Memories
Submitted by bexorok:
(A/N: yes I know the dome isn’t sound proof in canon but shhhhhhhh, let me have this. Also, I had to write this because I sometimes think of this moment and start crying about how much the nein love eachother)
…
Caleb Widowgast wasn’t the best at communicating his feelings. He was the type that rarely talked about them, instead electing to keep them tucked away. That didn’t mean that he loved his friends any less, just that he was never sure how to let them know.
When the nein found themselves on an island that was slowly siphoning away their memories, he knew he had to do something, anything, to prevent them from forgetting. He had the benefit of photographic memory to know if something went missing, but his companions didn’t have any means of keeping track of their memories. And what better way to remember precious moments with friends than a photo collage? With a combination of his magic and perfect memory, he created a floating, living photo album within the confines of the magic dome.
It was amazing what could be done with just a little bit of Jade and magic. He could barely contain his excitement as he showed Veth what he created for them, followed by welcoming in the rest of his companions.
Upon entering the dome, they found themselves surrounded by swirling images of amber, documenting moments throughout their journey together. Images of them all sitting around a bonfire, pictures of a mischievous tiefling tying shoelaces together and drawing dicks on walls, of a goblin snuggled up with a scruffy wizard, of turtles tormenting Fjord, of Caduces brewing tea, of Beau majestically running up trees, of Yasha playing her harp, and of Molly smirking as he twirled his swords. Everywhere they looked, they could spot something different.
They gazed up in amazement at Caleb’s creations. No, Caleb wasn’t very good at telling people how he felt, but with each image lovingly crafted and playing before his friends, these memories that were painstakingly tweaked to perfection, were a testament to how much they meant to him, and they perfectly displayed just how much they all loved each other.
Vilya could see the way each of their eyes lit up at each photo they saw. Clearly, this was a personal moment she didn’t want to intrude on. After the day they had, they deserved a little alone time to simply enjoy each other's company, so she told them she would do one final perimeter check to make sure there was no danger nearby. She would make sure to not venture too far, but far enough that she didn’t feel like she was prying.
Turning in for the night, they sat back to relax, basking in one another's company. They looked up at the dome ceiling, like star gazing on a clear night, reminiscing on each memory that floated by.
“Look, Fjord!” Jester pointed up to a spot at the ceiling, “it's that time Caleb made you look like you were only wearing a robe while we were all walking back from the bathhouse!”
She was laying her head on Fjord's shoulder as they both sat, making it easy to guide him to the glowing orb jetting by.
Fjord sighed as he stared up at the recreation of his humiliation floating above, a frame where he’d been waving to a passerby, unaware of his appearance, while the rest of the nein smirked in the background. “Yes, it’s like it happened just yesterday.” He glared at Caleb, who gave a small shrug and a smile.
“Aw, and that’s the first time we all cuddled up in the dome together.” Another image floated close to her, this one of them all curled up close together, Caduces and Yasha in the center with their arms wrapped around everyone under the safety of the dome's gentle light.
Beau was laying with her arms behind her head next to Fjord and Jester, relaxed until she noticed a particular image floating around.
“Why did you make that one?” She frowned at a picture depicting her being shot in the butt by Nott, who got way too competitive for what was supposed to be a “friendly” race up a tree…
Caleb was seated a couple feet away, just far enough that she couldn’t kick him from there, cuddled up with Veth at his side.
“What?” He chuckled, nudging Veth with his elbow, “it was memorable.”
She snickered in response, only feeling slightly guilty for laughing (and causing) Beau’s misery.
“Pfft, you’re lucky that this was a really sweet gift for us,” Beau huffed as she turned over to take a glance at Yasha, who was seated on the opposite side of the dome, fondly gazing at an image of her and Molly together.
“Oo, look!” Jester excitedly pointed at an image floating by Caleb’s head. “It’s the time we found out Caleb is ticklish!”
The image quickly floated towards her. It showed Caleb sitting in a booth between Molly and Jester, a huge grin on his face as they poked and prodded at his sides. It was from one of their tavern hops that had gone on in the city. After a night of drinking, Jester had been commenting on how silly Caleb got when he was tipsy, followed by him drunkenly trying to argue. Of course Jester had to tease him for it, gently prodding at his sides until a wavering smile appeared on his face while he snickered, swatting away the offending hands. After going so long trying to get either the wand of smiles or hideous laughter to make him laugh, she resorted to the only option left: tickling him silly right then and there. The giggles, of course, got the attention of the rest of the table, and the rest is history. It was the first time any of the nein, everyone but Veth, had heard him laugh before, and fortunately far from the last, as many of the other passing images proved.
After that, tickle fights became a common occurrence in the group. If someone was having a rough day, a few pokes to the side. If someone was feeling particularly playful (usually Jester) they would select a target and let mayhem ensue. They had to be careful when it came to cuddle piles, just a single brush to the side could send someone into tickle fight mode.
Every member had been on the receiving end at one point or another, as evidenced by many of the amber photos, but it was hard to not notice that many of the images depicted were specifically of Caleb getting ganged up on. Though to be fair, he was by far the one most likely to get targeted. Even on a good day the closest thing to laughter he usually gave was a huff or snort of amusement, not to mention how he was prone to moping and retreating into himself. According to Caduses, people needed laughter, and just like medicine to help the body, some people just needed a little help laughing. And help him they did.
Caleb’s face flushed as he noticed the images floating close to him before he willed them to the other side of the dome.
“Aw, Caleb, are those all happy memories for you?” Jester cooed.
“Must be,” Caduses chuckled, glancing over to gauge Caleb’s reaction. He could see his face turning red even from there. “There’s so many of them, and they’re all near him.”
It was no secret that Caleb didn’t mind being on the receiving end of the many tickle outbreaks of the nein, another secret brought out of him under the influence of alcohol. He didn’t talk about it much, but the way his face flushed whenever anyone commented on how he never seemed to struggle against the attacks served as a reminder.
He tried to clear his throat. “Um, yes. I mean, they are all moments I- ah hem, look back on fondly.”
“That’s so cute!” Jester giggled. “And it’s a very good thing that I love ticking you so much!” She wiggled her fingers teasingly at him, and even from that distance he couldn’t stand the sight of them.
Hiding his face in his hands with a groan, Caleb only hoped that no one could see his bashful smile.
Beau tapped Fjord’s shoulder, gesturing to the area Caleb sat. Although he wasn’t paying attention, more and more images seemed to be popping up around him, all of different times he’d been on the receiving end of tickle attacks. One where Caduses had him in his lap, playing his ribs like a harp, another where Beau had him pinned to the ground, sitting on his back as she mercilessly squeezed his sides, and of course more with Veth and Jester prodding his sides in passing.
They snickered to themselves, imagining their poor wizard was probably flustered out of his mind.
Veth looked up and stifled a laugh.
“I think the more he thinks about it, the more pictures start appearing.” She cooed.
Caleb finally tore his face away from his hands and looked up, stunned when he realized that even more images were circling his head. He cursed under his breath as he commanded them to disappear with a wave of the hand.
He had everyone’s attention now.
“Aw, don’t get rid of them.” Yasha said, sitting up as she turned to him. “If they make you happy you should keep them around.”
Caleb fidgeted as he tried to regain his composure. “Ja, they do, but it's just- ah,” he tried to think of a good excuse, anything better than about how they make him a blushing, flustered mess.
“There are plenty more memories with you that I could be showing.”
That’s the best he could come up with at the moment.
“Well, maybe we want to see them,” Jester whined. “They definitely make me happy!”
“I just- I mean- maybe, uh-“ the airtight argument he had in his head was hard to take seriously when he was stuck stammering out his protests.
“Or, maybe we could make some new memories right here?” The twinkle of playfulness in her eyes accompanied by a mischievous smirk sent a shiver down Caleb’s spine. He knew exactly what that look meant.
“N- now hold on, we don’t ha- hahahahaha!” He was cut off when he felt something wriggling against his side. He glanced down to his right, seeing Veth hugged onto him, wiggling her fingers with a wicked grin. He tried to glare, but the wobbly smile was already on his face. He wavered and covered his mouth with his hands again, trying to hold back his snickering.
“Oh no you don’t,” Yasha’s voice suddenly came from his left. For such a large person she was deceptively quiet. She had snuck behind him and in an instant grabbed both of his arms. With an undignified yelp, he nervously chuckled as she shifted him back so he leaned into her lap, holding both arms out to the side. Her grip was both firm yet gentle at the same time, making it so he was comfortable but still thoroughly restrained.
“Neihihihin! Yasha! I cahahant!” He whined, wiggling in her grasp.
“Can’t what?” She asked. “Can’t move? That’s the point.”
He could tell by his friends' smirks that he wasn’t talking his way out of this one. Not that he necessarily wanted to.
That was the chaos crew’s cue to move in. Jester stalked towards him, wiggling her fingers in his direction, while Beau sat up and made a big show of cracking her knuckles before scooting her way over. The anticipation was already getting to him, the excited buzz of butterflies in his belly making him giggle as he squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear looking at the teasing fingers for another moment.
Before he knew it his friends were towering over him. Though he couldn’t see it, Caleb could picture their shit eating grins in his head perfectly after experiencing countless scenarios just like this. His keen mind could truly be a curse sometimes.
Jester sat at Caleb’s other side while Veth stayed put, still clinging tight. Beau was quick to follow, straddling his hips so he couldn’t move.
“Cahahahan we tahahalk about this?” He begged.
“Okay!” Jester said, “you can talk about it all you want while we tickle you!”
Suddenly, her fingers were skittering along his sides and ribs, queuing Veth and Beau to join by spidering across his belly and brutally squeezing at his hips. The jolt to his system immediately made him squeal.
“AH- NOhohoho! Bihihihitte! Neihihihin!” Struggling against Yasha's grip, he thrashed in place, though he knew it would be useless.
“But Caleb!” Jester exclaimed, poking a single finger between his ribs, “We still need to thank you for your gift! We have to do something extra special for you!”
“Ahahahand this is ihiihihit?”
“Of course, it’s obviously one of your favorite things! Why else would all those memories be floating around?”
He would try to not dwell on it, but every time this happened, every time he was pinned to the ground while laughing until he couldn’t make sounds anymore, every time someone would lightheartedly tease him about how ticklish he was, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. His keen mind certainly didn’t help, only increasing the detail that played on repeat. As much as he wanted to deny it, it was difficult when it was literally spelled out in front of everyone.
“Oh, I especially need to thank you personally,” Beau said, her voice dripping with sass as she smirked, “for sharing such flattering moments of me.”
On the word ‘flattering’, she squeezed his hips, making him buck in place with an unbecoming squeak.
“Beahahahau! I’m sohohohorry!” His feet kicked up and down, squirming like a fish out of water.
“Like hell you are! The only thing you're sorry for is getting caught in a tickle trap.”
It really wasn’t fair. Of all the things monks could get a read on by analyzing the energy of the body, why did it have to reveal where he was most ticklish? Not that it mattered much, as he was essentially one giant tickle spot, but the precision of a monk's hands knowing the EXACT spot and pressure to have the strongest effect possible was borderline sadistic.
It wasn’t doing much, but he kept kicking his feet out in hopes that maybe his knee would hit Beau in the back. Not to escape, just to annoy her that much more.
“Hey!” Beau shouted when he managed to knock his knee into her. “Quit being a pain in the ass. Someone pin him down, I can’t focus with all this kicking.”
“Come on, Fjord!” Jester called from her spot, still scribbling where a part of his shirt had ridden up on his tummy, “Come get his legs!”
Fjord chucked at the display. He always felt just a tad bit bad gaining up on the wizard, empathizing with being less likely to get out of a grapple. However, even he wasn’t immune to getting involved in Jester's hijinks. Especially when he knew the victim was enjoying himself.
“Alright,” he chuckled, “I do suppose I owe you as well. You know, for reminding me about the robe incident.”
“Whahahahait! IHIHIHI AM SOHOHOHOHORRY! I dihihihihidnt meahhahahan too!”
He carefully crawled over to the group and got a hold of the kicking legs. “Oh, now you're sorry.”
Caleb whined as he tried to tuck his legs in, only to gasp as they were yanked with a sudden force as Fjord pulled them down again, quickly pinning his ankles to the ground so they couldn’t be a nuisance. He was far from the strongest of the bunch, but neither was Caleb, so he managed to pin them with relative ease.
“Easy there,” Fjord hushed him, “wouldn’t want you hurting anyone now.”
When that was under control he reached a hand to scribble under his knees.
“AH!” Caleb nearly screamed in surprise at the sudden sensation joining the already unbearable tickling on his torso, “Nohohot you too!”
Fjord gave a deep, rumbling chuckle as he alternated squeezing his knees.
“It’s certainly not my fault you're ticklish here.”
He could barely move his legs now, but that didn’t stop him from twisting and contorting his body in his captors hands.
“Ihihihihi cahahant! Please! Nohohohot at thehehe same tihihihime!”
Fjord hummed as he considered. After all, none of them wanted to tire him out too quickly. No, he deserved to be taken apart slowly but surely.
He slowed his hands to a halt.
Veth immediately let up, always careful to not over do it when it came to tickling him. Even if she knew he wanted to be tickled until he couldn’t think.
“Oh fine,” Beau finally followed along, stopping her insistent kneading of his hips.
“We don’t want to be mean, Caleb,” Jester explained, quick to follow everyone’s lead. “We can all take turns if you want! We’ll be super nice about it!”
“Nohohohoho!” He cackled as he tried to bury his face into his shoulder.
“No?” Her head tilted to the side. “Should we all just tickle you at once then?”
“Thahahahahahats nohohohoht what ihihih meant!”
If you don’t make up your miiiiiiind,” she sang, threatenly wiggled her fingers dangerously close to his belly, “then we’ll just all have to tickle you willy-nilly!”
A squeak escaped his mouth as he shook his head back and forth.
“You're ridiculous," Beau grinned. “No one’s even touching you right now!”
The combination of teasing and unapologetic remarks were already enough to make Caleb want to curl up in a ball and hide. He wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that Yasha was holding him in place, making any chance of escape near impossible.
“Alright,” Fjord laughed, electing to show some mercy, “we don’t want to break him too soon. Let’s just start slow, shall we?”
“Oh, I can do that!” Jester exclaimed, poking a single finger into his side as he jolted. Then another, and another, each time he flinched as if it were the first.
“H-hey! Thahahahat is not slohohohow!”
“I think she physically can’t help it,” Beau observed.
“It’s not my fault, Caleb,” she complained. “I just love pressing buttons. Especially this one.”
With that she poked his belly, aiming for where she thought his navel was. A look of fear crossed Caleb’s face as his body twitched.
“Jehehehess, nohohohot there!” He bargained.
“Not where? Do you mean here?” She poked at his belly again.
“AHAH, jehehesster, nihihihihien!”
“Or here?” Another jab, slightly more to the right.
More hysterical giggling.
“It’s hard to tell when I can’t actually see the spot I’m poking.” She took the end of his shirt and pulled up a bit, folding it back just above his bellybutton.
Caleb felt the cool air of the dome on his torso, feeling much more exposed and vulnerable.
“Now I can see. Okay, was this where you meant?” She poked just above his navel, sending him into another fit of laughter. “Or did you mean here?” A poke directly underneath, only millimeters away from actually poking his navel.
“Ihihihihi will not fahahahall for thihihis!” He challenged.
“Not fall for what? I’m just trying to figure out where not to poke you.”
“Nohohoho! I knohohohow what you are doing!”
“Oh, really?” Fjord laughed. “And what is it she’s trying to get you to do?”
“I know youououour game! You are trying to get me to say my navel, but it will not- NOHOHOHOHOHO!”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth she hit the dreaded spot. She wiggled her finger just along the rim of his bellybutton, slowly brushing around and around.
“Oh! You meant here!” She finally dipped a single finger in his bellybutton.
Caleb squealed at the touch, wiggling directly on the sensitive spot.
“Jehehehehehehess! Gehehehet ohohohout of there!” His voice strained.
“Alright,” Veth playfully scolded, “give someone else a turn, would ya? He’s already losing his voice.”
Jester looked disappointed, but retracted her hands. “Fiiiiiinnnne, I’ll take turns I guess.”
“Who should go next?” Veth turned to Caleb, still panting as he caught his breath.
“W-why are you asking me?”
“Because you're the one getting tickled, silly.” She tisked as if it should have been obvious.
“Veheheheth! Don’t make me choose!”
She hummed. “Do you want me to choose for you?”
“Ihihihi- I don’t, I can’t- juhuhust choose!”
“Alright,” she smiled, “Oi, Cad! you could probably get his feet from there!”
Though he was sitting further away, his long, lanky arms made it so he was still in reach. It didn’t take much effort for Caduses to reach a hand over and brush a single finger on the sole of his foot, not even having to change his seating position. The touch was more gentle than the bombardment of squeezes to the rest of Caleb's body, but the fluffy fur that now brushed up and down his vulnerable soles was its own kind of cruelty. Perhaps he shouldn’t have taken off his shoes before settling for the night.
“Cahahahanad! Nohohohot there!” He scrunched his toes at the soft, feather-like strokes. “Toohoho much fuhuhur!”
Caduces laughed at that. “Why not there? The fur’s going to tickle like that on any spot, might as well be this one.”
He gently grabbed a toe and started scratching underneath, feeling and seeing Caleb’s foot twitch. Caleb tried to curl his toes in, but each time he did Cad would switch to scratching at his soles to throw him off, each time making him snort without fail.
“Nahahaha- Cad, bitte, plehehehease!”
“Come on now,” he purred, “you’ve taken much worse than this.”
Even so, after a few more brushes up and down, he relieved his attack to give him a moment of reprise.
Huffing as he caught his breath, Caleb shifted in his friend's grip. Yasha realized that the squirming wasn’t an escape attempt, it was more like restless tossing in the night, trying to get in a comfortable spot to rest. She shifted her grip and gently lowered him to settle on the ground, being sure to still firmly keep his hands pinned above his head.
“Caleb!” Jester gasped suddenly, “I know we’ve tickled you WAY more times than this,” she pointed up at the few images that continued to circle the dome. There seemed to be plenty, but there were too many moments of Caleb being ganged up on then he could possibly fit inside the dome. “There totally has to be more than just that! Do we have to remind you of every single time we’ve tickled you?”
His eyes widened in fear. It was flustering enough to play those moments back in his mind, but having his friends tease him by recounting all those memories to him? He might never recover.
“Jehehehehester! Ihihihihi rehehehemember ahahahalready!” He pleaded.
“Ohhhh! I think I know my favorite time we got you,” she smiles excitedly, “it was when me and Molly got you in the hotel room. You were so skittish that he had to grab your arms and use his tail to tickle you! You actually screamed when I got your ribs!”
The memory came flooding back to Caleb. Two mischievous tieflings had followed him up to his room at the inn when he was trying to sneak away. He wasn’t as likely to stick around and celebrate with his friends back then, so they had to find more “creative” ways to convince him to join them. Two against one was truly unfair, as they knocked him onto the bed and pinned him with hardly any struggle. He could practically still feel Molly’s tail wriggling into his sides as Jester managed to worm hands under his shirt to gently knead his ribs. His magic manifested the memory into another floating image, a perfect replica of exactly what Jester had described.
“Aww,” she cooed as she lightly scribbled at his sides, “you do remember!”
“YeheheheHEHEHES I TOHOHOHOLD YOHOHOU!” He cackled as he twisted and turned, trying to buck his hips that were still thoroughly held in place.
Her scribbling suddenly stopped as she turned to meet everyone else. “Who else has one?”
“Oh!” Veth piped up, “I do!”
Caleb groaned through his giggling, resigned to his fate of having to relive every single moment of his ticklish agony that the nein had put him through.
“Mine is from when I found out you were ticklish.”
Quite a while ago, from what he remembered. Veth had been the first to find out, and that had been shortly after he started traveling with her.
“We were camping in the woods for the first time when it started raining. We barely got the tent up in time before it really started pouring. It was so fucking freezing that night that we decided to huddle for extra warmth.” She shivered at the memory, still able to feel the biting cold.
“We were both damp and miserable, but I kept making jokes to try to get you to crack a smile.” Her expression softened as she recalled that moment, dark and dreary but somehow warm and hopeful at the same time.
“You turned over so I couldn’t see your face, and you kept saying that you weren’t laughing, even when I could hear it in your voice and feel your body shaking. Of course I started poking you in the ribs. I was just trying to annoy you, but you yelped!”
She recreated the moment by quickly jabbing at his ribs, making him jolt and squeak in place.
“Yes, exactly like that!” She gently scratched along the top of his ribs for good measure, “And I mean, how could I pass up an opportunity to cheer my friend up?”
Caleb’s face was bright red as another image appeared, the two of them cuddled close together, Nott attempting to be the big spoon as she reached around to tickle his ribs and sides. His head was thrown back in laughter with a grin so wide it could have split his face.
“You're difficult to make laugh.” Veth continued, “You would sometimes chuckle a little, but I’d never heard you like that before. I guess I was just happy I could make you laugh like that.”
He hadn’t realized it at the time, but that was the first time he had truly laughed in over a decade. Even if it was impossible for him to forget anything, it had been so long that he had almost forgotten the feeling of laughing until his sides hurt.
He whined as he tried to hide his face by burrowing it into his shoulder. Sheiße, this was the most flustering experience of his life.
“Aw, Caleb!” Jester said, “Don't hide your smile!” In an instant she brought her fingers to his neck, skittering everywhere they could reach as he desperately tried to block out the cruel touch by scrunching his shoulders.
“Jehehehess! Nohohohohohoho!”
“Are you embarrassed or something?” Jester asked as she finally allowed him a moment to breathe.
“‘Course he is,” Beau spoke up, “anyone would be.”
“There’s really no need to be embarrassed by tickling! I mean, I absolutely love it, and I’m not embarrassed!”
“Yeah, but you’re Jester, I don’t think you can even feel embarrassed.”
“Hey!” She pouted, “I just think you shouldn’t be embarrassed by things that make you happy.”
“She’s right,” Yasha chimed in, still holding Caleb’s wrist down tight. “If something makes you happy, why be ashamed?”
“Oh, it’s not shame,” Caduces chuckled from his spot by Caleb’s feet, giving them a quick scribble and earning himself a squeal. From all his observations, there was a fine line between being flustered and being ashamed, and the lingering smile on Caleb’s face along with the lighter lilt in his voice after being completely taken apart was proof of which side he stood. “He’s just shy.”
“Cahahahad!” Caleb cried. “Thehehehe teasing! Ihihihits tohohoho much!”
He smiled as he gave his foot another scribble.
“Oh, we all know teasing makes it tickle so much more. And, if memory serves me right, you haven’t asked us to stop teasing.”
At that point Caleb’s laugh was reduced to snickering as he scrunched his face, resisting the urge to kick. Not that he would have been able to.
“Now, I’m not sure if I can pick a favorite moment,” Caduces continued, “it’s great making any one of you laugh. Especially when you really need it.”
“Boo,” Jester heckled from the side, “boring answer.”
“Hey,” He affectionately scolded, “you're going to be next if you keep that up.”
Jester giggled from her spot. “Maybe some other time. We can’t let Caleb think he’s getting out of this any time soon.”
Caleb gave a pitiful noise as he realized the attention was back on him. At least he had gotten a moment to recover from the relentless onslaught, however short lived it was.
“It’s not exactly the same,” Yasha spoke up again, “but it’s fun to tease you while you're polymorphed.”
“Oh yeah!” Jester exclaimed. “Like when he’s a spider and you give him scritches. That’s probably really tickly!”
It wasn’t quite the same as when he was in human form, but the moments when he would transform into some sort of animal was always a relief, a way for his mind to slow down and not have to worry. Tickling felt a bit different when he was transformed, but it still was a pleasant feeling, and even better that he wasn’t nearly as embarrassed about it. Something about being polymorphed helped with that, like he couldn’t even comprehend the concept of embarrassment.
“Have you ever tried giving him scritches as a human?” Jester asked.
“Hm, no actually.” A smile slowly crept on her face. “I could try though.”
“W-wait, what do you mean?” Caleb stammered, already bracing himself for whatever might come next.
As gentle as possible, moved his hands so they were raised above his head. She was able to easily grasp his wrists in a single hand as she brought the other down to his underarm, softly scratching the vulnerable pit.
“Whahahahait wait wait- nohohoho!” Caleb’s laughter returned, squirming helplessly as tears started to line his eyes.
“Looks like he enjoys scritches in human form, too,” she smiled warmly.
“Ihihihi don’t- nahahahahaha!” He was cut off as Yasha suddenly dug her fingers into his armpit, thoroughly kneading into the hollow.
As his laughter turned more into wheezing rather than breathing, she lightened up the touch to help keep him from tapping out too soon, now fluttering her fingers barely against the skin. Boyish, child-like giggles followed.
“Careful, Caleb,” Jester sang, “Remember, Yasha loves eating spiders!”
“Oh, yes,” she chuckled as she shifted his arm to the side while she knelt down. “If you're not careful I might just-“ suddenly her face was near his own, making playful ‘nom’ noises, lightly nibbling near his shoulders and neck.
“Yahahahhahahasha! Nohohohohoho!” He scrunched up his shoulders to block out the maddening, fluttering sensation. He was practically melting at the playful affection, unable to suppress the wide grin on his face while his whole body shook with laughter, halfheartedly tugging his arms to no avail.
Fortunately, everyone’s attention was focused entirely on Caleb, otherwise someone might have noticed Beau’s face turning nearly as red as his while she watched Yasha playfully nibble at him.
Yasha couldn’t help but laugh softly along as she carried on with the game. She amped up the playfulness, giving a growl before suddenly bombarding his neck with a raspberry.
“YAHAHAHASHA! NOHOHOHOHOHO!” His shoulders tried to raise to keep her out, but each time she managed to slip past and deliver devastating blow after blow.
He snorted loudly as he tried to manage his breathing. Yasha decided to switch back to gently fluttering against his underarms, giving a short rest so he could keep up. He did nothing to fight against it, simply relaxing into the ground and letting himself giggle freely, feeling like his whole body was made of jelly.
“Oh, I can’t take it anymore!” Jester pouted, her fingers twitching as she stared at him. “Caleb, can the rest of us tickle you yet? I’m starting to feel left out.”
“Nahahahahaha! Jehehehester, plehehehease!” He begged.
“Did you hear that, Jess?” Fjord interrupted, finding the perfect opportunity to go all in. “He said ‘please’. I think that means we’re good to go.”
“Thahahahat is not what I me-HEHEHEHENT!” Too late. His body jerked as every available hand attacked. They wasted no time torturing every spot they could reach. His ribs were being relentlessly scribbled, belly kneaded, hips and knees squeezed, neck and feet teased, underarms spidered, everywhere that was touched lit his nerves up like fireworks. No matter which way his body shifted, it was met with another pair of grabbing hands that bombarded every ticklish spot he had.
“NEIHIHIHIHIN! BITTE! IHIHIHILL DIHIHIHIE! DOHOHOHONT!”
“You still haven’t asked us to stop yet, giggles.” Beau teased, trying to not get distracted by looking over at Yasha working hard at her designated tickling spot.
“AHAHAHAHA BREAK! PLEHEHEHEASE!”
A break. Just a break though.
Everyone stopped in their tracks. It was truly a testament to their bond that they all knew the exact moments to let up and the moments to strike. A maddening, playful game that somehow never went too far.
“You-“ he gasped between breaths, “are all evil!”
“And you are way too ticklish to be human,” Beau scoffed. “Seriously, it’s a miracle you haven’t been tickled to death by now.”
“Yohohohou are a jeheheherk!”
“Careful,” she warned, “I can stop being so nice.”
Caleb squealed just looking at the threatening, mischievous expression on her face. “Ohohokay! I’m sorry!”
It was hard not to be amused, seeing the state their wizard was in, and soon the rest of the group was laughing along.
“I don’t think we’ve ever gotten you this bad before,” Veth snorted. “And you’re still standing?”
“Well, not literally standing,” Caduces hummed, “but I get what you mean. How do we top this?”
The group had to think for a moment, even Caleb himself pondered what more they could possibly do to him.
That was a mistake.
His floating pictures could create any scenario he dreamed up of, and in this state of bliss he didn’t have much control over what he thought about. It wasn’t his fault that his eyes wandered to Caduces, looking at the fur that covered every inch of him. His fingers, that had so delicately teased between his toes, and the fur that grew on his face, similar to Fjord’s short, stubbly beard. That’s when his mind created a new scenario.
Fjord had used that beard to tickle him before, the small hairs the perfect weapon to accompany a raspberry. He couldn’t help but picture what a raspberry from Caduces would feel like.
And that scene he imagined was the very one that manifested itself, floating right above Caleb’s head like a thought bubble.
The glow drew back everyone’s attention, and as they all stared him down he noticed the glow that shined down on him. He slowly turned his head up.
Oh. Oh nein.
In his shock he couldn’t even bring himself to try and hide his face from embarrassment. He just burned bright red as everyone realized what happened.
“Caleb,” Caduces said calmly, trying not to laugh at the expression on his face. “You could have just asked.
Beau didn’t hold back her laughter, though. “There’s no way!”
The noise Caleb made was somewhere between a cry and a groan. If he was only flustered before, he was full on embarrassed now. His expression was different, she realized.
The pictures of the memories of being tickled were all common knowledge, but the image right there was different. It wasn’t a memory, it was a scenario that hadn’t happened. A thought, maybe an invasion of privacy.
“Hey, man,” she reassured him. “I’m not laughing at you, really. I’m sorry.” She got up and off of him, sitting off to the side.
Everyone took a moment to gauge his reaction, reevaluating if he was still having fun or if they should end it. Yasha even loosened her grip to see if he wanted to get away. He chose to stay put, and the image above him slowly started to fade.
“Caleb,” Jester pouted. “It’s okay. I’ve wondered if Caduceus’s fur is tickly, too.”
“I just-“ he wasn’t sure how to describe what he was feeling right now. “I am not used to, you know, asking for things. Especially things like- this. And it’s a bit humiliating to have your thoughts on display for everyone to see.”
“Ah, I see.” Caduces sighed. Not having control over vulnerable information like that, it made sense for Caleb to be uncomfortable.
Veth put a hand on his shoulder. “We don’t have to do anything else. But if it makes you feel any better, I like making you laugh. You don’t have to feel weird about that, or for asking for any of this.”
“Sorry, Caleb,” Jester said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. “We didn’t mean to look at it.”
His expression lightened a bit. He could never stay in a bad mood for long around his friends.
“It is not your fault,” he reassured her. “Magic is a tricky thing sometimes, ja?”
She sniffled a bit, nodding.
“Well,” Caduces leaned back, “It’s completely understandable. Your thoughts are your own, no one else has the right to creep in and look at them. Having said that, if we can’t read your mind, you're going to have to use your words from here on out.”
Uh oh.
“So,” he continued. “Do you still want me to try it out?”
The flush quickly returned to Caleb’s face, more so how it was before though, back to being bashful.
“I- I wouldn’t mind. I mean, I would…”
This time Caduces couldn’t help but laugh, “alright, baby steps, but I’ll accept that answer.”
The mischievous energy from earlier filled the dome again. Caduces shifted himself over, creeping ever so closer to Caleb’s side.
“But next time you’re going to have to ask for it outright.”
“I- What?” He was back to his old, flustered self. That was a good sign.
“Oh my gosh!” Jester exclaimed. “Have you ever tried giving anyone a raspberry before?”
“Hmm, not in a very, very long time.”
Living with so many siblings, he had gotten himself in a tickle fight or two. Raspberries were inevitable.
“But from what I remember, it’s quite the effective tool.”
Jester turned her head to Caleb with a look of true evil on her face. “Oh Caleb,” she sang sweetly. She suddenly pulled his shirt up, tucking it away so that his soft tummy was exposed to the air, all the while Caduces creeped over to his side.
“C-cahahahad!” He pleaded, the anticipation filling his body all over again, “Yohohohour fur!”
“Oh, you think the fur will make it tickle more?” He grinned, “Well, only one way to find out.”
“Nehehehehehehehein! Bihhihihittie! Chahahahahad!” He practically begged. Caduces only chuckled as he knelt down.
Yasha grinned at him and made sure to keep his hands above his head and out of the way.
“He’s fucking in for it now!” Beau laughed.
“Oh yeah,” Fjord added, “if you thought my beard was bad, just you wait.”
His eyes were glued to Caduses, nervously monitoring his every move. Every motion seemed to cause him to flinch, the butterflies in his tummy fluttering all the more. “Nehehin, bitte, yohohohou will kihill mehehe!”
“Well,” Caduces snorted, "It's a good thing I’m a cleric.”
Frantic, Caleb tugged his arms still in Yasha’s grasp, desperate for something to cover his vulnerable belly.
“I can’t believe you’ve never tried this before!” Jester said as she scanned up and down his torso. “Raspberries always make him squeal!”
Caleb wasn’t sure how much more of this teasing he could take. That on top of the anticipation, waiting for the inevitable, was almost worse than the tickling itself.
“Juhuhuhuhuhuhuhust dohoho it already!” He said with as much gusto as he could build up.
His wish was granted. Caduces inhaled as big a breath as he could, then lowered his head and gave the loudest raspberry right above his navel. As the sound rang out, Caleb felt the vibrations tickle every nerve on his belly, all while the soft fur gently nuzzled into the point of contact.
Caleb’s head tossed back and screeched, thrashing and bucking his hips in an attempt to deter Caduces, but only successfully bringing his belly closer to the tormentor.
“CAHAHAHAHAD! SHIHIHIHIHISSE! NIHIHICH DA!
“So,” Caduces grinned as he let up, “does it tickle more than Fjords’s beard?”
“Neheheheien! D-dhohohohont!”
“It doesn’t? It sounded like it tickled way more.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Fjord piped up. “Not without a fair comparison, that is.”
With that as his only warning, he positioned himself closer to Caleb, gesturing for Cad to make some room for him.
Caduces chuckled as stopped himself from leaning over Caleb, giving him plenty of space to work his own attack.
“W-wait! No- no please, not both of you!” Caleb wheezed between his fits of residual laughter, still reeling from the last attack on his senses.”
“Aren’t you wizards all about fair experiments?” asked Fjord. “It’s only fair to give you a chance to compare the two directly.”
“Fjord! Plehehease- AH!” All Fjord had done was lean closer. He was in a state that any movement sent his nerves into high gear.
He laughed at the hysterical response. “You really are the most ticklish person alive. We don’t even have to do anything and you're giggling up a storm.”
“Nohohohohoho fair! Thahahahahat is nohohohot fair at all!”
“Not fair? Oh, I can be plenty fair if I want.”
“Fjohohohord! Ihihihihi beheheheg you! NohohOHOHOHO!”
Much too late for that, Fjord delivered a devastating attack on his belly, blowing a loud raspberry near his ribs. The hair was much more coarse than Caduces, not nearly as fluffy, but the scratchy texture still added to the unbearable sensation.
“Well, which one tickles more?” Fjord asked.
“Bohohohoth were bahahad!”
“Both?” He teasingly replied. “Well that can’t be right. Here, we’ll try again and you can decide after.”
He smirked at Caduceus before once again leaning his head down to blow a raspberry, this one closer to the middle of the tummy.
Caleb’s squeal of laughter nearly went silent. “F-fjord, bitte! Cad, plehehehEHEHESE!”
Cad was quick to follow up, and Caleb felt a second, horribly ticklish raspberry on his ribs. It was enough to make him scream.
Only for Fjord to follow up with more and more short, quick little ticklish blows going up his stomach.
Back and forth, one after the other, there was no sign of stopping, even when his weak laughter grew silent. He would have to pick one, or the torment might never end. Did he want it to end?
It wasn’t a matter of what he wanted, it was a matter of how much his hypersensitive, extremely ticklish torso could take, and as he gasped between fits of laughter he realized his exhaustion from the day was catching up with him.
“OHOHOHOKAY! PLEHEHEHEASE STAHAHAHAP!”
There was the magic word they had been looking for. The instant they heard it, all hands on him stopped, allowing him to shakily catch his breath again. Yasha unhanded his wrists, allowing him to finally pull his arms down to hug his sides.
“Well,” Caduces said nonchalantly, “I guess mine tickled more.”
“What?” Fjord said incredulously, “Clearly the beard was worse.”
Caleb just curled up into a ball, giggling far too much to respond. His mind was fuzzy, like static was buzzing in his head. It was wonderful.
“Maybe next time we can get him to admit which one is worse.” Caduces smiled, patting him on the shoulder to comfort him as he took deep, greedy breaths.
“Shit,” Beau laughed, staring at the heap of wizard that laid on the ground, “I think that’s the worst he’s ever been got. You’re completely wrecked, man.”
There was no response, only a snort when he tried to inhale again.
“Breath, Caleb, breath,” Veth said softly, amusement accompanied by some level of concern. She rubbed his shoulder, hoping to relieve any phantom tickles that might be plaguing his body.
His laughter calmed, and he blissfully stared up at the ceiling of the dome, smiling at all the passing images. He looked like he could pass out at any moment.
“Well, I think we should call it a night,” Caduces decided, knowing fully well that anyone would be exhausted after that.
He laid down in the center of the dome, just about a foot from Caleb, inviting anyone that wanted to join with open arms.
Jester tried to protest, but the day was clearly catching up to all of them as she yawned. She gave up pretty quickly after that.
Caleb didn’t speak, just tried and failed to scoot his body closer to the source of warmth. Caduces chuckled when he realized he was too tired to even move, so he scooted himself over, wrapping one arm around him so his head would rest on his shoulder.
Caleb happily melted into the touch, reaching an arm himself to hold Veth close to his other side. She didn’t argue, crashing into him in a slump, sighing as she relaxed into his hold.
Even though she claimed to not be sleepy, Jester joined Caduces at his other side, tugging Fjord towards her as she laid down. He laughed as he fell into her open arms.
Beau looked towards Yasha.
“Do you want me to take the first watch?”
“Hm,” she hesitated, tempted by the cuddle pile in front of her. “I don’t mind taking the watch if you're tired.”
“No need,” the sudden voice of Vilya whispered. She was right outside the dome before making her appearance known as she stepped through. “The perimeter is clear. I’d be happy to take the first watch.”
She looked to the rest of the group, nearly already passed out. “It appears you’re all more exhausted than I thought.”
It was then that everyone (especially Caleb) was incredibly grateful that the dome was so good at muffling sound. They held back their amusement as they thanked her.
Vilya took her seat a few feet away, smiling at the images that still floated by. Yasha was quick to join the cuddle pile, finding a spot to nestle near by Veth. Beau tried to hide her blush as she joined her, hopefully not giving anything away as she laid next to her.
Caleb sighed contently, his steady breaths falling in sync with his friends. The last thought that went through his head before falling away into slumber was that he would have to ask them to do this more often.
