Rhia stood, frozen, as she watched a horror show. From what was a human with wings came a gryphon or something. It looked both painful and nauseating… for both him and her. She could hear others around her crying out, moving, and otherwise fleeing. Rhia stood, transfixed.

It took the gryphon staring at her before crouching for her to finally snap back to reality. The gryphon was coming at her! ”Oh shit.”

With a shriek of terror, Rhia threw herself to the side. Her heels did not make that particular maneuver the most graceful as when she put weight on them they slid on the dance floor. They were dancing heels, not track and field heels. ”Ooof.” Her breath escaped her all at once when she hit the ground. She scrambled forward a couple feet on her hands as she shook off the heels. Alas poor stilettos, she knew them well.

Running was a good plan. Rhia climbed to her feet and made for anywhere that wasn’t there.

Damn, he was freaking out. Carrick and everyone inside, not the Gryphon, there were very few times he ever felt like he wasn’t in control when he was the Gryphon. Unfortunately the first time was one of them. The introduction to the shift was the worst. The former shifter tried to make eye contact with his shifted form but was pushed aside as people were now running away instead of when he first suggested moments ago.

Full shift though, on his first time and with everything going on. If Carrick weren’t so worried for his body he would be way happier. Any shift other than a partial was a godsend. Even he couldn’t control his partial shift; there would have been a lot more blood.

Being super biased he was always in awe with his preferred shifted form the wings alone were majestic. A golden brown hue that reflected the colored lights, bright yellow beak snapping at the air, his beautiful tan torso crouching as it leapt into the air. ”Oh ****” he yelled once more as he realized what his shifted form was going after. That was good. If he killed that Blondie, well that might his only shot at going back and waking up from this nightmare.

The screams of the panicked drown out Carrick’s cursing as he fought through the crowd to pursue his runaway body. ”Calm down!” Carrick yelled pushing people out of the way. As he was pushing there was a bright flash of light and a feeling of less resistance as he made his way forward. Carrick didn’t stop to turn his head 180 there was enough going on and he didn’t need to be blinded. Right now he had a mission and that was getting his shifted forms attention and unfortunately that mean he had to do the last thing he wanted to at that moment. Get close to Blondie who just dropped him moments before.

Carrick made a run for her as she fell but met a few more people. There was another flash of light next to him as he pushed through the fleeing dancers. Probably faulty wiring, this place was dangerous.

”If you don’t want to get mauled don’t throw me again!” he yelled allowed trying to keep up with the woman. If it wasn’t so crowded he would been sure she could have vanished in a puff of smoke and dirt making Carrick consume all of it, clearly this body wasn’t a runner. Then again neither was he. ”Bathroom!” he yelled and pointed, ”You can’t outrun him he can’t fly there, or change me bac-” Carrick tripped and face planted he hated running it was such an outdated method of transportation.

She went down and out, but she needn’t have bothered. The gryphon soared way past her and overshot by a couple of yards before crashing to the floor and sliding even more yards into a pillar. The gryphon screeched in shock and woozily shook its head.

Oh that hurts, it thought. Then the gryphon shook its head again and tried to scramble to its feet. And boy did it scramble. Razor sharp talons clattered on the dance floor and the hindquarters bottomed out twice as the fur-covered paws kept slipping. Wings opened up and a tail stabbed out to help with balance and the composite creature slowly found its balance. You’d think it had never really walked on four legs before.

The gryphon snarled as it righted itself. It held itself for a moment and started pulling its wings back in. People were running and shouting left and right and each movement drew its attention. It snarled again and snapped in displeasure. And then it saw her again. The enemy. And that other thing now by her, the….very familiar thing. With a twisty neck. And it tripped and faceplanted.

Ouch! The gryphon blinked.

But the gryphon was not too interested in that. Not right then, at least. The blonde fallen female was the enemy, the target, the….something. IT would figure that out later, right then it just wanted to get its claws on her.

Slowly, sometimes sliding, the gryphon began prowling forward.

Run. There was no plan. All Rhia could think of was running. Sure she was tough, but being able to put some gropey guy at a club on his ass is not the same as dealing with a mythical beast! Men were squishy with bones providing a structure she understood enough of to use against them. She didn’t know anything about griffins… and it had a meaner looking natural weapons!

Rhia was not a runner, she was a lifter. Her legs had all the raw power but there was more to moving quickly than hammering at the ground with your feet. You don’t see powerlifters medaling in sprinting events all that often.

While in her mad dash, one of her swapping victims—the one she flipped—ran up to her. He said something about her not flipping him. She had more pressing issues! Besides, she wasn’t the type to trip someone while they both ran from a bear. Rhia yelled, ”Bigger! Concern!” as she kept running.

The man yelled about the bathroom then something about not outrunning the giffin and how it can’t fly in there. Rhia spotted the sign for the bathroom, then looked for the door outside. It was closer. She looked back at the griffin.

Too close. Too close. Too close!

Rhia ran for the bathroom and shot through the closest door. It was the men’s room. She shot to the back wall and put her hands on it. Nowhere else to go. She had to hope it couldn’t fit through the door. Why had she listened to bouncer boi body?

”Okay. What now?” Rhia panted to herself.

Of course he face planted, he heard some commotion hoping there was at least a window in the bathroom. It be silly not to, right? Then again he was an expert at pubs and dive bars not nightclubs and it seemed for good reason. He never got a new awkward body before. He much rather preferred his old one, the one he knew how to move correctly in.

Pushing himself up with a small grunt he rubbed his nose, which was in pain. He shook himself mentally as he recalled what was happening. The door to the bathroom shut and his shifted form was on the prowl. Luckily his large, not wide body would have trouble getting into said bathroom. He didn’t advertise it but standard doorframes were a difficult test to pass in his Gryphon form.

”Hey big guy!” Carrick stumbled and caught himself on a chair that vanished in a flash of light. He fell over wondering that the hell just happened. ”Oh for ****s sake what else can I do!” he said holding his hands outwards making sure not to touch his face.

”I make *** vanish!” Carrick mocked as he tried to figure out what to do with his hands. The went to his side as another ball of light seemed to shake loose. It landed on a beer bottle that quickly vanished. He didn’t have time for this.

”What great wings you have! Beautiful and a fine sheen of golden brown!” he yelled trying to get his form’s attention the only way he knew how other than being an enemy, or food.

Carrick raised his hands showing he meant no harm. Another ball of light fell out and landed on a velvet rope divider. ”Sorry bout that, I don’t know how to turn that off. But you do right?” it would take a lot of focus but it was possible to get control.

The gryphon wanted to fly, but it knew there wasn’t room. The air was dead as well and to get anything it would need a running start. This ground made that treacherous. But slow stalking was fine as well, especially since its prey couldn’t fly and didn’t look too fast either. Although the Familiar Thing was with the Enemy. That...made the gryphon feel…

It shook its head and rubbed at its beak with the side of a scaly talon. The gryphon ignored the cries of other potential prey as they fled in all directions (except up and down, of course). It had its eyes set on one in particular. It’s incredible, keen eyes, able to pick out signs of exertion and fear on the prey.

The gryphon stalked its target over the strange ground momentarily lost it as it opened a crack in one of the flat cave walls that made up its cage. THe gryphon roared and surged forward, succeeding in sliding further and further. It made it to cave wall. And the crack was gone.

“SHKREEE!” it shrieked, looking for another opening.. But then its ears perked. Over the unholy noise surrounding it, the gryphon heard...the Familiar.

It whirled around, its tail slamming against the differently colored part of the wall that hid the crack the Enemy had used. It could still hear her in there, especially at this range. But right now something else had its attention.

The gryphon sets its sights on the Familiar. And the Familiar was making light. The flashes seemed to burrow into the gryphon, but not in the same painful way as the raking ropes of light from the ceiling of the cave. But in a way that made the gryphon feel...comforted?

The gryphon raised its head and cocked it to the side as it took the Familiar in. And it was roaring at the gryphon. No, screeching. No...talking. Yes, it was talking. About...his wings?

The gryphon turned its head. Why, yes it did have beautiful wings! He opened them up a little bit with a small, full body shake. His beautiful wings looked even better when diving at prey! But...was the Familiar prey?

The gryphon started slinking forward again, slowly, its mismatched eyes focused on every movement of the familiar while splitting its attention with listening for the Enemy. It wouldn’t do to leave his back completely unguarded for the Enemy in case it...did something.

From inside the bathroom, Rhia could hear commotion still going on outside. She looked around. No windows to go out through. There were just those weird glass squares on the wall and they were frosted. Light could get in but a coed running from a griffin couldn’t get out. Rhia hit the glass with one hand. Nothing.

Leaning her back against the wall, Rhia tried to think of what she could do. Did she just hide in the men’s room until the griffin went away or stopped being a griffin?

There was talking outside that she could hear. Something about great wings… Was wing boi in bouncer boi body complimenting the griffin? Maybe that would distract it and she could leave?

Rhia cracked the door to the bathroom so she could peer out and see what was happening.

There was an understanding. The Gryphon didn’t attack which was good, however given Carrick’s mental status or the shifted forms he knew it wouldn’t last long. Gryphon form and beast based most things on instincts and while he was in a body he didn’t want or wouldn’t want he didn’t think about the consequences.

His eyes noticed the door and gave a ‘no’ gesture, slowly. The former shifter still wanted something and if he could guide his former shifted form more power to him. Who knew himself better? Probably a dozen people, at least before he left.

Carrick’s new body closed his hands and formed a bow it was a sign of respect, or in Beast’s form submission. Both forms should at least determine he wasn’t a threat, flashing lights aside. Carrick lifted his now non-mismatched colored eyes to see a few balls of light seemed to sprout from his hands. ”For ****’s sake.” he rose from the bow then slowly backed his way to where the bathroom door was trying to trap the woman in the bathroom by the gaze of his former shifted form.

”And look at that magnificent and those claws! Clearly you’ve been taking care of yourself.” Carrick said to the Gryphon. ”Can you change me back? Betting on you.” Carrick asked aloud knowing if blondie couldn’t it wouldn’t matter to him anyways. His wingless back was at the door.

The Familiar was moving. The gryphon instinctively changed its course, maintaining a distance between them, moving in parallel and away from the Familiar. The Familiar lowered itself and….the gryphon liked that.

It began to slink forward, almost crawling forward, its neck stretched out. Sniff or bite, both were easier that way. And it just so happened to be a great position for pouncing.

Then LIGHTS.

The sudden appearance made the gryphon pull its head back quickly and its neck feathers began to ruffle up. It let out a small hiss. And then began creeping closer.

The Familiar made sounds again, but this time the Gryphon didn’t care. It now realized it had been maneuvered, no longer near the Enemy and the cave wall. And the crack in the wall was back, although still tiny.

But the gryphon was strong. All it needed was a crack and the rest could be torn open.

It’s mouth opened slightly and it began closing in on the Familiar and its crack, it’s talons tapping on the floor and its hind claws gently clacking. .

Leaving the bathroom was not advised. The griffin was there. Also, bounder boi’s head was slowly telling her no. Rhia slowly closed the bathroom door as she retreated fully back into the men’s room. She was trapped. Bounder boi had directed her to somewhere that she would be trapped. Now that she was less panicked and could think, she wondered if he had directed her there to trap her. Clearly him and the griffin were working together. They must have realized she caused the swap.

”Okay, Rhia. You’ve had your fun but now a mythological creature is after you and you’re trapped in a men’s room, TALKING TO YOURSELF!” Rhia stood in the middle of the bathroom and tried to form a plan.

Could she use the same trick twice, Escape in confusion from a swap? Just, be better at it this time. Maybe she could unswap them and then maybe reswap them if they come after her? No plans were good but no plan at all was the worst plan.

”Let’s… See what happens.” Standing in the middle of the bathroom Rhia made a small mental effort and undid the swap between the winged boi and bouncer boi.

This was it, either his former body was going to maul him or nudge him. Carrick’s eyes break away until he started feeling weird again. Those talons were deadly. How many times had he attacked using those? Cars he tore into? His knees were starting to shake. He thought it was fear.

It must have been the luck of the Irish, amid a swirl of green and blue mixed in the occasional sparkles from the disco ball he saw the top of his head, not his head. He started swimming again. The feeling of flight quickly came back. Was this it? Was it time to wake up?

His vision blurred again and he was looking at the bouncer and the door. His improved sight focusing on the bouncer focusing on the blemishes on his face. A missed hair. Carrick let out a loud chirp followed by a screech. It wasn’t his human body but it was one he remembered all too well.

Carrick started to tune out the background noise as he took a few steps back. His tail flailed behind him wildly. How he missed his tail! It responded in kind as his beak tried to chase after it. It took a second before he realized what he was doing he should be focusing… his bird like head turned to eye his massive wings. Oh how he looked forward to flying again. His wings flexed and ruffled in response then opened up fully then retracted back. It was so good to be back.

His mismatched color eyes focused on the bouncer finally as his body went into a full stretch. A loud purring echoed out from his chest followed by some soft chirps. ‘We did it! Enjoy your awkward body grounder!’

As before, there were lights and odd creatures flashing around him and he kept getting glimpses of...himself! That’s right! THat’s who he was! He didn’t know what those other critters were, nor where that music was coming from, or why he was throwing red/white balls instead of glowing golden ones, but that was him!

And then Zek was staring at a gryphon. Yipes!

It chirped and screeched. And started to ...check itself out? Zek classified it as a non-threat and relaxed slightly. And then realized what had been happening. “Dead gods, that was trippy!” he said. And then his back started to cry for his attention and his arm. “What the,” he said, then he remembered, “flip!”

And why did he have two people and...a chair, something ropelike, and bottle….stored away?

But that could be dealt with later. First thing first: ensure the giant catbird was going to attack again.

His last golden orb appeared in his hand and he kept his back to the bathroom door. He addressed the gryphon. “‘You okay in there?” he said warily. He’d never caught a gryphon before, but then again he’d never been one before. It was a night for many firsts.

And as soon as he dealt with the gryphon (or heck, bought it a burger) he’d deal with Pandora and her brainswitching.

Okay. The pair were swapped back. Wingboi was a griffin and bouncer boi… was a guy. Maybe now was the time to do what the bouncer had wanted her to do in the first place, bounce. Rhia opened the bathroom door again, just a crack, then a little more. She slowly opened it until she had the best view of what was happening without sticking herself out and drawing their attention.

They were facing each other. Bouncer boi had… something golden in his hand. An orb of something. Rhia looked past him at the griffin which was doing griffin-y things. Beyond the griffin… Were Rhia’s heels! She liked those heels. They were cute and expensive and there they were laying on the dance floor where she had left them.

She either faced scary griffin and guy with a glowing orb to get her shoes or she forgot about the shoes.

Rhia sighed and tried to slide out of the bathroom as quietly as possible. Maybe they were focused enough on each other that she could slip away. Maybe come back later when there wasn’t a griffin to get her heels back.

The sidewalk was going to suck.

Shutting the door slowly behind her Rhia tried to tip toe away toward the exit.

The Gryphon eyes focused from the bouncer to the door behind him he saw it move and then looked down at his talons. Carrick lifted it and studied it before turning his gaze back on the bouncer. He chirped a few more times softly as if he was trying to communicate. Unless they spoke bird or cat they wouldn’t understand. His tail however was wagging slightly behind him. Carrick eyed the glowing ball and slowly turned his back to the two an trotted away a few feet almost stepping on a pair of shoes.

He eyed the shoes and studied them for a moment and looked back to his talon and then walked around the shoes letting out a few more chirps and some more purring. His shifted butt sat behind the shoes and he chirped loudly once then held up one of his talons and waved it. ‘I don’t want to disappear in the light, just got my body back.’ He chirped again. This time a bit more aggressive and jazz handed his talon the best he could in the body. ‘shoes mate, they hers?’ no longer wanting to have her be eaten now that he was back in control of his body.

Carrick silently counted how long his body had been shifted during the nightmare. Couldn’t be long enough to force him to shift back. He’d be naked, and in a public setting and while there was more of an understanding at home here he doubted he’d be granted the same courtesy. His tail swayed behind him as his chest purred more. ‘I don’t think I need an indecent exposure. I’m not a minor anymore.’ Thought Carrick as he folded his wings behind him

Zek decided that cat-bird-guys were terrible at charades. Or at least Birdman was. For purposes of sanity, Zek was assuming that since he was him, Birdman was Catbird. And Catbird was....wanting a pair of shoes? It really seemed to like a particular pair of abandoned heels. Fortunately, it wasn’t the worst things Zek had seen abandoned there. Nightshade’s janitors really earned their money.

Completely misunderstanding the gryphon, and not on purpose like his standard modus operandi, Zek just shrugged, “You can have ‘em. I’m not judging you, but I’m also not putting them on you.” Also, the heels looked rather small for the mythical monster, but who was Zek to decide what made the catbird feel pretty?

Well that was done. Birdman-Catbird probably wasn’t going to attack, not when it could be distracted by some shoes. So Zek moved on to the other priority. Tracking down the enemy girl who’d...unswitched them? Zek blinked. Yeah, she was definitely going on the blacklist. For sooo many reasons.

Zek turned around and was about to stride up to the mensroom when he realized that Ms. Demeanor wasn’t in there. He realized this because he saw her attempting to creep away. Zek raised his orb in a casual throwing position. “Hey!” he said loudly, to be heard clearly over the music that wasn’t nearly so loud to him now, “You got a real ID?”