Ticklefic (WIP)

        "...So, where were we?" Phenix asked, taking a sip of her cocktail. The scarlet phoenix reclined on the club's couch, her brilliant plumage a sight to behold. Wearing a one-piece black bodice, an elegantly-frilled quicksilver skirt flaring beneath, the shimmering contrast gave her an air of elegant sultriness that belied her rather bubbly demeanor. Strangely enough, the seats were empty, save for the two of you.

 

        "You were telling me how a girl like you manages to come to a place like this and not be mobbed, for any one of a number of reasons. You're a hero--well, not just a hero, you're part of the Extinctioners! You're a great dancer, if earlier this evening is anything to go by, and, erm, well...you're quite attractive, if I do say so myself..."

 

        Phenix giggled, her golden eyes sparkling in the dim light of the club. "Oh dear--flattery will get you everywhere, but only if you're nice. I can read your mind, you know," she teased, winking at you before laughing as she saw you shifting uncomfortably in your seat. "Weeellll, not exactly," she admitted, her lips seeming to be permanently curved in a coy grin. "But, when you're a girl my age, you get to be pretty good at 'knowing' what someone's thinking, even without telepathy. And no, you don't get to guess my age! We'll save that for later... And as for why I'm here alone--well, I didn't really want to be bothered tonight. And it's as simple as that. If I wanted to, I could have everyone in the club eating out of my talons, but sometimes, being famous gets boring, or more accurately, it gets tiring!" she said with another tittering laugh.

 

        You found yourself smiling, despite your nervousness. This wasn't usually your scene, but the club had been playing good music, and before you knew it, you were inside, watching this--stunning goddess of a phoenix dance on the dance floor, seemingly for herself, as no one seemed to be interested, or even watching her. Seeing someone who should naturally be the star of the show so--not--piqued your interest. And you supposed that's what drew you to go talk to Phenix, despite the fact that every 'logical' thought you had said that she was far out of your league.

 

        "And besides, I just came back from a rather--well, it was a crazy mission. Alden was nearly lost, and the aliens that attacked--they were relentless. I was just glad to get back in one piece. And after all that, a girl needs a breather, you know? Say, do you see that girl over there?" she suddenly asked, taking a hard-left in the conversation. You could only mutely nod, thinking that doing anything else would be impolite. "I made her dress! Well, not me me, but Phelica LaPlume!"

 

        "Wait, that's you too?" you asked, blinking and tilting your head slightly. Then comprehension dawned, and you slapped your forehead. "Ahh, of course. You're a phoenix--that means you can transform yourself at will, right?" you asked.

 

        Phenix nodded, taking another sip from her cocktail. "Right! Ooh, there are so many fun transformations! I remember this one time, I changed into a newt--tried to convince a friend of mine that he had done it, and that he was a wizard! Oh goodness, you should have seen the look on his face!" she laughed, throwing an arm over her face.

 

        Her giggle was infectious, and you soon found yourself laughing along. The night certainly was going a lot more smoothly than you had originally envisioned it. You were glad that you brought yourself to talk to Phenix--she was a sweet girl, not to mention a knockout beauty. Watching her, your thoughts began to wander, and you blushed, instantly trying to block them out or shove them back down. Even if she couldn't exactly read minds, having her twig onto what you were thinking at that moment could only end in disaster.

 

        Though it seemed you'd escaped a fiery death, at least for now. Either she hadn't been paying attention, or found your nervousness charming, for Phenix abruptly hopped up and grabbed your arm. "C'mon!" she giggled. "Come dance with me! My song is on and if I don't dance to it, I'm gonna be kicking myself!"

 

        You started to offer some half-baked protest about not being able to dance all that well--and that was the truth--but Phenix wasn't hearing it. Laughing the whole way, she pulled you onto the dance floor just as the music hit an upbeat. Her shield--or whatever she had been doing to keep herself hidden--must have dropped, for now you could see, and more importantly, feel every eye in the club on the two of you as Phenix twirled and spun, effortlessly gliding across the glowing floor. It didn't take a telepath to sense the awe and surprise everyone seemed to have to see you with her, but no one made a move. You weren't exactly a socialite, but you knew enough about Phenix to know what she wanted, she got, without complaint. And, hell, dancing with a beautiful phoenix-girl wasn't exactly a bad way to spend the night, you thought with a slight smirk.

 

        This song was actually pretty good, you thought to yourself, and with her seemingly-limitless energy, Phenix was really the one doing all the work, almost seeming to anticipate your moves before you made them, making you look all the more coordinated. Biting your lip a little, you murmured a little "thanks" in her direction when you came close. It was obvious she was helping you look good, and it was appreciated. Abruptly pulling you close, Phenix stroked a talon under your chin. "Hey, when a girl's gotta dance, a girl's gotta dance," she replied, giving you a look that was completely innocent, and made you wonder if all of--this--was really in your imagination, but then she flashed you a playful wink, and all that innocence vanished like smoke on the breeze.

 

        The music transitioned into the next track, but Phenix didn't stop moving. Twirling around you, she smoothly slipped her arm into yours, saying, "C'mon! I wanna talk to you, get to know you better--and I can't do that with all this music rattling my ears! I've got a room in the back..."

 

        Blushing, you flashed her an unsure look, but her broad grin said it all. At this point it seemed, the night was yours to screw up. For whatever reason, Phenix had seemed to take some kind of a liking to you. A galactic-level superhero? It wasn't that you were ugly, but didn't like date like? At least by your own standards, you were pretty average. Normal job, normal house, normal life, normal looks. Shouldn't Phenix be flirting with some kind of superstar, or rich playboy or something? But your thoughts all faded away as you realized suddenly that you were in Phenix's private room, and she had shut the door with a soft clik.

       

        The music had faded to a dull thump-thump, not entirely unlike the beating of your heart at this moment--was it just you, or had Phenix's straps slid off her shoulders? Now you really didn't want her catching wind of your thoughts, or you surely wouldn't make it out of this room alive.

 

        "Hehe, hey c'mon, what's with the face? Phoenix got your tongue?" she teased, poking you in the chest with a taloned finger. "I'm sorry, I know I'm random, but I wanna get to know you better! How about this? I start off, break the ice a bit, huh? And..." she tapped her temple, giving you a bit of a lopsided smile. "It doesn't take much to see what you're thinking right now, hehe, it's written all over your face hun," she giggled again. "You know--we can see the whole club through the window here, but they can't see us. Neat, huh? Oop--sorry. Stay on track, Phenix! There's that randomness again," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. Making her way over to a plush beanbag chair, she flopped down into it, beckoning you to sit on an adjacent chair. "Y--you're right in that guys like you aren't usually my 'type', or at least what people think of as my type. Don't take that the wrong way! Oh, by the Maker I'm not very good at this. See, that's the problem. On so many levels. Yeah, I'm famous, and, yeah, to say that I'm 'rich' would probably be an understatment." She took a breath, seeming to collect her thoughts before continuing. "And I can fight, sure, and all that--but I've never gone for the 'rich and famous' crowd when it comes to finding friends. They're all interested in my accomplishments, or status, or what I can do for them...after all, dating an Extinctioner has its perks!" She laughed again, but not quite as happily as before. "And...well, I'm not as 'smooth', I guess, as some people would expect someone like me to be. You can take that for how you want." She rubbed her arm, looking down at the floor for a moment. Then she looked back at you, sparkling golden eyes seeming to stare right through you. "But when I saw you walk in tonight, and make no mistake, I noticed you the moment you got here--Phoenix, after all," she said with a smirk. "You just--piqued my interest. You weren't here to charm me, or seduce me, or just get laid...you were just here. And that kind of honesty is refreshing, I guess," Phenix said, then flopped back. "Whew! Goodness--I think that's the longest time I've talked just by myself. I'm exhausted!" she laughed, and now the 'old Phenix' seemed to be back, bringing a smile back to your face.

 

        Her humor was infectious and her good mood played on yours. Hey, if nothing else, you thought, she was a good friend, and you were getting to see a side of her that not many people did. The 'ice' having been duly broken, you felt more confident to tell Phenix about yourself, about what you did, how you ended up here tonight, and what had drawn you to her. Conversing, the time just seemed to fly by, both of you talking as if you were old friends. But there was still one subject that you managed to keep hidden in the corners of your mind, not quite sure of how best to broach the topic, or if it should even be discussed at all.

 

        "Good grief! Is it really 3am already?" Phenix laughed. "I'm sure the life of the party, sitting back here just talking to you. But hey, I've got plenty of energy. I could do this all night."

 

        You laughed and shrugged. "I'm not tired at all! Besides, talking to you has been fun." You glanced at your watch. This evening really had flown by. It had been wonderful getting to talk to her--but you weren't going to get anywhere just talking. You had to make some kind of move. What was the worst that could happen? You chuckled to yourself as your mind conjured up an image of a headline: "Pithy Perv Poached by Phenix for accusations of Podophilia". Immortal in the news. Not exactly the way you'd wanted to go, but...

 

        Suddenly, you blinked, thoughts leaping back to the real world as you heard Phenix calling your name. "Hehe, come down back to earth, hun," Phenix giggled. "You were staring quite intently at that section of wall--trying to see through it? I don't think that's a power that can be taught," she said, resting her head on her fist as she watched you blush and stammer out a response.

 

        "W-well, n-no, not exactly. I've just, well, I've got a lot on my mind right now is all." It was a lame excuse, and there was no way she was going to buy it, but it was all you could come up with.

 

        "Hey now, I thought that was my thing; getting distracted at whatever shiny floats by," Phenix teased. She leaned in towards you, and any doubts that she wasn't teasing you on purpose floated away. The question now was, just how did she want you to react? "So...you gonna tell me all that's on your mind? Or--do I have to get it out of you another way? After all, I'm quite well versed in certain methods of interrogation..." She held out her hand, and a small ball of flame leapt into being, floating above her palm. It looked like a miniature sun, not much bigger than a large marble. Even from here, though, you could feel the heat radiating off of it. Was she seriously thinking of using that on you? This was how it was all gonna end? You grit your teeth, wondering just what you had gotten yourself into, when...

 

        Was Phenix laughing? Goodness--well, at least you could provide her with comic relief, if nothing else. She dispelled the fireball and had flopped back on her beanbag chair, hooting uproariously at her own joke. "By the Makers you should see the look on your face!" she laughed. "You seriously thought I was going to torch you!" Regaining her composure, she leaned back in again, practically nose-to-nose with you. "Hun, I'm part of the Extinctioners. We're not in the habit of torturing civilians," she murmured with a wink. "Besides--something else I noticed about you when you came in here, part of what I was saying before--you've got a good heart. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. You're not the type to take advantage of a woman. If you were, you wouldn't have gotten this far with me. So, tell me. What's got you so distracted?"

 

        Well, this was it. It was now or never. You could lie, say something stupid, and maybe just leave and chalk this up to one weird night. And Phenix would know, and you'd probably really tick her off at best. Or--you could tell her the truth. And you had no idea how that would turn out. Taking a deep breath, you managed to look her square in the eyes for the first time that evening, and you were struck by just how--beautiful she was. It wasn't that you hadn't noticed, but it was like saying a movie star was beautiful. Of course they were, everyone said so. But this--wow was the only thing that came to mind. Her golden eyes, piercing and soft in the same moment, looked back at yours. Her magnificent scarlet and goldenrod plumage, and those awe-inspiring wings, folded neatly behind her. "I--w-well I was wondering if you were...ticklish," you finally manage to say.

 

        At first, Phenix laughed. "Ticklish?" She gave a little snort of surprise and incredulity. But then, she paused, and you weren't sure if it was a trick of the light or not, but the areas around her cheeks seemed to be a bit redder than usual. "Hmm...I--I actually don't know..." she murmured softly, and you thought that this absolutely had to be a first. Phenix of the Extinctioners at a loss for words. "I-uh, that's not something that gets asked of me. Ever."

 

        Well, you weren't dead. But you had clearly stuck your foot in your mouth. "W-well, I'm sorry," you mumbled in reply. "I should just go..." You started to push to your feet to leave, but Phenix laid a hand on your shoulder. Her grip was incredibly strong, and you had to resist the urge to wince in pain.

 

        "Wait."

 

        You blinked, frozen in place, not daring to move.

 

        "Hold on." Phenix threw out her hands, and suddenly, shutters on the window overlooking the club slid shut with metallic clanking, the door to her room locked, and it seemed that her personal 'shield' of sorts was back up again, for the walls of the room shimmered with an almost-invisible blue glow. Then, she spun you around, fixing you with a firm gaze. "Whatever happens tonight, it does not leave this room. Understand?"

 

        This was such a change from the silly and flirty Phenix of earlier, all you could do was gape like a fish for a few moments before stammering out a wavered "Yes ma'am!"

 

        "Mmm...sorry..." Phenix murmured, softening and looking away. "Like I said earlier, there are times when I'm not so good at just--being 'normal'. But--you know how something like this would look if it got out. I've got a reputation to keep up. And I guarantee something like this would be in all the newspapers the very next day. So...I need to know I can trust you. Can I?" Her grip on your shoulders had softened, and she looked at you with a strange expression. One of--nervousness. This amazonian beauty, who had the power to tear stars asunder, was--unsure of this? That was new. But now that you were here, you absolutely couldn't betray her trust.

 

        "You can trust me," you replied, trying to muster the most reassuring smile you could. It seemed to work; Phenix flashed you a slightly smaller smile back, then made her way back over to the beanbag chair.

 

        "So...how did you want to start this?" she asked. Then, after a moment, she snapped her fingers. "Ooh, I think I've got an idea! Heh, these talons are good for grabbing things, but they're probably not very ticklish..." she giggled. One experimental scritch of her talons against the 'soles' of her feet, and she shook her head. "Nope! Can't feel a thing. But hold on..." Closing her eyes, Phenix channeled her power, and with a rush of light and energy, instead of Phenix sitting before you, was her alter-ego, Phelica. "Now...these feet should be much more ticklish," she giggled, giving her toes an experimental wiggle.