hi hello!! this is a tickle fic for The Amazing Digital Circus! it's a little short compared to what I usually write but I wanted to write something for TKTober this year. this is also kind of a ship fic for Gangle and Zooble, so Abstragedy-haters can skip this one heehee- enjoy!!!
this is a fic requested by @thornoisdono!! thank you so much for the request!! <3333
this is for TKTober using the prompt list by @mammillariatasay
Drawn Together
Words: 1,893
Pairing: Ler!Zooble, Lee!Gangle
Warnings: Jax is there briefly lmao
Prompt: "Are you ticklish?"
Zooble's room looked like an earthquake had hit a junkyard. Scattered around the room were limbs, spare panels, and mismatched joints, strewn across the floor in colorful heaps. Perched on the edge of their bed, they clicked a new arm into place with a satisfying snap, flexing the fingers experimentally while side-eyeing Gangle, who sat cross-ribboned on the rug with a sketchbook balanced in her lap. Pencils scratched nervously across the page as Gangle tried to capture the image in her mind onto the page in looping lines. Her comedy mask lay against the wall, a piece of the corner chipped off from Caine's latest adventure. Spooked, Gangle insisted she take it off until it can be replaced, not wanting to risk further damage.
Neither of them really minded the silence; Zooble was content tinkering, and Gangle, for all her trembling hesitation, was glad to have someone who didn't think her drawings were a waste of time. Despite their differences, they had formed a unique bond with each other and found solace in each other's company.
"What do you think of this one?" Zooble asked, holding up their new arm for Gangle to see. It was a plain-looking design with spiraling lines of purple and yellow running along the surface.
Gangle looked up from the page and examined it. "I think it'd go look with that leg over there," she said, pointing a ribbon over to a pink leg across the room with yellow polka dots.
Looking over at the limb in question, Zooble nodded and gazed back down at the arm. With a sigh, they took it back off, tossing it back into the bin. "What are you drawing? Are you working on that manga you told me about? I'm kind of stoked to see what Himari's gonna do next."
With her tearful smile, Gangle looked back up at Zooble. "You remembered her name," she said, touched that someone put the effort into considering her art in a serious light. Her eyes glistened with a mixture of surprise and delight.
Zooble shrugged. "'Course I did, Gangle." They chuckled as they remembered something they had read in the last installment. "I really liked it when she told Yuto what for. Totally badass. Honestly, what was that idiot thinking?"
Gangle's smile widened as she looked up at her friend, holding her sketchbook close. "Yeah, he's not bright," she admitted. "I'm glad you like it so far, Zooble."
"Hey, what's not to like? Ignore what Jax said, because slice-of-life is a perfectly legitimate genre." Zooble wasn't really capable of smiling since they had no mouth, but their eyes showed that their words were genuine and heartfelt.
The artist on the floor sniffled. "You're too nice to me," she said.
Zooble scoffed. "Yeah, well, I'm not gonna go to jail for being nice to someone who deserves it." They reached into the toy box to try on another arm, pulling out a wobbly one with a rounded end. "Eugh. This one's weird. I thought I threw this one in the garbage."
"You threw it at Jax," Gangle recalled.
They shrugged again. "Like I said." Zooble tossed it into the closet and dug back into the box. "So, what's Himari up to this time? Or, do you not want to spoil it?"
Gangle pressed the sketchbook close to her again. "Well, I have ideas for the next part, but I'm working on something else at the moment."
Zooble raised an eyebrow but didn't inquire further. Silence hung in the room for a while, only interrupted by the occasional snap of a piece into and back out of Zooble's shoulder socket and the shy scratches of Gangle's pencil on the page.
Eventually, Zooble pulled out an arm that intrigued them. It had a light blue coloration and looked sturdier than the others. With a snap, they attached it and flexed the fingers at the end. "Huh. This one's got an extra finger. That's odd."
Gangle didn't look up from the page, nor did she say a word in response.
Noticing the awkward silence, Zooble glanced back down at their friend. "Gangle? You alright?"
Once more, if the ribbon-girl heard them, she did nothing to confirm it to Zooble.
"Hey, Gangle?" Worried, Zooble reached out and gave Gangle a gentle poke to a ribbon on her side. With a yelp, Gangle jumped about a meter off the ground in typical cartoon fashion, sending the sketchbook flying across the room to land in a heap next to her comedy mask.
"YES! Yes, I'm here!" Gangle snapped her head around to look at her friend, whose eyes were wide with concern. "Sorry, I got a little too focused-!"
Zooble nodded, raising their hands slightly. "Easy. It's okay, I was only wanting to ask about the arm. I'm sorry I startled you, but... what was that?"
Gangle rubbed the side-ribbon, as if to make a sensation go away. "You just... startled me, is all!" With a nervous laugh, she avoided Zooble's gaze.
Zooble raised their eyebrow again, but then squinted. "Wait. Are you ticklish?"
Squeaking, Gangle visibly tensed, stammering out, "T-that'd be pretty silly, w-wouldn't it! I'm j-just made of ribbons, so I don't think that's p-possible-!" As she spoke, she started crawling across the floor to get her sketchbook back. "Anyways, about the manga-"
"No, no. Just hold on a second. C'mere, you." Zooble reached out and picked up the near-weightless ribbon-girl and sat her on the bed next to them. "Let me try something." Zooble reached their hand out.
"Really, I d-don't think you'd- EEEP-!" Gangle jumped again as her side was poked, but this time she couldn't say she was startled. With an experimental scribble that made Gangle squeal again, it was confirmed.
"Yeah, you're ticklish alright. Funny, I guess that makes sense," Zooble spoke as they continued scribbling. "We can feel pain, after all, and since ticklishness is activating the same nerves, this checks out."
"Wahahahait! J-juhuhuhuhust... h-hahahang ohohohon!!" Gangle squeaked and squirmed in Zooble's grasp, trying to weasel her way out of her tickles. To Zooble's surprise, Gangle's tragedy mask was beginning to turn a different color.
"Woah, that's new." Zooble traced a finger against her mask. "You're turning pink. There's no way you're..."
"Q-Quihihihit ihIhihit! Z-Zoohoohooble!!" Gangle shot her arms up to cover her face, which was beginning to turn a bright shade of pink.
Zooble chuckled in surprise. "I can't believe it, you're blushing! That's wild, I didn't know you could do that! Look, your face is heating up!" Zooble slid their fingers along Gangle's ribbons, wrapping their hand around to get Gangle's other side and scribbling up and down along the surface.
"D-Dohohoho youhuhu hahave tohohoho brihihihing attehehehention tohohoho ihihihit!" Gangle squealed and wriggled about on the bed.
"Well, yeah." Zooble's voice gave away the fact that they were smiling cheekily. They pulled the ribbon-girl closer, pinching experimentally, which gave them a pleasing result.
"WahahAHAHAHAIT-!" Gangle squealed, kicking her legs as she shot her hands down to attempt to push Zooble's away, to no avail.
Zooble giggled along with her. "Man, you're really ticklish. This is amazing," they brought their fingers upward, pinching with one hand and scribbling with the other. "Guess this hand is pretty nifty, right? The extra finger sure is useful."
"IHIHIT- IHIHIT IHIHISN'T!!!" Gangle laughed out heartily, letting tears of mirth slide down her tragedy mask.
"Oh, it isn't? But it's so good at scribbling, especially right-"
"NOHOHNONONO PLEHEHEHEHEEASEE!!" Gangle shrieked as Zooble scribbled some fingers on her neck. "NOHOHOT THEHEHERE, FOHOHOR THEHEE LOHOHOVE OHOHOF-"
"Jeez! You can get pretty loud if you'd like to. This must be your worst spot, right?" Zooble spoke in a nonchalant and casual tone as they explored, which drove Gangle up the walls. "You sure you wouldn't mind if I just hung around here for a bit?"
"IHIHHI MIHIHIHIND!! ZOOHOOHOOBLEEHEEHEEHEE!!" Gangle's squeals rang in Zooble's ears, but they didn't mind. It was really refreshing to hear Gangle like this.
Gradually, Zooble slowed down their fingers until they were just grazing the smooth surface of Gangle's ribbons. Gangle's frantic squeaking and squealing softened to a light giggling as the sensation lingered.
"You're pretty ticklish, Ribbons. I didn't go too hard on you, did I?" Zooble asked.
Gangle shook her head shyly. "N-no, it was... not bad."
Zooble chuckled and hugged their ribbon friend close. "I could tell you were enjoying it. I'm glad you were having fun." They sighed contentedly, then added, "Your laughter is beautiful. It's... carefree in a way you very rarely express. It's so earnest. I really liked listening to it."
They could feel Gangle's face heat up as she pressed herself closer. "I can't remember the last time I could laugh like that... It felt amazing. Thank you, Zooble."
"No problem. It was a lot of fun for me, too."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Pomni's voice drifted through shyly. "Hey, Zooble? Are you alright in there?"
"We heard someone yelling," Ragatha's voice, "and we wanted to make sure you were doing okay."
"And I, simply wanting to do my part, came to make sure you weren't doing okay!"
Zooble rolled their eyes at Jax's quip. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just hanging out with Gangle. She said something pretty funny, so that laughing you heard was just me. Sorry."
"Oh~! So you and Gangle have been... hanging out~?" Jax's head pressed against the door teasingly. "Should we leave you two alone together~?"
"Shut the [BLOINK!] up, Jax! Buzz off!" Zooble wanted to throw something at him, but that would have meant loosening her hold on Gangle, so they swallowed their anger and stayed where they were.
With a snicker, Jax went, "C'mon, ladies, let's go make sure Kinger didn't destroy that Jenga tower while we were gone." Unhurriedly, the three pairs of footsteps faded from earshot.
Gangle peeked at Zooble. "Do... you promise not to tell him about this?"
"What, about your ticklishness? Yeah, no way in hell am I telling him about that. I don't even want to think about how he'd react. Don't worry, you're safe with me," Zooble reassured her, rubbing the ribbons along Gangle's back gently.
Gangle let that last sentence hang in her mind for a bit before sniffling again as a tear fell from her cheek. "Thank you for everything," she said softly.
"No worries. You deserve to have someone looking out for you."
They stayed like that for a while, but eventually, Gangle pulled away and walked across the room, picking up her sketchbook that she had thrown before. She sat back down on the bed next to Zooble, opening it to the page she had been working on earlier. Zooble's eyes widened.
Both of the pages in the open book comprised one piece. On the pages was a beautiful sketch of Gangle and Zooble sitting together on the grass under a night sky, their friends enjoying a picnic in the background as countless bright stars shone down. A smiling Moon hung above, and Zooble was pointing to a shooting star. Gangle was resting a hand on Zooble's. They looked so happy together.
It was Zooble's turn to blush. "It's... That's so pretty, Gangle," they breathed.
"You mean it?" Gangle asked. "You really like it?"
Zooble held Gangle's hand tightly and smiled with their eyes down at the ribbon-girl beside them. "It's my favorite."
AHHHH you scared me yes yes howdy there!! this is another tickle fic for TADC with some more abstragedy heehee-
this is a fic requested by @grayishgiggles!! thank you so much for the request <3333
this is for TKTober using the prompt list by @mammillariatasay
Unraveled
Words: 1,538
Pairing: Ler!Zooble, Lee!Gangle
Warnings: Jax is there briefly again im so sorry
Prompt: Cheer Up
The gang stumbled back into the circus, looking like survivors of a shipwreck. Caine's latest "adventure" had been a grueling obstacle course involving screaming playing cards, a tyrannical rubber duck, and an altogether uncooperative volcano coughing up confetti.
Ragatha tried to rally everyone with a chipper, "Great job, team! We... survived!" but her voice cracked halfway through. Pomni was clutching her shellshocked head like she had seen the face of Cthulu's acne-covered son eat a bowl of preschoolers. Kinger bolted for his pillow fort with his usual frantic energy.
Amidst the tension, predictably, Jax pounced.
"Whew, long day," he drawled, stretching his arms behind his head. His eyes flicked toward Gangle, and that sly grin spread. "But hey, at least we have our gift wrap intact. Mostly."
He flicked one of her ribbons, and Gangle squeaked, stumbling backward. Her mask tilted awkwardly, betraying her nerves. "H-hey! Don't-"
Jax snickered. "Careful, you'll unravel. Oh, wait, you always do."
Gangle's ribbons shivered with flustered energy. She made a halfhearted attempt to recollect herself, squeaking, "I-It's fine, I'm fine-"
"Jax," Zooble snapped. Their voice carried an edge sharp enough to cut glass. They stepped forward, glaring. "[BLOINK!] off."
The grin faltered for half a beat before Jax shrugged. "Whatever. Sheesh. Sensitive much?" He slunk off, clearly satisfied with the reaction.
Zooble turned back to Gangle, who was still fumbling with her ribbons, embarrassed. With a sigh, they gently tugged a ribbon into place for her. "C'mon. You shouldn't have to take that. Let's go."
Gangle blinked at them, somewhat surprised, but nodded quickly. And before she could unravel further under Jax's mockery, Zooble led her away, ribbons trailing nervously behind.
Gangle's room was small, cozy, and lined with bits of fabric she collected, like a nest of ribbons and cloth scraps. It looked softer compared to the chaos of the circus, though the atmosphere was heavy with her anxious energy.
She shuffled inside, mask tilted low. "S-sorry... I, um, I didn't mean to make a scene. I know Jax is just... Jax."
Zooble folded their arms. "Yeah, that's the problem. He knows exactly how to push buttons. Doesn't mean you should just take it."
"I guess," Gangle squeaked, her ribbons twisting as she slightly unraveled. "It's just... easier to not fight back, you know?"
Zooble sighed, watching her fidget. Despite themselves, they felt a tug of something warm. Frustration at Jax, sure, but also... the way Gangle tried so hard to keep herself together.
They stepped closer, tilting their head. "That's not really working out so well for you, though."
Gangle squeaked again, flustered by the closeness, her ribbons tightening around her. "W-well, I-uhm-"
Her mask shifted, betraying her nerves. Zooble noticed with a faint smirk tugging at their non-existent lips. They remembered something from a few nights ago, just how ridiculously ticklish Gangle had been.
A wicked thought crept in.
"Alright," Zooble said casually. "You clearly need cheering up. And I know just the thing."
Gangle's mask shot up, eyes wide. "N-no, you wouldn't-!"
"Oh, I absolutely would." Zooble grinned. They leaned down, their lobster claw twitching just enough to make her squeak. "Cheer-up therapy. Doctor's orders."
Gangle squealed before they even touched her, ribbons flailing as she tried to curl herself up like a cocoon. "Zooble! D-don't-!"
But Zooble only poked one ribbon near her midsection.
Gangle instantly squeaked like a helium balloon let loose, her laughter bursting out in squeals. "EeEEeeheehehe! N-nooo! Z-Zooble!!"
Zooble barked out a laugh. "Oh my god, you sound like a squeaky toy."
Her mask flushed pink at that, and she wiggled dramatically, unraveling instead of pulling away. "Sh-shuuhuhuhut uuuuup! EeeEEeeeheehee!"
"Not my fault you're squeaky," Zooble teased, fingers and claw tapping along her midsection ribbons. "What, you expect me just to ignore your tickle spots? Get less ticklish."
Gangle squealed higher, her pitch climbing until it cracked. "I c-caahaAn't! Ahahahaaaha!"
She wriggled and twisted, ribbons slipping through Zooble's arms as though she was trying to unravel right out of their grip. But she wasn't going anywhere; Zooble had caught her again, pinning her gently against the fabric wall.
"Slipping out, huh?" Zooble teased, grinning down at her. "Nice try, ribbons."
Her mask was tilted back in helpless laughter, ribbons flailing without aim. She wasn't fighting to escape... she was inviting them to continue.
And Zooble... definitely noticed.
Zooble leaned into the role mercilessly. Their claw wiggled against her midsection, sending Gangle into pitchy, squealing hysterics. "EeeeEEeeheehehe! NohoHOhohohohoo! StohHohoHooop!!"
"See, you say 'stop'," Zooble taunted, "but you're unraveling all over the place. Can't fool me, Gangle."
Her ribbons were everywhere now, twitching and curling. She squeaked again, eyes squeezing shut under her mask. "Y-youhuhu're soho meeeheheeEEHEHEEeeheheheean!!"
"Mean? Me?" Zooble tsked mockingly, shifting to wiggle their regular hand along her side ribbons. "I'm the nicest person here. Look at me, giving you the gift of laughter."
The squeals turned to snorts, then back into squeaks. Gangle's laughter pitched so high it almost broke the air. Zooble had to bite back their own laugh at how ridiculous and adorable she sounded.
"Seriously, you're gonna break the sound barrier," Zooble teased.
"ZoohhooOOBLLLE!! Eeeeeeheehheheeehe!"
Her unraveling hit a point where one ribbon slipped free entirely, flopping onto Zooble's shoulder. Instead of recoiling, Gangle buried her mask against their chest with an embarrassed squeal.
Zooble froze for half a second, heat prickling at their neck. The contact was sudden, intimate. For a flicker of a moment, they felt her mask vibrate with her helpless giggles, soft and warm against them.
They recovered quickly, smirking. "Oh? Hiding now? That's not gonna save you."
And with that, they let the lobster claw clamp gently on the ribbon where her ribs would be, giving rapid little wiggling squeezes.
Gangle screamed, a squeaky, squealing sound that cracked halfway into a giggle-snort. She unraveled wildly, ribbons flying everywhere. "EEEEeeeEEeeheheehhee!! N-nhOOHoHoHOO! NoHOot theeHEHehERE!!"
"Bingo," Zooble teased, relentless. "Gotcha."
Her laughter was pure chaos, squeals tumbling over squeaks until she flopped limp against them, mask glowing pink.
Zooble, sensing victory, let their claw slow. Their other hand idly brushed along the back of Gangle's mask.
The change was stark.
Gangle gasped, then melted, almost literally. Her ribbons went limp, puddling against Zooble's chest as if every non-existent bone had left her body. Her laughter softened into helpless giggles and squeaky hiccups. "Eeeheheee... heehehhee!! Nohohooohoo..."
Zooble blinked. "Wow. Melting's new."
"D-dohohohohon't-!" Gangle squeaked, but it came out faint, muffled against their chest.
Zooble smirked, brushing again at the back of her mask. "Unbelievable. You're just a puddle now."
Her ribbons coiled weakly around their arm, not resisting, only clinging. She giggled helplessly, trying to hide. "S-shuhhhuuuhhup…"
Zooble's expression softened. They gave her mask a gentle stroke, alternating between playful pokes and soothing rubs. "You really are something, Gangle. Cute, squeaky, and floppy all in one."
Her mask tilted low again, embarrassed. "Y-youhuhu're teeheeheeasing..."
"Of course I am." Zooble chuckled, lowering their voice just enough to add weight. "It's fun when you get all flustered."
The air got heavier, laughter giving way to something... warmer. Gangle curled closer, ribbons trembling, too flustered to reply.
Zooble didn't push further. They let her settle, still smirking but... gentler now.
When the giggles finally faded, Gangle peeked up shyly. "K-kihinda fuhun..." she admitted in a squeaky whisper.
Zooble arched a brow. "Kinda? That squeaky meltdown said otherwise."
Her mask flushed, and she swatted them weakly with a ribbon. "Stohoppp..."
Zooble grinned with their eyes, catching the ribbon and holding it. "Eh, make me."
The tension hung in the air, playful, teasing, but undeniably close. Gangle squeaked again, hiding her mask against Zooble's chest. Zooble chuckled softly, their claw resting loosely on her side, no more tickling, just holding her in place.
"See? My patented cheer-up therapy works," Zooble said lightly. "Better than sulking, right?"
"...M-maybe," Gangle mumbled.
Zooble tilted her mask up gently. "Definitely."
Her mask glowed pinker, and she curled tighter around them.
Zooble laughed under their breath. "Alright, squeaky toy. You're wiped. Let's get you somewhere soft before you unravel into a puddle for real."
Kinger's pillow fort loomed at the center of the circus, seemingly always larger than it was the last time one saw it. Cushions were stacked haphazardly into towers and tunnels. Kinger peeked out from the entrance, eyes wide in panic. "INTRUDERS! Wait- no, allies, yes, allies. You may pass!"
Zooble rolled their eyes but carried Gangle inside anyway.
They found a soft corner, fluffing the pillows around her. Gangle was still giggling faintly, her mask tilted in shy happiness. She curled into the nest of cushions, ribbons draping loosely like a blanket.
Kinger saluted them dramatically. "Fort security approves." Then he scuttled off to another corner.
Zooble smirked, settling her in place. "There. Better than Jax's nonsense, yeah?"
Gangle's mask dipped in a sleepy nod. "Mmhmmm..."
Within minutes, Gangle's giggles faded into soft breathing, her ribbons snug around the pillows. She looked peaceful, lips curved in a smile.
Zooble lingered, watching her for a moment. Something warm tugged at their chest.
"Better than sulking," they murmured again, softer this time.
Then, with one last hum, they left her to rest. Gangle was safe, happy, and dreaming in the soft chaos of the pillow fort.
Can I request some cute lee gangle and ler zooble? I feel like zooble do their best to cheer her up with any means possible (I think gangle would be a squeaky lee)
Okay!
Cheering Up Gangle
Summary: Zooble decides to cheer up Gangle after an NPC hurts her feelings.
After the last adventure, Gangle ran into her room in tears. One of the NPCs was so mean to her, that even her comedy mask couldn't hide it. Zooble was the first to notice and wanted to cheer her up. So they followed her to her room and knocked on her door. Gangle opened the door and let Zooble inside. They entered and sat down next to her.
"I... can't believe... they would...insult me...like that..." Gangle said, hugging herself. Zooble pulled her into a hug.
"It's okay, I'm here for you," they said, rubbing her back to calm her down.
After twenty minutes of comfort, Gangle felt a little better, but Zooble decided to fully cheer her up, so they took a feather and ever so lightly stroked it up and down where Gangle's stomach would be.
"EEEEEEE! ZOHOHOHOHOBLE! THAT TICKLES! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Gangle said as she started laughing. Zooble continued to stroke the feather on her stomach.
"Coochie coochie coo!" Zooble said, tickling faster on Gangle's ticklish ribbons. Gangle kept laughing as she was being tickled.
"STAHAHAHAHAHAP IHIHIHIHIHIHIHIT! PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE! I'M FEHEHEHEATHER SEHEHEHEHEHENSITIVE!" Gangle said through her laughter as her worst spot was shown no mercy. Zooble took another feather and started stroking both feathers all over Gangle's midsection, making her only able to laugh.
"Kitchy kitchy kitchy kitchy kitchy coo!" Zooble said, enjoying the sound of Gangle's laughter.
"GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHAHAHAHAHA! PLEHAHAHAHAHA!" Gangle was trying to plead for mercy, but since the feathers were tickling her so much, she could only laugh.
"Now Gangle, if you can survive being tickled on your stomach with these feathers for five minutes without begging for mercy, I'll let you up, but if you fail, I get to torture you for twenty minutes. Sound fair?" Zooble said, though they were just making up an excuse so that they could continue tickling her.
"OHOHOHOKAY! I'LL DOHOHOHOHO MY BEHEHEHEHEST! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" said Gangle, even though she knew she wouldn't last long. Zooble twirled one feather on on side of Gangle's stomach, while dragging the other on the other side.
"Does this tickle?" Zooble said, putting the feathers to work. Gangle kept laughing.
"EEEEEEE! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Gangle squealed with laughter, but resisted telling them to stop.
"Coochie coochie coochie coo!" Zooble said, fiercely tickling all over Gangle's worst spot, making so intense, Gangle gave in.
"STAHAHAHAHAHAP IHIHIHIHIHIHIHIT! PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE! THAT TIHIHIHICKLES! THAT'S A REHEHEHEALLY BAHAHAHAHAD SPOHOHOHOHOHOT!" Gangle said, making Zooble smirk. They took their feathers and tickled Gangle every way possible on her stomach.
"Tickle, tickle, tickle!" Zooble said, making sure to tickle every inch of Gangle's stomach. Gangle couldn't even get any words out without being dissolved by laughter.
After twenty minutes of nonstop feather tickling, feeling like hours for Gangle, Zooble gave a quick tickle to her stomach and then stopped tickling her.
"Feeling better, Gangle?" Zooble asked, satisfied with themselves.
"Hehehe, yehehes," Gangle said, giggling as the lingering tickly feelings managed to resurface.
"Good," Zooble said, putting their arm around her.
