#squishy wizard

[tobecatherine]

Nightmare Comfort

Part 2

Okay ya'll, it's been a very long time since I've found a character that has made me want to write like this. Once I got to romancing Gale in the second act I was hooked. I've read so many good stories lately that I decided last night to write and see what comes out. Please keep in mind I am still only in act 2 of the game so I don't know the ending. So some details may not be accurate.

I will warn you, it's a little depressing to start but apparently it's something my brain needed to get out. I would probably label this as sad, mixed with fluff and if enough people want me to continue, there could be a spicy second part.

To set the scene, picture this: It's been a few months since you returned to Waterdeep with Gale after the end of your travels. Ever since slowing down your mind has been racked with guilt, feeling like you don't deserve comfort you start to push Gale away.

Please be kind:

First person

Gale/Reader

Word Count: 2332

Nightmares had, in some way, always had a hold on you. But once returning to Waterdeep with Gale, they seemed to have gotten worse. It started with small, repeated dreams of the battles you fought together that pushed you to do things that normally would have been out of character for you. Haunted by lives you couldn’t save, the people you had failed. They would slip into your dreams every few weeks, reminding you of where you had been. It didn’t matter how many you did save, in your mind, only the ones you failed mattered deep down.

When you would wake, for just a moment, you would think you were back there, in the heat of battle. But as your body regained its senses and you’d open your eyes, you’d see Gale’s slumbering face, listening to his soft breathing. Just having him so close would bring you back to reality. It made you glad that you didn’t move much in your sleep. The shame you felt over this, you couldn’t tell him. You knew he’d listen but you also knew he would want to fix it but in your own way, you felt like this is what you deserved. So you let the dead haunt your dreams, doing your best to hide your growing exhaustion.

As the nightmares became more frequent, it felt almost like it was becoming a ritual to wake up and just take in Gale’s sleeping face. You would spend hours just gazing and scanning every wrinkle, dimple, freckle and scar he had. The thought crossed your mind that if you did this long enough you could memorize the slope of his nose and the curve of his cupid's bow and maybe, just maybe, the picture perfect image of him in your mind could chase away the bad dreams. 

Tonight's nightmare was especially bad. You stood there, the day you thought you had lost Gale forever. The moments replaying in your mind as you watched him die, shedding tears over his body because you weren’t sure he could be brought back. While your party had found a way to revive the love of your life, the feelings of mourning were still all too real. When you awoke, you felt tears on your face and when you opened your eyes the comfort you sought wasn’t there.

Panic arose in your chest as you sat up quickly to see where he could be. Your eyes scanned the room, coming upon the open doors that lead to the balcony. There, in the pale moonlight, you could see Gale standing shirtless, leaning slightly against the door frame, his back to you as he gazed upon the stars. While you couldn’t see his face, his body language and the energy you felt from him, you could tell something was wrong.

Quietly you removed the blanket that covered you on the bed you shared. The air was warm on this night so you had gone to sleep with nothing on other than one of Gale’s tunics. Slowly you raised yourself off the bed, walking slowly up behind the tall striking man in front of you. As you reached him you wrapped your arms around his waist, your hands gently placed on his belly, leaning forward just enough to rest your forehead against his back. In automatic fashion Gale’s big hands rested over yours as a long sigh left his lungs.

You could feel the guilt in your throat coming up like bile, wanting nothing more than to tell him everything you had been feeling but you still couldn’t bear drowning him in your issues. You need to be strong, perfect, beautiful, all the things he tells you you are every day. If you couldn’t do that then you failed him too. So instead you pressed close into his back, tightening your arms around him, worried that at any minute he could just drift away into a cloud of smoke.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” He asked, ever so softly. So softly that you almost missed it but you had felt that familiar rumble from his chest as he spoke.

“You knew?” You asked. A lump in your throat forming as you try not to speak louder than a whisper. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I wanted you to come to me… I… I knew something was wrong but I could tell that you wanted to handle it yourself so I didn’t push. You are beautiful beyond comparison but you are also stubborn and bullheaded. But the longer this has gone on My Love, your nightmares aren’t as silent as you think they are. It breaks my heart to see you struggling like this and I can’t just sit back and wait anymore,” He said, turning around to face you, still holding your hands. “I’m starting to think you don’t trust me.”

Gently he raises each of your hands to his lips, leaving small kisses along your knuckles before placing each one so you're holding him around his neck.. The hair on his face tickling your skin almost made you smile but you found yourself still looking at the floor, your heart at your feet. With another sigh, Gale laid one hand against your waist, keeping you close to him. The other carefully raises your head by the chin to look at him. Gale’s eyes look longingly into yours as his hand cups your cheek. 

For a moment you relax, tilting your face into his palm, feeling your body relax for just a moment. The heat from his hand felt comforting against your skin. 

“I’m sorry, none of this is your fault. You have done so much for me. I didn’t want to add another burden to your plate.” you say, lip quivering. “I must look pathetic… I am pathetic.” 

You watch as Gale’s brows furrow and the corners of his mouth point downward. His thumb brushes against your bottom lip to calm its quiver. His eyes search yours for understanding, recognition. “Where is the strong brave Druid that I fell in love with on the road?”

You can feel your gut clench, you didn’t have an answer, he was right, this wasn’t you. “I’m afraid I lost her,” You replied, your fingers twisting curls with the hair on the back of his neck. You were sure Gale was going to end this, ask you to leave because you weren’t the girl he fell in love with anymore. Tears flowed freely down your cheeks now. It felt like a dam had burst behind your eyes.

At the sight of this, Gale wrapped both arms around you, with one smooth motion he lifted you into his arms, carrying you back to bed. You were sure he would just lay you there and walk away but instead he sat on the bed, resting you carefully on his lap, cradling you in his arms.

“Every day you tell me how you love me, you reassure me about the choices we’ve made. Why won’t you let me do the same for you?” He asked softly. “You can’t keep bottling up all these feelings. I  don’t understand why you insist on suffering in silence but if that’s what you need then…. I want you to cry for as long as you need to and I will hold you for as long as you need me to.”

With his words, suddenly a flood of emotion burst forth. Pressed against his chest you let yourself sob, groan, and scream. Muffling yourself against his skin, you let out the rage and anxiety that pent up for the last few weeks. He was right, you shouldn’t have bottled this up, the heat in your chest made you feel like you were in the throat of a dragon.

It took a few minutes but you soon realized Gale was whispering in your ear. Straining your ears to hear the soft words he spoke. Between your sobs and frustration, you could hear him say, “I love you.” “my heart has never ached more for anyone than it does for you.” “I will be here for you always, you just have to let me in.”

For the first time you could admit the truth. “I’m scared,” You said, finally regaining control of your breathing.

“What are you scared of, my sweet?” Gale asked, now rocking the two of you back and forth.

“Of everything.” You said, taking deep long breaths now as you come down from the all too embarrassing tear filled journey you just took in Gales arms. Moving ever so slightly you rest your head on his shoulder, wishing your nose wasn’t now stuffy so you could breathe in his scent.

Softly you let your lips kiss the soft skin of his neck, admitting to yourself that this really had gone for too long. So, you started to let it all go.. There in Gale’s arms you tell him your whole story. You admit that before the whole venture started you had been alone for quite some time. It has made you view sharing things with others a burden because who could you trust when you were mostly alone. You spoke about those you failed and how they haunt your dreams but the biggest fear of all, was the fear of waking up and realizing Gale had only been a dream the whole time.

At the mention of himself, Gale chuckled. “You aren’t going to lose me. The road we traveled was a rough one, and even with everything I know, I would trade all the stars in the sky, all the air in my lungs, even all my books just to spend every last moment I live with you.”

Your eyebrows raise as he mentions his book collection. “You’re really serious,” you said, lifting your head to look at him with surprise. You search his face for anything other than the serious look he now wore.

“I don’t joke about my book collection sweetheart,” he said, gently placing a kiss on your forehead.

“I don’t deserve you, I feel like all I’ve done is trick you.”

This time Gale placed his lips against yours. Slow and soft, his hand moving to rest on the back of your head, his fingers running through your hair. You’ve known Gale was one who showed his love more than he spoke about it, but he was good at both nonetheless. You could feel the pure emotion he put forth in his kiss. He took his time kissing each section of your face, wanting you to feel as loved and precious as he viewed you. When his lips found yours again it was like your heart was suddenly being filled with more love for this wizard than you ever thought possible.

Once your lungs ached for air you finally pulled away from his lips. Gathering your composer you finally explained the rest of your insecurities, you finally explained your fear of losing him and how it felt to feel your heart break into a million tiny pieces from the uncertainties of his survival that day.

“Every day I get with you feels like a dream… and when I sleep… the nightmares are my reality. Everything has just felt too good to be true. I’m sorry Gale… I know this side of me isn’t what you signed up for,” you tell him, your eyes meeting his.

Gale leaned forward, kissing your forehead for a long moment before pulling back and resting his own against yours so you could share each other's breath. “My love, when I asked you to marry me, I meant it. There is no one in this world or in the heavens that I have loved so fully and who has made me feel like just being me is good enough. I want to stay beside you, no matter what life brings. Be that nightmares, blissful dreams, fights, love making, every moment I get to spend with you makes me feel like the luckiest man alive.”

“I have never loved someone the way I love you,” you say in return. “That’s why it scares me so much. Now that all of that is behind us, it’s like my mind won’t just let me be. We’ve been through so much, we’ve shared so much. What if I ruin this?”

“I won’t let you,” he said simply. “I will just have to remind you how loved and cherished you are.” With that Gale tilted his head and caught your lips in another kiss. Gentle and sweet. You could feel love move through him, making your heart skip. “I have an idea that might help… maybe not right away but with time I think we can change the way your mind has tried to trick you.”

“I’d do just about anything to make this end and get to just live… here with you,” You say softly.

Sitting up straighter Gale smiled down at you in his arms. “Good, I love you… we’ll do this in two parts. First, every morning, I want you to tell me five things that make you happy. It doesn’t matter what they are or why they make you happy. You just need to remind yourself that there are plenty of things that bring you joy. Then second, I want you to tell me something we could do together that would make you feel better.”

Your cheeks flush from the first thought that crossed your mind when he said this. A small smile creeping onto your lips as your teeth start to lightly chew on your bottom lip. “Like making love under the stars like we used to?” You mumbled. Sex felt like it should be the farthest thing from your mind, but the stolen nights the two of you shared on the road were some of the most comforting and happy moments you remember having in your whole life. 

With a smirk and a chuckle Gale nodded. “That my love, I can provide.”

[unabashedfacecreator]

Dragon age inquisition inspired tarot for Gale of being water deep.

Hes water deep from waterdeep

[tinysluttywizardwaist]

@quiddie is just like me fr

[engagemythrusters]

"gale sucks" this and "gale dies all the time" that. have you considered you just suck ass at playing a wizard?

[ouaw-facts-i-just-made-up]

The Krew works out together, usually honing a particular skill that they wish to work on (agility, weight lifting, defensive maneuvers, etc). Gideon is always extremely excited about it, and as the only one who's actually into fitness, he likes to hype up everyone especially when they beat their PB.

He'd never admit it but seeing Gideon happy is the reason Kremy actually gives a shit rather than phoning it in. The rest, while it's a bit of a struggle, do enjoy having a skill to get them out of a bind.

Hootsie gets put in a little coach outfit too, she's not helping really but isn't she cute???

[rabbitprincessthief]

gog i still can't get over minish cap vaati's Everything. He is So Fucking Stupid (affectionate)

Like. This guy's establishing character moment is, in order:

he's introduced as having won an entire tournament to get to touch a magic chest and get a cool sword, which was the prize for said tournament

turns around and does a goddamn evil soliloquy TEN FEET AWAY FROM THE GUARDS who were about to hand him his macguffin on a platter

(like this man fucks up his own horribly planned daylight heist because he cannot keep a lid on the dramatics for FIVE FUCKING MINUTES, IN PUBLIC)

(THE BAR WAS ON THE FLOOR VAATI, FUCKING GANONDORF PLAYS THE PIPE ORGAN FOR HIS OWN BOSS INTRO AND HE STILL KNOWS BETTER THAN THIS SHIT)

proceeds to fight the guards (it is, admittedly, a curbstomp for him, but it still clearly wasn't his plan, because otherwise why bother with the tournament)

gloats evilly

opens chest, unleashing a whole bunch of monsters

exposits out loud about Zelda's powers like a nerd while she is actively charging up her magic powers to kick his ass

RECOGNIZES and IDENTIFIES said magic as the special power carried by the female royal line

completely fails to recognize it as the light force he is currently trying to get his hands on (he spends like 99% of the game not figuring this out.)

petrifies her

(i have no idea if link could have deflected this spell if he had managed to get the right angle with his shield but i like to think somewhere there is a very short and very funny alternate timeline where it happens)

(more importantly: no part of vaati's original presumed plan would have involved doing this. he 100% created this situation for himself by being an dramatic idiot and picking a fight for no good reason.)

looks in the chest

there's no light force

considering his stated goals he might be as confused as you are about the monsters tbh

uhhh

evil laugh

teleports the fuck out

He then proceeds to spend the rest of the game trying to figure out where the light force is and ends up having to wait for Ezlo and Link to figure it out first because he was, as far as I can tell, GENUINELY stuck on this part. He fucking kidnaps and impersonates the King, not for access to Zelda, but to… send guards to go look for the Light Force, presumably because he was either running out of ideas or genuinely thought that would work.

None of the guards even had any idea what he was talking about. He's not even good at impersonating the King. He's already sent like twenty people to the dungeon by the time you get there and it hasn't even been a week. Somehow the game spins this as a cunning plan and clever manipulation or something.

(Meanwhile the guards are just. Poking around in random bushes and shit hoping to find the light force. One of them asks you what you think it might look like.)

Zelda is literally right next to the throne and Vaati does not figure it out until you find an actual honest-to-goodness LORE TABLET spelling out that the Light Force is Stored in the Zelda, at which point he's like "ahahaha you've done my work for me this was definitely my plan all along" and takes over the castle and throws a bunch of monsters at you to stall for time while he figures out how to extract the force from her. Somehow he still doesn't think to actually lock the fucking door.

[goldenhallas]

[hulloitsdani]

Ayo don't think I'm gonna finish this one but it was a bit too much fun to not share. This was a value/shading experiment as well as an exploration of some combat poses for Kiran. If anyone has some fun suggestions for how I could clean it up, I'm super down to hear it.

[glyphes]

The blood 🩸 and the weave 🔮

[anghraine]

I was just thinking again about how much I love the idea of D&D Elizabeth/Darcy as a sorcerer/wizard spellcasting duo.

I particularly like storm sorcerer Elizabeth/abjuration wizard Darcy, with Elizabeth as an offensive powerhouse and Darcy a defensive one, and both kind of judgy about each other, yet sorcerers are famously (in fact definitionally!) versatile and a skilled wizard is scary at the best of times.

(Elizabeth is always ready to use Silvery Barbs and Hold Person against Jane's foes and Darcy carefully prepares Lightning Bolt every morning.)

[chaos-enchanted]

Yeeeess soft body Gale and Astarion mod my beloved!

[lesbianaelwen]

adaine was my number two guess for going down first, although i perked up like a dog when murph said he might go down lmao

[thebest-medicine]

By the Fire Light (AKA Who Would Win In A Tickle Fight?)

Summary: mighty nein shenanigans. relatively early campaign fireside party chill time… you know how it is with silly tieflings when they’re bored.

A/N: based on this fan question and the subsequent answer ehehe (link to vid clip)

[AO3 Link]

Words: 3026

…

Nott and Caleb are gathered rather close, not unusual for them on an evening around the fire. She’s going through some of the trinkets, treasures, and other little things she stole over the last few days. A few gold pieces, someone’s pen, a dagger…

Caleb turns from examining her spoils, looking at the rest of their party across the flames. Jester is smiling, wriggling in her seat a bit as she animatedly speaks with Mollymauk. Fjord is sitting not far from them, though he doesn’t seem to be contributing to the conversation. Beau is gathered up as near to Yasha as she can be without looking too desperate, pointedly not looking directly at her to avoid losing her train of thought or saying something stupid. Caleb feels a warmth settle in his chest, a strange contentment he has not felt for a very long time.

“Caleb! Do you and Nott want some wine?” Jester asks sweetly, holding out a bottle that she and Molly are sharing.

Caleb’s mouth lifts a little on the side. “Sure. Thank you, Jester.” He answers for both of them.

Nott reaches into one of the coin purses she had snagged, and finds it goes much deeper than she thought. “Oooh!” She exclaims. “I think we’ve got something interesting here!”

Jester brings over 2 cups of wine for the pair of them. “What is it, Nott?”

“Feels like a bag of holding! Wonder what’s in here!” She stands, wiggles her fingers. “Money? Perhaps?” And places them into the opening.

She pulls nothing out. “Well that’s a shame. How about weapons?” And she dunks her hand again.

This time it connects with something. A smooth, heavy handle of a weapon. She pulls it with a grin, and finds a large black mace.

“Cool! Can you swing that?” Jester claps. “Are there more?”

“Let’s see!” Nott thinks again of weapons and puts her hand in again.

…

A few minutes later, several daggers, arrows, and a shortsword, are all she has pulled from the bag.

“Should we try to like, dump it?” Jester asks. “That can’t be it.”

“Um. Maybe not here… now…” Nott suggests.

“Aw, ok, later then.” She climbs back over near Molly and Fjord.

“Hey, what do you guys think would be like, the weirdest thing we might find in there?” She asks.

“I dunno. Whoever had it seems like they were kind of boring.” Molly says, glancing at the small cache of weapons Nott has removed.

“Maybe like… a big, huge sex toy!” Jester theorizes. “Nott try thinking about sex toys and try to pull out something.”

Nott laughs a little. “I am not going to do that… Be my guest though!”

“Aww. Don’t be shy.”

“Not shy. I’m just- who knows where something like that’s been.” She shudders.

“There could like, definitely be blood and guts and brains on the weapons you pulled out.” Jester teases. “But fine… um. What were we talking about before Molly?”

“Who do you think could handle the most ale?”

Jester turns to the others, smiling and raising an eyebrow as to direct the question to them.

Nott smirks. “I think I-“

“I think Yasha probably could drink the most.” Caleb looks at Nott as she squints at him. “I mean, physically. Without getting sick or passing out.” He holds his hands up in a small defense at Nott’s small scowl.

Beau nods in agreement, and Yasha lets out a small laugh.

“Umm…” Jester taps her finger on her chin. “Who do you think would win if you were wrestling? Beau or Yasha?”

…

A few more hypothetical questions go by, and a pattern seems to form.

“Is every answer just gonna be Yasha?” Molly laughs. “We need to ask about some other people.”

“Ooh ooh I have one! Who do you think would win in a tickle fight? Nott or Caleb?”

“Interesting.” Molly says as he turns to regard the pair sitting opposite the fire.

Caleb stops drinking, just managing not to cough, and fixes Jester with a bewildered stare. It takes a moment for the words to process in his mind. He replies, somewhat snarky. “Hm…what a question.”

“Is there already a victor? Care to share?” Mollymauk waggles his eyebrows.

“Well I, uh,” Nott begins, turning to look at Caleb, “I guess it never came up in our time together?”

Jester leans in. “But didn’t you guys ever snuggle real close when it was cold? You never ever tried to tickle him?” She seems to be in genuine disbelief. “But, like, he’s so grumpy all the time.”

“Ja, we were not wasting our time with such childish things.” Caleb speaks pointedly.

Nott catches a hint of pink creeping up the back of Caleb’s neck and ears that did not seem to be there a minute ago, something not from warm brightness of the fire.

“Just, what was it? Conning people and stealing?” Mollymauk laughs. “Yes, very mature of you.”

Caleb moves his eyes over to Molly. “We did what we had to, to get by.”

“Okay, but like, smiling and laughing is very, very important!” Jester insists with a bit of a whine. “Did you at least tell jokes?”

“I can be funny.” Caleb huffs at them.

“We are losing track of the question!” Jester declares. “I think that Nott would probably win, her sleight of hand is crazy.” She turns from Molly to Nott. “I bet you make a good tickler. Are you ticklish?”

Nott smiles shyly, ducking her head. “To be honest, I used to be, but it was, uh, a long time ago.”

“Why don’t you guys just have a tickle fight right now?” Jester suggests excitedly. “Or we all could, I mean-“

“You.” Caleb’s voice is deeper as he fixes his friend with a glare at her suggestion, pointing at her accusatorially. “Shut the fuck up.” There’s a tiny wiggle of his mouth, a falter in his stern expression. It’s gone in an instant.

“Are you ticklish though?” Molly prods on. What a team they make, these two strangely colored, trouble making tieflings.

Caleb rolls his eyes, looking petulant like an unhappy child. “I am so done with this question.”

“No you’re not.” Mollymauk chides.

Caleb’s eyes light up with something akin to fear, though not as serious, nervousness perhaps. They flick to Molly.

“Seriously,” The tiefling wiggles excitedly. “Are you ticklish?”

If Caleb could cast using his eyes, Molly is almost certain that he would be six feet under from the look the wizard gives him. Caleb takes a breath, steadies himself, tries to take control of the situation. “I’m sure that I am, and I’m-“

Mollymauk snorts and laughs along. “What do you mean you’re ‘sure that you are’?”

“-and I’m also holding a mace.” Caleb finishes harshly as he points the weapon Nott had just found a few minutes earlier out at the group, slowly panning between them.

“Oh.” Beau laughs. “Are you gonna take me in melee?” She’s suddenly much closer than she was a moment ago.

“No offense, Caleb, but you’re not very strong.” Jester’s smile conveys some hint of sympathy despite the clear overtone of mischief. “I think we could probably all take you in a tickle fight, really.” She wiggles her fingers at him and he jumps back an inch.

“Well…” Caleb can’t keep up the angry facade in the face of the trickster tiefling. He deflates a bit. “It seems, then, that you have an answer. Is your curiosity satisfied?” He takes a step back.

“Nope.” Molly answers instead of her. “Who knows? You could surprise us.”

“You know there’s only one way this conversation is going to end.” Beau rubs her palms together.

Caleb swallows a whine in his throat. His eyes dart between his companions, looking for an opening to rush far enough out of the way to get his hands into his component pouch. And then still, if they got to him before he could get the verbal components out…

An hopeless groan falls from Caleb’s lips as he finds himself cornered, pinned under each of his friends’ intense gaze. “What can I do to convince you to let this go?” He tries.

“You can let us tickle you!” Jester supplies with an impatient whine.

“Well that rather defeats the..” Caleb trails off. He sighs.

A mage hand appears above his own grip on the mace. “I think I’ll be taking this back.” Nott’s voice interrupts. “Don’t want you falling on it and hurting yourself.”

A small smile is working it’s way into Caleb’s slightly exasperated expression as he looks at his goblin companion, then lets go of the mace, which is swiftly carried out of range.

“Well, well. No more mace, Magic Man, now you’re just… what was it?” Molly continues in a chopped attempt at Caleb’s accent. “Sure that you are ticklish?”

Not knowing what else to do, Caleb backs away from the group slowly. He only makes it a few steps before Beau is on him in a flash. A millisecond of struggling before Beau has him grappled from behind, his arms pinned out to the sides in a full-Nelson. A desperate, strangled sound comes out of his throat as he is held steadfast, a grinning monk pressed against his back. “Beauregard.” He tries. “I will kill you.”

“Yeah, how are you gonna do that?”

Caleb panics for a moment when he realizes he cannot pull his arms in enough to cover any part of himself, his torso, his face. Gods, what he must look like, blush ripening on his face.

Jester practically pounces in front of him. “Oooo where are you ticklish, Caleb?” She contemplates giddily.

Caleb catches the start of a laugh in his throat; the silly absurdity of his companions has been growing on him. He stares up at the sky and pointedly not at any of the Nein. “That seems very unwise to tell you right now.”

“Are you ticklish here?” She presses on, prodding into the softness of his belly a few times.

Caleb’s breath hitches. “Mist- Jester!” He bites his lip, squirming already under just a few pokes.

“That would be a yessss.” She giggles, continues teasing. “What about here?” Two fingers walk over to his side to pinch a few times. “You’re so soft, Caleb!”

Caleb’s legs are practically dancing in place as he tries to wiggle out of the path of Jester’s fingers. “Plehehease-“ He gasps as he chokes back a laugh.

“Yeah you are pretty ticklish there too.” She turns to the rest of their party. “Are you guys gonna help me or what?”

“Nein! No- plehease do not!” Caleb almost shrieks out as Jester pinches up his ribs. He feebly kicks out as she climbs higher.

Yasha puts a hand on Molly’s shoulder when he starts to creep closer to Caleb. She looks between him and Beau. “Listen, I’m all for finding out, but he might not have the same… tolerance.. as you or I for this type of mischief.” She squeezes Molly’s shoulder and he turns to look at her, a little disappointed somewhere in his mind that he probably wouldn’t see what the wizard looked like completely breathless, ravished, unable to stop laughing and smiling tonight. She continues. “We don’t want him to run away on us in the middle of the night.” He gives her an understanding look.

Jester is deterred temporarily by his leather and books, thank gods, but then she just moves right up under Caleb’s arm. His arms flail about (as much as they can), absent any pattern, an outlet for the nervous, ticklish energy building up what feels like exponentially in his system.

“Alright, fine, don’t have to ALL get him right now but, like…” Jester wiggles the fingers on the hand not tickling under Caleb’s arm. She continues talking as he fights unsuccessfully against his laughter. “It really would be faster finding out all his spots if I had a helping hand or two.”

“Noho- Whyhyhy!“ Caleb chokes out between what are dangerously close to full on laughs.

Fjord is snickering to the left of them. He holds his arms up defensively. “I’m not trying to get on the bad side of our wizard.” He takes a step back, content to observe.

Caleb feels Jester pull back from under his arm. He’s still frantically fighting to keep his eyes shut or pointed upward, to will his blush to die down, to squelch the laughter bubbling up in his belly and into his throat. Then, there are fingers against the side of his neck and Caleb is scrunching down as best he can. “Nohohoho-“ Caleb whimpers giddily, a smile plastered on his face.

“Your neck is really ticklish, Caleb!” Jester cheers. “Well, like, pretty much all of you is so far, but-“ She brings her other hand over to trace a path down his other side from under his arm to his hip. Caleb shrinks away from the contact, still awkwardly curled in on his neck as much as he can. “I guess earlier I should have just asked if there was anywhere you weren’t ticklish.”

Caleb’s mind is swirling with the teasing words from Jester. He can’t stop thinking about how everyone can see him, hear him, is watching him right now. He feels - he’s not sure.. It’s intense and silly and unbearable and tingly. Some part of him grasps at the word fun. Still, everyone is looking at him.

“Hey, can you?” Caleb barely registers Molly‘s words, luckily he’s not talking to him. Beau seems to pick up the gesture and question Molly is asking of her as Caleb feels a nod behind him. “I wanna try something.”

Caleb is vaguely aware of his legs shifting and his body moving closer to the ground. His knees bend as Beau sits down behind him, keeping his arms in place, and tucking him easily into her lap despite his wriggling struggles.

Caleb kicks at the air while Jester leans back in from the side to poke and prod at different little spots along his torso. He jumps at each touch. Giggles start falling out almost freely.

Molly grips firmly on Caleb’s ankle and for the first time his eyes make contact with a member of the Nein. “Don’t.” Caleb grins at him nervously.

“I’ll be nice.” Molly assures him with a wink, tugging off his shoe. He can feel Caleb attempt to kick a little, but it seems more for show than anything. Maybe the wizard is just that weak.

Molly scribbles three claws against the ball of Caleb’s foot and he wails, tugging his leg inward a bit harder. “Plehehehease- Scheiße! Beau, let me, let me gohohoho!” Caleb cackles, trying to roll himself over and become one with the dirt. His eyes squeeze shut.

“Hey Jes!”

“Yeah, Molly?”

“Feet are a pretty good spot.” He reports to his devious partner in tickling. “I’m gonna try his legs.”

Caleb is rocking back and forth, squirming in Beau’s grasp as Molly tickles along the different parts of his sole. He pinches a toe, earning a little yelp. Then his fingers tickle lightly along the tops of his feet and up to his calves. He pinches lightly along the back, toward Caleb’s knee.

This one surprises Caleb. He’s been tickled in all of the, what he would consider, usual places. Friends and lovers long ago had taken advantage several times. No one had ever tickled his calves before. He didn’t know they could be ticklish. Where else were they going to find he’s ticklish?

Caleb’s free leg is desperately trying not to kick Molly directly in the face, but he’s not sure how long he will be able to keep it up.

Thankfully, he doesn’t have to worry about that much longer as he feels Yasha’s hand close around his free ankle when it swings a bit too close for comfort.

…

“H-Help!” Caleb cries out as Beauregard’s fingers flex deftly in his armpits. He slams his now freed arms down, but it’s far too late to do anything about Beau or Jester’s hands.

“Alright, alright. I think you’ve established he’s ticklish.” Nott puts a hand on Jester. “You kill him and I’ll have to kill all of you.”

Molly and Yasha set his legs down gently, smoothing a palm over his shins. Jester starts to mimic the motion on his arms.

Beau laughs. “Well you’re gonna have to give me my damn hands back, if you want me to stop.” She taps a few times. Caleb shudders.

“N-No you’re-“ He lets out a giggle and a whine. “You’re going to-“

“Guess I’ll just stay like this forever, then?” She pinches under his arms and Caleb shrieks.

Still shaking a bit, he slowly moves his arms away from his sides.

She slowly starts to pull away. But, really, how can she resist? She wiggles her fingers when Caleb lets the arms move away from his sides just a bit more, and he immediately slams his arms back down with a shout.

“Hey!” Nott pushes a little at her. “That’s enough!” She’s smiling as she scolds.

Yasha stands, giving Caleb a hand sitting up as she moves over to Beau behind him. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“Wait.” Beau pales, scrambles to get up.

Yasha has her caught around the waist in a flash. Molly and Nott help give her a little taste of her own medicine while Jester plays with Caleb’s hair.

“You okay?” She asks him tenderly, a smile on her face.

“Yes, yes. I’m- it’s just.” He laughs, smiles bashfully. “It’s been a while.”

She brushes the last hairs out of his face and pinches his cheek. “That was pretty cute.”

He elbows her away playfully.

“I think you would probably lose in a tickle fight against, like, any of us.” Jester teases, looking over to where Molly, Nott, and Yasha have Beau squealing beneath them. “Maybe not if everyone gangs up on someone else.” She shrugs.

“Oh, I still have some tricks up my sleeve. You never know.” Caleb shoots her a wink as he lays back against her thigh, partially exhausted. He closes his eyes, content to relax into the positive touch and influence of his friends.

[lanafofana]

I love the dynamic of Tav/Durge just being like UGH AGAIN and sassy Gale from the beyond being like YES AGAIN CHOP CHOP

[little-red-stiles-hood]

I want Gale to have a dad bod. He has a dad bod in my heart.

[eastgaysian]

i realize i straight up changed half of the post but you're just going to have to trust me that thsi is their relationship