>>”Got wings love. I was gonna fly ya there. Assumed that was the most entertaining way to get there.”

The princess huffed. He knew she didn't like the idea of flying. He might have thought of it as entertaining, but she was glad she did not have to arrive to the park being carried by a flying person.

>>”I don’t like talk about the only fault I have.”

"Which only one?" he princess smirked. He seemed to relax at her touch, so she kept her hand on his wing.

>>”Same reason ya don’t tell me ya hate heights?”

"I don't hate heights." she clarified "I hate being up high with nothing under me." There was a difference. Planes, for example, were fine. So were towers. Carried by a person... not so much.

>>”Only got in because it looked like ya were expecting me to get in. I don’t know why I got in either!”

"Well next time figure out the transportation when you organize a date" Amethyst pointed out as the cab turned the corner towards Central Park.

>>>"Which only one?"

Carrick forced a ‘look’ at the princess trying to mock the situation. The area behind her started to get into familiar territory the more green things became. Containing his tail and thus any show of his excitement for the end of the ride he perked up.

>>>"I don't hate heights. I hate being up high with nothing under me."

The shifter made a show looking at his arms glad for the distraction of the ride, ”Hey, they might not look like much but I haven’t lost a passenger yet.” he didn’t’ point out the times he dropped someone on purpose… for a laugh. Suddenly he felt guilty, was being in a car some sort of price he had to pay for being funny?

”Technically I did. Just wasn’t ready for you to decide to steal someone’s cab.” he shot back as the car slowed to a stop. ”Ohhh… thank god.” he said quickly and enthusiastically bursting through the door.

Reaching into his pocket and fishing for some money he offered it to the cab driver who rolled his window down the second Carrick burst out. Did it look like he wasn’t’ gonna pay? The shifter waved awkwardly to the cab driver and then shut the door after the princess exited the vehicle.

”Be lucky I planned anything at all. Not good at planning.” he said looking to the park that was now lit up with lights for the holidays. ”Hope yer a fan of music.” he said smirking. Who wasn’t.

>>”Hey, they might not look like much but I haven’t lost a passenger yet.”

It might have been true, or might not. Either way, Amethyst remembered the last time Carrick had swept her up into the air, and she was not in a hurry to repeat the experience. Probably as much as he was in a hurry to get out of the cab.

>>”Technically I did. Just wasn’t ready for you to decide to steal someone’s cab. Ohhh… thank god.”

The princess climbed out of the cab after him, smoothing down her dress as he paid. Wait, did he not call the cab? Because she certainly didn't. Strange. But oh well, here they were, at the park again.

>>”Be lucky I planned anything at all. Not good at planning. Hope yer a fan of music.”

The park definitely looked a lot better with the lights. There was a festive feel to it, and there were people, but not in a crowd that would have made her nervous. And no crazy bigots in sight.

"I told you I'm not singing again" she clarified as they walked on.

”Aye, I remember” he said almost pouting. His tail flicked at her as he walked next to her. ”No, figured we leave the singing to the professionals.” he smirked and nudged her with a wing before pointing to an area where some lights were concentrated. It was a small stage but there was a full orchestra band.

”Apparently, they got a few concerts all over the park.” Carrick said clarifying pointing to another more populated area, ”Vendors and food trucks as well.” Carrick said his stomah already growling. Sniffing the air he debated what he was hungry for first then had to remind himself he was on a date.

”Hard to pass up an opportunity like this when I saw it was going on.” he said with a smirk, ”Good chance for ya to try some more street food.” he laughed, ”and no, I won’t be shifting this time round. Beasty’s still wiped from the other day.” he said checking the back of his mind hearing none of the usual chatter.

”Sides, only suit I got. Can’t really manage a shift without ruining it.” Carrick said proudly. ”Anything in particular yer interested in?” Carrick asked her while he was getting distracted with all the commotion.

>>”Aye, I remember. No, figured we leave the singing to the professionals. Apparently, they got a few concerts all over the park.”

The princess smirked as they walked along, relieved that she was not going to have to sing, and Carrick was not about to break into song either. That already made the idea of the date better. She was not convinced she was going to like the concert music either, but oh well. She could always complain.

>>”Vendors and food trucks as well. Hard to pass up an opportunity like this when I saw it was going on. Good chance for ya to try some more street food.”

"Is it" she deadpanned, looking around. Warm dogs were not bad, but she was not in a hurry to try more questionable food.

>>”and no, I won’t be shifting this time round. Beasty’s still wiped from the other day. Sides, only suit I got. Can’t really manage a shift without ruining it.”

Well, good. If he was still tired from the other shift, maybe it would e harder to rile the beast up, even if someone did show up to start trouble. Amethyst did not want to repeat any of their previous visit to the park. Warm dogs included.

>>”Anything in particular yer interested in?”

The princess tilted her head, looking around. She got some strange looks, with the tiara and all, but she was mostly used to it. Carrick also got strange looks, but this was New York. He was somehow not even the only gorgon in the park.

Amethyst listened for a while; an orchestra nearby was playing some classical music. It was actually music, the way she could recognize, instead of someone yelling into a microphone.

"That's not bad" she noted. "What is that?"

She deadpanned and Carrick laughed from what he recalled she didn’t mind the hotdogs just what happened after. ”Aye love, with the amount of carts here you’ d be able to eat fer weeks. Not sure you’d want to but the option is there.” he said smelling a bunch of the cooked meats from where they were.

>>>"That's not bad" "What is that?"

Turning his attention to the crowd of people who were giving both he and the princess inquisitive looks and the food carts his ears picked up on the strings of the orchestra.
”That?” he asked pointing to the group of people playing. ”That, Princess sounds like classical.” he waited for a second to hear some of the notes. Watching the tamed crowd all of whom were sitting in silence, there was however someone further in the back trying to conduct them.

”Hmmmm…. Think it might be” he closed his mismatched colored eyes and listened in silence for a second before shrugging, ”Think it might be Bach or Beethoven?” he opened his eyes and smirked looking at her, ”Not much into the classics meself, sure there’s a lot going on but it’s a little...” his tail flicked behind him. ”slow paced fer me.” his ears picked up on a few other instruments beside the strings.

”Think this type of music influenced all the stuff I like though so that’s something.” he pointed again towards the strings section. ”Now some of the stuff ya hear back home have more fiddle players than violinists. One’s happier than the other.” he shrugged, ”Failed music history the first time go’round if ya can believe it. Most of the music sounded a bit like this. Put me to sleep, but me final form seemed to like it enough. He’s a bit more refined than me.” the shifter said laughing.

”Let me know if ya hear anything like the stuff ya have back home. Can learn a lot about someone from the music they listen to.” his tail slowly started to sway with the music. ”Ever play anything?”

>>”Aye love, with the amount of carts here you’ d be able to eat fer weeks. Not sure you’d want to but the option is there.”

A wide selection of foods was something Amethyst could appreciate; there was no good party without that. She was less convinced about street food, the way Carrick described it, but she did feel like she would be hungry enough to try at some point during the evening.
In the meantime, there was decent music.

>>”That? That, Princess sounds like classical.”

"Classical what?"

>>”Hmmmm…. Think it might be... Think it might be Bach or Beethoven? Not much into the classics meself, sure there’s a lot going on but it’s a little... slow paced fer me.”

The names really did not mean anything to Amethyst, but the music sounded... elegant. And refined. Carrick was not exactly a fan, but the princess decided if she had to deal with American music this was not the worst she could be listening to. Carrick went on talking about music, and music history. He really genuinely liked talking about this stuff, as a musician. Go figure.

>>”Let me know if ya hear anything like the stuff ya have back home. Can learn a lot about someone from the music they listen to. Ever play anything?”

"Stuff back home?" she blinked "Oh, you mean Atlantean music? That's different... not that I play myself. We have court musicians for that. My mother made me play the lyre, but it is not very exciting." she admitted. "Why, what is your music like? With the... fiddles?"

>>>"Classical what?"

The shifter looked at her then blinked for a second not sure if she was trying to make a joke. ”Music… it’s a genre.” he thought for a second then wondered if they had genres of music in Atlantis. The more he thought about it the more he doubted it but figured all the concerts in the park would illuminate her on the differences.

His eyes got distracted with the playing of the strings section, ”Aye, Atlantian music.” his eyes studied the hand positions with each sound the instruments made. ”Oh? Any good?” he asked curiously turning his attention back to the princess. ”Kinda like a handheld harp?” he asked cocking his head a little to try and imagine her holding one. ”Can see that.” he smirked, ”Got the hands for it. Ya got the gentle touch for it, despite the personality.” he laughed.

>>>"Why, what is your music like? With the... fiddles?"

The shifter smirked and pointed towards the strings section, ”See the thing under the lady’s chin there, the small one.” he pointed towards the violinist who was moving back and forth as she played, ”Similar design. Just we play it a bit different. See she’s playing slower, almost sad. What I grew up with was faster, happier. Irish don’t do sad.” he said mimicking her movement with the instrument. ”Now I can play it a bit, but I’m better with a guitar. More practice.” he explained changing his hand gestures a bit and taking a step back from her.

”My mother didn’t want me to learn how to play anything just dance. She said it was a” he adopted a more feminine voice to imitate his mothers voice, ”Pleasant surprise, but focus on school or you’ll end up like yer father.” he changed his tone back to normal, dropping his arms. ”Only thing she made me do was dance lessons n’d school.” he smirked. ”I hated both.”

>>”Aye, Atlantian music.... Oh? Any good? Kinda like a handheld harp? Can see that. Got the hands for it. Ya got the gentle touch for it, despite the personality.”

"You need to learn how to flatter someone better" the princess rolled her eyes, but she smiled anyway. She really disliked playing the lyre, honestly. And she never really had a reason to, other than sheer boredom and royal breeding. Thankfully, no one expected her to be a master musician.

The 'classical' music was still good. It was hard to understand what Carrick disliked about it, or picture it being... faster?

>>”See the thing under the lady’s chin there, the small one. Similar design. Just we play it a bit different. See she’s playing slower, almost sad. What I grew up with was faster, happier. Irish don’t do sad. Now I can play it a bit, but I’m better with a guitar. More practice.”

Amethyst found she liked the fiddle music. It might have been slow, but it was melodious. She'd heard Carrick play the guitar before, and she was beginning to understand that that was a whole different kind of music.

>>”My mother didn’t want me to learn how to play anything just dance. She said it was a... Pleasant surprise, but focus on school or you’ll end up like yer father. Only thing she made me do was dance lessons n’d school. I hated both.”

"Happy dances for your happy Irish music?" she smirked. She knew Carrick hated school, but it was hard to see why he'd hate dancing. Dancing went with music. "Your father couldn't dance?"

>>>Happy dances for your happy Irish music?" "Your father couldn't dance?"

Carrick laughed tempted to quote “Safety Dance” but he didn’t. Carrick was pretty sure she wouldn’t get the reference. The Irishman had so much to show her. ”Only when he was a few in. Which was a good chunk of the time. He couldn’t do a lot of things well.” like see his son. Not that the shifter wanted him around. He was glad dear old Dad wasn’t around otherwise he probably wouldn’t have come to America in the first place. He was the reason Carrick was sent away.

”Happy Dances fer sure. It was easier because I’m so light on my feet.” he demonstrated by hopping in front of her and opening his wings a little. ”I happen to be a great dancer.” he wasn’t normally but this was a dance that was more memory to him than walking. Carrick demonstrated a little for quick show. Being forced to learn the dancing as a kid it was unfortunately seared into the back of his brain.

He landed after his air jig throwing up his hands in a ‘ta-da’ motion. There were a few people that happened to pass by confused by the performance. They gawked, and Carrick bowed. Wings folding up behind him, ”Ten damn years, of that. Can’t imagine the nightmares I still have of that place, ‘nd the teacher.” he shuddered.

”You any good at dancing?” Carrick looked to the band then to the princess, ”Can’t imagine you tango.” he smirked, ”maybe a waltz then?” the waltz was another thing he was forced to learn as a kid. He however didn’t demonstrate it this time.

Carrick's father sounded less and less like the kind of man who should be raising a child at all. She knew he did not care for the old man much. She was not sure why dancing was deemed such an important part of his education by his mother; he was not royalty, after all, and it was not like he would have to attend social gatherings...

>>”Happy Dances fer sure. It was easier because I’m so light on my feet. I happen to be a great dancer.”

He demonstrated. Amethyst chuckled as she watched; the wings made his movements more graceful for sure, and he did not seem to care at all that people were giving him looks. It was not a kind of dancing she'd ever seen, but it was entertaining. She clapped her hands once as he descended.

>>”Ten damn years, of that. Can’t imagine the nightmares I still have of that place, ‘nd the teacher.”

The princess chuckled. She did have a fair share of teachers and tutors that she'd hated as a royal child.

>>”You any good at dancing? Can’t imagine you tango. Maybe a waltz then?”

"I don't know what that is" Amethyst admitted "We do dance in Atlantis. There is a kind of dancing you do at parties, and festivals, and the kind of dancing dancers do for entertainment. I never had to take lessons, though... I had to take other kinds of lessons." she shrugged "Alright. You get to introduce me to one food. Choose wisely."

Carrick raised his eyebrows trying not to laugh wondering what kind of dancing was for entertainment. All dancing was a form of entertainment why did she point it out, did she mean dancers of the more exotic variety? His ears turned red and he looked around before pointing out a stall closer to one of the other bands that were playing in a different part of the park. ”Waltz is a dance fer this kind of music. Slower, need two people. Lot of staring at each other. he summed up.

It was further away so it gave him time to reconsider his choice. This was a lot of pressure. ”Just one? Know how to pressure a man. Let’s see ‘ere...” he kept pace with her as they walked his mind was racing however as he tried to figure out what would be best. There was the sweetness of a cotton candy machine or the woman selling churros. There were hotdog vendors and a old hairy man carving something that was rotating on a spit.

Carrick tried to distract himself by looking at the princess to see if she eyeing anything in particular. His stomach growled but he finally pointed to a closer cart as the sound of a jazz could be heard in the distance. Carrick’s tail swayed to the music, ”How about something sweeter fer now? Ever have cotton made of candy?” he asked with a mischievous grin.

There was a small line of families with younger kids jumping up trying to see the woman at her craft as she spooled the candy on a paper cone. ”So what other lessons did you learn?” he smirked to her and tried not to laugh, ”diplomacy?”

>>”Waltz is a dance fer this kind of music. Slower, need two people. Lot of staring at each other."

It sounded... strange? Amethyst had danced slow dances before, but she doubted they were the same kind. The staring at each other part sounded... funny? She glanced around curiously, but no one seemed to be doing any waltzing yet. People were too occupied with food.

>>”Just one? Know how to pressure a man. Let’s see ‘ere... How about something sweeter fer now? Ever have cotton made of candy?”

They walked for a while before Carrick made up his mind. Amethyst craned her neck, peering curiously over the heads of the children at the stall. A woman seemed to be conjuring some fluffy stuff out of thin air. Was that a mutant power?...

>>”So what other lessons did you learn? diplomacy?”

"You say it like it is a joke." Amethyst noted with a smirk "But yes. Also, etiquette. Lots and lots of etiquette. And history and literature and poetry."

”Ah well, you weren’t the most diplomatic when we first met. Gorgon’s not the most dipolomatic word.” he grinned, the word didn’t offend him really. Gorgon seemed to be tamer than what he heard when he was a kid. Way before the circus, it was easier after that.

”I don’t think I’d pass etiquette...” he laughed, ”Sure I’m charming but good luck getting any form of me to sit still long enough to learn anything.” he didn’t point out she managed to get him to sit still in a tub, naked or the fact she managed to get him to sit still in his Gryphon form. Other than that it was hard to keep him anywhere for a long period of time.

The woman behind the stall turned around with a large cone of multicolored sugar and he laughed a little at the princess’s reaction. ”Never seen this before? One of the foods I lived on when I was with the circus. Lighter than air. Made me fly faster.” the shifter said hyping up the ball of fluff not mentioning it as pure sugar, and the rush was the only thing that made him fly faster.

”Purple?” Carrick asked the princess, ”Or you want to pick?” he asked while looking to the woman behind the stand. Holding up his finger’s ” I’ll have blue and she’ll have...” he turned attention to her.

>>”Ah well, you weren’t the most diplomatic when we first met. Gorgon’s not the most dipolomatic word.”

"Well, Atlantean diplomacy is different" the princess pointed out. She was beginning to understand that calling people gorgons was not a good thing to do; but that did not change the fact that Atlantean diplomacy never cared about that, because no one thought of having diplomatic dealings with gorgons anyway.

>>”I don’t think I’d pass etiquette... Sure I’m charming but good luck getting any form of me to sit still long enough to learn anything.”

No, Carrick would not have done well in etiquette classes. To be fair, she did not either. They were boring, and really only applied to the important members of the royal family who had to conduct social affairs and attend rites and festivals. Amethyst could pretty much get away with living her life, without being particularly talented in anything.

Or tasting cotton candy.

>>”Never seen this before? One of the foods I lived on when I was with the circus. Lighter than air. Made me fly faster.”

Amethyst arched an eyebrow. It sounded like he was making things up. Or that candy really was the result of mutant powers.

>>”Purple? Or you want to pick? I’ll have blue and she’ll have...”

"Purple" she decided. It might as well go with her dress. She watched with fascination as the woman seemingly spun the fluffy substance out of thin air, then accepted it when it was handed over. It smelled sugary, and really did not weigh anything.

"Do I just... bite this?" she hesitated, inspecting it from all sides. Eventually, she decided she might as well try it, so she took a bite. It stuck to her lips and face, and seemed to dissolve in her mouth immediately. The princess blinked. "This tastes like sugar."