering energy. She stepped into the closet, not sure what she was looking for exactly.

Veronica had gotten up after Valiel left, following her, though she glanced back at Einar as she left the room.

Arthur had kinda waited till everyone had left, turning off the lights and leaving the screen, which had gone black. When he got to the top of the stairs, he could see the portal, his eyes still seeing more than normal. There was an infrared circle across the back wall of the closet. "Just walk forward." he said quietly, and Valiel heard him.

Arthur seemed to know where he was going, so Valiel stepped forward, and felt the familiar whooshing sensation as she was transported to one of the delivery spots for the Cryptid Community.

To the rest of the group, it just looked like she walked into the wall and disappeared. No noise, no flash of light, nothing.
Arthur gave the group a small smile. "Well, after you."

(been having some mental yuckies but im here now)

Veronica's glances at Einar were not missed. He found himself wishing he could see her face better, and if she had wings or not.

Shut up. You aren't gonna find a relationship here.
Wasn't looking for one.
Keep telling yourself that. Dumbass.

He almost missed Valiel deciding to lead everyone out, almost catching Veronica's eye as she passed. Falling in second last in the group again, he heard murmurs from the front as Valiel opened and entered a small, inconspicuous door. Maybe a supply closet? He stood at the bottom of a short, narrow flight of stairs, the front of the group all the way at the top and the next five or ten feet to the door. Underneath the chemical cleaner and old-person smell, he thought he caught a whiff of fresh air, pine needles, and clean water.

Don't make things up. You're just desperate.

Beyond the door, a clearing in a sun-dappled forest. Trees, their trunks swathed in thick, vibrant moss and ivy, stretched much taller than trees in the human world ever could. The forest floor was a soft blanket of fallen pine needles, fluffy moss and rich-smelling earth. The chirping of birds and calls of other animals swept through the air, carried on a light breeze. Some could recognize, by the coolness of the air and the young, bright look of the sunlight that it was midmorning.

The door Valiel had lead the others through stood all by itself, on walls or carpeted floor to support it. Dirt stained the bottom few inches of the light grey trim, a few tendrils of moss and ivy creeping halfway up the frame. The edges, the very outline of the door, shimmered in transparent light, giving a mirage-like look, as if it might disappear at any second.

A path of round rocks, like a fairy-tale walkway, lead deeper between the trees. A bottle of green-blue glass stood one the fourth rock, a piece of paper rolled tightly inside.

(how Is the writing style for the description part? im going for more old-fashioned and whimsical.)

Stella gasped at the beauty as she went through the portal, dragging Sylvya behind her. She looked around, then glanced at Sylvya, asking if it was safe to take of the multiple layers of clothes.

Sylvya didn't know if it was safe yet or not, so she watched everyone else enter the enchanting forest clearing, waiting for someone else to make the first move.

_.

I look away for FIVE SECONDS, Tomma!

FIVE!

He staggered aside, putting an uncomfortable amount of weight on his cane and the ball of his good foot. OW. Her voice was echoing in his ears like a brick slamming into his skull. Drawing a sharp breath, Tommahud righted himself. A ripple of a dull ache lingered in his ankle, though. Hells, that was going to sore next morning, wasn't it?

"Gullie, quit hollerin'. Near done broke m'good foot."

She was standing goalkeeper in front of the door to… somewhere. Tommahud couldn't tell what was inside on account of Gueltik waving her arms like a fledging chick.

_.

Y'come here 'thout MY permission, and now you're wanderin' inta a—

The good part about ghosts was that they were intangible. She hissed in alarm as he stepped through her, whirling unsteady like a petering storm. It didn't hurt her – Tommahud knew from experience in the rush-hour metro – but it was dizzying.

In her distraction, he took in the room – dark walls with faint shadows of what could be bottles and jugs. The smell was… urgh. Like a melting nursing home, a pool of vinegar, pine needles, heavy chemicals… pine needles?

He blinked once and was near-blinded by a blast of light. It was a struggle to wrench his eyes open, and as the glare settled, he was… Well, it certainly wasn't the building anymore. A light wind ruffled his hair. The woods came into view around him, now. Like home, he caught himself thinking wistfully.

Like from before Gullie started harassing you?

He shook the thought away, grounding himself, shifting his focus to the present. The forest was safe enough – nothing ticked his internal "wrong" sensor, besides the whole magically-appearing-woodland thing. City-life hadn't dulled his survival instinct much, and that sparked hint of pride in his chest.

The other therapy memebers seemed… surprisingly okay with this? At the very least, there was a lack of outright panic – mostly mild confusion, really. These folk certainly knew more than he did, but none were outright malicious. Yet. He'd just have to keep his own eyes and ears open – easier said than done.

Valiel's shoulders relaxed, as the little bit of tension she'd been feeling disappeared. This was familiar territory. She didn't know exactly where they were, but the Cryptic Wood was easily recognizable.
A glance over her shoulder confirmed the rest of the group were following her, stepping through the ethereal doorway into the sunny forest. She smiled reassuringly and stepped over to the bottle, before pulling the note out. Unfolding it, she waited till the rest of the group had come through, so they could read it with her.
….

Veronica's eyes widened as Valiel disappeared, and then others followed. She looked back at Arthur, who was still behind her, and he didn't seem to be going anywhere. So the only way out of this was forward.
A few steps took her through the closet wall, and into the sunlight. The change in scenery, the sudden loss of control on the situation, and the lack of knowledge of where she was, all combined in Veronica's head, and she recoiled from the light, closing her eyes and throwing her hands out in front of her. A mad scramble backwards sent her tripping over a rock, and panic set in as she realized she was with a bunch of strangers and nobody knew where she was. Her breathing hitched, and when she opened her eyes to look around, there was the same expression a wild animal has when cornered.
Something at her shoulders also flexed involuntarily, her wings trying to flair but stifled by her thick hoodie.

Valiel looked up as Veronica panicked, and started to step towards her, a hand out. "Veronica, it's ok, you're alright-"
She was cut off by a ragged snarl from the girl, and froze where she was. Arthur stepped through the portal just then, and took in the scene quickly. Veronica on her back, hands out in front of her, warding something off, snarling like a feral creature. Valiel trying to fix the situation, looking concerned, speaking gently.
He looked at the others, motioning for them to stay back… unless…
"Any of you think you can help, maybe? Don't rush her, but… "

(I arrive)
(oh, and can I just say I freaking LOVE Tomma's way of speaking?? idk about the rest of you, but his voice sounds soft but rough at the same time, gentle and low and kind but tough all at once. I love his voice!!)

Einar whirled, taking in the situation. The cute girl with the lumpy hoodie was loosing her cool, and the others were getting more and more anxious with the intensity of her mood. One of the suspected normals had come through the portal, the rest had perhaps been unable to? The scenery and landscape barely registered, the situation at hand outweighing sightseeing.

StOOp thinking of her as cute! She might go feral and eat ALL of you!

"Hey." He softened his voice and eyes, dropping his head and doing his best to look nonthreatening. He bent his knees to crouch about five or six feet away. "Hey, hey. Look, I don't know what's going on in that head, but you're safe. No one here will hurt you. You don't have to trust any of us, you don't have to trust me. But we won't hurt you." He took a breath. "You don't have to trust me, but you can."
And he unveiled his wings.

The air shimmered behind him, a huge area two or three times him arm-span and two times his height. A whoosh of displaced air ruffled his hair – Very dramatically, the mean voice in his head added, You aren't in a movie dumbass – as the oversized wings came into this level of reality. Huge Mourning Dove wings, automatically folding to appear smaller. The plumage was discolored at the ends, as if stained with charcoal. Some of his feathers were missing, leaving gaps. It felt so good to have them by his side, but his gut twisted as he realized how little thinking he had done before making this move.

Greaaaat. Now look what you did.
Stop.
I'll stop when you stop being a brainless fledgling.

He folded them as tightly as he could to his back, but the size made coordination difficult as always. The wingtips still fluttered and twitched around his ankles.

Glancing to the rest of the people, he saw the expected expressions of shock, disbelief and maybe…Realization? some of them looked more like 'the pieces are coming together and this makes sense' than the others.

-

(should I go ahead and write the note, or should we resolve Veronica's panic attack first? Hope im not out of line here, Einar volunteered and im so glad I was able to get to know him a little better through this interaction)

Stella sighed, happy someone else acted first. She threw off several of her layers of clothing, until she was just in a tailored shirt, sweatpants, and shoes filled with foam that she stabbed her not-feet into. She hummed happily, stretching her wings and fluttered over to Veronica. She kept a bit of distance, but hummed a calming tune at the girl, slowly getting closer at to not startle her.

Sylvya sighed, also shedding a few layers, into a cute gothic dress without sleeves. She stayed back, knowing a black widow humanoid spider would not help calm anyone down.

Basic Info

Name: Janine (juh-NEEN) Montague
Nicknames (Optional): Jane, J
Age: 18
Gender: Female

Appearance

Skin Tone: Very pale, colorless and pallid, seeming almost drained of blood (Hex Color #FFFCF2)
Height: 7'4 13/16" (Needs to duck a considerable distance to fit into conventional doorways.)
Weight: Despite her large frame, she's very light, only weighing about 186.55 lbs.
Eye Color: Her left eye is a dark reddish brown, and her right is a deep, ashy purple but they glow strangely when in the dark, with a crimson light. (Hex color #7B2910)
Hair Color: Ash grey (#B2BEB5)
Hair Style-

Legs and arms very long in proportion to her torso, very slim shouldered and not much meat on her bones. In certain lights you can count most of her ribs, a very weird effect considering she's nowhere near underweight. She also has almost creepily long fingers that have extra joints, so that her thumbs have three joints (the base, the normal second and then an added third, making it just a bit shorter than a normal index finger) and each other finger is stretched to add a fourth joint. Her body is very slim and lithe, and the muscles that are visible beneath her skin are like rubber bands pulled taut, ready to snap and send her flying at any moment. As for her facial structure, it's very slim and sharp, all angles and planes, almost wild and feral in appearance, her eyes sunken slightly into their sockets. And though she's born human, her teeth are more akin to a mix between a tiger's and a wolf's: sharp, designed for ripping and tearing rather than grinding and chewing like normal human teeth.
Identifying Marks (tattoos, scars, birthmarks, etc.): She has a ring of puncture scars on her neck where the base of her skull is, though you can only see it when the wind is strong enough to blow all her hair away from that area to reveal he undercut as well as said scars.
Usual Outfit: A very oversized black hoodie with a large hood, a black beanie, baggy grey sweatpants and a pair of beat up classic Vans.

Personality

Basic Personality: Despite all appearances, Jane is a very outgoing and carefree spirit, though she, of course, isn't without her flaws. However, rather than letting her flaws be who she is, she chooses to simply act in a way that makes her feel good. Though all this doesn't mean she has a particularly good moral compass. In the end, she only really looks out for herself. If something doesn't interest her, she won't take part or anything like that. After all, when you're treated like a freak, you tend to start being a little. . . freak-y. But she cares strongly for her friends, and one thing she doesn't like is when someone she cares about is being treated in a shitty manner.
Sexuality: Bi. . . herself.
Fears: Nothing, really. After all, peering into the void is just about the worst it gets. (Or so she says. Deep down inside she's terrified o being forgotten or left behind, but she'll never admit that to anybody, least of all herself.)
Hopes: To be able to eat good food and live life the way she wants.
Motivations/Goals: Motivations? Goals? Who cares? She has a long time, she doesn't need to worry about that yet.
Hobbies: Eating, sleeping and playing video games, and tinkering with electronics.
Talents: Electronics and gaming. Eating large amounts of food.
Physical Conditions: It always seems like no matter how much she eats, she never gains weight. . .
Mental Conditions: Sometimes, when she's around normal humans, an uncomfortable urge to do. . . something. . . sweeps over her.
Backstory (optional): Will reveal given time. Just know she's very troubled.
Other: On top of the other physical differences she has, it seems any injury she gets heals extremely fast. Almost as though she can't be injured, at least for long. . .

Valiel smiled, just a little, as a few of the members of the group began to come out of their shells. She kept an eye on Veronica, gauging the girl's reaction. A glance at Arthur revealed that he too was relieved to see that most of their group were what they claimed to be- cryptids.

Veronica watched, her eyes wide, as various members of the group threw off their human forms and revealedt themselves to be something else. She swallowed hard, just really trying to get her heart rate and breathing under control. She glanced at Valiel and Arthur, and they both had the same reaction. Both raised a hand, and shifted the form of that hand to a paw, complete with fur, paw pads, and claws. Clearly, she was amongst a group of people like her, outcasts from society who were all a bit different from the norm. That thought, and sudden curiosity about the rest of their lives and where they were, distracted her mind from the fear and the panic, and she began to calm down.
And then, she took a second look at Einar, and realized why she had been drawn to him from the start. Those wings were huge. His attitude said he'd had to hide, same as she had, though his method seemed a little more sophisticated than a big hoodie. She swallowed hard, calming the last of her frantic feelings, and got to her feet, taking a little hesitant step towards Einar.
"You're safe, Veronica. We won't let anything happened to you here." Valiel said quietly, and got a shaky nod in return.
That situation resolved, Valiel's attention returned to the note in her hands. She turned around, inviting the rest of the group to come around here and read the note with her. Arthur stepped forward, nodding at the rest to join them.

Janine watches as everyone slowly makes their way to the meeting place for the "therapy" and hums a soft tune.

Wish Hive had found this damn place sooner. . . I was running out of businesses to bum off of. she thinks sourly before catching herself and sighing, berating herself. It wasn't Hive's fault nobody would hire such an obvious freak of nature. In the first place, he's the one who had given her even a temporary source of income. She couldn't thank him enough for that.

And besides, it's not like it's his fault I can't find a place to live either. . . she adds. Of course, she didn't know if it was even anybody else's fault but her own in the first place. Though Hive had given her a space in the forest to crash.

But that's beside the point.

What mattered right now is that all these cryptid's emotions were running on a constant "high" level, meaning they were all on edge and unsure of their selves. It was Janine's job to - hopefully - calm them down enough to listen to why they were there and for her to guide them to their new living spaces.

It really had come as a shock to her. Her and Hive had been searching for about a year and a half in the first place for the forest, for one of its entrances. Janine had been the one to stumble across the weird manhole cover and report it. She'd been payed a lot for that. Enough to buy her a pizza from one of the little bakeries in a back alley of the shitty part of the city.

She'd pried it open and dropped down and had found herself. . . somewhere. She'd climbed back out and reported it when she got to a library.

A really good deal, all in all. Fall in an unusual hole, get paid enough for food.

She shakes her head, clearing away these thoughts, loping towards the group meeting place and ducking through the door, finding a group of clearly not human humans.

"Hey guys. I'm Janine. Call me Jane or J. I'm working with the guy who sent out that notice that brought you here." she says. Her voice was at once unusual and calming, very husky, like the last vestiges of light touching a stark mountainside in fall. It was almost enough to offset her. . . troubling appearance. And despite her voice, her appearance - very unsettlingly long everywhere and freakishly tall - and aura - predatory, calm, watchful, almost as though she stood at the apex of all food chains on land - were enough to put most normal people on edge.

"The guy's name is Hive. He's. . . unique. More so than me or any of you," she chuckles. And as soon as the laugh left her, as soon as her mouth opened wide enough to show her teeth, it was like staring at the face a being who could very easily tear you apart but chooses to laugh and smile with you instead.

"Now, I know you all were likely in the middle of it already, or at least about to start, but let's get this started. Everybody introduce yourselves and tell us what manner of cryptid or non-human being you are," she suggests.

Stella buzzed, fluttering her wings a bit, stretching them, as she waited for Sylvya to speak. Sylvya quickly did so, smiling and blinking all eight of her eyes. "As I said before, I'm Sylvya, and this is Stellalune, or Stella, for short. We're hybrids, a creation of magic bearing humans who tested their magic on a few too many animals.
"I'm a spider hybrid, a black widow, meaning I can spin webs, stick to most walls, I'm venomous, among some other things. Stella is a glowing blue moth hybrid. Like her insect counterpart, her wings and antenna glow, and she can't speak, as her mouth is more moth-like. She can buzz, hum, and squeak though."

There was something about the new lady that set off Tommahud's internal "yikes" alarm. He didn't like when her gaze fell onto him, even if it was just for a passing moment. It itched. Like his bones were rippling beneath his skin. Urgh.

"I's ain't no-one special. Least not here, I don't think."

He caught himself in the midst of another wistful glance towards Arthur, as though Tommad was some lost puppy. He peeled his eyes away, taking a gander over the other not-quite humans before opting to stare over Janine's shoulder instead. Better than making eye contact, at least.

" 'M just some guy, I s'pose. From the woods out yonder. And things… things talk to me, y'know? Dead things. They'da point atta buncha mushrooms an' say, 'Don't eat those – s'why I'm dead,' yeah?"

Tommahud's eyes were flitting about as if he was lying, but he was merely fighting the feeling of his heart crawling up his throat. His fingers fussed the grip of his cane. It gave to his pressure and leaned, creaking faintly beneath the swishing of the canopy.

"Calls that bein' Sighted where I'm from, and they don't like it much. Somethin', somethin' about bein' a 'harbinger.' Iun even know what tha' means, so guess I can't comment on tha'. But I moved out to th' countryside alone, and it gave me a whole heapin' helpin' of issues, so I came to th' city, and is been alrighty since."

He quirked his shoulders in an odd "ta-da!" motion.

"Ah, yeah, that's 'bout it."

On reflex, Einar flinched away from Janice. She was so tall, human but not, with an ethereal, just-might-kill-you beauty to her. His wings flexed down and out, feet taking one tiny, protective step toward Veronica. Her step toward him hadn't been missed, and he pondered whaat it could mean.

She doesn't want your protection. You couldn't protect her from anything anyway!
It was just reflex. I know I can't do anything.
Then why did the reflex still react?

After a count of four, during which everyone digested Tommahud's words but no one offered their own, he debated for another three seconds whether or not to step up.
"Um. I'm Einar. My family is a real aristocratic one, part of the Winged Society in my realm. Oh, uh I kinda did some minor world hopping to get to this one, too. Mine is similar but…different."

REaally? similar but different?

His wings, which were looking a little see-through due to his unconscious habit of keeping them veiled, were tightly folded against his back. The wing-tips still twitched, no matter how hard he clenched the muscles.

"I dont have much by way of abilities." Her lifted his hands in a helpless gesture. "I can occasionally use telekinesis, sometimes I can sense auras if my mind is quiet; but my mind blocks most of that ability cause it would be super overwhelming if not blocked." He took a breath, trying to order his scattering thoughts.

"Most wings aren't as large as mine. Birth defect, I guess. I get a lot of… crap from my folks about them. Because they're so oversized, I uh, dont have much coordination in them. I can fly really fast if I wanted to, but the steering get finicky at speed for me. I prefer to coast on updrafts."

You sound weak and sentimental, with a soft heart. You should appear strong and confident.
What's so bad about compassion?
Tough people survive. Compassionate people get stepped on and used.
That seems wrong…
Only cause its true.

Relaxing his wings and lifting this chin to meet Janine's eyes, he shrugged. "Thats all, I guess. Unless I left out something important which I doubt." Hopefully the illusion of softness fell away a little if he could look the most terrifying person there in the eye. But did he actually want to not look soft? He fiddled with his hands and the heel of his shirt, before realizing that it probably looked nervous. Cause it is, stupid.

He just wished the voice in his head, the one that sounded like his parents, would stop.

Valiel smiled as Janine came running up. A second look at the note explained why. She read it out loud for the group to hear once Janine had introduced herself.

Friends,
You made it. I am glad you are here. Welcome to the Cryptid Woods, just one part of the underground Cryptid community! You can trust J. She can bring you to meet me, if you'd like. I can then answer other questions you might have.
Again, welcome.
-Hive

Valiel beamed up at Janine. "Hi there. My name is Valiel. I'm a Hinterlands Skin-changer." She held up the hand she had shown Veronica a couple minutes before, and very quickly shifted its form from paw to fin to hoof to claw, and back to her normal hand. "Always good to meet another guide." Her watchful eyes turned on the rest of the group, keeping tabs on their mental states and sense of well-being. Most seem to be doing okay, though Tomma, Einar, and Veronica were showing a lot of nerves. Still, that was to be expected. New place, new people, and likely the first chance they had ever had to be themselves without fear of immediate repercussion. Valiel could remember her first time too.

Arthur watched the interaction between Valiel and Janine. All seemed well, and the tall girl wasn't setting off any of Valiel's dark alarms, so that was good. As soon as she had to come running up though, Sixclaw had growled quietly.
Lots of power there.
She's a friend, don't be so suspicious.
It wasn't much that made the Revenant take notice, so Arthur was glad that their new guide seemed friendly. "Name's Arthur, and I host a Revenant Werewolf." He looked at Tomma and smiled a bit. "Lots of conversations with someone no one else can see. Makes me look a bit crazy. That, and something about becoming a 15 ft tall wolf - Man - beast thing."

Veronica was the last, and she was just staring at Janine. The others seemed ready to trust the tall predator, but Veronica wasn't really ready to trust anyone yet.
Except maybe the boy with the beautiful wings.
When Einar had a stepped towards her, almost protectively, she had stepped a little closer to him as well, near his back. There was no way she was introducing herself again, not after what had just happened, but she did manage to whisper, very quietly, where only he could hear her. "Nice wings…"

J nods. "Sylvya, black widow, and Stella, blue moth. Nice to meet you both. I hope life as something other than a guinea pig is everything you hoped it would be."

She stares at Tommahund, bemused.

"Gifted with Sight, eh? Beyond the grave. No clue what that means for what you are as a race, since you certainly look human enough. But I know some funny fellows. Oracles, we call them. See the future and stuff. It's all a bit out of my understanding, since I was kicked out of school," she says to him, unconsciously imitating the way he talked near perfectly.

As a matter of fact, it would seem that no matter who she talked to, she could imitate the accent and all the weird small noises made when speaking. It was a definite pointer towards what she was, since she had yet to figure it out. Hive had said he had some ideas but wanted to wait and see what else happened before confirming or denying his suspicions with himself.

Presently, she turns towards Einar, her secondary instincts kicking in. It was clear from the way her gaze sharpened upon landing on the feathered not-human that she seemed to be a bit weary of him, though weather it was more because of his abilities or the fact that he said he'd hopped worlds was unclear. She took note of the fact that he'd moved in front of another person there, a lady.

"Einar. From the. . . Winged Society, you say? Definitely never heard of them, but enjoy your time in this hellhole of a place called Earth. If you're an outcast among outcasts there then you'll fit right in with us here. Though if where you're from is similar I doubt it'll take long to get used to our wonderful little planet in full," she chuckles bitterly and sarcastically.

She finally turns to Valiel, Arthur and Veronica.

Something about this particular grouping made her skin itch, made some base instinct in her genetics want to go haywire and take over, but she forced it down quickly enough.

"Nice to meet you, Val. Nice to see a shifter every once in a while. I've always been fascinated by the different types and all your powers, and it's a pain in the ass to even get close to one, since. . . well, shifting forms is something you all do with practiced ease. I look forward to working with you as a guide," she grins.

She then turns to Arthur. Her skin itched, in the way that said "That is a fellow predator hiding in humanish skin. Be cautious."

And as such, he was the only one she walked up to and held out her hand for him to shake, though how he would go about shaking a hand that was nearly a foot long was beyond her.

"Nice to meet you, Arthur and Revenant Werewolf," she says, her eyes locked onto Arthur's, flashing slightly in the dim, rippling light of the forest.

After she was done greeting Arthur, she turns to the last member, the one Einar had moved in front of. She crouches down to be more in line with her line of sight, trying to seem less threatening.

"Hey Girl. What's your name? Can't help you feel welcome if I don't know it," she says quietly.

(I known I'm out of order but I figured I'd resolve the handshake and stuff real quick. Serenity after me to start the order again?)

Arthur nodded and gave a half smile, meeting her gaze and holding it. He wasn't flinching, but his expression also wasn't one of challenge, just recognition.
As for J's huge hand, he glanced at it, and then shifted his entire arm. The muscles bulged, fur grew quickly, his hand grew several sizes, sprouted claws, and wound up looking more like a massive paw. Still, it was the right size to shake her hand now, comfortably for them both, and he was careful of his grip as he did. Not because he feared he might hurt her; he just wasn't interested in starting a squeeze war. "Nice to meet you too. The wolf in my head goes by Sixclaw."

Veronica had further shrunk behind Einar as Janine stepped towards her and crouched. The crouch was supposed to make less tall and less intimidating to Veronica, but the girl only saw a predator coiling itself to strike, ready to pounce. She shrank back, silent, not answering in the least, her eyes wide and locked onto J.
Valiel rescued the situation from becoming an anxiety inducing staring match. "Her name is Veronica. She doesn't say much." She gave Veronica a gentle smile, before turning back to J. "So you know where Hive is holed up, huh?"

His skin at the back of his neck prickled as Veronica whispered, "Nice wings." He could only hope he didn't smell bad or anything, cause he found himself automatically trying to stay in a protective mode.

Dude. Just stop. You aren't good enough for any relationships. You look like you think you're in a drama movie; ya look stupid.
Yeah. I know. But if she trusts me, I wouldn't want to let her down…right?
No matter what you do, you will let everyone down.

"The Winged Society is just a fancy-ass name for a bunch of stuck-up winged families who think they're better than humankind and that humans don't deserve to know of them, or something like that. My family is one of the higher-ranking families." Einar glared momentarily at a leaf a few feet away. Looking back up to Janine, he caught what appeared to be weariness in her eyes.

How could a fearsome, no doubt powerful being be worried of me?
You're making it up.

"I had to get here through a thin spot, a very old one. it was difficult to find, and I think that's cause this particular one moves around. My home is just like this one, but more people have magical abilities and the mystic is welcome and nurtured." He laughed a laugh without humor. "My classmates at school ride home on a Sky Whale most days!"

As Janine greeted the others, he turned his head over his shoulder. Einar's wings, he realized, were looking partially transparent, like stained glass. His habit of keeping them veiled was still kicking in, completely unconscious. With an exhale, he relaxed the muscle in his mind, letting them fully exist on this plane of reality. They flickered uncertainly when Janine turned her attention to Veronica.

(heyyy, guess who forgot about her characters she made just for this rp!! couldn't be me…yeah its me. Null, idk if you've read the whole thing here, but I have two other characters on their way to the forest. I will post an update on them soon, probably out of turn😅)
(oh ye I wrote this like six hours ago, before Davadio, but didn't get around to posting until just now🤦‍♀️)

Stella fluttered her own wings and hummed happily. In the shade of the trees, the glow of her wings and antennae was visible, although not awfully bright. She chirped back at J, impressed at the slight buzzing under her voice. She waved happily at the rest of the group, wondering if any would be able to read her as well as Sylvya could.

Sylvya nodded to J, looking around at everyone again. It was certainly an odd group, at least by human standards. She didn't mind the variety, but she was feeling protective of Stella, and she was fighting back a snarl. Now wasn't the time or place to be overprotective.