Talk:Manticore/@comment-7811107-20160307074555/@comment-27069434-20160309233730

I believe they usually have their tails facing to the rear, thus the spines are actually facing forward. The way these spines are arranged on the tail sets them in a rough cone, thus allowing them to be fired off all around the manticore's body without actually hitting her while still flying towards the frontal hemisphere of the beast, allowing 'snapshots' even on the move.

The method of propulsion is most likely a certain kind of muscular spasm, since the tail tip is pretty much a conglomerate of muscles designed to 'milk' human manhood, so there could be other muscles (the outer layer) to launch the spines. Or the manticores use the same muscles they milk the male genitalia, only the muscle contractions are performed in a pattern differing from that used during an intercourse. The profile even outright states they can retract the spines, stus it means their propelling muscles must be quite well-developed and capable of 'fine manipulations', perhaps even adjusting the angle at which the spine protrudes from the flesh and|or is launched. Read the Warhammer 40000 fluff on Tyranid bioweapons - most of them shoot acid, chitinous spines or frenzied beetles via muscle spasms of the (living) weapon biomorph.

As to the possibility of being impaled with extreme prejudice and insufficient precaution during an early assault, doesn't the profile say she usually handles the human partner (as in 'her new living sex-toy') in a hand-to-hand combat stabbing him with the spines without shooting them off, and generally uses the ranged attack on hostiles and (somewhat vague description in need of more detail) prey. Since the still-embedded spines don't protrude that much from the tail and she's pretty agile herself there is no more risk of being accidentally injured by her during 'foreplay' than if you were cooking in the kitchen - there are dangerous pointed objects, too, like knives and, more importantly, forks, after all.