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“No! Stay back!” Taion demanded, half a step away from summoning his Mondo. It would’ve been natural to assume he was facing an enemy… and not his Ouroboros partner.
“Aw, c’mon, don’t be like that!” Eunie approached. Taion retreated. “All I said was that you should loosen up!”
“You know that’s not what- Ah!” Taion froze.
For a split-second, he thought he’d backed into a rock, only for the rock to oi in protest. A familiar gloved hand then landed on his shoulder, turning him just enough to make eye contact.
“Do I even wanna know what’s goin’ on here?” Lanz directed the question at both Taion and Eunie. Taion tried to think up a dignified lie, only for Eunie to dash his chances.
“Don’t let him get away!” she warned first. “I got an idea from Colony Mu. Wanted to see if it’d work on this stick-in-the-mud, but it looks like I’m gonna need an extra hand.”
Taion moved to flee, but Lanz’s curiosity had been piqued, and the tactician soon found himself trapped in a hug. From there, Eunie quickly closed the distance between them, physically grabbing on before he escaped again.
“Gotcha,” she announced far too proudly.
“I’m the one who’s got him,” Lanz corrected. “Now what’s this about Fiona’s lot? Still missin’ a bunch of details here.”
And so, much to Taion’s chagrin, Eunie explained everything.
It had started with Fiona and one of her many friends, in that moment of playfulness they’d all witnessed among the flowers. The exchange had been a brief, silly little thing, yet it’d reminded Eunie of an experience that wasn’t hers. Something with Nimue. Something with laughter. Interlinking was funny like that. She still couldn’t remember it with perfect clarity, but she remembered enough to know she had to try it.
Getting Lanz on board from there was easy. He’d butt heads with Taion more than enough. Without needing to be ordered, he hooked his arms under Taion’s, leaving the tactician open for Eunie.
“So basically, you’re sayin’ Taion’s ticklish.” Lanz smirked when he felt Taion twitch at the word.
“D-Don’t- Don’t be ridiculous!” Taion bit back a yelp when Eunie suddenly sprang forward.
“What, you sayin’ that my memory’s wrong? Why’re you so jumpy then?” Eunie didn’t make a move to touch him yet, but she was still close enough to be a threat.
Wide-eyed, Taion stared at her smug face, struggling to formulate a response. His gaze darted downwards when she lifted her hands, slowly, so he could track her movements. Observing Taion’s reactions closely, Eunie hovered over different parts of his torso. Just when he thought she might target his ribs… she dropped down to pinch right above his hips.
“YAHAHAH!” Taion instantly cracked, caught by surprise, just as Eunie had intended. Reflexively, he tried to curl up, only for Lanz to keep him upright.
“Ah, yep, knew that’d be a good spot!” Eunie was pleased to confirm. “Guess the details aren’t as fuzzy as I thought,” she remarked in reference to their shared memory. Running through her other options, she squeezed up and down his sides, and before Taion could adjust, she unleashed a flurry of pokes across his belly.
“Wahahait- NOHO! EheheHEH! Stohohop!” Taion couldn’t hold back at all. How had Eunie learned his weak points so easily? Did he even remember that much about himself?
“Ha! Wow, you really are ticklish!” Lanz soon interjected with glee. “Wish you’d brought this up earlier, Eunie. Would’ve been so nice to know when he was bein’ an arse.”
“B-Beheheing right dohohoesn’t mahahake me an- AH!” Taion tried and failed to argue. Eunie had chosen that moment to interrupt with a dig at his ribs.
“Bein’ an arse is what makes you an arse, whether or not you’ve got a point! Anyway, if you’re still tryin’ to fight, then clearly I’m goin’ too easy on you.” Locking eyes with Lanz, she mouthed brace yourself, which Taion was too busy laughing to see.
Then her hands shot under Taion’s arms, and he very nearly broke Lanz’s grip.
“SPARK!” he screeched before dissolving into cackles, arms shaking against Lanz as he struggled to lower them. He was far too aware of Eunie’s nails at his hollows, scritching and scratching without pause.
For their part, both Lanz and Eunie were startled by the intensity of his response. Eunie had recalled it was a weak spot, but the figure in Taion’s memory hadn’t lingered for long. Neither Kevesi had ever expected to hear Taion so unrestrained. Eunie had the additional perk of facing him, letting her take in his bright grin and crooked glasses.
“You should really laugh more,” she eventually stated, easing up before Taion started wheezing.
“And… what is it… I’d be laughing about? The absurdities… that escape your mouths?” he panted.
“That really the attitude you wanna have right now?” Lanz flexed his arms in challenge, knowing Taion could feel it. Taion had no rebuttal for that, glaring off to the side in avoidance, pouting.
Eunie very much wanted to tease him, but instead took the time to figure out her next move. It wasn’t long before her gaze was drawn to his neck, missing the usual flowing orange scarf. She ran a hand through her wings as she considered her approach, only to be struck with the perfect idea. Casually, she tugged a feather free, then reached for the top edge of Taion’s turtleneck.
“What are you- NO!” Taion reacted when he finally spotted the feather. He had mere milliseconds to process the sight before he felt it against his skin. Taion squealed. That was the only word for it. He’d never been tickled there before. Eunie slid the feather along the inside of his collar, even twirling it a few times.
“That’s a new noise,” Lanz noted with amusement, glimpsing Taion’s face when he tried to twist away. Taion’s eyes were squeezed shut, his cheeks flushing dark, all while a huge smile pulled at his lips. “Cute,” he said before he could stop himself. Thankfully, Taion’s embarrassment overshadowed his own.
“Sh-Shuhuhut UP! I am NOHOT cuhute!”
“Lookin’ and soundin’ pretty cute to me!” Eunie beamed, lingering at his throat when that earned high-pitched giggles.
Deciding minutes later that she could part with more feathers, Eunie tucked three into Taion’s collar. Then, brushing her wings and loosening two more, she brought the plumes toward Taion’s ears.
“AhaHAH- Dohohon’t!” Taion shook his head, only to jostle the feathers at his neck. He giggled frantically, realizing Eunie’s trick: He could stay still for her, or move and tickle himself.
“EHEHevil! Yohohou’re EHEHEVIL!”
“Evil? What, for thinkin’ ahead?” She wiggled the feathers lightly inside his ears, snickering when he squeaked.
Taion would’ve scowled if he’d been able, but the fluffiness of the feathers completely flooded his senses. All he could do was stand there and laugh, effectively helpless between the Kevesi duo. Power frames already negated Agnian strength, but even setting that aside, he wasn’t Sena or Mio. When the mere act of standing became too much, he slumped down in Lanz’s hold.
“Woah!” Lanz caught him as his legs gave out, plopping down on the ground with Taion leaned against his chest. He’d instinctively adjusted the placement of his arms, wrapping them around Taion’s torso in a loose embrace. “You alright there, mate?” Eunie knelt down, too, equally concerned that she’d overdone it. Barely thinking straight, Taion clutched his collar, letting out a “Plehehease!” at the feathers still pinned there.
“Okay, okay, I’ll get ’em out!” Eunie pulled his hands aside, then made short work of the feathers. Their removal was unavoidably ticklish, but mercifully took no more than a few seconds. “Better?” she checked, once Taion had calmed down, worry rising when he covered his face.
“…You’re both terrible,” he ultimately declared, and the tone was so Taion that Lanz and Eunie relaxed.
“Aw, don’t be like that!” Lanz ruffled Taion’s hair, earning a huff of indignation. Taion immediately batted his arm away, but otherwise made no move to distance himself from Lanz.
Eunie took the opportunity to scoot in closer, noticing Taion’s glasses were still off-center. Without a second thought, she reached out to fix them, meeting stunned eyes behind the lenses. Despite Taion’s bravado, he always looked astounded whenever kindness was aimed directly at him. She briefly considered saying something about it, but instead went with-
“We should do this again sometime.”
Taion gawked, then stammered, letting out a series of confused syllables. He only grew more flustered when Lanz agreed… and yet no actual rejection followed.