I change to my male form on the way back to avoid the social awkwardness that comes from being literally irresistible, of course.

  First up is simply repcing all of my buffs spells to take advantage of my upgraded caster level. Mostly that just means a few extra points on my skill checks. I do add some nice spells: Bestow Grace of the Champion gives me some minor Padin abilities… including boosting my saves considerably. Eaglesoul gives a few nice things, including making me reasonably strong. I go back and forth on Greater Angelic Aspect: It comes with three different immunities, damage reduction, some resistances… and visible wings. I eventually shrug and take it; it's not like I spend much time sitting down or trying to disguise myself… and I can just use illusions to cover them if needed.

  I do the same for Last Shadow… huh, she ends up with four wings… and let her know my thoughts telepathically. “So, about your question….” She perks up, and stares at me quite intently. I continue, “I have a literal divine mission to finish, and to make sure that we have a good nest with a high vantage point, I also want to wait for the completion of the castle…”

  A beak can't smile, but she is definitely ahead of me, and jumps on me, licking my face, “I knew you'd say yes. I can wait.”

  I telepathically give some orders to my master Mason about making sure that the tallest tower has a suitably-sized arie at the top as I continue, “...but yes, I will nest and make a chick with you.”

  “Yes. We will make such strong children.” She keeps licking.

  “After the evil gnome is fully dealt with, and the castle is finished,” which gives me a bit under a year; I'm not pnning on loligagging with either task. “And I have something of an engagement present for you… I am going to craft a humanoid form that you can shift into and out of at will, so we can attend humanoid events together, much like I can change into a Gryphon…” I do so via Shapechange, note I have four wings as well, then shift back and continue our telepathic conversation, “and I wanted to know what you'd like from your new form.”

  My companion snorts, “I don't care about human appearances…” she pauses, “...so give me a form you'll enjoy.”

  Fair point: What are humanoid looks to a non-humanoid? “All right…” I reach over and cast my spell: Shapechanger's Gift. It's just now within range for me, and normally sts ten minutes a level. It essentially gives the target a second form from one of a few low-level Polymorph spells (with some alterations) for the duration, and the ability to switch between them with a few seconds’ focus. Of particur note is that the spell doesn't change the target's ability scores or natural armor when shifting, unlike most Polymorph spells… which means Last Shadow will be just as strong and durable in her alternative form as her real one… more, even, as reducing her size to Medium will make her marginally harder to hit. I settle on a maenad for her new form: They look completely human, but can use their teeth and cws in a fight (she doesn't get their other special abilities from the spell, unfortunately). For her actual appearance, I go with blonde hair down to her narrow shoulders, slightly tanned skin, a clear complexion, a button nose, blue eyes, full lips, a thin waist… and of course, make her nice and bouncy in all the right pces. What can I say? I have simple tastes.

  Of course, her armor doesn't fit her new form (given that she's going from horse-sized to human sized) and so simply colpses to the ground at her feet… which is fine; we're alone in the privacy of my unfinished castle, and she wasn't raised with human ideas about nudity. The wings from Greater Angelic Aspect stick around, as that's not a Polymorph effect, and is still active… I've yet to find a pattern for what is and isn't a Polymorph spell.

  “This is what you find attractive?” My companion looks down at herself, then back at me.

  I lick my lips as I look at her chest. I probably shouldn't have made her quite so lusty… “Yes. I didn't want you unarmed; your teeth and nails are good enough to use in a fight, but are low profile enough that everyone will see you as a human… well, unless you're in a situation where you’re using those teeth and cws… and you can simply turn back to your birth form simply by willing it so.” I swallow… okay, maybe I haven't gotten id enough tely… “...and I can set you up with armor and weapons suitable for this shape… if you want them… which we should probably do, as it's socially expected for everyone to have visible weapons.”

  “We can do that…” she steps up to me, pressing her body against mine, “...but right now, I want to make you happy, and feel you inside me. Humanoids seem so interested in mating… I'd like to find out why….”

  We're still talking telepathically, mind. While she's now physically equipped for human speech… she's never tried it before, and I don't think it even occurred to her to try. Hmm… I'll need to look up a solution for her talking to others… for now… “Yes.” I take her in my arms, shift my gear to my shadow, and kiss her.

  “Is this how it goes?” She wraps her arms around me and parts her lips to let my tongue in, “I've only seen this done from a distance.”

  “It's certainly one way it starts,” I continue kissing her as I reach down and cup her rear with one hand, “but there's many, many ways this can happen,” I fly up slightly and pull her on top of me as I ‘y down’ on my back in mid air (the wings are redundant with the Fly spell, and so I have no need to worry about little things like fpping them to stay aloft).

  “Oh… this is better…” she sits up, giving me a good view of her chest.

  I go to slide my member into her, and run into a problem: She's not wet. Right… she wants me because she views me as a good match, not because I'm a griffon's ideal of masculinity. Which means right now, she's doing this solely to make me feel good… definitely an expression of love, that. Still, it poses a problem… solvable….

  I start kissing my way down her neck, onto her chest, then her mounds, and stimute her taps for a while by putting one into my mouth and sucking on it a little while I py with her other with a hand. Leaving my hand there I continue working my mouth down her belly and thighs, getting my head between her legs and teasing that closed line with my tongue until it opens up and gives me some access to that little nub… and I then go to town on that. It takes a while, but eventually I have her clenching my head and bucking her hips… which is when I work my way back up. This time I slide into my custom-designed lover without issues. See, while she may not have an appreciation for a humanoid male’s form, she has an essentially human form herself with human erogenous zones… and a Maenad is designed for orgies (also senseless bloodbaths, but we're not doing that right now), so her body, at least, is responsive to stimulus.

  Now that my dy is warmed up, I piston into her in mid air, holding her close as she learns to enjoy the sensations from her body. I make sure to touch some other hot zones: Her ears (just a little light nibbling), her feet (stimuting them without tickling is tricky), fingers, and palms (with my own, of course).

  Last Shadow breathes hard, moans, and wiggles as her current body rewards her for her cooperation. I keep pushing, making sure to keep my partner well stimuted. Eventually her body responds properly, and my Companion shudders around my rod, screaming out her joy. That pushes me over the edge, and I let loose with my currently sterile seed inside that warm, wet, welcoming woman.

  We drift gently to the ground, and she smiles at me, “Hmm… so that's why humanoids do that… I wondered.” She lets out a contented sigh and simply rests on my chest.

  I'll need to return the favor in Griffon form soon. For now, I simply hold my mate's naked body against my own and enjoy the moment of intimacy. Eventually she rolls over and falls asleep… at which point, I set a summon guarding her (the summoned Brani won't be able to do anything about a creature that would actually threaten Last Shadow… but the good Outsider has a solid Perception check, and can wake my lover to deal with a threat herself).

  I then open my Keyhome and head into my library; I have some research and practical pnning to do….