[Regifortis]

Tobias listened carefully as he returned the kiss and parsed the words. "Maybe you don't need a lion's mane of hair on me. But would you like one? I wouldn't mind going back to my old style. Something a little wilder and prouder than the 'family man' look, I guess you could say, my King. Then again..." It was tricky to try and read his King, but he enjoyed the attempt. Especially since it gave him the chance to use nicer words that seemed to float into his mind. "You may think that much of it would hide too much of my back. Or you could learn what it's like to lift up my hair and kiss me on the neck, to hide your head in the length of it all...Tough to say. I can't read your mind, my King."

In regard to the beard, the answer was simpler. "I like that style the best, to be perfectly honest." He felt silly admitting it, but years of a bad habit had their consequences. "I remember liking the way I looked the most when it was that short, yes sir. I was just too lazy to shave, most days!" Dragging a razor blade across his face grew tiresome very quickly, especially after a long day of work.

But now, the biggest question of all: how this was going to work. It was ready. Was he ready? "I'm not uncomfortable." Tobias knew the only way to figure this out was to try it. Swimming up...he didn't swim much. But he saw other people do it, before. Long, strong strokes with sweeping arms. And legs doing something similar. Arms first? Hmm...He closed his eyes and gathered his focus, like he did for particularly tough trees. His mind steadied and felt stronger. He felt his gaze piercing into the distance, as well. And he drove that strength skyward...arms first, then legs. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat!