The phone call was short. He knew what it meant, his mother was dead. His brother answered, half brother. He was moron who followed in father’s footsteps. Father didn’t want to talk meaning he did something bad. Carrick ran away. The shifter’s tail flicked angrily as the line disconnected. “Kid, you going to keep using that phone you got to buy something. This ain’t phone booth and you keep getting your tail in my coffee.” Carrick forced back a little smirk. Good tail.

Carrick’s eyes welled up and he knew why he was in New York. To escape forget. Mom was gone.

----

The hotel he was staying at was empty now he didn’t have much belonging to begin with other than a duffel bag with cash (apparently he was good at his part time job) and dirty clothes in it there were some other small things in it loaded die, one-sided coin a deck of cards and some small fireball throwers for the occasional distraction. Carrick’s guitar was already in his hands as he shut the door still irritated he had to leave. Apparently it was a problem he kept clawing through the mattress in his sleep. Wasn’t his fault, at least he left the water running in the shower. That’ll teach them.

The flight was short, he knew the way while it had been a bunch of years for everyone else it had only been a year since he left without saying a word to anyone. Carrick started to laugh thinking about them trying to clean out his room. There was a pizza box there that was older than him before he decided to become young. Someone had to take his room. No way it was there. His stomach growled when he thought about food. The mansion had a kitchen. There would be food. Maybe Serena was still here? What would he say, sorry for leaving? Maybe Andy was still here too? No, they all probably moved out. This place had a tendency to be chaotic at times. At least the rooms were free.

Landing in front of the door he tucked his wings behind him and entered throwing the door open and yelling, ”Ladies n’ gentleman! Let the show begin!” he always did love to be the center of attention.

After a few months spent at Xavier's, with one exciting clandestine trip to Hawaii, Amethyst was beginning to realize that the rules were not nearly as strict around her as she had been told. Not legally, and not socially, really. She was old enough to do things without supervision, by American standards, and honestly, she could get away with most scandalous behavior. It was almost as if no one at the school gave an onyx about her being an ambassador of Atlantis.

Sam, on the other hand, was suddenly old. Amethyst did not want to keep an old concubine. Besides, he had other interests now, and why that did not bother the princess, she understood that Americans were particular about their cute little monogamous ways. Soulmates, and whatnot.

One thing Americans did right, though: ice cream. Lovely, lovely ice cream. The Atlantean princess was on her way across the foyer with a whole box of it, licking a spoon as she floated in a light saffron-colored dress, when the front door banged open.

>>”Ladies n’ gentleman! Let the show begin!”

Amethyst stared at the gorgon for a long minute, spoon still in her mouth. Was the circus in town? Was this how they usually announced themselves?

"I didn't order any entertainment" she clarified, looking him over. "You should ask the staff before you put up a tent."

Carrick’s mismatched colored eyes focused on the woman before him his tail flicked behind him. Carrick mocked lifting up the hand holding his instrument before pretending to be shocked, ”Really!?!? Gig was supposed to start an hour ago. Never said I was here for you.” Carrick smirked, ”Assumed you were part of the show, playing the buzz kill.” Carrick flashed his teeth in a smile and mocked a bow glad he got a proper reception. Cue the sarcasm.

”Carrick O’Conner, also know as the great Gryphon.” he finished his bow his wings returning back to normal. He looked her over now as well, a dress and a box of ice cream. His stomach growled, ”Who they have here running the show now?” Carrick said hefting his duffle back over his shoulder and wings.

”Looking to move back in for a bit while between jobs.” he grinned, ”You don’t look like someone who is in charge though…” his tail flicked behind him.

The man was carrying a guitar and looked like he was from some kind of a variety show, so it made sense that she'd make an assumption when he announced himself like that. Amethyst caught sight of a feline tail behind him.

>>”Really!?!? Gig was supposed to start an hour ago. Never said I was here for you. Assumed you were part of the show, playing the buzz kill.”

Amethyst, in general, was still very much not used to gorgons with an attitude. She scoffed at the suggestion that she'd be a part of any kind of show.

>>”Carrick O’Conner, also know as the great Gryphon.”

Well, at least he had a gorgon-appropriate name.

>>”Who they have here running the show now? Looking to move back in for a bit while between jobs. You don’t look like someone who is in charge though…”

"I'm Princess Amethyst from Atlantis" she clarified, looking up at him. He was several inches taller, which was annoying "And your guess is as good as mine. There doesn't seem to be a lot of discipline around here these days. Probably because a lot of the staff went back to being children."

”Oh a princess!” Carrick mocked a bow again, ”A princess with a sweet tooth aye?” Carrick smirked at the full box she was working on with his mismatched colored eyes. His stomach let out a small growl, which he ignored. It wasn’t a real growl not yet at least. ”That or a prince must have dumped you, careful it could ruin yer figure.” Carrick let out a laugh and adjusted his posture.

”Ireland, obviously.” his tail flicked in her direction again his accent heavy on every word. He could tone it down if he talked slowly but he never really saw the need. People seemed to like his accent especially when he was singing. ”Oh them too?” Carrick asked his tail revealing amusement with a couple flicks before he looked past her and down the hallway then to the other.

”Well, perfect for me then.” his wings adjusted as he walked towards her stopping a few inches from her. ”Kitchen still that way?” he asked not waiting for a response. ”Well if no one is going to show me around or kick me out might as well fend for meself right?” he decided to heft his things with a small shrug then proceeded to the kitchen.

The gryphon did not seem impressed with her title of Atlantean royalty. He was clearly not Atlantean himself.

>>”Oh a princess! A princess with a sweet tooth aye? That or a prince must have dumped you, careful it could ruin yer figure.”

Amethyst blinked. What on earth did sweets have to do with princes... dumping someone? "I don't get... dumped." she stated defiantly. Whatever that meant. And her figure was fine, thank you very much.

>>”Ireland, obviously.”

It wasn't obvious at all, but the princess figured it had something to do with his accent. She wondered if anyone knew who he was. He was moving back in, which meant he had been a student at some point.

>>”Oh them too? Well, perfect for me then. Kitchen still that way? Well if no one is going to show me around or kick me out might as well fend for meself right?”

He headed to the kitchen, and Amethyst followed. Mostly out of curiosity. She halfway hoped he'd cause some kind of trouble, just to prove her point that security at the school was abysmal. Maybe then they'd take her back home to Atlantis. She took another spoonful of ice cream, watching him. "You used to be a student here, then?"

”Oh, right. My mistake, Princess. Forgot this isn’t America home of the clichés. Maybe he turned a fool then?” Carrick tilted his head back with a hearty chuckle and then preceded into the kitchen his stomach now growling a bit more.

Carrick tossed his duffle bag onto the floor with a small thud and then gently rested his guitar against the wall with the duffle bag as the backing. Most of the stuff in the bag were easily replaced and cheap. The guitar was how he made the money. This was also semi-important.

”Oh ho, guess you are here for the show then.” he responded sauntering over to the fridge to see what was already made and was available. He was tired of fast food and junk food. Yes, Pigeons in his Gryphon form counted as both.

”Well, I wouldn’t really call it being a student.” Carrick smirked into the fridge grabbing some lunchmeat. This was going to be a sandwich big enough to fill all his stomachs. He started to unload everything on the counter. ”I showed up, didn’t pay attention then decided to leave before they could fail me.” Carrick smirked his hands on the bread.

”Sides, had more important places to be. People to please. Sure you know how that goes being a princess? Duty n’ all that right?” Carrick flashed his teeth again in a grin before giving a playful wink. His hand grabbing a knife and tossing it back to his tail which caught it and placed it onto the counter next to the food.

”Maybe I’ll enroll again?” he grabbed a plate and decided not to be rude with serving food not belonging to him. He looked back to the princess and raised an eyebrow holding two plates.

>>”Oh, right. My mistake, Princess. Forgot this isn’t America home of the clichés. Maybe he turned a fool then?... Oh ho, guess you are here for the show then.”

What a strange gorgon. Obviously one of those who were not impressed by her Atlantean royal title. She was used to that from her recent concubine's attitude. She was still not sure why he assumed she was involved with a prince, but since the royalty Americans knew best was generally the cartoon kid, it was not surprising this Irish person was not up to date either.

Still, she followed him to the kitchen where he proceeded to unpack the fridge.

>>”Well, I wouldn’t really call it being a student. I showed up, didn’t pay attention then decided to leave before they could fail me. Sides, had more important places to be. People to please. Sure you know how that goes being a princess? Duty n’ all that right?”

This guy definitely did not look like someone who would have duties. Amethyst perched on a chair and continued eating her ice cream. Sure, she had duties, but she was getting better at avoiding them recently.

>>”Maybe I’ll enroll again?”

"You want to go back to school?" the princess chuckled, watching him get all the food on the table. His tail handled a knife, which was kind of fascinating. In a gorgon way. "Don't you have something better to do? Like... gryphon things? Gold related? Aren't gryphons supposed to be guarding treasures somewhere?"

She didn’t comment on the plate so Carrick shrugged and decided he’d make a Gryphon sized sandwich for himself only. Her loss probably would have went great with the carton of ice cream she was slowly working through. Cutting into the lettuce he smirked, ”Hell no, I don’t’ want to go back to school but it was me mother’s request that I finish school. Rest her soul.” Carrick said trying not to reveal too much emotion. It was still a new feeling knowing his mother was dead. That was the first time he said anything allowed however.

The shifters smile never faded as he started to dress his sandwich with lettuce, a tomato and a ton of different lunchmeat. ”Oh, love I’ve got so much more **** better to do.” Carrick said not looking up at her his stomach was not starting to hurt as it growled.

Carrick adopted his mother’s tone of voice, ”Car, nothing wrong with an American education. They can teach ya more than you can learn here. Safer for people who look like you too.” he grinned squirting mustard onto his sandwich and closed it up satisfied with the size. To say it was a two hander was a bit of a stretch if his hands were any smaller he wouldn’t have been able to keep everything together.

Mismatched colored eyes shifted from the sandwich to the woman who was sitting in front of him. ”Cash is kings, init? Less of a headache to sell if I need to than gold.” His tail flicked in her direction as he took a huge bite of his sandwich. To anyone watching it was clear he hadn’t had a full meal in a while.

Still chewing, ”Spose I should go find a burrow somewhere fill it gold. Shouldn’t you be in a tower somewhere?” Carrick asked, ”Or you an exchange student of some kind? Who give them?” Carrick finished chewing and swallowed then before taking another big bite, ”Hopefully it wasn’t anyone I liked.”

From what Amethyst had seen of the school so far, it was doubtful she'd want to come back if she was an adult free in the world. At least, she assumed the gryphon was an adult. He looked somewhat older than her. What would he come back for, other than the free food?...

Maybe it was the free food. He was clearly eating a lot of it.

>>”Hell no, I don’t’ want to go back to school but it was me mother’s request that I finish school. Rest her soul. Oh, love I’ve got so much more **** better to do.”

Food it was. That, and the mother. Amethyst wondered why she'd want her son to finish school that badly. The guy could fly, and who knew that else. Maybe even had treasure. Who needed school?

>>”Car, nothing wrong with an American education. They can teach ya more than you can learn here. Safer for people who look like you too.”

He was from Ireland, but his mother wanted an American education for him. Go figure. Amethyst realized she knew precious little about Ireland, so she kept eating her ice cream, watching the gryphon devour a giant sandwich monster.

>>”Cash is kings, init? Less of a headache to sell if I need to than gold. Spose I should go find a burrow somewhere fill it gold. Shouldn’t you be in a tower somewhere? Or you an exchange student of some kind? Who give them? Hopefully it wasn’t anyone I liked.”

"Why would I be in a tower?" Amethyst blinked in confusion, then it dawned on her "Oh. Like Danae? Because I'm a princess?... Well, see how that turned out for her..." she smirked "I am not an exchange student. I am an ambassador from Atlantis. The queen shipped me off here to show this place is not just for gorgons."

Carrick’s mouth was full when she asked about the tower. He didn’t know who Danae was so he shrugged his shoulders and then shook his head and swallowed when she got the right answer. Instead of gasping for air though he took another bite of his sandwich a little bigger than the last one. His tail flicked in her direction again now that his stomach was happy it was filling.

There was that word again. Gorgons. Again he wanted to correct her it was Gryphons. Then again she could have been talking about Andy. She did have snakes for hair. Mouth clear now, managed to step back into the conversation, ”Gryphons.” he felt better after correcting her.

”An ambassador and a princess.” Carrick mocked a bow again stepping backwards wondering how many times he could mock a bow. ”Sounds like you have plenty of duties here.” Carrick said trying not to sound too sarcastic. ”What’s an ambassador doing here? Free education here. Nothing fancy. I even managed to pass a class.” Carrick laughed, ”One… I think…” was that the one he was in with Liz? It had been a few years. Maybe it was P.E.

”Surly there’s a better place with more towers. Oh what a sight that would be eh? No contact with the outside world ‘cept the birds and dragons. Oh, maybe a Gryphon.” he said the name again hoping she would catch on to the name. Carrick took a bite of the sandwich and smirked trying to imagine himself as a beast protecting the castle. He smirked, his Gryphon form wouldn’t really be interested in that. Beasty maybe.

”Atlantis… still underwater or do you have air there?” Carrick asked leaning over the counter staring at her neck his eyes started to wander and he felt his face get warm. He blinked and then added, ”Don’t see gills on ya princess.” he laughed into his last bite, ”’Less they’re hiding somewhere else. If that’s the case none of ‘me business.”

>>”Gryphons.”

Stubborn idiot. She knew what a gryphon was. He didn't even know what a gorgon was. Americans really needed a handy name for people like him. "Physical mutation" was just clumsy.

The gryphon was chomping down on the sandwich like he had not had a mean in days. Amethyst's eyes followed the fail flicking.

>>”An ambassador and a princess. Sounds like you have plenty of duties here. What’s an ambassador doing here? Free education here. Nothing fancy. I even managed to pass a class. One… I think… Surly there’s a better place with more towers. Oh what a sight that would be eh? No contact with the outside world ‘cept the birds and dragons. Oh, maybe a Gryphon.”

The mock bowing was annoying. He didn't even know how to execute a decent Atlantead greeting. Did people get all their information about royalty from television?...

"Well, let me know when there is another American school for mutants, one with towers, decent education, and better rooms" Amethyst smirked "Until then, I'm stuck here, representing the demigods of Atlantis."

>>”Atlantis… still underwater or do you have air there? Don’t see gills on ya princess. ’Less they’re hiding somewhere else. If that’s the case none of ‘me business.”

Amethyst blinked. "Why would I have gills? Ew." she wrinkled her nose "Atlantis rose years ago. Where have you been?"

”The demigods?” Carrick over exaggerated his interest by leaning on the counter between them. ”I’d bow again but I’d rather not risk your wrath. Atlantian gods…” Carrick let out a small chirp. ”Well thank you for gracing us normal beings with your presences.” he grinned. His tail swaying above his back as he was leaning over if one walked in the room it would look similar to a kittens tail before a pounce. Carrick however had no interest in pouncing.

”’nd the rooms ain’t too bad. There is a bed, some rooms even have bathrooms. Beats a cage don’t it?” Carrick said shrugging. His time in the circus taught him the luxuries of the mansion. It might not be home but it also didn’t have wheels. Did he even have a home now? Carrick’s tail lowered the more he thought about it.

Distracting himself with the princess in front of him he shrugged and stood upright his wings flexed out as he stretched. ”Ireland, taking care of me mum. Decided to forget all that after she passed so I did what any other kid at heart would do and became a kid again?” Carrick smirked his wings folding back behind him.

”Nothing wrong with gills. They help you breath underwater. Be kinda cool. Doubt my wings would be much use underwater. Bout as useful as tits on a bull.”

”So princess. What kind of powers does a god have?” Carrick asked flashing his angled teeth in a grin.

>>”The demigods? I’d bow again but I’d rather not risk your wrath. Atlantian gods... Well thank you for gracing us normal beings with your presences.”

Amethyst narrowed her eyes at the gryphon. She couldn't tell if he was making fun of her or not. The tail was doing a... cat-like tail thing. That was probably a sing. Amethyst still did not enjoy cheeky bastards making fun of her standing as a princess, or Atlantean royalty in general, but there was precious little she could do about it.

>>”’nd the rooms ain’t too bad. There is a bed, some rooms even have bathrooms. Beats a cage don’t it?”

A cage? Who was talking about a cage? Not even Atlantis kept gorgons in cages.
... not the harmless ones, anyway. Amethyst scoffed. 'Better than a cage' was a low bar to clear. Really, where did this guy come from?

>>”Ireland, taking care of me mum. Decided to forget all that after she passed so I did what any other kid at heart would do and became a kid again?”

Oh.
OH.

"You are de-aged?!" the princess ventured. Not again. "How old are you really?"

>>”Nothing wrong with gills. They help you breath underwater. Be kinda cool. Doubt my wings would be much use underwater. Bout as useful as tits on a bull. So princess. What kind of powers does a god have?”

Now he was just talking nonsense. Amethyst scoffed again.

"Gods have all kinds of powers. Demigods, too. I'm assuming you are asking about mine?" she arched an eyebrow over her bowl of ice cream "I make rubies from my blood."

She clearly would be a great heckler, while he didn’t always have the best jokes his attitude and way he moved at least got him the occasional laugh. This woman was only scoffing. Clearly ‘gods’ don’t have a sense of humor. ”Was taught a lady never asks.” Carrick rolled his mismatched colored eyes and then told her, ”Eighteen now. Supposedly twenty-three.” Carrick said holding up a two and a three with different hands.

”How old do I look?” Carrick chuckled. ”Shoot, maybe I could be mistaken for a minor. Make getting out of trouble heck a lot easier.” he wondered if he could still call Jorge if he did get in trouble for pickpocketing or illegal gambling. It had been a few years for Jorge less for Carrick now, maybe he’d fly by his old apartment and see if his fridge was still stocked. Finding all the places with free food did make things easier. Especially when he was constantly flying around the city.

”Yes, seeing as you clamed to be a demi-god princess.” Carrick said turning and leaning backwards against the counter his wings adjusting so they weren’t what he was leaning on. ”Useful power.” Carrick smirked wondering if the princess was willing to part with some rubies next time she got a cut doing whatever the princess did. What do they do? Eat ice cream apparently. ”Be easy to make a quick buck eh?” Carrick laughed.

”Supposing yer gods can fly?” he asked doubting they could match him in the air. His Gryphon form had a tendency to attack anything flying in proximity to him.