I yawn before blinking my eyes, stretching my sore limbs and taking a deep breath.
Yeah, that was a good nap I think, full belly, resting in my warmth safe place in the nest, cozily hugging my own tail, all that combined made me sleep soundly, and woke up refreshed for sure, and-
And… wait… oh no… oh no! I had evolved, haven't I? Last time, when I was looking at the options available, and ended up choosing one random thanks to mother…yes, is all coming back to me.
Reality downs on me then, making me shot my gaze back at my own body, feeling satisfied that I still had my pair of wings and no scales, which at least took out the two worst of the list.
Perhaps I ended up being lucky and chose the one I was eyeing? I soon discover that not to be the case as I still could move my head freely, no antlers coming out from my head.
Which only left two other options… the neutral useless ones.
But my face blanks when I think of one of them in particular… and when I look back at my own body I have a feeling that that may be the case.
For my appearance has greatly changed.
From my fluffy kitty owl fur now there is a majestic white coat with some black spots here and there, mostly at my back, and the fur along my neck and on my chest are ticker than the rest, fluffier too, dense enough to serve as a protective coat around my neck while looking very cool.
The bigger change I'm able to see, however, is on my wings, now bigger and stronger, nothing compared to the chicken wings from before, and with long smooth feathers at its tips, seemly suited for flying by now, or at least hovering it seems.
A flap of those brings me great join, but there is not much I can see nor test in such small space so I crawl my way out of my lower nest floor.
I shock the sleepiness away by stretching and moving about a little, however once I look beside me I catch mother staring me all the way, stopping midway from her own stretching, and if that is not odd enough she suddenly approaches, calls out to me, and when I give her a small answer back her big round eyes sparkle with tears.
Shocked with the sudden sad display I trot to her side, worried sick for her, and ask: "What is wrong mother? Are you hurt somewhere? Should I go call a doctor? Or someone hurt you?"
As I speak she works hard in controlling her sobs, and without saying any words brings her big scaled paw behind me and closes in for a hug, and as my soft feline paws rest on her broad chest, she finally speaks out.
"M-my little boy is already this grown up, losing his baby fat, time really flies too quickly doesn't it… my little boy…" I swallow dry at that, loss of words, until I roll my eyes and start patting her back, still too small to give her a full hug back.
"There there, what is all this fuss about? I'm still here alright? Just because I've grown a little does not-" Well, I'm going to regret saying this but whatever. "– does not mean I'm not your little boy anymore, uhm…?"
"Uhm…Uhum." Mother agrees without uttering a word, but as she takes a deep breath she soon recovers from her outburst but still actually keeps squishing me into her hug.
"M-Mother, too tight." I barely manage to squish the words out.
"Oh, sorry my love, is just that having such a well behaved cute little son makes me want to squish you to death."
Sigh… mother mother, always having a way with words doesn't she?
Still… is not all that bad, I think while giving off a small smile, hiding it once I finally manage to break free from mother's killing grasp.
"But my, who would have thought you would inherit your mother's beauty and your father's mannerism? Seems like I'll have a hard time ahead of myself, having to keep the predators away…"
I may be able to ignore half of the crazy mumbling she is speaking out, but not the fact that she is so self-aware as to refer to herself as a beauty in that way.
Well, I didn't expect to have it any other way, coming from her of all people.
And by now I was able to guess already which one I had accidentally chosen from, and something tells me that, back in the day, mother had the same option available to her, to compare us this way.
And I really don't know how to feel about having her choosing such an option willingly, nor with having to live up with this important choice been messed up from the start.
In the end, I simply check my status with Appraisal, just to make sure.
And that is…
-Appraisal completed-
Name: Seraph
Gender: Male
Race: Dainty Snow Griffin
Age: 0
Level: 5
HP: 45-45
MP:400-400
SP:140-140
Attributes: Ice, Wind
Titles: Reincarnated, Bookworm, Ladies Hero, Bewitching Beauty
Attacks: Claw 2, Peck 2, Dash 2, Sharp Eyes 1, Captivating Gaze 35, Fly 1
Magic: Appraisal 3, Cold resistance 6, Cold Breath 1, Freeze 1, Ambush 1
Language: Celestial Language 4, Old Common language 3
Status: Actually giddy inside from mother's showering love, but too prideful to admit.
…It is as bad as I had thought at first… what's up with that Captivating Gaze and such absurd level? I'm not proud of having it as my strongest skill at all.
…Sigh.
Well, might as well check it out properly this time around and read its flamboyant description until the end since it has been nailed down on my head by now.
Dainty Snow Griffin: Appearance greatly increases in value, tales will be told about your beauty, poets will struggle to put to words the mere glint of your being, the moon with pale at your mere presence, and kings and queens will feel small at your presence. Your bearing aura does not reflect only on the outside exquisiteness, but the outstanding power laying within, waiting to be awakened.
I frown at that last part.
Can this be… somewhat surprisingly promising?