Pride swells in his chest at her reaction, as if she could never have fathomed anything like him to be standing before her. As it should be, he muses to himself, for is there anyone like him? Fashioned by the gods, sewn together by their mystical powers and their likeness - what else would she expect when he had been born from their blood? His natural form lends itself for strangers to believe he is starborn and perhaps his abilities to match, or that even his appearance would be all there was for him. But he is so much more than that and he loves their eyes when the realization comes spread across their face - whether it be in terror or in awe.
Gods can do whatever they want.
“Any animal?” he echoes, half-listening (because, of course, part of his mind is thinking about himself) but still interested. His ears prick at the mention of a dragon - a shape he hadn’t been able to try yet but has been meaning to. You see, he can only shift into things he has seen, and even then, recalling shapes from memory does not last as long as shapes that are before him. Skandar snorts softly, slightly disappointed, but he offers her a commandeering smile. “You should be proud of yourself for already taking on so many skins, Avelina.” Shifting is difficult, especially for those who have numerous - and sometimes limitless - options.
Suddenly, he wants to play a game. Of course, he wouldn’t ask her (where is the fun in that?) but instead see if she’ll play the game all on her own. “I don’t think I have a favorite just yet,” he admits to her with a tilt of his head, suddenly aware that he still is fashioned like a wood nymph - bark and moss and all. He would never admit that he hasn’t seen enough yet to become all the things she is sure to be thinking of now - but he will let it race through her mind, not bothering to correct her.
“Choose an animal. I’ll match you.”
He grins, fully aware that the request is an easy, innocent one - one that she would comply with easily.
skandar
@[Avelina]