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"I'm not sure.." Muka said thoughtfully and gazed off, "I've always just assumed it was because they were all older. Gone out into the world and hrmm.." He waved his hand as if to mean 'etcetera'. When questioning the art though, his head bobbled excitedly. "OH YES! Many works of art can be worth quite a bit of ah.. money and prestige to own. Especially if it is painted by a famous artist!"

Finally they came upon the exhibit and he grinned wider to see Needle get so excited. He followed her where she directed him, peering closely at the lines and things she pointed out. He'd never looked at any paintings in the way that she was now dissecting them for him. Her knowledge was impressive and he found himself actually *gasp* learning things!

He found himself drawn to a few of the pieces of animals and then finally stopped to stare at a very simple and pretty ink painting. Muka cooed and beckoned Needle. "This reminds me of you.. hrmm. If that makes sense.." With his shoddy art knowledge, if that was some sort of ugly painting, he'd hate to insult her.

Muka shrugged but giggled to hear the odd phrasing come from the ghoul's mouth. She seemed equally amused but he found it cute. Momentarily the strix pondered how such a random occurence could even be cute and simply came to the conclusion that feelings were more complex than he initially had understood.

Muka almost didn't know what to say when Needle asked what he meant. His quiet wasn't silent as he thrummed with sounds of avian thought. He never considered himself to be eloquent and most things he said as compliments to strangers or friends, he did so because he knew they were flattery and everyone liked being flattered. With Needle it wasn't like that but he never put much thought into why he was saying things.

"Well.."His head turned to her, while his body remained static. "It's delicate and.. simple." Another thoughtful throaty noise accented at the end with a giggle. "Very pretty and not needing to be ah.. flashy for others to know it."

Muka closed his large eyes momentarily and nuzzled Needle back, his hands resting lightly on her waist for the brief embrace. As she broke away and mentioned her sister he felt a tiny twinge of something, guilt possibly, for not having thought to invite Lattice along for the trip.

"Oooh!" He hooted with the barest hint of distress. "I should have thought to invite her! Yes yes.." His head bobbled. "We will come again. It is a big museum. I doubt we would get through it all in a day anyway. I believe on the second floor there are woodcut prints.. which I am to be told are also pressed with ink." It was a testament to the strix's viewing of the girls as seperate women. As time went on the ghouls made different choices and became independent women, despite their closeness. Muka did know there were still those who viewed them only as a pair. Perhaps he needed to think on that more often.. and include Lattice in some of their plans.

"I'm sorry that it slipped my mind to ask her." He rested his hand on her back gently.

"And hopefully there is more time," he giggled, leaned and kissed her on top of the head, and then leaned back, "rather than less." He seemed to have a naturally positive attitude about most things. Even situations which were dire and serious, Muka handled in a manner of pure confidence that it would all work out in the end. This was probably some level of naivete but so far had always worked out for him. It also helped spur him on while others may lose heart.

"How is she doing?" They did move on to the next room. It was also part of the exhibit but the pieces were now EXTRA large. Huge pieces covered entire walls and the ceiling even hung with antique paper lanterns, all ornately painted, and just out of reach for any grasping hands. "She and I had tea.." he giggled. "And she tried to teach me a game but.. hee.. I don't think I quite grasped it."

"Yes that's it!" he giggled. "Koi koi! Lots of symbols and pictures of birds and flowers.." he snickered again. "It was nice to sit with her, regardless. I'm glad Petro is good company to her are they ahhh.." He grinned more. "An.. err.. item?" He did like juicy ghouly gossip, even if it was a side of him that Needle didn't see very often.

The strix twisted his head around again to peer up at the lanterns. There were cobwebs woven between them and the strix wasn't sure if that was deliberate or natural, but found the silken strands glistened and glowed softly in the pale lights in romantic manner. He once again slid his arm around Needle's waist and gave her a squeeze. "Was it a holiday .. or festival?" he didn't know about a lot of the festivals until he'd come to Amity and looked forward to more before all of their time in school ended.

The strix's voice chirped up suddenly, in a rare moment of an attempted whisper, "If there's ever anything you'd like to do or ahh.. hrm.. see." In case she couldn't again, or wouldn't again, "Please tell me and I will make it happen!"

Muka was also thrilled to the news about Petro and Lattice. He was definitely rooting for them, though he didn't consciously think on it much. Of course while Needle thought of double dates, the strix imagined he was gaining two more people he could attempt to dress. Would Petro wear anything but loincloths? Could he get him some couture loincloths? There was a designer who specialized in more tribal-

And then Needle snapped him back to reality with her story of home. He was getting better at that! "I've never met anyone who's FEAR.. eheh.. faded. My grandfather is still alive and my father is always complaining.." He giggled. He imagined that ghosts could be even more long lived.

They had finally moved into the final room of the exhibit and even the strix, who was not prone to emoting much of anything, had to pause and absorb the scene. The lights were slightly dimmed and every single piece was lit golden. They were sculptures all made of paper, all the accents and details done in simple black ink. Muka noted that it had been called an 'installation' and was more one large work, than many small ones.

The figures were carved into whirling shapes of spirits and monsters and drifting skulls in smoke, all intricately cut. They encircled the room, hanging like spectres from invisble strings that the dim lights aided in remaining unseen. They all spun towards an elaborately large vortex that hung over their heads in the center of the room.

Muka and Needle stood with a small group of people in the center of the room, almost everyone silent except for murmurs of how nice something looked or how 'cool' some school kids thought it was. Muka grinned away from the work to look at Needle though. He let her take it in but stared at her face and continued to smile.

"Wherever you... hrm.. want to go. Perhaps maybe we could see the old Town Hall. You know.. from Jack's time! I've never gone..." Usually young kids went there but Muka had been homeschooled up until Amity. "And definitely my house.. my room.." He giggled a little too much but did soften a bit. "Anywhere you want to go."

Muka grinned at his ghoulfriend and squeezed her waist as she suggested his room. They'd reached the end of the special show now and after they'd taken their visual fill of the display they ended up back in the main hall of the museum.

"My home isn't exactly local. But you know next month will be the valentine party." He leaned in to kiss her cheek and whisper, "I will show you my room then." The owl promised with a teasing hiss.

Muka had a gift for her burning a hole in his pocket but their day was still young. "We can visit the sights.. and if you are interested..." She got another squeeze. "One of my father's hotels is nearby and we can enjoy a room for the day?"