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Foolish spots the red vines of the Egg popping up in random spots over the server and decides he cannot let it continue. He'll do his best to destroy the vines as much as he can, but he should probably be a little more careful about it. The vines can be very persuasive.
Warning: This fic contains minor mind control/hypnosis. Not a lot but please read with caution if you're weary of anything like that.
I'm slowly but surely making by way through my backlog of fics I have ready to post. One day I'll post them all lol
Pls enjoy
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The red vines popped up around the Summer Home seemingly within an hour. In the morning, Foolish was walking from his temple to the oasis with Foolish Jr and Finley on his shoulders. After their morning swim and sun drying themselves, Foolish saw it. The red caught on the corner of his eye, just peeking up near the XD statue. Knowing that red too well, Foolish ushered his children inside and went to deal with it.
It was only a few vines, three or four at the most, clumped around the base of the XD statue. Foolish pulled them up immediately and they snapped off, with no fuss. He dug down under the spot they were coming from but found no other vines. To ease his own mind, Foolish convinced himself it was some left over vines that had been pushed up to the surface. He’d cleared them away, and that would be the end of it.
That was, in fact, not the end of it.
A few weeks later Foolish was working on a build far from the Summer Home and he saw the vines in the distance. A lot of them. There was a large clump just in the middle of the spruce forest, and then Foolish could see, in the distance, a clump of red on the horizon of a far off hill.
Foolish did his best not to panic as he gathered up his tools and walked over to the vines. His theory could still be true. These were the last of the vines from that horrid Egg and something - an earthquake maybe - had shifted them up to the surface. These were just remnants of them. There was no way the Egg was back in power.
The clump Foolish came up to in the forest was a lot more than just four vines. A few of them were wrapped around the trees but the main clump of it was sitting in the grass, the red vines entwined and coiled around themselves making it impossible to count how many of them there actually were. It could be many, or just a few long ones wrapped around themselves again and again.
He couldn’t hear any whispering, so Foolish took that as a good sign and got to work. He could cut down the trees later so it would be better to tackle the main clump of it.
Foolish took a careful step in between the vines to try and find the source of them. He could see a few of the vines clumped close together just off centre of the mass. He grabbed his axe in one hand and bent down to reach for them. He couldn’t get a good grip on them, so Foolish moved forward and that’s when he fell.
He fell forward, into the pile of vines and fear kept him still.
It was just a trip. He reasoned to himself. I tripped on one of the vines laying still. It didn’t move because it has no power and it can’t move.
Foolish pushed himself up and felt a vine wrap around his back, looping under his waist and pressing down on him, and Foolish accepted the fact then. The Egg was still alive.
With that new information Foolish changed tactics. Taking it slow was not an option anymore, so he pushed himself up as fast as he could go. The red vines weren’t prepared, not ready to hold him down, so Foolish got himself up onto his knees.
A vine snapped out from the now writhing mass and wrapped around Foolish’s right forearm. Another around his left bicep. The vines pulled, but Foolish could easily pull back. The Egg was alive, but it had next to no power. It wasn’t strong anymore and Foolish could easily win the fight.
As though the Egg realised this, it changed tactics. The vine on his forearm fell but quickly snaked around to join the one on his bicep. The vines all focused their strength to one thought, pulling on Foolish’s arm but the golden shark was barely fazed. He was winning this battle of strength; until the Egg cheated.
“BahAHA! WHahAHAT!”
It came as Foolish pulled himself up. He was halfway to standing, with one foot on the ground and ready to push himself up when another vine had weaved into his armpit and started wiggling it’s tip against his skin.
“Stohop ihIHIT!” Foolish pulled and tried to stop the giggling but it was no use. He was terrible at holding back his laughter, and the vine in his arm traced up and down the hollow shape of his underarm with precision. When it realised it was getting a response, it pressed in with a firmer touch.
Another vine wrapped around his other arm, distracting Foolish from the vines swarming towards his left side. One got a his ribs, tracing up and down the bones. Another weaved around his back, tracing the shape of his spine. With these, and the vine still constantly wiggling in his armpit, Foolish had no choice but to be pulled down.
At that moment, more than any other, Foolish wished his clothes weren’t so loose and open. He wore no top, other than the thin cape he attached at his shoulders, and that was useless with protecting him. The vines all wiggled in their chosen spots, none of them matching in speed or rhythm so he couldn’t get used to them.
“S-Stohohop! StohOHOhohOP!” Foolish’s laughter ended in a high yelp when he felt one of the vines wrap around his lower ribs, vibrating along them. His legs wobbled, threatening to fall but a fire lit in Foolish, pulling hard enough at the vine wrapped around his arm and actually pulling out of their hold. He heard the vine snap, and felt his arm slack.
The wave of elation rushed over and then quickly out of Foolish as he fell with the momentum of the pull. He hadn’t expected the vine to snap so easily so while he was out of the grasp of one vine he fell back into the mass of vines laying beneath him.
The red vines suddenly came alive. They moved like snakes, weaving under and over Foolish. They wrapped around his waist and limbs, pulling him down while the vines worked back into tickling him. The usual ones returned to his armpits and ribs, but now more came to his stomach, tracing around and tickling over his bellybutton, and a few went to his feet, poking and swiping along his soles.
“NAHAHAHAHAHA! OoohohoHOHOho PriHIHihiME! ST-STOP! PlehEAHAHASE STOHOHOHOP!”
Foolish kicked and pulled but the vines had him held down now, from all limbs. He managed to peek open his eyes, scanning for his axe he dropped and saw it, just in time, to be swallowed by the sea of red and lost into the clump of vines.
The laughter was broken up by a helpless whine as Foolish saw his chance for escape disappear. The vines around his wrists tightened, and pulled his arms up, stretching him out as a vine on each side poked down his ribs.
“St-ohop! Stohohop! Stohohohohop!” Foolish voice squeaked higher and higher the lower the vines poked. The softness of the vines were like feathers but it was firm like fingers, digging in to each rib. Foolish panicked the further the vines went.
The vines spent time on each rib, making sure it was kneaded properly before moving down to the next one. Foolish couldn’t think what would happen when it ran out of ribs, because if the vines started on his sides, he had no chance of escape.
A list of possible escape plans formed in Foolish’s head while he could still think clearly. His axe was gone but he still had his sword in his inventory. If he could just reach it.
The vines around Foolish’s left arm weren’t as firm as the ones on his right. If he was fast enough, he could grab the sword from his inventory and swing down on a few of the vines. He had to hit enough of them to be able to escape though.
The red tendrils tickled down to the middle of Foolish’s ribs now, spending a little more time on each ones like they were taunting him. Slowly going towards his sensitive sides.
Foolish panicked the vines were getting too close, and not wanting to risk another inch he quickly summoned his sword. The vines responded immediately, half in a panic and tightening their hold on Foolish’s arms and the other half tickled in faster and anywhere they could get. Every single one of his ribs were attacked. The vines tickling at his feet curled around them, using their soft sides to wiggle against his skin while the ends of their tendrils tickled up his calves. The ones to really kick in Foolish’s struggling was the vines wrapped around his waist wiggled and vibrated against his sides.
“FUHUHAHAHAHAH! NAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!
Any amount of composure was lost. Foolish fell on his side, his heels digging into the dirt and kicking up vines. Suddenly realising they had found a good spot, all the vines zeroed in on his sides. They stroked, poked and wiggled along the soft golden sides and Foolish howled.
Electricity surged through Foolish’s limbs, which turned in his favour. With the vines focusing on tickling his sides, his arms were free and his hand with the sword swung out, hitting the main clump of vines on the ground and cutting them.
Few vines went limp, the other tried to get for Foolish’s arms, but escape was in sight and Foolish hacked again and again. A red clump of vines fell away, showing the handle of his axe and he made a grab for it.
Duel wielding his axe and sword, Foolish swung. He swung until he felt the vines along his sides loosen, or stop tickling, then he stood up and kept swinging until the vines were in a thousand pieces.
Foolish stood in the mess of chopped vines, taking in deep gulps of air. His sides tingled and throat felt sore. The clump of vines coming from the ground were hacked into pieces and the ones weaving around the branches were limp and lifeless, some of them falling. Foolish shook off the ghostly tickles and took a moment to take in a deep breath and calm himself.
The forest felt far too quiet and Foolish kicked a few of the vines just to make some noise. He pulled down the vines from the trees, kicked all the vines together in a pile and burned them. He got the few of the smaller pieces he couldn’t get before and burned them too. He tried to dig around under the area to find more of the vines but there were none. Foolish was sure they came from underground but he tried searching for a good few minutes and found nothing.
Foolish had to convince himself that was fine. It had to be remnants of the Egg somehow, but if they weren’t deeply routed into the sever like before then there was nothing Foolish could do. He felt drained and was just thinking how he couldn’t wait to get back home and have a relaxing swim, when the red caught onto the corner of his eye.
Another red mass in the distance. The one he’d seen when he was standing at his build and it was in the horizon. Now, from the spruce forest, Foolish could see it rather close through the trees.
Leave it. Just leave it. It’s not your job. Just pretend you didn’t see it.
But Foolish couldn’t pretend, and he couldn’t leave it. Half way through talking himself out of it, he was already making his way towards the vines.
These vines lay by a pile of rocks out in a rather open area which was rather bold. Usually the Egg had hidden their cluster until they had more control and power, till there was too many to stop. The vines here were casually in a meadow, twisting around some rocks and thankfully not as big as the last cluster.
Foolish believed then this would be easier.
They’ll try tickle you again. He told himself. They’ll get you wrapped up again. But you know that so you’re smarter than that.
He immediately held his axe, ready to make the swing as he approached. Few of the vines were already moving, making slow slithering moves towards him. Foolish saw a good chunk which would kill off most of the vines with one hit and, as quietly as he could, he stepped around the moving vines.
There was a free spot without vines were Foolish could step into and swing down. He readied himself, taking in a breath to prepare to make a quick step in. The axe was halfway lifted and just as Foolish took in deep breath, lifting the axe above his head and rose his foot to step in, he was suddenly grabbed from behind.
A sneaking tendril whipped out and wrapped around Foolish’s waist. It quickly coiled around him three times before pulling him down.
“WHAT?! What thehe f-fffuhuhuhuck!”
The vines wasted no time, immediately massaging and kneading into Foolish’s sides. The axe fell from his grasp as he fell and just as Foolish pulled his head up to look for it, one of the red menaces wrapped around it and threw it far out of reach.
Foolish whined to the loss of his weapon instead of immediately brining out his sword. By the time he remembered his his wrists were wrapped tightly and arms pulled over his head again. He was dragged into the centre of the vines, where they all eagerly sprung to life. His limbs were cocooned and held down tight. His arms stretched up above his head pulling his sides taunt and the vines got to work.
The ones coiled around him shifted lower, still kneading and vibrating their soft fuzzy texture against Foolish’s skin but getting more of his hips with it, and other vines quickly swarmed in, poking, tasering and wiggling up and down the golden shark’s sides. Showing no mercy or hesitation.
The last thought whirling in Foolish’s mind was: They share a hive mind! Before all logical thoughts were pushed out, and his brain was flooded by It tickles! It tickles! It tickle it ticklesittcklesittickles!!!
The electricity coursing through his body was telling Foolish to struggle and fight and run, but the vines holding him down wouldn’t allow it, creating a mixture of panic and survival coursing through every cell in his body but it was fighting against the helpless knowledge that he could not move at all, so all the energy just fizzled and flowed through him making every nerve in his body hypersensitive.
Foolish had never felt this ticklish in his life. The vines must have made him more ticklish, because even the vines just lightly brushing along his sides and the bottom of his ribs were sending extensive shocks through him. He was sure he was babbling something, but even Foolish didn’t know what he was saying. It might have been pleading or just guttural shouts, anything to let out the build up of ticklishness that he couldn’t let out by struggling.
The vines had moved but Foolish could barely feel it. He only knew they had during the moments where he could open his eyes, either shocked open or when he tried to peek at what the vines were doing. They coiled and slowly engulfed Foolish more and more. Burying him under layers of the red tendrils.
A fleeting worry tried to find purchase in Foolish’s mind, but it hardly had time to settle. It felt like his entire body was being rewritten to be tickled, and even if he could have a moment of clarity to think, the vine slowly wrapped around his shoulder and tracing so lightly over his ear was too distracting to form any thought.
The whispering started up. It cut through the scrambled thoughts of Foolish’s mind. He couldn’t hear the words, he couldn’t even know if there were any words, but the whispers were soothing, making his body relax and giving the vines all the more access.
Foolish knew that whispering, though it had nearly been a year since he had heard it. It was the whispering that greeted him after he’d woken from death. It was the sickeningly comforting whispers that made his mind into mush, that made him listen to that Egg. But Foolish had the strength to push out those whispers then; he had no strength now.
Whenever he tried to focus enough on the whispers, the vine would tickle his ear or the ones around his side massaged in, drawing out more howls of laughter. A few of the vines ventured up, poking up and down Foolish’s ribs again. It was maddening trying to arch his back and pull on his arms, but nothing budged. He was trapped as the vines weaved more and more around him.
They were completely encasing him. Hiding him away as the whispers infected his mind.
“N-NOHOHOHOAHAHA! St-StohOHOHOhohop! Plehehehease!”
The vines paid no mind and the whispering increased. Louder and louder until he couldn’t hear his own thoughts. It wasn’t his voice speaking in his mind anymore.
You don’t need to escape. You’re safe here.
“Sh-SHUHUHUHUHUT UHUHUP!” Foolish screamed, but no matter how much he screamed or yelled, it was no use. The whispers in his mind were louder than his own laughter. The vines had completely encased him into a cocoon of red writhing tendrils, blocking out any of the outside world.
The only thing Foolish could see where the vines. He could only hear the whispers. His mind was slowly melting and he was in the middle of a random forest, where chances of being seen were slim.
Foolish was trapped and alone and the whispers were slowly turning from unsettling to honeyed sweet. A deep dreaded feeling of hopelessness overcame Foolish’s limbs, like being slowly lowered into ice water as the whispers became almost deafening.
He was lost.
The only thing to shake Foolish out of his own head was to realise the vines had stopped tickling. Not entirely but the tendrils wrapped around his waist had stopped and slackened completely. Then the ones holding his arms went loose too, and then the red wall in front of him was suddenly broken. A beam of sunlight streaming in as the tip of something sharp broke through the vines.
Half of the vines on Foolish had fallen dead, but the other half still moving were in a mix of trying to keep Foolish in their grasp but also jump out and deal with the intruder. It took longer than Foolish would have liked to admit to realise that there was someone else here. The only thing cementing the fact in his head was the sound of their voice.
“Get away you FUCKS!” The voice hissed. “Foolish! MOVE!”
The small opening in the vines were trying to close up, but the sharp edge that cut them came back again, making a wider slash. When it disappeared again it was replaced by a hand gripping onto the vines and forcing the opening wider. A hand with nails painted black, leading to a white hoodie sleeve as the hand pushed in more.
The split was open enough to reveal Punz. His blue eyes were wide and wild, one hand holding his axe which was cutting away at any vines that tired to come close to him, the other hand out stretched to Foolish.
Sense and recognition flooded through Foolish’s entire body, shocking his nerves back to reality. His one arm that was freed was being slowly swallowed up by vines again, but Foolish pulled at it, using the vines split attention to break free of their hold and grab Punz’ hand.
Foolish felt himself be pulled up. Either Punz was stronger than Foolish assumed or the vines had turned really weak. His arm still held down gave a little resistance but with the combined pull of Foolish and Punz he was out and pulled from the vines cocoon.
Fresh air filled Foolish’s lungs and the soft grass was grounding beneath him. He was lain on the ground, with pieces of the vines spread out around him. Punz stood over the clump of vines, swinging around his axe at any that went to grab for him.
Foolish was suddenly filled with vigour, and determination for revenge. He had no time to look for his tossed axe and instead brought forward his sword as he stood up, and slashed at the vines around Punz while the blonde mercenary went for the main chuck of vines in the centre.
It took a few hacks, but eventually Punz cut through, and the vines trying to fight fell dead to the ground. Foolish lowered his sword.
Both men stood between the mess of red and mossy grass, panting. They looked over the vines before their eyes caught one another. Foolish felt his cheeks heat and shame shivered through his skin. To be caught by the vines in such a way was embarrassing enough, but having someone see it was another thing.
“You alright?” Punz asked with a last sigh and slump of his shoulders.
“Y-Yes… I’m fine.”
“It didn’t…” Punz left his words fall quiet but gave a gesture up to his own head, tapping the air at the side of his head.
“No! No! It… I mean I heard it but you got it before it could…get me.”
Punz’ shoulders slumped again, but this time in relief. His eyes took a softer look and he lowered his axe. A worrying thought crept up in Foolish’s head.
Was he going to kill me if I was possessed?
“What are you doing out here, in the middle of nowhere?” Punz’ question pulled Foolish from the dark thought.
The golden shark shook himself off before answering, standing up straight even though he felt a pain in his sides. “I was nearby… I-I took care of a few vines just over there,” he gave a lazy gesture in the direction, “I was working on a build and saw them. Saw these ones as well and thought I could handle them but…”
Punz nodded. They both knew what happened then.
“What about you?” Foolish asked. “Why are you here, in the middle of nowhere?”
“Hunting these things.” Punz kicked at some of the vines. “I found a couple of them in my tower. Thought they were dead, somehow left over since I purged them out, but they started moving when I tried to slice them. I didn’t take any chances and just burned them right away. When I realised more had probably popped up, I went around the sever searching for them, burning them before they got a chance to jump me.”
Foolish wanted to smack himself for being so stupid. Of course he could have just burned them right away. His flint and steel were heavy in his pocket, waiting to be used, but he didn’t think. Too caught up in trying to figure out how to avoid being tickled.
“I was coming to burn this one when I saw it move, and heard you laughing.”
Foolish’s face turned a brighter gold with his blush. “Y-Yeah…”
Punz gave a sympathetic look. “Hey about…don’t worry, man. I’ve had my run-ins with those things and I’ve gone through the same.”
That made Foolish feel a little better, though didn’t really help his blush. In the calm of the moment exhaustion came over him as the adrenaline left. His limbs felt heavy, his sides and ribs still tingled from the ghostly vines and his throat hurt from screaming in laughter.
His exhaustion must have shown as Punz said. “You can crash at my tower if you want. It’s close.”
“No…thank you.” Foolish shook his head. “No I just want to get home.”
“I’ll walk you.”
The two quickly collected up all the parts of the vines and set it ablaze, burning it to ash. Punz stayed by Foolish’s side through the walk, striking up conversation which Foolish was thankful for even if he couldn’t offer much conversation back. It was bad enough having to be walked home, like he couldn’t be trusted to make it back safely, but at least it wasn’t a walk in silence.
They came by the desert and eventually came to the edge of Foolish’s summer home where they departed. Punz, awkwardly, tried to offer support. He said if Foolish wanted to talk about what happened, he would listen and Foolish thanked him for the offer he was probably not going to take.
Foolish didn’t bother to check if Punz had actually left, he just went straight into his home. The large pool in the centre of his bedroom glistened with clear blue water and Foolish immediately slipped in, sighing in content relief as he sank underwater.
The tingling on his skin finally subsided and the scratching of his throat eased. The water couldn’t do anything for his memory though and even as he floated by in bliss, every once in a while he’d reach for his side or rub his ribs to chase away the ghostly tickles.
He vowed he’d be more careful if he saw the vines again. He wouldn’t take any chances and he’d burn it outright. But Foolish was reminded that the vines were all connected. They learned from one another and even if Foolish was quick nine out of ten times, it would be that one slip up that would seal his doom.
Foolish shuddered at the thought, and broke through the surface of the water.
