Damien flinched. "No. Nope. Absolutely not. That's worse. You look like you crush people by hugging them."
Blackie said nothing. She was confused and slightly sad that her master wasn't happy.
Damien shuddered. "Okay, okay. New instructions. Less… beef. Maybe half the muscle. Slimmer. No more terrifying jaw. And tone down the glow. You look like a haunted vending machine."
Mana swirled again. Another transformation. This time she emerged thinner, but still had weirdly angled eyebrows, glowing red fingernails, and eyes that looked like they hadn't blinked since the previous era.
Damien blinked twice. "Why do you look like a tax auditor from hell?"
Blackie shrugged, then gave him a very dignified bow. Her massive hood poofed outward, like a squid flapping in slow motion.
