Nemo went about her merry business, humming and tidying around the base of the Laughing Tree when it whispered: New York. The tree spirit gasped with delight, dropping a pile of sticks and zooming away towards another story.
But when Nemo arrived, she found an ominous building under the guise of a hospital. The spirit hesitated, feeling something vile seep from the building, something malicious. But she gathered her courage and floated inside. She'd found stories for the Laughing Tree in darker places, she could handle it...
But this time, Nemo almost couldn't.
There was suffering in this place, a great deal of it. It was overseen by a vicious being, one that was sentient and clever. In its presence, she feared it would see her, but to her relief, it couldn't perceive her.
The being was focused on an angry man–it's... son?–that emanated the same malicious aura. In a disappointed huff, the being dismissed the man's presence. Curious, Nemo followed him... until he approached another just like him, his twin. At that moment, the man's face softened as the woman excitedly spoke to him and he laughed, joining her as they lead Nemo to a place where others awaited their company.
Nemo observed the group, chatting, playing games and to her delight–tickling. Though the tickling was focused mostly on the twins, who enjoyed the attention. For the first time since Nemo arrived, she relaxed.
A man who appeared to be the one twin's partner was embracing him during a moment of respite. Feeling mischievous, Nemo floated over to inspire the twin to tickle his partner back. The two tumbled to the floor as the rest of the room observed in amusement.
Nemo giggled. For all the pain here, there was something stronger present–something healing. A kind of joy that drew the tree spirit back to the hospital again and again...
A/N: A gift from the Laughing Tree for @shubbiewubbie, starring her OCs: Dalton and Remy, who I adore so much! They are so sweet and deserve so, so many tickles! Thank you so much for sharing your characters, stories, and worlds with us, Shun! You're an amazing creator and a good person 🫂.