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Akuji paused at first, unsure what to do. It was bad to laugh at someone else's pain, right? But the mental image of Thalassa chomping this cold hard tile was simply too laughable to pass up. In attempt not to be rude, he attempted to mask his chuckles, but ended up sounding like he was whimpering or coughing.

He tried again.

Letting himself go, Akuji's light laughter sounded like that of a confident young numa, and was uncharacteristically charming. "I apologize," he said between fits. "T-this is rude. I'm sorry you- heehe--were hurt by the stupid-- he, hmm-- floor." He said with a little difficulty, blushing again. His head hurt. "I-uh... Once I was just running along the candycane patch and I tripped on a gumdrop dinosaur and I was thrown through the air and my horns got caught on a tree." Akuji told, rushed and quickly, as if to make up for his laughter and her potential embarrassment. "I.. I was stuck there for almost a day." he nodded.

Ashamed and shy, Akuji took the bucket and split it over himself. That's right, wash away the failure.

Ack! Her sides hurt, what does that mean? Was she hurt? Akuji was sure he didn't see anything happen to them, so why-- oh. She was laughing too hard. A small smile spread across Akuji's face. It was... nice, to have made her laugh. He wasn't sure that he had ever done that before. He was actually surprised that his tale of unhappiness actually came in handy.

He laughed again, mostly at the sight of Thalassa's happy-pained face. He wasn't sure if he had ever laughed hard enough so that his sides hurt, but it didn't seem like it would be too bad.

"I'm glad you think it's funny," He said, mock-sadly with a smile. He had a mini-panic attack for a moment, trying to remember if that was how normal Numas joked. "I had to get out with nothing but my own strength-- the Twiterpatters were pecking at my ears!" Akuji said, sticking out his tongue playfully as he splashed himself again.

A new feeling had emerged within Akuji. He couldn't place it, but he could say for sure that it was good.

The Coffee Numa was now quite contented, after the good laugh and he felt the sticky soda begin to be washed away by the water. He was sitting on his butt, resembling the stature of a happy dog with his tail waving and his ears high and alert. A small smile was perched upon his face, and Akuji wondered if it would stick. He certainly wouldn't mind.

Thal was, well... She was something different. Never had he felt so at ease with another being-- not even himself. He had never joked, or laughed, or smiled easily with another Numa. It was relaxing and theraputic, almost, to be around her. He wondered if this was friendship? It seemed a little to epic for that, however. As Akuji was pondering this, it was no wonder he paid little attention to what Thal had said about mixing two chemicals.

"No, that seems fine," he said absentmindedly, his brain trying to grasp these unusual emotions that were lighting fire inside him. After a moment he shook his head and smiled. Perhaps it was best not to worry over the details as he always did. Perhaps it was just best to spend his time enjoying the moment. Yes, that sounded good.

While Thal may not have been embarrassed, Akuji became awfully self-conscious as soon as the loofah had touched his fur. He gently put some "soap" in his hair and made it fall over his face, so hopefully she wouldn't notice the red tint that was on his white fur. He wondered if she was judging him, with his long fangs, his talons, his spiked tail. The worries soon melted away, though, at the sight of her face. She wouldn't think things like that. Somehow, Akuji knew that much.

As she suggested, Akuji began scrubbing his fur as hard as he could in attempt to distract himself and to clean his fur. But, uh, mostly to clean his fur. The coffee began to feel an odd tinging sensation on his claws, but figured that it was simply how this soap stuff worked. Actually, it didn't smell half bad.

"Do you think your human will mind if I'm here when she gets home?" Akuji asked timidly, scrubbing and averting his eyes from Thal. He didn't want to make Thal worried, but he definitely did not want her human to get mad at her on his account. That's just something that Akuji would not let happen to her.

"I wonder why," Akuji muttered under his breath, genuinely curious. Thal was such a nice Numa. Well, he was glad to be one of the first visitors, then. His headache had since subsided, and after being doused in warm water he was feeling guiltily comfortable. "I'm sorry you have to do so much work to get me clean," he apologized, closing his eyes and letting the soap run over his face.

The strange tingling sensation on his hands had spread to the rest of his body, making him feel a little uncomfortable. It was like his body was a big mint. Err, an odd way to say it, but one of the only ways he could.

"You fly very well," He said. He had noticed earlier, but had not the mind to compliment her till now. "These little things don't do much," He said, twitching his small purple wings. Coffee Numas lacked the natural abilities that Candies do. Their females can't fly too well, and the males can't swim too well. They were rather land-bound, unfortunately. Still, Akuji wondered what it was like.

The tingling turned something into a light burning, and Akuji was anxious to open his eyes. "Can I open my eyes again?" He asked.

Happy to be clean again, Akuji opened his eyes happily, although his eyes met with a sight rather shocking. Thal's light blue fur, around her hands, had been turned ghostly white. The entire thing actually, didn't look to bad. "Thalassa," he began, a little hesitant to say her name. It made him feel as if they were close-- it was not a bad feeling, but perhaps he was being a little intrusive. "I think the soap did something to your hands."

It wasn't till after his warning that he himself noticed the white splotches tainting his own fur. "W-wha.." He began, as he sat up. His wet fur, the black and grey parts, at least, had odd cow-like spots of white on them. He paled.

"D-does soap do this sometimes? It goes back, right?" Akuji asked, his blue eyes desperate and worried. If he looked like this, numas would be even more scared of him! Poor Akuji.

Akuji was scared. No, well, terrified really. Not only was his new friend (hmm, he wondered if he could call her that to her face. He blushed at the thought) upset, but both she and him were splotched with that funny thing called "bleach" or whatever. As he witnessed Thalassa's happiness deteriorate, he felt his own happiness dwindle as well. Akuji truly disliked seeing her eyes water in such a fashion.

While most times, when confronted with a she-Numa with tears in her eyes, Akuji would normally freak out and disappear as quickly as possible. Yet, with her, he wanted to make it stop. He wasn't sure how, but he was going to make her stop feeling sad.

"T-there's nothing to forgive," Akuji said, calmly with a smile on his face. Actually, the more he thought about it, there kind of was a reason to forgive... but oh well. "P-please don't worry about it, Thalassa. It's just fur. It'll grow out in time." He said. Well, hoped.

"So, uhm," He looked down at his splotchy fur, still wet with water and a little soap. "Please, please don't be sad. We were having fun." Akuji said quietly, looking up at her shyly from his discolored hair.

As Thal looked as if she was returning back to her normal state of emotion, Akuji relaxed as well. It was still a little bothered that she had shed tears over the accident, but some things couldn't be prevented. The best he could do was make her happy again.

'I'll be very nice and offer to... offer to do something. Gaah...' Akuji thought sadly, trying to think of ways to make her happy again. "We could eat," Akuji agreed with a hungry nod. "I'm still a little wet though," he noted. Then, he smiled at Thal. He got on all four paws and shook furiously, little water droplets splashing on the airbound girl. "Nyaah~ payback!" He said with a childish smile. As long as he didn't look in the mirror, the spots didn't bother him. Perhaps he'll just stay this way, so Thal wouldn't get upset. There were much odder looking Numa around than him... Maybe.

Akuji got up and wiped his paws on the floor mat, as to not get the tile floor dirty. "Well, I'm in the mood for some Cinnamon Gummybears. You?" He asked, looking back at Thal happily.