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"Ah.." he thrummed, still unsure, but with her reassurances Muka ended up eventually nodding with a bobble and a coo. "Alright.. I will try my best."

There was still a slight knot, a strange thing he knew that was nervousness and almost fear. When he'd been little and learning to fly he always had felt it, right before he leapt off the furniture, then trees, then the roof. Sometimes he crashed to the ground but it had also been thrilling. At the same time it wasn't his own body on the line now, it was a dear friend and a lovely ghoul who he didn't want to mar for Prom.

Yep. Still worried about prom appearances.

In an effort to ebb his worry he leaned in again to kiss her, his lips once more parted. He tried to duplicate what she'd done, shorter kisses and longer ones, but he lacked a bit of sensuality that she seemed to have. It was most definitely a direct result of his inexperience with lips in general. He knew immediately that he wasn't as good as she was but there was a purpose in this particular embrace and he needed to swallow his smattering of worry and do his friend the return kindness.

Instead of going all-teeth-all-out, Muka's lips pulled Needle's bottom one first. He plucked it between his own, a gentle suction tugging it lightly. He tested, in serious concentrated effort to do this safely.

He was so focused on not hurting the ghost that his eyes were wide open and staring at her face.

With the lip tug a success, the strix bared his teeth slowly. Ignoring the thrill that the fear brought along with it, he gently plucked her lip between them. He tried to be gentle, a tiny nibble, the barest of pressure. Muka was thrilled with his initial success! So much so that he may have nibbled a little too hard right before he released her and the ghostly flesh split, the barest wound really.

It was enough to make him gasp and pull away, shock and apology wiping over the tiny thrill he'd gotten when her lip split. Again, this was his animal side and he felt it had no place in this experiment. He was a gentlemonster!

"Oh Needle I am sorry!" His pulling away also got him jabbed by a needle. Not hard, but a bit.

Now she was apologizing too and their embrace was broken. They were still close, unavoidable since he still held her waist but the musty Halloween breeze passed between their chests now, a gap formed.

"It's alright.." He giggled. "Just a poke. No worse than a branch or a thorn. I'm sorry I bit you.." His gold gaze drifted to her bleeding lip.

Blood.

He stared. He was no vampire but he was a predator. Muka had good self control only because he was with a ghoul. If she had been a wounded animal the result would be different. He licked his lips a bit but pulled his eyes back upwards. "Is it alright? I don't seem to be as good as you.. Did you feel anything different that time?"

Muka was actually amazed and the tiny gap between them was closed again when he impulsive leaned in to peer at her perfectly intact lip. "OH! Wow! That is amazing.. how fast does that happen? How bad can you be wounded?"

Was it obvious yet that he didn't know much about ghosts? he didn't even know much about his own species. He probably knew more about demons than anything. His curious questions were spouted as he thought of them and despite the lack of intimate conversation, he still held her close. It was just comfortable.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." His head bobbled. "I was worried.." he giggled a bit foolishly. "I think I was worried more about hurting you. I didn't even close my eyes!" Another giggle. "I feel better now. Knowing you would be fine if that happened.." The uneasy knot in his stomach, worry he'd decided, had quickly disappeared as her wound healed.

Muka tilted his head a breeze that came by but then sunk back towards the embrace, careful of her arms. "I wouldn't mind, again." He paused and then smiled widely again, teeth once more dangerously close to her face. "I like this part the best." He squeezed her waist a bit.

Muka truly wondered what she had in mind when she spoke of testing it out. That would be very interesting! Perhaps he should ask her more about being a ghost? He enjoyed learning new things about other species and races. The prospect of eye-removal, though fine for others perhaps, sounded terrible to have done to you. He wouldn't know what to do without his eyes!

The bird-boil was distracted though, easily, by the tuck of her head under his chin. He grinned and nuzzled back, enjoying the contrasting temperatures, the different scents and tastes on the air between the two of them. There was a restrained energy that he found invigorating.

"I don't either.." Muka giggled. "I see some scarelings very touchy with their families but we are not like that." He didn't sound sad, just stating a fact. "It makes it nicer I think.." The strix focused on her face again when she was back in front of him. "It's nicer when we get it, hmm? Because we don't have it all the time?"

The strix had nothing else to input into the conversation currently. He was enjoying the quiet moment, head tilted a bit down with sleepy looking eyes as she playing with his hair. Apparently it was a bit of a weakness for him. Muka also felt mildly curious about other parts of Needle than her waist but his curiousity only extended as far as touching her skin. He ran a taloned hand over her shoulder and upper arm, just wondering a bit what it felt like. He did his best not to scrape her with his talons.

"Oh.. wait.." Muka giggled, his whole body rattling. "I have something better for you." The strix carefully dislodged from her waist and broke their quiet moment. He scooted backwards and with that familiar sickening sound, he was back in his natural form. His feral voice chuckled and the massive owl-man now slid back to where he had been previously.

With a spread of massive wings and he beckoned her to hug him again.

Muka hunkered down so he was as far into her arm reash as possible. His body was thick and muscular but he very much has a chest and waist. The strix knew she was afraid of hurting him with her arms but he felt tougher in this form. "You can try.." He encouraged her, clawed wings making another hig motion. "I am heartier like this and have thick feathers." There was a giggle. "Just don't squeeze!"

Think of it like.. acupuncture!

Muka's wings them closed around Needle, keeping her in a soft feathery cocoon, held against his trembling body. Letting her use her arms was just another experiment. He knew she wouldnt hurt him but he was curious how much of it he could take.

Muka shifted and tried to puff himself out a bit. Her needles, through sharp, did nestle into his short body feathers but it almost served like a cushion. He could feel their poke but Needle was being careful and though sharp, they certainly weren't as hazardous as some nature he'd encountered. Thankfully his fluff was pliable and her sensitive arms would find the places between needles, usually never touched, caressed by his downy body.

"Not too bad.." He chuckled, reverberating, large head dipping to nuzzled against her head. For some reason he was less afraid to nuzzle with his face, he felt less frightening, in this form. Perhaps the beak was like a security blanket.