Carrick took the question as a joke at first. She was not sure if she'd offended him; some people were touchy about their gifts, or the stories behind them. But eventually he did answer, and he had a lot ot say.

>>”Happened when I was twelve. Started with wings, painful at first. The way they sprouted from me back. Wanted to pull them off. Brother offered to cut ‘em off. Pretty sure he still would given the chance.”

The princess' eyes widened and she shuddered at the thought. She'd touched his wings before, and seen him fly. They were limbs, strong and powerful, and the thought of cutting them off made her feel sick. Back in Atlantis many gorgons would have happily gotten rid of their gorgon features to join the ranks of demigods, but... It just felt wrong, when she looked at Carrick.

>>”Tail was next, that one was easier to deal with. Kinda does his own thing anyways.”

He'd grown these parts when he was twelve. She tried to imagine him before that, as a human-looking kid. It was difficult.

>>”Suddenly I wasn’t just a pipsqueak. I was a pipsqueak with wings. Easier target. No one realized I could fly with them. Ya put someone on top of a flag pole one time…. Then it’s off to America.”

His wing moved, pulling her against his side. Amethyt's hand still played with the feathers. It felt all wrong, his story. It made her feel guilty in a way that was hard to explain.

>>”What about you? Sure it was a surprise when ya found out yer blood does that.”

"I was twelve too" Amethyst kept her eyes on the lake and the growing mist, the early start of the light show. "I fell on the palace steps and hurt my knee, and out came the rubies. I was... royalty before, but I became... important, after that. It took some time to figure out the other gemstones, though. Most of my family never found out about those. It was a royal secret... Still is."

”And here I am ruining it by starting a barter system around the mansion.” he didn’t make eye contact with her instead he watched the body before them disappear in a fog before it started to move upwards.

”I- I’ll try to stop it.” he said apologetically his tail draped across his body and landed in her lap. ”So a bit easier fer you though eh?” he asked curiously from the sounds of things she was caged all the same. She was important because what she could do, he just saw it as a way to exploit her. Which he was doing… ”****” he scratched the back of his head. Now feeling bad about collecting the gems he found around the mansion like it was some game.

”You like yer mutation? Or is it more of a pain. Can’t imagine keeping it secret is easy.” he asked curiously.

>>”And hear I am ruining it by starting a barter system around the mansion. I- I’ll try to stop it.”

The princess chuckled at the comment; Carrick's tail landed on her lap. Praxi also had a knack for her gems, and so did some of the other Mansion kids; she would not have been surprised if the former royal concubine traded his fai share as well. Carrick looked sheepish about it.

"You're not the only one." she noted, poking the tail.

>>”You like yer mutation? Or is it more of a pain. Can’t imagine keeping it secret is easy.”

"It was easier back in Atlantis" she shrugged "Uncle Atlan kept me close since I was a walking treasury. Not many people can come close to royalty anyway. But at the Mansion... I sneeze once, and I have kids following me around everywhere. They have... very technical questions." she smirked. "But no, I don't mind my gift. I think it makes something beautiful."

”Yeah, well…” he sighed and shrugged, ”Just won’t spend them anywhere then. Just the mansion.” he said reluctantly. His tail flicked at her touch before flicking back at her finger. Carrick might have controlled that one.

Carrick chuckled ”I saw that, hilarious by the way. I didn’t participate though, might have found some earlier that day.” Raising an eyebrow and cocking his head so he was looking at her, ”Technical questions?” he was gonna ask further but decided not to, he was curious but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear the questions.

”Aye, beautiful. Not as beautiful as you though.” he chuckled and smiled. He was serious, but was aware how corny it sounded. The princess made that one too easy not to.

The fog was now high in the sky and focused over the water. He couldn’t imagine what it would look like if he was flying towards it. A cloud maybe? ”Well, at least ya get attention fer it.” he said with a laugh ”Used ta hate it.” he said, ”The attention, if ya can believe it.”

>>”Yeah, well… Just won’t spend them anywhere then. Just the mansion.”

His tail flicked her hand. It sounded like he had been thinking about this whole issue more than she had. Rumors spread fast in the Mansion, and she would not have been surprised if half the student already knew about her gift. And had questions.

>>”Technical questions?”

Amethyst arched an eyebrow. She was sure he had them too. Or would, eventually. Not that she felt shy about her powers.

>>”Aye, beautiful. Not as beautiful as you though.”

Was that a compliment? She chuckled as she glanced up at him. Carrick usually played up the banter, even though he'd asked her out on the date, and date seemed to mean attraction. She wondered if he meant it. "I know, right?"

>>”Well, at least ya get attention fer it. Used ta hate it. The attention, if ya can believe it.”

"You? But you are a musician" she pointed it out. Carrick, hating attention? "An entertainer" she added with a grin. There was music now, nearby, and lights were beginning to flicker in the mist.

>>>"I know, right?"

The shifter rolled his mismatched colored eyes art her and watched the lights start to appear. It was to the sound of violins playing. One first then a few more the more that joined the more intense the lights got. It reminded him of photos he had seen of the Northern lights.

>>>"You? But you are a musician" "An entertainer"

The shifter detected sarcasm. His eyes glanced over at her and saw the grin, ”Damn good one at that. It’s true. Used to be quite and shy as well. Awkward really.” he laughed, he still was but he thought he hid it better he was trying to convince himself more than anyone. ”But I figured if everyone was gonna stare at me and me glorious wings anyways figured I’d give them a reason to.”

The sound changed, as there was a build up of other instruments they started to add their sound and now color into the fog. The shifter was distracted from the lights and was now staring at the princess as her face was illuminated by the different shades of colors each instrument changing the color slightly. He didn’t realize it but he started to purr.

The music started, and so did the lights. It was quite beautiful, the kind of music she'd enjoyed before. The light show had been a good idea. And even better since all they had to do was watch.

>>”Damn good one at that. It’s true. Used to be quite and shy as well. Awkward really. But I figured if everyone was gonna stare at me and me glorious wings anyways figured I’d give them a reason to.”

It was hard to imagine Carrick as shy and awkward. He seemed confident whenever he was among people. He went on stage to sing, after all, and that took a lot of confidence. Amethyst's grin turned into a smile. She looked back up at the lights. They looked like aurora, which was a rare occurrence on Atlantis, unless someone used their powers to make it appear.

She felt like Carrick was looking at her, so she turned back, seeing his mismatched eyes up close. It was strange that he was not really looking at the light show. "What is it?"

>>>"What is it?"

He realized she was looking at him and he was staring. His face started to get red the more he stared he needed to look away but couldn’t. Still purring ”Ehhh just admiring the show.” he smirked hoping the lights that were on her face were reflecting on his face enough so she couldn’t see how red it was.

His wing pulled in a bit and by extension the Princess, his tail flicked beside him excitedly like he was hunting as his heart raced. ”Great show.” he said as he started to lean in to the princess. His eyes started to shut as he leaned in further readying to kiss her.

‘Fight!’ a voice that had been quite for a few days suddenly shouted in the back of his head while the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. He was in danger. Of what though? His eyes opened and he saw them. S.U.P.E.R. agents were walking towards him. ”Fer **** sakes!” he muttered and stopped leaning in. His purr turned into a low growl as his pupils turned to slits.

They had them surrounded.

“Carrick O’Conner....” two of them had the familiar dart gun un-holstered and aimed in their direction. “You’re to be brought in for questioning.”

Carrick was not watching the show at all. He was watching her. There was the deep, rumbling sound of a purr in his chest; she could feel it as his wing pulled her closer. Amethyst smiled a little; she knew what someone looked like when they wanted to kiss her, although not many had been this delicate about it. She would let him, if he worked up the courage.

>>”Fer **** sakes!”

He pulled back in the last moment; his eyes changed, and he growled. Amethyst's smile disappeared, and she glanced over the edge of the wing, trying to see what went wrong. Were they being attacked again?

>>“Carrick O’Conner.... You’re to be brought in for questioning.”

People, with guns. Again. Other bystanders turned away from the light show and scrambled away. Amethyst put a hand on Carrick's chest. She did not want to see him shift again.

"What is happening?" she demanded; it was not the most regal position, with his jacket on her shoulder, peering over his wing "He didn't do anything wrong!"

Carrick’s wing didn’t move from the princess he wasn’t going to leave her. ‘Fight’ the voice called out in the back of his mind again this time a little more alert and angry. The growling stopped when her hand met his chest. It was calming. The shifter took a breath and his pupils started to round.

>>>"What is happening?" "He didn't do anything wrong!"

She was worried. He ruined the date. might of …” he muttered looking at the situation again this time a little less on edge. The agents didn’t shoot yet. Slowly he raised his hands up. A card in his sleeve rolled down his arm inside his shirt. There goes that trick add that to the list of stuff they ruined.

”**** yer timing!” he yelled. His hands went back behind his head, he’d seen it a dozen times when he was a kid in life and television. He was surrendering. He didn’t want the princess to get in danger again. ”Ya show up now? Couldn’t let me have like another minute **** you guys!?!” this was about him not calling them about the circus weekend he took with Zek.

The irate Irishman’s wing slowly removed it’s self from the Princess’s back as he heard foot steps behind him. His tail was the only thing that fought back swatting at the officer when his wrists were grabbed and cuffed. ”Sorry, love.” he apologized as he slowly got up. Looking back at her he offered a wink and a smile. ”It’ll be fine. It was entertaining though right?” he struggled for a second when they tried pushing him to start walking. He was waiting for an answer.

Carrick stopped growling, and raised his hands instead. They didn't shoot. He stood up, and so did the princess, still wrapped in his jacket. Were they arresting him again? For what?

>>"**** yer timing! Ya show up now? Couldn’t let me have like another minute **** you guys!?!”

Amethyst sighed. Once again, the date ended in Carrick being hauled away in a black car. At least this time he didn't shift. She gave the men a glare, but they did not seem to pay much attention to her; too busy keeping a close eye on all the wings and the tail.

>>”Sorry, love. It’ll be fine. It was entertaining though right?”

"Try to stay out of trouble. Just... don't talk more than you need to." she told him with a small smile "Or... at all."

The gods knew what he was getting arrested for, but him talking was not likely to improve the situation. At this point, the rest was routine. "I'll let the Mansion know."

>>>"Try to stay out of trouble. Just... don't talk more than you need to." "Or... at all."

Carrick smirked and jerked his body in a small skip before walking where he was pushed along, he didn’t hear a no. It was entertaining at least. His tail swayed behind him as he had a little more swagger in his step.

”it was entertaining.” he said looking back to the agent who was behind him moving him along. Carrick almost detected a smile.

>>>"I'll let the Mansion know."

”Thanks love! Get home safely.” he called back before yelling, ”All part of the show everyone!” Carrick met the vehicle with a smile on his face. He was picturing the Princess’s face being lit up from light show.