#ticklish!vax

[tired-bard]

Vax x Reader headcannons pt. 2

I'm so normal about him I swear

Writing advice is always appreciated! English is my second language, so please excuse any spelling or grammer mistakes.

Whenever he finds something he thinks you'll like, whether that be a small trinket or a book, he will try to get it for you. He might steal it, or he might buy it, don't ask.

He's very warm. Are your hands cold? He'll take them in his and warm them up for you. Are you feeling chilly at night? He'll wrap his arms around you and share his body heat. He's more than willing to help you, plus he likes being close to you.

He has some calluses on his hands. You can feel them every time he runs his fingers over your bare skin, or anytime you kiss his palms, and you can feel them anytime his hand is in yours.

Shows his love for you through physical touch. An arm around your waist, his hand in yours, your elbows hooked with one another's. When the two of you are alone, he likes to keep you even closer to him. Cuddling, keeping you on his lap, and the like.

He loves it when you play with his hair, it helps him relax. On the nights he can't sleep, he'll ask you to run your fingers through his hair, maybe braid it if you want.

Loves the sound of your laugh, even if you don't. He'll crack more jokes to try and get you to smile, or engage in more banter with the other members of Vox Machina to get a giggle out of you. He always gets a deep sense of satisfaction when he succeeds.

He has some freckles on his shoulders and back. In general, he gets freckles all over his body during the sunnier seasons.

Whatever you do, don't let him know if you're ticklish. He might pretend to not pay much attention when you mention it, but he will file this information away for later use. And he will use it.

[sunstone-smiles]

A Serious Case of the Pent-up Giggles

Original request (from @gladdygirl18): "As a fellow Vox Machina fan, how about day 15 "are you ticklish" with Lee Percy and ler(s) the Elven Twins?"

Author’s note: Aaaaah!!! I’m soooo excited to share this because I’m super happy with how it came out! Gosh, I love Percy. Here’s Day 15 of Tickletober: “Are you ticklish?” from August’s Tickletober List! I hope you enjoy!

Series: The Legend of Vox Machina

Characters: Percy, Vax, Vex, and the rest of the Vox Machina crew

Word count: 1,712

Summary: Vex and Vax think that Percy needs to be “cured” of his case of the pent-up giggles. The twins know just how to help. 

---

There’s nothing like a warm fireplace, a comfortable chair, a sketchbook, and some company to fill the air with ambiance—at least to Percy, that is. And currently, he has all four. His quill delicately lines his pages with a draft of one of his newest project ideas, with intricate details of mechanical functionalities and notes on aesthetics if there’s time or resources. Yes, Percy’s productivity is at its peak. Honed in. Focused. Eyes and mind tethered to his work as he pictures the pieces to sketch. Nothing can distract him now.

Except for a sudden jab to his side. That’s distracting.

Percy restrains a yelp and jumps in reaction. He nearly drops his sketchbook from his hands. Pulled back to his surroundings, Percy glares through his glasses to the left of the couch seats. 

“Vax! What was that for?” Percy snaps at his ally.

“Whoa! Easy there, de Rolo,” Vax puts his hands up in defense. “I tried calling your name, but you weren’t answering. We were just reminiscing about the time Vex was using whole cooked chickens as target practice. I thought you wanted to chime in.”

Percy adjusts his glasses. “I know what you were talking about. I was already satisfied by just listening.”

“That was quite a jump there, Percy,” Vex chimes in from his right. She leans forward on the sofa that her, Percy, and Vax are sitting on so that Percy and her brother are both in her view. “I know Vax surprised you, but you nearly leapt off the couch.”

Percy reopens his sketchbook. His head is dipped down and looking away from Vex. “I was taken off guard, is all.”

“Oh, I totally get that,” Keyleth says from her spot on the floor by the fireplace. She’s been braiding Trinket’s fur with flowers as the bear sleeps beside her. “One time, Scanlan snuck up on me while I was tending to the flowers outside. I nearly fell into a pile of mud.”

“I wasn’t sneaking up on you on purpose!” Scanlan pipes up from an armchair. His legs are propped up on the side while he restrings his lute. “Those bushes are my height. I didn’t know you were there!”

Vex returns the group to the topic at hand, still keeping her eyes on Percy. “See, I would believe you Percy…” She pauses for a moment. A smirk crawls onto her face. “If I didn’t know you were faking it.”

“Excuse me?” Percy scoffs. 

“Well, maybe not faking it, per say. You were taken off guard,” Vex shrugs. “But there’s a second reason why you jumped that high. Actually, I have my suspicions.” 

Vex makes eye contact with her brother. She glances in Percy’s direction before looking back at Vax with a smile to inform him of her thoughts. Vax raises a brow, but after looking at his sister’s smirk and briefly observing where he poked Percy, an understanding grin forms on his own features.

“Oh, I know!” Grog raises his hand in excitement from his chair, “Maybe Vax’s jab was so strong that he nearly pushed Percy off the couch!”

“Or maybe it accidently hurt?” Pike guesses from her seat by the coffee table. She stands and approaches Percy. “Because if so, I can try to heal you–”

“No,” Percy says faster than intended, like he is on edge. He reassures Pike. “I’m fine. Thank you, Pike, but that won’t be necessary.”

“Oh no, Pike. Magic won’t help. What Percy has is a far more serious case,” Vex exaggerates her words.

Vax puts his arm on Percy’s soldier. “It’s a case that explains why he scowls all the time.”

“Why he doesn’t laugh as often,” Vex adds.

“An ailment that eats away at his chest!” Vax says.

“Trapped inside, just bursting to come out!”

“Alright! Out with it already!” Percy growls.

Vex leans back in her seat. Calm. Casual. “What you have is one serious case of the pent-up giggles.”

“What?” Percy scowls at them. He leans forward to place his sketchbook and quill on the table in front of their seats.

“Oh no! Percy, you’re sick?” Grog questions.

“I am not sick,” he answers Grog. “Sick of these two maybe,” he mutters while glaring at the twins. “But not physically ill.”

“But there is still a very important question we need to ask you, Percy,” Vax mentions. “And that question is this…”

The dagger wielding twin stares Percy straight in the eye. A mischievous grin curls up on the corner of his mouth.

“Are you ticklish?”

Percy glares back at Vax. His senses are sharp. His expression remains unfazed. “No,” Percy makes his words crystal clear.

“Ah, denial,” Vex shakes her head.

“One of the main symptoms,” Vax sighs as if hearing bad news, though his smile is still wide.

“Don’t worry, Percy,” Vex says. “Vax and I know just how to cure you. You’re in good hands,” Vex grins. She immediately follows up her words with a poke to Percy’s side. 

The man jumps and wraps his arms across his torso, now glaring at the female twin. “Vex–”

Percy jolts again, now whipping his head to the other side to glare at the male twin who poked his other side again. “Vax!”

Vex smiles at her twin. “Shall we brother?”

“We shall, sister.”

The two half-elves turn their smiles in Percy’s direction. Immediately, they pounce at him, tackling him into the back cushions of the sofa.

“Wait!” Percy exclaims as the twins put their mischief into action. He squeezes his arms to his sides and tries to wiggle from side to side to avoid the onslaught of pokes. “This is ludicrous!” he manages to yell out, right before Vex catches a well aimed scribble to his side.

Percy jumps away from her and releases a giggle-filled yelp. He immediately slaps both of his hands to his mouth before moving one hand to push at Vex’s shoulder, while his other hand continues to contain the bubbling sound of joy that lies beneath. 

Big mistake though. He forgot there were two twins.

Vax sneaks his hands from behind and scribbles into Percy’s unguarded ribs. The human instantly clamps his arms down with a shriek and jolts forward, but he’s easily pulled back by Vax as the rogue gleefully digs his fingers between the stubborn noble’s ribs. Vex also launches her hands at Percy’s sides now that his defenses are lowered.

A snort comes from Percy’s restrained snickers, which is soon followed by an outpour of wheezy giggles that continuously spill from Percy. He nearly knocks over Vax through his squirming, but the male twin holds him up and keeps in prime position for their playful method of "healing."

“Vehehehex! Vahahahax!” Percy shouts at them through his laughter.

“Nice going, brother,” Vex smiles to her twin. “See, Percy? Look at how many giggles you had stored up! You must be so relieved to finally let them all out.”

“Yohohou both are sohoho de-EHehehead!” Percy squeaks in the middle of his sentence from Vex finding another ticklish spot above his hip. He drags the heels of his boots into the seat cushions.

“Can’t throw your famous insults at us when you’re like this, huh?” Vax teases from behind.

“Yes, indeed,” Vex agrees. “I kind of like Percy this way though. He’s a lot less sassy, that’s for sure.”

“Whahahahat? Sahahahassy?!” Percy says, trying to defend the title of his good name even through his giggling state. “I am nohohohot sassy!”

“Ah, a shame. That was a sassy response right there,” Vex fakes a sigh. “It looks like the sassiness is still present through the tickling after all.”

“Maybe we have to tickle him more to remove the sassiness out of him,” Vax says, grinning.

“No-HOho!” Percy's voice goes higher in pitch from the sheer speed he said the word. “Nohoho more! Let me gohoho, yohohou menaces!” Percy nearly rolls off the couch, teetering on the edge of the cushions.

“If you say so,” Vax grins and releases his hold on Percy. Percy immediately crashes to the floor, as the only thing keeping him steady was Vax’s grip. 

Percy peels himself from the floor by pushing himself up on his arms. He glares at Vax from below.

The rogue shrugs. “What? You asked me to let you go,” Vax ends his claim with a smile.

Percy shakes his head with a growl. He retrieves his sketchbook and quill from the table as he gets back to his feet. He looks at his spot on the sofa between the still grinning twins.

He narrows his eyes at them both. “If I sit between you again, will there be any more funny business?”

Vex tosses up her hands. “None from me, darling. I’ve had my fun for today.”

“I’ve still got a little more fun left in me,” Vax says before reassuring him, “But I will save that fun for another time.”

Percy rolls his eyes. He returns to his spot on the cushions and immediately opens his sketchbook to bury his face between the pages. No doubt everyone’s conversation will be skewed towards the sight just now. He’s bracing himself for the following humiliation that his ears are going to hear next. 

“So…” Vex speaks first. 

Gods, here it comes. 

“Where were we in the story, Keyleth?” Vex finishes her thought.

Percy’s features suddenly ease to that of pleasant surprise.

“Oh, right!” Keyleth recalls. “So then I held the chicken really high above my head…” Keyleth resumes her story about the time of Vex’s target practice. The rest of the group begins chiming in again, as if the story was never derailed in the first place. 

Percy lifts his head and glances at Vex. Vex glances back and gives him a wink before turning back to the group. Percy looks to the pages of his sketchbook with a thankful smile.

She has his back. They all do, really. They’re the ones that placed him in an embarrassing set of circumstances in the first place, but perhaps it’s not all that bad when the people around him don’t see his embarrassment as a way to judge his character, but see it as a way to love him even more. He really is lucky to have a family like them.

[rachel-of-autumnbow]

Day 2: Faerie

Vax gets lost in a forest and finds a misterious glowing creature.

Vaxleth. Short drabble. Likely grammar mistakes. Chill and cute. Enjoy.

"If only I had something to eat," he muttered, stomach growling. The sun was starting to set, and a blue sparkle caught his eye in the fading light. Curious, Vax approached a tree and peekd through some low branches.

Day 2: Faerie

He had to admit it. Vax was lost. He could hear his sister's complaints about always sneaking out and disappearing. Now he was lost for good.

"Come on, come on..." A very focused humanoud creature, had her hands extended to a huge rock. Vax could feel a breeze stroking his ears and the leaves around him, Then it all went motionless. "Oh, fu...!"

The wind stormed in and pushed Vax off his feet. He landed on his back and felt a hit behind his head.

"Ow!" he cried. His fingers came out stained red. "Ow," he repeated, lower.

"O-oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I was practicing this spell, I-I thought I was alone! I'm sorry!"

Vax tried to sit back up. "Don't worry, I shouldn't be here, for a start. I... may have got lost," he admitted, distracted by her face. He had never seen a face like hers. Her eyes, her freckles, her hair, her ears... everything in her seemd to spark. He couldn't even reject the help.

"Here, let me cure that." Vax felt her hands under his hair, and the open wound close in a ticklish brush. "Is that better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"It's the least I could do after almost killing you."

"You didn't almost kill me. I'm tougher than that." Her look made her opinion clear. "Okay, maybe I'm not." He didn't say, though, how he wouldn't mind if her strenght killed him. "What were you trying to do, anyway?"

"Move that rock," she sighed. "I'm just not strong enough..." The sparkling creature crossed her arms, eyes fixed on the stone.

"I don't think that's true. Actually, I think you are quite strong, just need some training. Why don't you try with something lighter? Keep adding weight until you can lift that?"

"Something like what? This was the next level after the trunk."

Vax had no idea what she was talking about. but an idea formed in his mind. "If youo help me getting out of this forest, I'll let you practice that spell on me. I think I'm heavier than a trunk." He probably wasn't, but held out his hand anyway. She shook it slowly, red sparkling in her cheeks. "The name is Vax, by the way."

"Keyleth," she smiled, shining like the sun.

[taste-of-the-divine]

Hello! I think I've come to the conclusion that between Vax and Percy, a mix of them would be my ideal guy, and it has my Sleep Token brain worm freaking out. 😭 I was curious on what you think a character like that would be like in general and romantically (and NSFW if ur down). Thank you sm!<3

ah yes, the crossing of fandoms.

well if we borrow inspiration from Vax and Percy and Sleep Token, you know they have to wear some sort of mask. I'm thinking something more full face cover, maybe more like a mesh mask (what II wears). Perhaps he also sports a refined button up most days and likes to leave his house in a longer jacket, just because that flow is so mysteriously charismatic how could he not.

His mask might have some sort of marking on them, but his eyes have cutouts, at least. That way you can see him roll his eyes at you when you say something particularly irksome. At least you can tell he's smiling though, the way his eyes blink and curve. He's expressive, even when you can't see his mouth.

He's tall, moves like water, but whenever you brush against him he's got this radiating heat that you want to stay close to. He oddly smells like macaroons and raspberry, and anytime you comment on it he glances over you and mutters, "You don't like it?" and you shake your head, laughing a little at how cute he could be. That's when he breaks eye contact, unsure of what to make of your reaction but too shy to ask. He's unaspiringly good with cats. You assume this is because he usually doesn't talk, and that could be true, too. When he does speak, its something simple and sarcastic, snarky and makes you huff a little with frustration because he thinks he's so amusing. But when he tips your chin up the way he does with the house cat, you can't help wish he'd kiss you. He doesn't though, enjoying it more when you make the first move. So he just brushes your cheek with his thumb and hovers there, a silent daring question of, "You don't really find me annoying. Do you?"

He gets cold easily, so when winter rolls around, you often see him bundled up in his long coat with a scarf. He has many, but he only wears the one you bought him last winter, a muted yellow that brings out the contrast in his eyes. You figure that he doesn't need to wear much else for his face since the mask probably keeps him warm, but you always tell him to wear a hat anyway. And he obliges because it's the only way he could get to take care of you, since you fuss over him too long. He's learned that if he just lets you, he can get you ready for the cold and you two can head out the door quicker.

When you two are in the presence of other people, he's reserved, save for a few small conversations here and there. He's friendly, but quiet-- there isn't much he likes to talk to about with other people because he'd rather share his thoughts with you at night when you two are snuggled up in bed, you on your laptop in bed and him playing a single-player story driven game on the bedroom console. He'll get entranced by the game for a bit because of a cutscene, but when there's a lull in his attention, he'd snuggle a little closer to you, putting his head on your shoulder, looking at what you're doing on your laptop, saying sleepily, "Hi. How are you?" And every time he asks this question, you answer first with a hum, before telling him, "I'm a little cold."

And every time, he lifts the blanket he has draped over his lower body, whispering into your neck, "Come here, then," before grabbing you by the waist and situating you in his lap. His chin rests into the ticklish crook of your shoulder as you adjust your body into his (he's warm, almost burning) and you can feel him slowly relaxing into you as he continues playing his game. Sometimes you shift a bit too much and he lets out a bit of a breathy groan before his hand goes to grab your hips. "Relax, love," he says, voice low and strained. But instead you lean into him, bury your face into his neck, leave a few bites and kisses and it makes him breathe a little heavier, dig his nails into you a little further. You know that he loves it when you go to bed wearing just a pair of cotton panties. It's cute, warms him a little to think about how comfortable you are sleeping with him like that. He knows you trust him, but the unsaid reminders being there were always nice. So he gives it a little tug, watching you for your reaction. And when he sees the corner of your lips curl up into a bit of a smile, he lowers his fingers under the waistband. It's all slow, experimental touches, some nail digging on the inner parts of your thigh, rubbing a palm over where he knows you like it. Teases the little bud and listens to your sounds before he slicks his finger up with you. Tantalizing-- accompanied with whispers of, "Yeah? You're so pretty rolling your hips for me like that. Gorgeous little thing," he mutters, before kissing the skin behind your ear. You whimper and he loves it, does whatever he did again to get that same sound out of you. Then, when he knows you're not expecting it, he slides a finger in, curls it just right, and slides it back out before you can get the satisfaction you want. It's so pretty when your body curls into him like that. Makes him drunk on the power he has over you. So he does it again. And again. And again. Until you're panting and frustrated and nearly begging. And then he does it one more time for good measure, and you whimper. That's when he gives it to you the way he knows you like it. His other hand is trailing the expanse of your body. You can hear his breathing get labored when you make a really good sound, feel his body cage a little more tightly around yours. The way he touches you reminds you that he loves you. He's not shy to say it either, speaking low and almost whispering it into your skin. You say it back, but it comes out like a strangled plea more than a declaration. He doesn't ever seem to mind, though.

He knows when you're close, loves the feeling of your body clenching around his fingers. You can feel his hard-on grinding into your lower back, but you're so close that he'd better not stop what he's doing. You're almost there, he could make you cum right now-- if he lets you.

Some nights, he does. He loves watching you melt, swallowing thickly as he takes in the view of your body shuddering. Some nights, he doesn't, and instead gets you right up to the edge only to take his fingers out and adjust himself out of his boxers and sweatpants. Leans against the backboard as you're frustrated before he lifts you up by the legs and seats you back down on him, all of him, all at once, and you can't help the strangled noise that bubbles in your throat. He coaxes it out of you though, tells you how pretty you sound and how sexy you look and how he just wants to pump you full of cum. To stop holding it in, let it out for me baby, you've had a stressful week, let me take care of you.

And you let him, because neither of you would rather be doing anything else.

[vaxxy-after-dark]

You know actor au?? Imagine the actors for Vax and Sylas dated while filming TLOVM...

Vax's actor can't stop giggling when they film the bite scene because Sylas' actor is intentionally "biting" a ticklish spot he knows about, so they have to keep restarting.

I LOVE ACTOR AU

I even suggested this prompt for duganator01's actor au;

I adore your au though!!

It's so darn cute???

[tickle-bugs]

Trick Foot

Based on the events of C1 episode 8! Liam said Vax was ticklish and later said Vax giggle-snorts and well. I had to do something about that. Wrote this in fifteen minutes like a man possessed and did not proofread it. Enjoy!

“Pike, we can talk about this.” Vax holds his hands out in front of him, a smile wobbling on his lips. 

“I would love to.” Pike’s grin is absolutely devilish. Shed of her armor, she perches upon Vax’s calf, hands glowing with gentle divine light. 

“This doesn’t seem like—mmph!—good healing practice!” 

“Stop questioning Pike and start staying still.” Vex scribbles her nails up his other foot before disappearing out of their little alcove, still searching for Grog with her Hunter’s Mark. 

“I still can’t believe you’re ticklish.” Pike takes gentle grasp of his injured foot again, dragging unbearably light fingertips to restore the melted flesh to its full capacity. Vax flinches hard, burying his smile into a white-knuckle fist. Pike pauses again. 

“I, for one, am grateful. It’s rather effective pest control.” Percy grins where he’s cleaning his guns, glasses glinting mischievously in the light of the campfire. Vax sticks out his tongue.

“Well, Percival—“

Vax’s remark is cut short by his own squeal as he crumples. Pike readjusts her iron grip to account for his squirming legs. He reaches up for her, squinting through mirthful eyes, but her knuckles raking rapidly across his foot send him crashing back down. She scratches with gentle, evil fingers, and the scarred bits of flesh flake away to reveal new skin underneath. 

He lets loose a slew of syllables and half-baked pleas, drumming his heels into the makeshift-cushion beneath them. Her raw power would be decidedly awesome if it didn’t tickle like hell. 

“Does this one have a volume dial?” Percy sighs, strapping Bad News back into its holster. 

“Sorry.” Pike doesn’t sound the least bit remorseful. “It’s gonna take a while.”

“Oh nohoho,” Vax whines, trying to yank his foot away, but Pike is strong—stronger than he gives her credit for. She starts pinching at the remains of his little toe, sculpting it back into shape like a sad lump of clay. 

“Say, Pike, do you require assistance? Wouldn’t want you to bear the terrible burden of healing alone.” Percy saunters over and stretches, the perfect picture of bullshit nonchalance. 

“Oh, no I’m—“ Pike looks down at Vax, then Percy’s wicked grin, then understands— “I would love some assistance.”

“Perfect.” He promptly takes a seat by Pike. 

“No, nonono, stay away assface—“

Percy grabs hold of Vax’s good foot, the perfectly fine one that doesn’t need healing, and pulls it into his lap. Vax tries to bring it down on Percy’s groin, but his grip is far too solid.

Percy scribbles his fingers curiously over Vax’s foot. Vax giggle-snorts and curls his toes, ignoring the light sting emanating from his damaged foot. 

“Oh, now that’s adorable.” Percy actually beams, just endearing enough to earn a tease, but Percy quickly divests him of his ability to speak with fingers worming beneath his toes. 

Vax clamps his arms across his torso and gives his most convincing impression of a worm. Percy’s calloused hands are almost worse than Pike’s, gods above. He arches his back and tosses his head, dark hair falling loose from its ponytail. 

“T-Tickles!” Is all Vax can manage through a squeak, kicking hard under their grip. He manages to squirm away, but Pike and Percy reel him back in with ease. 

“Like herding cats, this one.” Percy bumps Pike’s shoulder. 

“You’re telling me. He kicked me earlier.” Pike grumbles, wiggling her fingers a little more than necessary for a brief moment. Vax bucks and almost catches her jaw again. 

“Vax’ildan,” Percy mock-gasps, stilling his fingers enough for Vax to speak. 

“I said s-sorry!” His voice landed somewhere shrill long ago and can’t seem to drop to its usual octave. 

“So ungrateful for our wonderful Cleric here.” Percy kneads into his calf, which is illegal on all counts, and Vax shrieks with all his might. 

Pike’s hands continue their dastardly work, scritching at a spot just beneath his toes that coaxes more snorts from him. Percy travels upwards towards his knee, the bastard, and Vax manages to knee him in the chin. Accidentally, of course. 

“Aaand, done!” Pike releases him with a flourish and a proud grin. Vax instantly reels his legs close to his body, residual giggles rising out in waves. Percy chases the retreating limbs with deft fingers, then reaches up to cradle his jaw. 

“Next time, we should make more progress. This was a good start.” Pike’s hands flare quickly as she brushes them off. 

“Next time?” Vax’s voice breaks. 

“Oh, yeah. You’re good to go for now, but we’ll have to keep tending to this. The last thing you need right now is an infection.” Pike stands and cracks her back. 

“You’ll be the death of me, both of you.” Vax rubs a hand over his face, a few chuckles bubbling out. Pike tucks the stray hair behind his ears, which would’ve been sweet if Vax didn’t immediately crumple into laughter again. 

“Better us than anything else.” Percy claps Vax’s still-shaking shoulder. “Get some rest, Giggles.”

“Sleep with one eye open.” Vax narrows his eyes at Percy as he retreats to his makeshift workstation. 

[sunstone-smiles]

There's No Working On Winter's Crest!

Author’s note: Happy Holidays everyone! Merry Critmas because a Critical Role fic is here! I absolutely love how this fic turned out and it might be one of my new favorites that I've written. This fic is part of the @squealing-santa event and was made for wrestling!anon! 🎁 Thank you @squealing-santa / @cantsaythetword for all your hard work as host this year! Now on to the fic! Enjoy!

Series: Critical Role (Campaign 1) 

Characters: Percy, Vex, Vax, (and guest starring the Vox Machina crew and Cassandra)

Provided prompts:  “Forever love ‘character A doesn’t think they’re ticklish; character B proves them wrong’” / “…also love the Percy/Vex/Vax combo of ‘Vex & Vax are chaos goblins and Percy is wayyy too serious.’”

Word count: 5,328

Summary: Percival claims he has work to do when the rest of Vox Machina is decorating the castle of Whitestone for Winter’s Crest. Vex and Vax volunteer to persuade (or annoy) him until he caves in; however, their conversation skews slightly off topic when Percy has an unexpected, jumpy reaction to a poke Vax delivered when he was emphasizing his words.

---

The Winter’s Crest festival is just around the corner as citizens across Tal’Dorei prepare for the festivities, especially in the Kingdom of Whitestone. Snow drifts gently to the surface of the walkways and powders the roofs of homes in a coat of white that brings a literal meaning to the name Whitestone. Townsfolk are dressed in thick furs and winter resistant outfits to decorate the city. They put up strings of magic lights hanging across the streets, ribbons adorning homes and merchant stalls, and other handcrafted decorations—like snowflakes and snow-themed creatures that many of the children make—are displayed on the front doors of homes. The Sun Tree, the centerpiece of the Kingdom, has also been dressed with lights and ornaments for the festivities.

The castle of Whitestone is no different. Inside, currently lining the halls and the main foyer of the castle, the heroic group members of Vox Machina are in the process of putting up the decorations. Though unfinished, the area is already teeming with wintery accessories. Like the rest of the town, snowflakes are plastered on the walls or dangling on strings, small bulbs of magic infused light arcs across the edges of the roof, and fluffy cotton is clumped together to line the corners of the walls; it makes the room look like a portrait of a snowfall that breached inside the castle’s halls.

Cassandra, the current youngest heir of Whitestone, enters the wintery landscape. She gasps, glancing about the room with sparkling eyes like a child witnessing the beautiful display of a real snowfall.

“I love what you’ve done with the place, Vox Machina. It looks lovely,” Cassandra says as her sight indulges in every bit of her surroundings.

Keyleth, with a hand-made parchment snowflake in her hands, pipes up beside her. “Thanks! We saw that the rest of Whitestone was decorating, so why not give the inside of the castle the same treatment? At least to get everyone in the spirit of the Winter’s Crest festival.”

Cassandra chuckles. “I don’t disagree. I knew you would all be decorating, but this is already mesmerizing.”

“You can thank me for that,” Scanlan points to himself, speaking with pride. He’s standing on Trinket’s back and using the bear as a platform to reach higher ground. “I know a thing or two about preparing a room for special occasions,” Scanlan boasts. Trinket growls and shakes under his feet in response, nearly causing Scanlan to tip over.

Cassandra giggles again. Glancing about the room, she sees Keyleth choosing a new spot for her parchment snowflake, Vex and Vax stringing colorful orbs together, Pike standing on Grog’s shoulder as they both focus their decorations on the same wall, and Scanlan glaring at Trinket after the bear’s attempt to knock him off. Everyone has given themselves a project to add on to their winter scene. But, hold on… Where’s–

“Wait a minute, where’s Percival?” Cassandra asks, seeing no sign of her brother.

Vex answers. “Percy said that he had more important things to do,” she draws out her words sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the thought of the man’s decision. “If you ask me, I think he’s just being stubborn.”

Vax glances up towards the hallway behind Cassandra. He nudges his twin in the shoulder. “Well, look who decided to show up at the right time,” Vax gestures his head in the direction of the hallway. 

Vex and Cassandra turn. They see Percy walking across the foyer in their direction. He’s carrying a small wooden crate in his hands and his eyes are glancing inside of the box’s contents as he heads towards the other end of the room.

“Percy! There you are!” Cassandra calls his name as he passes by her. “Why aren’t you decorating with everyone else? I’m about to join them as well.”

Percy stops walking to properly speak with his sister. He shifts the box in his hands to get a better grip. “Because Cass, I have a lot of work to do. You all keep on decorating. I’ll join you later if there’s time.”

Vex barks out a laugh. “By the time you’re done tinkering, darling, the whole inside and outside of the castle will be finished.”

Percy narrows his eyes at the ranger’s claim, but pays it no mind as Cassandra pulls his attention with her own concerns. 

“But Percy, this is a time for joy and relaxation. What are you building that’s so important—” Cassandra places a hand on the box to sneak a peek inside. Percy yanks the box to the side and tears it from her view.

“That is none of your business, Cass. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some work that needs to be done.” Percy states before walking away and leaving towards his original destination.

Cassandra, Vex, and Vax watch him exit in silence as his form disappears into the hall and behind the palace walls.

Cassandra crosses her arms and grumbles. A little bit of her childish side shows despite how mature she usually holds herself. 

“You’re right, Vex,” she says while staring at the empty hallway. “My brother is a great, big, stubborn, pain in the–”

“A donkey! I made a donkey!” Grog exclaims from across the room while excitedly showing Pike his hand-made snowflake donkey.

“Nice, Buddies!” Pike complements from her spot on his shoulder.

Cassandra throws her hands down to her side with a huff and smooths out her dress. “You know what? I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.” She daintily stomps a few steps forward.

“Hold on there, Cassandra,” Vex places an arm out to stop her, smiling. “Allow Vax and I to deal with Percy. We know how to be more than enough of an annoyance in order for him to cave in.”

Vax leans over his twin’s shoulder. “Plus, he might put up more of a fight if it’s against his sister,” Vax smirks. Vex responds with a playful elbow to his stomach.

“You do have a point,” Cassandra concedes with a chuckle. “Alright then, I’m entrusting this task to you. Bring him out here and let’s show him how to be in the ‘proper’ Winter’s Crest spirit. I’ll check in a little later to see how things are going.”

“Will do, Cassandra,” Vex places their string of ornaments down with Vax and winks at the young de Rolo.

“We’re on it,” Vax says while already beginning to walk backwards. Vex joins him and they both make their way towards Percy’s direction.

***

Through the marble halls of polished white, Percy’s footsteps and the occasional rustle from his box of materials keeps him company. He passes by a few bedroom doors of his allies before he reaches his own room. As he repositions the wooden crate into one arm to free one of his hands, a third arm suddenly slings over his shoulders.

“Hey there, de Rolo!” Vax exclaims by his side. Percy jumps.

“Vax! Don’t sneak up on me like that,” Percy adjusts his glasses. Over Vax’s shoulder, he sees Vex walking up to join them.

“Sorry, friend. Hard not to when that’s your speciality as a rogue,” Vax shrugs one arm while the other remains around Percy.

“And don’t forget about me,” Vex leans her arm on Percy’s unoccupied shoulder and smiles.

Percy sighs between the two twins barricading him at his sides. “If you’ve come to convince me to decorate with you all, the answer is no,” Percy opens the door to his quarters. He enters, immediately heading straight towards his desk and leaving the twins behind. He places the crate on the surface of his desk with a clatter from the materials inside. 

Vax leans a hand against the doorframe. “Well, the whole point of convincing is to change that answer to yes,” the rogue persists. He watches as Percy reaches into the crate and pulls out onto his desk golden-colored gears, tinkering tools, and a small chest lined in purple velvet that has a similar shape and size of a box that could hold jewelry.

“Exactly,” Vex agrees with her brother. “And I think we’re both pretty skilled when it comes to our tactics of persuasion.”

Vax crosses his arms and switches to leaning his back against the doorframe. “You have struck quite a few bargains here and there, sister.”

“I wouldn’t say a lot, just when it was necessary. Like when I dropped the cost of that book that was thirty-five gold pieces down to twenty-five.”

“Twenty-five? I thought it was thirty?” Vax steps further into the room.

“No. That seems too low of a bargain for me. I think it was twenty-five.” Vex pauses. “Or maybe we met in the middle, like around twenty-seven?”

Percy lets out a long, irritated sigh. Without even looking at the twins, he says, “You’re not going to leave until I say ‘yes’, are you?”

“Ah, looks like Percival’s catching on,” Vax wraps an arm around the noble’s shoulder again, smirking at him. Percy crosses his arms.

The noble shakes his head with an eye roll to the side. “I know this isn’t going to work, but I’m going to try it anyway—is there any chance that you’ll leave me alone and let me work in peace?”

Vex leans on his desk. “Ha! Not a chance.”

“Thought so…” he grumbles.

“You see, Freddy,” Vax says. “You, my friend,” he gently pokes Percy in the side and leaves his finger pointing at him, “need to get into the holiday spirit. So stop. Being. Stubborn!” Vax delivers a poke for each of his final three words, adding slightly more pressure to the third poke for emphasis.

“Aah!” Percy jumps away from the third jab. “Vax! What was that for?” Percy rubs the spot on his side.

Vax puts his hands up to prove his innocence. “Whoa. Sorry, de Rolo. I didn’t think you would be so sensitive. Are you ticklish, maybe?” Vax genuinely asks for clarification; however, a slight hint of amusement curls its way into his voice.

Percy adjusts his vest. “Unfortunately for you and what you’re thinking about, no, I am not ticklish.” Percy flicks his eyes to the side, “Not anymore, at least. You surprised me is all.”

Vex, intrigued by his words, backtracks to his initial response. “So, you were ticklish once before?”

“A long time ago, sure. Cassandra would be an absolute menace with it,” Percy answers. “But I grew out of it,” he looks towards his desk.

The ranger listens to Percy’s words and watches his expression intently, trying to gain any insight towards his claims. She can tell that he’s speaking the truth, as far as he knows. Though, there are traces of uncertainty when Percy glanced away during his last sentence.

“Do you know that for a fact?” Vex exposes the brief blunder in Percy’s words.

The noble freezes. That got his attention.

“Well… I assume so,” Percy replies.

Vax smirks, catching on to his sister’s plan. “Ahh, so it seems Percival’s evidence is outdated.” 

“Meaning that the answer is still unknown,” Vex joins in with a smirk of her own. “You’re a man of science, right Percy? Let’s test our theory.” She wiggles her fingers at him.

Percy returns a glare in Vex’s direction, unfazed by her attempt to taunt him. “I already told you, I’m not ticklish. But you know what? I’ll humor you.” He turns to his work and resumes speaking over his shoulder, “Go ahead and try to tickle me because you won't get the reaction you’re expecting. And once you try, you have to leave me alone to work. Do we have a deal?”

The eyes of the twins widen. They glance at one another with silent expressions of shock before looking back at Percy.

“Did my ears deceive me or is Percy actually giving us permission to tickle him?” Vex gasps.

“We do have to agree to his conditions…” Vax ponders. “But, what the hell? We can’t let this opportunity go to waste.”

The twins excitedly step up to both of his sides as Percy continues his tinkering.

“So, where should we start? There’s so many spots to choose from!” Vex teases like she’s a tourist exploring a new town.

Percy sighs again from their antics, already regretting his decision to let them even try. “Just pick one and move on,” he says without even taking his eyes off his work.

“Well, poking his side got a reaction out of him in the first place. Let’s try there,” Vax suggests to his sister. The rouge presses his fingers into one of Percy’s sides, followed by a gentle wiggling. Percy jolts and bangs into his desk, though more so from the aspect of surprise rather than the attempt at tickling. With a quiet grumble, the noble regains his composure. He has no reaction when Vex presses her fingers into his other side, since he was expecting the attempt this time. He returns his focus towards his tinkering, as if the twins are nothing more than an itch that can be ignored.

For (barely even) a second, that is. Until the corner of his mouth suddenly twitches upwards. 

Percy neutralizes his expression, but every time he tries to refocus, his mouth pops back up into a quivering smile. His fingers subtly flinch as he works. The sensation at his sides grows more and more tingly. There’s a bubbly pressure building in his throat that’s slowly rising like steam in a tea kettle.

It occurs to Percy that, despite his arguments, he is, most definitely, still ticklish.

Percy, being as inconspicuous as he can, leans his head closer to his chest and shoulder to hide his wobbly expression. His arms nearly fall to his sides as a reflex of protection, but he attempts to stay as casual as possible to conceal his ticklishness from the twins.

“Are you sure you’re not ticklish, Percy?” Vax tilts his head with a smirk.

“Because for someone who’s not ticklish, you sure are trembling a lot,” Vex says, having a keen eye for the subtle shifts in his movements.

“It’s just…difficult to concentrate!” Percy steadies his words so he doesn’t stutter. However, one of the twins spiders their fingers up to his ribs, causing Percy to slam a hand on his desk so he doesn’t completely collapse forward. There’s another surge of pressure in his chest. His smile wobbles even higher like it’s a ship being elevated by a wave in a storm. Percy’s in big trouble now.

“Really? Does concentrating involve slamming a hand on your desk and nearly folding yourself in two?” Vex knowingly questions, confirming to Percy that it was her who experimented with a new spot towards his ribs.

“Y-yes! It does!” Percy responds, letting a stutter slip.

“Mmhm,” Vex hums as she reads him.

Technically, it’s not a lie. He really is concentrating…on not bursting out into laughter right in front of the twins. He bites his lip and curls his head closer to his chest and shoulder. He’ll never hear the end of it if he ends up letting the half-elfs hear a giggle or two slip. If he holds out just a little longer, they’ll give up and stop. Right?

“Let’s face it, Vex. Maybe he really isn’t ticklish anymore,” Vax states, although there’s a teasing demeanor that drips from his voice like the poison from one of his daggers when he’s about to strike. Vax slows his fingers down to a stop, giving Percy the slightest sliver of hope that he could prevail.

…Oh, who is he kidding? These twins don’t give up until they get what they came for.

Vax quickly scribbles his fingers into Percy’s stomach using a sneak attack. Although Percy holds back his giggles, a few airy snickers slip from the gunslinger before a loud snort emanates from his person like the echoing blast of an explosive shot. 

Percy immediately slaps a hand across his mouth. Time feels like it stops. A moment of dead silence passes as Percy senses his imminent doom approaching. He can already feel their grins searing a mark at the back of his head.

To his better judgement, Percy lowers his hand and slowly turns his head around. His back hits against his desk when he’s met with the two gleaming grins of the twins.

“Gotcha.” Vax smirks.

“Oh no–” Percy’s eyes are wide behind his glasses. Without further hesitation, the twins lunge at him. Percy lets out a startled scream. He clamps his hands to his sides as the half-elven twins take advantage at poking, tweeking, and scribbling the open spaces of his torso. Percy shimmies between them, protesting and shoving at the two through an occasional bark of laughter when one of the twins gets in a good hit; nevertheless, he still holds back his laughter from fully flooding into the room.

“Percy, you’re so squirmy!” Vex smiles as she tries to get a hit on his nimble form.  

“What else did you expect?!” Percy’s words trail with a giggle as he pushes Vex out of the way and tries to run, but Vax throws his arms around Percy’s waist and tugs him back. 

“He’s a fighter alright!” Vax says as Percy kicks and squirms in his grasp. The noble tries to push down on Vax’s arms and pull himself out of his hold, but Vax tugs his friend back towards him.

With his friend grappled, Vax wiggles his fingers into Percy’s sides, resulting in a surprised giggle from Percy. The gunslinger reels in his laughter, toning it down to a stream of snickers so he doesn’t allow the twins to hear the robust laughter their ears desire from his stubborn self. 

Percy shakes his head. “Noho! I’m not ticklish!” he shouts as an impulsive reaction, hearing the giggle in his own words. He facepalms to hide his flustered features and the embarrassment that comes with a critical failure of a deception attempt behind his hand.

“Gods, I knew you were stubborn but that is just flat out denial,” Vax smiles over his shoulder.

“Come on Percy. There’s no need to hide it any more, so cough up that laughter!” Vex darts her hands towards Percy’s ribs. Percy drops his arms to his sides with a yelp that’s finally followed by a plethora of unrestrained, wheezy giggles pouring out of the noble who refused to smile just a few minutes ago. 

“Ah, there it is,” Vex smiles.

Percy wiggles in Vax’s hold and buries his face in his shoulder for a moment, too overwhelmed to think of a snarky comeback. He forgets what to do with his hands after not being tickled for so long, but when Vax gives a quick squeeze to his side, Percy instantly remembers and latches on to the rouge’s wrists. He pries Vax’s hands from him and holds them hostage from his sides, but Vex suddenly scribbles her fingers at Percy’s stomach, which sends the gunslinger with another shriek of giggles stumbling away from his desk and collapsing forward to the floor. 

“Aaand down he goes,” Vax grins.

Percy lifts himself on his arms. He glances up and sees the open door for freedom, but he also sees Vex dash in front of him to block the exit. As the ranger moves her hands towards him, he springs to sit on his knees and wrestles Vex’s approaching hands, protesting, “Vex, no! No!” 

Percy tilts back to avoid her, allowing Vex the momentum she needs to grab his wrists and shove him over onto his back. Then, she immediately buries her scribbly hands into his torso, causing Percy to resume his giggling. (He should have expected Vex, the ranger with a bear as a companion, to have the advantage when it comes to anything like bear wrestling.) Vax soon rushes over and joins her at Percy’s other side.

“Now, returning to the topic at hand, why won't you decorate with us Percy?” Vex asks as she maneuvers her hands around Percy’s flailing limbs to scratch around his belly, occasionally having to pull away then release his wrist for a few moments to get a good scribble in.

“Hohohow many times dohoho I hahahave to say it! I’m wohohorking!” Percy exclaims while wiggling from left to right. He curls to the side with an enormous smile when Vax gets a scribble at his ribs. 

“Well, you’re not getting much work done like this,” Vax observes as he scratches at Percy’s other pair of ribs and corresponding underarm, making Percy curl up in his giggly ball even tighter.

“Vax has a point, Percy,” Vex agrees. “Either you spend your time decorating with us, or you spend it giggling on the floor. The choice is yours,” she teases. 

Just then, a delicate hand grips the doorframe. Cassandra peeks in. The confusion she first had on her face turns into an understanding smile once she sees her brother laughing with assistance from Vex and Vax. The cheerful sound of the room refreshes her with memories of their childhood, making her smile just an extra bit wider.

Cassandra repositions herself to lean back on the doorframe. “So, how’s the persuasion going?” she raises her voice so it’s heard over Percy’s peels of laughter.

Vex and Vax turn and see Cassandra over their shoulders. They share a smile with her, then return their attention to tickling Percy.

“He’s still being stubborn, as expected, but I think we’re making progress,” Vex scribbles a hand at Percy’s side to prove her point. Percy kicks out his legs with another cluster of giggles.

Cassandra also giggles at the scene. “Percival, I didn’t know you were still ticklish.”

“Neither did he a few minutes ago,” Vax replies for him. 

“Cahahahass! Hehehelp me!” Percy reaches a hand out to her before snapping it back down to for protection against Vax’s hand wiggling at his ribs.

Cassandra glances to the roof and taps her chin. “Hmm. Should I? I am on the side who wants you to come decorate with us…”

“If it helps you decide easier, Cassandra, Percy called you a menace earlier,” Vex mentions.

“Nohoho! I–” Percy shouts before he’s cut off by his own intrusion of laughter. 

“Really?” Cass puts her hands on her hips, playfully taking offense at the remark.

“Yep, a big, mean, menace of a sister. I heard him say it myself,” Vax attests. 

“Percy, did you call me a menace?” Cassandra asks with a lighthearted inflection.

“Nohoho! I mean, yes! But it wahahahas in a different context!” Percy admits. 

“I see. Well, I suppose I will help then.” Cassandra turns her attention to the twins. She places a hand to the side of her mouth like she was about to whisper a secret to them. “Vex. Vax. Make sure to get his hips. That was a spot that always got him laughing up a storm.”

“Whahahat?!” Percy shouts. It only then occurs to him the severity of Cassandra’s statement as the memory of his own ticklishness comes rushing back to him.

“Noted,” Vax nods.

“Cahahass, NO!” Percy tries to sit himself up like he’s about to lunge at Cassandra, but the noble is easily shoved back down to the floor by Vex and Vax.

Cassandra leans on the back of her foot like she’s about to sprint. She speeds through her next words, “Well, I’ll take my leave now. Good luck! I’ll see you out there decorating! Bye!” She springs forward and disappears behind the door frame, as if she is running away before she can get into any more ‘trouble’ with Percy; it’s another reminder of her child-like side coming out despite the mature part she plays.

“Cassandrahaha!” Percy yells towards the empty hallway as if he was cursing her name to the gods.

“Well, you heard her,” Vex says. “Let’s try it!”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” Percy objects. He flails his arms to shove and swat away the hands of the twins. Despite his efforts, the half-elven siblings are able to find an opening to push his hands aside and allow Vex to give a squeeze to his hips.

Percy curls forwards with a giggly screech before he crashes back to the floor with an outpouring of laughter. His laugh sounds like a squawking crow that’s learned how to chortle with an additional wheeze. But his laugh is far from being annoying; it’s adorable. His head tilts back and he turns it to the side as he pushes and shoves at the hands latched and digging at his hips, and the other set scribbling at his middle. 

“Wow, Cassandra wasn’t kidding,” Vax smiles, “His laughter really does spike there.” 

“Vehehex! Vahahax! Thahahat tickles!!!” Percy wheezes in a higher pitch, his mind too flooded with his own giggly reaction to think before he just stated the obvious.

“Really?” Vex remarks sarcastically. “Well, at least you’re admitting it now.”

“Sounds like we’re starting to knock some sense into him,” Vax says to his sister. He looks down at his giggling friend, “See, Freddy? Isn’t this so much more fun than working alone in your room all day?”

“I agree, Vax,” Vex says. “I mean, what is so important that you can’t leave your room to decorate and spend some time with us?” Vex teases with a rhetorical question.

“I was making a gift!” Percy shouts.

The twins immediately halt the momentum of their hands. Vex and Vax look at one another in stunned silence. They glance back to their friend, who’s steadying his breathing after expelling his remaining giggles.

“A gift?” Vex asks; her voice leans forward with a sense of curiosity.

The noble takes in a few more breaths of air. “Yes…”

Vex’s expression lifts to one of unbridled elation and she gasps as if she was just given the most exciting news. 

“Who is it for? Is it for me? Tell me! Tell me!” Vex questions him like a giddy child. Vex gives a quick scribble to Percy’s stomach. Percy jolts with another giggle and smacks her hand away. 

“It’s not for you! It’s for Cass,” Percy reveals. “Your gift is already finished.”

Vex shows him a soft, thankful smile.

“Cass? That same Cassandra that you called a menace earlier?” Vax jokes.

Percy rolls his eyes. “Yes, that same Cassandra, who I unfortunately love and care for. If you let me up, I’ll show you the gift.”

The twins each extend a hand out to Percy. They pull him to his feet, and he returns a silent ‘thanks’ to them. He straightens his vest and shirt from their scuffle, then walks towards his desk. When there, he places his hand on the velvet chest.

“This is what I was making for her.” Percy opens the lid. Inside, a small, metal figure pops up—a woman with long bronze hair in a ballroom dress designed for dancing. Reflective glass is the background for her stage as she waltzes from side to side on her platform in the middle of the box, occasionally performing graceful twirls. Her movements are paired with the rhythmic chimes of a bell that plays a lullaby-like version of the jolly Winter’s Crest Festival theme.

“It’s a music box,” Percy finally says.

Vex places her hands on her heart. “Oh, Percy. It’s beautiful.”

Vax wraps a gentle arm around Vex, pulling her close to him. “Cassandra is going to love it.”

“Promise me you wont tell her?” Percy glances at his friends.

“Of course, darling,” Vex nods. “We wouldn’t want to ruin a surprise like this.”

Percy closes the lid. “Now you know why I declined the offer to decorate with you all, and why I was so adamant about working. So if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get back to it.”

Vex nods again. “I understand, Percy. We’re not going to force you, especially since this is the reason.” Her voice is soft. It’s a drastic change from the teasing Vex that he heard just a few minutes ago. “But, we would still love it if you could come out there with us, if you get a moment.”

“Yeah, despite how much of a pain you can be, we enjoy your company,” Vax shows a soft smile.

“Vex…” Percy’s voice sighs ‘I can’t’ when his words don’t.

Vex continues, “All I’m saying is that I already know that you put a lot of time into Cassandra’s gift, and towards your other gifts, I can only assume.” She puts a hand on his shoulder. “We’re grateful of course, but I know that she, as well as all of us, would also be grateful if you could eventually take a short break and provide us with the gift of your presence.” Vex ends her speech with a soft smile. Percy lifts his head, allowing him and Vex to exchange a sympathetic glance. After their eyes speak their thoughts, Vex slides her hand off his shoulder, and she rejoins Vax. The twins make their way to the door.

Percy looks away from them and hovers over his desk. His peripheral vision shows the music box on one side, and Vex and Vax’s shadows disappearing from his sight on the other. He lays his hand on the music box. His thumb glides over the velvet material. He rubs it, staying silent amongst the clatter of gears turning in his mind.

Now Percy has quiet time to work on his gift—that’s what he wanted in the first place. It was a choice to either sacrifice time with his loved ones, or sacrifice time for his loved ones. They’ll understand his decision. Vex and Vax already do.

He looks once more at the music box. He thinks about Cassandra, Vex’s words, and the rest of his family just down the hall. He wants them to be happy. So does he.

Vex was right. She is pretty skilled in persuasion.

A long sigh, like he was expelling all the air from his lungs, releases from Percy. “Alright.” He pauses, relieved by the comfort that he’s making a good choice. “I’ll come.”

Vex and Vax turn around. “You will?” Vex’s eyes twinkle. “Oh, that’s wonderful, Percy!” She runs to him and grabs his arm. “Come on! Let’s not keep everyone waiting!” she starts tugging him from his desk.

“Vex, hold on!” Percy pulls against her and starts wildly placing some of the parts on his desk back into the wooden crate. Vex, too excited to wait, pulls him back and straight out the door before he can finish. Vax strolls right behind with a big, beaming smile on his face.

What remains scattered on the desk is a couple of the golden-colored gears, and the velvet music box resting safely beside, like a flower patiently waiting for rain to bloom. It’ll be right where he left it when he returns. 

***

When Vex and Vax tug him into the room with an announcement, everyone’s smile grows just a little bit wider than it was before. Grog, Pike, and Keyleth even happen to call out his name in unison like a gleeful cheer. It’s a warm welcome within their wintery landscape. 

Cassandra walks up to him, holding two hand-crafted snowflakes. “Glad you could join us, brother,” she says with a thankful smile and hands him one of the snowflakes.

Percy nods. A relaxed smile makes its way onto his features like he is getting cozy near a fireplace. He takes the parchment snowflake, then follows Cassandra to help with the most current wall being adorned by the Winter’s Crest spirit.

Over the course of their decorative snowstorm, lively conversation is held and some tea is brewed and passed around like the group is having their own little holiday party. Laughs are shared, memories are made when Trinket is dolled up in wintery decorations like a tree (to the bear’s reluctance), and their time together is priceless. 

Time is a gift that can’t be wrapped and tinkered with, but it can be cherished as one all the same.

[wordstrings]

How are you gonna just say this without linking?? I’m weak now. 0:58, friends! https://youtu.be/7gcWzxWicdE

While I’ve only seen C2, I think every Vax fan should know that Liam has voiced a character with the same accent who has a line of tword dialogue (Which you should be able to find by typing “fire emblem fates laughing” into youtube, clicking the first vid and skipping to Laslow)

anon I have no idea how you found this but it should be illegal

[blorbologist]

perc'ahlia touch prompt 29?

TECHNICALLY not airplane saga bc I just got home, BUT! I'll tag these as airplane saga as I keep workin through them <3

Also thank u @burr-ell for the spark of inspo to treat myself to some fluff after this long ass weekend

29. tickling the other one

--

It starts as nothing - Vax pokes her in the side as he reaches for the marshmallows, and Vex shrieks. And it’s a little difficult for Percy to not notice, really, when she jumps clear off the folding chair and laughs like cricketsong. 

“Vax, you fuck!” she giggles, half-crouched over her flank, her hotdog-adorned poker waving around to protect it. 

And perhaps Percy does not get in on the betting with Scanlan and Keyleth as the twins have at eachother, stick clashing with warmed metal to hiss and snap in the air between them, the smoke dancing around their gleeful violence. Perhaps he does not take the time to explain to Tary that this is what normal siblings do, you poor thing, or assure Keyleth that no this is absolutely not safe and no, that is exactly why he will not be intervening. 

In the end it’s Vex that disarms her brother - obviously, she was wielding smoldering mystery meat and a hot poker. She stabs her weapon into the dirt and gets to tickling Vax with a vengeance, until he shrieks just as shrill as she had and wiggles a touch too close to the fire in his attempts to escape. Grog pries them apart, then. Trinket makes off with Vex’s mangled sausage.

A lot happens, around that dying bonfire - to the point the swordfighting twins is only a footnote. 

Korrin had needed to burn brush and old oaks that had fallen over the winter - thus, the first damp day of early summer Keyleth had gathered them all with the offer of booze, s'mores and sausages to help get the pile together, watch it burn bright and devastating, and then enjoy its glowing ruin. 

So Grog had almost single-handedly forced a leaning dead pine to kneel -  Keyleth’s antler circlet had gotten stuck in some low-hanging branches - Tary had tried to prove he could, in fact, climb a tree, and to everyone’s surprise he did actually figure it out, only to need help getting back down. 

It’s definitely a fun morning of chores, a lazy afternoon shooting the shit, and a cozy evening, now, around the bed of embers broken by that pine’s seething remains. 

That little swordfight sticks (lovely pun) out to Percy.

Well, not so much the display of terrible form his old instructors would bemoan. But the inciting incident. 

Vex is ticklish. Outrageously so.

And it seems she’s reminded of this, for the rest of the night. Her eyes dart back and forth whenever someone approaches, however innocently, a gleam of teeth a touch too wild. Like she might bolt into the woods, her path unhindered thanks to their work. She leans, just a touch, to protect her sides, tucks her sawdust-speckled flannel closer and tightens the arms of her denim jacket around her waist. 

Percival, it should be noted, grew up with six siblings.

He is very, very good at getting past even the best guard for the sake of a good laugh. 

And maybe he’s never heard something quite so delicate from Vex. No, delicate is the wrong word - brutal, instead, in its joy, something she couldn’t hold back if she tried. 

(She tries, always, to hold so much back. Even just a little, often, out of habit. He knows - he does it too.)

Percy bides his time. 

There’s truth or dare, and an attempt at replicating beerpong with pinecones and the bed of coals, and Vax swipes Percy’s glasses to he and Grog can try to look at minnows in the creek with them (Percy will not give them the excuse of being very inebriated). 

Percy has to muck around in the riverrocks and mud for his spectacles, finding them with his feet and emerging soaked. Pike and Vex wolfwhistle - he thanks his adoring audience by wringing out his shirt over their heads before leaving it to dry by the fire. 

Okay, maybe he forgets about his little plan from time to time. He brought his whiskey with him - between its silky bite and the beer he’s been mouthing, Percy is maybe not the most sober of the group. That might be Grog, just by virtue of his size - if not him then Tary. 

Korrin bid them good night before it was night at all, clearly not wanting to infringe on their fun. Vax drags Keyleth to bed after she leans far enough forward her hair starts to smoke. Scanlan dares Pike to carry him to bed and she’s too plastered to decline the challenge, tossing him into his sleeping bag with a roar before stomping off to her own. Grog and Tary vanish sometime, too. Even Trinket is just about tuckered out, dozing beside the designated seating log (spared of the fire for a cool knot in the trunk).

It takes Percy longer than he would admit to realize it’s just him and Vex left. 

To be completely fair, she’s good conversation - it just flows. White water one moment, rapids, rapid and quick-witted, to curl into languid eddies and sandbars another, pooling in silences. 

The debate about the state of the film industry had started while they still had company - they might have gone to bed sometime before Vex’s enthusiastic argument for trees potentially having personalities. Or maybe after Percy rattled on about his latest pet project - tried his hand a cuckoo clock, to mixed results so far - and Vex just watched and nodded and leaned and leaned and leaned in to ask her questions, and - and where was he?

It takes him until roughly this point to remember he’d wanted to tickle her. 

Unfortunately, she’s bundled up against the encroaching chill you only find in a summertime woodland - a coarse blanket Korrin had tossed them all earlier folded around her as wings. 

“Would you mind sharing?” Percy asks. Rubs his hands up and down his arms at Vex’s curious look. “Will catch something at this rate, after my little dip.”

Percy is fairly certain that boozy Percy is the most strikingly brilliant Percy to have ever Percy’d.

Vex snorts, unfurling the blanket to invite him closer. “Poor you,” she teases, dramatically . “You’ll catch your death without me.”

“I’ve certainly caught something,” he says, blithe, and before Vex can do something his hands have snaked around her waist to dance and dance and dance. No foreplay with the silly pokes or threat of tickles - oh no, Percy is going straight for the kill.

And, well, maybe he gets it, because Vex shrieks in his ear and he perhaps regrets most of this when she elbows him on reflex just below the ribs. 

“Stubby?” Vax, raising his voice, raspy with sleep and fear. “Is everything alright?”

He doesn’t direct this to Percy, who is objectively the one who is not alright here, clutching his abdomen and leaning his head to Vex’s shoulder as he catches his breath. She’s cackling in victory, the vixen. 

“Peachy!” Vex replies, voice a ditty. “Percy’s just being a little shit.”

“I am not,” he huffs. Wheezes, probably, but he would like to maintain his dignity and shall insist it was a huff. “I’m a man of science, and I - I have the hypothesis that you don’t really laugh enough.”

Vex’s brows furrow. “I laugh all the time-”

“Really laugh,” Percy emphasizes. “The sort - you know, no holding -”

- Back, he would have said, except she’s turned the tables on him and is assaulting his flanks. Hells, she’s even bolder and slips a hand under the shirt he borrowed from Vax to tickle the skin there. 

Percy yelps, scrabbling to get away even as laughter boils over into a foamy laugh of his own. Vex’s joins in, triumphant, until his wiggling ends up toppling them both over, ass over teakettle, into the leaflitter. Percy takes the opportunity to retaliate, hands soft claws attacking the sliver of skin he finds over her jeans. The muscles jump and Vex cackles harder, rolling into a ball which he pokes apart, which she uses to find an opening and tickle him in turn.

“Forfeit!”

“Fuck no!”

(It does not matter who says which - both swap and repeat the words so often Percy quickly loses track.)

They’re breathless and crusted with leaves and Percy’s sides fucking hurt and so does his face from laughing, and he’s pretty sure Pike’s told them to quiet down twice but he can’t stop and frankly he’s not sure he would if he could, because oh he’s drunk, yes, but he’ll attribute the floating state of his heart to being tipsy tasting Vex’s laugh - so close yet so far. 

Huh. Now, when did that happen?

Not sure - sometime before now, when he’s finally got a hold on her, grabbing both her arms - effectively putting an end to their war of attrition. 

“Got you-”

- Only, nope, she’s gone - slipped clear of the snare of his arms.

And then she’s back, but shoving him face-first into the mulch, a twig dragging over his glasses. 

“Sorry, darling,” Vex says, with both a genuine wince and a sincere satisfaction. “Comfortable down there? I hope you didn’t get a mouthful of gross.”

Percy spits out some crumbled leaf on principle. 

“Forfeit?” she repeats, from between his shoulderblades, with one last ghost of her knuckles over his sides. It’s a little hard to laugh, half-crushed into the forest floor, but somehow Vex manages to draw it from Percy all the same. 

When he feebly rocks back and forth, trying to get free, Vex adds, lightly, “I could call Trinket over to lick your face. You’re so lucky he’s slept through all this fun so far.”

“Fine,” he snickers. “Fine! Let me up, dear.”

“Hm, nah,” she decides. “I like my prize.”

Something’s happening to his hair. It takes Percy a moment to place the sensation of Vex sprinkling leaves and bits of fern into his hair like confetti.

“Not the hair,” he groans, thumping his forehead into the ground. The sound is not as satisfying as he would have hoped. “Cruel woman, leave the hair out of it.”

“Only because you ask so nicely,” Vex snarks, and - 

Oh.

And she cards her fingers through his hair, combing free her celebratory mischief, and everything takes on an entirely new angle for Percy.

“Vex, darling,” he hums, strains to get the sound out a timber above a growl, “please let me up?”

Percy would bet good money she taps at her lip in playful thought before she responds, “No. I told you, Percival - I like my prize.”

“Ah,” says Percy. “Quite enlightening.”

The dying fire pops, shudders as the remaining logs tumble inward on eachother. Pulled together, pulled down, pulled in. Not melting to the heat but made fallible by it. There’s certainly a second meaning in that pile of embers and coal. Are they anything but embers and coal?

Percy’s certainly a fire of Vex’s making, now - a nice burn to his muscles from their war, a nice burn to his belly from the alcohol, a nice burn to his heart flaring hopeful and flickering at the thought - 

Percy swallows. He hears Vex echo it, faintly. 

“Darling,” he says, “I could stay down here. But, ah - I would really appreciate the opportunity to look at my captor.”

Just to know. The thought - the possibility - it’s very effective at sobering Percy right up. And he wants to see because if he sees he will know and then he could - he will know.

Vex shrugs, turns the movement into a shift of her hips. It takes some wiggling, and a root digs into Percy’s back, but he’s looking up at her, now. Which is, wow, certainly an improvement. Her braid is in the process of turning into many snakes, a Medusa of their making, sprouting twigs too. There’s a smear of marshmallow on her hand, pinning his chest, and streaks of soot on her forehead where she keeps brushing away her hair.

She’s straddling his hips, which is - it’s just - completely unfair, Vex’ahlia.

It looks like she knows it, which. Well. Still a dirty trick, but one that means something. 

“Vex’ahlia? Dear?”

“Hm?” It comes out a little shrill. 

“I - hm.” Percy frowns. It feels wrong after smiling so much. “I think I’ve lost all the words I had in mind somewhere in the leaflitter, so. Simple: I am stupidly in love with you, and would love to kiss you right about now.”

Vex laughs - not quite the sort she’s been generous with this evening, drawn forth involuntarily, but a cousin. Buried in the same family lot - sudden and rare and real. No added sugar, no preservatives, plucked straight from the wilds of her heart. 

“Ask again.”

Percy blinks, thoroughly confused and suddenly terrified by the forest sprite sitting on - oh gods. “May I kiss you?”

“No,” Vex repeats, a breath breathed a breath away and Percy is going to die, here, of humiliation or torment or both - 

Oh. 

Ah. Vixen.

No, he could not kiss her - because she would kiss him.

It’s a gods-awful kiss. Practically speaking - Vex’s lips are sticky with marshmallows and Percy’s fairly sure she can taste half the undergrowth on his mouth. The angle is mathematically impossible - surely, if Percy could just do the numbers. His throat is sore from the smoke and everything feels a touch numb from the giggling.

But it’s Vex, and his burned, burning little heart spins every detail into a fairy tale and he can’t help but lean up and in and hope she keeps him as her prize forever, carries him home like a stuffed bear at a fairground. Or, no, she’s not nearly strong enough for her, but has anyone considered the devotion a prize would give its winner?

He’s so fucking in love with her it makes him stupid and for once in his life Percy cannot mind being the fool.

It’s illogical and it’s amazing.

One tiny, innocuous detail:

Percy is, not above all else but above a fair few things, a little shit.

So when he feels Vex smile and lean her weight into him, licking into his mouth, hands sliding into his shirt, he brushes his knuckles to the skin just above her hips.

She laughs, startled, throws her head back so fast she knocks into his nose - comes back in just as quickly to bite his lip in retaliation. 

Pairs it with a tickle of her hand against his neck, which - fuck, that’s his weak spot and Percy makes a sound he will refuse forevermore to describe. 

And the rest of Vox Machina will struggle to describe, because oh, yes, they’re all in tents not ten feet away.

“What the fuck are you two up to?” Scanlan hollers. “Is it finally happening?”

“What’s finally - nope, nevermind, good fucking night!” Vax wails.

“It’s peachy,” Percy mutters in a silly smack to Vex’s cheek, and she laughs even louder.

[waltwhitmansbeard]

hesitantly tugging the other's fabric of their shirt or sleeve, testing the waters -dealer's choice

hesitantly tugging the other's fabric of their shirt or sleeve, testing the waters time to write some de rolo family!

Whitestone is bustling, the air crackling with energy and excitement. This is one of Vesper's favorite days of the year, when everyone gathers around the magnificent clock tower her father spent her entire childhood building to watch the legend of Vox Machina play out in an intricate display of gears and carvings. It is always a sight to behold, and since the first year it was completed, she has never missed this annual tradition.

All of Whitestone crowds around, but Vesper and the rest of the de Rolo family stands just a bit apart, up on a small dais constructed just for the event. This year, their mother can't make it, called away on urgent Council business, but as the sun creeps ever closer to its apex, Vesper leans over and kisses her father on the cheek. "Are you excited, Papa?"

He squeezes his arm around her shoulder. "I've seen it before, dear."

She rolls her eyes. "Doesn't mean you can't be excited."

He chuckles, but then his attention is pulled away by Leona, who needs to tattle on Wolfe for something or another. Vesper tips her head to gaze back up at the clock, eagerly awaiting the start of the show.

A minute later, there's a tiny tugging on the long sleeve of her dress. She looks down, and there is Gwendolyn, tottering and clutching her favorite stuffed bear. Her eyes are wide and shining. "Gwennie?" Gwen flaps a hand toward herself, beckoning Vesper to come closer. She crouches down. "What's wrong?"

"Everyone's staring."

Vesper's brow furrows, and she looks out toward the crowd. Sure enough, more than a few pairs of eyes flicker between the clocktower and her baby sister, and even more than that stare openly, as if she were a rampaging wild animal and not a person.

And it's not like Vesper doesn't know why. She tuck one of Gwen's dark curls behind her ears, tweaks her red nose. "It's because they're jealous," she whispers conspiratorially.

Gwen frowns. "Jealous?"

"Well, yeah." Vesper reaches up to tickle the spot on Gwen's left horn that she knows is ticklish, and Gwen giggles. "Do you know how cool it is that you've got horns? None of them have horns. None of us either." She gestures to the rest of the family behind her. "We're so boring. But you, you're something special, and they can see that, and they're just jealous."

Gwen's face cracks open into an ear-to-ear grin. "Really?"

"Absolutely. Now c'mon." She wraps her arm around Gwen's waist and stands, pulling her up so that she's sitting on her hip. She points up at the top of the clocktower. "Watch there. In just a few minutes, the clock face will open up, and little figures will tell the story of Mama and Papa and Uncle Vax and all their friends saving the world."

"Whoa," Gwen breathes, craning her neck as far as she can. Vesper seizes the opportunity to blow a raspberry into her baby sister's throat, earning her favorite shrieking giggle. Fuck the rest of this town. Her sister is her sister, horns and all, and there's nothing she wouldn't do to protect her family.

[trashyswitch]

The Irish Collaboration

Kevin and Daniel get together in person for the very first duel game of Super Smash Bros in the same house. Amidst the craziness, Kevin gets a great idea from the chat.

This is just a fanfic I whipped up in a matter of an hour. And don't worry: I felt like doing this. I'll be giving myself a break! I promise! I just really wanted to get this out!

Kevin had flown to Japan for a while to hang out with Daniel (Aka: RTGame) after COVID had been mostly eradicated. With both of them double vaxxed, Daniel and Kevin were allowed to hang out without needing to quarantine for 10-14 days!

Kevin and Daniel were now going to record their first videogame together. Well, obviously this wasn’t their first game together. But it would be their first game ever played in the same house! And wanna guess what they played?

If you guessed Super Smash Bros, then you are correct!

Daniel smiled and grabbed his switch controllers. “Alright. Let’s get this video started!” Daniel declared.

Daniel switched the live channel to the webcam and the video game Beside him, was Kevin trying to get his switch controller synced to the console.

“Alright, I think my controllers are synced.” Kevin told him.

“Perfect.” Daniel reacted. “Did you bring your baby too?” Daniel asked.

“You bet I did.” Kevin grabbed his wii baby and placed him in between Daniel and himself.

“Alright! Gilbert will sit beside your little cursed one.” Daniel decided.

“Yay! Awww, look they’re playing!” Daniel reacted as he started bashing Kevin’s Wii baby.

“Awww, how sweet.” Kevin responded.

Daniel sat his baby down beside the knocked over baby, and started choosing his character. “I think I’m gonna choose...Obama.” Daniel decided.

“Oooh! Hahahahaha! I’m gonna choose...Turg.” Kevin decided.

“Alright! Go Turg! I believe in you, Turg!” He joked.

“Awww, thank you, thank you.” kevin replied kindly. “Now DIE!” Kevin shouted right as the game started.

“NO!” Daniel yelled.

And: Kevin and Daniel were off!

[5 rounds later]

Kevin growled as he was beaten again.

“Curse you and your amazing gaming abilities!” Kevin joked.

“Oh, don’t sweat it. You’ll win one, I’m sure.” Daniel told him.

Then, Kevin turned to read the comments people were writing.

{TICKLE HIM!}

{Get him back! :D}

{Go for the ribs!}

{Tickle him till he pees!}

Kevin widened his eyes and laughed.

Daniel turned to him. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh just some stupid comments.” Kevin replied, before turning back to the camera and winking.

A new game had just begun! King Dedede! Vs. Ganondorf! The players immediately started smashing each other.

Kevin turned to the comments and read them rather quickly without seeming too obvious.

{is he gonna do it?}

{LOL Tickle his little tootsies!}

{Is Dan even ticklish?}

{Tickle your lad!}

Kevin smiled and wiggled his fingers towards the camera. Then, he returned to the game so he didn’t notice anything.

“Dude, you’re not really even fighting me.” Daniel reacted.

“I know, sorry.” Kevin told him.

“I might have another win under my belt!” Dan reacted.

“Yeah, maybe.” Kevin replied.

As it would turn out, Dan would win yet again.

“Oooh! Man, I am destroying you!” Dan reacted, cracking his back and smiling.

“Not for long!” Kevin declared.

The next game was on! It was very much the same characters as before: Ganondorf Vs. King Dedede! The fight started out rather normally.

“Yes! Take that! And that!” Daniel declared.

“No!” Kevin yelled.

Daniel and Kevin were halfway through the game when Dan had struck.

“I am so- GaaAAH!” Dan screeched like a dog, and curled in on himself. “KEVIN!” He yelled.

“What?” He asked, squeezing his sides more.

“NOho! Kehehevin yohohou cheheheateher!” He laughed quietly at first.

“You’re the one winning all the time!” Kevin reacted.

“Ihihit’s nohohot- OHOHO GOHOHAHAHAHAHAHA!” His laughter jumped a few octaves as he was tickled up in the armpits. “QUIHIHIT IHIHIT!” He laughed more.

“Then quit winning!” Kevin declared.

Dan was laying on the other side, kicking the babies as he tried to push Kevin’s fingers off him.

“Okay, he’s ticklish in the armpits! The armpits are a bad one! Where else do I go?” Kevin asked the chat.

“Wahahait whahahahat!?” Daniel asked.

“The chat wanted me to get revenge!” He told him. “And LOADS of people wanted it.” He added.

“WHYHYHYHY?!” He asked.

“Oho, you know why.” Kevin replied.

Kevin moved to his stomach to see if it was ticklish at all. And sure enough, it was!

“PLEHEHEHEHEASE STAHAHAHAHAP!” He begged.

“But tickling you is so much fun! And I’m not just saying that. Tickling you is actually more fun than I expected.” Kevin told him and the chat.

Daniel was squeaked and squealed the moment his belly button was even touched.

“NOHOHOHO FUHUHUHUCK!” He laughed.

“Just laugh it up, Dan. It makes the world a little more happier. Unless you don’t like happy, that is.” He joked, referring to his videos of destruction.

“FUHUHUCKING HEHEHEHEHELL! LEHEHEHET MEHEHE GOHOHOHO!” he begged.

“Let you go? And risk you beating me again? I don’t think so!” He teased. “Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle!” He teased.

“YOHOHOU’RE SOHOHOHO WEIHIHIHIRD!” He reacted.

“Why thank you, Dan! I know I’m weird.” Kevin replied. “And the chat is also weird for suggesting such a thing.” He added.

Dan was wiggling around, laughing hysterically and flailing his arms around. He had dropped his controllers onto the couch by now, and had completely lost all composure.

“WHYHYHY AHAHAHARE YOHOHOHOU SOHOHO GOHOHOOD AHAHAHAT THIHIHIS?!” Dan asked.

“I have a sister, Dan! I’ve had countless tickle fights before!” Kevin responded.

Dan pushed him off. “Wehehehe’re on cahahamerahaha!” He told him.

Kevin grabbed his foot. “And that hasn’t stopped people before, has it?” Kevin asked.

“NOHOHOHO! NAHAHAT MYHY FEHEHEET!” He begged.

“Oh? Not the feet? Not these pair of feet?” He asked, tickling them with his fingers.

“NOHOHO FEHEHEHEHEET REHEHEHECOHOHORDIHIHING!” He begged.

“Oh…” Kevin stopped and moved to the bottom of the couch. “Here:” He sat down on the ground in front of the couch and held onto his foot. “No feet shots.” He promised before resuming back to tickling his foot.

Dan covered his mouth and squealed, trying to keep his laughter in.

“Ooooooh, being resistant now?” He asked.

Daniel shook his head, throwing his bouncy hair around in the process, and kept his hand on his whole mouth.

“I see, I see. Looks like I’ll have to pull your toes back…” He pulled his toes back, “And tickle your little footsie this way!” He declared, tickling his exposed toes.

Daniel squealed again and tugged on his foot. “NO!”

“Ohohoho YES!” He started scratching and skittering quickly to finally get him to break.

“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! GAHAHAHAD DAHAHAHAMMIHIHIHIT!” He finally laughed. “IHIHIHIHIT’S SOHOHOHOHO BAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAD!” He screamed!

“Kitchy kitchy koo!” Kevin teased.

“DOHOHOHON’T SAHAHAHAY THAHAHAHAT!” He ordered.

“Don’t say what? Kitchy kitchy kitchy koo? A kitchy kitchy kitchy koo!” He teased more.

“NOHOHOHO!” He laughed.

“Your feet are surprisingly very ticklish!” He reacted. “I’m genuinely surprised.” he admitted.

“SHUHUHUHUT UHUHUHUHP!” Dan ordered yet again.

“Shut up?! You expect me, the man behind the baby abuse and Jim Pickens killings, to shut up?!” He reacted.

Dan shook his head.

“In fact, I am just gonna further annoy you by singing my favorite song while I tickle you!” Kevin declared.

“WAHAHAHIT!” He begged.

“Nope!” He started singing. ♫Country rooooooaaad! Take me hoooooome!♫ he sang proudly with a smirk.

“STAHAHAHAHAP THAHAHAHAT!” Dan ordered.

♫To the plaaaaaaace, I beloooooong!♫ He continued to sing.

“WHAHAHAHAT THEHEHE FUHUHUHUHUCK!” Dan shouted.

♫West virginiaaaaaaaa, southern maamaaaaaa!♫ He continued to sing.

“HEHEHEHEHELP CHAHAHAHAHAT!” He finally begged towards the chat.

♫Take me hoooooome, country rooooooaaaad.♫ Kevin finished.

“YOHOHOHOU’RE BEHEHEHEIHIHING CRAHAHAHAZYHYHYHY!” Dan fought.

“Well, looks like we have to start it aaaaaaall over again!” Kevin declared.

“NOHOHOHO!” Dan begged and pleaded. “CHAHAHAHAT PLEHEHEHEASE HEHEHEHELP!”

♫Country rooooooaaaad! Take me hooooooooome♫ Kevin started singing all over again.

And Dan would wind up never getting saved by the poor chat. In fact, the chat room would only encourage it further with their comments!

{YEEEESS!}

{This is such chaos...I love it}

{Someone get them both a record deal!}

{Dan could be the next Michael Jackson!}

{♫COUNTRY ROAD TAKE ME HOME♫}

{I just joined...Wtf?}

[tickle-bugs]

A fellow vox machina fan? There isn't enough tk content if em if I'll be honest

So true! I love VM with all my heart. I’ve been trying to power through as much as possible before the show drops (not that I won’t continue after) and I’m enamored.

I have one VM ficlet with ticklish!Vax, and ler Percy and Pike, but knowing me I’ll find time to write something new. @wordstrings and @poesparakeet-fics both have some wonderful VM content and I know there have to be others out there 👀

[poesparakeet-fics]

In The Mirror Over The Bar

Includes Vox Machina AND Mighty Nein

Rating: Gen

Fandom: Critical Role, Campaigns 1 and 2

Summary: In two bars on two continents, two found families share a mirrored moment. A snippet tickle-fic.

ONE

He was lucky that the tavern was loud. They’d made it into this little town for supplies and a bed, only to find their biggest party of the year in full swing. The bar was full, with farmers swinging their wives around and everyone stamping their feet. Scanlan had joined the band an hour ago, and was now serenading the bar’s comely dwarven owner as she giggled and blushed, having enjoyed quite a bit of her own stock.

Percy was sitting in a booth in the back, trying desperately to stay quiet. The rest of their group was facing away from him, watching Scanlan’s revelry, while the twins sandwiched him from either side. To anyone else, it might look like Vax has his arm slung over his brother-in-law’s shoulders, but if they looked closer they’d see his long fingers hooked under one arm while the other hand climbs Percy’s side from the inside of his coat. Percy’s eyes were already misty, his laughter constant but just quiet enough not to be heard above the din of the party. 

And Vex, his beautiful, darling, traitor wife, her face was leaning in close to his where he was inches from collapsing onto the tabletop, a smile that was more a baring of teeth aimed right at him. Her hands were under the table, each grasping a knee and not moving a muscle. Not that his legs weren’t already jelly.

Gods, not the knees was what he wanted to plead to her, but he was well past words.

“Darling, look at me.” 

He tried, but Vax’s hand found a spot on his ribcage that made him shriek into his hand and shut his eyes tight, torso arching back against his brother-in-law’s.

Vex moved only her index fingers, each scratching exactly twice in place on the tops of his knees.

“Noohohoo!” He cried.

He lurched forward until he’d nearly passed from Vax’s arms to hers. Thankfully he could still barely hear himself, though if that changed there wasn’t a whole lot he’d be able to do about it.

“Say it and I won’t, darling! This could be so easy. Why are you making it hard on yourself?”

“Please!” Percy wheezed. 

“What was that?” Vax mocked from behind him. “That didn’t sound like ‘I will never hide a workshop injury again on pain of tickling.’ Am I wrong?”

“No,” Vex agreed with a sigh, “It doesn’t, I’m afraid.”

That’s when she started to squeeze Percy’s knees, turning him immediately into a thrashing, shrieking mess. Tears ran down his cheeks and his body tried to jackknife on instinct, only to be blocked by a solid wood table and two lithe bodies.

“Please!” He manages to get out, but just barely. “Pleaheeheeheese! I cahahahan’t!”

His laughter was turning silent, he was running out of air for it.

“If I stop, will you promise?”

He can only nod weakly. Both sets of hands still, but don’t move from their position, the threat imminent.

“Say it now,” Vax reminds him, “or we shant have any interest in what you have to say for a long while.”

“I… won’teverhideaninjuryagain… please.”

They both backed off, and he was left to slump with his head down on the smooth wood of their table to catch his breath. Vax planted a cheeky kiss on top of his head before disappearing to the dance floor with Keyleth. Vex, at least, had the good grace to sit with him while he recovered his breath.

He took a few extra seconds there to plot his revenge. Vex he’ll never get, she wasn’t very ticklish and was too capable of wrecking him with a twitch. Plus, nobody else in the group would be willing to help him cross her. Vax, on the other hand…

Well, after the party. He did his best work in the quiet.

TWO

Caleb remembered how they’d gotten to Trostenwald. He remembered how they’d found this rolicking tavern where, true to form, the locals were having a party the bordered on a riot. He was still unsure as to how he’d wound up bundled into a booth between two positively devilish tieflings.

He thought it had started with beer. He’s been showing off a little, an old trick from his school days of drowning a whole pint in one go, delighting Yasha and Beau. Was that when Molly sat down behind him? Either way, when the other women left to dance, Jester had returned from doing the same to sit at his other side.

The story of how he’d got there now clearer in his admittedly drunk brain, he came to the next problem: How to get out of this.

They both scooted closer, nearly squeezing him between them, excited glances and sharp smiles exchanged over his shoulders. He knew what was coming. Teiflings loved to tickle, especially beloved and grumpy wizards. But in public?

“Cay-leb,” Jester sing-songed in his ear.

It sent a shiver ricocheting down his spine. He briefly considered casting Misty Step, but Molly was getting very good at recognizing his somatics and he was pretty sure an escape attempt would burn any mercy they may have for him. He also considered making a run for it, either by jumping over the table or climbing under it. Going over would attract so much attention, though, and if they caught him he didn’t want an audience. Under would be too slow.

“I wouldn’t be ignoring her if I was you.” Molly purred in his other ear.

His hand reached for Caleb’s hip to slide subtly under his coat. The wizard’s body started to collapse to get away from him on that side, but Jester was soon doing the same. 

“No,” Caleb yelped, balanced between his tormentors, “I’m not ignoring! What is it, Jester?”

His voice was strangled, his torso quivering under the proximity of their fingers.

“Oh, nothing,” Jester answered, setting her fingers in motion, “I just wanted to know if you’re still ticklish!”

Caleb made a sound like he was dying, thankfully drowned out by the noise of the crowd. His torso started to rock from side to side when Molly clawed at his ribcage, his other hand squeezing Caleb’s upper thigh and making him nearly jump out of his seat. Instead he just bumped into the table and wailed.

“Nein!”

“Oh, you’re not ticklish?” Jester questioned, her lips pouting and her eyes curious, “But why are you laughing, Caleb? It sure seems like you’re still ticklish. Maybe we need to experiment some more, huh?

“Scheisse! Pleaheese not here!”

“Oh hush,” Molly soothed, as if his hands weren’t still taking Caleb apart under the table, “the party’s loud and we’re hidden back here, nothing to be embarrassed by. Besides, it’s a party. Have a laugh!”

With that he bought both hands up to Caleb’s rib cage and set about cracking him open. The move took Caleb down almost immediately, his upper body all but flopping across Molly’s lap as his eyes squeezed shut and his limbs stopped working.

“Oh no, Caleb! If only we could solve this mystery!” Jester teased, he hands moving to pinch his hips where his shirt had ridden up.

“Fine! I am! Bitte!”

“You are whaaaaat?” Jester asked him sweetly, fingers dancing up under his shirt to make him squeal.

“I’m ticklish!”

“Now say ‘I’m the most ticklish and squishy wizard in the world, and I might die--”

“Oh now,” Molly interrupts, “that’s just mean.”

Jester rolled her eyes and stopped tickling. Caleb lay halfway out of his seat, halfway in Molly’s lap, trying to catch his breath. He was going to be FAR more aware of where those tieflings were in the future.

[suckitsurveys]

Why did you first kiss the last person you kissed? We were meeting for the first time in person and I wasn’t expecting anything to happen really because we lived so far away from each other but we had a mini date and he took me to play pool and after one of my turns he came up to me and kissed me so I kissed him back. And 10 years later here we are. 

Do you care what people think? To a very tiny extent. Are you listening to music? If so, what is it? Nope. Do you like to take walks? Yes. Would you ever date someone out of state? I have in the past. 

Plans for tonight? Celebrating being fully vaxxed! Do you want to go to a party? Not during a pandemic.  Has your birthday past this year? No, it’s not until September. Has anyone seen you kiss the last person you kissed? Yeah. Will this year be better then last? 2020 was a dumpster fire but the vaccine is giving me some hope. Can you listen to music while reading a book? I don’t know.  Are Monday mornings the hardest mornings to wake up to? Yes. Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? Sure, but I wouldn’t change anything. Last thing you ate? Hashbrowns. Who was the last person’s voice you heard? Mark’s. Who do you get along with best in your family? My dad. How old do you think you’ll be when you get married? I was 27, almost 28. Have you ever been kissed in a car? Yes. Who were you last on the phone with? My work. Do you think anyone has feelings for you? Yes. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 months from now? Yes. Can you commit to one person and one person only? Yup. Is there someone who continuously lets you down? Yup. Is there anyone in your life that knows right away something’s wrong with you? Yes. Do you miss your past? Some of it. Are you typically a happy person? Yeah, in general. Do you miss the way things used to be between you and someone else? Yes. Who last made you smile? My kitties. Can you recall the last time you sincerely liked someone a lot a lot? Right now. Is there a difference between love and being in love? Yeah. Where is your Mother? Tennessee. She passed 8 years ago and that’s where her final resting place is.  Have you ever laid on a couch with the opposite sex? Yes. Would you rather look at clouds or stars? Both seem nice. If you could change one thing this year about your life, would you? Uh, yeah. The fucking pandemic would be over.  Did you sleep alone last night? Nope. Does it matter to you if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks? No. Do you like potato chips? Yeah.  Are you ticklish? Yes. Craziest place you have slept? On the floor of a gymnasium? Have you ever been cheated on? Not that I know of. Can you count on anyone to be there for you, always? Yeah. Do you think being “heart broken” is as bad as people say? It is. Romantically or not. I’m guessing you’ve probably been asked this before, but which do you prefer - Coca Cola, or Pepsi? Root Beer. Do you think the last person you texted is a virgin? (You don’t have to tell us who the person is, just say yes or no.) He’s not. Has your phone ever gone off in the middle of a class at school? It went off in my locker in high school once and it was so loud you could hear it in the classroom I was in (my locker was right outside this classroom). I recognized my ringtone and was like “I think that’s me” and the teacher got so pissed because phones were supposed to be off. It was my mom calling me, wtf!

In your phone’s contacts, who is the second person listed under the letter ‘R’? My phone’s in the other room but it’s probably a Rachel. What is that person’s favourite drink? No idea. Has the last person you texted, ever been in your bedroom? We share a bedroom.  The last time you washed your hair, did you use conditioner? Yes. Do you prefer light or dark jeans? Dark. Do you have an item of clothing that reminds you of someone? Tell me about it, and the person it reminds you of. I have a lot of those.  If the last girl you texted told you that she was pregnant, how would you respond? I mean, I wouldn’t be SUPER surprised but she hasn’t expressed wanting kids ever. I’d be excited and happy though! How old is the last male you texted? 36. How would you react if your mother told you that she was pregnant again? Well. Considering she’s dead.... Who do you have the most text messages from? Sarah or Ellen.  When was the last time you visited the doctor? It’s been a while. The last place I wanna be right now is somewhere other sick people have been.  Do you know anyone who deserves to be slapped? Why? Yes because he’s a fucking piece of fucking shit.  When you listen to music, do you generally sing along, or just listen? Definitely depends.  Do you have any of your exes as friends on Facebook? Nope. Would you have sex with the last person that poked you on Facebook? That’s not a thing anymore and hasn’t been for a long time, but I’m still going to say no, unless that person was Mark. Does more than one person like you? Not that I am aware of. Who is the youngest person in your household? When is that person’s birthday? Me. Sept 2nd. Who was your first love? Do you ever miss that person? No. What is a word that starts with the second to last letter of your name? Avalanche. Do you like your middle name? I do. Would you ever visit a psychic? Nah. You log into Facebook and see the red ‘1’ notification next to the message icon. Who do you want it to be? No one in particular. It’s usually Ellen or Mark; those are the only people I really message via FB. Let’s say I was going to make you something to eat, what would you like? :) I’m not super hungry but since you’re cooking I’ll take some crab legs.  And what drink would you like with that? Root beer. Do you know anyone with the same first name as you? Tell me about him/her. I know of a couple people but I’m not super close to them. If your hair is long, would you ever think about having it cut short? Or, if it’s short, would you like to grow it long? I’ve had it really long and really short and I like it in the middle. Can you remember the last time you felt emotional? What was the reason? I feel that way a lot, especially during this pandemic. Do you call your partner ‘baby’? Yes. What if you were told that your life has to stay exactly as it is right now, and nothing will ever change? How would you feel about that? Yeah I would fucking hate that. This pandemic already feels like it’s never gunna end and I just wanna cry 24/7.

[sunstone-smiles]

One Loud Game of Hide and Seek

Original request: "Hey! I just noticed you are considering writing for tickletober! I was wondering if I could please request some ticklish Scanlan for day 4, prompt "upside-down"? Thank you and good luck!!!"

Author’s note: Happy Day 4 of Tickletober everyone! And we’re celebrating with my first Vox Machina fic! Here’s Day 4: “Hide and Seek” and “Upside Down” from August’s Tickletober List and Nim’s Lovely Tickletober List! I hope you enjoy! (P.S: Happy (belated) Legend of Vox Machina season 3 release day!)

Series: The Legend of Vox Machina

Characters: Scanlan, Vax, Keyleth, Pike

Word count: 1,358

Summary: Scanlan is the first one caught in a game of hide and seek, so Vax gets a mischievous idea to use Scanlan to his team's advantage instead of letting him go so easily. 

---

“Scanlan, where are yooou?”

Vax’s voice sings. There’s footsteps. Quiet breathing. Mostly darkness. A sliver of light seeps below the crack of the kitchen cupboard, the place where Scanlan has squeezed himself into to hide.

The twins of Vox Machina had got into some sibling banter about who’s better at stealthing and who’s better at perceiving. Thus, a friendly competition was proposed. Vex and Vax roped four out of their other five party members into a game of hide and seek to prove their point, splitting them into even teams of three. 

With how things are looking right now though, Scanlan might be regretting that he agreed to play against someone with a solid track record for successfully slinking through shadows without a sound. 

Scanlan waits and listens for a moment. Another pair of footsteps. Then another. All three of them are here. He hears the chatter of Keyleth and Pike trying to communicate with their teammate, Vax, about the whereabouts of Scanlan’s location. 

His source of light is blocked as their shadows approach. He remains silent. After more discussion, their shadows pass and the footsteps continue. If he’s going to make a break for it, now would be the time to do so. 

Scanlan quietly pushes the cupboard open, then peeks behind it. Vax, Keyleth, and Pike have their backs turned. Perfect. He tiptoes out of the cupboard and towards the door. 

Stealth, however, is not on his side today.

“There he is!” Keyleth spots him.

Run.

Scanlan takes off for the doorway. Before he makes it halfway, Keyleth curls up her fist and a vine sprouts from the ceiling. It whips towards Scanlan then wraps around his leg, yanking him up off his feet and dangling him upside down over the ground.

“We got him!” Pike cheers. All three of them approach Scanlan as he sways from the remaining momentum of his trap.

“Okay, okay. You found me,” Scanlan admits defeat. “I’m out. Now will you put me down?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” Keyleth raises her hand.

“Hold on there, Kiki.” Vax stops her, a smile on his face. “We don’t know where Grog and my sister are yet. Maybe Scan-man knows where they’re hiding.”

Scanlan crosses his arms from his upside down state. “Well, I don’t. So you can stop searching here because you aren’t going to get any answers from me.” He turns his head to the side, eyes closed, with a stern, determined look on his face. 

…Silence. 

Honestly, not the response he expected.

He caves into his curiosity and lifts open one eye, only to be met with Pike smiling up at him with her own arms crossed together.

“So you do know where they are.” Pike’s smile curves to a smirk.

Damn it, Scanlan. Usually you’re a better liar than this. “Okay, so I might know the general direction of where they went, but I can’t just give you an exact location,” Scanlan changes his story.

“Well, then we should take this opportunity to have some fun, shall we?” Vax rubs his hands together and moves behind Scanlan. Scanlan watches him with a confused gaze, but when Vax gives a quick tweak to his sides that jolts through his form like a tickly thunderwave, the pieces all come crumbling together.

Scanlan cranes his neck to look up at Vax with wide eyes. “Oh no, Vax! Don’t–”

“Too late,” Vax smirks. He presses his fingers into Scanlan’s sides. The gnome releases a screech of laughter as the ticklish shock courses through the entirety of his smaller form. He flaps his arms wildly like a baby bird attempting flight as uproars of giggles spill from Scanlan. 

“Vahahahax!” Scanlan finally clamps his arms down and kicks his legs in the air. “Thihihihis is sohohoho cheheheating!”

Scanlan’s movements cause him to swing, although Vax mostly keeps him in place as his skilled hands in lockpicking maneuver their way into hard to reach spots that easily open the door to more of Scanlan’s squeaks and giggles.

“You’re playing hide and seek against a master of stealth, my friend. The odds were never in your favor to begin with,” Vax smiles and moves his hands down to Scanlan’s upper ribs, causing a high-pitched squeak to come from the gnome, as high as some of his highest notes.

“Ooh, bad spot?” Vax teases.

“Ohohohokay!” Scanlan gives in, “Grohohog and Vehehex are hiding in the gardehehehen!”

“The garden is a pretty big place,” Keyleth places a finger to her chin to think; her mouth curls with a smile. “You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

“Keyleth? Was that a rare tease I heard from you just now?” Vax says astonished, but with a proud undertone.

“Hehe, sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Cohohome on! Thihihis is getting ridiculous!” Scanlan remarks through his laughter.

“Nah, we’re just getting started,” Pike smiles. She hops over to Vax and Scanlan. “Keyleth, could you lower Scanlan for me, please?”

“You got it,” the Air Ashari places her hand in front of her. Her palm flashes a warm glow for a moment as the vine follows her hand downward. 

With Scanlan now lowered right above Pike’s head, Pike hops up and grabs Scanlan’s wrists from his sides, pulling them over his head (or in his reversed state, below his head) to allow Vax complete access to wiggle his fingers further up his ribs.

Scanlan screams with laughter and paddles his unrestrained leg above him. The smile that usually pairs with his charismatic features has, somehow, grown even more charming when it’s filled with giggly joy.

“Nice thinking, Pike,” Vax compliments.

“Thank you kindly,” Pike bows her head to accept the compliment with a grin.

“Pihihihike!” Scanlan tilts his head back and opens one eye for a second to make contact with a grinning Pike. “I lohohove it that you’re sohoho strong, but nohohot when you use your strength against mehehehe!” He attempts to tug his arms free with no luck against the mighty Pike.

“What is going on in here?” a new voice calls out from the doorway.

Vex, Keyleth, and Pike halt in their tracks. Scanlan releases an encore of residual giggles as he begins to catch his breath. All four of them look over to the doorway to see Percy throwing his arm up to face palm.

“No, scratch that. Do I really want to ask when Scanlan’s involved?” Percy says.

“Percy! We’re playing hide and seek! Do you want to join?” Keyleth asks.

“I thought hide and seek is supposed to be a quiet game. I could hear Scanlan all the way down from my workshop,” he takes a step into the room. “And would this explain why I saw Vex trying to squeeze Grog high up into a tree earlier?”

“Ah ha! So that’s where they are!” Pike exclaims.

“There’s only one tree in the garden big enough to fit Grog,” Vax mentions. “Thanks for the help, de Rolo. Come on! Let’s go!” Vax motions for Pike and Keyleth to start running out of the room with him.

“Hey, hey, hey! You’re not going to leave me hanging here, are you?” Scanlan catches their attention before they leave.

“Oops! Sorry!” Keyleth holds out a hand to flip him upright; the vine grows around his waist like a rope and quickly lowers him, laying him down on the floor. She then runs off with the others, smiling as she disappears behind the door frame with Vax and Pike. 

Scanlan sits up grumbling to himself and rubs his side as leftover tingles from the tickling begin to fade. Percy chuckles under his breath and leaves the room. At first, Scanlan glares in the direction of the empty doorway, knowing his hide and seek team has already lost their chances of winning. However, his expression soon eases into a relaxed smile.

 It’s going to be hilarious when they catch Vex and Grog from their hiding spot. 

Scanlan stands from the floor, straightens his clothes, and dusts himself off.

“If you can’t beat them, join them,” Scanlan says to himself, then runs out of the room to catch up with the rest of his friends.

[blorbologist]

Maggie’s Airplane Saga fics compiled!

YEEHAW, I’m back! Bachelorette was fun, travel to and fro was not - I’m whipping up a Perc’ahlia fic based on part of my hell lmao. 

In the meantime, here’s all the stuff I cracked out over those seven hours, plus another one made last night using one of the leftover prompts.

Cleaned up and posted to AO3:

Haunt me in burgundy

Prompt[s]: Imodna Whumptober 13, "Can't make an omelette without breaking a few legs," fracture, dislocation and 14, "Die a hero or live long enough to become a villain," desperate measures, failed escape.

T / Imodna / Imogen and Laudna. Missing scene for episode 35, spoilers for it and episode 34. Lotta sads and ow.

I mean - sure. If you stuck her in a neat red barn, full of Rexxentrum Red hens, slathered the place red paint just to make a point, yeah, she would agree that’s pretty damn red. Imogen would also think you tacky and miserable, not that she’d say it or think it loud.

It would be red, sure, but not red.

Red the color. Not red the experience.

--

Contacts

Prompt: "Perc’ahlia, Why am I in your phone as 'himbo number two'?"

G / Perc’ahlia / Percy and Vex. Modern AU, works for both CR1 and TLOVM with no spoilers past the Briarwoods arc.

There’s a pause, before he inputs the new number. And then his thumb draws over the contacts.

And then his scrolling stops.

Here we go.

"Why am I in your phone as 'himbo number two'?"

(For the record, it’s actually HIMbo #2, but Percy says it with more dignity than it actually has.)

--

Tickle his fancy, tickle her too

Prompt:  “Perc’ahlia 29. tickling the other one”

T / Perc’ahlia / Percy, Vex and the rest of Vox Machina. Modern AU, works for both CR1 and TLOVM (with minor spoilers. Ignore the Tary guy shhh).

Vex is ticklish. Outrageously so.

Percival, it should be noted, grew up with six siblings.

He is very, very good at getting past even the best guard for the sake of a good laugh.

And maybe he’s never heard something quite so delicate from Vex. No, delicate is the wrong word - brutal, instead, in its joy, something she couldn’t hold back if she tried.

--

Too roomy to be alone here 

Prompt: "Cassandra has a bad day (sickness, or just exhaustion) and says she wants a member of their family that is gone now. And of course, Percy and or Vex giving the hugs she deserves after that."

G / Cassandra de Rolo with hints of Vex’ahlia, Delilah Briarwood and Julius de Rolo + more de Rolo family members. TLOVM and CR1 compliant.

All that to say that the nursery was declared Cass’ room and broadly considered such by the whole family.

Delilah and Sylas had more practical motivations behind housing her there.

--

Tumblr: 

Take a break

Prompt: “Keyleth/Vax/Gil? Any fluffy comfort for them would be absolutely incredibleeeee”

G / Keyleth/Vax/Gilmore / Just some fluff set shortly after the Chroma Conclave arc <33

“You need a vacation,” Keyleth declares. Corrects: “Really need a vacation.”

Gilmore’s Glorious Goods is… well. Not glorious, devoid of goods. It’s pretty much just Gilmore, right now, in a ruin of an office. He’s leaning back to smile at them, but the disarray of his hair speaks to resting his face in his palms, to running his fingers through the rich length of it.

--

Sound is a touch

Prompt: “Perc’ahlia 24. whispering in their ear, lips touching the skin”

G / Perc’ahlia / tiny leetol fluff moment, both pre-C1 and TLOVM season 1 compliant. 

“Hm. Should we tell him?”

Vex’s ears are, as a rule, a no-go. Dangerzone. A good way to get her smiles to turn so saccharine you can taste the sugar used to hide the bile.

It’s not like they’re too sensitive, or not sensitive at all and time is better spent elsewhere. It’s just - you know. Half-elf. Sometimes they got tugged for being too long, others boxed for being too blunt.

They’re a touchy subject. Pun intended, not that she’d admit to it.