>>”Oh, Amethyst is too badass to be slowed down by something like drinking laws. And we’re not cousins, I’d think. Never knew my parents, though. She’s just someone I know now that I didn’t know in Atlantis.”

Amethyst shot a glare at Praxi as her Atlantean friends took their seats on the couches and pillows. Someone she knew... she was royalty! The goop girl was playing Carrick's game, intentionally trying to piss her off. And the Atlantean girls were visibly becoming uncomfortable with her presence near the food.

>>”Great question, are ya poisonous? Shook yer hand should have come with a warning label, You’d make a great addition to the court if that’s the case. Wrong person to insult especially when drinking in such close proximity of ya. Am I right?”

"She's not poisonous." Amethyst clarified to her friends, who frowned or pouted. As if she would bring a dangerous gorgon anywhere near them...

>>”Better that than having to cover yer face with makeup due to too many black heads though.”

"They really do not train them here do they" one of the ladies scoffed, as Amethyst filled their cups. "Is that one even house broken?..."

>>”Nope! Nothing poisonous about me. I’d just taste kind of like wine right now. Well, unless I drank poison. So hopefully Amethyst isn’t poisoning you all. It would be very Chess of Crowns of her.”

"No one is poisoning anyone" Amethyst snapped. "She is just... made of slime, that's all."

"Ew. Did it just... suggest we taste it?"

"They are trying to get a rise out of you" the princess sighed, taking a seat "Don't pay attention, they'll be gone in a moment."

"Ugh. Don't they have guards here for that?"

”Badass? We know the same princess love? Might have a different meaning where I’m from.” Carrick asked curiously his tail flicking behind him. The princess seemed like a lot of things but ‘badass’ wasn’t one of them. Headache for sure.

His expression shifted from the princess back to who had no jewelry on. The only reason he was looking at her. That and to make sure he was pressing some buttons. Praxi’s talk of her parents pulled his smile away from his face for a moment. He knew both of his parents one he was glad to know but the other? He would have been better off not knowing his father. He was a @#$!.

Sipping his beverage and plastering his smile back on he raised his glass towards her. ”Love to hear another perspective on yer home. Heard it from the royals point of view. Not from another. Often says more about a kingdom though don’t it?” Carrick said flashing his pearly canines.

>>>>"No one is poisoning anyone"

His ears picked up every word that was muttered or whispered. The things that the girl in front of him could hear might have varied. His eyes turned to slits looking at the one that called the goo-girl an it. ”Too soon to tell honestly, been lucky so far but I was curious to what you were putting in the drinks. he winked at the princess then ignored her suggestion to leave. Carrick had drinks and entertainment. This was the most fun he has had during his time caged to the mansion.

”May I, love? Curious now.” Carrick asked raising an eyebrow and smiling knowing it would upset the princess. He leaned forward and touched his tongue to her hand making sure to taste whatever she tasted like.

”More sweet than anything.” he licked his lips. Then turned his rear towards her his tail waving at her. ”part cat, curious bout everything.”

Carrick was distracting as a person. Something about the way he carried himself seemed tailor-made to capture attention, to the point where Praxi could be oblivious toward Amethyst’s annoyance. Her friends were disgusted by the prospect of Praxi being tasted, but she was literally bubbly and giggling at Carrick’s slights.

Talking about Atlantis was easier the further she got from her time on the streets. The memories hurt, but they were starting to feel like a different life. With the nobles here for a party, those memories were creeping closer, but champagne kept it at a distance. ”Yeah, well, Atlantis was sort of a tale of two worlds,” she muttered.

Sipping her drink, Praxi needed an extra second to process Carrick’s request. May he? ”Wha? Oh! Um.” The inside of Praxi swirled nervously, but she offered a finger. Her surface rippled as a droplet of Praxi rested on Carrick’s tongue.

She had never been complimented for her taste before, but now she was suddenly going to have to be more conscious of her consumption habits. ”Well, thank you. Good to know I’m… er, tasty? Though…” The dark greens of her eyes shifted to look at Amethyst and her party, ”maybe we should get going, curious kitty? Amethyst and her friends seem bothered by things they can’t understand.” Oh, she had tried so hard to be polite for so long, but that one definitely slipped.

>>"Too soon to tell honestly, been lucky so far but I was curious to what you were putting in the drinks."

There was more nervous chatter among the ladies, and Amethyst gave the griffin another indignant glare. She was most decidedly not poisoning the drinks, but she was feeling the temptation to poison him right now. She had been preparing for this visit for a long time, and he was absolutely ruining it for everyone.

And then he went and licked Praxi.

>>”More sweet than anything. part cat, curious bout everything.”

The Atlantean ladies gasped, whispering among themselves as they stared. The words 'barbaric', 'gorgon', and 'disgusting' were definitely mentioned, although in their own language. Amethyst huffed, trying to find a way to salvage the situation, and failing.

>>”Well, thank you. Good to know I’m… er, tasty? Though… maybe we should get going, curious kitty? Amethyst and her friends seem bothered by things they can’t understand.”

The mood was definitely ruined. Amethyst turned her back to the griffin and Praxi, looking at the ladies, who looked equal parts shocked and delightfully scandalized. She knew stories of this visit were bound to spread in Atlantis like wildfire. Suddenly, the ladies had a whole lot of questions...

The shifter given the current situation was glad the princess produced gems instead of firing lasers from her eyes. Carrick would have erupted into flames then and there. Smacking his tongue a little and making a chewing motion he took a sip of the bubbly drink he surely didn’t pay for. Grinning, ”Curious kitty?” he hasn’t been called ‘kitty’ anything in a few years ever since his growth spurt. The anklet tether felt heavy under the name. He did allegedly maul someone recently.

”Here I thought that was the purpose of the exchange. Still don’t know who they got fer the princess. Hope it’s not the girl who makes things blow up…. Well… now that I think bout it, wouldn’t be too bad. She’s got an explosive personality from what I’m told.”

Carrick smirked and waved to the group of ‘ladies if the court’ which sounded liked a progressive rock group from the 80’s. ”Nice meeting ya’ll I look forward to invading yer lands… with trade!” could he have just declared war on Atlantis with his made up lands? He looked to the princess and winked, she’d probably kill him first.

Turning back to Praxi he nodded to the grounds away from the tent, ”I’d be bothered by not having wings as well.” Carrick grabbed a bottle of the champagne and some finger food before giving his ‘mocking’ bow. ”As always Princess good seeing ya.” when he bowed a few things were knocked off the table from his tail happy it finally got what it wanted. ”Weird place to put that stuff.”

”Shall we? Ya can tell me more about Atlantis is it true ya have singing crabs?” a piece of food popped into his mouth as he walked out from under the tent.