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I don't mind.

[He brushes some stray feather bits out of the comb and tucks it into the elastic of his ponytail, freeing his hands so he can climb around and into their lap. Both hands lift to coax them down to his level, and he'll begin to repeat the process, though with more delicacy and care with where he's touching, not wanting to accidentally poke fingers into tender facial features. His brows are furrowed, deeply focused and back in work-mode. If he were any more cliched he would have his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth.]

No wonder you're itchy. All those feathers right up in your face must feel really frustrating. You're way more patient with it than I would be!

[They've been dealing with this for as long as they have and kept quiet about it... he'd be rubbing his face against tree bark by now.]

[Well! There he goes! This little feral child crawling right into their lap and getting straight to it!

Having him so close to their face, Rue sucks in a sharp breath and does their very best to go completely still as his fingers work through their feathers, not wanting to twitch or squirm and make this more difficult than it already must be.

But to be truthful, Casey looks like he may be enjoying himself like this, all focused on the work ahead of him, brow cutely furrowed in concentration. And the feel of his hands fluttering over their face, of working their feathers free and gently brushing away the dust off of them, it feels so nice to such a touch starved owlbear.

It takes all they have not to coo again right in his face this time.]

It has been a lot. And what a joke of nature to make my own paws so inefficient at clearing it all away. It seems so strange, but I suppose other owlbears rely on one another for this. For all that I think of my enlightenment as a gift, I sometimes forget that I am the strange one among my kin, separated from my own kind and so totally on my own. Owlbears do not normally set off alone, they stay in pairs.

[Up close they can make this so much harder purely by making funny faces at each other-

Casey plucks away at a few of the caps around their beak as they finish speaking, mindful of unintentionally getting pecked by being in their way. He smoothes the freed feathers down as one might brush down a beard, and with the rest of their face still scrungly, it looks a bit funny. He grins, helplessly.]

Well, I might not be an owlbear, but I am part of your... pack? Clan? Whatever it's called for owlbears. So it makes sense that one of us can do this for you instead.

[The concept of being titled as 'son' still sort of looms on his mental peripheral, yet to be re-addressed, but he'd very much accepted the idea of being family, which is more nebulous and less of a direct commitment. Whether it's a pack or some other name, he's happy to be a part of that.]

Mm, I suppose that it does. And I am grateful for it. It would have taken me at least another week to clean myself up enough to leave the house. And even then, I would have been too fearful of any I'd missed on the back of my head. Having my own, ah, parliament, perhaps? Or maybe it is a sloth? Truth be told, I do not know the term! Either way, having my own kin nearby and so willing to help means a great deal to me.

[But he's right, of course. It is a little too close to that incredibly sensitive subject, so Rue is grateful for a complete change of direction.

Instead, their huge eyes narrow teasingly at the sight of Casey's wide grin.]

What? What is it? Are you trying not to laugh at how silly I look?

N-no.

[Yes. Maybe. He's fighting back a laugh, the situation made more absurd and therefore funnier because of Rue drawing attention to it. He politely smooths the feathers out, setting them into their proper place, then - impulsively - brushes the tips upwards instead. A feathered moustache-

Okay now he loses the battle and ducks his head, trying to muffle his chuckling. It's so stupid, but he can't help finding it funny.]

Am I being made fun of in my own home?

[But Casey is losing it in front of them, his skinny shoulders shaking with the force of how he is trying to hold back his laughter, and Rue can't help but begin to giggle along with him. But! They will not back down!]

Tell me just what is so funny, Casey!

[A set of talons gently tickles at his side, hoping to get him laughing in earnest.]

[Yeah, he's gone. He's not hugely ticklish, but between him already fighting the giggles, and Rue's dexterous talons sneaking about and creating a sensation very different from turtle fingers, his hand comes away from his mouth to try and fend them off, meaning he can no longer hide his open laughter.]

No! N-no way! You'll never break me...!

Ha! Maybe I already have!

[Time to double down on their tickling, though for every laugh Rue manages to drag out of Casey, they are easily matching it themself.]

Surrender or I will have to take extreme measures!

[He writhes and wrestles, indecisively switching between trying to push their paws back and trying to retaliate and tickle them in turn. The fur and feathers make it difficult to do the latter, though, and they clearly have the advantage. Still, he's not deterred.]

Take them! I'm not afraid! I'm- [laughing, he's laughing, he can't talk anymore.]

[Immediately, without any warning, the tickling suddenly stops.

But only so that Rue can pluck up a mossy-green stray feather that had fallen on the couch beside them. They brandish it like a weapon in front of Casey's face.]

Prepare to meet your doom, young one.

[And then they attack! His neck and face gently tickled by owlbear feather! Take that!]

[Oh thank goodness, he can breathe agaiNO OH NO THAT'S WORSE-

He's trying to tuck his head between his shoulders to protect his neck, but that just makes his face more vulnerable. (You're not a turtle, Casey Jones, necks don't work like that.) You'd think a feather would be easy to fend off, but he can't seem to stop squirming.]

Okay, okay! Okay! I surrender! I'll tell you!

[The rare "Casey is crying and it's not because of trauma" has emerged. He's laughing too hard.]

[The very second that he surrenders, Rue drops the feather and throws their wings around him instead, nearly panting after laughing so hard. It's just the same for them, the touch of tears in their eyes from how absolutely ridiculous all of that was. But Rue's whole expression is positively shining with happiness, so much so that it makes the scrungliness of their facial pin feathers not look quite so terrible.

Mostly.]

Oh Casey - I do not think I have ever laughed so hard in my life. Truth be told, I hardly remember what I asked you to say in the first place!

[Casey flops against them, fully leaning into the embrace, and for a long moment just huffs and puffs as he tries to catch his breath again, shoulders shaking from little lingering chuckles. What had they asked him again...

He finally lifts his head to look at them, and- ah. He remembers now. Another couple of seconds to compose himself, inhale, exhale, and no more giggles. He focuses on them with the most serious expression he can muster, very calm, like he's about to share something very important.

And then he has the nerve to say,]

I'll tell you. But first... I moustache you a question.

[The poker face on this kid right now. Off the charts. 10/10.]

[Casey may be able to steel his expression like the pro he is, but the terrible pun falls from his lips and Rue dissolves into immediate laughter, squeezing the boy closer to them as their whole body just trembles from the force of their giggling.

It's going to be awhile at this point. Rue will likely end up giddy and giggling all night long, overwhelmed with fondness for how fun Casey has turned this sullen afternoon.

And now you bring such lazy wordplay into my home! I can hardly believe it. Do not make me get the feather again! I will show no mercy this time.

If you use that feather again I'm gonna eat it.

[IS HE JOKING? IS HE SERIOUS? He's still got the poker face up. ...But then it cracks, and he chuckles again, leaning in to rest his head against them, arms out to hug them back.]

It's nice to see you laughing. [What a stark difference from when he'd first arrived. He's so pleased, for both of them.]

[Young man-!!!

But just as swiftly as the threat (?) falls from his mouth, Casey is collapsing into their arms, resting fully in their embrace, and Rue can not help with wrap him up even tighter, feathery head bumping affectionately against his.]

And you as well. You have such an infectious laugh. It brings me to giggles anytime that I hear it. You're such a menace.

[But Rue says the word like it's a true compliment, like Casey being a terror is the most endearing trait of his. There is no doubt that Rue loves it about him.]

[He just grins up at them again.]

I learned from the best.

[And it... doesn't hurt to say, the way it otherwise might. His heart is so full and joyful that the ache is just a pleasant aftermath. Sensei liked it when he laughed, too, and he's happy for the opportunity to do so again. They deserve this, don't they? Yeah.]

[Rue can assume just who Casey means.]

You certainly did.

[Because Leo's laugh also has a special place in their heart.

Casey grins up at them, looking so youthful and happy, as if for this one moment in time he is completely unburdened and free. Rue presses a quick peck of a kiss to his forehead before finally releasing him, a few more giggles slipping from their beak.]

I was so ready to write this day off and look how it has turned around.

[A correct assumption, albeit one sideways. Leo laughs differently from sensei, but he can see the origins of it. His own laugh just now was a lot closer to the former's than the latter's. Funny how life ends up.

Once freed, he readjusts his position back to where he'd been before, reaching up to smooth down the 'mustache' finally and get back to loosening the rest of the feathers.]

You've done that for me before. It feels good to turn it around and do the same for you.

As I would do again for you. Anytime.

[Sometimes the only cure for a terrible day is a reliable friend kicking in the door and bringing some levity and tender wisdom along. Rue is not too proud to admit that even they need the help at times.]

Oh! Darling, I fear my tickling attack may have messed up your hair. Here.

[It comes so naturally to stretch their neck out and gently preen Casey, using their beak to reposition and smooth his hair back into place.]

[The gentle brushing of Rue's beak through his hair has its own surprising, slightly ticklish aspect, but after a moment he adjusts to the sensation, and it actually feels quite nice. Cue the two of them fussing over each other. Who knew communal grooming could be so satisfying?]

Do you know how to style hair?

[Well, Rue can hardly stop now! Hair, it turns out, isn't quite as easy to adjust and fluff as feathers are, so they may be at this for awhile!

Though the owlbear is polite enough to not talk with their beak full, pulling away only enough to peer down warmly at the boy.]

I must confess, I do not have much actual practice in the styling of hair without magic, though I have watched enough online videos that I feel like an expert.

[Sorry, Rue, he's chatty now. You have activated him.]

Whoa, there's videos for that sort of thing? And you can do hair with magic too?

[He so needs to check that later. (The videos, not the magic, obviously. Can't do that one.) There's still so much he wants to learn, so much he wants to try. A whole world of aesthetics begging to be explored, and here he is with the hair on which to experiment. …Actually.]

You can practice on mine if you want.

[Chatty is always fine with Rue. They thrive off of social activity.

Rue stretches forward preen the teen's hair a little more, adjusting his bangs, smoothing the hair at the top of his head down and into place.]

Oh dearest, you can use magic for just about anything. Back in the Feywild, it would be quite normal to conjure meals, to apply makeup, to levitate anything that you might need to carry, all through magic alone.

[A paw reaches up to pat down one wild lock, talons petting over Casey's hair with all of the tender affection they hold for his teen.]

I'll have to show you the videos later. And truly? I would not mind playing with your hair. Especially after you have so taken care of my feathers.

[He listens, fascinated as ever about magic and mysticism. Changing appearance and levitating is not new to him, but conjuring meals immediately has his eyes wide with wonder. If mystic powers were capable of doing something like that, the resistance would have been in far less dire straits for... pretty much his whole life. Though Uncle Tello's speed-growth science had at least an adjacent effect. What does magic food taste like, anyway...?]

Maybe I can stay for a bit, after I finish? I'd like to see the videos...

[And maybe get his hair played with more. If Rue wants. He's not going to try and push as he doesn't want to impose... still, Rue seems to want company, so it doesn't feel like a burden to make the offer.]

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