The younger shifter sat nervously behind the drum set. It looked...expensive. He spotted the drumsticks balancing on the snare, taking them carefully. Rowan continued to listen to Carrick, but gave a few, testing, hits on the toms. Nothing fancy or with purpose, more just wanting to feel the vibrations in his hands. But quickly the sound of the drum, guitar, and the older shifter, began to overwhelm him. With a sigh he returned the sticks to their resting place, trying to get the ringing out of his ears.

Something she'd find impressive...And then the wings came out. Rowan frowned, again feeling pretty plain in comparison to the older shifter. Luckily Rowan didn't have long to feel self conscious, as Carrick quickly moved onto a new topic. Rowan cocked his head to the side, confused.

"M-magic trick? Like...pulling a coin out from behind a girls ear? Or the infinite handkerchief thing? Are girls...into that?"

When Carrick questioned the romantic nature of Shakespeare Rowan shrugged. It wasn't exactly his style of literature. Plus, Shakespeare was pretty...dry and confusing. And if it was confusing to a native english speaker he couldn't image how weird it would be for Kalos. And the last thing he wanted to do was make english any harder for her. At the mention of the word 'date' Rowan began to blush again, huffing and looking away in attempt to look tough.

"I dunno if I'm ready for a...uhm...date yet..." Rowan's expression softened a bit. "But...studying with her would be fun..."

The boy sighed, giving a few more tentative presses on the drum's foot pedal.

"I'm...worried that we are just too...different. Sometimes it feels like she is...from a different world." Rowan laughed nervously. "Literally and figuratively."

His playing softened a bit as Rowan experimented with the drums not feeling the need to play anything in particular. Shame, here he was thinking the younger shifter was a potential band member. They could have called themselves the shifters or beastie boys. Both had potential.

”No, not the stuff to impress kids or grandma’s I’m talking the real ones. Flash powder, fire, rabbits!” he corrected himself, ”Not in that order. Never in that order!” he said feeling he needed to make it clear. Rabbits did not have the ‘aww’ factor if they are on fire. The shifter reached up and pulled a guitar pick from behind his ear instead of a coin. ”Some tricks work better than others. More so if ya have the showmanship for it.” he said mocking a bow then started playing again.

”Well, better to be clear about yer intentions up front otherwise you’ll be dancing around that first kiss awkwardly for months. The anticipation....” he shook his head, ”Just gets worse over time. Stomach turns to knots and every time ya see her those butterflies she used ta give ya end up making ya purge.” he looked down and climbed up and down the strings with his fingers. ”Study date then!” Carrick said nodding his head.

Carrick matched his foot speed to Rowan’s as he pressed the pedal. Carrick played in unison on a few strings. ”And what’s wrong with different? Aren’t we different? Been called different all my life and let me tell ya. Different is fascinating.” the shifter said defending his title before grinning. ”and? I’m dating the ****ing Atlantean Princess.” he said with a laugh, ”She’s worlds apart from me.” he said starting to purr at the thought of her.

Rowan continued to press the foot pedal, enjoying the little tune Carrick was playing along to it. Experimentally he tapped a pointed fingernail against the cymbal, adding just a little more to the music. The younger shifter laughed a bit at the unfortunate combo of fires and rabbits.

And at the mention of kissing Rowan was back to averting his eyes, embarrassed. He hadn't even thought about kissing her! He just wanted to keep holding her hand and stuff! And the butterflies in his stomach were already bad when he saw her! But Carrick said they would get worse? Rowan gave a meek nod of his head at the confirmation of a study date. There wasn't a risk of him ruining a kiss at a study date...right?

"I guess...there's nothing wrong with being different, per se...but I'm different in a: 'if I have a panic attack I turn into a dog' and she's different in a...cute way..."

Carrick mentioned Atlantis. That was a strange coincidence. Rowan began to speak without really thinking of what he was saying, removing his foot from the pedal.

"Huh...you're dating someone from Atlantis? That's wild! Kalos is from-" Rowan clamped his mouth shut, but it was too late, he already said her name. "M-my friend! Kalos! I uh, have a class with her! And totally not a crush!" Rowan added panicked, trying to cover up his slip but making it far worse. Rowan's face turned bright red, covering his face with his hands.

"Never mind." he grumbled into his hands. "Just kill me, end my suffering."

”Aye, and I’ll turn into a murdering cat/bird if I get worked up.” Carrick said trying not to think too much on it. When he did he knew he needed to work on his shifting but that sounded like work and right now the one thing he wanted to work on was his relationship with the Princess. She seemed pretty good at getting the other guy to do what Carrick wanted him to do anyways.

It wasn’t a competition statement it was a ‘and you’re point? ”So you shouldn’t enjoy the good things in life like romance because yer beasty is controlling yer life all the time?” Carrick shook his head, ”I’m in charge of me body. Me.” he stated aloud so even his beast form heard it. There was a rumble in the back of his mind and his pupils turned to slits. Carrick responded by playing a bit louder to Rowan’s playing.

”So she’s got a name!” Carrick smug grin could be seen from miles away. ”I’d ask Ames, about it but apparently the royalty and other students aren’t on the same page.” he said trying not to laugh. When he first met the Princess he understood.

”She was a bit of a “visible mutations make you a gorgon” or whatever. Told her I’m a Gryphon.” Carrick smugness oozed out of him and played on his guitar. ”And now we’re dating. Still wonder if she’s going with me because I’m so different but girls always like the bad boys eh?” he said looking over to Rowan. ”I’m a father and a kings worst nightmare!”

”Don’t worry boyo, yer secret is safe with me. Might have a big mouth but people don’t believe everything I say anyways.” he shrugged stopping the playing and then eyed the blushing shifter knowing he’d still turn red if the Princess wanted him to. ”Get out of yer head, can’t play by meself. Well I can but that defeats the purpose of you behind the drums.” he said thinking sage wisdom from him would help at a time like this.

”What do ya like about yer little... Kalos?” he asked trying to get the name right. Had he met her before? So many people in the mansion half of them he never bothered to get to know. This was his second time through school again half the people he did remember were long gone from here.

Rowan still had his face buried in his hands, luckily too embarrassed to pay any mind to Fluffy thrashing around in the back of his head. The younger shifter didn't have to look up to see the smug smile on Carrick's face, his tone of voice said it all. And while he was briefly comforted by the fact that Carrick didn't recognize Kalos' name, he was still pretty frustrated that he had accidentally revealed his crush.

There was another grumble as Carrick vowed to keep it a secret. Rowan really didn't buy the whole 'people don't believe me' thing either. He had just raised his prices on pilfered frozen meat by claiming he had been spotted by Mr. Johnson, and was convincing enough to get away with it. But at this point there was nothing he could do.

With a slight growl Rowan removed his hands from his face. He didn't want to play the drums! He wanted to back to his room and scream into a pillow. But despite this he picked up the drum sticks again, huffing. Taking a moment to compose himself Rowan began giving experimental taps on each of the toms, as well as the snare, noting the different tones each piece of the set produced.

There was something kinda...therapeutic about hitting something with a stick. It was different from playing a Rock Band drum, but the motions still felt similar. He was pulled from his drumming as the conversation was again back on his crush. He jumped slightly, blushing again.

"Gah! I dunno!" Rowan said, still pretty flustered. "She's just so! Cute! And...pink...and her eyes are unlike anything I've ever seen."

He continued to press the foot pedal, almost in concentration.

"But...that's not all. She...wasn't treated well in Atlantis. People were really cruel to her. And now she's here. And it would be really easy for her to be cruel, cause that's how the world treated her, but she's not...she's really nice. Rowan closed his eyes, shoulders dropping slightly. "I'm used to people being scared of me. And she has ever right to be scared of me too, but she's not. She...trusts me enough to hold onto me, and be alone with me, and cook with me and...and..."

Rowan takes a shaky breath, trying to remember the advice Gemma gave him on managing his anxiety.

"Are you...ever scared that you're gonna hurt your girlfriend? Or frighten her?" He asked, unable to look at the other shifter.

The winged thief played softer not letting the strings vibrate as long so he could hear more or Rowan’s crush and how awkward he was being about it. Was he that bad? The Princess made him think he was. His face turned red at the sight of her and he started to purr like a jet engine. She found it ‘cute’ he found it embarrassing. Rowan didn’t need to know about that though. Carrick did have an image to maintain.

”Pink?” and eyes he had never seen. Carrick had seen a girl with pink skin before but he wasn’t sure if that was from the first time he went to school here or now. He never had a conversation with her. Carrick knew that much at least.

His fingers stopped moving for a moment a sad smile on his face. He knew that in Atlantis those with physical mutations were regarded poorly and treated even worse. He had seen it first hand when the Princesses friends came for a visit. How mean they were to Praxi. Was Amethyst

Carrick always thought he had it rough as a kid.

Bullies, both kids and adults used to pick on him for his wings and tail. He was smaller then so it was easy. His ‘father’ in his infinite wisdom taught him that fear was a good motivator to keep people away. Strength was all that anyone respected. Violence was encouraged. He wasn’t his father though and from the sounds of things he was nothing like Rowan’s Kalos.

Suddenly he wanted to meet this Kalos, see if Rowan was just building up the hype on his crush.

”All the time...” he said sighing and wishing he was outside so he could exit this conversation. It was starting to hit close to home. Carrick didn’t do well at home or dealing with serious things like this. ”Me and her, have a deal going. The second I do that, the second she tells me. I’m done here.” he said flatly. ”I don’t need or want to scare anyone I care about ever again, not me father.” he suddenly cracked a smile and started to play loudly on the guitar.

”Without me, me furball has nothing. I’m in control. He just has a problem remembering.” there was roar in the back of his mind a challenge to fight him. Carrick ignored him.

”Hasn’t happened yet, and as long as I keep her around it seems ‘he’ doesn’t have as many issues as usual. He seems, content around her. Calm even. Don’t know if it’s because I’m so inta her or he’s happy I found a mate.” Carrick turned his attention back towards the younger shifter on the drums, ”You’ll keep that between us.” it wasn’t a question.

”What does yer beasty think of her?” Carrick asked curiously.

Rowan listened to Carrick intently, occasionally stealing glances at the older boy. He tried to hide the sparkle of admiration in his eyes. How quickly Carrick could go from a heavy topic back to a light one. And how the older shifter spoke about himself, and his beast, he sounded so...self-assured.

He gave a quick nod at Carrick's not so subtile request to keep the Princess discussion between the two of them. The boy tried to keep up in conversation, struggling not to fall back into his head.

"I...uh...don't think my Beast has much problems with Kalos...She's little, and not exactly...uhm, strong. He doesn't see her as a threat..." He stole a quick glance at Carrick. "So he mostly stays quiet..."

Rowan went back to lightly drumming the toms, letting his thoughts spill out.

"We...uh, my beast and I, we don't...like being touched." Rowan gave an instinctual scratch at the scar on his face. "It makes me...anxious, set's off alarm bells in my head, makes me think someones gonna hit me, and that gets my beast all riled up."

The younger shifter let out a small laugh, the smile lingering on his face a moment longer.

"But...I've let Kalos hold my hand and arm...I caught her when she fell out of a window...and I didn't feel anxious. It was..."

Rowan stopped speaking, realizing how soft hearted he was sounding. The younger shifter suddenly took a deep breath and began whaling on the drums. It was nothing revolutionary, but maybe Rowan was starting to get a feel for the instrument. Or maybe he wanted to prove it to himself that he could handle the noise. Today was a lot of firsts for Rowan. He got to talk to a fellow shifter about problems the two shared and could relate to, and he got to talk about his crush. Why not make noise too?

When he was done he was standing over the drums, chest rising quickly from the sudden physical exertion. Rowan looked up at Carrick, his eyes slightly red. Fluffy was not pleased about all the noise.

"I...I really wanna be confident...like you. I want to be able to say that I'm in control...and really mean it."

Carrick tried not to smirk at the younger shifter when he discussed his love life. So his beast only responded to threats? Well better that then yelling at him to fight, run from or **** anything in sight. The shifter would had been fine with just threats then again without his beast he might not have had the courage to do anything with the Princess.

”We-he-ell then! Good thing yer girlfriend isn’t a threat then!” he said finally breaking his silence and jamming louder on the guitar to match Rowan’s enthusiasm. ”There we go! Can’t be a drummer without a little anger!” he said speaking from experience. Carrick found the drums therapeutic. He wasn’t the best at it but felt good to hit things. Maybe he was his fathers son after all.

Carrick stopped playing when Rowan stopped wondering what else he was going to say. The older shifter wasn’t expecting that. He frowned at first wanting to call the kid a Eejit that he was only lying to himeself and everyone else and that was the only way he kept himself from losing his mind and possibly hurting someone. Carrick flashed a grin, ”Practice makes perfect! But be you, just confident.” Carrick said giving the Rowan some hope he seemed like he needed that and this was a part Carrick was born to play.

”Got to start telling yer beast whose boss! You tell ‘em when he gets ta go out. Who gets ta touch ya! If ya decided it’s Kalos then boyo she’s the only one. Tame yer beast!” Carrick said sliding his fingers down the neck trying to imitate some of his favorite guitarists.

He stopped for a second and wondered if he should have told him not to ignore his beast form entirely. Carrick learned that the hard way. His mismatched colored eyes shifted over to Rowan and he made sure not to comment on his eyes being red. ”Ya sure you never played before?” Carrick asked grinning, ”Maybe Kalos likes drummers.” he teased.

The younger shifter continued to take deep breaths, coming down from the intense drumming and emotional release. Fluffy continued to thrash around in his head, tugging at his leash. Rowan tensed up a moment. No. We aren't fighting in the band room. And we are not fighting Carrick. Being told 'no' only made the thrashing worse. Oh well. Rowan could ignore thrashing, for the most part.

"Not my...girlfriend." Rowan corrected. "Just my friend."

Rowan returned to the seat behind the drums, suddenly feeling tired from both the playing and keeping Fluffy in check. He gave a weak, nervous, laugh as Carrick suggested he just be himself but with confidence. He used to be confident. And then he shifted and tried to maul a classmate. Rowan frowned. No need to tell Carrick that.

The boy looked over at Carrick, eyes widening as something he said struck him.

"Tame...my beast?"

He flinched. Yeah...Fluffy didn't like that idea either. He liked being feral and wild. Shifting was when he got to be free of his fears. The boy swallowed, quiet again. Carrick had mentioned making a deal with his beast. Maybe he'd try that...but when Fluffy was more likely to listen. Maybe...next time he shifted.

Rowan gave a soft laugh, trying to ease his tension. The conversation went back to drumming.

"Do girls even like drummers? I thought they all liked singers and guitarists."

The younger shifter went back to playing, softer this time, nervously following Carrick's lead. 

"The...second or third reform school I went to had a Rock Band guitar. We...weren't allowed the sticks though...cause giving troubled boys mini batons was a recipe for disaster."

Rowan played across the toms, ending with a light hit on the cymbal.

"This is...similar. Except there is no TV giving you directions and timing."

”Right, not yer girlfriend.” he agreed, ”Just a girl, and a friend, who you’d prefer as a girlfriend.” Carrick smirked looking back to Rowan and nodding his head. His tail flicked behind him the more he messed with the younger shifter. ”It’s alright, I won’t say nothing. All a safe space here.” he said looking back to his guitar.

”Well, we all can’t be handsome and talented. It’s more of a runoff. Girls go fer the guitar players and singers but they end up falling for the drummers. As long as they don’t get arrested for doing some stupid **** in Queens on St. Patty’s day.” Carrick said speaking from experience Eejit got drunk and tried drumming on a cop car.

Carrick chuckled, ”Just messing with ya. They prefer those who are confident. Get it? Probably why I got the attention of me Princess. I carry myself with a... charm.” he said smirking more, ”Years of practice though and not really carrying what other people think. Me body gets the attention, attitude is what keeps it.” he said nodding his head trying to describe his way of the shifter.

”Oh so yer a bad boy then?” hearing the reform schools over the drumming. ”Girls do love them. Though, I wouldn’t change things too much fer yer gal Kalos if she seems inta ya best not change things up too drastically ya?” anything could be a recipe for disaster just depends on how creative you are or who taught you how to fight. Carrick had both of those going for him.

”Aye, a bit. That’s where ya practice comes in. Up to you to feel the music and the beat. Just like.” Carrick turned facing Rowan and stared him down and started to strum quickly changing cords and strings quickly, ”this, easier when your playing by yerself but when ya find someone ya can play with... that’s when the magic happens.”

The younger shifter was still grappling with the idea of being confident when Carrick threw another curveball. Body gets the attention...attitude keeps it.... Rowan frowned, looking at his unkept hair and oversized clothes. Scruffy and messy in comparison to Kalos' natural cuteness. He glanced over at Carrick. He was far more put together when it came to looks...he probably even styled his hair. That must mean something if he was able to get the attention of a princess.

"I...wouldn't say I'm a 'bad boy' everyone else seemed to think it though." He said, arms crossed in front of his chest. He blushed slightly when Carrick mentioned Kalos being 'into' him, but he couldn't find the words to argue back.

He listened and watched Carrick play, trying and failing to hide the impressed look in his eyes. He looked down at the drum set again. He could feel the music...right? With a look of concentration on his face Rowan tried again to play...anything.

He started tapping the cymbal, four times, setting a sort of metronomic rhythm to stay within. Once he was sure he had 4/4 time ingrained in his mind he began mixing in the other parts of the drums. A tap on the snare, a press on the base, a tap on the snare, a press on the base. He continued this pattern a moment, eyes widening. That...didn't sound too bad. Rowan puffed up a moment, boldening. This time when he finished his pattern, instead of starting again, he rolled down the toms, ending with a clash of the cymbal.

But on the final cymbal crash Rowan gave it a little too much force. The cymbal chattered loudly, the sound sensitive shifter flinching backwards. He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing and not the oncoming panic he could feel building in his chest. The boy sighed, finally opening a red eye to glance at Carrick.

"I'm...sorry...I think the drums are...just too loud. And I can't exactly play softly...or with earmuffs on."

Rowan sat down, setting the drumsticks next to him.

"I...appreciate all the advice, but I don't know how useful any of it will be on someone like me. If I can't figure out how to stop shifting...well it won't matter if I'm charming or handsome or anything else..."

”And what’s wrong with playing the part? Ya know yer not one. I know yer not one and Kalos knows yer not one.” he asked. ”All the important people know that. Nothing wrong with playing a part right?” he added doing his best not to match the younger shifter’s gaze. One it felt embarrassing because of all the compliments he was getting from the younger shifter and two the more he matched the kids gaze the more he heard his beast form yelling to protect his role as Alpha.

Carrick stopped playing when Rowan let loose and started drumming. Like really drumming. He had the focus and the rhythm. So much so the Irishman’s jaw hung ajar while he watched. Rowan was... good for never playing before. So much so Carrick was now determined to get him to play more. When he messed up he sat and Carrick looked back down letting the young shifter have his disappointment.

”And?” he asked again this time turning up the amp and playing two cords loudly and letting them die slowly. ”Nothing to be sorry fer boyo. Ya did great fer never touching the things before. Better than me. Was afraid I’d break everything when I first tried to play ‘em. Every good band has a roadie.” he finally added this time smirking. ”Shame they aren’t for ya. Little practice and you’d own it.” he said shrugging pretending not to care.

”We’ll get ya singing or playing something before long I’m sure.” he said. ”It’s a great distraction fer me and it does a good job drowning the other guy out.” Carrick lied it only helped him focus on something other than his beasty.

His hands moved to the smaller strings and he started to play a sad song. One that the strings ‘whined’ a lot on. It would have been more effective on his acoustic than the electric. ”Oh, didn’t know we were having a pity party.” Carrick chided the younger shifter, ”I can go out if ya want a cake fer it.” he said rolling his mismatched colored eyes, enough for if Rowan was looking it’d be apparent.

”When ya find out how to do that let me know.” he said sighing, ”Still trying to figure it out me self. Until then though, I’m gonna keep on living.” he said playing a few cords again this time some more uplifting before he laughed, ”Did ya just call me handsome?” Carrick chuckled.

The younger shifter stole another look at the drums, basking quietly in the praise he was getting. Rowan pretended not to care, just wanting to sulk and whine. It...had been fun playing them, and it was strangely relaxing. Maybe he would sneak down to the band room sometime. When he was alone, and it was quiet, and Fluffy wasn't throwing a fit.

Rowan heard the guitar being played again, but it took a moment for him to realize it was a sad song to go along with his pity party. Rowan's brow furrowed with frustration, glaring over at Carrick, lip curled back in a slight snarl.

"Yeah yeah whatever! You don't have to be an ass about it!" Rowan rolled his eyes back at Carrick. Any sadness in his voice was quickly replaced with mild annoyance.

With a huff and a snarl Rowan crossed his arms across his chest. "And I'm not throwing a pity party! I'm allowed to be grumpy and sad."

He didn't have long to be angry, his expression softening as Carrick continued to speak. Rowan internally sighed. He had let his anger get the best of him, and snapped at one of the only people who really understood how he felt. He blinked a few times, the red in his eyes fading.

"I guess...I'm still trying to figure out how to 'keep on living'. I wanna be a normal kid, and do normal kid stuff." He took another look at the drums before turning back to Carrick. "I'm...getting better, I guess."

He shrugged at the 'handsome' question.

"Sure, you've said it yourself, your looks 'gets the attention'" Rowan said, making air quotes with his fingers. "Plus, you're dating a princess, that means you must be doing something right." The boy said with the smallest amount of playful snark in his voice.

”Me an ass?” Carrick asked pretending to be shocked, ”Never.” he smirked and rolled his eyes again pretending it was the first time someone ever called him that.

”Ya can.” he agreed, ”But where’s the fun in it?” the shifter asked curiously he too had his own pity parties before but the more he threw them the more alone he realized he was and he didn’t like feeling that way. Carrick didn’t do sad. ”Better off throwing one fer yerself when I’m not around.” his tail flicked at the younger shifter.

Carrick scoffed, ”No one want’s ta be normal!” he rolled his eyes again though smiling this time, ”Ya ask anyone on the street mutant or human, they’re gonna tell ya that. We’re different. Accept it, can’t do anything to change it either.” he said opening his wings a little to show off. ”Make it work for ya.” he shrugged and strummed the guitar again changing cords quickly.

The Irishman stopped playing and then cracked a huge grin when the topic went back to him and Amethyst. ”Ha right? She even said she doesn’t do the dating thing.” he threw his hands up in the air his wings opening along with them in a victory pose ”Now she’s dating me.” he said bragging about overcoming her challenge to him. His tail waved lazily showing how happy he was about the situation.

”If only me mum could see me now. She’d be so proud of her little song bird.” he said grinning then stopped, ”Ya don’t get to call me that. No one does except fer me ma.”

The boys heart sunk at Carrick's words. He did want to be normal. More than anything. He would happily become the world's most plain boy if it meant he didn't have to spend his waking hours in paranoia that he might harm himself or someone else. The fear that the police might accuse him of murder, the shame that people are afraid of him. And the bitter, constant, reminder that he can't do something as normal as watch a scary movie.

'Make it work for you.' Pssh. Easy for him to say. He got wings and a tail to flaunt. All Rowan got was a mouth full of dog teeth. And while the two shared a similar beast form Carrick seemed to have made some sort of arrangement with his. Rowan wanted to be normal so badly it hurt. But he didn't say any of this out loud. He had no reason to believe Carrick would understand. He let out a shaky sigh, trying to rejoin the conversation.

The wings flared and Fluffy took another thrash around Rowan's head. The wolf-beast interpreted this as a threat! The older boy was trying to act bigger to try and intimidate him! Rowan did his best to ignore this. The younger shifter raised his hands in an unarmed gesture. "Point taken. No cutesy nicknames for you."

Rowan was quiet again for a moment. Carrick had mentioned his father, and a brother, in a far less...positive way. He had kinda assumed his mother would be in the same boat, but she clearly wasn't.

"Are you...close with your mum?" Rowan asked, head tipped to the side in curiosity. "You don't have to like...tell me. The boy looked away. I'd just like to...get to know my...bandmate a little better."