Lepii's Tickle Blog!

“And that's how you do it.” Vaggie turned towards Charlie, holding up the feather sheath she'd cleanly removed from her wing. Said girl's eyes were sparkling with amazement. Vaggie blinked. “...What, it's not that impressive, is it?”

“It is impressive, Vaggie! I didn't even know feathers came in plastic wrapping!” Charlie grabbed the translucent casing, wanting to get a better look at it, only to flinch as it promptly crumbled in her hands. “Oh uh- whoops.” Vaggie chuckled at her girlfriend's antics, giving her a light pat on the shoulder. “It's called a sheath, hon. And don't worry, it's meant to do that.”

They hadn't had much time to think about it before, but now that Heaven's attack was over and the hotel was mostly rebuilt, Vaggie's newly regrown wings have become the center of attention for the two girls. Charlie was utterly fascinated by them, despite the fact that both Husk and her dad had wings too. “I like yours the most!” was Charlie's response when Vaggie pointed it out, and, well, she wasn't going to argue with that. Besides, it's not like she minded getting the opportunity to teach her enthusiastic girlfriend and keep their minds off of more… stressful matters for a while.

Right now, Vaggie was demonstrating one of the most basic forms of wing care: preening. The whole ‘pinch, twist and pull” procedure came pretty naturally to her, even when she was so out of practice… surely Charlie wouldn't have much trouble with it either, right? After demonstrating on a few more feathers, she turned around and sat down cross-legged on the bed, holding her wings out loosely. “Alright babe, you ready to try for yourself?”

“I-I think so!” Despite her words, Charlie sounded audibly nervous as she reached out towards one of Vaggie's long, silvery pin feathers. It kind of resembled a paintbrush, with the fluffy feather tip peeking out from the thin keratin wrapping. It looked so delicate… What if Charlie accidentally snapped it? …No, it's alright, she can do this! Vaggie made it look so easy! All she has to do is pinch, twist and-

Pluck!

It took a second for Charlie to process the way her girlfriend's wings flinched, and the whole feather that she was now holding between her fingers. But once the realisation set in…

“Ohmygosh Vaggie I am so so sooo sorry!! Did that hurt? I mean, of course it did, I literally pulled a feather out of your wing and- oh no, what if I've permanently damaged your wing?? And you just regrew it, too! Oh, it's all my fault, I-”

“Hey, calm down. It's just one feather, and it will grow back. It's not the end of the world.” Vaggie gently took hold of Charlie's hands, an exasperated yet fond expression on her face. While all the overdramatic fretting was admittedly kind of sweet, it definitely wasn't a good idea to let it spiral out of control. Goodness knows poor Charlie had enough guilt on her hands as is… So, Vaggie took the feather, dusted off the leftover flakes and put it aside before getting back into position. “How about you try again? Maybe go for a smaller one this time. Oh yeah, and don't worry if it crumbles and gets everywhere; I can wash it off after.”

“Okay, if you say so…” Even more nervously than before, Charlie searched Vaggie's wings for a better pin feather to practice on. It didn't take long to find one, but its small size just made it look even more fragile… No, it's alright. Vaggie said the small ones were easier, and she trusted Vaggie.

Making sure to be extra careful this time, Charlie pinched the feather softly, rubbing it gently between her fingers instead of trying to twist it off fully. She watched in amazement as the sheath quickly flaked away, leaving only a bit of keratin dust that neither girl minded. Vaggie let out a small hum of satisfaction. “Yep, there you go… that's how you do it.”

With newfound confidence, Charlie repeated the process on a few more feathers, each attempt feeling easier than the last. Soon, she found a comfortable rhythm - as it turned out, preening wasn't so scary once she got the hang of it. “Oh wow, this is actually kinda fun!”

“Mhm, it's really nice…” Vaggie seemed to be enjoying this even more than Charlie was, practically melting under her girlfriend's gentle touch. She even ruffled her feathers to give Charlie better access, much to the latter's delight (so fluffy!). It'd been ages since someone else had preened her wings for her, and she'd forgotten how amazing it felt… It was like a soothing back massage, but ten times better. Just pure, relaxing bliss.

But then, the sensation began to change. It seemed Charlie had gotten brave enough to experiment with different techniques, and was now lightly combing and kneading her fingers through Vaggie's soft plumage. This was effective enough at clearing away some of the looser sheaths, but it also came with a rather embarrassing consequence: it tickled. Like, a lot. Pin feathers were sensitive after all, and each graze of Charlie's nails sent a new wave of tingles through poor Vaggie's wings. Instinctively, she pressed a hand against her mouth, trying to suppress the giggles that were bubbling up in her throat. Still, she couldn't stop her wings from quivering helplessly under the touch. It didn't help that Charlie seemed completely oblivious to the effect her actions were having… How could Vaggie protest in the face of that cheery smile?

It was when Charlie's fingers found the base of her wings that Vaggie's composure broke. With an uncharacteristic squeak, she burst into laughter, doubling over as she tried not to accidentally smack Charlie with her wings. Startled, Charlie froze for a moment, processing the sound of Vaggie's giggles and the sight of her reddened cheeks. Then, her eyes widened, and a brilliant smile spread across her face.

“Wait, Vaggie, you're ticklish?? That's so cute!! How am I just finding out about this? Hold still, I gotta test this!”

“W-wahahait-!” Before Vaggie could react, Charlie began attacking her wings with renewed enthusiasm, the gentle kneads turning into playful pokes and rapid scribbles. Oh, that was so, so much worse. Immediately, Vaggie burst into another fit of giggles, her wings fluffing up in a futile attempt to defend themselves from the tickling fingers. Charlie's affectionate, possibly unintentional teasing wasn't helping matters, either.

“Aww, your giggles are so adorable, Vaggie! We should do this more often!”

“Nahahahahaha! Chaharlie, stahahap!”

“You look like you're having fun, though! I haven't seen you smile so wide in ages. Besides, your wings are just so soft, I can't help it!”

“Shuhuhut uhuhuhuhup…!”

As if Vaggie wasn't already enough of a flustered wreck, that was when Charlie found that weak spot at the base of her wings again. With just a single poke, Vaggie threw her head back and squealed with laughter, her wings flapping frantically and nearly whacking Charlie in the face.

“EEEEEHEEHEEHAHAHAAA!!”

(Un)fortunately, that was when Charlie stopped, her hands abruptly pulling away from Vaggie's wings. It took a few moments for the fallen angel to catch her breath, a giddy smile still plastered on her face. All that laughing had been pretty embarrassing and a tad overwhelming, but she had to admit… it’d felt kinda nice too, maybe even more so than the preening. Speaking of which, it seemed all the flapping and flailing had actually shaken off a lot of the remaining sheaths, and her wings felt better than ever before. Heh… maybe they really should do this more often, flustering as it is.

In fact, Vaggie was so distracted by all the lingering fuzzy feelings that it took a moment for her to realise that Charlie was speaking again. In contrast to Vaggie's own mental state, Charlie's voice was softer than usual, almost worried-sounding. “Hey… you okay? You squealed really loudly back there. I hope I didn't go too far…”

Oh Charlie, always worrying about other people. These past few months have been pretty hard on her, after all… She was probably still harbouring so much regret under that energetic exterior. Even now, when the two of them were just supposed to be having fun together, she was still so anxious…

For a moment, Vaggie was silent, her chest still heaving slightly from the force of her previous laughter. Then suddenly, she whirled around and lunged at Charlie, tackling her down onto the bed!

Charlie let out a yelp as Vaggie's gentle yet firm hands shove her shoulders, followed shortly by her back hitting the mattress. Looking up, she was greeted with the sight of Vaggie holding her hands out, wiggling her fingers at her with a devious glint in her eye. “Oh, don't worry, you didn't go too far… but now, it's your turn.” Instinctively, Charlie tensed up and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the incoming onslaught…

…only to be met with a soft, fluttering feeling on the side of her neck.

Slowly, Charlie opened her eyes, and spotted the fluffy feather in Vaggie's hand - the same one she'd accidentally pulled out earlier. Vaggie twirled the feather in her hand, her gaze much more tender than before. “What, you really thought I was gonna go all out on you now? I can tell you're still a bit stressed out, sweetie. I think you need some nice, relaxing ‘feather care’ more than I do.”

For a moment, Charlie's eyes welled up with tears, moved by her girlfriend's sweet gesture. But then, she felt the feather brush against her neck again, and soon soft giggles were spilling out of her mouth rather than sobs. All the while, Vaggie gazed at her with that loving expression reserved exclusively for her, cupping her cheek with her free hand. “There you go. Hmph, and you said my giggles were cute… yours are even more adorable.”

“Hehehe… Aww, Vaggie…” Charlie felt herself relax involuntarily as she gave into the soft affection. The feather felt both soothingly fluffy and utterly ticklish at the same time, and Charlie couldn’t help but scrunch up her shoulders playfully with each little brush. Thankfully, Vaggie’s quick reflexes let her move the feather out of the way every time, just darting it over to the other side to continue the gentle assault. There was no need to switch tactics or pick up the pace. Just this moment of lighthearted comfort was more than enough.

At some point, Vaggie paused, holding the feather up in front of Charlie’s face. Said girl was still giggling slightly, her face adorned with a smile that was somehow even brighter than usual. Vaggie huffed in amusement at the sight. “See, babe? You make mistakes, but that’s okay - we can find ways to fix them. And sometimes, we can even turn them into something worth smiling over.” Vaggie waved the feather around and booped Charlie’s nose with it, drawing out another little laugh from the blonde. Afterwards, though, her expression softened into one of genuine gratitude. “Thanks, Vaggie. You were right… I needed this.”

Vaggie smiled. “Anytime, sweetie.”

…

“Now then, get over here! Tickle tickle tickle!”

Mafuyu's chest felt cold as she stepped through the door.

The moment she entered, she was greeted by the familiar sight of a certain long-haired composer, who wore a gentle, sleepy smile on her face.

“Welcome back, Mafuyu.”

“Mm.”

Normally, the sight of a recently-woken Kanade welcoming her home would be enough to fill Mafuyu's heart with a gentle warmth, but that didn't happen today. The icy, painful feeling maintained its grip on her, tightening her chest and making it hard to breathe. Her school bag felt heavier than normal, its uncomfortable weight pushing down on her shoulders and reminding her of how much she'd messed up, how badly she'd done, her mother was going to be so upset-

“Mafuyu? Are you okay?”

Ah. It seems that despite her grogginess, Kanade was still able to pick up on Mafuyu's troubled state of mind. Mafuyu turned her gaze downwards slightly, her voice more hollow than usual.

“We got back our English exam results today.”

“Oh…”

Mafuyu didn't need to elaborate for Kanade to understand. It was no secret that despite having retreated to the safety of Kanade's house, her mother's influence still haunted her like a vengeful ghost. And with English, the subject her mother claimed that she was best at, those inescapable expectations were at their most unforgiving.

“Here.” Mafuyu felt the pressure on her shoulders lift as Kanade helped her take off her bag. It made it easier for her to breathe, but she still felt cold. How could she not? She'd never scored so low on a test before, especially not an English one. If she was back at her house right now…

The shorter girl seemed to struggle a bit with the bag’s weight, but managed to set it down on the floor with a gentle “thump”. She then turned to Mafuyu with a soft, concerned expression. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Mafuyu thought about it for a moment. On one hand, Kanade might be able to help her better if she told her. But on the other hand, just thinking about that score written in glaring red, the numbers that would surely lead to her devices getting taken away, her friends getting taken away… It made her chest seize up suffocatingly, and it hurt. It hurt so much. Would having to talk about it make it hurt more? Mafuyu didn't want it to hurt more. And so, she silently shook her head.

“I see…” Kanade looked worried, yet understanding. Still, Mafuyu found herself unable to meet her gaze, instead looking down towards the floor as she tried to manage the paranoid thoughts spinning around in her head. Thankfully, it was only a few moments before Kanade came up with another proposition. “Then, do you want to just sit together for a while?”

That… could work. Mafuyu always felt so warm whenever they sat together… maybe it'd be enough to help her get rid of this freezing pain that she was feeling. She nodded, looking up as she replied, “Okay.”

“Alright then.” Kanade's expression shifted into a comforting, if still somewhat concerned smile. She reached out, taking Mafuyu's hand and gently guiding her to the couch. It was a strange feeling - her fingers were cold, but they made Mafuyu feel warmer. A gentle yet firm touch, one that helped to ground her. Yes… right now, she was in Kanade's house. Her mother couldn't reach her here. The pain started to recede as warmth slowly thawed the frost that had been tightening her lungs.

As the two sat down, Mafuyu could feel Kanade's kind, gentle form beside her. Even though no words were spoken, Kanade’s presence alone was a reassurance of sorts. It served as a reminder that she was still here, and that she wasn't getting taken away. Gradually, Mafuyu found herself calming down, a sense of safety washing over her that let her anxieties ease somewhat. And Kanade seemed to relax as well, a comfortable atmosphere filling the room. The two girls' movements were almost automatic as they snuggled closer together.

Kanade gently leaned against Mafuyu. Mafuyu leaned back.

Kanade placed a comforting arm over Mafuyu's shoulder. Mafuyu's eyes closed.

Kanade lightly tucked a strand of hair behind Mafuyu's ear. Mafuyu's breath hitched.

…Wait, what?

Kanade seemed to notice Mafuyu's reaction as well, and her hand immediately left Mafuyu's ear. She shifted slightly to look at Mafuyu with a concerned expression. “Are you alright? Did I hurt you?”

Mafuyu shook her head. She didn't really know why she reacted that way, but it definitely wasn't because she was hurt. Now curious, Kanade tentatively brushed Mafuyu's ear again, her touch even gentler this time. It felt oddly tingly, and a fluttery sensation welled up in Mafuyu's chest. She tensed up slightly on instinct, letting out a small puff of air from her nose. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, but it was certainly strange…

“Hey, Mafuyu… you're smiling.”

Mafuyu’s eyes widened. Indeed, when she shifted her attention to her facial muscles, Mafuyu could feel the way the corners of her lips had turned themselves up into a small, almost imperceptible smile. But why? She raised a hand to her mouth, trying to understand her own reaction.

Unable to come up with an answer, Mafuyu turned towards Kanade, who was looking at her deep in thought. It seemed as though Kanade had an idea of what had happened, but wasn't sure of it. Before Mafuyu could ask, Kanade spoke up first, sounding nervous yet determined.

“Hey, Mafuyu, can I try something?”

“…Sure.”

And the next thing Mafuyu knew, Kanade was fluttering her fingers lightly over the back of Mafuyu's ear. It just felt so weird, so foreign, so tingly, it made Mafuyu's shoulders tense up as another unfamiliar smile formed on her face. And not even a second later, she felt something unfamiliar bubbling up in her chest, causing her to let out a sound that she never thought she'd make.

A laugh.

It was only a small giggle, soft and breathy, but it was just so unexpected hearing it come from her own mouth that she froze for a second in shock. Kanade froze too, her fingers stopping to rest on the side of Mafuyu's neck. Eventually, Kanade was the one to break the silence.

“Mafuyu… how are you feeling?”

A simple question, but one that Mafuyu had to think about a bit to answer. Of course, she was feeling surprised at herself… but she also felt lighter than usual, somehow? Indeed, there was still a remnant of a smile on her face, and the fluttering in her chest remained. Even the test result from earlier felt a little further away. It was all hard for Mafuyu to explain, and so she just said the first word that came to mind.

“Light.”

At this, Kanade smiled. Her expression seemed somewhere between glad and gently amused, and she let out a soft, affectionate chuckle. “That’s great, Mafuyu. Would you like me to continue?”

Normally, Mafuyu would give a more neutral answer like “okay” or “I don’t mind”, but she found herself strangely drawn to the idea of Kanade continuing whatever she had just done. Mafuyu wanted to experience more of that sensation, out of curiosity about her own reactions, but also because it had just been… rather pleasant. And so, there was only one answer that felt right to give.

“Yes.”

Kanade’s smile grew, and she resumed her fluttering motions, gently brushing her fingers over the side of Mafuyu’s neck and the back of her ear. And once again, Mafuyu’s body reacted on its own, airy giggles slipping out of her as she squirmed slightly against the tingly feeling. She tried to focus on the sound of her laughter, to really take in the unfamiliar, bubbly noises escaping from her lips, but it was as though the light buzzing sensation was drawing all her attention, making it almost impossible to think logically.

And yet, Mafuyu didn’t mind. It felt freeing, like a weight off her chest, to be able to just not think about all the things that were looming over her. The test from before had already left her mind, replaced by a comforting fuzziness. The constant threat of her mother felt so much further away, the gentle taps and flutters of Kanade's fingers keeping her in the moment. She didn’t even need to dig around in her heart to search for the emotions she’d lost, because they were surfacing all on their own. She was laughing, really laughing, and it felt so, so nice.

Soon enough, Mafuyu heard soft chuckles coming from beside her, the warm, affectionate sound mixing with her own laughter. She turned her head slightly to see Kanade wearing what might have been the warmest, brightest smile Mafuyu had ever seen. She looked as though she could cry from pure joy, her eyes sparkling at the sight of Mafuyu’s carefree, giggly, happy expression. And yet, she still thought to check on her, to make sure that her happiness was genuine. “Is this okay?”

Mafuyu opened her mouth to reply, and found that her words were laced with giggles. It sounded so different from her normal monotone voice, but honestly, it didn't bother her much. It just felt right. “Hehehe… yehehes, ihit’s fihihine!”

It was more than fine, actually. Mafuyu couldn’t remember the last time she felt like this - so giddy, so light, so warm. The giggles and chuckles flowed out of her freely as Kanade’s fingers danced over her skin, and the tingles only grew stronger as Kanade’s hand found the back of her neck. Mafuyu couldn’t help but let out a bright, high-pitched burst of fresh laughter at the feeling, her head tilting back slightly as she collapsed against the sofa. Her body felt limp and relaxed as she melted into Kanade’s touch, allowing herself to simply enjoy this strange, wonderful feeling.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and eventually, Kanade stopped, the fluttery tapping turning into warm, soothing rubs. Mafuyu found herself panting slightly, trying to catch her breath as a few stray giggles escaped her. Her mind still felt very fuzzy and light, and she couldn’t bring herself to sit up from the couch, nor could she clear the surprisingly wide smile from her face. It was Kanade who spoke up first, wearing a big, affectionate smile herself. “Hehe… your face is so red.”

Mafuyu placed a hand over her cheek to feel that yes, it was indeed warmer than usual. It was a reflection of her overall state - the gentle rubs, the way Kanade was leaning against her, the fluttery, giggly feeling that lingered in her chest… it was all just so, so warm. But as she slowly managed to come back to her senses, one question stood out in her mind. “Whahaha… w-what was that…?”

Kanade’s face fell a bit at the question. It made sense that Mafuyu had never experienced something like this before, but at the same time, it was saddening to think that even such a simple joy was something that Mafuyu had been robbed of for her entire life. Still, Kanade managed to keep a comforting smile on her face as she responded, “That was something called ‘tickling’.”

Oh. That made sense. Mafuyu vaguely remembered the term being used sometimes by her classmates in school. She’d see them playfully poke and prod at each other, giggling and squirming around gleefully, but she’d always assumed it wasn’t anything special. It was just another thing that made normal people smile. It would never be able to reach someone like her.

…It seems that her assumption had been wrong.

Seeing the subtle look of realization on Mafuyu’s face, Kanade shifted her hand to rest on Mafuyu’s shoulder. Her voice was as soothing as ever as she spoke again, her smile audible. “How was it?”

It had been a lot of things, honestly. It had been surprising, confusing, disorienting… but it had also been comforting. Refreshing. Exhilarating. It had been so many things, some of which Mafuyu had barely experienced in her life thus far. She had so many questions, so much more to discover about this new side of herself she’d just unlocked… yet, she was able to sum up her response into just three simple words.

“It was… fun.”

Kanade

Lee

Kanade is extremely susceptible to tickling, in multiple ways. She's pretty skinny and bony, and her normal outfit doesn't offer much defense. The shirt is thin, and the jacket is easy to slip your hands under. She's also just sensitive to touch in general - most of her senses are sharper than the average person's (hence her dislike of strong-smelling food and bright sunlight).

Kanade's ticklish in a lot of places, but her shoulders and just her upper back area in general are a bit of a death spot for her. It's part of the reason why she doesn't like people messing with her hair - oftentimes their fingers will end up brushing over her shoulder blades and making her flinch. (Not that she dislikes being tickled there, she just gets embarrassed when it happens accidentally.)

I'd say Kanade's second most ticklish spot is her ribs. Which Ena and Mizuki are very aware of, and they will use that fact to convince Kanade eat proper meals ("Come on, Kanade, you're so skinny your ribs are sticking out! Look: one, two...").

Kanade has a really soft, breathy giggle, similar to her normal chuckles but more bubbly. She never really goes into full-on laughter - her giggles just get more giddy-sounding the more ticklish she's feeling. She does, however, start making little squeaks if you get her good enough, as if she wasn't adorable enough already.

Kanade doesn't squirm much. More often, she'll just curl herself up into a little ball, or cling to the ler for support if she's standing. Even then, she tires out quite easily, but thankfully everyone who could potentially end up tickling her is aware of her limits.

Kanade finds being tickled to be kind of nostalgic - her dad used to tickle her sometimes as a child, before her mom passed away. So, being tickled can put Kanade into a bit of a childish mood, where she gets all giggly and happy as she relives fond memories. It's bittersweet, but leans much more on the "sweet" side.

However, that all changes if you start teasing her. This girl instantly turns into a flustered mess once she's reminded of how silly and cute she's acting. Perhaps she'd start feeling guilty for enjoying herself so much if not for the fact that she'd usually be too giddy and giggly by this point to think about it much.

Speaking of which, despite being somewhat prone to lee moods, Kanade has a very hard time asking for tickles. Partially because she's shy, but moreso because she's afraid of burdening the other person, or that she doesn't deserve it, etc. Of course, the ler will always be happy to get her out of that self-deprecating mindset with some gentle affirmations and tickles :)

Ler

Kanade is a very shy and careful ler. She can be a bit awkward, and is always double checking to make sure the lee is comfortable and having fun. She almost never tickles anyone unprompted, nor does she follow up after accidentally tickling someone unless she's sure they liked it.

But at the same time, she also loves seeing the way people smile and laugh when she tickles them. It makes her so happy to know that she's the one who brought that smile to their face (especially with Mafuyu). She's definitely the type to just pause in the middle of tickling someone to just admire their expression with a soft, affectionate smile on her face.

Kanade is also really good at tickling. It might seem a bit unexpected at first, but this girl has been playing keyboard for basically her entire life, so her fingers are super nimble. Her hands are also pretty cold all the time (almost concerningly so but she's fineeeee). Thankfully, she's too nice and gentle to use the full extent of her powers.

Instead, Kanade usually sticks to very light and gentle tickling, like soft scribbles and flutters. Similarly, she much prefers to use reassurances and praises rather than playful teases. Of course, it can be flustering in its own right with how genuine she sounds as she tells you how nice your laugh is, and how glad she is that you're having fun.

Mafuyu

Lee

Mafuyu's actually surprisingly ticklish. Like, she's not that bad, but she's far from immune like one might expect. It's mostly because she has so little experience with it - she'd never experienced it from her parents for obvious reasons, and her persona in school has a professional aura that discourages her classmates from doing it.

Mafuyu doesn't have a specific tickle spot, but she does have a melt spot on the back of her neck and behind her ears. Tickling her there will cause her to get all relaxed and floppy in addition to the usual giggles, and if you're lucky she'll even subconsciously lean into your hand. She's like a big silly bunny :D

Mafuyu's laugh is kind of breathy and gasp-y. Like, if you've seen that one interaction where Mafuyu laughed at one of Emu's jokes, and Emu said her smile was real? Yeah, kind of like that, but less energetic-sounding. Honestly though, the best part is the fact that she's laughing at all, as well as her big yet genuine smile and flushed expression that's both extremely rare and incredibly heartwarming.

Interestingly, Mafuyu doesn't really hold back her laughs when she's being tickled. It's partially because she's not used to having to do so (since she rarely finds things funny enough to want to laugh at them in the first place), and partially because she doesn't really have any problems with being vulnerable in front of the other N25 members.

Similarly, Mafuyu doesn't try to fight back very much. She'll squirm a little, yes, but she won't try to push the ler's hand away or protest verbally or anything. I mean, why would she want to stop that warmth in her chest and the unfamiliar but not unpleasant giddiness taking over her senses?

Mafuyu was definitely very surprised at her own reaction the first time she got tickled. I feel like after it happened, she just kinda sat there trying to process her own reaction... But she soon decided that she liked it. She liked the warm fluttery feeling she'd get in her chest as she giggled away involuntarily, the way her worries and even her usual numbness seem to fade into the background.

Mafuyu rarely asks for tickles on her own, mostly because she can never really tell when she wants it. You'll generally need to look at her body language and nonverbal cues to tell if she's in a lee mood (getting more clingy, looking at the group members' hands etc). However, if she does realise it herself, she'll ask really directly and bluntly.

Ler

You cannot convince me that Mafuyu doesn't have a teasing side. She probably doesn't realise it herself, sure, but I feel like she gets some amusement out of seeing the other members' reactions when she scares them, or otherwise uses her bluntness to mess with them.

As such, she'll occasionally give the others (especially Ena) random pokes when they're working in the SEKAI, often as a way of getting their attention. She's aware of everyone's weak spots and uses that to her advantage to make the other girls jump, all while staring at them with that deadpan expression as if she had no idea what she just did.

On the other hand, Mafuyu never full-on tickles someone unless they ask for it. Which can be a bit frustrating (once again, especially for Ena) when one of her pokes happens to put the other into a lee mood, hehe...

Mafuyu's actual tickles can be described as calculated. They're not teasing at all - they're just very focused on the spots and movement patterns that get the biggest reaction. Not to mention, she'll probably just be staring blankly and silently at the lee's face the entire time (maybe they'll spot a tiny hint of a mischievous smile if they're lucky).

Ena

Lee

Ena's ticklishness is above average, but not as bad as Kanade. However, she's dramatic enough that you'd think she has it worse.

Ena's most ticklish spot is her tummy. Just poking her there in the right way is enough to get her to squeal, which is very amusing (if you can deal with the very flustered and disgruntled hedgehog she becomes after). She's very embarrassed about her weakness, and will never forgive Akito for tipping Mizuki off about it.

Ena's response to light tickles is to try and act like she finds it more annoying than ticklish, but she's not very good at it. Like, she'll complain, cross her arms and all that, but the effect is kind of ruined by how she's interrupting herself with snickers and twitches. Sometimes, she'll also try to slap the hand away, but never hard enough to hurt.

Firmer tickles give a much more dramatic response. She'll squeal a lot, flail around like crazy and yell for the person to stop, all while her face is adorably red from embarrassment. Still, she'll never directly acknowledge how much it's affecting her - in fact, she'll try her best to avoid saying the word "tickle" at all. She'll pretty much just die on the spot if you do the thing where you don't stop until she admits that it tickles (any tease will get a good reaction out of her, though).

Ena has one exception to this, and that's with Kanade. If it's Kanade who's tickling her (and no one is watching), Ena becomes an affectionate little puddle of giggles. She'll still get all flustered and might protest weakly a little, but she'll be much more openly happy. This way, we can see how Ena actually doesn't mind getting tickled, and that her tsundere attitude is just too strong to let it show normally.

Ena will NEVER ask for tickles. She does get into lee moods on occasion, and she'll try her very best not to let it show when it happens. It never works though, because her groupmates are all so darn observant.

Ler

As funny as it is to see Ena's reaction to being tickled silly, you'd better be prepared to be counterattacked if you dare to attempt it (unless you're Kanade, of course). Ena is very much the type to get herself some sweet revenge, and oh boy, she can be brutal.

Ena's pretty good at firm tickles in general, but it shows the most when she's doing it as payback. She will squeeze and scribble her victim's weak spots relentlessly while scolding/teasing them until they apologize. Of course, she's also mindful enough to make sure her victim has enough room to breathe and that they aren't actually getting upset and all that.

Honestly, tickling others is just good stress relief for Ena in general - rather than trashing her art supplies, she can just squeeze someone's sides and tummy to let all that frustration out, and her anger often doesn't last very long when she's distracted by the sound of the lee's laughter. Poor Akito in particular has been a victim of Ena's "tickle-venting" on more than one occasion.

When Ena's not out for (metaphorical) blood and is just feeling playful, she sometimes likes to use her brushes for tickling. Just little paint tattoos in places like on the knees or wrists, sometimes even on the belly if she feels up to it. She finds it especially amusing how the other person will try so hard to stay still while they're obviously trying not to squirm or giggle. (It also makes her feel somewhat affirmed that they care enough about her art to try not to ruin it, but who needs to know that?)

Once again, Ena makes a sort of "special exception" for Kanade (I swear I'm not biased towards Kanaena, they're just actually soft towards each other like that). Ena always keeps her tickles a lot more gentle when it comes to Kanade, though she sometimes can't help but throw in a few light ticklish squeezes as a sort of cuteness aggression. She's also a lot less teasing and more affectionate with her.

On that note, Ena's probably the most prone to ler moods out of the four girls, and her target is usually Kanade if she feels like being more gentle, or Mafuyu if she wants to go a little rougher. She'd once considered tickling Mizuki to sate her ler mood before, but was careful not to when she learned that Mizuki wasn't comfortable with it (this was before the secret was revealed).

Mizuki

Lee

Okay, Mizuki is a bit of a complicated case. This is because Mizuki instinctively isn't the most comfortable with being touched (she usually prefers being the one initiating it), mostly due to past trauma from bullying and in fear of her secret being revealed to someone. So, she's most comfortable being tickled by people who have known for a long time, like Rui, An or her sister Yuuki. With N25, it's still a work-in-progress, but she's trying her best.

Mizuki's most ticklish spot is her sides. I dunno, it just feels right to me. I can definitely imagine Yuuki gently squishing a younger Mizuki's sides as she helps her try on outfits.

Mizuki's tickle laugh is on the bubbly side. It's also higher pitched and less controlled compared to how her normal, playful laugh sounds. She squeals sometimes if she's feeling ticklish enough, but not as much as Ena. She squirms a roughly average amount.

Unfortunately, it can take a bit of doing to get Mizuki to actually let her laughter out if your name isn't Rui or Yuuki. Since she's not used to being vulnerable around most people, she tends to get all flustered and hold in her laughter when tickled by any of the N25 girls, sometimes even with people like An. Once she does manage to relax, she definitely enjoys it, though.

Mizuki's lee moods tend to be an extension of her need to be emotionally vulnerable. To her, it's a sign of trust on both sides, and a reassurance that the ler accepts her for who she is. Rui's usually the person she turns to for this, or Yuuki if she's around.

Now, a special section to talk about her progress with N25! After her secret was revealed, Mizuki tried her best to become more open about her feelings with the others. She still gets pretty nervous, though, and often needs a bit of reassurance to open up... So imagine everyone's surprise when she admitted she was in a lee mood. The other members quickly understood that Mizuki's lee moods are more of a a "seeking comfort" thing rather than a "playful" thing, and were as such very gentle and caring with her throughout the tickle session.

Ler

On the contrary, Mizuki is a little gremlin when it comes to giving tickles. She loves just briefly scribbling her fingers over her friends' ticklish spots to tease them, especially people who give good reactions like Ena. Said person doesn't need to know her secret, since this is kind of just a part of Mizuki's mischievous personality.

Mizuki doesn't really do tickle "sessions" most of the time, it's more just random pokes and prods as part of a normal interaction. This is partially because she's scared of going too far, especially with the risk of the person retaliating. See above for why Mizuki really doesn't want to be tickled randomly.

This doesn't mean Mizuki doesn't have chances to throw in some verbal teasing. She'll often smirk and comment on the other's reactions after a quick tickle (while making a little bit of distance to prevent a counterattack).

Mizuki does get playful ler moods occasionally, where she starts wanting to actually full-on tickle someone, to see their funny/cute reactions as she teases them and sends them into fits of giggles rather than just the startled yelps her normal method gets. She's learned to restrain herself, though, and instead, she'll just do the little tickles more frequently.

Once again, that isn't an issue with people she's already comfortable with. While it didn't really happen with Rui (Mizuki never really got ler moods during the bulk of the time they spent together), Mizuki's definitely tickled Yuuki before just for fun, the two of them playfully roughhousing.

In terms of getting more willing to do it with N25, this could have actually started before the secret was revealed. At one point, Kanade noticed Mizuki was poking her on and off more than normal and asked her about it. Mizuki rationalised that Kanade probably wouldn't retaliate anyway, so she decided to just let herself have some fun.