Tickletober prompt 1: Anticipation
(Ler!Lanino, Ler!Elnina, Lee!Pippins) Lanino and Elnina learn a fun fact about the Pippins, and they decide to ask their mutual friend. It leads to a silly moment.
Author's notes: I know I am entering the game late but I don't careeeeee lol. I will play regardless.
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"So, is it true?" Elnina asks.
The sounds of a racing game play in the background, the Pippins' character skidding around a corner. "Is what true?"
"The dice rolling thing," Lanino clarified as he watched the two play, "another Pippins was talking about favorite numbers you guys roll, and that certain rolls are more... uh, favored?"
Elnina shouted as her character was knocked off the track, the dice only laughing. "Yeah? All of us have our favorite numbers. What about it?"
Lanino shook his head, "No, no, we know about the favorite number thing-"
"It's four." The dice interrupted.
"Yeah, four, we know," He waved his hand, "what we were wondering was about the effect thing that a Zapper mentioned. He was saying that the numbers could cause things to happen?"
"Well, yeah. Rolling a four can do healing magic. The rest of 'em do other stuff, like... affecting our mood. That kinda thing."
"Geez, you trip and you might end up in a bad mood?" Elnina sighed as she crossed the finish line in second place.
The Pippins only waves his hand in a noncommital manner with a short 'ehh' sound. "Yeah, somethin' like that... up to losin' another race?"
"L-Losing-!? I only lost because you kept knocking me off the track!" She huffed.
"Hey, tell ya what. I'll play normal this round, and might not even cheat. If you win, I'll tell ya more about the numbers- EEK-!"
Elnina reached up, spinning his dice head. The room spun, and by the time the Pippins finally stopped, dizzy as ever, he rolled a one.
This was... not favorable, to say the least.
"Ooh, rolled a one." Lanino commented, "But why?"
"Oh, I just wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. It worked!" She grinned. "Seems like it reset him, anyway."
Lanino gave the Pippins an odd look, "...Does he look kind of flushed, though?"
Oh no. Oh noooo-
"...Right. Yeah, he kinda does. What's up with that?" Elnina asked.
"Maybe it has to do with the mood thing he mentioned earlier? You did roll a one-"
The Pippins groaned and hid his face in his hands, flushing darker. This can't be happening. Of all the numbers to roll, why did it have to be THAT one?
A lesser-known fact about Pippins... a low roll of their dice sometimes lead to more negative moods; be it anger, sadness, or even a bit of neediness. Sometimes, the lattermost mood manifested in a very intense lee mood.
Which was currently happening to this exact Pippins. It would fade in time, but for those few hours, it was going to be unbearable.
"Uh, hey-? Pippins, bud, are you alright-?" Lanino's fingers brushed just a little too close to his neck, making him jump with a small yelp.
"F-Fine-! It's all good! I'm normal!" He stammers out.
Elnina's hand came to rest on his side, "Your face is kind of-"
The shriek that ripped out of the dice's throat cut her off, launching himself backwards into Lanino's chest.
No one moved for several seconds. He was severely conflicted at the moment; stuck between not wanting them to figure it out, and already craving the short contact of hands on him. Note to self, do NOT let someone roll your dice again-
The Pippins let out a short noise of surprise as he felt Lanino's arms wrapping around his middle, trapping him in place. "So that's what a one does, huh?" The amused tone only flustered him more.
"D-Does what-!? Let go-!" The Pippins let out a short growl, trying to sound irritated... but the bite was quickly taken out when he burst into a bubbly giggle at feeling fingers wiggle into his stomach.
"Aww! I didn't know you had a cute laugh. So rolling a one makes you a ticklish little cutie, then?" Elnina cooed, and he felt his face flush even more.
"L-Look, it's embarrassing, alright-?"
"Is that why you were dodging the question before? It's not like we're gonna make fun of you." Lanino poked at his ribs, drawing out some quiet laughs and slight struggling.
He really hates how he's enjoying this right now. Why couldn't he have rolled a six instead?
"Yeah, we're just gonna tickle you senseless is all." Elnina held up her hands like claws, a deeply threatening gesture.
"N-Nohohoh-! Don't y-you dare-!" The anticipation was already getting to him.
"You don't want the tickle monster to attack you?" She's hovering her claws over him; he can only yelp and hide his face, legs curling in to try and defend himself.
"Nohohoh I dohohon't-!" He couldn't possibly shrink any further into Lanino if he tried.
"Then why aren't you trying to get away?"
He could hear the grin in his voice- it made the butterflies in his stomach even worse as he buried his face even further into his hands with a whine.
"J-Just get it over with-!" The Pippins shouted into his hands.
Those same hands quickly flew down to grab at whatever wrists were in reach as soon as he felt fingers wiggling. He lets out a shriek, legs kicking as he laughs his heart out.
"Do you think the other Pippins do this too?" Elnina casually squeezed at his sides.
"Maybe, I dunno. None of them ever really wanna answer the question," He prodded at the dice's stomach, "I mean, could be why."
"Makes me wonder about the other numbers! Like... what happens if we rolled a six?" She's pinching at his hips.
"Well, maybe he could have been the tickle monster instead of the squeaky toy!" He's skittering around his ribs.
The Pippins is going to burst into flame. Just between their casual conversation (about him!) and the actual tickling (that he still doesn't hate?) he's got no idea what to feel. Not that he can really think around all of these different things happening all at once-
Scratch that. One pair of hands finds their way under his arms while the other goes behind his knees, and his head goes completely blank of any thought as he slips into silent laughter, body freezing and going limp from the sensations.
They both stop immediately, and he just can't stop giggling as the ghost tickles tingle across his body.
"O-Oh, geez, did we break him? Hey, Pippins, say something!" Lanino tapped the side of his head.
No response. The Pippins was only giggling himself silly, still flushed.
"...Uh, just give him a few minutes, I guess?" Elnina sighed, "He'll snap out of it... I think."
...Well, his lee mood cleared up just fine, it seemed. He still didn't hate being tickled half to death, but... next time he rolls a six, he knows exactly who to go after.