"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
Tamlin is busy being delighted by the fact that he can actually shift forms that he doesn’t immediately catch on to Winslow’s confusion or the scowl on her pretty blue face. A bubble of a laugh escapes him when she reaches out and knocks him over, though, bringing him into the present again. It helps too, that she comes closer to investigate.
But...
There is something a little off about the feeling of Winslow’s muzzle in his scruff - inhaling the scent of him. It should feel wonderful, should be encouraging him to do the same, but the size and age issue get in the way. She draws back and seems to be thinking the same thing because she voices her confusion and Tamlin’s characteristic smile turns into a thoughtful frown. “Well… yes and no? I seem to only be able to shift into the baby version of animals.”
Which had not been a problem before, but Tamlin becomes aware pretty quickly that the reason why the nuzzling bothered him was because he does not want Winslow to see him as a child. So even though he is delighted to discover that this power was not a dream, he finds that he would have preferred for it to stay hidden for a while longer. Now comes the task of trying to get out of this situation.
Fortunately, he has an idea and he’s speaking before he can really consider whether it is a good idea or not. Which... is how he goes through most of life.
“Tell you what, I’ll shift into a horse if you do.” And then, in an innocent tone completely assisted by the wide brown puppy eyes of this shape, he adds “and if you’d like to nuzzle me again when I’m bigger, I wouldn’t complain.” He’d like it very much, actually.
There’s a pause and maybe it could be interpreted as him waiting for her to change first. The reality is he is struggling to remember how to change, but he finds that thoughts of Winslow help and he is soon himself again - shuffling his feathered wings and waiting with that shining, patient smile.
