[Kylo]

It was a crisp spring day in Roraldi Forest and Feemor couldn't be more at peace. The sun was shining,  the sky was clear, it was warm but not too warm. It was all together a perfect day for a group hike in the woods.

Feemor looked over at the gathered group with his characteristic soft smile and waved cordially.

"Hello everyone. My name is Feemor and I will be your guide today on this group hike. I hope you read over the general safety rules and packed basic supplies because we will be out most of the day and it would be very difficult to turn around in this terrain in a timely manner."

He smiles again as he folds his hands into his cloak.

"Some ground rules. No running, stay with the group at all times, do not eat anything you did not personally bring with you, and do not harm or disturb the wildlife. Please only take pictures and recordings, don't pick any plants or move any rocks. It disturbs the ecosystem. Remember, look, don't touch, as a general rule. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to ask me for help. I promise I don't mind."

He pulled out some maps and handed them out to the group.

"Ive marked our path on this map I've given you so if you do get separated it will be easier to regroup. Remember to stay put if you are lost unless it is dangerous to do so. I promise we will turn around to find you should anything happen."

He checked to make sure everyone was ready before announcing that the hike had begun and he set off at a steady pace into the woods along a dirt path.

[Prizes will be announced at the end of the event. The event is an rp event and thus has the 75 word count minimum. Please remember to follow all forum rules and to have fun! There is no set end date as this time but it will be announced in advanced when it is known. ]

[Moofius]

Neimah

To think she had spent so much of her life in a desert listening almost exclusively to wind and sand. They were barely even in the woods, likely the part that got the most human traffic and it was birds and insects calling to their kin in a million, simple, incomprehensible tongues.

Neimah turned her head side to side as her white cane tappped along the warn path. She wasn't looking for the birds and the insects, only turning her ear to better catch their sound... or the heat sensing pits in her face to get a better "view" of the canopy.

Her species might not have eyes, but in her natural form she had organs to help make up for it. The worked in her human form aswell, though somewhat dulled. Sometimes the cane was not just for show. Today was one such time, as the sun warmed the ground unevenly through the canopy. A canopy! The desert native eagerly lapped up the strange, spotty, thermal image she received, tapping her way to avoid old roots and the like.

Ahead she heard a voice just starting up introductions and quickened her pace and adjust the shining copper dyed silk band that covered her eyes. It wasn't a horrific sight, but one that certainly drew more attention than she would like. Granted the copper colour contrasted with the dark tone of her skin, drawing attention without gasps or muttered shock was worse than the usual curious questions the band brought.

Today she wore leggings and khaki's, thick socks and hiking boots, and a light jacket. For her the brisk spring air might aswell be an arctic coldfront for the effect it had on her body. Brr!

Propping her head on her cane she listened to the instructions and chose to keep close to the guide. Getting lost was NOT on her agenda.

[Wyvern]

After days if not weeks of being nudged and insistent on making him leave his seclusion within the far winter mountains, the Lucain had finally came out of their reclusion, and stepped onwards and onto the springtime and towards it's warm inviting atmosphere. His few, selective "friends" having tried to explain to him that staying in the cold, dark lands for so long was no good for his health, convincing him to at least go out for a bit of a walk. But Asmodai was not alone, as someone happened to tag along for his little trek, albeit, at a distance.

Following the Lucain though not too closely, a curious Shinzo couldn't help but stop to glance and stare at the beautiful flower patches, bushes, trees, and colorful vegetation, and to listen to the little birds gleefully sing. But she rarely ever got close enough to touch or interact with the flora and fauna in any way. She knew curiosity could get the best of her and lead into her clumsy side, and her innate ability for fire led her to think it might not be a great idea to approach the delicate wildlife.

"Excuse me... Pandora, isn't it?" Asmodai stopped his calm stride to look back at his... newfound traveling "companion". He shook his head in a hurrying gesture, indirectly pointing at the small gathering of people coming together on the higher cliff ahead of them. "We may want to hurry a little, for us to not fall behind. We must stay close, alright?"

[zapdragon555]

Cerys

Springtime was the perfect time of year for restocking herb stores—so many plants were in the flush of new life, dotting and clustering around the landscape, potentially life-saving materials that Cerys very much needed to replenish now that the dead of winter had finally loosened its grip. Damon and himself had settled here for a short time during the winter; in spite of his inability to age physically, Cerys' hip did get worse with use, especially during the wintertime... and while the two of them, wanderers by nature and necessity, didn't often stop... an exception had been made.

To all who might look at him, Cerys looked normal enough. A somewhat heavyset man, perhaps in his mid to late forties, with a single eyepatch covering visible scarring that suggested worse damage beneath it. Long dark hair lay braided loose behind his back, a wide-brimmed hat atop his head to shade him. And that was all anyone would see, because he'd eaten recently, and had even packed a few vials of cow's blood in his satchel in case he needed to treat anyone's injuries along the way. It didn't do well for a vampire doctor to be a bit peckish while treating wounds. While Cerys couldn't be tempted by human blood, for he'd taken a vow to do no harm... it could distract him. And distractions could mean life or death in particularly bad cases of injury.

Not that Cerys really expected his services to be needed here. It was only a friendly hike after all, one Damon had suggested he go along with, citing it might be the best way for him to pick herbs, especially if he had a guide. After all, they were new to this area, and it would be nice to speak to someone so familiar with the mountains as to organize an event. Hopefully there would be no wind today that would send his shade hat flying, or he might be the one in need of medical attention instead.

...but it seemed, as he stood there listening to the guide's instructions, one Mr. Feemor, that Damon had been sorely mistaken. This was no place to pick herbs... not with that very pointed instruction to leave all wildlife alone, including plants. Cerys was unable to hide the grimace on his face as he took the offered map, sighing inwardly and thinking on the fact that he could've been lying in bed right then, huddled next to Damon's warmth. But the dhampir had been so excited to find this hiking event, and Cerys was damn determined to go on it, if only so that he could make Damon happy. Herbs or no herbs.

There was, of course, always the idea that he could double back and pick some in secret... but some moral weight in his chest tugged at his still heart about it. This Feemor guy just seemed too kind and caring to deceive.

At the very least, he didn't seem particularly out of place here. He with his limp and blind side, and just nearby, a woman with a cloth covering her eyes, tapping away with her stick to get an idea of the area. He smiled towards her, though not at her, knowing she couldn't see it. It was more a small nod of understanding, a bit of kinship, than anything else. As they began to walk, Cerys drew up beside her, unconsciously wanting to keep a bit of an eye on her. He was sure she could get around just fine, but hiking trails were unfamiliar territory with all sorts of places for even fully seeing people to trip over and snag on.

"I'm thankful it's mostly shady under these trees," he murmured, half to himself, half because... despite everything, he had gotten a bit more used to the concept of making friends. After so many years traveling with Damon, Cerys had slowly opened up a bit more. The world was a safer place now than it used to be, especially for people like him. "I'm visiting from somewhere far away... do you live around here?" He was still not very good at small talk... but he was getting there. Embarrassing practice made not-perfect-but-workable-enough.

That, and not so far behind them, Cerys felt a small, instinctive jump, a catching of breath, to see what looked like a wolf approaching them... but he reminded himself, again, just what sorts of creatures he'd seen so far on his travels. A whole myriad of people in different shapes and sizes... he only hoped this one was a traveling companion rather than a hunter. And he hoped doubly so that he didn't smell too much like the vampiric, black sheep that he was able to shift into.

[Moofius]

"No, actually," She said with a smile, slightly forced as she was surprised to know he was so close, but took a breath, "I'm on my first proper vacation and wanted to experience some of the old growth forests I've heard so much about. I'm use to a lot more direct sun than this, so it'll be good for the walk to start so I can warm up a bit." She said, her smile more at ease than the start of her answer.
She'd heard foot steps but had assumed he was further away since she hadn't picked up any body heat, or very little. Even turning towards him the image she was getting was... dull. He was as warm an the leaves, or as cold as a corpse if you would prefer a more visceral image of what her heat sensing was picking up.

Neimah was a monster of sorts herself, so she wasn't about to call out what could very well be kin. There didn't seem to be any ill intention here, but she'd have to keep an ear out for it during the walk.
"I didn't catch were away was for you," She offered to continue the conversation, while also looking back towards somebody who seemed to be making up for her conversation companion's warmth.
"Oh! I'm Neimah, by the by," She laughed, remembering introductions as she stuck out her hand, waiting for the other person to meet her half way. She generally had to initiate contact or people got flustered and incredibly quiet, which made it harder to pinpoint where they were and what they were doing, even with her heat vision.

[Wyvern]

Asmodai was able to arrive at the top of the hill just in time for him to take a map of the region for himself. He seemed a bit frustrated towards Pandora's constant distractions, the creature that looked like she was made out of bright red flame inevitably taking at least a few moments to stop and look around before hopping onwards to the hill.

As the Lucain plopped down and peered into the map, which was initially neatly folded several times, he took note of the several landmarks that he hoped the group of hikers would pass by, at least for a while. Even though it wasn't entirely interesting to him to actually gaze at the beautiful atmosphere, at least it will be a nice view and a story to tell to the others.

Pandora eventually caught up to her companion, who she noticed was distracted with a different task of his own. She softly hummed and paced about, looking at the very same map for a moment before noticing the group of people besides them, which were happily chattering.

Some of them looked very well prepared for the trip. She knew Asmodai was also quite equipped for the occasion, but it didn't compare to what she could witness. Even the figures that appeared to look older seemed so vigorous and eager, looking forward to the hike.

"Oh, everyone here looks so friendly!" The wings of her head fluttered a bit, though she was speaking towards Asmodai, he was too focused to pay attention to her words.

[zapdragon555]

Another out-of-towner! Cerys smiled to himself and nodded, then recalled he needed to make noise—letting out a soft mm to show he was listening as she spoke. Usually Damon was the more talkative between them unless Cerys was in some anxious mood, and then there could be no silence, but Cerys was feeling quite good that day in spite of his bad hip still shaking off the winter chill.

Direct sun... it was certainly a bit chilly out, but not unpleasantly so. "I take it you're maybe from a warmer climate, then?" And a place without forests, he thought to himself, though he left that part out. Best not to make too many assumptions, or suggest that someone hadn't seen something as universal as trees... though there were some places without trees. There were. Curiosity dampened by awkwardness sat in his belly like food that disagreed with him—which was all food, now that he'd been turned, and especially for so long. What was it coming up on... eighty years...?

Utterly unawares that she had in any way sized him up, or rather, was unable to do so due to his low body temperature, he simply smiled and tilted his head back a bit to see her better—she was a good deal taller than him, after all, but that wasn't a hard thing to be. "Ahh... somewhere cold," he admitted, sheepish for some reason. "There, it would still be snowing this time of year..." There wasn't really enough of a home to go back to. The clinic likely still stood, or it had been raided by wanderers and passersby, or it had fallen to dilapidated ruin... or perhaps his old mentor's magic protected it still, even in her long, long absence. The old witch had cared a lot about her things, but had cared about people more. It had never been a strong enough warding magic as to keep anyone out who needed care.

Cerys blinked his one eye as the woman offered her name, and her hand, both. Cerys hesitated in the sort of way that one would who was utterly un-used to an offered hand... but extended his own after a beat of quiet, wrapped in black leather. It would mask his chilled skin... and hide the silver burn scars underneath. "Good to know you, Neimah. Ah—Cerys. Crowther," he stammered out his surname on instinct and then wondered, quickly, if he should have. He and Damon had grown quite comfortable traveling together with assumptions that it was safe enough to simply be, but being and spreading a name around were two different things.

Still... this woman wasn't a vampire. And Cerys was quite sure, or hoped quite badly, that the vampires who had destroyed his village so long ago had lost interest in him entirely. But his grip was a bit flighty and nervous as he shook her hand, clearing his throat abruptly. "Or you can call me doctor if that's easier, but—but Cerys is just fine."

His eye darted ahead, and as he turned his face forward, he spotted a rather gnarled tree root sticking out in the path, twisted and looped over the ground in such a way that it might make nasty work of the end of Neimah's stick. He cleared his throat again, softer, and gestured—realized how stupid that was—and then spoke up, quite softly. "Tree root up ahead, about ten steps..."

[Moofius]

"Yes!" She laughed, "Sorry! I'm from Wilt'no, a smaller village set against a clay cliffside that keeps the sand out of our wells most days."

If anything her guise of being fully blind was not going to be easily questioned as she reoriented her head to look down towards the man in front of her. Not that she'd had her neck cranked back, Neimah generall met eye-to-eye with most men as she was nearly 6 feet tall, but "Cerys" was a smaller man and she could only judge based on where his voice was coming from. It had been a long time since she'd last felt truly blind and she wished it was more novel than it was frustrating.

"Oh, hmm! I've visited a colleagues home in the Fe'gan mountains once. She said the snow never truly melts, which seems atrocious. But then some would argue getting sand blasted everyday of your life is worse, ha!" They were moving now and she was swinging her cane, though trying her best not to make the arc too sweeping, lest she hit any other hikers.

While the partner that had picked her out seemed unsure of some of his answers, and a little vague when he gave them he seemed more nervous than actively witholding things from her. It made asking questions easy.
"Oh, a doctor? Medical or something else? I'm actually working on my undergrad in pharmacologic studies." If announcing you were a doctor was a faux pas, Neimah didn't care. The moment she had hers she would be DOCTOR Neimah to literally everyone she met. It was her life long dream and a challenging title to earn, why wouldn't you demand it's use?

"Hmm?" Her attention turned back to the trail, a funny habit to have when you were blind, but most people believed her when she said she was listening for or to something when pressed. As for actually seeing the root ahead, she couldn't make it out. There was no heat on it, or lack there of, just vague blobs of cool with even less helpful warm spots from the dappled light. So she tapped carefully, trying to lift up and tap down without too much forward motion to get it hooked on the unseen obstable. The sound of compressed dirt and fallen leaves changed to a woodier tone as the end of the cane found the obstacle.
"Thank you Doctor Crowther," She said to get it stuck in her mind as she stepped over the root.

Jordan

Already feeling winded Jordan finished a slow bend in the trail that turned into a slightly more open section of the forest where it looked like the group was gathering. The young man gripped the straps of his backpack a little tighter as he power walked to catch up.

The hike was his idea, he had noone to blame but himself. He had wanted a break from dealing with his summoned daemon, Coziel. A hike seemed a perfect fit, since Coziel was so opposed to any effort. The problem?

So was Jordan.

But he was here now, and he was going to enjoy the time away from Coziel with nothing to remind him of-

... Was that a kangaroo on fire? He flinched for a moment as he sized the creature up before approaching with caution. Coziel was very fiery - figuratively, but also literally.
"Uhm, hey there... I'm Jordan," He started as he looked the creature up and down again, "I have a uh... friend, who is also has fire stuff going on. He doesn't have great control over it," That was a lie, Coziel purposefully singed his sheets just to be a dick.
"I assume you have prety good control over it? Seeing as we're in a forest."
An attempt at tact was made, but if he came off as an overly concerned Karen sticking his nose where it didn't belong... well. Oops?

[Wyvern]

"Hmm?" The purple Lucain just now caught awareness of what his companion was trying to do. He looked towards Pandora's general direction for a quick moment before glancing back down at the map. "I apologize. This may come off as odd, but can I trust you to hold onto the map? I do not know what may be more inconvenient, truthfully, given my... well... lack of skillful limbs? I think you may know where am I heading with this."

Pandora gave an excited nod as she didn't even think twice before reaching down to grab and carefully fold the map before holding it firmly in both of her hands. "Hey, I understand perfectly! Don't 'cha worry, Mr. Asmodai." She responded, somewhat out loud, possibly loud enough to be heard by anyone close by the pair. The Shinzo's voice tone as a whole was not akin to that of a full-grown woman, but not quite like a child's either - the Lucain's was a lot more deep, mature, and calm in comparison. Pandora would insist, "You can trust me I won't cause harm to the map. Or to anything in the forest, if you're THAT worried." She began to let out a soft, little giggle, as she paced a bit back and forth.

"Alright, I shall entrust you with that task." Asmodai gave a slow blink, and exhaled in relief. While he began to step forward to try and keep up with the travelers that began to proceed with the touring of the forest, Pandora had this strange sensation of something... or rather, someone, clearly not the Lucain - he was visibly walking away; someone was approaching ever closer to her. Carefully, she looked over her shoulder before turning around, her fiery tail held close to the rest of her body.

The Shinzo saw a figure that resembled a young man, at least, one much younger than the rest of the other humanlike figures that had gathered near them. They had a bit of a surprised look on their face, or so she thought. Was there something wrong? Her gaze quickly scanned the immediate area, but her head didn't move one bit.

"Um, is something the matter?" Pandora tilted their head slightly, then, realising what the man had just spoken about, perhaps there really was no need for alarm, not yet, for the meantime.

"... Oh, hello! I-I'm sorry, I thought something had happened... My name's Pandora!" She gave a little wave, with folded map in hand. "I won't lie, I was honestly worried about this 'fire stuff' you're talking about. I'm trying my best and have been learning how to control it well for the past few years, with the aid of some friends my companion here and I have in common." She looked towards her Lucain companion's general direction. "It's nice to meet you, Jordan."

[zapdragon555]

^{[Going to start posting images every post just to keep my characters' reply chunks straight!]}

Cerys
^{["Human" Form]}

Wilt'no... Cerys didn't know the place, and was rather glad not to. While Neimah described it in a way that made Cerys curious, charmed, the thought of all that sun... it would simply be too dangerous to ever even attempt such a thing. Damon fared just fine in the sunlight, but himself... he'd surely have to cover his entire body the entire time, no matter how bad the heat. Never mind how walking on sand might affect his hip when he wasn't used to it...

Oh, but it wasn't as though she was asking him to visit. Cerys blinked and gave a soft chuckle himself. "No apologies needed, I like to hear about the homes people come from. Mine is... not somewhere I can return to, so it's nice. Do you have family there? Sand blasting or not, I'm sure it's a beautiful place." He wondered, absently, how someone blind could fare in a place with very little to whack a stick on, so to speak. Sand was shifty and soft, and surely was a bit like 'looking' at fast-melting wax, unable to discern a shape clearly. But Cerys knew well enough how one could get used to anything. "I... didn't really, back home, not anymore at least. Family, I mean. You get to be my age, and, well..." He trailed off, wincing. This was a bad conversation topic, and he knew it. Absolutely dour. "You know, usually the world gets smaller, the more you age. You don't move around as much. I'm... the opposite, I'm finding. I guess I wouldn't be much of a wanderer, though, without my..."

...what to call Damon, exactly...?

"...part...ner?" For some reason, he was blushing, faint though it was—vampires couldn't work up much color even on a warm day. He was glad Neimah couldn't see, quite glad. It's just... he'd never really stated it, even in the... dozens... nearly fifty, now, years? They'd been traveling together...? Time... flew, really. It flew too fast. Not that it would run out any time soon. "He, um. He's the adventurous type. Or maybe just the migratory type. Like a bird. One of those noisy long neck wading-types that stab fish out of the water." He'd dropped to a grumble at the last bit, as though Damon's eccentricities were anything but insanely charming to him. And they were.

Cheeks redder now, Cerys cleared his throat sharply and raised his voice a little, as though covering up his inane rambling with dirt. He was quite happy to turn the conversation back to Neimah and her... studies? Oh! Cerys did light up at that, a gentle look in his eye as he nodded and smiled broader. "That's wonderful! Yes, ah, myself... medical, yes. Surgery, specifically, and... botany, herbology, too. Though I can't say I... well, my training was a bit more... nontraditional. I had a mentor... it was a long time ago." Not to say that there weren't colleges back then, some hundred or so years back, but none that Cerys would have had access to. "How do you feel about it? It's difficult, I know that much, all college is. But medical degrees... well, you'll be doing important work. People need medicine..."

He ought to stop talking like a grandfather. He didn't much look like one, looking barely shy of 45. But he was glad to point out a sticking-out root. Even doctors, he knew quite well when it came to himself, needed a bit of looking out for now and then. "'Course," he muttered softly, warm and a touch sheepish. Doctor Crowther... no one really called him that, but it made him smile just to hear. That's... that used to be her name... "It, ah—sorry, you can stop me from rambling at any time. I don't look it, but I'm good at shutting up. Still, though, when you said that, Doctor Crowther... it made me smile. My mentor's name was Agnes Crowther... I took on her name when I studied under her. I miss her, I admit. Quite a bit."

Aesop
^{[Lucain Form]}

A far less human-shaped sort of creature came trotting up, then, clad in dark robes that twinkled like starlight and a wide-brimmed witch's hat. Long, shaggy fur hung in braided bits that swayed as he walked, white tail tips flicking back and forth merrily as he hummed some ancient tune beneath his breath.

Aesop was here on business, though it didn't look it. The man had arrived in this branch of the universe some time ago, and found himself staying put; Evelon was brimming with magic; the stuff permeated the very air, clogged his senses, made it difficult to see the objects he'd come here for. Like a compass that swung every which way, Aesop was lost, though far from hopelessly. He liked taking his time, when it was afforded him... and since Astrochelys and Apisto had followed him to this world this time, he really had no reason to rush. He'd come across those magic items sooner or later, that was a guarantee.  The only problem was, once he'd taken one, he'd come across another, and it all became a rather harrowing and delightful kid-in-candy-store game of how long he could keep this up before getting caught. Not by any authorities, of course. He didn't care about that... but rather... ... ...

Well! It didn't matter. Today he was making a hike up to the top of a historic mountain, and even if that netted him nothing at all, then he'd still taken a lovely hike! And on four legs, it was easier. Aesop had studied this world's fauna carefully and found delight in that both human-shaped things and animal-shaped things seemed on equal footing for the most part, when it came to intelligence. He loved the chance to be something other than his usual form, though he quite adored that, too. It was special, crafted for himself, by himself, with dark skin and hair that rivaled a river in its length and wild flow, with sharp eyes and elegant hands. But today he was a wolf, with blades sticking out of its back, wearing a doggish smile and a skip in his step. Oh, it was just so fun!

He hadn't expected to come across a group on this hike, but it wasn't as though it was an unlikely occurrence. What felt quite lucky though, was that he'd happened upon a Lucain just like himself, pouring over a map with its paws and then electing to hand it off to a fiery companion with opposable thumbs. Ahh... it made him reminisce a bit. Apisto, his own fiery companion, would surely have complained the whole time about this hike, and his cute, long ears would have been flattened all the while. Terribly cute.

The fiery one seemed occupied. Aesop took the chance to sidle up to the other Lucain, his ears perked in what he hoped was a friendly sort of look for this species' body language. "Well met, my friend," he chirped sunnily, twin tails giving a happy swish. "It's nice to see a face like mine! I've been traveling for quite some time now, and just happened to see this pretty trail. This mountain, it has a certain, ahh... how would one put it... mystical chime? In the air, the trees, the rocks and leaves... irresistible, really. Oh—goodness, but names. Those are important, aren't they? Mine is Aesop—"

He clearly wasn't used to this shape yet. Without thinking, Aesop stuck out a paw, instinctively, to be shaken like a hand. And he promptly was sent careening downwards with no support on his step, flattening himself on the dirt with his hat rolling some several feet away.

"Oww..."

[Moofius]

[Neimah: human form]

"No, no family," And while it had bothered her when she was younger and struggling, now it felt freeing. Nobody to try and stifle her, or hold her back. Sure starting with nothing was a hindrance, but she wasn't bound up in troublesome social things. Nothing she didn't choose for herself, anyway, "As for beauty well, I find it in different places. I like how quiet it is, the nonexistent pressure to go out and be around others. Though you'd think being born without eyes was a transmissible defect, the way people treat you." She laughed at that, "I've since moved away, and have my own fam... hmm, community? I hope in the abcense of home you've made a new one for yourself..."

She was no stranger to losing home. While she herself was quite fixed in place for most of her life, she got her news from the Outcasts who came through. Endless stories of being uprooted, of clashing clans, or attacks from any of the major factions in the Chaos realm, or simply unable to feed the Hunger by remaining in one place. She'd also had to fight for her little piece of "paradise", since it had barely been enough to sustain her.

"Funny how the important people around you can change so much..." She smiled as she tapped her way along the path, excited when she noticed that the path seemed to create more gaps in the canopy - less trees where you were walking after all - and so the path was illuminated, in it's own way. Unreliable but a good place to swing her cane at.

The description of the bird - a heron or a crane - was utterly lost on Neimah. Birds were not something she encountered unless it was imported meat stuff so what she imagined in her mind was... well she might have to leave that description where it was and nod along.

Well her unexpected hiking partner seemed very sweet for being dead - a moment of panic. Gods, was she conversing with a ghost? No, he did emit some heat. She looked him over quickly to confirm... Maybe she would find an opportunity to hit him with her cane... Just to be sure.

"I actually ended up on this route because I was growing mmm... medicinal plants?" Neimah, generally a pretty serious person stuck out her tongue and wrinkled her nose, "I wanted to help people, too, so I understand being unconventional." Neimah chuckled often, but the laugh that came from her was warm and exuberant compared to the more polite conversational tone she had been carrying to this point.
"It's good to seek out people who have permission and documented education to help, but there's other ways to help and be helpful, right? I hope so, I'm being trusted with a lot where I am now."

[Jordan: human form]

"Something? Oh, no no! Not that I know about, anyway..." Everyday SOMETHING was happening in his life, so he did scan around in case he had missed something else. No, just a fiery character who did, indeed, have control over the situation. He supposed it was just the tail they needed to be worried about...
"Oh, Pandora. Like the box?" He asked, smiling before thinking over what he'd just said and frowned, "Er, well, I guess it's a Goddess' box... Er- not like, not an innuendo!" Jordan said, waving his hand dismissively. He was clearly a younger man, just out of high school... Or maybe still attending? A little flustered he had to bite back his embarrassment and the sudden need to cram his own foot in his mouth, apparently.
"Sorry, for sticking my nose in your business, I'm told I worry too much..."

Hey, if you had summoned a genie, and the traditional kind not the fun kids movie kind, you'd over think everything too. His first night he'd learned the hard way what wishing, and assuming, could do. At this point he was grateful he had only caused the death of two people and burned down a diner. It could have been cosmically worse.

"Are you here with uh," He leaned over to look at the two lucain who were... both on the ground? One more purposeful than the other, "the... hiking group?"
That seemed a much safer question to ask.

[Wyvern]

Pandora's hand firmly held onto the folded map, keeping it away from the flame of her tail. "I'm not that knowledgeable about human legends and myths. But I know what you're talking about!" She smiled softly, her feathered ears swaying in the wind. Jordan was visibly quite young, probably still attending one of those 'human schools' Pandora was aware about, and his great curiosity was showing. She felt some level of understanding and kinship about their personality, and wasn't bothered by him being nosy at all.

"Don't worry, and um... it is a long, long story behind the name--" She gave a soft nod before looking towards where she last saw her Lucain companion standing by. Her voice was cut abruptly, surprised to see that Asmodai was no longer there...?

Before he had a second to react and answer to the other canine creature, Asmodai saw a blue Lucain stumble and fall a short distance down the hill.

No time to hesitate on helping a total stranger, he thought. He promptly headed down the path and got a hold of the brightly colored witch hat with his snout, lifting it. He walked towards them, a slightly concerned look on their face and his ears tilting down. Asmodai carefully laid the hat at their feet, and sat in place patiently, almost akin to a dog fetching something for their human companion, but he cared less about the association or coincidence.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He spoke out in concern.

[Austen]

There was a lone Common Leawolf ranging far afield. Dianthis was a stealthy spy for her mistress, a Territory Queen. The mission that she had been given was to explore the entire continent or continents of the Land of Evelon. She was planning to travel to Evelon. She was tired of holding a tiny territory, and wished to explain her domain. A land that thus far appeared completely unoccupied by any other Territory Queen seemed like a good place for her to hold.

The more the Leawolf explored, the more convinced the Master of the Guard was that Evelon was relatively safe to bring her Queen to, no District Queen or Province Queen in the lands. The young Queen that she served was ambitious, and hopeful, that by entering a vacant land, she could be the District Queen that all other Queens reported to.

Unfortunately, the Leawolf was not really watching where she was going, and thus was a prime candidate to get lost.

[zapdragon555]

Cerys
^{["Human" Form]
@Moofius}

The way that Neimah described her desert home truly made it feel... not so bad after all. Even desirable, really. Cerys could very much relate to enjoying the quiet, the lack of societal pressure to socialize or put himself out there, so to speak. Though just as he was about to open his mouth to comment, he instead uttered a tiny, surprised sound that made him flush with self-consciousness for having made it. No eyes? Born without... eyes? That was certainly a different situation than his own. He’d... heard of it, for sure. Many human beings were born without eyes, and... and it didn’t occur to him until right then that this new acquaintance of his might be something other than human. Cerys was observant, yes, but... being a doctor for all sorts of people, well... sometimes he tended to forget, or ignore, the differences between types of people, until it mattered medically. It was easier that way, and... he hoped that people did the same for him, in more ways than one.

“Sorry, I was just surprised to hear that,” he caught himself finally, the brief moment of stunned silence put away. “To hear that you were born without eyes, that is. I imagine that means you’ve had your whole life to become skilled at getting around. I, on the other hand... I’m still pretty clumsy, even after so many years. Oh, I...” He trailed off, realizing she couldn’t see his eyepatch, or discern anything from it. “I’ve only got one that works. It was an injury... I wear a patch, so I can’t see anything on my right side. I’m grateful to be able to see at all, but...” Cerys paused, unable to help but feel he was being rude. Or maybe he wasn’t. Maybe this was normal to talk about between people with impaired ability in some way. He wasn’t good at talking to people about normal things, much less such personal things. Still, he... he liked it. He liked talking to Neimah, and even though he’d only known her a short time, he admired her. He felt a sort of kinship for this young doctor who clearly cared for her studies, just as he had.

“I’m glad you’ve found a community for yourself. That’s important, especially when you’re young... I... I’m not sure if one person counts. But... I count him, for myself,” he murmured, a bit warm in the face as he itched softly at scruffy-dotted jawline. “Er—his name is Damon. He’s the one who said I ought to go on this hike...”

And we’re both vampires, sort of, it’s a bit complicated, didn’t quite make it out of his mouth, and that was a good thing. Cerys ought not to be in the habit of saying such a thing around others, what on earth was he thinking?!

Though as Neimah continued to talk, Cerys began to realize that their purposes here weren’t so unaligned. His eye lit up at mention of medicinal plants, letting out an appreciative, interested hum. Suddenly that shyness seemed to melt away, at least a little more than before. “I came on the business of medicinal herbs as well. Though once I heard that we weren’t allowed to pick any, I admit, I became rather disappointed,” he dropped his voice to a somewhat humored whisper, then. His expression turned almost fond at her next words, understanding. “Oftentimes, those times where you’re trusted with more than you feel like you can handle are the times when you grow the most... and save the most lives. While I hope you’re not often put in a position where you feel in over your head... I’m sure if that happens, you’ll give it your all.”

Curiosity itched him. As a doctor that treated all sorts, Cerys was rather used to the technical non-humans of his homeplace... but this place, this continent even, and all surrounding ones, seemed different than his own. So... after a beat of quiet, he cleared his throat softly. “This may be too personal, and perhaps quite strange to ask... but, err... are you a human being, Neimah?”

It did blanch him quite pale to realize that he would probably need to offer some kind of answer in return for asking this. Maybe this was a bad idea. A very bad idea...

A breeze suddenly brushed along the hiking group, and Cerys let out a small, startled inhale through his nose, reaching up to clap his wide-brimmed hat down tighter over his head before it could be blown back. The trees were becoming less dense... it was all too easy to forget that sunlight could hurt him quite badly. He really was becoming too at-ease, here...

Aesop
^{[Lucain Form]
@Wyvern | @Austen}

Oough... Aesop had not gone on four legs in quite awhile. He was just so fond of himself as a human, and only really used the occasional bird form to get around quickly when planar hopping was too tedious or too tiring or too treacherous. But he couldn’t even use his arms like this! Or... legs! Front legs! It was going to take some getting used to, to be certain. Not much to do about that social faux pas he’d just committed, but sometimes embarrassing oneself was a perfect way to break the ice.

Brushing a mass of braided fur away from his face, Aesop sat up with a sniff and a doggish cough, spitting out leaf litter. He blinked as the other Lucain came up and sat down near him, his precious hat in their mouth, now laid down at Aesop’s paws. Ah! The kindness of strangers... Aesop’s chest swelled, visibly even, puffing out the fur there in a happy inhale. “Ohh!” he exhaled it delightedly, shaking his head to flap his ears. “No, not hurt! Yes, alright! Quite so, especially knowing my hat didn’t get trampled on. Clumsy me,” he mused, and reached for it, only to recall that he lacked thumbs. Ah.

After pawing comically at the brim of it, Aesop bent low to the ground and nosed beneath the brim, shimmying his shoulders and body forward until he was somewhat able to weasel his way beneath it and get it onto his head. Perhaps he should’ve come naked. Animals didn’t care, after all, and it wasn’t as though this Lucain here was wearing any clothes. But Aesop was nothing if not just a little bit vain when it suited him... and he liked this outfit, starlight-speckled as it was.

“I appreciate the concern, friend. I don’t know if you caught it in the middle of all that chaos, but you can call me Aesop. And what might I call my hat’s dear savior?”

Despite the light tease in his voice, he seemed to speak with an earnestness, a genuine joy for simply speaking. It was almost a bit overwhelming to listen to for very long.

It was then that a new presence made itself known, though likely not intentionally. Aesop’s lackadaisical expression flatlined for a moment, ears angling in their holes of his hat towards some rolling hills nestled near this stretch of lighter tree-cover. He gave a small glance, furtive and subtle, still smiling, albeit a bit perturbed. “Apologies... I felt someone’s intentions just now. They’re nearby... and I’m not certain they’re good ones. Good for someone, maybe, not good for others... I wonder if they’ll find us.”

It was about as ominous as one could get, saying such a thing, though Aesop didn’t seem to notice, his twin tails sweeping back and forth with uncertainty, more like a cat than a canine.

[Moofius]

OOC: Hey Austen! Feel free to jump in with Jordan and the gang! Reply whenever just to inject yourself into the scene!

[Jordan : human form]
@Wyvern @Austen

A long story, but she didn't know about myths? Well, it made sense that somebody - somewhere - might have told her about her own name.
"Oh, me neither," Jordan laughed, "Except more recently I've gotten aaaah, a bit more interested in mythical creatures. Although, I think most of those can be attributed to better documented species, now that we uh... well, do that. Formally, anyway."

There was enough "magical" and, well, magical stuff in the world for most myths and legends to slot right into fact rather than old world fancy.
"Uh..." She seemed surprised by the absence of her friend(???) so Jordan pointed further down the trail towards a fluffy puppy tail that could be blue or purple in the dappled sunlight.
"Did you want to backtrack? I don't mind," Jordan added, "I'm a little worried we might lose track of the guide, person, guy... But! It's a well marked path so we probably won't get lost." Probably.

More focused on the characters around him and on the path, the bright green of the leowolf in the brush was definitely missed.

[Neimah : human form]
@Zap

The sound of surprise, so small and tight at the back of Cerys throat was not an uncommon one. Neimah wrinkled her nose, irritation flashing across her face before she remembered people could *see those expressions* and she smoothed out her nose and rubbed a hand self-consciously across the bridge of her nose - still covered by the silk scarf across her eyes.
"It's no problem," She lied, more to herself than Cerys as the words came automatically to her lips, "I'm use to it."

Cerys sort of stumbled through his awkwardness and she didn't notice her shoulders relaxing. Ah, he'd gotten his sight altered later in life.
"It's funny, most people pity me for my loss. But I never had it to lose so... It feels... weird? I know the world is built for sight, and it's frustrating at times, but that's the uh... baseline, as it were, for me. It has to be weird to lose it, and to feel lopsided in that vision. It might sound weird from me," She said with a quirk of her lips, "but I can't really imagine."

Above her the wind rustled the leaves and drew her attention upward, eagerly taking in the thermal light show as hot spots shifted and changed, and the warmed places on the branches and other high up places became smeary and lively. Such an incredible view, like kicking through a sand dune a few hours after sunset where the surface has cooled but heat is still trapped beneath the thin skin of the dune.

"Community grows from one to a few to many, if you give it the opportunity..." It had taken her a very long time to give that opportunity, and while there were times she wondered if she made the right choices... she didn't regret it as a whole.
"It is refreshing to be trusted, and to have that trust proven right over and over! Really makes you feel good about yourself!" She laughed, then laughed harder at his brazen question as the breeze from earlier brought its' friends and threw up a great gust through the corridor in the forest they travelled. She waited a moment for the usual whip and snap of cotton and silk that followed a breeze, but it was only the silk band across her eyes that even attempted it. She was dressed for the hike, but still felt the chill of the breeze which was biting to her.

"I assume you're asking that without anyone close enough to listen?" she said against the wind, feeling it slowing down as she added, "Or assuming non-humans are safe among other non-humans?" She said letting him know she knew he was in the same incredibly broad category as she turned towards him to pause their walk to deal with the elephant in the room.
"I doubt you're seraphim, or we wouldn't be talking." She said, smile gone as her cheek muscles seemed to flex, nostrils flaring as she took a breath in. "I am a chaos, some humans think we're devils, and you are some sort of undead." She said, finally swinging her cane -lightly - to hit his shoe or -more likely and less fortunately- his ankle, "and not a ghost, so I don't *appear* crazy, thank the Realm." she muttered, more to herself than Cerys.