The Demon, that is Selectively Mute

Round Thumbs pressed away on the Buttons of a pink-and-yellow Controller, making the purple and pixelated Character move in vertical and horizontal Directions on the big, lit-up Screen.

Currently, Ramb was working on coding and modifying all kinds of Things here and there within the Game running on the Console in the Backstage Area of the Green Room, as per Tenna's Request. Seeing that the small Lightners have recently become really enamoured with playing Video Games in their free Time, the large TV Darkner got the brilliant Idea of wanting to implement a physical Challenge in Form of a Video Game into his TV Time Segments, though as he himself didn't possess any Knowledge about how Codes, Spriteworks and everything else revolving about the Creation of Video Games worked, that Task obviously fell onto the small Plugboy Darkner who originated from Cyber World and thus possessed more Knowledge on such technological Matters. "The Legend of Tenna", he thinks his Boss planned on calling the ROM Hack- erm... "totally original and definitely not ripped-off Game", as he recalled.

With a Stretch of his Legs, Ramb repositioned himself to sit more comfortably on the Floor before carrying on with pressing various Button Combinations on the off-coloured Controller in his Hands, just to activate some Cheat Codes so that he could fly over the Collision of the Palm Trees to check if certain Areas have been properly sealed off. Settling down by the Starting Point of the Island Board, another Cheat Code was input so that now Ramb's Sprite wielded a Sword in his Hands which he then thoughtlessly swung around in random Directions.

"Why chuck the Sword, Tenna?... The young un's are already fighting Pixels about. Wouldn't that be more of a laugh?", the purple Plugboy wondered out loud to himself as Thumbs pressed Buttons to deactivate the active Cheat Codes. He has seen little Kris and Azzy play Fighting Games against each other plenty of Times now, so why remove the Sword Part out of the Game? Welp, if he didn't want any Points getting docked off his Pay along with an angry Scolding from the large TV Boss for "attempting to instill harmful and violent Behaviours into the small, innocent Lightners", then he supposed he would need to carry out the latter's Demand to a T anyhow.

Closing his Eyes, a Sigh escaped Ramb, though once he opened them up again...

"...?"

Did he... just see something dash across the Screen? ... No, no, he just must be tired from all the staring at the big, bright Screen, that's it.

Ramb raised a closed Fist to rub at his Eyelids-

"... Ah!-"

- only to almost drop the Controller in his other Hand from Surprise as he felt something lightly graze against his right Side. Immediately, he whipped his Head around to spot whoever did it, expecting to come Face-to-Face with a Pippins trying to mess with him, knowing their mischievious Tendencies... but nobody was there. Confused, the purple Plugboy glanced towards every Direction he could think of, from left to right, up and down, even standing up and turning around to look behind him.

... He hasn't gotten that tired from all the playtesting he just did to have simply imagined it, has he?

For a Moment, Ramb considered going towards the Door leading out of the Room to check if the supposed Prankster in Question was hiding behind it-

"?!"

- but a shrill, bitcrushed Laugh reverberating right behind him tore his Attention directly back towards the giant, illuminated Screen.

On it, his wide Eyes could see some sort of a dark, floating Sprite which hovered very close right next to his own Avatar. Weird, did he accidentally activate a Cheat Code and not notice beforehand? Or was it an Enemy from the Original Game that appeared just because he did something specific with his Character previously? Or was it because-

"EhaHA?!"

Ramb's Thoughts were instantly cut short as the shadowy Sprite swooshed right over his purple Avatar which somehow caused a ticklish Sensation to appear in his left Side, his Hand dropping the Controller to clutch at it. To him, it felt like and could best be described as a light Jolt of tickly Electricity zapping and prickling directly against his Nerves, something akin to touching the staticy Fuzz on Tenna's Screen.

No wonder, considering that whatever seemed to be messing with him appeared to be of electrical Nature itself.

"H-hey, wha-hahaHA?!", another cackle got plucked out of the Mouth of the bewildered Plugboy as the shadowy Sprite nudged against the pixelated Avatar on the Screen once more, more ticklish Jolts prickling against his Skin which his Palm tried to fruitlessly rub away.

"Whahat- ehehehe- whahahat givehes?!"

He smacked a Palm over his Mouth in an Attempt to muffle the giggling and tittering flowing right out of him, somehow hoping that that would make him regain his Senses quicker, though that Plan fell into flat Water as little Zaps against his Spine yanked his Concentration straight away from him. At least, there was still Hope that the Walls of this Room were soundproof, else a lot of Darkners just heard a really goofy Squeal coming from the Plugboy himself.

"Luv', wh- Luhuhuv'! Why ahare ya dohoihing thihihis, ehehaha?!" Maybe if he acknowledged the strange Being on the Screen in a direct manner would he get an Answer from it?

"E-eAHAHA! LUhuhuHUV'! Not the- haHAha- nohot the StohomaHAHACH!!", a loud Snort left Ramb as his Knees buckled underneath him, finally giving out under him after a few Seconds and hitting the Ground followed by him thumping his Foot against the Floor like an excited Puppy receiving Belly Scritches.

Okay, that didn't work out as planned.

Not only that, but there are two Things which Ramb took Note of, two Things which he realized made the Situation much more worse for him. One, since there wasn't a physical Manifestation of the mischievous Creature which was antagonizing him in front of him, there was no feasible way for him to defend himself nor fight back, lest he looked like someone wildly waving their Arms around in the Air in an Attempt to push something invisible away. And two, as the pixelated Characters on the Screen consisted of very simplified Designs, it meant that any Chances of predicting what the shadowy Creature would do let alone which Spots on his Avatar it would target and aim for next were completely nullified, leaving him in the Dark about it. There was nothing to work with, no Animations, no Textboxes, no Details, nothing. Just it floating over and nudging against his pixelated Mini Version over and over again.

"EhehoHOHOho, Luhuhuv'!!", the purple Plugboy wrapped his shaky Arms around his Stomach, his Foot continuing to thump against the Floor, "ThaHAhat's nahat fair, ihinnihit- aHAHAHAhaha!".

All he got as an Answer was a bitcrushed Laugh from the pixelated Mantle Figure like the one he heard previously, as if it was taking a playful kind of Enjoyment out of Ramb's Predicament.

Think, Ramb, think! If it couldn't be retaliated against in this World, then... Wait, that's right, the Controller!

Leaning towards it, he attempted to reach for the strangely coloured Device...

"-Kch- pfahAAHAHEHEHAHA!!!"

... only for his jittery Hands to reflexively latch onto his floppy Ears instead all of the sudden, thus effectively halting him in that small Endeavour. Seems like the shadowy Gremlin on Screen caught onto that little Scheme of his swiftly enough to enact a Countermeasure to it.

"P-PlehEHEAhase!! I'm- I'm saHAHAHARRYhihiHI!!", the giddy Plugboy Darkner babbled out an Apology, mostly out of Reflex but also in the Hopes that the Mantle Creature would take some Form of Mercy on him.

And indeed, that appeared to work as the small, ticklish Jolts of Energy relocated to prickle and buzz against underneath his Armpits instead. It was an Improvement from getting his sensitive Ears targeted at, yes, but Heavens did it still tickle a lot!

"Oho nono-noHOhoHO! Come oHOHohon! Cut- ehiHIhi- cuhut it ouhut, will yaHAHAha?!"

Now, with both Arms clutched around his upper Body in order to protect it from the devious Tickles, it would certainly be a much harder Task for the chuckling Plugboy to try to make a reach for the weirdly coloured Controller lying a bit further away from him, especially with the Revelation that the Mantle Creature is actually keeping a close Eye on him. Yet, that didn't deter Ramb in the slightest to make up his Mind and go for another Attempt, his open Hand already extending out towards the Controller as best as he could, Consequences be damned!

"- eAHAEHA!! NohOHOHoHO!!"

But like before, the Reflexes of his Body had other Plans as this Time, light and fluttery Zaps manifested both around his Neck and his Hips simultaneously, causing his Palms to grasp at those Areas instead as Ramb curled up into a guffawing and hysterical Ball of Laughter.

Yeah, he should've seen that one coming, fair enough.

"Y-yohou're aha cheEHEheky littlehe FeHEhellaHAHA, AHAIhin't yahaha?"

A deep Belly-Laugh sounded from the purple Darkner as his Palms pressed against his Mouth once more to muffle the goofy yet adorable Noises escaping his Vocal Cords, his Eyes squeezing shut. Taking into Consideration of the weird Circumstances he is currently facing, it's not like he needed to keep his Sight on the pixelated Figure anyway, rather putting his Focus into his Thoughts appeared to be the much better Choice at Hand. Maybe, third Time's a Charm and this Time, reaching for the Controller would be successful. But that was rather risky, so perhaps the better Option was to wait for someone, anyone, be it a Pippins or even Tenna, to simply walk in on him laughing his Sides off and help him-

"-eAAAHAHAHA!!! BLIHIMEHEY, DON'T- AHAHIHIHI- DOHON'T DO THAHAHAT!!!"

All of the sudden, a staticy Raspberry was planted directly against Ramb's pudgy Belly, effectively cutting his Thoughts short in an instant as he smacked his right Hand against his Forehead and threw his Head back with loud guffawing while his left Hand frantically pounded against the Floor. If that was not enough, what followed was what somehow felt like round, pointy Fangs gently nibbling against the soft Pudge of his Tummy, causing Ramb to wildly kick his Legs around and for his Laughter to turn wheezy for a Moment, Tears of Mirth forming in the Corners his Eyes.

Let's hope that whoever stumbles upon him first gets to pick out a nice Tombstone for him, because at this point, he's sure that his Soul is being tickled straight out of his Body!... Okay, that might've been an Exaggeration, but it still felt like that to him anyway.

"OHOhoHOho p-pleHEAHAHAAhahaHA!!!"

The shadowy Sprite continued to tickle the hysterical Plugboy for a Minute or two more, though noticeably slowed down when the latter's babbling gradually turned incoherent and nonsensical. Instead, faint little Zaps of Electricity shifted over towards his flushed Cheeks and under his Chin, finally granting Ramb to replenish his Lungs with much needed huge Gulps of Oxygen-filled Air.

"Ohoho bohohoyhy..."

He tried to aim his Eyes back towards the giant Screen, there where he could see what the mischievous Prankster of a Sprite was up to, but that proved to be a Challenge as he fought a losing Battle of keeping his suddenly heavy Eyelids open. Ramb realized that the hourly-long Quest of modifying a Game inside a dark Room as well as the one-sided Tickle Fight he experienced just now must have tired him out a lot and the Exhaustion was now catching up to him.

A sleepy Sigh left him, it being prompted by him feeling the Sensation of something draping over him, something that shared similar Properties to that of a Blanket. Huh, was that the...? Whatever it was, Ramb supposed a small Nap couldn't hurt as he decided not to dwell on these Thoughts for too long.