Original request (from @lilzuni): Hey there! For Tickletober. May I make the request for number 10 wings with Vox Machina (animated) with Vax, Percy and Vex? You are the only writing I know that writes for this show and I’m so excited to finally be able to request for it 🥰 Anyways, if you can do this then it would be much appreciated. Have a good day and take care of yourself
Author’s note: Aaaaah! I was so happy to write for the Vox Machina crew again! The hyperfixation is slowly coming back because season 4 is on its way 👀 Plus my friend just finished it so we’ve been rambling about it recently. I hope you enjoy Day 10 of Tickletober: Wings from August’s Tickletober list!
Series: The Legend of Vox Machina
Characters: Vax, Vex, Percy
Word count: 1,641
Summary: An accidental explosion of foliage causes twigs and leaves to get caught in Vax’s wings. Vex and Percy, more so Vex, insist on helping; however, there’s an added incentive to helping that the two take full advantage of.
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“Ready sharpshooters?” Vax calls from the air; his raven wings flap behind him. In his hands, he holds a large bundle of leaves, twigs, and other pieces of foliage that have been compacted into a ball of sorts. Vex stands with her bow pulled and aimed at the sky, while Percy has his firing weapon, Pepperbox, pointed in the same direction.
“Let it fly, Vax!” Vex shouts.
“Okay… GO!” Vax tosses the ball of leaves to the side and into the air. In an instant, Vex and Percy both fire their weapons. The whoosh of an arrow and the blast from a bullet strike the flying bush, appearing to hit it at the exact same time. Percy has the faster weapon, but Vex has the faster reaction time. The clump of twigs falls to the ground and bounces on the grass. Vex’s arrow sticks out from one of the branches and a bead-sized hole sizzles with a tiny tail of smoke where Percy’s shot went through.
“Who got it first?” Vex looks up and asks her brother. The winged-twin flaps down and lands.
“Too close to call. You’ll both have to go again,” Vex replies. He was assigned to be referee to their game—or argument depending on the point of view.
Percy reloads his Pepperbox. “Ugh, I hate to waste another shot on this, but anything to prove that I have the better aim than you,” he sneers at Vex.
“Please, with my keen eye? I don’t think so,” Vex returns a smug look. She looks at her brother, “Let’s go again, Vax.”
Vax shrugs, giving them a sarcastic sigh and a smile. “Alright.” He grabs the ‘ball’ and takes off in the air again. Percy and Vex prepare themselves.
“Here it comes!” Vax tosses the ball again; however, it slips in his hands halfway through, so he doesn’t throw it as far as last time. When Vex and Percy’s shots pierce through, a part of the foliage is blasted off and scatters into Vax. Vax reels back and flaps his wings, which are now coated in twigs, leaves, thorns, and all sorts of plant-life. He stumbles in the air but is able to make a safe landing. Both Vex and Percy rush to him.
“Vax! Are you okay?” Vex worries. Vax brushes his shoulders off.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine, not even a scratch,” Vax replies. He shakes out his wings and some of the leaves fall, but his black feathers are still speckled with a tangle of greens and browns from the exploded foliage.
“Sorry, Vax. Are you sure you’re alright?” Percy asks.
Vax smirks. “I’ve been through a lot worse, believe me. A few twigs aren’t going to hurt me.”
“Yes, but now you still have leaves all over you. Here, let me get them,” Vex reaches for her brother’s wings. Vax pulls back.
“Vex, it’s fine. I can make the wings disappear and it should all fall to the ground,” the twin argues.
“Yes, but if you’re going to keep using your wings right now, you certainly are not going to do it in that condition,” Vex continues to reach for his wings while her brother keeps dodging her attempts.
Vax slaps his sister’s hands away from nabbing at his wings. When he tries to step to the side, his sister grabs his wing like tugging on the ear of someone who’s misbehaving. “Vex, it’s fine! Get awa–AHEY!” Vax pulls his wing in close after Vex grazes her fingers along the middle of his wing.
For a moment, Vex stands there in silence, so does Percy from his surprise. Then, Vex grins, realizing what happened. “Oops, sorry.”
Vax narrows his eyes at her. “No, you’re not.”
She shrugs, “You’re right. I’m not about that. Anyway, let us help, Vax. Or do you not want us to help because your wings appear to be a bit too sensitive?” she smirks with that last word.
Vax growls. He doesn’t have to fall for the bait, he really doesn’t, but now his pride is on the line.
“Fine!” he begrudgingly agrees and plops to the floor like a child in timeout, fully equipped with crossed arms, crossed legs, a slumped posture, and a pout. He splays out his twig-filled wings.
Vex kneels down to his side, smiling. “Thank you, Vax.”
She wastes no time grazing her fingers along his feathers. She is untangling the stuck branches and leaves, but she’s totally trying to make it as tickly as possible. But Vax can handle this. His wings can’t be that ticklish.
Vex scratches her fingers near the pit of his wing, Vax flinches and he feels a twitch at his lips. He quickly turns his head away to hide his expression, but Vex has already perceived it.
She looks at Percy, her grin widening. “Percy, can you be a dear and get his other wing for me?”
Vax glances at Percy. The noble understands the look in Vax’s eye of a brother bending to his sister's will, but Percy is also at Vex’s disposal in this case. Percy shrugs, “Sorry Vax, but your sister has spoken. And we all know that when Vex speaks, we listen.” Percy kneels down to his other side.
Vax can’t blame him. He rolls his eyes, “Yeah, tell me about it-” Vax freezes after his sentence when Vex scribbles at the center of his wing. Vax can feel the pressure of giggles building up in his chest like a pit of acid.
“Are you boys mocking me?” Vex grins, honing her fingers at the spot while fiddling with a caught branch.
“No, not at all,” Vax swallows his laughter and replaces it with sarcasm. His laughter throws another punch in his stomach when Percy grazes his fingers around his other wing. Vax seals his lips up tight. The giggles are nearly reaching a boiling point.
Percy can’t help but notice the reaction. He’s starting to realize just why Vex was smirking so much at her brother.
“Fascinating,” Percy throws in a smug tone of his own, though he truly has genuine intrigue. “Your wings are made from divine magic, if I’m not mistaken, yet you feel our touch as if the wings are a part of you.”
“Yeah, I feel it alright-” Vax struggles to say the words without a giggle peering through. But trying to speak proves to be his downfall as his smile starts to twitch even more. He can feel a bark of laughter ready to slip, so he slaps his hands over his mouth to muffle the soft snickers coming through like a leak.
Vex leans in closer to her struggling brother, her smile beaming. “You know, covering your mouth doesn’t help if your giggles can’t be contained.” She swiftly flutters her fingers at the side of his neck. Vax sputters out a stream of air followed by a snort and the dam breaks. Vax scrunches his shoulders to his neck and leans to the side, his laughter finally roaming free as he shoves at his sister’s hand. He flaps his wings hard, nearly smacking Percy over as collateral damage.
Percy grabs onto Vax’s wing for support, only making the male twin jump from the tickly feeling. “Hey! Easy, easy!” Percy chuckles.
“Yohohohou did thahahat on purpose!” Vax scolds his sister. He wraps his arms around himself and digs his heels into the dirt as his laughter makes his whole body bounce.
“Of course I did. I couldn’t stand you holding in your laughter like that. It’s more fun to hear it,” she smiles, scratching again at the pit of his wing. Vax curls himself up into a ball, but Percy and Vex keep his wings splayed. They still have to get the last remaining twigs out, despite his squirming.
“It is entertaining, I will say. Much better than hearing snarky comments the whole time,” Percy adds with a smile of his own.
“Ahahahalright! Are yohohohou done yehehet?!” Vax shouts to get them back on the topic at hand.
Vex chuckles. She slows her hands down and delicately removes the final stick of leaves from his wings. “And there. Got the last one on my side. How about you, Percy?”
Percy messes with a caught branch, then successfully removes it from Vax’s feathers. “All done here.”
Both Vex and Percy move their hands away from Vax. The male twin relaxes all of his muscles with a breath of relief.
“Thank the gods and goddesses…” Vax says a little winded.
“Unfortunately, we still didn’t find out who has the better shot,” Vex reminds them.
“I suppose we’ll call it a draw for now,” Percy mentions.
Vax intercepts the conversation, a smirk rising on his features. Or…we can have another competition. Between the archer and the gunslinger, let’s see who’s the most ticklish, shall we?” Vax wiggles his fingers at them.
Percy and Vex both jump back from their spots in the grass. The female twin attempts to reason with her sibling.
“There is no competition, dear brother.” Vex points at the noble, “Percy is!”
“Wha- ME?!” Percy panics, “Why are you making ME the target! You’re as ticklish as me!”
Vex gasps, exaggerating the intake of air, “How dare you! You should never speak that way about a lady!”
“Some lady you are!” Percy quips.
“Ahem.” Vax sits there as he watches them banter. He still has the vengeful gleam in his eyes.
Percy leans back. “Enough arguing… I think we should run-”
“Agreed,” Vex says. Both of them scramble to their feet and sprint. Fortunately for Vax, his wings give him the advantage and he storms towards them.
Vax is more than happy to judge this next competition. It’ll most likely turn out as another draw, knowing them, but fortunately, there’s no exploding foliage involved this time—only the explosive sound of joy and laughter.
So recently I finished Vox Machina and if you haven't seen I highly recommend it!! SUCH a good show oh my lord. Can't wait for the third season to drop :D
You can view the relationships however you like, I don't mind ^^ (except Vex and Vax, they're siblings, don't be weird :/)
Word Count: 3,138
Warnings: Kinda spoils a plot line in season one but nothing major ^^
This is a SFW tickle fic, if you don’t like that then don’t read :)
It isn’t a secret that Percy is a bit of a stick in the mud.
Rarely did he let his walls down and simply be. Too caught up in his world of smoking guns and exploding inventions. A lifetime of heartache shutting his heart away in a cast iron keep that very few had a key to access. This also meant emotions such as joy, love, and contentment were rare to be exposed from behind those defensive gates.
That was before Vox Machina.
A chaotic, rambunctious group of outcast individuals working with the skills they had to make it through another day. A ragtag family doing its best to survive in a world that would spit at their feet and tell them to fuck off.
However, this family knew how to tell the world right back to fuck off too.
Percy honestly couldn’t imagine his life with these people a few years ago, but now he simply could not fathom a reality without them. Tight-knit and stupid and loving, never faulting in their care. It was something Percy told himself to never take for granted, no matter how much they tested his patience.
Much like tonight, where he was being subjected to the most irritating forces known to man: Vex and Vax when they were on the hunt for entertainment.
Percy is sitting near the fire, sketchbook in hand with rough charcoal drawings of new inventions scattering the pages. Vex and Vax have boxed him in by sitting on either side, peering at his notes and asking such incomprehensibly odd questions Percy wanted to know who the hell tutored these two monsters.
Honestly Vax, why would a pistol need a compartment for snacks?
It took almost fifteen minutes before Percy's patience gave in and the notebook snapped shut with a dull thud. “Are you two quite finished?” Percy demands, staring at the duo with a narrow gaze.
Vex grins, raising a hand in surrender. “We’re curious about your new inventions, love. Is there something wrong with that?”
Percy huffs, tucking his book into the folds of his jacket that is laid not too far from the flames, warming up for the night ahead. “Only when you keep badgering me to make a glove that turns whatever it touches into gold.”
“It would be quite helpful, dear.”
“And far out of my current capabilities, I’m not a wizard.”
“Oh, give yourself some credit, Freddy,” Vax grins. “Grow a beard and I’d say you’re plenty wizard-like. With your lifespan, you’ll need a cane before you know it, and it could act as your staff.”
Percy glares at him under half-lidded eyes. “Thank you, Vax’ildan,” he says sarcastically. “Remind me that I will die much sooner than the rest of you, just what I needed to hear tonight.”
Vex snickers, gently bumping his shoulder with her own so those green eyes look at her. “Oh come on, we’re just messing with you, Percival. What’s got you so grumpy this time?”
Percy gave her a mildly incredulous look. “I’m not grumpy.”
“He says while glaring, and with a bitter tone of voice,” Vax murmurs with a grin.
Percy shoots him a dry look which the male elf only laughs at. “See? That’s exactly what I mean, man!”
Vex’ahlia laughs, dropping her arms over her bent legs and cocking her head to the side. “What is it gonna take to make you loosen up, Percy?”
“A good bottle of wine, some peace and quiet, and a book.”
“We have two silver to our name and a bear,” Vax counters. “Can’t quite match your aristocrat taste, but Trinket tells great stories.”
Trinket, nestled comfortably at the edge of the cave where the other party members are conversing, does not indicate that he knows, nor cares that his owners are talking about him. Percy envied that damn bear, able to go to sleep and easily block out the surrounding sounds. What a dream life.
“Trinket is busy sleeping,” Percy tells them, “his stories will have to wait.”
Vex isn’t dissuaded by Percy’s bristling attitude, instead leaning more into his personal space just because she can. “Darling,” she says, “We just want to help you relax, is this such a big ask?”
“...Yes.”
“Aeugh, the drama of this man,” Vax chuckles through an exasperated breath, elbowing Percy’s side gently.
The white-haired human flinches away from the contact with a start, his hand shooting down to rub the area. “Yes, yes, you’ve stated I am a dramatic piece of shit more than once, Vax. I believe your point is made.”
The twins aren’t listening to Percy’s grumbles. The second he flinched, they’d locked eyes, a conversation played out with expression alone.
Vex narrows her gaze. Hurt?
No. Healed by Pike from the last mission.
Just startled, then?
Seemed more than that. He knew we were right there.
So what are you thinking?
Perhaps…
Vex perks a brow at her brother when his expression suddenly brightens in some kind of realization. Her eyes flit over to Percy who was unaware of their silent musings, still resolutely crossing his arms with a scowl that the fire did not deserve to be subjected to. She looks back to her sibling who is grinning now. Vax gives a small flex of his fingers, his eyebrows jumping up and down. Understanding hits Vex and her smile turns evil, nodding minutely. They wink at each other, the excitement for a game making them giddy though they contained it. Couldn’t let Percy catch on too early after all.
“Percy~” Vex coos in her sultry voice, not missing the slight twitch in his face from her tone. The sight makes her all the more eager to extract the plan she and her brother had silently communicated. She lifts her fingernails to her eyes to examine them. “You sure we can’t convince you to loosen up at least a little?”
There was a scoff. “I’d like to see you try,” Percy muttered.
Oh excellent, an invitation.
“Well, if the man insists, Stubby, who are we to ignore him?” Vax leaps for the opportunity with a grin that’s all charm and Cheshire-like.
“I agree,” Vex smirks. “Shall we?”
Simultaneously, the two half-elves grab one of Percy’s wrists each and fling him onto his back, his arms being pinned by his head. A startled yelp leaps out of the human, the sudden gravity shift leaving him to stare up at the pair of matching grins. He tugs at his arms. They won’t budge.
“What the hell are you doing?” Percy asks, bewildered and slightly on edge.
“You said we could try and loosen you up,” Vex answers.
“By wrestling me to the dirt and pinning me down?”
“Oh no, we just had to get you in a better position, dear heart,” Vax smirks.
“A better pos- for what?”
The bemused and exasperated question only delights his captors further, and this is where Percival Fredrickson de Rolo the Third realizes a very fatal error. He had been encouraging the chaotic force that was the Elf Twins. He'd practically been asking for trouble. This realization only sinks in further when Vax’s free hand comes down to rest on Percy’s clothed stomach.
“Percy, you wouldn’t happen to be ticklish would you?”
Oh.
Oh gods, no.
Memories spring to Percy’s mind of laughing himself hoarse while dogpiled under his siblings from the silly battles. The sensations scuttling everywhere, unstoppable and unbearable. His realization shows up in his face in the form of a pink flush and the beginnings of a wobbly grin that he desperately tries to keep under control.
“Oh, I see a smile trying to come out there!” Vex leers keenly, lowering her own hands to wiggle her fingers close to Percy’s side, delighting in his immediate response to wriggle away despite his efforts to seem indifferent to his dilemma.
“V-Vex, this is ludicrous-” Percy splutters, his grin becoming wider by the second, his resolution foiled from years of inexperience in this game.
“So you are ticklish, then?” Vax questions, his fingers gently pressing from where they are resting atop Percy’s lean stomach.
The flinch and sharp intake of breath was answering enough. Percy’s ears were starting to burn from the attention, torn between wanting to wrench away and escape this playful teasing, or staying and trying to muscle through in a show of defiance.
“I’m- it’s been a very long time since someone has tried,” Percy answers stiffly.
The way the twins lit up made him cringe back, instantly knowing that was the worst thing he could’ve said.
“Well now we have to tickle you,” Vex exclaims like her word is law. Though, with her role in the group, it may as well be.
Percy is most definitely blushing now. It was honestly adorable. “N-No you don’t!” He protests, his boots now shuffling into the dirt in hopes of dislodging his sudden capture. “I’m not even tihicklish!” Damn it.
“Was that a laugh?” Vax coos, delighting in a sound so rare from Percy who barely even grins on a good day. Percy is doing his best to try and become an ostrich with how far he’s turning his flushed face into the ground, stumbling refusals not quite managing to leave his lips coherently.
“Why my dear brother, I think it was,” Vex chuckles. ‘Shall we see what else we can pull from our resident sour puss?”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
Electricity crackles through Percy’s sides and stomach in a split second, a strangled sound being pulled from a forgotten section of his vocal cords. His whole body instantly jack-knifes, legs trying to pull to his stomach to protect the sensitive areas suddenly under attack. Stubbornness makes him clamp his lips shut and bite his tongue, not wanting to give the twins the satisfaction of hearing him laugh again. He refused.
“Hmm, seems we’ve got a stubborn one in our hands, Vex,” tuts Vax, his fingers probing up and down Percy’s ribcage, noting every flinch and muffled grunt let out by the human.
“Oh don’t worry, he’ll crack eventually.” Her eyes meet Percy’s and her smile makes his stomach twist in anticipation. She winks. “They all do.”
Her hand starts to slink down to his hip bones and- Nope. Nope. Nope. Not gonna happen, he’d rather get possessed by a demon again. Percy’s struggling kicks up, trying to find momentum with his legs to dislodge the grip pinning his wrists to the cave floor, still fighting not to crack as Vax’s fingers deftly squeeze his sides. He almost manages to heave himself to sit up, but a well-placed scratch at his lower back sends him crashing back down. His legs fly up to his stomach again, desperate to protect some part of his sensitive body while his chest shakes with restrained laughter.
“Uh uh, not yet mister, we’re not done with you until you laugh~” says Vex, her hand dropping to lightly scuttle behind Percy’s knee that was right beside her.
Percy yelps, immediately kicking his legs back out, and scrunches into himself in a fast motion. The reaction made the twins pause, and he knew he was royally screwed.
“Interesting, he might be like you. I think the gentler stuff works better on him,” Vex says to her brother, her hand dropping to Percy’s hips once more and scuttling her nails featherlight across the man’s skin.
“NoHAHaha!” Percy protests, his yelp swimming between stolen laughter that tries vainly to escape his throat, his head being tossed back against the floor as his body tries to do an emergency lockdown on his vocal cords.
“Brilliant, sister,” Vax chuckles, and before Percy can prepare himself, he spiders his claws up along Percy’s stretched torso with a softened touch.
Immediately, Percy sputters, and the dam finally cracks. “S-Shihihihit! Vehehex! Vahahax! Ohoho gohohod!” Percy gasps out through fits of boyish laughter, a sound so out of character for the gunslinger that it takes the twins aback in surprise.
His cheeks are flushed a rosy pink, standing out against his pale complexion and white hair. A wide, mirthful smile cracked out against his brooding face, nose scrunching in a way that couldn’t be described as anything but endearing. His body didn’t know whether to fight or fold, the long-forgotten instinct of childhood leaving him withering and laughing from the soft fingertips spidering along sensitive skin.
“Well, how about that,” Vax murmured, something gentle in his voice despite the mean wiggling of his nails on a particularly sensitive rib. “He can laugh.”
“Oh much more than that, dear brother,” Vex smiled fondly. “He isn’t grumpy now.”
Experimentally, her fingers swirl up Percy’s unprotected ribs to dance gently under his arm to see if it would have much effect. Oh, and it does. Percy practically squeals. High-pitched and panicked and childlike, his struggles for his pinned arms make a reappearance as the sensitive hollows are attacked by softly brushing nails.
“Nononononohohoho VEHEehehex!” He pleads, scuffing the heels of his shoes into the floor in a half-baked bid for relief. “Fuhuhucks sahahake!”
“That is utterly adorable,” Vax laughs, his own hand coming up to stroke deftly down Percy’s arm from wrist to armpit in a maddening pattern of soft touch. The strokes only elicit more half-bitten squeals and squeaks of protest, most noises swallowed up or blended into Percy’s laughter.
He knew he should feel embarrassed, his pride shattered into pieces from a few measly fingers and well-picked words to crack his defenses, but Percy couldn’t recall a time he’d last been in the middle of a play fight such as this. The sensations are foreign but not forgotten, too much and yet not enough at the same time. It was a conflicting state of escape or endure.
However, when Vax slipped a hand under his buttoned shirt to ghost gentle nails on his bare lower back, he was pretty sure his body got struck by lightning.
Vex and Vax pause in their movements and watch with awed amusement as Percy laughs himself mad from the briefest touch to his back, his full-bodied laughter quickly melting down into rich, honey-sweet giggles that shake his entire body. It didn’t seem real, that a sound so adorably childish could come from Percy’s mouth, and yet here he was, half curled on the ground, giggling up a storm.
Vex and Vax share a fond, endeared smile and let go of Percy’s wrists, leaning away so he could have space to collect himself. The human wheezes through his tumbling giggles, his arms shifting to wrap around his middle as he slowly calms down. His eyes, which had been tightly closed, flutter open to show mirthful tears at the edges.
“F-Fuhucking hehehell,” he gasps, “I thohought I wahas gohohing to dihie.”
“Oh relax, we like you too much to kill you,” Vex snickers, offering her hand to Percy. She has to hold back a snort when he flinches mildly at her fingers, eyeing them distrustfully. “We’re done,” she promises.
After a suspicious look, Percy grasps her hand and allows her to tug him into a sitting position. One of his arms is still wrapped protectively around his stomach, his hand reaching far enough to rub that damn spot Vax had tickled for three seconds which caused him to fall apart.
“Remind me to never piss you off,” Percy rasps, taking off his glasses to rub the tears in his eyes away.
Vax leans over to his supplies to snatch up his water skin, offering it to Percy who took it gratefully. “So,” Vax starts, watching Percy drink water like he hadn’t had it in years. “Soft touch and bad back, huh?”
Percy almost chokes. With a rough swallow, he recorks the water skin and clears his throat, stubbornly not looking at either of the twins. “Like I said, it’s been a long time. I didn’t think I still even was… well, you know.”
“What? Ticklish?’
Vex’s gentle tease makes Percy’s face burn for what felt like the millionth time that evening. He shoves his glasses back on his face despite the heat in his cheeks making them fog up mildly. The reaction makes the twins chuckle.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed, Percy dear,” Vex soothes, an arm wrapping around his shoulders and rubbing gently at the nape of his neck - tension knotting the area from hours of leaning over a workbench while inventing. Percy winced at the attention, both from the anticipation of another attack and the ache of his tense muscles.
“It’s embarrassing,” Percy grumbles without much heat, sounding like a petulant kid. “My siblings always ganged up on me because of it.”
“You have a nice laugh, I can see why they would,” Vax hums, tucking his water skin back into his nearby cloak.
The surprised look on Percy’s face almost made Vex tackle him back to the floor and tickle him again just so he could hear how precious his laugh was. She held herself back though, he’d had enough for tonight anyway. He hadn’t been tickled in years, he’d need to be introduced back to the game slowly. Tonight was an excellent first lesson.
“So, Percy’s ticklish then?”
The sudden voice made the trio jump and look up to the other side of the cave where the rest of Vox Machina were watching them with grins. Scanlan, who’d asked the question, chuckled at the human’s sudden flush. “Yeah no, we saw the whole thing, de Rolo. Don’t expect this to be the last time, that was cute as fuck.”
Grog chuckled deeply. “Very cute,” he agreed in that rumbling voice of his. Pike, who was sat atop his shoulder nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
“Had no idea you could laugh like that, Perce,” she chirped, glancing at Keyleth who giggled softly.
“It was quite sweet,” the Air Ashari tacked on.
Percy stared at the group of people he called family, his eyelid twitching slightly and cheeks flushed a rosy pink. His gloved hands come up to press over his face, knocking his head into his bent knees, wishing the floor would just cave in and murder him quickly.
“Aww, I think we’re embarrassing him,” Vax cooed, his hand resting atop Percy’s head and gently ruffling his hair in a brotherly fashion. “It’s alright, Giggles, you know we do it out of love.”
“F’ck off and die,” came the muffled grumble buried into Percy’s hands.
The twins cackled, pleased that they not only thoroughly shattered Percy’s indifferent demeanor, but got him flustered beyond repair from simple, playful affection and loving words. They were gonna have fun with this new information. It was their right as a family to carry on the de Rolo tradition of making Percival Fredrickson de Rolo the Third laugh, they wouldn’t let Percy’s late siblings down on that front.
AN: Merry Christmas @gladdygirl18 I’m your squealing santa! I had so much fun with this one, & as always a huge thank you to @squealing-santa for running the event! Decided to go with the Scanlan/Pike prompt because our silly lil bard doesn’t get nearly enough love around here. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!
"And a low note to finish it off," Scanlan muttered to himself, writing the final chords to his newest piece. He began compiling the scattered pages strewn across the bed, but noticed that he was just two pages short. He looked all over the tangled sheets: no wonder he couldn't find anything.
He noticed a corner of a sheet of paper sticking out from behind the headboard.
"Aha!" he exclaimed, reaching down to grab it, but came up just shy. He strained and forced his arm deeper between the crack, but he could still barely graze the pages. He stretched as much as he could, finally snatching the papers he needed. Right before slipping in between the bed and wall. He was stuck up to his hips, legs kicking in the air wildly.
"No, oh no, this is bad!" He squirmed around to see if he could work himself free, but only made himself fall deeper into the crevice. He let out a panicked shriek when he dropped between a few more inches, thoroughly trapped.
Pride be damned, he needed help, and he didn't care who saw him like this, just as long as they got him out. So he started screaming.
"HELP! SOMEONE! HEEEELP I'M STUCK! he wailed from his upside down position, voice slightly muffled by the thick quilt he was yelling into.
He only had to yell for a minute or two before Pike followed the noise to its source.
"Whoa, hey, are you okay?" she asked upon seeing him and rushed to his side.
"PIKE! Oh thank the Gods! I'm saved!" he exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief. She had to stifle a laugh as she stepped in the room, taking a closer look at Scanlan's predicament.
"How uh, how'd you get stuck like that?" she asked, a few sputtering chuckles slipping out.
"Wha- are you laughing at me?" he asked incredulously.
"I'm sorry, but have you seen yourself?" she justified, leaning against the bed. She looked around the headboard, trying to decide the best way to free her friend.
"Does it look like I have a mirror on hand?" he sassed, growing more annoyed the longer he was stuck. But he would blame it on all the blood rushing to his head, and the claustrophobia didn't help.
Pike smirked, "I could always just leave..."
"NO! Wait!" he screamed, worried his only chance at freedom was about to walk out the door. "Fuck, it's so cramped back here! Just- will you please help? I can't move," he admitted defeat, body going limp. Pike softened as she listened to his plight, smiling and rolling her eyes fondly.
"Yeah, whatever. You owe me," she said, hopping up onto the bed. "So, remind me how you got stuck?"
"Ugh, I was just trying to grab some sheet music I dropped, and I slipped," he explained.
"Maybe next time try reaching under the bed," she teased. Scanlan scoffed.
"Trust me, there won't be a next time, if I can help it. Now are you gonna help me or not?"
"Relax, will you? I'm helping," she brushed him off, tilting her head as she examined his position. "Okay, I think I can get you out."
"Oh great, you're not even sure?"
"Hey, I'm doin' my best here!" she whined playfully, grabbing ahold of his ankles. She pulled on his legs with all her might, but he barely moved an inch.
"Okay, ow, stop stop stop!" he yelled when he felt his legs pop out of socket for a split second. Pike held her hands up, immediately letting go at the first sign of distress.
"Sorry! But you're like, really stuck," she said in amazement.
"Preachin' to the choir here, Pike," he sassed, growing more annoyed and irritated as the blood continued rushing to his brain, the inkling of a headache beginning to set in.
"I know, I know, just- hold still," she readjusted her grip higher on his legs, just below the knees. "Okay, ready? On three. One, two, three!" she counted off and gave another hard tug, heels digging into the mattress as she pulled.
Scanlan let out an earsplitting shriek, kicking his legs free as she fell backwards from the force of letting go.
"I said hold still!" she scolded, dusting herself off.
"Well maybe you should hold somewhere else!" he countered childishly. Pike huffed and rolled her eyes.
"If you haven't noticed, my options are a bit limited," she deadpanned, smirking just a little as she heard him whine.
"Fine, just do it quick," he ordered.
Pike noticed the way he flinched when she grabbed the same spot, and the gears began turning in her head. Was he hurt? No, he would've been limping. Then what could it- oh. She smirked as realization dawned on her.
"You know, you could've just said it tickled," she mused aloud.
"W-what? I never said that!" Scanlan shrieked defensively, earning an amused chuckle from Pike.
"So... you're not ticklish?" she questioned, arching a skeptical brow despite knowing he couldn't see her.
"Hell no! What even gave you that idea?" he asked, wiggling around trying to free himself.
"Oh nothing, just the fact that you screamed when I did this!" Without warning, she suddenly latched onto his legs, squeezing just below his knees. She was rewarded with an ear piercing shriek as Scanlan thrashed around.
"Pihihike wahahait! T-this ihihisn't fahahair!" he screamed through his laughter.
"That's it, keep moving!" Pike ignored his protest in favor of encouragement. The more he thrashed around, the less stuck he became, so really, she was still helping!
"Dohohon't patronihihize mehehe!" he whined.
"I-I'm not! Honest!" she assured him, even as she pinched along the back of his thighs. Snorts mingled with his shrill laughter, much to his chagrin and Pike's amusement. She couldn't help but to tease, "Sorry, bad spot?"
"You hypohohocrihihite!" he cried out indignantly. He thrashed around, half of his torso now freed. So what if it was working? It was still cruel.
"I'm still helping, aren't I?" she countered smugly, tickling up his sides and ribs. His laughter rose an octave, borderline giggling as he desperately tried to control his reactions.
"Hang in there Scanlan, one more pull oughta do it!" She grabbed him by the hips and he immediately jumped at the touch. When she applied even the slightest bit of pressure, he screamed.
"THIHIS IHIHIS TORTURE!"
"Almost... there..." Pike groaned as she tugged the thrashing, hysterical bard free.
Suddenly, Scanlan felt a release of pressure and saw the room fly around him before landing on his back. His chest heaved as he could finally breathe again, greedily sucking air into his aching lungs.
"See? That wasn't so bad," Pike was panting too, lying next to him. He turned to glare at her, but the lingering smile dulled its effect.
"Easy for you to say."
"How long were you stuck like that?" she asked, making him groan and rub a hand down his tired, flushed face.
"Too long," he huffed.
"Actually, it was closer to five minutes," a sly voice spoke from the doorway.
Scanlan gasped and sat up, locking eyes with a very smug Vax'ildan.
"Wha- Vax? How- how long've you there?" he asked in a panicked, shrill voice, stuttering over his words. Out of everyone, Vax was the last person he trusted with this information.
Vax smirked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Got here just before Pike, but I thought I'd let her do the heavy lifting," he mused, ignoring her muttered, "Gee, thanks a lot."
At this rate, Scanlan's blush would never leave.
"So you've just been there? Like, the whole time?" he demanded, mouth hanging open in shock as Vax nodded.
"Yep. Wouldn't dare miss a performance like that, Scanman" he chuckled and dodged the pillow thrown at him. He waltzed over to the bed, noting the way Scanlan tensed and scooted away.
He knelt down and reached under the bed, fishing for the loose pages on the ground. He pulled back, holding the paper triumphantly in the air.
"I believe this is what you were looking for?" he held them out expectantly, only to yank them back once Scanlan reached for them.
"C'mon Vax, go easy on him," Pike came to his defense, even as she chuckled at the exchange.
"Oh, you mean like how you "went easy on him?"" he asked, using air quotes to help make his point. She gasped and playfully punched his arm as Scanlan flopped back onto the bed, rolling over to hide amongst the pillows.
"I hate you both." His voice was quiet and muffled, but even still, they knew he didn't mean it.
"Sure you do," Pike patted his shoulder with mock sympathy.
"I bet I can make you hate us even more," Vax challenged. Scanlan whipped around, a bewildered expression on his face in contrast to the rogue's mischievous grin.
"You wouldn't d-" he cut himself off when he felt a vice grip around his ankle.
Original request (from @majorheelturn): hiiii I have requests for tickletober 🥰 ~ 19. Mischief / Chase / In the shadows — OPEN Vox Machina, maybe Percy/Vax/Vex?
Author’s note: These prompts were absolutely MADE for these three. I hope you enjoy Day 19 of Tickletober: Mischief, Chase, and In the Shadows from August’s list, mine and Glady’s list, and Nym’s Tickleween list!
Series: The Legend of Vox Machina / or Critical Role (Can be read either way!)
Characters: Percy, Vex, Vax
Word count: 915
Summary: Vex and Vax’s lesson to teach Percy to have fun eventually turns into a lesson in manners when Percy acts sassy with them in his predicament.
---
Percy’s parents advised him never to run down the halls of Whitestone Castle, since it could be dangerous, but in cases like these—it’s life or death.
“Percival! There’s no need to run, darling! I’m not going to hurt you!” Vex calls from down the hall, chasing after the speedy noble.
“Absolutely not!” he calls from over his shoulder, “I do not want to be the subject of your torment!” Behind him, he hears Vex’s voice echo off the walls of the castle.
“Torment? What are you talking about! We’re just trying to have a bit of fun!” Vex’s words are laced with mischief. “What kind of torment is that?!”
Okay, so maybe it’s not exactly a ‘life or death’ situation. More like it’s dignity or humiliation that’s on the line. It all started because Percy asked the twins for an extra hand in his tinkering project (a decision he now regrets), and Vex and Vax thought that the project needed the mood to be lighthearted and fun rather than stale and serious. Percy lost Vax earlier in the chase, so all he needs to do is shake off the female twin and he’ll be home free.
Percy makes a sharp turn down another hallway. At the end of the hall is a fork in the palace ‘road.’ He dashes as fast as he can towards the end, then quickly turns to the right. He slides behind the wall and presses his back to it. The shadows around this area of the castle make this hall appear darker, as if the night was shading it.
Percy quiets his breaths of air. Vex comes around the first corner and sees the diverging pathways and doors that lead to potential hiding places. Instead of running, she slinks slowly down the hall, trying to pick up any hint of which direction Percy chose.
“Percyyyy. Where did you go?” Vex sings.
Percy, as quiet as possible, listens intently to Vex’s movements. The moment she opens a door to peek in, he’ll take the opportunity to bolt down the hall.
All his focus is so invested into Vex that Percy doesn’t notice the moving blob of dark shadow creeping up on him.
Vax springs out from the shadows and grabs his sides, “Gotcha!”
Percy screams from the surprise, but also from the shock of ticklish energy that surges through his body. The noble stumbles out into the open. Before he can run, Vax charges into him by throwing his arms around him in a hug, pinning Percy’s arms to his own sides, and preventing his escape.
“I’ve got him, Vex!” Vax smiles while he tightens his hold on the wriggling noble. For good measure, Vax digs a set of his fingers into Percy’s side, resulting in the noble sucking in a breath and refocusing his energy into holding back his giggles rather than squirming.
Vex runs up to them. “Excellent work, brother!” The female twin interlaces her fingers and stretches them forward, as if she was about to crack her knuckles. “Now, as I was saying before you so rudely ran away, Percy, I think you need to have some fun while you’re working!” Vex launches her fingers into Percy’s ribs. The noble lurches forward, but he keeps in the air bubbles of giggles within his chest.
“I know what you’re looking for,” Percy growls, holding his laughter back. “Well, you’re not getting it!”
Vax snickers over his shoulder. “Oh ho. You shouldn’t have said that.”
Vex smirks. “Percy, darling. Don’t you know that it’s rude to hold in your laughter when someone is tickling you?” The archer scribbles a hand at his belly. Percy’s laughter crackles as he tries to keep in the giggly sound, but a sizzle of snickers immediately follow, which is then followed up by a burst of Percy’s full, boisterous laughter.
“There we go, that’s better,” Vex grins.
“Dahahahamn it!” Percy squirms from side to side and curls his giggly expression into his shoulder.
Vax gasps. “Percy! Now you’re cursing too? A mild curse, yes, but where are your manners, Freddy? Do we need to re-teach you the basics?”
“Yohohohou?! Teach MEhehehe manners?! I’ll hahahave yohohou know that I– hehehehe!” Percy’s own laughter cuts off his sentence when Vex squeezes at his hips, almost making the noble collapse if it wasn’t for the other twin holding him up.
“Were you about to lecture us, Percy?” Vex says, “Sassiness is the opposite of politeness. Perhaps you do need a refresher course. We can start riiight now.” Vex digs into his ticklish hips, making Percy squeal with laughter.
“Nohohono no! I suhuhuhurrender! Plehehehease!”
“Well, he did say ‘please,’” Vax smiles.
“Oh, I suppose,” Vex rolls her eyes, grinning. Both Vex and Vax release Percy, causing the noble to stumble forward and wrap his arms around his torso.
Percy takes in a few deep breaths before saying, winded, “Thank you.”
Vax puts his hands on his hips, “Well, look at that—he said thank you. We made progress with him already. Just a few more sessions and you’ll be an expert in manners in no time.”
Percy rolls his eyes and stands up straight. “Ha ha, very funny. Now can we please get back to tinkering?”
“Why, of course Percy. Since you asked so nicely,” Vex says with a smug tilt to her head.
The noble face palms. He has a feeling that this is how the rest of the day is going to unfold with these two mischievous twins.
I feel like he'd be broody and tense, then Cass would try to comfort him and he'd have that internalised thought of not needing help, and then she'd pull this shit on him
I don't really like it, but whatever. Might redraw in the future
