Mazikeen grins when Nashua offers up a nickname and she is quick to follow suit, “Alright Nash, you can call me Maze, if you’d like.”
Bolder introduces himself and when he chirps a question about her being able to change her colour by herself she responds with an enthusiastic “Yup!” She’s feeling pretty proud of having such a successful interaction with a youth when she catches the rueful twist to Nashua’s smile and his quiet words draw her attention.
For a moment, she’s confused - wondering what exactly the big deal was. But then she remembers someone who had acted like the world was ending because he could shapeshift (and sure - maybe he had ended up being right). So then she wonders if Nashua’s reaction to his son being able to change has anything to do with the father he and Gale share. Maybe this golden-striped brother knows more about the curse than Gale thinks and is now worried about his son. Her curiosity is evident when her gaze lingers on Nash but she won’t ask those things, not here - and definitely not in front of Bolder.
Even knowing what she does about their family history, Bolder’s abilities could be utterly benign - just as hers were, just as every other shifter she had ever known until Gale. Mazikeen isn’t sure her brain could handle two curses so she quickly decides this is just some kind of everyday normal colour changing. And so she remains relaxed and, for the moment, unworried. This is very effective at distracting herself from her own situation, at the very least.
She cannot help but grin a little when she notices splashes of white mix in with Bolder’s colour and she does the same with her own coat - giving the colt a friendly wink.
Although this topic is one she knows well, Mazikeen has to swallow worries about whether she'll be an awful teacher because she knows immediately that she wants to try. She wants to help Bolder learn about what he can do and give Nash a little piece of mind, if possible. “I’d be happy to help. I’ve been shifting all my life - some parts, like the colours are a little newer so I’ve been practicing that lately too. We can learn together.” She changes again, but this time her coat is a familiar iridescent blue and her orange eyes shine as she looks between the pair.
“Most of just comes down to practice and patience but we can start now, if you’d like?” She steps back, reverting back to her natural colour as she does, and will lead them further into Hyaline if they'll follow - no point in standing formally on the border when they can find somewhere a little more comfortable near the lake.
@[Nashua]