Author's Note: Heeeyyyyyyy! I'm a little early! I had this idea for a whole week, and I just decided to write it. It came to me really fast. I will say this type of tickle fic is extremely different than any other tickle fic I've written thus far, so I'd really like feedback on if you enjoyed it so I know to include more of Thomas's friends. I just love his friends so much and want to include them in my fics in the most respectable way possible. Since they already did a video that set up a good tickle scenario perfectly, I went with it! As always I hope you enjoy! <3

The Je Ne Sais Quoi

Words ~ 1665 ~

(When I involve Thomas's friends in fics, there will be NO ships. I just wanted to get that across. I don't ship real people.)

Warnings: Includes Thomas's friends, The Critic, slight cussing, slight caps. Let me know if I missed something.

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     "All of that being said...I think I have my decision." Quil and Adri shifted nervously on opposite sides of the couch as they watched their critic pace slowly back and forth, seemingly watching their every move. Occasionally they would glance at each other, trying to impose a false sense of security to obscure their true feelings to the opponent. For a moment, all was silent until the Critic, or Dice, had changed his walking path to the award that stood before them a few feet away.

    "It has all come down to this..." He adjusted his glasses and wrapped his scarf around himself even tighter. No one could tell where he was looking and it made the situation much more ominous as he picked up the trophy resting along the back wall. The critic walked back with such prestige, taking his time to increase the anticipation for the announcement of the winner. Quil rubbed her hands together as Adri coughed into her elbow.

     "I have in my hand the award for the best taste in Barbie Movies. And do you know who it goes to?" He slipped his glasses down his nose, in order to better look both of the contestants in the eye.

     "...No?" Questioned Adri meekly.

     "You're right. You don't know. Because I haven't told you yet, and I'm not going to." The Critic smiled wickedly.

     "What?" Quil deadpanned.

     "Not until, I've judged the Je Ne Sais Quoi..." He paused for dramatic effect while Adri and Quil both exchanged confused looks.

     "But...you just said that you didn't know what the category was..." Quil stated.

     "Yeah." Adri agreed.

     "You're right. I didn't, but now I do. You see when I added that little rubric segment into my requirements, I wanted it to be a surprise. Even for me, because I knew I would come up with something on the spot. And on the spot, I have come up with it!" He raised the trophy and set it down in front of him.

     "Here's the dealio. Okay? Adri, you won the best taste in Barbie Movies, but you can still lose your title to Quil if you aren't careful." For a split second, Adri felt joy, but immediate fear afterwards.

      "The Je Ne Sais Quoi has nothing to do with Barbie Movies. Think of it like Mario Kart and you've just hit a question box. The Je Ne Sais Quoi is what you received and you must make the most of what you've been given. Quil, if you win this then the title will befall to you. Now, are you both ready to know what the Je Ne Sais Quoi is?"

     "No, I just want my trophy." Adri frowned.

     "Excuse me, who still has 'the' trophy because you technically haven't 'won' it yet?" Quil stopped him.

     "Okay okay. Fine. Just tell us what it is." Dice grinned and leaned towards them.

     "You will both compete in a tickle fight. This is the Je Ne Sais Quoi." Their eyebrows raised at the irregularity of the challenge.

     "What..." Adri couldn't hold back a giggle.

     "The first person who can get their opponent laughing and unable to tickle back for 10 seconds straight (gay) wins the trophy. I will be counting." Adri and Quil looked at each other, then looked back at Dice.

     "You're serious." Quil hadn't been tickled in years.

     "Of course, I'm serious. I wear a scarf."

     "Thought that was neckt-"

     "ANYWAYS," The critic cut them off. "I will give you five seconds to get into an offensive, tickling position and from there you tickle each other silly! The rules are simple. All clothes stay on except for shoes and socks, but hands may tickle skin if need be. To win, you need to pin your opponent and tickle them for 10 seconds without them being able to tickle you back. Are you ready?" The critic winked and slipped on his glasses again.

     Quil and Adri reluctantly got off the couch and faced each other. Adri wiggled their fingers teasingly at Quil. "I'm gonna tickle you..." Quil just laughed.

     "Really? You think I'm ticklish." Adri threw her hands up in the air in confusion.

     "I don't know, maybe! I guess I'll just have to find out." Quil smiled and looked at Dice.

     "I think we're ready."

     "Alright. Three...two...one...TICKLE!" Quil was the first to try and tickle, since Adri was feeling a little shy. She reached out and poked Adri in her ribs.

      "Poke." Adri flinched and moved backwards a little, but then reached out to poke Quil's tummy.

     "Poke." Quil laughed.

     "I'm not ticklish there." She then reached out and squeezed Adri's sides, causing them to squeak.

     "Hey! No fair!" Adri then pressed into Quil's hips, and her opponent faltered a bit.

     "What? Every tickle spot is fair game." Quil rushed toward Adri and tried to capture them in a hug, but they quickly scurried away.

     "Aaa! Nooonononononono!" Quil gained a sense of pride, watching as she was obviously winning the Je Ne Sais Quoi with her opponent on the run.

     "Where you going Adri? Don't you want your trophy?" Adri crawled on top of the couch away from Quil's tickling fingers.

     "Me knowing I already won is good enough! I don't need a stupid trophy to tell me that. And I don't need to partake in any of whatever shit this is!" The critic laughed, watching as Quil approached their sofa perch.

     "But physical proof, Adri. You will have something to show for it." Adri almost fell off the couch, when Quil began poking their sides again.

     "My words should be enough! AAH! Hehehehehheheheeyy!!" Quil reached up into adri's armpits and wiggled her fingers, watching as Adri wasn't able to balance theirself anymore. They toppled onto the sofa cushions.

      Quil grinned at the sudden advantage of Adri's position, or so she thought. Adri was able to get their bearings before her hands met her sides again, and they slid their hands underneath Quil's shirt to knead her hips.

     "AH! Youhohohohohoho!" Quil grasped Adri's side again with one hand and skittered along her ribs with another. They squealed and instantly retracted their hands to defend against the tickling once again.

     Adri was laughing quite a lot now, but still fighting back. Quil saw her chance to act when Adri rolled over to protect her front side. She sat on Adri's backside quickly, before they could roll back over and began to remove their footwear. Adri began to thrash and kick, but was unable to move from their spot.

     "AAAAAHAHAHA NOHOHOHO!" Quil had trapped both of her feet in a head lock and was now spidering their socked soles with her nails. The critic noticed Adri was helpless and began to count to 10.

     "1...2...3...4..." They continued to snort and squeal, especially when Quil tickled their toes and ankles. "5...6...7..." Adri knew it was hopeless from the beginning. They couldn't even land one really good tickle on Quil and only wanted this torture to end. "8...9..." At this point, Adri had stopped fighting, and was now crying with laughter. Tears springing from their eyes as they were relieved by the last number called out by the critic. "...and 10!" Quil ceased her tickling and got off Adri, helping their exhausted body off the couch.

     The critic began to clap. "Well done, Quil! You won the Je Ne Sais Quoi! I was hoping this would happen." Adri and Quil both frowned.

     "What? So I wouldn't win?" Adri shot back and they saw the tiniest bit of hurt, creep up behind the Critic's glasses.

     "Actually..." He began. "At the beginning of the Barbie Movie challenge, I said I was going to judge you on the Je Ne Sais Quoi. But, that wasn't necessarily true." The critic took off his glasses, and looked at them like Thomas would look at his friends.

     "Although I am a critic, I have a hard time awarding something to one person without giving awards to the other people participating. Especially if they are my dearest friends. I wanted to give whoever hadn't won a trophy at the end another chance at winning. So I created the Je Ne Se Quoi as a fail safe, so both of you would be winners today." The critic turned on his heel and went behind the black room divider, only to walk out with a second trophy in his hand.

     "So no. I had no intention of giving Adri's trophy away to you Quil. They still have the best taste in Barbie Movies, but now you, Quil, are a champion! The champion of tickle wars!"

     "Awww...that's sweet." Quil took the trophy in hand and nodded with satisfaction when the critic gave Adri their trophy.

     "Yes! I'm still the barbie movie master." They fist pumped the air and Dice chuckled.

     "Indeed you are."

     "So...the Je Ne Se Quoi was just an excuse to give out a second trophy, so that both of us could win?" Quil questioned.

     The critic smiled again. "It's the Thomas in me." He put his glasses back on.

     "But that means you lied..." Adri shared mischievous glances with Quil.

     "A couple times actually..." Quil agreed.

     Dice already saw where this was going and tried to defend himself. "Hey now. I did it for a good reason."

     "Tickling, really?" Quil took a couple steps forward as the critic took a couple back.

     "Hey, I was trying to think up something off the fly!"

     "I'm sure I could think up something off the fly." Adri and Quil smirked before rushing at the Critic.

     "GET HIM!" They tackled Dice to the ground and began to tickle him just as they had done to each other, the trophies left on the table side by side.

     Maybe it was just a weird situation. Or maybe there was no real reason the critic added Je Ne Sais Quoi as a required area to judge. But one thing was certain to all of them: the only trophy of true value is friendship.

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Author's Note: Heyyyyy! Yeah! Different right? Again please comment if you enjoyed so I know to include more of his friends. I'll probably only base the tickle situations off videos they've done before so it's not a foreign situation if that makes sense. As always, I love you guys and I'll see you this weekend for another tickle fic! The next tickle fic I'm going to write is a pairing I've never written before. I hope it goes okay because I don't ship it myself, but I know a lot of other people do...okay fine its Moceit. I'm...I'm gonna write a moceit tickle fic next. Alright, see y'all later!! Byeeee! Ceffy out! <3 <3