It was hard not to be awed. Their entire world has just gotten so much bigger, and Brother Shark was still trying to wrap his head around the notion of worlds within trees. If he hadn't have experienced it, he wouldn't have believed it. Different bodies, different...realities. the idea that he could step through an opening in the trunk of a tree and into someplace new, be something new.

It was...a lot. It was also really beautiful. He'd let word for Fears, told him where he'd be. The big buck would want to see.

Here he was a dragon, or sorts. Skin sea greens and blacks, hair short and spiked, teeth still shark. His tail was longer, more like Fierce's, but dark hair flowed from the top of it down the entire length. He was dressed simply, and had she'd the out layers until he was sitting at the water's edge in just black pants and a thin linen shirt. Tail curled around him on the sand and face tilted up to the sun. Soaking in the warmth with glowing eyes closed.

The Lunarian Isles. He liked this place a great deal.

seru_ame wrote:

Abandon had been a touch... Wary... Of Brother Shark's claim of world trees. He had not known the man to be prone to flights of lunacy, despite the sheer number of offspring and mates he held.

Perhaps, though, it had finally gotten to Shark.

Still, the trees. The trees were where he had explained to Abandon. And they were... Massive. Decorated. Boughs bound around etched doors. One door, in particular, drew his gaze. Massive hooves picked towards the tree almost daintily. His head dropped forward, horns leading the way.

Shifting forms was surprisingly painless, but felt... Bizarre. His hooves _split_, and he staggered forward. Wool shed and wove into a thick wrap, and then... More, around his haunches. He was confused, lifting up the limb to examine it. His hoof had become longer. Hoof nail on each little fleshy extrusion from his now much lower ankle. He lay there, paralyzed by disbelief and just the sheer strangeness of his new musculature. He was still broad, and exceedingly tall. And his tail... His tail was squishy, long. Osteoderms decorated the back... All the way up into his coverings. Rather than try to stand, he lay still, waiting to see if he was hallucinating.

Finally, he quietly belated out a request. "Help?"

Beejoux wrote: New leggies who dis

The sound of a soft thud and the following request for help drew Brother Shark's (Shayu, here) attention. He blinked, lifting his head to gaze in the direction the sound had come from, but he didn't see anything, not immediately. Not until he'd gotten up and started walking back towards the entrance tot he realm. There he saw a large, dark figure laying on the sand. Head tilting gently, he considered the figure for along moment, noting the colors, the gravel of his voice. "Fears?"

Crouching down in the sand, he offered his hand. "What happened?"

seru_ame wrote:

Abandon had never been a particularly imaginative lamb, save for the idea of Those That Lurked In The Shadows of Stones. And what kin did not at least hear of the blessings of the motherfather, by which a kin could become a beast at will? This, though, was no beast that he knew of. He blinked owlishly up at "Shayu" as the man approached. Only his coloration gave Abandon any comfort, any indication of familiarity, and the voice cemented this as Brother Shark.

"I don't know, but I see the same magic has taken you. What is this?"

Beejoux wrote:

"As I mentioned, whatever magic went j to making these trees in this forest, it's stronger inside." He wiggles his fingers down at Fears, waiting for the bigger man to take it so he could help him up. "It's very different, takes a little time to get used to, but you have to admit, it's Worth it, don't you think?"

He grinned that toothy grin down at Fears, then turned his head to look out at the ocean and the endless expanse of white beaches. This world was a paradise, similar to the Cres, but the waters felt warmer here, perhaps a bit calmer.

seru_ame wrote:sorry, tag!

Fingers- fingers- flexed a moment, and then a thick arm lifted. Heavier than his legs, but he was already getting used to that, and his hand met and clasped Shayu's. It was a bit harder at first than was, perhaps, comfortable, but he eased up as he pulled himself upright with the man's help. He was, admittedly, a little knock-kneed, and it was bizarre to be up so high. The angles were wrong- but at least, he told himself, he was still taller than Shayu.

"It's bizarre. Why only two legs?" Abandon asked, brows furrowing. His free hand came up, brushed over the thick, curled hair on his head that sprang back up defiantly. "At least I still have my scales." Another deep breath, an exploration of his coverings, and then he focused outwards. "... This place is pretty, though. Who... made it? Must be peaceful." Well, besides the MotherFather.

beejoux wrote:

Shayu chuckled at Fear's question, shrugging. "I don't know." Two legs, four, now that he was used to it it didn't matter so much to him, though he did like the utility of having hands. It let him reach out to brush fingers down the front of Fear's short, smoothing the fabric over that broad chest. "They're useful, these hands."

"This world belongs to Fierce Warrior, I believe." Fear's shirt tidied up and brushed free of sand, Shayu tipped his head up to give him a more proper look over, dark hands coming up to catch his cheeks, thumbs tracing the contours of strong features before he hummed an amused note and reached up to smooth those furrowed brows. "No need to worry so much." He hadn't seen anything dangerous in his explorations so far, not outside of the sparring, but that was encouraged, rather than enforced.

seru_ame wrote:

Well, Shayu had a point. The hands did seem useful he could scratch itches, and grasp things. And his hand on Abandon's chest was pleasant, somewhere along the lines of having his chest fur nuzzled. Abandon's hand twitched around Shayu's, his thumb grazing over his knuckles. "They are," he agreed lowly.

Abandon let go of that hand with some reluctance, but feeling both smoothing over his face was well worth the price. His own broad hands lifted, to touch and explore. The odd arrangement of Shayu's coverings, a funny puzzle that hand him running his hands against Shayu's sides. "Fierce. Don't know that I've met that one, but... What an imagination they must have," he rumbled, a slow bit of admiration smoothing the buck's face beneath Shayu's fingers.

Beejoux wrote:

Fear's brow smoothed under his touch, and large hands had lifted to brush along Shayu's sides. It was a simple touch, but it was new and novel, and enjoyable. "He's the one with the large horns and the long, lizard like tail," he answered, then chuckled. "Also has a mess of kids running around, though less remained at the Cres." Shayu's own broods had lingered close to the water.

"Do you want to look around, or stay here for a bit?" There was much to explore, but the beach was it's own little slice of paradise to enjoy. The sand was warm and the sun was shining high. The waters were clear and blue, and very inviting. Shayu wouldn't have minded a nice swim before they ventured further, but he'd let Fear decide. The bigger man was the newer to all this, and Shayu didn't want to overwhelm him.

Well, not in that way, at least. There were other ways. More enjoyable ways.

But he'd save such things for later.

seru_ame wrote:

Fear furrowed his brow- odd sensation with the way that it moved, where he normally couldn't- and tried to recall if he'd met Fierce properly. Him, or his apparent brood. "I don't think I've seen any with nearly so many foals as you," Abandon teased, and then leaned in to bump his forehead to Shayu's. "Why don't we stay here a while? It's beautiful here, and the water- I know how you love to swim." The activity had grown on him, honestly. "And it's peaceful enough that even a clumsy buck like me should be able to at least float along, hm?"

Beejoux wrote:

Shayu laughed, enjoying the weight of Fear's brow against his. "And you've only seen maybe half of them. They don't all live on the Cres." Some of his kids had gone with their mothers, or set out on their own. He was grateful for the ones that had stayed, though. Happy to maintain those connections.

"We can stay here. I wouldn't mind that." He loves to swim, and he was curious how these bodies worked in the water, eager to try them out." Bright eyes flicked up to Fear's face. "What do I call you, here? The magic of this place gave me a name when I entered, something that seemed to fit it better. Shayu," he offered up, smiling crookedly.

seru_ame wrote: