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Hey guys, remember five ears ago when I did that thing for Mythical Skies? I wrote 15,000 words of human/gryphon roman/smut and it was part of a thing that six of us weird people wrote and put on lulu.com. Well, it's been five years, and it's time to release this to the public!

If you want to get a paperback containing this story and the other five by the talented other writers who were included in the project, go here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/gryphonwings-and-mysterydude/mythical-skies/paperback/product-20334569.html For a digital download, you can go here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/gryphonwings-and-mysterydude/mythical-skies/ebook/product-20025086.html

P.S I gave this story a cursory editing run, but it is five years old! Some of you might notice a drop in quality, but the rest of you probably won't!

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Christmas Eve.

Snowflakes danced in the air, bells jingled, and Christmas lights shone.

Jay was walking along the sidewalk, hands thrust into his pants to keep them warm, a leather jacket around his shoulders, and a 'festive' beanie on his head. It was vivid red with a little white tassel at the end that was only ever fashionable during Christmas, and even then, only barely.

He wasn't heading to a party, not for a while yet. Or perhaps that wasn't an adequate explanation. He had drawn the short straw at work, and it was now his duty to hang up his nightstick and flashlight to be a Santa for a night for the children. It was a smallish mall, and they didn't want to hire a 'professional' Santa, so he would have to be a shoe-in for the 'real' thing.

As he walked, he took little notice of those he passed. There were people standing outside of buildings with their gloved hands over fires burning in 44 gallon drums, and even the homeless seemed to have found themselves festive accoutrements, such as hats or bells.

It was still light out, with the overcast clouds that were dropping all the snow on the city deadening the light a little bit. The streetlights had already come on, and the occasional car passed with happy carols echoing from its speakers. Jay was intending on heading to a party once his Santa duties were over, and was fully intent on consuming far too much eggnog; hence, he was walking. It wasn't far enough to bother with a cab, and he wasn't overweight or unfit, so walking the six blocks to the mall wasn't such a big deal for him.

Many of the feathered people didn't show their faces during the festive season; the gryphons were known for being reclusive. They generally worked in the country, too, where their larger physical stature and strength aided them in physical labour. There were barely any 'scientist' gryphons. They weren't unknown, but they weren't common either. Some people claimed it was a racial thing, carried over since their oppression during the middle ages, where they were viewed as simple beasts and hunted almost to extinction.

Jay made a habit of helping out the gryphons wherever he could. He knew what it was like to be friendless, and gryphons were almost the very epitome of the fact. They were ostracized by humans and had a naturally territorial nature that stopped them from making ready friends of other gryphons, which often led to them leading rather solitary lives.

Even though it was Christmas Eve, many of the shops in the mall were still open, and Jay took the time to stop at the coffee bar so he could slide in behind the counter to fix himself a cup of strong coffee, fortifying himself for the nagging, squealing, annoying little kids that he would be seeing for the next few hours. It was one of the perks of being a guard for the mall for the past four years. Most of the shop owners knew him well enough that he could just step behind the counter and fix himself his own drink. One of the workers shot him a wave over top of a similar cup as he stepped in, and he smiled a little bit.

"I heard they got something special this year," he said with a nod.

Jay looked up, raising a brow and tapping out the right amount of coffee, dumping it into his cup and filling it with hot water.

"Special?" he asked warily.

"Yeah," nodded his friend. "They got you a sleigh to sit in and everything. You'll be handing out presents from the sleigh," he said with a wise nod, while Jay added sugar and milk to his coffee, raising a brow, digging for his wallet to leave a fiver on the counter like he usually did. His friend waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. God knows we didn't want your job," he said with a leery grin.

"So no kids sitting on my knee?" Jay asked, leaning back against the counter and stirring his coffee.

"Don't think so," his friend said with a shake of his head. "But we do have a special addition to the crew for tonight, though," he added with a nod.

"Another worker?" he asked.

"Yeah, a gryphon," his friend said with a knowledgeable nod.

"...what?" Jay asked, blinking once, lowering the cup from his mouth. "...A gryphon?"

"Yup. She needed some work, so the manager hired her as a festive addition. She's getting her feathers prettied up and bells hung off her as we speak," he said with another nod, sipping his own drink.

"Wow. I've never seen one up close," Jay said with a shake of his head.

"She's pretty impressive. It's like a lion I saw at the zoo once. Except scarier. She's more timid than a kitten though," his friend said, with a helpless shrug. "You should head down and tell her what's going to happen before you get started. I think she's a little young… though I can't really tell with gryphons. She's shy as hell, too. You'll wanna make sure she doesn't freak the fuck out with the crowd."

Jay nodded once, thoughtfully, before raising his cup in a salute. "I shall see you in the crowd, then," he stated, turning on his heel and heading for the escalators.

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There were several people in the mall, doing last-minute shopping, hurrying back and forth, shopping bags strung from arms, the jingle of bells loud in the air, from people dressed as elves helping people find their way around. There was a friendly vibe in the air.

Jay headed down the escalator, standing behind an old man buying toys for his children, and a mother doing last-minute shopping with her young daughter who was holding her hand as though afraid her mother would levitate away if she let go.

After getting off the elevator he strode past where they were setting up a sleigh, complete with harness, red paint, and giant noisy bells, then headed to the service portion of the complex. Employees only.

He worked his way down to the service changing rooms where he would be getting into the Santa suit for his three-hour jaunt as a fat, jolly old man. He already wasn't looking forwards to it. The sheer amount of stuffing needed to reach the adequate size was amazing, and after barely ten minutes it became hot and stuffy. Three hours was going to be torture.

To stave off some time until he was forced into the Santa suit, he sat down on a chair that was in the corner and set about drinking his coffee as slowly as he could. The suit itself was set up on a stand in the middle of the room, complete with soft bags filled with cotton for stuffing crowded at its feet. The suit pieces were made of wool, nice and light, but they did nothing for keeping it from feeling like a rather large cloth oven when it was all on.

Staring at the suit pensively, he sipped at his coffee, checking his wristwatch every now and again. He still had an hour or so before he had to go out and do his part, but he would need to get his suit on, and then find the exotic addition to their little show so he could figure out what they were going to do with her in regards to the scene. He knew he would be sitting in the little home-made sleigh that had been carted in the previous day, and hand out presents from a bag. The presents were all things donated from the various stores, and he knew that people were busy sticking names to wrapped parcels even now. The names had all been written on pieces of paper, placed in a kind of 'ballot box' in the main foyer, specifically there for that purpose. Those kids who were least likely to receive presents due to outside circumstances were all marked specially, so they got the most expensive gifts.

Sighing to himself, he stood up and began to strip down to his boxers, placing his clothes neatly into a locker and then taking the Santa suit off the rack, unbuttoning the front and placing one of his legs through the leg of the suit, before he paused, his head canting to the side, listening intently.

There was a jingling approaching, like that of a cat's bell only much louder, and more than just one bell. It seemed like there was at least a half dozen of them all jingling. Before he could compose himself, the jingling reached the doorway, and the door was opened from outside, an inquisitive beak nudging the door open and its owner stepping through into the room.

She was imposing, that much was for sure.

Even all prettied up like she was, she was impressive. The way a lion was impressive. He had seen gryphons on TV, even seen one or two stretching their wings at the park, but up close, with nothing separating him from her, she was downright intimidating. A good four and a half feet at the shoulder, she was easily the size of a small horse, and powerful. Her musculature, visible under her feathers, bespoke of unlimited power and a kind of lithe grace that all felines inherently had. Her beak was a shiny yellow, large and curved, like a parrots, rather than a pointed and angular one like a crow. The edges were still visibly sharp and quite scary. She had leonine paws, with retractable claws much like a feline, only longer and opaque rather than translucent.

Her colouration was even like a lion, with that soft tan fur on her flanks and hindquarters, with a strange 'blurring' of black markings along the widest portion of her hindquarters, like it had been deliberately tattooed there. Her tail, too, was that of a lion, thick and uniform in size, tapering down to a fluffed auburn end. Giant wings rested on her back, neatly furled to keep out of her way. Large, triangular ears rested on her head, seeming slightly out of place on the rather avian countenance, her eyes had slitted pupils, a piercing golden, seemingly cold and devoid of emotion, having that same strange feline texture of sorts to them, like old parchment with wrinkles in it covered in a luminous oil. Feathers swathed her upper half, fading into fur around her stomach and along her wings.

Her feathered themselves were a uniform mottled brown, with white on her belly, chest, between both of her legs, and the underside of her wings.

Even the festive decorations adorning her body didn't make her any less imposing; the green and red paint that her feathers had seemingly been dipped into alternated between the two colours right up to the base of her wings. A bell and bow were tied neatly around her tail, jingling happily with every errant swirl of the long limb. A head-band with silly, floppy fake antlers had been placed on her head, carefully positioned behind her ears where it wouldn't irritate her. Each of her large ears bore a clip-on bell. Red bands had been placed around each of her four limbs, all of them containing a bell, and from what he could see, she was wearing an actual harness, probably a makeshift one designed for use with sled-dogs, stretched out to fit her powerful form.

She was also definitely female. He couldn't quite tell exactly how he knew, but it was like watching a lion. Even without the giant mane of the males, the females just had that lithe, prowling grace, and the gryphoness certainly had that.

Jay suddenly became aware that he was standing, mostly naked, in front of a creature capable of exhibiting the kinds of violence only seen in mass zoo escapes.

Clearing his throat a moment, he straightened up, swallowed hard, and then drew the bottom of the pants up until they covered his legs properly, raising his brows at her.

He tried to speak, and all that came out was a faint squeak, so he cleared his throat and tried again, swallowing past the lump of scared that was resting in his throat.

"Uhm...hi?" he asked.

The gryphoness paused, canting her head a little bit to the side, her ears pricking upwards at him with a soft jingle. "I-I was told to come herrre?" she asked, lowering her head a little bit and slinking backwards slightly, away from the doorway. "I-I can leave."

"No, wait!" Jay said, hobbling after her, trying to get his other leg in the Santa suit.

When he reached the doorway, the gryphoness was sitting up against the wall, head canted to one side, staring at him, seemingly half curious, half afraid. "I-I did not mean to intrrrude," she said lamely, shaking her head firmly.

"It's no problem, really!" Jay said with an earnest nod, holding the door open for her. "Come in, I gotta speak to you anyhow," he added, trying to fight down the urge to slam the door closed and hide in the corner. She really was imposing. He had no clue how the people who ran the mall expected the children to get within fifty metres of her.

The gryphon seemed to notice his hesitation, and she made a faint sound, her ears flattening backwards and her nares flushing slightly. "N-no, I-I think it will be bessst if I just go," she murmured quietly. She had a rather strong accent; it was completely impossible to place it, and utterly exotic. Her 'r's were all rolled, as though she had trouble condensing the sound.

"No, don't be silly. Come in," he said, jerking his head towards the room and then turning around, his neck starting to cramp as he resisted the urge to turn his head and watch behind him in case the gryphoness pounced on him. Turning his back on such a dangerous creature went against his nature, and, for the first time in four years of service, he actually felt as though a gun might have served him well. The mall was kind of small and open carry of firearms was not encouraged, but was certainly an open, valid option for those members of the security force who felt it might be needed.

He sensed the gryphon stepping into the room with him, and heard her bells jingle as she very carefully and quietly closed the door.

Unconsciously, Jay stood in a position to place the stand that had held the Santa suit between himself and the gryphon, watching her warily as he continued to suit up.

"You arrre scarrred of me," the gryphon said in a matter-of-fact tone, something like amusement creeping into her tone. She pronounced her words very carefully, except for the rolling of her 'r's. There were no contractions in her speech. Jay could only guess that she wasn't comfortable enough with English to use contractions.

He considered lying and reassuring her that he just had the jitters about being in front of so many people, but then decided against it. Lying would serve no-one.

"Yeah, a little," he admitted, sliding his arms into the suit and then shrugging the back of it up into place, starting to do up every second button of the big coat.

"Why arre you scarred of me?" the gryphon asked curiously, her head canting to the side in the same way a bird might when regarding something of curiosity. The rolling of her 'r's was getting less pronounced, as well.

"Well...you're...kinda big," he said lamely, reaching down to pick up some stuffing as he started to pad out the arms and legs of the suit to make himself appear more fat.

"I have seen large humans," she stated rather calmly. "I am not nearly as tall as most of you," she added, sitting down on her haunches, her tail slowly swirling back and forth like a cat watching a mouse, waiting to pounce, the bell on it jingling merrily.

"Well...yeah," Jay said with a slight nod. "But...you're big and powerful. And you have claws that could probably tear my arm off."

"This is true," the gryphon admitted, looking down at her forepaws for a moment, tensing her paws and examining them for a few seconds.

Jay swallowed hard, and looked away, busying himself with stuffing more padding into the suit.

"But your kind has more effective weapons than these," she said, rather calmly raising a paw and clenching it, to let him see the claws. "Such as your 'guns'. They are quite small, and any person could be carrying one. Do you treat every new person you see with the same fear?"

"I'm not afraid!" Jay countered, brows furrowing slightly, frowning and stuffing more of the filler into the stomach portion of the suit, working them around to get them into the right shape. "I'm just...cautious, is all. And no, I'm not scared of people like that," he added with a shake of his head. "But I've never seen a gryphon up close before. You guys really do stick to yourselves. The closest I've ever seen is a lion, at a zoo once."

"A lion?" she asked, peering back at herself for a moment, seeming to frown to herself. "But I am a sentient being. Even though I possess more strength than yourself, I would not use it to harm you without cause. Animals do not have the sentience required to make such a distinction."

"I know that," Jay said, flustered slightly by the matter-of-fact arguments the gryphon was putting to him. "It's just...you're scary. Okay?"

She nodded once, bobbing her head once at him. "I shall not say 'boo' to you then," she said, her beak parting slightly and ears pricking forwards, the feathers around her beak flaring a little bit.

It took Jay a few seconds to realise that she was giving him the equivalent of a gryphon smile, and he tried his best to smile back, though it was a bit pained. "Please don't."

"...So," the gryphon said after a few moments.

"Yes?" Jay asked, raising a brow, shifting more of the stuffing around before beginning to button the suit up properly.

"You are to be this...Santana figure?" she asked.

"Santa," Jay corrected, nodding once. "And yes, I'm going to be in the sleigh. I wasn't told what you'd be doing, though."

"I will be pulling your sleigh," she said with a straightforward manner.

Jay blinked once. "Pulling the sleigh? What?" he said, shaking his head a little bit. "You must mean just standing at the front of it. That thing weights a ton. It's reinforced with steel,"

"It does not weigh a ton," she corrected with a frown, her ears pinning backwards. "And I can pull it with little difficulty, so long as this harness is properly rigged."

Pausing a moment, Jay mulled it over. They wanted him to sit in a sleigh while a gryphon pulled him around in it? There was a lot that could go wrong with that. Not to mention, it seemed so...demeaning.

"I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with this," Jay admitted, frowning and picking up the fake beard and hair, toying with the elastic that would hold them on.

"I already told you, I will not hurt you," she reiterated with a shake of her head. "And I have already memorized the route we are to take."

Jay frowned and shook his head slightly. "It's not that. It's just...it seems a little bit...demeaning, you know? Like they want you to act like an animal," he stated, wrinkling his nose with distaste.

"Does your job not require you to move things?" she asked, raising a brow at him, one of her ears perking, the bell on it jingling happily.

"...You could say that," he replied, thinking back to the times when he had had to drag a shoplifter out of the mall.

"And your performers will often pretend to be something that they are not?" she added, tilting her head at him.

"I...suppose they do, yeah," he replied, blinking at her.

"Then I am merely playing a part, and moving things at the same time. It is my job for the night, and I shall do my job," she pointed out bluntly.

Jay blinked once. He had heard that the gryphons were very practical, but he hadn't quite understood just to what extend that was, until now. "I see," he said blankly, blinking at her once more.

"May I have your name?" she asked of him suddenly.

"Jay," he replied without thinking.

"It is nice to meet you...Jay," she said, pausing on his name, seeming to figure out how to enunciate it properly in her mind before speaking it aloud. "I am Kynasalen," she said, inclining her head towards him in a respectful fashion.

Sliding the beard and fake hair into place, Jay nodded once. "It's nice to meet you too… Kynaselan?" he offered, trying to get the pronunciation right.

"Do not be concerned; most of your kind have trouble with our names. You may call me 'Kyn' if you wish," she offered.

"Thanks, Kyn," Jay said, looking her up and down once. "So...where is this sleigh at?"

"It is outside, I am to drag you in through the front door of the mall, while you ring a bell to announce your presence. I believe it is to foster the illusion that you are really an obese man who rides in a flying sleigh without wings and can carry enough presents in one small sack to provide all the children of the world with unending happiness," she said, all of it rather matter-of-fact, no inflection in her tone.

"I sense some sarcasm," Jay said, shaking his head and grinning a little bit.

"Perhaps. I find it strange that your kind believe in such far-fetched nonsense," she said, with a haughty shake of her head.

"It's kids. We do it to keep them happy," he said with a single nod, deciding not to get into a religious debate with the gryphon right at that moment.

The gryphon canted her head a little bit and then stepped over to the door, foregoing an answer. She reared up a little on her hindlegs to grip the handle between both paws and twist it sideways until she could tug the door open, dropping neatly back down onto all fours and striding out the doorway, pausing to make sure he was following.

Jay picked up his now-lukewarm cup of coffee and swallowed the last dredges of it, placing the cup on the chair and then hurrying after her, closing the door as he left. He placed his hands on his new stuffed stomach to ensure that he didn't inadvertently bounce off of something by accident with his misshapen form.

The gryphon went left, rather than right, towards the mall, and pressed down on the bar for the fire exit. It opened quietly; no alarms sounded. They must have disabled the fire alarm for that door so that they could leave through a side exit rather than walk through the mall. It would ruin the effect, he guessed.

Out beside the mall was a wide alleyway for trucks, leading down to a loading dock for the processing of food. A white truck was pulled up in the alleyway with its rear loading ramp down, and a blue tarp covering a large object sitting in the back of it.

Kyn ambled up the loading ramp and then dragged the tarp off the object with her beak. Underneath was the sleigh, all prettied up. When Jay had last seen it, it was a dull red, with barely-sanded edges. It had looked very homemade.

But now, with a new coat of paint and some proper work on it, it looked quite stunning. The faded auburn had been replaced with vibrant, festive red, and green stripes had been artfully painted along the sides. Bells had been added for that 'festive' touch. Even now, one of the workers was carrying a large red sack down the side of the truck for him, puffing on a cigarette with his free hand.

"Ho-ho-ho!" Called the worker, grinning, his tone sarcastic. "Merry Christmas, Santa!"

"Screw you, José, go mow a lawn." Jay scowled faintly, taking the sack from him, while the worker slapped him on the back genially.

"You did draw the short straw, amigo," he said with a short nod and a grin. "I'd offer to take your place, but have you ever seen a Mexican Santa Claus? He'd be so drunk you wouldn't get your presents until the Fifth."

Jay rolled his eyes slightly. "So what's the plan? You actually expect her to be able to drag that heavy-ass sleigh all the way around the front?" Jay asked, canting his head slightly to the side in a quizzical manner.

"She managed to pull it across the football field without much problem, and that was grass, not an icy flat surface," José said with a single nod. "She's stronger than she looks, amigo."

He pursed his lips a little bit, hefting the sack of toys and clambering up the loading ramp, hauling the heavy sack into the back of the sleigh. "No winch?" he asked, peeking into the back of the truck.

Kyn had moved to the front of the sleigh and was standing expectantly between the two beams, her tail slowly swirling with a jingle as she watched the two humans.

"She's gonna pull it down off the truck herself. She insisted," José said, stepping up the ramp as well and picking up one of the beams, aligning it with the side of the gryphon, starting to do up the straps to harness her to the sleigh. "Get on that other side," he said, pointing with his chin. "I'm sure you'll figure out to get it all working."

Jay blinked once, and then strode around to the other side of the gryphon, picking up the other beam to hold it against the gryphon's side gently. He reached over for the strap that would go over her back, sliding it through its allocated space and then starting to cinch down the length until it was firmly in place. He placed one hand over the strap and pulled with his other, which resulted in him actually touching the gryphon for the first time.

With his hand where it was, on her wing, he could feel the stiff pinions of her feathers; they were surprisingly rigid, but soft, and very large. He had seen feathered Indian headdresses, and even the biggest eagle feathers that they were made from were put to shame by the gryphon's feathers. The overlapping feathers made a kind of layered covering with a cushioning effect, and he couldn't quite ascertain what her hide felt like underneath them all.

He shifted his grip to tighten the band further until it was firm, but not too tight, and then reached below the gryphon to take hold of the band that would go underneath her chest. The fur on her underside was very soft, kind of like the texture one would find on a kitten, at odds with the stiff, silky feathers. It was also very warm, even in the cold night air.

Straightening up, Jay drew the bottom band up and slipped it through its allocated position, tightening it as well. Then he grabbed the band that would go across the front of her chest, above the forelimbs while José did the same on her other side. He slipped his fingers in between the bands crossing her stomach and chest, making sure there was enough room for movement without having so much give that it would chafe against her fur. "Not too tight, is it?"

Kyn shook her head firmly, bouncing slightly on her paws. "It is fine."

"I'll, um...I'll let you take the sleigh off the truck before I get in," he said with a single nod.

"...Scarrred?" she asked of him, grinning a little bit, flinching slightly as José slapped her lightly on the shoulder to signal that he was done on his side.

"I don't want my first time in a gryphon-drawn sleigh to be down a thirty-degree slope, thank you," Jay admitted rather bluntly, ambling down the ramp to stand beside it, next to José.

Kyn huffed faintly and stretched a little bit before squaring her limbs, then leaning forwards slightly, she started to dig her paws in firmly like she was trying to get out of mud. With a faint scraping sound the sleigh began to move, grinding across the metal base of the truck, before hitting the slight lip where the ramp met the truck, jolting over it.

José moved to stand on the left side of the truck, holding an arm out to brace the sleigh as Jay followed suit so they could take some of the weight once it overbalanced and started sliding down the ramp. They didn't want it to inadvertently roll down the ramp and push the gryphon across the icy ground in front of it.

The sleigh slid over the lip and then tilted downwards sharply; the two humans were there to steady and slow it down a little bit, so that it eased down the ramp rather than rushing down. They stayed in place until it reached the bottom of the ramp and then let it go, where it gracefully slid down onto the icy roadway.

Kyn paused there, peering at Jay over her shoulder. "Well, it is time forrr you to climb in," she said with a nod.

Jay nodded in return before he ambled over to the side of the sleigh, hefting himself into it and then sitting down on the seat, reaching sideways for the bell that was on the seat. He picked it up, holding the clapper in one hand so it wouldn't clang. It was an old school-yard type bell, heavy and thick, but most definitely loud.

He jolted slightly as the gryphon began to move once more, heaving forwards to overcome the initial inertia of the sleigh, and then beginning to drag it down the alleyway towards the front of the mall. He watched her as she pulled the sleigh, not quite able to bring himself to pick up the reins, just leaving them to lay in his lap while the gryphon pulled the sleigh around the corner and then stopped dead.

Blinking once, he leaned forwards slightly to see what the problem was, only to find that the gryphoness was standing there, staring at the front entrance of the mall and the large crowd just inside, who were awaiting their big entrance.

"What's wrong?" Jay asked, sitting back again and frowning slightly. "Is it too heavy?"

"N-o!" the gryphoness squeaked, her voice breaking halfway through the syllable. "T-therrre arrre j-just so m-many of them!" she choked out with wide eyes.

Jay frowned slightly to himself and then hefted himself up out of the sleigh again, striding to the front where the gryphon was harnessed so he could lay a soothing hand on her shoulder. She noticeably flinched underneath his touch and tried to shy away, though she was brought up short by the harness. "You're afraid of crowds?" he asked, keeping his tone even and warm in an attempt to soothe her.

"Y-yesss," her voice faded away into a helpless hiss at the end of the syllable, her ears splaying back flat against her skull, her wings quivering just slightly under the bands of her harness, as though she longed to spread them and fly away. Her tail gave an irritable, nervous twitch, causing the bells to jingle.

"Why?" he asked, frowning slightly and beginning to lightly knead in between her wings, trying to soothe her.

"Therrre arrre too many of them!" she whined, shaking her head vigorously. "This was a bad idea!"

Jay made a faint sound, sliding his hand up to knead his fingers gently against her neck. The muscles underneath were tensed, like bands of iron underneath the supple fur and flesh. "But you're not nervous around me, are you?"

The gryphoness paused for a moment, and then shook her head. "N-no. Because you arrre scarrred of me as well," she stated. Her exotic accent seemed to be more pronounced the more nervous she got.

He leaned in close, kneeling down to be more on her level; "I can almost guarantee you that they're all just as scared of you as you are of them," he said with a soothing tone.

"B-but there arrre so many of them!" she reiterated, the whine in her tone pointedly obvious.

Jay paused a moment, and then nodded reasonably at her. "Sure… but don't think of them as a large group… think of them as a bunch of people. As single units, instead of one large whole."

There was a pause, and the gryphon looked him up and down for a moment, as though judging his mental acumen, her expression saying in a way words never could; 'how the fuck will that help?'

Suppressing a faint laugh, Jay shook his head, shrugging a little bit. "It's how humans deal with stage fright. It's all in the mind,"

"It is not in my mind!" the gryphon said with a huff, almost growling. "It is in the hundrreds of people who arre going to be starring at me when we enter the mall!"

"But they're going to be staring at me. So far as they're concerned, you're just an animal pulling a sleigh," he countered with a vigorous nod.

"And this coming from the person who was so intent on not treating me like an animal," she huffed, growling faintly.

Jay laughed faintly and nudged her slightly with his hip. "Not so nervous now, are you?" he asked with a sly grin.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she growled a little bit before her nares flushed slightly and she shook her head. "You are a horrible human."

He nodded once in response and stroked her lightly between the shoulders before climbing back into the sleigh. "Now, we have smiles to bring to kids."

Kyn paused a moment, peering at him over her shoulder. "...I thought we were bringing them toys?

Jay rolled his eyes slightly, "I didn't mean literally bringing them smiles," he started to explain, before he caught sight of a sly grin playing at the edges of the gryphon's beak, making him pause mid-sentence. "...Why do I get the feeling that you already knew that?" he asked, shaking his head after a moment.

The gryphoness didn't reply, instead just turning forward again and setting her shoulders, starting towards the front of the mall again. A ramp had been erected at the front of the mall, over the front steps, presumably made for a vehicle to be hauled up for the showcase events that happened in the mall every now and again. Sometimes, they used the loading ramps out back, but the hallways were too thin for larger vehicles to pass through safely, so they used the front doors.

One of the mall workers, greeting people at the front of the mall, stood just in front and to the side of the doors as the gryphon began to heave the sleigh up the ramp in an impressive display of strength, causing the front doors to open wide. There was just enough clearance for the sleigh to make it through. Jay climbed to his feet, resting one hand on the front of the sleigh for balance, releasing the clapper in the centre of the bell, and then starting to swing the bell up and down, causing loud, resounding tolls from the heavy metal.

"Ho-ho-ho, Merry Christmas, boys and girls!" he called out, deepening his voice and booming the words, as nearly every adult did when pretending to be Santa Claus.

Heads turned instantly at the tolling of the heavy bell and kids gasped, their eyes wide, scrambling towards the vision of Santa being pulled through the front entrance of the mall by a reindeer/gryphon.

"So who's been naughty, and who's been nice?!" he called out over the heads of the crowd, who parted to let him pass, heading towards the centre of the mall, where a throne of sorts had been erected, and a pair of 'elves' were waiting for him to arrive.

Kyn doggedly pulled the sleigh through the mall, and the floor, which had been waxed a few days previously, provided very little resistance to her efforts. Soon enough, she had pulled the heavy vehicle into place beside the large fake tree and throne. Jay noticed right then that she was panting for breath as she wearily sat down on her haunches, then lowered herself down onto her stomach, lazing there as she tried to catch her breath. He climbed out of the sleigh and retrieved his big sack of toys, hefting it out of the back to toss the lumpy mass over his shoulder. Then he set it at the foot of his throne and sat down upon the seat. The elves moved in at that point, undoing the string holding the sack closed and opening it up enough to reveal the wrapped presents inside.

Jay leaned forwards and dug in the sack for a handful of presents, coming up with them in his hands, and then starting to call out the names written on the notes attached to them. Kids gleefully moved forwards to take their presents, one after the other.

After a while, he became aware of Kyn watching this process with a canted head, as well as keeping a sharp eye on the children that were behind her, creeping closer and closer. He cleared his throat, and moved over towards the gryphon, halting the handing out of presents for a moment so he could begin to unharness the gryphon, leaning in close to whisper in the gryphons ear; "Don't panic if the kids want to touch you. Just pretend to be a reindeer."

"Real reindeer would kill the children," she pointed out flatly, her tone low, her ears even lower.

"You know what I mean!" he hissed, undoing the last strap. "Make an excuse if you have to. Say that you're going to go chew some grass, but don't make a scene."

The gryphon nodded slightly, contenting herself with laying back on her stomach and watching him resume handing out the presents, flinching slightly and stiffening as a small hand was placed on her beak.

Jay watched cautiously in between handing out presents, but she seemed to be handling the attention rather well, except for the almost violent swish of her tail, causing the bell at the end to jingle merrily.

He continued to hand out the presents until they were scraping the bottom of the sack and most of the kids had moved off to enjoy their new toys. Jay leaned sideways to whisper something to one of his elves, jerking his head back towards the other end of the mall.

The elf hurried off, the bell at the top of her hat jingling, while he handed out the last of the presents.

By the time the elf returned, the sack was mostly empty, and as he drew the last of the present out, the elf palmed him a small jewellery box which he sneakily dropped into the sack. He was pretty good with sleight of hand; being a security guard meant becoming familiar with how to steal. If you know how to steal, you know how to stop others or recognize when they're doing the same.

He handed out the last of the packages, and then rummaged in the bottom of the sack, to make sure he hadn't missed any, before seizing on the jewellery box and tugging it out. By then, most of the crowd had dispersed, and very few people remained in the immediate area.

"I think this one is for you," he said with a nod at Kyn, who blinked and lifted her head, canting it to one side and then shaking it slowly.

"You must be mistaken," she said matter-of-factly. "No one would have given you a gift for me."

Jay gave a low little jolly laugh. "But someone did! Your name is on it!" he said, flashing her the box for a moment. Of course there was no name on it, he was hoping that she would just take it for granted that there was.

Her eyes widened a little bit and her ears splayed backwards, her nares seeming to flush a little bit. "R-rrreally?" she asked, staring at him.

He nodded, sliding off the throne and moving over to her, opening up the box and pulling the necklace out from inside, stretching it out with his fingers while palming the box into a pocket of the Santa suit. No need for her to see that there was no name on it.

The necklace itself was a simple silver chain, with a pendant on the end in the shape of the traditional heraldic gryphon.

"That is for me?" she asked, her eyes wide, flicking from the pendant, up to his face, her beak parting a little bit and then closing again, as though unsure of what expression she should be using at that moment.

He nodded once more, and then raised a brow. "May I?"

Kyn blinked, tilting her head a little bit to the other side, not quite sure what he was asking, hesitantly nodding.

Jay undid the clasp of the pendant and then leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her so that he could attach the clasps at the back of her neck, noting as he did so that her feathers smelled somewhat like the smoky scent of a horse, but not nearly as bitter and strong in the nose, with a hint of something sweet mingled in there. As he was clasping up the chain, he heard a strange, vibrating sound rolling out of the gryphons throat, reverberating on the air happily.

He blinked once, doing up the clasp and then drawing back, canting his head at the gryphon curiously.

Her nares flushed deeply as she lowered her beak, staring down at her forepaws, the sound stuttering out into silence.

"Were you...purring?" he asked incredulously.

Her nares flushed even further, and she buried her beak in her paws, closing her eyes tightly. "N-no. I would not do such a thing!" she protested helplessly, her ears pinned back against her skull firmly. "Y-you must be h-hearrrrrrrring things," she huffed. Her 'r' was rolled so hard that she could barely get past the sound, keeping her eyes closed.

"That's cute," he said with a grin, snuffing a laugh and returning to his throne, leaving her to recover from her bout of shyness at her own pace.

Nearly everyone was gone now, returning home or moving to one of the parties that were happening around the mall.

Deeming that he had been there long enough, he waited a few minutes for any stragglers, and then slid to his feet, motioning for the Kyn to follow him, heading down the hallways towards the changing rooms again while the gryphon slunk along behind him, the bells on her body jingling happily.

He opened the door for her and then closed it after them when he followed. A faint sound of relief rose from his throat as he opened the buttons of the Santa suit, tossing the stuffing out with a sigh before sitting down, taking a few moments to relax.

"C'mere, I'll get that harness off of you," he said with a nod, beckoning with a finger towards the gryphon.

She minced over to him before turning sideways to allow him to get at the clasps holding the harness to her form, which he deftly undid, so he could draw the straps and rings free of her body and place them aside. Then he started to brush his hands through her feathers firmly to get them to all stick down properly.

That low purr started up again, and he grinned, but didn't say anything, just trailing his fingers a bit more delicately through her feathers to get them all straight. "So where are you headed off to now?"

Kyn canted her head at him. "I will be going home… Why? Is there something else they wish me to pull?" she asked, seeming quite anxious at his question.

Jay shook his head in response. "No, no, we're not intending on having you do any more work. I was just wondering if you were planning on doing anything for the rest of Christmas? Because I was heading upstairs to the party on the third floor. There'll be eggnog and music, and you might make some friends."

She blinked once, her ears splaying backwards again. "Y-you are inviting me to a party?" she asked, staring at him.

He nodded once. "I guess I am. The other workers won't have a problem with it, I'm sure."

Kyn made a faint sound, inclining her head in a nervous fashion and working her beak a few times, as though trying to make her mind up. "W-well it could not hurrrt could it?" she asked evasively.

"Of course it can't hurt," he reassured.

"T-then I guess I can see what this party is like," she muttered.

Jay smiled, and then raised a brow at her. "Do you want these taken off?" he asked, brushing his fingertips against the silly fake antlers and the bells on her ears.

"Please," she said with a short nod.

He suppressed a chuckle, and then began to remove the bells and the antlers. He also worked the bands on her limbs down to her paws and placed them all together in a neat pile. As he moved for her tail, she jerked it out of the way and shook her head firmly. "I like that one," she stated, peeking over her shoulder and swirling her tail once, making the bell jingle. "The red bow is quite attractive,"

"It is," Jay said, before waving a hand towards the door. "I'll get out of this suit and meet you outside."

She nodded once and then stepped over to the door, shaking out her wings and ruffling her feathers to get them into some semblance of order. Then she stretched like a feline for a moment before rearing up and opening the door, slipping outside into the hallway to sit down and wait for him.

Jay undid the rest of the buttons on the Santa suit and then slipped it off completely, stepping out of it and so he could relax back against one of the lockers, enjoying the cool metal against his flesh after the stuffy suit. But very quickly, he was cold again, so he quickly slipped back into his clothes, donned his merry red and white hat, and then headed for the door once more.

There was a faint squeak, and the door snapped closed properly, making Jay frown. He opened it slowly, raising a brow at the gryphon, who was studiously staring in the opposite direction.

"...Were you...perving on me?" he asked incredulously.

"...Perrrving?" she asked, seeming genuinely confused. It wasn't an act, it was more like she didn't understand the word or the connotation.

"Spying!" he corrected.

"Uhm....k-kinda," she admitted, looking away carefully. "I-I find clothes fascinating," she said with a helpless sound. "The way they fit like that over your body...I find them interrresting."

Jay frowned a little bit more, but accepted her answer, even though something told him that she was lying to him. "Shall we go?" he asked, motioning towards the escalators.

The gryphoness nodded, stalking out in front of him, heading for the escalators and standing rather awkwardly on the steps as they carried her upwards. Jay got on behind her, leaning against the moving railing and drumming his fingers on it while he waited.

He glanced upwards, pausing for a moment, observing the gryphoness. Since she was above him, it put him at a rather unique angle to her. He could clearly see her shapely rump, especially as it was pretty much in his face. Her bell jingled faintly as her tail swirled back and forth impatiently, and he found his eyes drawn beneath the swishing tail, staring at the place that was almost always hidden by the thickness of her tail and her stance.

Blinking hard, he snapped out of it, aware of colour rising in his cheeks, and forced his eyes away, clearing his throat nervously. He had no idea why he had suddenly become so fascinated with her.

They reached the top of the escalator and he nudged her shoulder gently, to steer her towards the restaurant that was being used for the party. As they rounded the corner, the party in full swing became noticeable. There were streamers everywhere, people dancing to festive music, large bowls of punch, snack foods, discarded wrapping paper errantly blowing around, the pop of bon bons being opened, and consumption of large amounts of eggnog.

"...W-wow," Kyn said, her eyes wide, stopping in her tracks. "I-I am not surrre if I want to go over therrre," she admitted, staring and sitting down on her haunches with a sense of finality.

"You really don't like crowds, do you?" he asked.

"...O-Only big crrrowds!" she protested helplessly, her ears splaying flat.

"Well stay here, I'll get us some eggnog. Then we can go up on the roof and wait for the fireworks." he offered.

"Firrreworrrks?" she asked, blinking at him. "They are decidedly less attrrractive to those who fly."

"Or we could go join the party?" he offered, raising a brow.

"...Firreworrks it is," she muttered, staring down at her paws.

Jay suppressed a smile, and then headed for the party, pausing long enough to talk to one of his friends at the party. Afterwards he broke away to steal a large jug of eggnog for himself and Kyn, as well as a variety of snack food, unsure of what she would eat, carrying his armful back to the gryphon.

In the meantime, she was sitting on her haunches still, staring off to the right where two people were passionately kissing each other, sitting under a hanging mistletoe.

"What is that plant?" she asked curiously.

"Mistletoe?" he asked, raising a brow, shifting the objects in his arms to make them more comfortable.

"Yes, that," she said with a nod. "Is theirrr behaviorrr a symptom of it?" she asked, pricking her ears up at him.

"Well… kinda," he admitted, shaking his head. "If you pass underneath mistletoe with someone, you have to kiss them."

"How… verrry odd," she stated, shaking her head once, and then extending her head a little bit to inspect his armful of food and drink. "Lead the way?"

Jay nodded once and then headed for the roof access staircase, the gryphon falling into step behind him. He pushed open the door and stepped out onto the rooftop, which was large and flat enough to house a helipad, were it needed. Then he found an air conditioning unit to set down the food and drink on, careful to avoid spilling any of the eggnog.

Kyn followed after him, looking about carefully to see if anyone else was around. The rooftop was deserted; most of the people would be observing the fireworks from the parking lot, and even then, that wasn't for an hour or so yet.

Rubbing his hands together to warm them slightly, Jay offered the gryphon a piece of salami and cheese. A wind was blowing cold over the rooftop and was cutting right through his clothing. The faint fall of snow wasn't helping either, swirling about in small flurries.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked of the gryphoness, who just looked at him for a moment and then shook her head.

"My feathers provide adequate insulation," she stated, in between chewing up pieces of salami happily. She eyed the eggnog, leaning over towards it and inhaling. "It smells strange."

"Yeah, it's eggnog, have you had it before?" he asked.

She shook her head firmly. "I will keep you warm, if you allow me to taste it?" she offered before he could say anything.

Jay was about to say that it was fine, and that he had brought it up on to the roof for both of them... but then thought better of it. It was cold after all.

"Okay then, that works for me," he said carefully.

Kyn made a happy sound, carefully sitting down on her haunches and taking the jug of eggnog off of the air conditioner unit, placing it on the ground in front of her within easy reach. Then she dropped down upon her stomach, stretching out slightly and then lifting a wing, peering at him. "Come here, against my side."

Jay hummed quietly to himself, unsure for a moment, before nodding and stepping over to her, kneeling down against her, underneath her wing. Her feathers were incredibly soft, and warm! It was actually quite surprising, and beyond pleasant.

"This is nice," he said after a moment, smiling faintly. "My god, gryphons must make the best beds."

The gryphoness didn't reply, busy with carefully dipping her beak into the liquid and tasting it on her tongue. Her ears splayed backwards and tail jingled slightly as it moved, her wing closing over him, like a large, feathery blanket while she mulled over the taste of the eggnog.

He couldn't help himself as he relaxed and leaned against her side, laying his head against her flank. He could feel and hear her breathing, could hear her heartbeat, heavy and slow. It was really quite soothing, with that steady beat next to his ear, and the warmth of her wing and flank all around him. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his cheek in against her, to better enjoy the texture of her feathers against his flesh. It took a surprisingly short time before he dozed off entirely in the comfort of her embrace.

---

Jay made a soft noise, shifting slightly, noticing that his feet were cold, and turned slightly to one side, leaning against the gryphon a little bit more while he stretched.

His eyes blinked open and raised a brow for a moment quizzically. Something had changed. There were faint sounds echoing across the rooftop, like a car backfiring, or firecrackers going off in the distance, and he curiously lifted the edge of the gryphon's wing upwards to peek out at the night sky.

The clouds high above were being lit up by starbursts of red, green, and gold. Jay blinked once or twice. "Wow, they're early," he said, nudging at the gryphon with his elbow for a moment. "Do you see 'em?"

Kyn nodded, giving a low little churrling sound in the back of her throat while she placed a paw on the empty jug of eggnog to halt it from rolling away, making him blink once more, brows furrowing.

"Did you drink all of the eggnog... already?" he asked incredulously.

The gryphoness peeked at him over her shoulder, and then nodded sagely. "You were asleep for quite a while," she stated, hiccuping just softly.

Jay blinked at her a few more times, reaching down to check his watch. It was indeed just on midnight, and he cursed softly. He must have fallen asleep against her by accident.

"You should have woken me up," he said with a shake of his head.

"You were sleeping. I believe it is quite rude to wake up a sleeping human," she responded calmly.

Jay just shook his head again, crawling out from under her wing and rubbing at his eyes slightly to help blink away the bleariness. He didn't remember falling asleep. At least, it didn't feel like he had slept for over an hour.

Kyn wasted no time in climbing to her feet and moving over to the air conditioning unit, starting to happily tip pieces of salami into her beak.

"I hope they didn't lock us out up here," he said with a slight frown, moving over to the door and trying the handle. Thankfully, it was still open. The mall was supposed to have been shut down a half hour before the fireworks started, and he hadn't been able to slip back down to tell the manager that he would be staying a bit later, seeing as he had fallen asleep. Kyn pricked her ears up at him as he tried the handle, and she quickly bounded after him, holding the tray of snack food surprisingly steady in her beak. Only a few crudely-cut squares of cheese fell onto the rooftop.

The gryphon certainly seemed eager to go back inside. He raised a brow, but opened the door for her, allowing her to move onto the steps and begin descending, rubbing up firmly against him as she passed, making him stumble slightly. Somehow, he didn't think she had done it deliberately. It was almost like she had been trying to rub against him as a cat might, but had lost her sense of balance. He closed the door gently, and then moved back across the rooftop to pick up the empty jug, holding it to his face and inhaling. He winced slightly. It was the "hard" type of eggnog, spiked with alcohol. He must have taken the wrong one by accident in his rush during the party. No wonder the gryphoness was tipsy.

She was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, tray sitting on a step in front of her, head canted to the side, sitting on her haunches and watching the door like a hawk.

He blinked down at her, and then nudged the door closed behind him, locking it. "Was getting the jug," he said lamely, holding it up. The gryphon nodded a little, then picked up the tray of snack food, and turned, heading towards the escalators.

By now, everyone was gone. The mall was deserted. Shops were all closed, the security screens had been dragged across, and nearly all the lights had been dimmed. Jay stepped in front of the gryphon, leading her down the escalators which were now turned off, silent, and headed for the food court so he could put the tray and the jug in the shop they came from.

Kyn paused when they got to the maze of seats and tables, and her eyes narrowed a little bit before she trotted off to a specific table. She stepped up onto the seat and then laid on her stomach across it like a bench, placing the tray carefully on top of the table.

Jay made his way over to her, asking her if she wanted anything more off the tray - she didn't - so he picked it up and took it over to the small cafe his friend ran. A styrofoam cup was sitting on the ground by the door, upside down, and he kicked it over. The key was hidden underneath, and he picked it up to unlock the security screen with it. The screen rolled to the side slightly and Jay slipped in to put the tray and jug down beside the sink in back. He made his way back out, locking the security screen behind him and dropping the keys into his pocket before heading back over to the gryphon.

She was staring at him, her head tilted to one side, tail slowly swirling, the bell jingling happily in the deserted food court. He took a seat beside her, resting his elbow on the table and watched her for a moment.

The gryphon peered at him expectantly for a long moment, looking at him and then upwards, then back at him, canting her head slightly.

He blinked a little bit, tilting his head as well. "Something the matter?"

She snorted slightly, and then looked up once more, appearing to carefully judge something before she slipped off the seat. She stood carefully in a certain spot and then turned to look at him.

Jay stared at her, raising a brow in confusion. "...I don't get it."

"I want my kiss," she growled suddenly, her eyes narrowing at him, her tail giving a slow, predatory flick back and forth, the bell jingling.

He blinked once or twice, staring at her for a long moment. "What..." he half-asked, half-stated.

"I want my kiss," she repeated stubbornly, pointing upwards with her beak.

Jay followed the line of her motion, and then realisation dawned on him. She was standing under the mistletoe.

He made a faint flustered sound, trying to find the right words to express himself. "U-uh... kiss?" he asked nervously.

"Yes. Kiss." She nodded firmly. "I am standing under the strange plant, which means you must kiss me yes?

Jay couldn't help but notice her change in demeanor. She didn't seem very tipsy, but obviously, the alcohol in the eggnog was affecting her, making her less shy. Much less shy.

"I-I'm not sure that's such a good idea," he said, suddenly more nervous than before. "I mean... you kinda need lips."

Her eyes narrowed, seeming to flash dangerously when her request was delayed. Jay was suddenly acutely aware, once more, of how big and powerful she was. "You have lips. I want my kiss," she stated flatly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

He inhaled deeply for a moment, and then nodded helplessly. "Okay," he said, stepping forwards. He saw no way to get out of it without offending her, which would be a bad thing to do to such a large and somewhat tipsy creature. The gryphoness lifted herself a little bit to try and bring her beak up higher, so he could kiss her easier.

Frowning helplessly, he bent down a little bit, wrapped his arms around her neck awkwardly and then leaned in to give a quick, innocent kiss to her beak, pulling back after to peer at her. "There, happy?"

"...No," she said after a moment, her eyes narrowed again, her breathing a little bit heavier. He barely had time to react before her paws were around his lower body, and she was holding him against her chest eagerly, leaning up to rub her beak against his cheek slowly while a low, rumbling, purring sound rolled up out of her throat. Then she leaned in with her beak parted, working her tongue up against his lips insistently.

He squirmed helplessly in her grasp, and her paws tensed, making him stiffen slightly as he felt her claws unsheathe and dig into his flesh. The sharps points pricked his skin harmlessly, but provided fair warning for him to stop moving. His only option was to relax, and suddenly, he found her tongue in his mouth.

It was surprising, to say the least. Warm, nimble, and soft. It was the exact opposite of what he would expect from an avian tongue, and he couldn't help but rather enjoy the strange sensation being forced on him by the tipsy, amorous gryphon. Her beak turned to the side further so she could push her tongue in deeper, rubbing against his own in a rough approximation of a lustful human kiss. The rapid thrumming purr rolling up out of her chest actually caused her tongue to vibrate slightly against his own. Her paws began to knead his back softly, like a content feline might, slowly flexing, and then relaxing, working the claws against his flesh in a manner that wasn't unpleasant.

Jay was just starting to relax into the awkward kiss, just starting to get into it, when the gryphoness pulled back to breathe, panting and grinning at him, her beak slightly open. "That was nice."

He stared at her for a moment, before grudgingly nodding in agreement. There was barely any time for him to react as she pulled him into another kiss, eagerly twining her tongue against his own in a way that was almost sexual, tugging at it with her surprisingly powerful tongue, her purring growing deeper, more like an eager growl.

Doing nothing to stop her, he merely knelt down in front of her, lifting his hands to begin kneading his fingertips slowly through the feathers of her neck. It wasn't nearly so bad at all. She was actually quite skilled with that agile tongue of hers, and even though she was a gryphon, it didn't feel as... godawfully wrong as he thought kissing her would feel.

Kyn purred eagerly into the kiss, drawing back for another breath, giving him a lustful chrrrl as her eyes narrowed at him. She leaned in once more to trail her tongue over his lips, one of her paws slipping around his hip to press into his lap, beginning to slowly move back and forth against the bulge there.

Jay's eyes went wide, and he almost squeaked as he felt the paw against his cock through his pants, squirming just a little bit, causing her other paw to tighten and clench around him to hold him still. He tensed slightly as he felt that insistent rubbing start up again.

"I want to mate with you," a heated breathy exhalation whispered against his ear, and he felt his cheeks flush helplessly at the blunt way she said it. Somewhere deep down, he was laughing at how she was now coming onto him, and he was being helplessly shy. A few pints of eggnog and suddenly she was a sexual predator!

"I-I'm not s-sure..." he stated, only to be silenced with an almost furious tongue-kiss from the gryphon.

"Shhhh," she growled, tugging him against her front again eagerly, her paw still rubbing at the firming length in his pants. "I have seen videos."

Jay blinked once at that, slightly surprised. Videos? Like... videos of humans and gryphons having sex? Did such a thing even exist?

He was opening his mouth to voice these questions when the gryphon glared at him, silencing him. "Open them for me," she growled, an eager, lusty, and forceful note in her tone. It was actually rather exciting, having the shy gryphon demanding he do such a thing.

Still nervous, he reached down to the indicated article of clothing and undid the button, while Kyn watched with eagerly narrowed eyes. She licked along the edges of her beak slowly, causing a powerful surge of worry in him. He hoped she wasn't going to put that beak near anything delicate.

Impatiently, she nudged his hands out of the way with her beak, and then hooked the tip of the sharp object at the top of his zipper, drawing it right down to the base. Then she tugged at the sides of his pants with her paws, causing them to open up slightly. He could barely believe what was happening. A few hours ago, she was so shy she couldn't even stand near a party, and here she was, stripping him off to get a better look at him.

He squirmed impotently as he felt a paw work down inside his briefs to capture his growing member, tugging it out, her eyes widening as she stared at him. After a few seconds of this he began to get slightly uncomfortable, until she squeezed, making him arch slightly.

"On the seat," she ordered, rumbling.

Jay nodded jerkily, and then picked himself up, settling himself down on the seat. He watched her closely as she stalked over, observing him from different angles. "It is just like in the movies..."

"You watch movies of humans like this?" he asked breathlessly, watching her in return, still slightly nervous. He wasn't sure he wanted those claws or that beak anywhere near his delicate privates. A part of him was growing curious as to what lay under her tail though. He had seen it, of course, when she was above him on the escalator... but that had hardly been a decent inspection.

"Yessss...." she growled, nodding distractedly.

"Why?" he asked, shifting slightly, uncomfortable under her predatory gaze. He was unsure if he should slip himself back into his clothes properly, but didn't want to risk her anger.

"I like humans," she said bluntly, stepping over closer.

"Like us? What do you me-" he never got to complete his sentence, the gryphon pushing his shirt up, nudging his thighs open, and then quickly wrapping her paws around his hips, so they met at the small of his back, holding him firmly in place. She rested her weight on her haunches, and then tilted her head down, engulfing his swollen length in an instant.

His eyes widened, and he squeaked helplessly as he felt the firm beak close over his member, the sharp edges making him tense and hiss in fear. Then her warm tongue came into play, curling around the member and starting to work it up and down as she bobbed her head gently on him. He grit his teeth, his eyes clenching closed and hands gripping around her cheeks convulsively. "O-oh my god!" he huffed out, trying his best not to move his hips, even though the intense friction her textured tongue was giving him was making it hard. "W-where did you learn this?!"

She panted hotly, parting her beak and drawing up off him, breathing just as hard as he was, her eyes wide and wild, a low, eager crooning rolling out of her throat. "I learned it watching movies!" she said with an earnest nod, giving the name of a rather famous adult actress, before dropping back down upon his rigid length, working her hot tongue all over him.

Jay was ashamed to admit that he had actually seen some of the actress' work, and she was famous for using her mouth. She had even made a few tutorial videos; rumour had it that some were on male gryphons. He couldn't think very hard about that, though. All he could think about was the hot beak and grinding tongue swirling around his cock tip so eagerly, working it up and down, exploring the fine contours of its shape. The heated rumbles rolling up out of her throat made him arch and writhe at the unique vibrations it produced, translating directly from her tongue to his aching flesh.

He peeked down at her, watching as she so happily worked his member while his breath come faster and harder, unable to help but stare. This gryphon... this beaked, clawed, winged, inhuman gryphon, was going down on him! The sheer sense of taboo about it was exciting him, and he was finding it harder and harder to resist the urge to hump into that sharp beak. His hips could barely move, though, with her forelegs clasped around them so tightly, her large head bobbing up and down in his lap so eagerly. She tugged back to gasp for breath, panting hard. "I-it tastes so gooood..." she crooned breathlessly, almost shyly, before dropping her beak back over him, working him all the more eagerly.

The blush spreading across her nares was getting more and more noticeable, and Jay couldn't help but think that the alcoholic influence from the eggnog was wearing off, letting her come back to her senses at the loss of her boldness. It was only a matter of time before she stopped altogether.

But the only thought running through his mind was 'Pleasedon'tstop, ohgodpleasdon'tstop!'

He gave voice to his thoughts, encouragingly rubbing his fingertips against the base of her ears. "D-don't s-stop… please!" he whimpered, his voice a lot quieter and less manly than he had intended, feeling his eager length starting to throb in earnest delight, readying to loose a heady load of his mess into that beak.

She nodded against him, unintentionally tilting her head and scraping his sensitive flesh with her beak. She leaned in to lap at the base of his length with her tongue in apology, which had the effect of sinking the tip of his throbbing member into her throat.

As part avian, she didn't have a gag reflex, and it wasn't a deliberate attempt at pleasuring him at all, but the moment her tight throat muscles constricted around his tip, the entire shaft gave a pulse and a throb, tensing against the firm muscles there and making her swallow unintentionally.

Kyn heard him grunt, and then his arousal just exploded. Hard.

Hot, gooey spurts of messy seed began to pump and burst down her throat, coating it instantly, making her jerk her head back in surprise. She made a soft sound and then shuddered as she felt him continue to spurt heavily over her tongue and into her beak. Jay had obviously been pent up; the ropes of cum were powerful enough to volley right up against the back of her throat, splattering inside her maw and absolutely flooding it with his taste.

A faint whimper left the gryphon as she started to swallow whatever she could, unable to actually suckle the hot, wet spunk down her throat. She had to tilt her head back to collect such a mess, but could not while Jay was in the middle of his climax. A great deal of the spunk that hadn't been shot down her throat rapidly began to drool and drip out of her beak, overflowing around the still-jerking member.

Kyn panted harshly as she pulled backwards properly, beak parted, eyes wide, staring at the pulsing member as the last spurts of mess ended up spilling onto Jay's stomach. A heated shudder rolled through her form, and a warm paw slipped around to his front to press the member back into a standing position, even as she tilted her head and began to swallow the load of mess resting in her beak. After gulping down a fair amount, she leaned forward and started to eagerly lap him clean, dragging her tongue across his used length again and again. She stroked up the sides and across the tip, making sure she didn't miss a drop, laving her tongue ticklishly against his stomach, loving the way his muscles tensed under the touches.

Still panting for breath, she drew back, sitting down so she could lick her paw clean, staring up at him with a low rumble. Her cheeks flushed with warmth and her tail gave a helpless little flick across the floor. "It tastes g-good," she mumbled, licking at her paw a few more times. "I have neverrr had it in my b-beak beforrre!" she admitted, flushing further as she covered her messy beak with her paws, embarrassed at what she was saying.

Jay just lay back against the table, panting and squirming slightly in euphoric bliss, his eyes lidded, hazily watching her while he tried to catch his breath.

"I am s-sorrrry about j-jumping you!" she suddenly said, ears pinning back flat against her head. Obviously, the alcohol was wearing off fast in the rush of hormones. He tried to say something, but she cut him off, hurriedly explaining herself, barely pausing. "It is j-just... I have been n-needy for days now!" she explained, flustered, her cheeks feeling quite hot. "And the k-kiss made it even worrrse! I do not make a habit of doing this to humans, I p-prrromise!" she whimpered, staring down at her paws helplessly. "B-but I have seen videos and the grrryphon enjoyed it verrry much and you j-just smelled so good and I am sorrrry!" she practically wailed as she stuttered out her excuses.

Jay panted faintly, swallowing hard as he dropped down onto his knees, not even bothering to pull his pants back up properly. His arms wrapped around her and he rubbed his cheek against her own soothingly, halting the new stream of apologies she was about to try and broker. "It's fine, Kyn," he said with a nod. "I quite enjoyed it, actually. You're very pretty, and talented with your tongue," he said, kneading a hand slowly through the feathers of her neck.

"I am?" she asked, blinking, her ears pricking upwards slightly, a deeper tinge colouring her nares.

"Yes," he said, nodding and leaning in to lay a gentle kiss at the front curve of her beak, staring into her eyes as he did. "So thank you, Kyn, for giving me that."

"I... w-well... you are welcome," she said helplessly, unsure of how to respond to what he said.

"So... you've been needy for a few days now?" he asked, raising a brow at her.

She nodded in embarrassment. "M-my mate chose someone other than me, and I have no-one to... to... u-uhm... s-sate my urrrges," she whispered the last few words, her cheeks feeling alight with flame, ears pinning back again, wings ruffling uncomfortably in her shyness.

"That's understandable," he said soothingly, continuing to knead his fingers through the feathers of her neck slowly.

"Y-you arrre not mad at me?" she asked, ears pricking up once more, almost hopefully.

He nodded once. "Not mad at all," he said with a smile, kissing her beak again.

A low, contented rumble began to roll out of the gryphon's throat.

"In fact..." he started, staring into the gryphon's eyes for a moment.

She pricked her ears up fully, tilting her head a little bit in curiosity.

He leaned in to whisper directly into one of her ears; "In fact... I can help you with your needy problem," he whispered, pulling back and staring into her eyes again, nodding slowly.

Kyn swallowed hard, quite audible to Jay, and she whimpered faintly. "Rrrreally?" she asked. Her modesty and timidity were telling her to refuse, to tell him that it was all right, that she just couldn't ask him to do that for her... but the other part of her mind, the bold part of her mind that had just had its beak around his cock, and could still taste him on her tongue, was demanding that she accept.

"Really," he said with a nod, trailing fingers through the feathers of her neck and down across her wings slowly. "You really are quite beautiful. It'll be my pleasure," he added with a reassuring nod.

"Well... I... g-guess..." she squeaked out, her voice strained, her wings ruffling in mingled trepidation and eagerness.

"Put your paws up on the seat," he said with a nod, motioning towards the seat he had been sitting on.

She nodded jerkily, and then slipped over to it, putting her forepaws up on the seat, placing her body at a nice, rather attractive angle. He grinned at her, as she turned her head around to look at him over her shoulder. The new position was similar to the one he had been in when she was on the escalator above him.

He slipped in behind her, kneeling down as he laid a hand on her rump, making her jump slightly in nervousness. Her tail jerked, the bell on it jingling sharply as he rubbed his palm back and forth against her rump soothingly. "Now lift your tail for me..."

Kyn flushed hotly, her ears splaying backwards once more while her tail gave a short bit of a flick back and forth, as though gathering itself to rise. She whimpered shyly and finally lifted her tail upwards slowly, curling it out of the way.

"Oh yes... you are quite beautiful," he chuckled, rubbing his hand slowly over her rump, his other hand joining in on the other side, kneading at the firm muscles under the soft fur in tandem while he peered underneath that lifted tail. Everything was just where he expected it; and it was surprisingly human-looking. The slit had the same basic shape with the firm, outer lips coated in soft, short, tan fur. There was a hint of pink in the middle from the inner lips that promised of heated flesh hidden deeper within. She was already a little bit wet, the moistness glistening faintly along her folds rather apparent as close as he was.

Jay drank in the sight of her body for a moment before shifting forwards, kneading up over a wing while his other hand slipped in under her tail, a fingertip beginning to slowly work up and down the length of that tight slit. He could feel how soft and silky the fur on her pliable outer lips were against his flesh, making him shudder faintly.

He adjusted his angle so he could gently sink a single digit into her heat, feeling her outer lips part and then the inner lips slipping slickly around his finger to accept him. Kyn gasped softly as she arched slightly, her wingtips giving a little bit of a flutter, the feathers at the ends flaring slightly as she whimpered at the sensation. He made a happy little sound at her reaction, leaning back to watch as he sank his finger deeper into her body, working it right to the second knuckle, and then all the way inside. His brows furrowed as he focused on the sensation of her tight muscles clenching down on his single digit, clamping around it almost desperately.

The gryphoness whimpered faintly in need, and a steady flow of her juices began to well up from inside her tight body. It was amazing just how tight, warm and firm she was back there, especially considering her relative size to his own. Smiling faintly, he kneaded his fingertips against her wing soothingly for a moment, before pulling back so he could lean down, his hands grasping her hips to lift her rear end slightly while he leaned in and drew a soft lick right across her folds.

A faint squawk left the gryphon and she arched helplessly towards him, her rump shifting in his firm grasp while he delivered another eager lick, and then another, and another. Each new press of his tongue made her whimper and squirm in delight and embarrassment, her liquids drooling out of her all the more eagerly.

It was impossible to describe her taste and her scent. It was something smoky, musky, and utterly intoxicating. He couldn't help but want more. Making a soft noise of happiness, he lapped at her all the more firmly, working his tongue in between those soft outer lips, brushing it up and down her slit and then sinking it into her body a little bit, pushing her inner folds apart.

The gryphon whined faintly in delight, her ears splaying back and cheeks flushed warmly, unable to cool off with this intimate attention. Her hips involuntarily pressed back against him in lustful little motions, her tail flicking slightly above his head, the bell jingling in time with the motions.

He drew his tongue down the hot slit, working it right across her inner lips on a search for the sensitive nub of her clit. When he reached where he assumed it was, he suckled firmly. His tongue worked against the flesh in time with gentle suction while sliding a hand over to begin sinking his fingertips into her body once more. Wasting no time, he pressed two of them deep inside and started to thrust them in and out, even as he suckled eagerly at her clit.

Almost instantly, Kyn began to convulse, her back arching and wings mantling, fluttering in helpless delight. Her hips jerked and her entire body arched like a feline, a whimper rolling up out of her throat. "I am g-going-!" her cries were cut off as he increased the pace of his fingers and his suckling, deliberately trying to push her over the edge.

She arched and cried out loud, a long, piercing shriek of delight left her, almost like the cry of an eagle. Her inner muscles convulsed rapidly around his fingers, squeezing down on them, twitching and milking firmly. Jay's imagination ran wild, wondering what it would feel like around his cock. A hot gush of her liquids slicked his chin and lips, and he drank of her eagerly, letting her delectable fluids flood his maw. His fingers continued to work in and out of her to prolong her finish until she slowly sagged back, whimpering from the stimulation.

Almost immediately, he slipped to her side to hug around her, rubbing his cheek against the feathers of her neck. "Was it good?"

She nodded weakly before resting her beak heavily on the table, giving a little shudder. "Male gryphons could never do that," she rumbled, sounding quite content, not moving her limbs just yet. She was in a very nice position like that, and Jay couldn't help but pull back a little bit watch her.

Kyn flushed faintly as she felt his eyes on her, and she tentatively lifted her tail again for him, blushing all the hotter at her brazenness. "Y-you really think I am prrretty?" she asked, peering at him over her shoulder.

He nodded firmly. "Very much so," he answered, sidling behind her again to knead his hands over her rump once more. "I wanna fuck you," he murmured with a grin.

"F-fuck?" she asked blankly, confused, before it dawned on her. The naughtiness of the word made her shudder, shifting to look forward again, her eyes widening a little bit. "You m-mean that you want to mate with m-me?" she asked breathlessly.

Jay nodded once, working his fingertips through her fur. "Most definitely."

Kyn swallowed audibly while she gave a faint whimper, staring back at him, and then looking forward again, not answering him. The bell on her tail gave a faint jingle as she shifted herself back upright properly, as though to walk away. But her front paws settled on to the seat, and her hindpaws squared out behind her to steady herself. Her tail arched out of the way while she stiffened her hind legs, causing her rump to lift a little bit, leaving her exposed, drooling sex on full display for him.

He smiled and slipped forward to lay his hands on her wings, stroking his fingers through her feathers slowly. That morning there was no way he would have been able to think about a gryphon like this... but now? There was nothing he wanted more than to sink himself into her.

Shifting, Jay pressed the tip of his eager maleness against her slit, already quite hard from the sight and taste of her. She stiffened slightly, wings mantling at the sensation, entire form tensing up in anticipation while she pressed back against him to rub herself against his tip encouragingly.

Giving a lustful little sound, he gripped tight around her hips, and then smoothly shoved his own hips forward. His teeth bared and his entire body arched a little bit as he felt her tight folds at first spasm and try to keep him out, clenching wildly at the intrusion, before welcoming him in like a long lost lover. The silky inner flesh squeezed and suckled around the entirety of his cock in eager milking motions, making him moan faintly and grip her all the tighter, starting to work in and out.

For her part, Kyn arched as well, her wings flaring and actually giving an almost complete flap, backwash from the motion sending air rushing over the area while she quivered in delight and pressed back against him helplessly. Her beak parted and forepaws shifted to grip the seat tightly, leaning down a little bit so her body was at more in line with her lover, forcing him to sink himself into her in a deeper line, making her cry out all the louder. Thankfully, the seat was bolted to the ground.

Jay started out slow, panting in delight and holding around her middle, his palms slipping around to rub her belly soothingly as he began a steady series of thrusts, sinking himself in and out of the tight gryphon sex so willingly given to him. His partner shuddered and pushed back against him in time with his motions, her claws digging into the seat she was gripping even while her hindlegs stiffened reflexively.

"P-please..." she whimpered shyly. "Harrrder. I need you to m-mate me!" she cried, squirming in embarrassment and pleasure.

Nodding earnestly, he shifted his grip on her, holding her tighter as he began to work himself into her a little bit faster, gasping helplessly at the sensation of her tight body gripping around him. It was so warm and wet inside, with velvet walls gripping around every surface of his turgid member, squeezing, suckling, milking, just tugging at his flesh every time he slid backwards, and then giving him a reassuring clench every time he hilted within her again.

Already, slippery fluids were starting to dribble from the tight gryphon sex, matting her fur and slicking his movements further, the faint sounds of his body meeting hers growing louder as his pace increased.

"F-faster!" she whimpered, her nares flushed deeply and ears splayed backwards, her hips pushing back into each of his movements even more firmly and eagerly. She continued even as her body began to reflexively squeeze around him, giving up a heady burst of pleasure, her thin liquids drooling out of her body as she shuddered and writhed. The tight depths squeezed all the tighter, her inner muscles seeming to knead at his cock, demanding that he give her his seed.

Panting, he increased his pace even further, fingers digging into her flesh as he rutted her tight gryphon cunny, sliding back and then shoving his rigid member deep inside her again and again and again, each thrust pushing him closer and closer to his edge.

His motions began to get jerky, and Kyn seemed to sense that he was close, pressing back into him harder and more insistently, working her hips against him while the bell on her tail jingled merrily with each thrust. Her wings flared wide and fluttered in anticipation of her finale, grinding back at him as she begged desperately. "Pleaaase! Give it to me! I need it! I need to feel it!" she whined, even as she cried out her latest orgasm, arching her back with her hips grinding back at him roughly. Her entire body gave a spasm once, while her insides squeezed wildly around his rigid, thrusting member.

Jay snarled and held her close, driving into her a few more times before burying himself deep inside, gasping, his fingertips digging roughly along her furred flesh as his swollen cock throbbed and jerked rapidly, pulsing within her. Then load after load of gooey human spunk was unleashed across her insides, spurting and jetting in heavy splatters across the depths of her squeezing passage. The sensation of hot spurts filling her made her whimper as her body went into overdrive, kneading, milking, caressing, twitching and squeezing around him repeatedly until she had coaxed out every last droplet of his seed. He gasped and collapsed against her rump, barely able to stay upright, shaking faintly as he felt and heard a mingled cocktail of their liquids slowly start to seep from within her body, dripping onto the floor.

Panting heavily, Jay laid his hands on the gryphon's rump for balance, trying to stand. He gave up quickly, sighing faintly and splaying out across her back once more as he relaxed in the afterglow. He could feel his softening member slip from between her tight, hot folds, followed by a slow dribble of his liquid, making him shudder slightly at the sensation.

Kyn likewise shuddered, lifting her head a little bit to peek back at him, her nares flushed and ears pinned backwards, a low, contented purr rolling out of her throat.

He lifted his hands, beginning to knead them through her feathers and fur, stroking her soothingly. "You really are quite beautiful," he said, breathless.

Her nares flushed darker, and she fluttered her wings slightly. "I am g-glad you think so," she said with a shakey nod, relaxing slightly, slowly placing her paws back on the ground.

"We made a mess," Jay said, stepping back from her and sliding his pants back up around his waist.

"I am sorry..." Kyn said, sitting down on her haunches and watching him a moment. "...I think it was worth it, though."

He nodded enthusiastically. "Oh definitely," he said, smiling. He could hardly believe he'd just fucked a gryphon, of all things... and somehow, he was looking forward to the chance to do it again. "So tell me… is there anyone waiting for you at home?"

Kyn blinked at him a moment, her nares colouring further at the direction the question was heading. "N-no."

"Well... my house isn't too far. You could get cleaned up, have a nice proper meal, and we could celebrate Christmas together...?" he offered.

She stared down at her paws for a moment, her tail giving a slow flick, and a soft jingle, before she nodded. "I think I would like that."

---

Kyn barely remembered anything when she woke up the next morning; only vaguely recalling being led to Jay's house, having a warmed up meal and some more eggnog, then given a nice bed to sleep on. She barely remembered crawling out of bed so she could find a roll of red ribbon to wrap around herself, and then nestling herself under the Christmas tree like a waiting present. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

But now she was awake, completely sober, and she felt quite silly wrapped up in red ribbon with the big bow on her back, between her wings. But it was already too late; she heard a rustle of movement, and a tired-looking Jay emerged from the hallway, staring at her for a moment in confusion as he took in the odd sight.

"U-uhm… m-merrrry Chrrrristmas?" she offered helplessly.

Jay grinned a little bit, moving to kneel down beside her. It was time to open his Christmas present.