Teigra
@ Maru -- Hee, well, I'm not so much confused...I know there was a comment somewhere about shape-shifters not counting shifting as their ability UNLESS they wanted to use that only in battle...which I'm cool with, cause that's the whole point of hers, plus the instincts that go with hers which will give her problems and will be fun to RP. XD
So, I'm just waiting on character crits/approval at this point, unless you wanted to take a look anyway? ^_^
Shapeshifting is a NATURAL ability. A subspecies that is ALL about shapeshifting (any sort of were-creature, silkies, skinwalkers, vampires, kitsune etc) may shift in/out of their human and animal forms at any time in RP when ever they want to. If you want to IMPROVE their animal form, then it is considered your FEAR.
There are a couple of exceptions to this:
+ If your character's specie normally doesn't have two legs (centaur, merfolk, siren, harpies, etc) then they get a human form to run around in and can go to their natural form when not in the school hallways.
+ If your character's specie IS humanoid and you WANT to be able to turn into an animal (Reapers, catgirls, ogres, trolls, wolfmen, etc), then shapeshifting will be your FEAR because there's no way you could turn into one otherwise.
With all that in mind, take Red as an example: she is a normal werewolf, however she can trigger an "overdrive" which bestows horns and wings onto her werewolf form. These additions increase her strength, however she can't hold that form for long. That is her FEAR. She CAN battle in her normal non-winged/horned werewolf form (she usually does), but she gains no bonuses from doing so. Shapeshifting in all honesty is just flavor RP text.