”See then it’s a good thing I didn’t take the position then? Can barely keep me behaving good let alone beasty and good luck with the Gryphon.” Carrick said his Gryphon form was more, well behaved but that’s only because he couldn’t talk in that form yet.

”Most poetry now they don’t even sing.” he said flatly, ”They used to sure, but that kind of changed when it shifted from poetry and turned to music. Now music.” he said his eyes shifting back to the tree above them letting out a low whistle. A bit of sunlight hit his wings warming it. He purred for a second before asking, ”Got a favorite poem from home?” he asked curiously.

”Don’t really fancy meself a poet. Singer sure, musician mmm-okay. Entertainer there ya go. Poet?” he tried to recall all the poetry he was forced to read a s a kid. He would had better luck remembering what happened in beast form. ”I’m a poet and didn’t know it.” he said finally with a chuckle.

>>”See then it’s a good thing I didn’t take the position then? Can barely keep me behaving good let alone beasty and good luck with the Gryphon.”

Griffins were royal creatures - in mythology, anyway. Amethyst somehow doubted Carrick would make a regal pet, even on his best behavior. And liked his freedom way too much to stay domesticated for too long. At least they both agreed on that.

>>”Most poetry now they don’t even sing. They used to sure, but that kind of changed when it shifted from poetry and turned to music. Now music... Got a favorite poem from home?”

Carrick purred, and Amethyst remembered their visit to the bar where some gift made both of them sing. Sure, singing was also a form of entertainment... but the way Atlanteans understood poetry, it was very different from poetry in the American sense. She shrugged.

"I have poems I enjoy... but I doubt they translate well to English. The language has a different rhythm."

>>”Don’t really fancy meself a poet. Singer sure, musician mmm-okay. Entertainer there ya go. Poet?... I’m a poet and didn’t know it.”

"Singing is also entertainment" she allowed with a small smile "I don't expect you to be all of those things. Although... I still have not seen you as a griffin..."

”No one expects it but here I am.” he said placing his hands behind his head. ”You haven’t.” Carrick agreed and kicked his leg into the air with the bracelet. ”Haven’t tried shifting with this thing on yet.” he said dropping his foot back down thinking about shifting.

”True sight to behold and I’m not just saying that because it’s still me.” Carrick said sitting upright his eyes still on the tether wondering how much trouble he’d get into if he did shift. Pippa mentioned that it be best if he didn’t shift while they were waiting to figure out what was going to happen with him. The shifter sighed and smirked. He wasn’t going to leave the grounds and he could always call her after if the tether broke.

”Alright ya convinced me!Yer in for a treat today.” Carrick finally said with a mischievous smile. Pushing himself up Carrick already started to awkwardly remove his shirt, he had wings and there was no way to take the shirt off any other way. He tossed the shirt to the ground and started to kick off his shoes.

”I’ll be right back… no peeping while I’m shifting. Gonna be naked fer this one.” he started to undo his belt and then fished into his pocket and tossed it on the ground near the princess. ”If someone named Pippa calls let her know everything is fine!”

>>”No one expects it but here I am. You haven’t. Haven’t tried shifting with this thing on yet.”

The device on his ankle. Right. He was not allowed to leave or fly, but it somehow also restricted his shifting. Or something like that. It would be a while before she would see the griffin form.

>>”True sight to behold and I’m not just saying that because it’s still me.”

"Sure" she smirked. He would have no way of proving that until...

... except, he did.

Before Amethyst could finish that thought, Carrick was already on his feet, and shedding his shirt. She blinked, unabashedly staring, wondering what he was about to do.

>>”Alright ya convinced me!Yer in for a treat today... I’ll be right back… no peeping while I’m shifting. Gonna be naked fer this one. If someone named Pippa calls let her know everything is fine!”

"Wait what?" she called after him, but he'd already gone. Amethyst huffed. Whoever this Pippa was, it was not her job to take calls. Also, why did Americans insist on walking away when they were naked? Not like she had not seen him take his skin off before... "So prudish." she clicked her tongue, craning her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse. Of she shifting.

The shifter hopped off removing one of his socks when he heard the words ‘pruddish’ and a tongue click. While he normally loved the attention any shift he underwent didn’t give him the opportunity to look good. It was usually a painful experience. Some more painful than others.

Dipping into the bushes he cleared his mind and took a few deep breaths he thought about being locked up, the need to be free to fly, to be somewhere else. His frustrations turned to rage and he started to feel the unwanted feeling of the beast. ”No, yer not wanted here.” Carrick uttered to himself as he shook his head around and removed his pants. Carrick folded them and stuck them under a bush as he welcomed the feeling Gryphon and then dropped to all fours triggering his shift.

Letting out a small grunt he felt his skin tightening it hurt. But it was a different feeling the familiar one he had known for years. He had to keep his mind right, focused on this feeling the one he wanted. He thought about the princess and how he was going to show her his favorite form. It was gonna be a good show. Wings snapped open as his finger nails dug into the dirt quickly being replaced with talons his toes followed suit as they started to beef up into paws. He yelled the yell turning into a screech of an eagle. The screech died down and he was finished.

Carrick’s final form tilted his head to the side when the shift was completed and folded it’s wings studying the pair of pants on the ground. This is where they were. This was where he needed to come back to. He looked around studying the area then left the bushes back to where the princess was.

Clearing his throat he let out another short burst of a screech to announce his presence before sauntering over to where the princess was. Carrick let out a burst of chirps trying to communicate with her but then decided to ‘show off’ by opening his wings and performing a ‘deep’ stretch and then shaking his body.

There was a rustling in the bushes, and Amethyst felt tempted to follow along anyway, and spy on the transformation. She got to her feet, smoothing down her dress, wondering how offended Carrick would be if she looked. The leaves rustled, and something must have happened, because a painful yell turned into a screech. The princess looked, tilting her head, as the branches parted, and instead of Carrick out walked a griffin.

It... he looked like the griffins that Amethyst had seen on wall paintings and statues. It was stunning, to see one in real life, even though she knew it was just Carrick in his shifted form. The griffin made a series of chirping and screeching sounds, and then opened his wings, stretching. The princess chuckled, watching the show.

"Alright, I'll admit. That is quite impressive." she said "... Do you understand what I am saying?..."

>>>"Alright, I'll admit. That is quite impressive."

The shifters ears perked up when she spoke Carrick’s focus shifted his eyebrows raised while his mismatched colored eyes locked onto the princess. Pulling his hind legs forward he sat and faced her. His tongue clicked once behind his beak, it made a click, which was Gryphon for, ‘I’m always right!’

>>>"... Do you understand what I am saying?..."

Larger wings adjusted to fold behind his now thicker body his tail was as always, the best read on him in any form. It flicked behind him mischievously as he side eyed the princess before shaking his head, ‘nope’. Following it by some chirps and then lifted his front claw as if he was trying to explain something. He wasn’t just making it seem like it was important what he had to say. He got distracted by something on his leg and then shook the tethered leg trying to shake the thing off.

Carrick’s new form moved towards the princess and then opened his wings slightly and then shook his back lowering towards her. He flapped his wings once. He was asking her to hop on, it was time for a fly and if she didn’t want to fly with him in human form she was going to hate flying in this form. 'Hop on!'

She asked if he undersood, and he shook his head no. The princess blinked, trying to puzzle out whether he was messing with her. He probably was. Still, the creature was marvelous, even with the annoying chirping sounds. She looked at him, fur and wings and all. In the meantime, he was trying to shake off the ankle bracelet.
"I don't think you are supposed to do that" she pointed out. If he did, they might take him to prison again.
The griffin walked closer, and leaned down, offering his back. The princess stared.
"Wha... oh no. No. I'm not getting on your back."

The shifter looked at her with his mismatched colored eyes and his ears lowered. He thought for sure she’d be more willing to seeing as he was bigger and probably more comfortable to fly with. People always preferred flying with him in this form. Carrick’s tail flicked behind him. ‘Why the hell not?’ he stood up and stared at her for a moment before letting out a huge huff and turning his head away from her. ‘Lame’

Did he make a mistake thing the princess would enjoy hanging with him in this form. His tail flicked behind him again. He chirped at her a few more times before starting to shake his leg again. Pretending he didn’t’ hear her before he looked down to the bracelet let out a small screech. He had this strapped to his ankle and now the princess wouldn’t fly with him. Great.

Turning his body he decided he should show off at least. While he new he looked awesome this body wasn’t just for show it moved differently than his human form and there was something more freeing about being in this form. Carrick darted around on the grounds then leapt into the air showing off his wingspan which carried him in the air.

Not going far from the apple tree he circled and let out a screech. ‘Come on! It’ll be a gas!’

He must have understood what she was saying, or at least the notion of her not getting on his back to fly, because he huffed and turned away. The princess shook his head. One moment, he was all like 'not a pet', and the next, he wanted to be a steed? Men really needed to make up their damn minds.

After trying to shake off the bracelet again, Carrick finally went flying on his own. He did not go far, circling around and making more bird noises from the apple tree. Seeing a griffing fly was fascinating, even if... well. The princess had to conclude that she might as well stop referring to Carrick as human, and enjoy the griffin's company and the lack of sarcastic comments while it lasted.

Not the flying, though.

Amethyst reached up, picking one of the apples from the tree, and held it out. Here.

His eyes focused on her, she was shiny. His chest hummed with purring at the flashing while he flew over the tree she grabbed something. Was she…. Offering him an apple? He wanted to laugh but his body turned and swooped down before he could voice his thoughts. It was an apple nothing shiny… damn.

Landing a few feet from the princess he walked towards her his wings folding behind him. He looked at the apple that was held out for him and studied arm holding it. Still purring he raised his eyebrows.

He waited for a second before tilting his head forward and stretching out bypassing the apple held out for him and gently grabbing the bracelet. ‘Prefer this if you are giving me anything’

Amethyst was not sure whether griffins ate apples. The beak would fit some kind of a bird of prey, but she was not about to start offering chunks of meat, so he could take the apple or leave it, either way. Carrick made some purring sounds, reminiscent of the purrs he made in his human form. It was a very soothing sound. One of the main reason why he would have made an acceptable royal pet.
Well, that, and him being a griffin.

The griffin inspected the apple, then tilted his head, and the large beak gently took hold of her wide golden bracelet.

"Hey!" Amethyst scoffed. The beak was strong enough to probably break her wrist, if he wanted to; but the tugging on the bracelet was playful, although no less annoying. "You can't eat that!"

Griffins liked gold. Everyone knew that. It was basically the entire myth about them.

"You need to find your own treasure to guard." she scolded Carrick, trying to tug the bracelet away.

His purring continued as he held onto the bracelet his tail flicked, ‘Hey yerself. I don’t want to eat it. I just want it.’ He let go when she started to pull back more. He didn’t want to break her stuff only because his human form would pay the price. His human form was too spongy.

Carrick turned his attention to the apple and plucked it from her hand and ate it. His tail swayed behind him after swallowing the apple whole while his ears shifted from sound to sound. The apple wasn’t going to be enough. He was always hungry in this form. A few chirps and he walked forward a step and tapped her earing. ‘How do you think it becomes mine’ he walked past her in a strut almost wagging his but towards her till he turned around and layed down towards the base of the apple tree his back side towards his guitar. ‘This is all I got now I guess then.’

Paw over paw he raised his eyebrows at her asking, ‘Well what am I supposed to do then?’

The griffin tugged on her bracelet, and the princess huffed at him. She was not about to hand over her jewelry. Royal pets sometimes got ornaments, like a jeweled collar or a harness, but he was a whole different person, and she liked that bracelet. The griffin eventually gave up, and ate the apple instead. Once it was gone, he poked at her earring; Amethyst tilted her head. He smelled like feather and fur, but the large beak only poked at the shiny stone in her earring, and didn't try to take it.

"Not that, either."

Carrick lay down, looking at her as if he was expecting something. The princess watched the griffin for a while, then sighed. She picked up another apple that had fallen from the tree, and threw it across the lawn. "Fetch?"

Blue and green eyes followed the princess as she leaned over and picked up another fallen apple and throw it. He just laid down was she expecting him to just get up again? His ears fixed onto her question and Carrick let out another loud huff. Carrick rolled his eyes and turned his head to his side. ‘You won’t fly with me but expect me to play fetch?’ he chirped a few times and flicked his tail at her.

With anbother loud huff he got up and walked over to the apple and sat down next to it. Looked at it for a second as if studying it. Was he still hungry? Yes. Did the last apple taste good? Yes. Was he trying how best to show her how great he was?

His claw reached down and he grabbed the apple gently making sure not to get it stuck. Last time he did this it was a shoe. The apple was softer and he could almost feel the skin give way ‘Fetch’ he let out another chirp and threw the apple back towards where he was laying seconds ago in the warmth of the sun.