10/10 actually fucking laughed out loud, not even "exhaled a bit harder than normal through my nose" but, like, full on disgusting hyena cackling. And I was in the parking lot at work too about to go in! So that's doubly impressive 'cause normally I'm trying to glare a hole through the side of the building.
You delicately take their hand. Whatever you may have expected from their grip it's... on the whole fairly normal. There's a certain softness to it, a sense of fragility, but then they squeeze tight and yank on your arm and you realise you're probably overthinking this.
Ngl I love the little touches to the relationship, how often Abzu takes Eldingar's hand and how they're kinda tugging him along. Abzu's really affectionate and beyond being cute as hell it's a sorta neat hint as to how like...I mean pretty consistently you see Abzu taking the lead on stuff, urging stuff forwards, giving not-quite-orders but authoritative information and making confident suggestions. Sometimes this backfires a bit 'cause it can be tiring to handle and a sort of discouraging if you can't keep up (see: Eldingar and Lyrros both being kinda awkward and self-conscious as Abzu put out their questions/took control of the conversation somewhat). But overall I imagine it's pretty healthy for Eldingar. Or at least something he direly needs, the guy will bunker down beneath a glittery golden comfort blanket and Never Move unless someone drags him out to go do something. And that's pretty much Abzu's MO right there.
It is pretty great though how Eldingar's like ten+ tons of scaled muscle and he's still getting bossed around by an adorable goo-wizard.
[Eldingar please some secrets must be saved for the bedroom~]
Your eyes go very wide at the implications of what kind of 'shapeshifting' that might mean and it makes you feel very very funny inside. You notice Abzu silently giggling out of the corner of your eye and frown deeply, which only makes them 'laugh' harder. But then they hold your hand again so in your magnanimity you're willing to let this insult pass. For now.
rest in pieces eldingar's ass
you had a good run i guess
I wonder if we'll meet a genderfluid dragon using this at some point? Sounds convenient, though.
I imagine! It's actually a really neat take on the shapeshifting stuff tbh. Where identification is mostly personal preference and sometimes practical necessity. It's actually fun to see that even though he's very much a he Eldingar isn't at all put off by others being more fluid in their definitions. And it's pretty natural and organic to the way he is even though he's kind of a shitbird about other stuff sometimes.
Anyway!
[X] Shift up to your true form. You are a dragon, dammit, and these geese will learn
respect! This whole maze will quake before your might, and Abzu will be suitably impressed by the full force of your draconic power as you sweep the flock away and tear the maze asunder! Presuming it holds under your new weight. Which it will. Probably.
See, the form we take is going to a. determine how effectively we show off for Abzu and b. determine the nature of the fight scene. So scaling up and going Big is both going to impress Abzu 'cause damn those muscles and means it's more likely that some giant goose monster will emerge from the maze for a climactic duel. Or even better: a gigantic clown. A goose clown.
A goose clownhemoth if you will.
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