Harper
Clearly she has a strong spine beneath all the giggles and gold, and Harper laughs amiably at her insistence. "Plenty of people your age! They usually come to me for specialized classes that help them break into career fields more easily." He'd molded it after a community college of sorts from his home world, and it had found unsurprising success. "Lots of young adults are taught housekeeping, farm tending, and life skills from their parents. But many aren't that lucky - either bad households, losing their family young, or big families where those lessons get lost in the fray." Harper had been forced to learn terrible things from the organization that had stolen him away after killing his parents, so he knew only too well what a lack of a kind, paternal figure could do to a person. "So I teach those as a regular session, and specialty classes on fighting, stealing, bartering, and even music!" There was never any judgment from him regarding the less savory options. Torchline would always be a smuggler's land at heart.
Now it was his turn to wave away her protests though, grinning boyishly at the chance to do it. "Nonsense! I'm a teacher, right? Only fair to educate where I can." Stretching his arms loosely in preparation for such a gigantic shift, he smiles more paternally. "Now, it's a very big animal but don't be afraid. Elephants have great spatial awareness - myself even more so. Okay?" Stepping back to get some room between them, he begins to shift without further ado. It's a longer process than becoming his smaller gore crow self, but within a few moments a towering elephant stands before her, expressive eyes crinkled and trunk waving joyously.
Now it was his turn to wave away her protests though, grinning boyishly at the chance to do it. "Nonsense! I'm a teacher, right? Only fair to educate where I can." Stretching his arms loosely in preparation for such a gigantic shift, he smiles more paternally. "Now, it's a very big animal but don't be afraid. Elephants have great spatial awareness - myself even more so. Okay?" Stepping back to get some room between them, he begins to shift without further ado. It's a longer process than becoming his smaller gore crow self, but within a few moments a towering elephant stands before her, expressive eyes crinkled and trunk waving joyously.
Once I had been wasted land
but you have made me meadow green again
but you have made me meadow green again
