Stories Served With A Smile

—

The fear of open water is known as thalassophobia. I learned that from one of the captains of the aircraft carrier a while back.

It was never something I really knew I had, considering I rarely ever found myself in situations where I’d be so far out on an ocean, that no land could be seen in any direction.

Despite the fear, the upper deck of the carrier was one of the few places I could go to catch my breath, collect my thoughts, and enjoy some silence.

I’ve been there most of the evening. Honestly, I completely lost track of time. I had only come back to my senses as I noticed the last glimmer of our dying sun had long since dipped below the horizon

How long has I been standing here in the dark..?

My watch promptly told me that I’d been there a while. It was well past midnight.

In any case, I absolutely was not interested in being on the deck with a pitch black sky, and endless void ocean coming to meet it right in the middle. I stood, took a breath of the cool, salty air, and started for the lower deck of the vessel.

I passed a few clocks on the walls on my way down the long corridor, each of them, seeming nearly to scream at me that it was, in fact, WAY too late for me to be wandering around. I ignored them all, as I pushed my way into the crew lounge, standing for a moment in the doorway, enjoying the rare, and absolute silence.

I make my way over to the bar, planting my hands on the counter as I look out over the array of weirdly shaped bottles along the wall. It’d would be really sad for me to drink alone at this hour…

Good thing I don’t drink.

Behind the counter, there’s also a fountain drink dispenser. The kind you’d see at a fast food restaurant. I grab myself a cup, and nudge it against the metal lever that dispenses sprite.

I set the drink down on the counter as if I were serving someone else. “Here you are.” I mutter before walking back around, and taking a seat on one of the barstools.

“Why thank you” I reply to myself, taking a sip of the sprite.

I spend a few long moments staring into the cup, watching bubbles of carbonation form, float to the surface, and burst. The silence is peaceful.

No more than a minute later, I hear the door to the lounge open. I jolt, spinning around to see Stratt walking in, eyes glued to her phone.

I stiffen up my posture. Of all people?! Really, Stratt?!

“Oh- h-hello- Sorry, I hope I didn’t disturb you. I know lights out was hours ago-“ I say, unsure of how I should be acting, deciding in ultra-polite and proper.

Stratt raised a hand, giving me a nod as if to say “no need for that.”

I relaxed, slouching back over my cup on the bar table, resting my cheek on my hand.

Stratt took the chair beside me, sitting so that her back faced the bar, her gaze toward the rest of the empty lounge. We sat in understood, peaceful silence for a few moments.

“You are up late, Dr. Grace.“

“Yeah… lost track of time. A little stressed, and can’t sleep.“

“ me neither. Most nights I can’t.”

“… I’m… Sorry to hear that.”

“Hm.”

Stratt hummed in reply.

“A bit late for drinking, no?”

I smile awkwardly, lifting my cup, tilting it towards her. “Oh, no… It’s just sprite. Never been much of a drinker. Want some?“ …What a dumb question.

Stratt huffed. The closest thing I’d ever seen to a laugh out of that woman. To my surprise, she took the cup from me, peering into it for a few seconds.

“It’s not… It’s not poisoned, if you’re worried about that.”

“ I know, you just drank from it yourself. Habit, I suppose.”

That worried me for some reason, but maybe that’s something we can unpack another time.

Stratt took a long sip of my sprite, cringing as she did.

“What?!” I chuckle, tilting my head.

“Why is it so sweet? Is this how all American soda is?” She set the cup back in front of me.

I snort, picking it up myself. “Yeah, pretty much. You know if you want a reliable fuel source, maybe you should give Mountain Dew a try. Untapped potential right there. A liter of that battery acid could probably power a space station for a year..” I say with a smile.

Stratt hums again in reply, but her gaze drifts. I follow her eyeline to on a world map tacked onto the wall on the other side of the lounge. I think I’ve lost her.

I spin around on my barstool so that we’re both facing the same way.

“What’s up?” I soften my voice, slouching down to meet her gaze.

A long, heavy silence passes.

“ You know of Atlas, yes? The… figure. Not the map.”

I raise an eyebrow. A little random. Definitely didn’t expect mythology of all topics, but I humor her anyway. “Yeah, the guy that holds the Earth on his shoulders. The Greek titan.”

“ Yes, the carrier of the Earth and the heavens.” She pauses, looking over to me with just about the most exhausted pair of eyes I’ve ever seen. “It is hellish work, truly. To carry all that is, was, and will be on one’s own shoulders.”

I can see where this is going. I sigh, steepling my fingers under my chin, resting my elbows on my knees.

“ I bet you feel a lot like him right now, huh? I mean, from the outside, looking in, I’ve got to admit, the whole ‘ I can make any country do whatever I want as long as it’s to save the world’ does look pretty cool, but… It is a lot to ask of one person.”

Silence falls between us again.

“But for what it’s worth, what you’re doing, is something no one else on this planet could pull off. And I think that’s something to be proud of, y’know? You’re badass. Overworked, but badass.”

I hesitantly put my Hand on Stratt’s shoulder.

“And more importantly, you don’t have to carry the world by yourself. I mean- you’ve got an entire team here on the ship to support you. You’ve got allies all over the world all sharing the same goal.”

I pause.

“You have me.”

I smile, swueezing her shoulder gently, and pushing her playfully to the side.

“If I can give my honest advice, if you want to lessen the pressure you feel that’s suffocating you, you’ve gotta learn to rely on others to share the burden with you.”

Since when was I an on-board therapist? Wish I could give myself that kind of advice.

Stratt is quiet for a while, and I let go of her shoulder. Her posture loosened a little bit, and I couldn’t quite tell if she was glad I moved my hand, or disappointed.

“Thank you, Dr. Grace. For the advice.” Her response was distant, her focused had dropped from the map, to the floor, but I could tell she internalized my words, which made me happy.



“Can I get you a drink? A soft drink- it is… really late.”

“I shouldn’t. Far too much sugar for this hour.”

“What’re you tryin’ to say?” I raise my arms in mock defense.

She looks over at me, giving me a once over, before looking forward again.

“Not a problem for you. You need the calories.”

She mutters the last part to herself as I stand up to pour her a sprite.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing.”

I chuckle, returning to my seat, handing her the cup. She nods in thanks, taking a sip

“For your information, I’m not that skinny. I’m just tall. More room for-“ I gesture to myself “distribution.”

Stratt chuckles quietly, looking to the side. I beam, leaning forward to get a look at her face.

“Did you just laugh?! Did I just make Eva Stratt laugh?!” I smile wide. Stratt waves me off, shaking her head, but I know what I saw.

She raises her cup to cover her mouth, clearly embarrassed by the attention, but I didn’t care.

“It’s the sugar in your damned soda.” She mutters into the styrofoam.

“Ha! That’s a myth! Sucrose does NOT cause hyperactivity, thats a lie peddled by health conscious parents. Don’t get into a fun fact fight with a middle school science teacher. It’s a fight you will ALWAYS lose.” I grin, annunciating my point with a gentle jab to Stratt’s ribs with my elbow, to which she jerks away.

I straighten up, the smile dropping from my face. That was a pretty strong reflex. Did I hurt her-?

“Woah-! Sorry, sorry- did that hurt?” My eyebrows knit together as I awaited a reply

She shook her head with a thin smile that I could only see when her hair moved out of the way. A smile?

Why is she still smiling? Why did she flinch so hard?! What should I be apologizing for, if anything?! I- …ohhhhh.

I regain the smile on my face, gently nudging her in the ribs again, this time earning a quiet gasp of surprise in addition to the same jolt from before.

And she’s still smiling.

“Stratt. Are you ticklish?” I can’t hold back a laugh, as I fold my arms, leaning back against the bar. As fascinating as the information was, I didn’t want to push it.

“Most everyone is. Why is that shocking?” She indirectly answers the question, but I still get my answer.

“Mmm, 77% of the population. Majority, but not ‘most everyone.’” I say with a shrug. Stratt throws me a confused look.

“Fun facts. Full of ‘em.” I smile. “Anyway it’s shocking because you don’t seem like you’d be in that majority.” I say, taking another drink of my sprite.

“And you seem like you are part of the majority.” I choke on my drink. She says it just as coldly as she says everything else, but it still catches me wildly off guard.

“W-what?” I feel my ears and neck burning, and I can only imagine my face is just as red.

“Am I wrong?”

“What makes you think I’m in the majORITY- hehey!” She pokes me hard in the side. I rub the area with my hand. Her nails are sharp.

“It appears I’m correct.” She says. I laugh incredulously, shaking my head.

“You know what?” I reach over, grabbing her around the shoulders, pulling her toward me like you would if you were about to give your little sibling a noogie, but instead, with my other hand, I gently claw at Stratt’s side. I leave plenty of slack for her wo wriggle free if she wants to, but she doesn’t.

I’ve never heard Stratt laugh before, aside from the occasional, polite, heavy huffs, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Apparently, she hiccups?

“Dit is dwaas-!” She barks out between hiccuping laughter.

“I don’t speak Dutch, Stratt.” I chuckle, continuing to scratch at her side. She leans further into my chest as she loses her grip on her own stool. I chuckle, scooting us both over so that she can regain a point of contact with her barstool. All the while, I don’t let up, making a rigid claw tith my hand, and vibrating it against her ribs.

“If you wanna say something, unfortunately you’ve gotta say it in English for the stupid monoglot can understand.” I chuckle.

Stratt hiccups, grabbing my hand with a solid grip. “Enohohough!” She struggles to get the word out.

At the signal, I release her, sitting up, with my hands beside my head in a surrender position. I feel a slight burn in my wrist. Stratt points to the same place. “Apologies.” She says, straightening her cardigan.

I look to my arm, and there are two, short, cat-like scratch marks in my arm, apparently where Stratt’s nails had caught me. I shrug.

“No big deal. No worse than a cat scr-AH-! Oof-! Jesus, Eva-!” I cough out as Stratt took my momentary distraction to body slam me to the floor with a hollow thud. I looked up at the woman, frankly terrified.

“Stratt.” She corrected me firmly as she loomed over me, blocking the ceiling light like a storm cloud. My face twisted from pain, to confusion.

“Hang on- you call me Ryland sometimes, why can’t I call you Eva?” I squint at her. Not out of intrigue- my glasses flew off in the fall, and I couldn’t make out any part of her aside from a silhouette.

She doesn’t reply, delivering a sharp jab to my stomach. I gasp and kick a leg out. It’s only now I notice that Stratt has me effectively pinned to the lounge floor, knelt over me like a wolf over fresh kill.

“OKAHAY-! Ok- Stratt it is.” I sputter out.

“This is a very important mission, Dr Grace. It is important that mutual respect and decorum are maintained. That includes titles.”

I scoff. “Don’t give me mission talk right now! I’m on the floor of a bar right now, this isn’t decorum!” I protest. Stratt rolls her eyes - I think, I still can’t really see - and descends a hand to my left side. I shriek, thrashing like a beached fish as her deft, sharp fingers prod and poke at my ribcage.

“AHAHA-! OW- OW-! H-HAHA JEEZ YOUR NAILS ARE SHARP. MMMPH-!” She stops, slapping both hands over my mouth.

“It’s two in the morning, be quieter.” She scolds.

“I can’t help it!” I hiss back once she releases my mouth.

With both her hands over my mouth, she had left my hands unguarded. Now was my chance to gain the upper hand.

In a very uncoordinated move, I launched my arms forward, using the momentum to sit myself up, catching Stratt’s arms before she could once again capture mine. She matches my speed, mirroring my movements.

We had each other by the elbows, pushing one against the other like a reverse tug-of-war. I gritted my teeth as I struggled against her. This lady was strong. I met her gaze, only for a moment, catching a flicker if fire I hadn’t seen from her before. She was enjoying this, damnit! At my expense!

In a split second, Stratt threw my arms to the side, knocking off my center of gravity, and sending me tumbling back to the floor, this time rolled into my stomach. She grabbed my right arm, folding it across my back, and with her free hand, she rakes her claws along my back. Thankfully, the thick yarn of my cardigan dampened most of the feeling, but not enough.

“AUGH-! HahA- OWWW.” I tried to move, but with every twitch, pivot, or lean, my arm bent a little further in the wrong direction.

“Don’t be a baby, Dr Grace.”

Why is Stratt of all people so good at play-fighting?! Does she have brothers? No matter. I endure just about as much as I can, until I feel a cold hand slip down the back of my collar, landing on my neck.

I gasp sharply. “NO. NO. NO NO NO STRATT, PLEASE, I- I’M SORRY.” I plead, my entire body tensing up. I can feel my heart beating against the floor. She seems to pause and consider for a moment, but goes on anyway.

Five, nimble fingers scratch gently along the back of my neck, and I shout. And I mean howl.

“NAHAHAHAHAAA-!! STRAHHATT-! HOLY HELL, STOHOHOP!” My voice breaks as I cackle, legs kicking furiously behind me, as I try to keep my torso still, for fear of dislocating my arm.

She squeezes a few times, just for the hell of it, and I give out. I slam my free hand on the ground much more than three times.

“ALRIHIHIGHT. OKAY. PLEASE, STOP. UNCLE. UHUHUNCLE.” My voice comes out as more of a whine.

“Uncle?” She asks

“IT MEANS STOP. GET OHOHOFF.”

Finally, she lets up. She releases my arm, and unstraddles me, standing up beside me. I curl in on myself, catching my breath for a moment, rubbing the back of my neck, before slowly rolling over, and pushing myself up off the ground.

I plop back down into my barstool, looking at Stratt like a kicked puppy.

“What was that for?! I only tickled you for like a minute!” I complain.

“One minute and thirty-six seconds. I multiplied your time by five.”

“Why?!”

“That’s how I used to play with my brothers. Habit.”

“I knew it. I knew you had sibling. No only child fights like that.” I murmur.

“Thank you.”

“For what-?”

“The distraction. I needed it.”

I smile, despite my exhaustion. “Oh- yeah. Anytime. W-well please don’t- please don’t do that all the time, but I’m happy to be a distraction when you need it.” I offer an awkward thumbs up. “It’s good to loosen up every once in a while. Especially under pressure like this.” I say.

“…But can I please ask that you don’t tell the team about this? I- I mean I doubt they’d make a big deal about it, but I just KNOW ilyukhina would-”Stratt lifts a hand.

“Consider it confidential.”

Stratt smiles softly, nodding. She makes her way behind the bar, gathering out cups, and filling them this time with water. She hands me one.

“Go to sleep, Dr Grace. Hopefully you find it easier to fall asleep now. We have much to do in the morning.” She says to me as I take my cup.

“Yea. I think I will.” I stand up, my cardigan hanging off of one shoulder. Stratt reaches towards my chest, and I flinch sharply, backing into the counter, nearly spilling my water. She pauses, breaking into a stream of quiet hiccupy laughter.

“Relax, Dr.” She turns her hand up, shaking my glasses in front of me, and shoving them into the breast pocket of my shirt. I flush.

“Oh. Right… thank you.” I smile awkwardly, patting the pocket, and starting for the door.

“G’night, Dr Colonel Lieutenant Major Madam Stratt.”

“…What?”

“You said titles were important!”

She rolls her eyes, nodding and waving.

I'm really confused.

The Hail Mary is not a big ship. It took me less than 20 minutes to explore every room after I first woke up - and that's with having forgotten to walk after not moving a muscle in over four years. Just 20 minutes.

I've been looking for Rocky for over two hours now.

"Rocky?" I call out into the dormitory that I've already checked three times.

I frown with my hands on my hips.

We both have our days when we really need our own space. For the most part, we'll usually respect it and leave the other be as well as we can, but in living quarters this small and with a roommate who can hear through walls, me-time is always more of a we-time. Surprisingly, it hasn't been too bad. We both know what the alternative is like, and I think that's given us enough perspective to not just be tolerant of each other's constant presence, but straight up clingy for it. Even this late in the game. So I'm beginning to feel small-to-medium amounts of disturbed. I might not be able to see through walls, but I've never had trouble finding him before-

"What the-!"

I snap my head around, eyes bouncing from spot to spot. I feel the hairs of my neck stand and the flesh of my arm pimple with goosebumps.

There's nothing there. Nobody there. No Rocky there. Rocky is the only person who could be on the ship. Heh.

"Okay, buddy. If you're trying to mess with me because of what I said, I'm sorry! It's not gonna work!" I call out, trying my best to keep my voice from betraying the unease I feel in my gut. I feel like I'm being watched.

Before his sudden disappearance, Rocky and I had a bit of a discussion over who, in our scenario, would be the horrific monster alien that poses an extinction threat to the other's species, and who would be the chum. We've tallied up the points so far and learned the terrifying histories of each other's evolution and special adaptations. It got more and more heated as we tied in counter with each other over and over. I'd win the balancing on one foot contest, he'd win the 'has five legs and has no need for stupid balance' contest. So on and so forth.

After a few hours of this, my blood was up. I (cockily) suggested performing a live demonstration of a perfect monster for him when we touch down on Erid. I may have said something about getting the entire Eridian race under my squishy and opposable thumb. Starting with Rocky's mother.

So now Rocky's missing. For the first hour, I worried I took it a step too far. Maybe your mom jokes are a line you just don't cross in Eridian culture, and I offended him so badly he took his new EVA suit out through the airlock because of how much space he needed from me. But now, I'm pretty sure he's messing with me. Because I've felt him watching me for a while. I just don't know where from.

It's really quiet on the ship. I've never known Rocky to be light-footed, and it's starting to get unbearable not being able to hear him. I'm about to ask Mary to start singing for me when-

All of the lights suddenly turn off, with Mary's voice piercing through the silent darkness. "Automatic lighting disabled."

Mm no. I hate this. "Uh, no no no. Lights back on, please?"

"Automatic lighting disabled. Manual override required." Her voice is so much louder in the dark.

"Manual-" I huff. "How am I supposed to manually override if I can't see anything?"

"The manual override is located in control-"

"Yes, Mary, I know." My voice wobbles in steadily growing terror. I slowly feel my way across the dormitory before I stop suddenly in the doorway - the long, black corridor in front of me.

Rocky is in the control room. That's how he did all this fudgery with the lights. My heart picks up speed, and my nerves assure me that something (Rocky! Rocky is the only other person on this ship!) will attack if I go up there. Gulp.

I back up a bit from the doorway, turning over my options in my head - which is working in significant overtime. I feel sweaty looking down the corridor, but I refuse to take my eyes off it.

Rocky is currently in the control room, but he switched the lights off like this on purpose. He knows how useless I am in the dark. And he can see through walls, so he knows exactly where I am right now and there would be no purpose in hiding. He's probably on his way to me right now, and I'm defenseless. Unless he's already at the end of the corridor just staring at me.

I squint down the corridor. Do I see his figure at the end of it? Well, whatever I'm seeing, it looks nothing like him. Too big, too still, too wrong.

My thoughts are starting to drift into stupid territory and my mind is playing tricks on me. I try to shake it off, wiping my sweaty palms on my pants and taking deep breaths. I know he's trying to scare me, so it's stupid that it's actually working. Rocky is my best friend. He's not a monster. He'd never really hurt me-

I hear the rapid sound of footsteps charging towards me from the end of the corridor. I scream, scrambling backwards as fast as I can. It's not fast enough. A shrieking invisible thing tackles me and I brace for-

A pillow softens the blow to my head from the ground. Once all my scream putters out, I wheeze from where Rocky is squeezing me tightly.

"Wh-whhhyy.." I gasp pathetically.

"Grace get too cocky. Needed to teach a lesson," Rocky's cheery, friendly voice chirps. It does good for soothing the terror bells still ringing through my head and body. So does the squeezing. "You were sooo scared. Did not know heart can get that fast!" he sings in joy.

"Ugh, whatever! I wasn't that scared," I grunt, trying to wriggle my arms free from the death hug. I can't help the small smile that forms in my relief. "I was more afraid that you were actually mad at me."

He titters at me. "You're lying. You're scared even now. Your body-nerve-system still think I will eat you," he shimmies his carapace onto my stomach, and I grunt and tense at the nuzzling. "Maybe will. Show who is the better monster."

"Ew!" I start to laugh stupidly - the energy built up from all the terror needing to be released somehow. "No, please! At least kill me first. Or start your process over there. Away from me."

My body-nerve-system has taken over and is wiggling uncontrollably, trying to avoid his consistent nuzzling. "Pf- stop it!" I snort.

"Why, question? Thought Grace not scared." He wiggles more emphatically.

"Ah- I'm not!" My knees knock against Rocky's back as my body tries and fails to curl in, my stomach feeling more sensitive the more he moves. "I'm worried your biology is going to take over and unload on accident, thinking it's dinner time. Okay- Rhhoc- hehehe- quuuit it!" I whine, embarrassed about not being able to hold back my giggling. He's doing this on purpose.

He trills a noise of offense. "You are disgusting. That could never happen. Eridians too dignified. Ripping apart prey must always come first." He moves my arms away from my body just enough to tickle my sides and, despite expecting it, I explode.

"AGH- No! hAhahaha!!" I can never really talk when he does this. What I'm trying to say is, no! hey! get off! but unfortunately all I can manage to get out is convulsive giggling. My arms snap in over and over to protect my sides, but they're blocked by his rock hands. I only succeed in bruising myself a little.

"Don't laugh," he says while laughing himself. "encourages hungry-feeling!"

Ugh. I never win this challenge. I hold my breath, clench everything, and put every ounce of willpower I have to try and contain my giggles. Surprisingly - still squirming and with my eyes squeezed shut - I almost manage it! Until Rocky moves further up into my ribs. I whimper and fall back into hysterics.

I try to flop around to deter his hands (too many hands!!! too many hands!!) but my torso can't move at all under his FAT body. My legs are free to kick in and out as much as they want at least, but it doesn't do anything to stop him either. I can't stop it.

I continue to strain, but my head falls back in resignation as I laugh. I regret it immediately. The position turns a desperate intake of breath into the loudest snort ever. Rocky stops then, but I hardly feel relief from it - he only stopped because he's laughing at me so hard that now he can barely breathe.

"G-gett offff..." I gasp through giggles. His laughter is making him shake over my stomach again, and I'm so hypersensitive that I can't stand it. I squirm to no avail.

"♫♪what♫noise♪♫♪~~!!" He dissolves back into his amusement without finishing his sentence. I burst out into full belly laughter again despite the heat in my cheeks. His giggles are so contagious. And his vibrations are still tickling me down to the bones. I think I might die. Atleast I'm taking Rocky down with me.

Mercifully, Rocky climbs off me after a minute. His legs are weakening from laughter and he doesn't want to crush me for real. I curl up the second I'm able to in a way-too-late reaction to preserve my vital organs from tickle torture.

"I see now," he giggles. "Sensitivity is good defense. You become so funny, nothing can eat you. Predators too busy laughing."

"Please be quiet," I groan. I take a steadying breath. "Alright, I admit it. You're scarier out of the two of us. You ticked all the boxes that scare humans the most. Silence, darkness, surprise attacks. You'd definitely be able to take over humanity before I can take over Erid. Your mom would destroy me."

"No," he sighs through his vents, and I frown in confusion. Rocky's not one to reject a win. "Grace scary too. Stealth is part of Eridian nature. Know how to stay silent. Not detectable," he shudders. "You detect anyway. Almost catch me many times with crazy light detectors. Scary."

I smile incredulously. Fascinating! "So, all that just for us to tie again?"

"Grace winning for now, actually. We move ticklish from weakness to strength," I gape at him, but he cuts me off. "Serious about good defense. Funny, funny, funny."

"What- that's not- it's.." I stutter helplessly. "You're ticklish too! You know what, I'm hunting you next time."

"Grace not stealthy. Cannot ever surprise Rocky."

"Humans don't hunt our prey like that anyway. We just keep following them until they get too tired to keep running," I lean in as Rocky shies away. "We get them in their sleep, you know. When they're the most vulnerable. You might hear me coming, but you won't be able to stop me."

"♫♪!" he shakes his carapace like he's snapping himself out of it, then rushes me to start poking my sides and stomach.

"He-hey!!!" I giggle and push at him.

We’re sitting around the house as I watch a movie on my laptop. I glance over to Rocky and nod slightly. I slowly shimmy myself upright, trying to look nonchalant. Rocky moves closer to Adrian, pushing against their side. I slowly turn, ready to shove my hands into one of Adrian's joints when I hear Rocky let out a squeak. I glance over and Adrian’s already got him, holding him up in the air by an arm. 

Fudge.

“Wait! H-hold on—“ I try to back up, but Adrain picks me up and pushes me and Rocky together in their lap.

“Rocky Grace too obvious.” They state as they place a claw on my stomach, squeezing. I squeal, twisting, trying to fold in on myself. I hear Rocky letting out small huffs as one of Adrian’s claws scratches along the top of his carapace. He’s desperately trying to keep any laughter in as he grabs at Adrian's hands frantically. 

“Hohohow?! W-we dihiHIDNT-AH sneheheak uhup thihis time?” I giggle through my sentences.

“Simple. Grace heart beat quicken and breath erratic. Rocky suddenly go quiet. No tinkering, fidgeting, or tapping.” They sound awfully smug. So I made too much sound, which I can't even control, and Rocky didn't make enough? This is so stupidly unfair.

I hear Rocky start to crack next to me. “Wahahait! ADRIAHAHAN NOhoho tihihickle!” He trills out, swatting at Adrian’s claw. I snort as Adrian’s hands leave me to focus on their mate. I would feel bad but they're Rocky’s mates, not mine. They can have ALL of Adrian's attention as far as I'm concerned.

They let out a hum. “So tickle okay when Adrian is tickled but not when Rocky is tickled, question?” I feel their laughter vibrate through their body as they continue their assault on Rocky. I feel the parts of his body pressed against me heat up a bit, a clear sign he's getting a bit flustered. As they bicker, I slowly try to get myself unstuck from Adrian’s lap, crawling away. If I get up, I'll be able to run—!

“Where does Grace think Grace going, question?” A squeak leaves my mouth as I feel a claw grab my middle and drag me back, squeezing along my side. Freedom was sooo close.

“Nohoho! I-I dihiHIDNT MEHEAN TOHOHOH-NO—!” I try to squirm away, pushing my legs against their body. Rocky doesn’t seem to be having much luck either. Adrian has flipped him sideways, raking his claw up and down his side as he cackles. Adrian plucks me up and pushes me back next to Rocky. I feel puffs of steam start to bellow from his vents. 

“Grace Rocky so cute!” They tease. “Think they can tickle Adrian back. So stupid. So dumb.”

I feel my face heat up, pulling a hand up to it, trying to hide. I slide down until I’m lying across the floor in infront of Adrian, and they take the opportunity to pull up my shirt, vibrating a digit into my lower belly. 

“NOHOHO NOHOT THERERE!!! ADRIAHAhahan—Plehehease!” Adrian pulls laughter from me with shockingly skilled claws. 

“Apohohology AH—APOLOHOHOGY—!!” Rocky starts pleading for our release. I hear Adrian let out more amused sounds and coos at our expense. 

“So adorable. Grace Rocky lucky Adrian busy or would tickle all day.” They slow their claws and scoop both of us up and carry us to the bed. They gently set us both down and even went back to grab the laptop, the forgotten movie still playing. They pull a blanket over me and rub at my hair while soothingly scratching at Rocky. They take such good care of us that I can't even be upset about how they tickle us to bits all the time.

I greedily suck in air, rubbing at the tingling skin of my tummy. My head lazily rolls over to Rocky and I see him relax into the bed, steam billowing from him. 

“Adrian will be back later. Have fun my loves!” They cheerfully trill as they head out the door. 

“Bye~!” I call out after them. Me and Rocky lay in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. 

“All Grace fault.” Rocky huffs out. I swing my head in his direction.

“MY FAULT?!” I scoff. “Adrian said they could tell because of BOTH of us, not just me. Not just my fault!” I pull the blanket off of me slightly and lean up on my elbows, ready to argue.

"Maybe," he giggles at my reaction. He gets up, his legs all wobbly, and plops himself by my head.

“You okay?” I ask, laying back down and pulling him into my arms. 

“Yes. Adrian gentle," he sighs and starts petting my head, slightly tugging at my hair. I hum and melt into his touch. 

“I don't think we're going to be able to get them back.” I chuckle as my eyes flutter shut in contentment. 

“Rocky have idea.” His carapace rumbles against my chest as he speaks, making me squirm.

“Oh really? Better than the one we just tried?” I joke with a huff.

“Yes…maybe. Wait until Adrian asleep. As they awake, Rocky Grace tickle. Adrian be tired. Slow from sleep. Make tickles easier.” Hmmm. That's not a terrible idea, actually. 

I specifically need to be careful trying to get Adrian back. Not as quick and a break is easier. I have to watch for flying limbs and make sure not to get a hand pinched in their joints. Doing it while they are tired and sluggish might actually be our best option.

“I think that might work, Rock.” He reaches down and starts scratching under my chin, pulling soft giggles from me. I hug him tighter, pushing my face into his carapace.

“Yes. Will try when Adrian sleep next.” They pull my glasses from my face, placing them aside as sleep tugs at my eyelids. “Now Grace sleep, statement.”

“Okay.” 

.𖥔 ݁ ˖🛸── .✦

All we have to do is wait. Adrian is sleeping while Rocky and I watch. Well, Rocky lets me go off and do what I want. He says my human boredom annoys him, which is fair. I didn't go far, just settled in the main room, working on projects for the pebbles at school. Adrian and Rocky are settled in the bedroom. I can hear the faint hums of notes as Rocky sings to Adrian as they sleep. I spin in my chair and look across the house at them. Rocky perched on top of their carapace, working on something of his own. They're so cute together.

After around an hour I hear Rocky call out. 

"Grace, Adrian start to wake.” It's so quiet I almost miss it, lost in thought. I get up and head over to them and sure enough, Adrian is starting to stir as Rocky slides off their carapace. For some reason, I suddenly get nervous, almost embarrassed, and look over to Rocky. He lets out a hum and gestures me over. He takes my hands in his claws and guides them over to one of Adrian's joints against their body. His grip is careful, patient, and even. He pulls at my fingers towards Adrian's side like he's showing me something precious.

“Here.” His voice drops into a softer hum. "Grace be gentle. All Eridians are sensitive here.”

I nod as they push into the spot and I feel Adrian's body stiffen a little at the touch. I want to be as gentle as possible, like they are with me.

“Here is good. Stay in this area. Grace hands won't be pinch here. Watch for arm though.” He lets out happy trills as I see him walk over to another spot, placing his claws along the underside of Adrian. 

“What happ—” The words barely leave Adrian before Rocky digs in. They let out a startled trill and immediately freeze. For a moment they just sit there, confused and sleepy. They try desperately to figure out why both of us are suddenly next to them, wearing the most suspicious expressions imaginable. I look back at my still hands and softly skitter my nails over the joint and feel a jolt come from them again.

“Wahahat?” They sound groggy and I can tell they're trying to get their bearings. Little hums of laughter spill from them as they try to figure out what's happening around them. I notice a claw tap lightly against the floor; I'm assuming it's to get a better look.

“Grace Rocky tickle Adrian!” Rocky squeaks excitedly. The sheer excitement in his voice almost makes me laugh. We've been planning for so long and somehow it's actually working. For once Adrian isn't three steps ahead of us. For once we're winning!

I decide to press in harder. “AH—Wahahait! Nohot fahAHAIR—!” They finally start to squirm around, though it seems they're trying to keep from hurting me and Rocky. “Sthihill tihihired!"

“I don't know, Adrian. It's not fair that you're so much stronger than us either. We just had to get a little creative!” I tease while changing my technique. I start tapping along the area and they jump again, slightly scooting away from my touch.

“GRAHahace Rohohcky noHOHO—!” They squeal, hugging an arm around themselves. I leave their joint and start knocking on their carapace and squirming more. Their laughter is deeper than Rocky's. Not as sharp. Softer. It rolls through their body in waves, vibrating through the floor beneath us. It rumbles through my body in a way I can feel, like when you feel the bass of music turned up really loud. I don't think I've ever heard them laugh this intensely hard before.

Their shell is a lovely greenish-blue color and has vast flat areas along their body. I think for a moment; I'm assuming the points and edges would be less sensitive because they're high-contact points, meaning the large, flat parts would more than likely be more sensitive. It would be harder to tell on Rocky because of how much smaller he is. Those spots are smaller and more difficult to find. I decide to try out my theory, moving to those areas. Adrian's legs shoot out and then suddenly curl underneath them, making a rather adorable noise. 

“Aw, did I find a tickle spot, Adrian?” I tease as I go back to scratching at the flat parts of the carapace. I lean over to see Rocky has now shoved their claws into one of their joints, letting out snickers. 

Holy crap, Adrian is actually losing for once.

“NOHOhoho! NohoHOT FIHIHIND—!!” They seem to finally have the strength to try and stand. I take several steps back along with Rocky and watch as their legs wobble like Rocky's do and ultimately fall back down to the floor. 

I try to come back, but they hold out one of their arms, keeping me at a distance. “Stahahy awahahay!” They giggle softly. Rocky tries to scuttle up again, claws wiggling, and it turns into Adrian frantically batting at Rocky, shielding themselves. 

You know, it would be rather easy to build a tickle device for Eridians. Instead of knocking or tapping their carapace, one of those massage gun things would work really well on them. I guess anything that rubbles or vibrates would work really well. 

“Grace!” Rocky's voice pulls me from my thoughts and I realize I've just been zoning out in their direction. 

"Yeah, bud?” They're still playfighting, so I keep my distance. Rocky has latched himself rather high on Adrian's body as they pull at one of his arms.

“Adrian have unusual tickle spot. Different from other Eridians!” Rocky triumphantly trills from on top of them. “Very sensitive!” Suddenly Adrian goes still as steam starts hissing from their vents almost immediately. Not a little. A lot. Enough that I actually start to lose sight of the edges of their carapace for a moment. 

“Oh wow.”

"Grace," Adrian's voice comes out warbled.

I grin. They're embarrassed.

That really got to them; Adrian doesn't fluster easily. “Oh really? Adrian, care to share where that might be?” I make my way back over, my hands held up like claws, a toothy grin on my face. As I step closer, they flinch, pushing backwards with their legs.

“Nohohooo!” They let go of Rocky and curl in on themselves. “Grace noho need to knowhow.” They try to sound stern, but giggles worm their way through their chords.

"Aw, what? I do think I need to know!” Amusement laces my voice as I go back to knocking on their carapace, seeing if I can get them to unfurl from the ball they've turned into. Rocky lets out a bright hum.

“Is okay. Rocky tell Grace instead!” He climbs off of them again, making his way over to me, clearly enjoying that he's winning this tickle fight.

“ROHOhoky! AH—is embahaharrassing!” they squeak out. I slow my hands to a stop.

“Is cute!” Rocky chirps back. "Adrian tickle spot on claw like human palm! Is rare for Eridians. Very adorable!” He holds open his claw, tracing where I'm assuming Adrian is ticklish. He's right, that is so freaking adorable! I hear Adrian groan, and I cant help but laugh.

“I can't believe I've never noticed; I've held their claws so often. I've been held in there like a claw so often.” I look back to see a rather large amount of steam now coming from their vents, as they are still tucked away.

“Adrian hide well. Also large. Easy to get away.” Rocky turns and grabs at Adrian's one arm, pulling like a child.“Show Grace, question.” he excitedly hums.

“W-what? No!” They twitch and try to shift away more. 

“Please? For science?” I plead, holding my hands together. Is it actually for science? Not really but how can I miss this opportunity with them?

“Yes. For science! Show Grace!” Rocky urges, tapping a claw against the floor.

“...Fine. Rocky Grace lucky Adrian love them.” I smile and a light blush makes its way to my face at the comment and they slowly uncurl their legs and place a large claw in front of me and Rocky. It slowly unclenches, and Rocky pulls it closer. Their body still seems to shy away from us on instinct.

“Across joints, many receptors. Eridians very tactile. This where Adrian most sensitive. All of open claw ticklish though.” He glides a claw across the creases and Adrian shrieks, desperately trying to stop themselves from ripping their claw away.

“EEAHAHAHA—! R-RHOHocky wahaHAIT!” Cute noises come from them as they squirm about. I take the claw in my own hand and flutter against it, feeling how tense the digits are. I decide to experiment and go back to tapping, making their legs shoot out again.

“GRAHAHACE—! TIHIHCKLES TOHO MUHUCH!” Their skin feels hot from embarrassment and I can't help but laugh at the reaction. Who knew the biggest tickle monster in this house would be so ticklish themselves?

I pinch my thumb and forefinger together and flick at the center of their palm as Rocky scratches at a knuckle, making them let out chirps of laughter. They shift back as a leg taps lightly against the ground.

After a few more moments they pull their claw away, immediately clenching it up. They finally stand, a little shaky, but they make it and stretch out their legs. 

“Rocky told Grace plan good!” Rocky adds smugly.

“Very mean. Torture Adrian right after they wake. Cruel.” They huff, but it comes out bubbly rather than upset.

I turn to head to the living room. I let out a few giggles, ready to retort, but Rocky interrupts my thoughts.

“Grace! R-Run!” he sounds frantic but giggles spill from him

But before I can even ask why, I feel pressure on my back and suddenly my feet are no longer on the floor. I turn my head and Adrian has scruffed me, like a cat, using my clothes.

“Uh—A-Adrian?” I squirm as a giddy smile fights its way to my face, already knowing my fate for pulling this on Adrian. I know exactly how this ends. We had our victory. It was nice while it lasted.

I twist and see Rocky already pinned to the floor. “Adrian also get revenge!” The playful trill in their voice tells me Rocky and I are basically done for, and I know for sure Adrian isn't busy today, so they might just tickle us all day like they threatened before.

“A-Adrian! L-Let's talk about thi—EEAHAHA—!!!”

.𖥔 ݁ ˖🛸── .✦