#ugly duckling press

[uwmspeccoll]

It's Feral Friday!

If Special Collections were compared to a National Park- a thoughtfully curated, accessible experience of the wilderness of the natural world- where would its edges lie? What would be considered off the beaten path, how would its boundaries be defined, and in what ways would the landscape beyond those boundaries inspire our imagination and broaden our conceptions of the world and our communicative capacities?

That’s the realm of pluralistic inquiry explored by Feral Fridays, a new weekly post where we’ll feature items from our collection like zines, experimental book arts, independently produced poetry and other unruly materials that exist at the margins of publishing and literary traditions.

Let’s get Feral!   

--Ana, Special Collections Graduate Intern

Images:

That Way Issue 1, Spring 2021

That Way Issue 1, Spring 2021, pp. 23-24 (excerpt from interview w/Erma Fiend)

Thing Issue no. 3, Summer 1990

Re: Creation by Nikki Giovanni, Broadside Press, 1970

Aquarius Rising by Ben Fama, Ugly Duckling Presse, 2010

excerpt from Ugly Duckling Issue 6, October 2003

Lynch by Inch: an interview to Ali Khalid Abdullah 2003

Blue Horses for Navajo Women by Nia Francisco, Greenfield Review Press, 1988

Mildred Pierce Issue 3, April 2009

The Match! Number 97, Winter 2001-2002

[theaskew]

What Is Sent There, a poem by Hirato Renkichi (Japanese 1893-1922) and translated by Sho Sugita. [Spiral Staircase, Brooklyn, New York: Ugly Duckling Presse, 2017.]

[garadinervi]

Masaoka Shiki, The Glass Clouding. Poems and Prose, Translated by Abby Ryder-Huth, Ugly Duckling Presse, Brooklyn NY, 2024

[razorsadness]

Once we were in a moving vehicle the clouds sat still. I don't mean to imply anything like sadness. A turn of the page was payback for the runaway marigolds. That is, what you see on paper are mere pop-ups compared to live things — a desire to move on after a moment of regret. It's possible the plates shifted underfoot. That's why we were flung across the room.

—Kostas Anagnopoulos, from Moving Blanket (Ugly Ducking Presse, 2010)

[ce-archerhelke]

(via The Sealey Challenge: wordtomydead)

[yuvany]

"MS.UGLY DUCKLING" ft SIM JAKE

SYNOPSIS : growing up "ugly" was not for the weak. Being absolutely ignored both in and outside of school was not for the weak. No one is ever ugly forever though. Changing schools and meeting new people, but most importantly meeting him might have been the best choice you've ever made in a very, very long time.

CONTENT WARNINGS : angst (with a happy ending) + bullying + insecurities + strangers to friends + friends to lovers + written in second perspective + self deprication + fluff + long + little rushed + partially proofread

ACTORS : ENHYPEN JAKE x FEMALE READER

WORD COUNT : ~ 4k

CHECK BOX !!

i. "WHY WON'T THEY EVER PLAY WITH ME," you asked your mother after returning home from a long and harsh first day of school. Your hair looked a mess, and dirt was scattered across your clothes, yet your voice sounded like childish innocence and pure wonder. Maybe it was too much for such a young child to realise that her newly made friends maybe weren't actually her friends?

(Read more under the cut)

"I'm sure they didn't mean to?" She replied, her voice sounding soft and vulnurable, feeling like she was responsible for the sorrows and grief that her child had been put through, since she was the one who had bought you into this world. Instead of confronting the problem, she told her child that the world wasn't as evil as it seemed, that thinking on the bright side, or the possibilities, were the correct way to live life.

Eight-year-old girl walked up the stairs with heavy weights glued beneath her feet after dinner was finished. You threw yourself onto your bed that was neatly made in the morning before you went to school happily, just to come home opposite of the way you left. The softness of the pillow and blanket laying on your bed was enough to comfort you as you buried your face deep into it and wrapping the blanket around you tightly. You wished for friends, and you wished to be happy, but most of all, you wanted to be like everybody else.

ii. ONE MORE DAY at school, the daily mistreatment never seeming to come to a halt. You walked through the corridors anxiously holding onto the straps of your backback tightly with your pair of eyes wandering all over the place in case of danger. This was certainly not nessecary for a child your age, but when nobody chooses to help, you've got to start taking care of yourself.

Maybe it was your nerves that made it feel as if everyone's eyes were on you, but their mouths would open to release a fit of laughter that they had held in until specifically you walked past them. You crossed your arms, feeling extra aware of yourself now, guessing that they were laughing and giggling at you, which you didn't appreciate, but you were also too insecure and scared to speak up against them.

You reached your locker, looking forward to being able to collect your throught, away from everyone else, the locker shielding you away from their piercing gazes and judgemental stares and whispers. As you look up from your shoes, you see piles of gum stuck onto your locker, the gum being pressed onto the metal aggressively by the people you wished you didn't see. It was them; the popular girls of the school, and few of many people who seemed to despise you. They saw you standing there, shooting you an all too familiar look before walking away with their hips swaying from side to side dramatically.

You approched your locker to finally see what they were doing up close, "UGLY!" it read. You felt embarrased imagining all the people who passed by and saw this. Did they laugh? Did they feel bad for you? What did they think? You wanted to run away and hide in a deep hole you'd dig up with all the stored up shame inside of you.

iii. "MOM, DO YOU THINK I'M PRETTY?" You asked your mother once more, years after the first, but soon to the recent encounter. "I think you're very pretty." She says, but your gut tells you another story. "Really?" You ask, awaiting her response that takes a long while before she hums lowly. That just confirms it, she wasn't being honest. "Thanks," you say, with no emotion in your tone. She looks away and eats her dinner quietly.

You quickly finish yours, and wash it in the faucet, the soap bubbling up and covering your fingers as you scrub and rub the plate, utensils and glass that you used. After finishing that up, you return to your room, locking it behind you. You hid under the covers for a while until it got too suffocating and warm, leaving you itchy and irriatted before sliding out and standing in front of the mirror. You inspected every inch and detail of your face, feeling not so content with some parts. You sighed at your reflection that looked back at you with tired, red eyes. At just fourteen years old, you began caring about how you looked, and how others precieved you, so you took matters into your own hands. That night, you stayed up all night searching for 'how to be prettier' and scrolled endlessly through social media.

The next day, you had decided to get a new hair cut to maybe fix the way you looked, you knew excatly what you wanted, and how to cut it. Before anyone else woke up, even before the first birds chirped their morning tune, you made your way to the bathroom and grabbed a pair of scissors in your grasp. You carefully cut strand for strand, the same way you remebered how the video showed. "It doesn't look too bad." You think to yourself, and then you hear footsteps outside the door. Your eyes quickly scanned the hair that layed on the tiled floor and faucet, wondering what to do with it.

Too late. The door slowly swung open and in came your mom. She was silent upon seeing the scene, the horror only showing in her eyes. "What happened here?" She asked like a sharp whisper. "I just cut my hair..." You reply equally quiet. You see her shake her head in disappointment, so you turn your head down, looking at all the hair that had been flying everywhere while you had fun cutting your hair, and suddenly you weren't as proud of your hair cut like you were before. "Go get the broom, y/n." You obeyed your mother's order and hurried out of the bathroom feeling tears of embarrassment reaching your eyes.

iv. YOU STARTED WEARING MAKE UP to cover up, but to everyone else, you told them that you wore make up becase you thought it looked pretty. Still, they'd give weird glances toward each others, which you knew was their way of judging you.

Each morning, you woke up early to sit in front of your mirror examining your appearance like you always did. Hoping and praying to somehow change over night, you hated how your features looked together. You opened the drawer of your vanity and picked up sponges and brushes, leaving them aside for later use while you chose the different essintials. You had prepared the whole summer break to look pretty. Every day, you followed a new tutorial, improving as you continued. You did all this to look presentable at school.

You thinly spread the foundation across your face, dabbing the liquid evenly all over as you moved onto the next step. You sat there for a long time, perfecting each detail and mole, brushing your brows and coating your eyelashes with mascara, and lastly smacking your lips together after applying lipstick.

You stood in front of your larger mirror that you had ignored and hidden away since you never wanted to see yourself ever, but now you felt prepared. In your eyes you looked prettier. You wore your hair differently, you had earrings and necklaces, the school uniform from last year looking a lot better than you remembered. The confidence boost put a smile on your face as you made your way downstairs and made yourself breakfast.

In the kitchen, your mum was sipping her coffee calmly, but as she saw you walk in, her eyes widened in shock, but she didn't say anything. "Good morning!" You greeted happily, and she waved her hand slowly, still trying to process what was happening. "You look different." She comments, and you are content with that reply, and answer, "Thank you, mum!" You proceed to eat your breakfast and then made your way to school.

At shcool, you felt everyone's eyes hooked on your face. The corridors got quiet when you walked by, and you heard murmurs and whispers about you, "Is that really y/n?" "No way..." "What happened." You didn't know what context to put it in and just walked with hurry in your steps, wanting to get to your class and focus on your studies.

Lunch also happened to be no different compared to before your make over, the group of three girls made their way to your table, cackling amongst themselves, planning what to do today. You, who already finshed your lunch stood up to walk away, not wanting to have an encounter with them, until one of them, the blonde barbie, knocked into you with her lunch tray, spilling her food and drink all over you. "oops!" he chuckled cheerily, enjoying the laughs and fingers pointed at you from around her in the cafeteria. You angrily stood up and rushed over to the bathroom, feeling embarrassed once again.

v. "I WANT TO CHANGE SCHOOLS." You say to your mother after a long while of thinking, fearing that you might make the wrong decision, but what could possibly go worse than how it already is? Your mother is sneering at you from the side as she puts down the bags of groceries by the sink. She hums, and you wait for her reply, feeling your heart beat through your ribs, beating so hard that you start belive it'd jump out of your body any second. To be fair, you'd rather for that to happen than to be rejected of this preposition. "Are you sure?" She asks with uncertainty in her voice after silence, and you nod your head, "Of course." "Think about it for a little more, and then we can ask your father when he returns home." She says and walks away. How much longer could you ponder it when you're already certain.

You help her organise the groceries, washing them in the sink to sterilise it of bacteria before placing it in either the fridge or freezer and taking your sweet time, not knowing what else to do other than lay in your bed or be on your phone scrolling through social media.

So, that's exactly what you did for the past hour or so after your chores.

Of course it was boring, but you had nothing else to do. Homework was done, your room was clean and you could only wait for dinner with your father. You heard the sound of the stove from your room, and rushed down to help prepare with your mother. You plated the dinner table, helped your mum with the dishes and washed them afterwards, now you waited in your seat for your father to arrive home from work.

You hear the door slide open, the sound of keys jiggling from the entrance. You sit straight in your seat, resembling a meerkat on its legs as you inspect the person who enters the kitchen. Your father walks in with his coat still slung over his shoulders, his briefcase slamming onto the kitchen counter while he sighs. "Hello, dad!" You greet him cheerfully, and he simply nods his head in your direction. Your mum rose from her seat to help him with his jacket and hat, but he just shrugs her off, and you notice both of their irritated moods.

Dinner was quiet - the sound of utenstils hitting each other and then being left on the plates filled the house. "y/n wanted to ask something." Your mum blurts out, wanting something to happen, being too awkward in this stale atmosphere. You see him look at you from the corner of your eye and he clears his thoat. "Really? What is it?" He asks, and you manage to utter the same statement from before. It takes a moment before you get a reply again, but he says, "I'll think about it." You pleaded with both your parents to let you change schools until they finally caved in with an extended sigh.

vi. YOU WALKED INTO THE FULL CLASSROOM feeling everyone's eyes glued on you, the feeling being vagualy familiar yet different. Some leaned over to their friend, whispering something, but as you saw them and they made eye contact with you, you wanted to shove yourself inside a locker. "Everyone, this new student ..." You zoned out her speaking until she placed her palm on your shoulder and asked you to intruduse yourself to everyone. "Hello, I am y/n l/n, and I really hope we can all be friendly," You said, and then walked over to the empty seat that the teacher pointed at.

As you take a seat, you take extra notice of your bench mate. Oh, how beautiful she was, her hair looked neat, her skin looked perfect and her eyes... You finally took a seat and did what everyone else did - copying what the teacher wrote. After class, you observed your schedule, confused by where to go. This school was big, and you were a new student who just joined, there was no way you could ask anyone else for help except the teachers, but the one in you room had already left. The girl from beside you tapped you on the shoulder and you turned your head curiously.

"Do you need any help?" She asked, and you nodded. "Help would be appreciated, thanks."

You spent the day with her, laughing and talking like never before. It was comforting to have someone like her beside you. At the end of school, she walked you outside of school and there you saw a group of other people gathered, and they waved in your direction. You turned to see your newly made friend, Yoona, waving back. Her pace quickened as she rushed over to the group, pulling you along by the sleeve of your uniform when she noticed you standing still.

It was a fairly small gang, but they still stared at you as you arrived. They all greeted each other, hugging and chatting till Yoona introduced you to the rest. Her voice sounding so smooth.

As she spoke, you noticed this guy. His hair was long and swept in waves, his eyes soft and brown filled with warmth and kidness. You learnt that his name was Jake from your friend's introduction. "Y/n, wanna come to karaoke with us?" She asked, and you shook your head. "Sorry Yoona, but I gotta head home now" you say, not wanting to interrupt the harmony established amongst the people. She nodded understandingly and let you go, waving her farewell.

On your way home you realised you had made a new friend. A real one at that, but thoughts of insecurities snaked its way into your mind. What if she was just being kind? To say that this could possibly be one of many occurrence was high, and the possibility that you'd fit in was low.

vii. YOU FOUND YOURSELF IN THE PARK with them. You've come to the realisation that a new start was exactly what you needed. Your feet swung you back and forth on the swing, hearing the laughter of everyone around you and feeling the warmth in your heart expand. You had gotten close to everyone, but Jake seemed to have a special place in your heart for some reason.

"Anyone wanna go to the arcade?" Someone called out, and everyone said yes, including you who never went along with them. On the way there, you walked along side Jake, chatting with him and joking. "So what made you change schools so suddenly." He questioned, and you shook your head with an awkward chuckle, "Nothing, I just wanted to." Jake had this friendly smirk on his face as he nudged his shoulder against yours, "you can't be serious. You probably had a lot of friends there." You had your eyes focused on the road as you tried to comply a decent reply. "I mean-" as you were about to answer, everyone had already arrived at the arcade. You found this to be the perfect escape.

Everyone rushed inside, being bombarded with games and bright lights. Almost immediately, you spotted the claw machines. You eyed it like it was candy. There were many plushies, but you really really wanted the bunny one. Jake who was close by saw the way your eyes lit up and approached you with his hands in his pocket. "If you beat me in any game, I'll get you that plushie." He says, and you turn to look up at, his lips being extremely close to your face. "Are you sure you wanna bet?" You asked and he nodded his head, "Go ahead, choose a game." You pointed at an air hockey board and Jake ushered you over there with his palm resting on your shoulder.

You played a couple of games, and you were determined to win. Jake, not so much. His eyes roamed everywhere except for the hockey puck, his eyes landed on your concentrated face a handful of times, observing your reaction to each goal. You easily won and rushed over to his side, cheering. Your smiles were contagious, and Jake laughed, exposing his pearly teeth. "You wanted that white bunny, right?" He asked, and you nodded. "You could get whichever one, really." He made his way to the machine, you standing beside him. Jake kissed his coin before inerting it into the machine. It took him many tries before he sighed and collected his calm once more. "You don't really need to continue, Jake." You tell him, but she shakes his head and stretches his arms and back. "I'll get it this time. I might need more luck though." You see him point at his cheek with a smug smile. "That's silly." You reply sarcastically and he pleads with you giving you the puppy eyes before caving in. You stand on your toes and quickly peck him on the cheek shyly. Your heart was pounding and you could feel your cheeks turn rosy at the act.

He winks at you once before turning to the machine with one last try. His focus is evident in his fierceful gaze and you also hope for him to win this time, mostly becuase you start to feel bad for all the coins he's lost.

While being consumed by your own thoughts, Jake celebrated his win. He turned around to hand you the bunny, but saw you spacing out. He snapped his fingers in you face and you shook you back into reality. You finally processed the fact that he had won after staring at the plush in his arms. Jake gently hands it to you and you take it with a smile. "Woah! Thank you so much!" You thank him over all the other people's conversations around you two.

The rest of the evening was spent with silent glances that held adoration between the two of you. and eventually, it was time to go home. You all gathered outside the arcade to wave each other off before going their separate ways.

You notice that Jake was taking the same way as you and you stopped in your tracks to let him catch up to you. "Do you also take this way?" You asked him. "Kind of, I actually wanted to walk you home." He rubbed the back of his neck before you two began walking again. "You could've told me before, you almost looked like a creep." Jake chuckled at your remark and said, "I would've, but I guess I got shy." with his thick accent seeping through.

The sound of crickets and owls hooting filled in the silence during the short walk to your front door step. "Thanks for walking me home, Jake." You say as you search for your keys in your purse. He was silent for a while as you unlocked your door. "Y/n, I have something to ask you." You turned to him curiously and arched an eyebrow. He was obviously nervous as you saw him fidgeting with his own fingers and clearing his throat over and over again to muster up the courage to ask,

viii. "WILL YOU GO TO PROM WITH ME, Y/N?" It had totally slipped your mind that prom was soon. You stood there wide eyed at the question. "You're not joking with me right." You wonder if he's pranking you, but he shakes his head. "Why would I joke with a pretty girl like you." His tone sounds genuine, but you still can't shake this feeling of uncertainty. "There's many other people you could've asked, but instead you chose me." The identical feeling of hopelessness returned after finally being chased away. "Becuase I only want you. Y/n, please." It takes a while for you to open your mouth an reply, but you feel the cold sweat coat your hairline and seeing Jake's soft expression was not helping you to calm down.

"I need to think about it, sorry."

You take notice of how Jake's expression turns dark when you shut the door and lock it behind you. You rush up the stairs and sprint into your room, ignoring your mother's calls. The plushy you had gotten from Jake was thrown onto your bed as you hurry to look out the window, observing him walk away from you. To your surprise, you see him look back at your house. Hurriedly, you pull out a diary that you had hidden under your mattress and write about everything, it isn't until after you're done taking notes that you feel bad for Jake. How must he feel?

You take a look at the plush he gifted you, and groan at the dilemma.

ix. THE NEXT DAY at school you searched for Jake everywhere, but you never saw him. Your mood visibly worsened as the day had come to an end without seeing him once. Yoona took notice of this and decided to question you. "Is everything okay?" She asked you and you nodded your head with a hum. "Yoona, have you seen Jake today?" She shakes her head and pulls out her phone. "He sent me a text this morning that he wouldn't come today since he felt under the weather. Why?" "Nothing, just wondering." You quickly blubber, grabbing your stuff quickly. "Hey, what's the rush? Wait for me alright." You hear Yoona chuckle as she packs her stuff. You apologise and wait for her.

You two part ways at the split road with a hug, and you gradually start to jog your way to his place. You stand there on his door step, bag slung over your shoulder with your fingers twisting the hem of your skirt. "Is it too late to turn around?", you think you to yourself. You shake away these thoughts, and raise your curled up fist to knock, but to your surprise, Jake opened the door, his eyes looked equally as shocked as yours. "Uhm, so I wanted to talk to you." You utter, and see Jake sigh. "Sure, I'm going on a walk if you wanna follow along." You nod and walk behind him.

"So, I've been thinking." His interest perks, and he glances your way. "I'll go to prom with you, but I don't understand why me? I'm not pretty. I'm not that ....good." You voice comes out weak, and Jake stops walking. "Don't say that. Not only are you incredibly beautiful, but you're also so, so kind and caring." He approaches you, his hand gliding up your cheek. "Are you not angry at me?" You ask, trying to avoid his eyes. "Angry? At you? That's ridiculous." He scoffs playfully, and you finally get the courage to look him in the eyes. "I might've been slightly upset since I thought you rejected me, but i guess I have a date for prom!" He smiles brightly and you look at him awestruck. "Of course," you reply and kiss him on the cheek once again with your arms swung around his neck, and his arms instinctively wrap around your waist. "You make me so happy." He is smiling widely as he pecks your face with butterfly kisses.

TAGLIST :: @swaivy

[zeisarinn]

igual que un angel — rin itoshi !!

heaven must have sent you to earth !!

my man !! + rin i love you !! + sassy man apocalypse !! + i need rin merch !!

rin itoshi was someone who always stuck to his schedule. always following the same routine from the moment he woke up until the moment he fell asleep. when you “forced” your presence into his life, he could never stick to his schedule ever again. always having things happen spontaneously around you was both a blessing and a curse. just like how you both were now half-way into watching the barbie movies, “here I am” playing in the background as you both watched Kiera dance to the music.

you watched the movie, humming to the music as rin played with your hair, the light and feathery touches making you want to fall asleep. you blink the sleepiness away, cuddling into rin’s side as your matching hot pink barbie themed pjs invaded your vision. you quietly giggle to yourself, thinking back on when he didn’t want to wear them at first until you practically forced him into the comfy fabric. 

your boyfriend was kind of dumb though, seeing as he still hasn’t noticed the way that you kept glancing up at him or maybe he was just being an annoying little shit again. gods, he was so insufferable at times… so pretty, I meant petty, I mean what? who said that? your boyfriend is so lovely, he would never hurt anyone (he would, specially if it was shidou). maybe to him, ignorance was bliss. a mischievous smile slowly starts to creep up your face, a grin forming as you look up at him. “rinnie,” you whine, a pout on your lips as you look up at him, watching as he barely even glances down at you when you call for him. you follow his gaze, tracing it back to the tv and realizing that he was watching the movie with his full attention. “...what happened to not wanting to watch a children’s movie, huh?” you ask him, a deadpan expression on your face as you reach your hand up to gently poke his cheek, a teasing smile on your face when he immediately looks away.

men are so weird, your boyfriend was definitely even weirder though. maybe he was a woman born in a man’s body, why was he always so much sassier than you anyways? maybe it was the itoshi genes in him or maybe he was a victim of the sassy men apocalypse or maybe this was a sign that you should’ve never made your boyfriend install tiktok. one moment it was “you look just as beautiful as the cherry blossoms” and the next was “you look like the ugly duckling.”

you watch as he huffs, a small pout forming on his lips as he not-so-discreetly glances back at the tv screen. you feel a laugh start to bubble up, giggles rocking your body as you hug rin even tighter. you lean up, pressing a kiss to his cheek and pouty lips before pulling away, watching as he playfully glares at you. you nuzzle your face into his neck, breathing in the light citrus scent of his body wash as he murmurs. “it’s… not bad” you hum at his answer, turning your head to watch the movie as you giggle. “whatever you say, rinnie, whatever you say.” 

work belongs to @/zeisarin 2024 don’t copy, steal, or repost without permission

[librarycards]

I love your recommendations, you find a lot of good books I've never heard about!. Where do you learn about books?

great question, and ty! as a writer, I get 'sneak peeks' into a lot of newish books via blurb/review requests, as well as my relationship with independent presses and magazines. but it's pretty easy for the average reader to keep abreast of cool new books by signing up for press newsletters/checking their sites - some worth following are featherproof (my press!), Tin House, Feminist Press, Kernpunkt, McSweeney's, Split/Lip [I'm a first reader for them!], Coffee House, Fitzcarraldo Editions, Ugly Duckling Presse, AK Press, Arsenal Pulp, 11:11 Press, Sarabande Books, Black Lawrence...I could go on, but I'll spare you. But yeah, sign up for these folks' newsletters!

Also, speaking of newsletters, I get emails from a bunch of outlets that talk about books and/or review them and interview authors. Some that I recommend are LitHub, Electric Lit, Split Lip Magazine, Book Riot (hit or miss, but worth at least peeking at), Barrelhouse, Book.Marks, and Tor/Reactor.

I'm also active on Goodreads, where I friend/follow people whose recommendations I trust. (Feel free to add/follow me!) I also have tons of writing/reading/small press friends I share book recs with, and I go recreationally browsing at indie stores whose curation I trust. If you ever want a rec, go to your local indie and ask what they've been reading!!!

tl;dr get your recs from a variety of sources, keep track of what you like and dislike, make bookish friends, and sometimes try something new!

[marlinspirkhall]

The Ugly Duckling was always my favourite story as a kid because I told myself I would one day grow up to a beautiful swan, but as I got older I unlocked a third option: press X to honk

[imaginesforeons]

Could you write itadori with reader, who is very insecure about their body

Omg yes!! My first ask, I'm so hyped.

Yuji and a Reader who is insecure about their body

~You have doubts. Yuji doesn't~

CW: Reader is insecure about their body.

Word Count: 664

Yuji is aged up in this, somewhere in his 20s.

Reqs are OPEN! Send me an ask with your ideas. You can see what fandoms I write pinned on my page.

Buy me a coffee?

.-.-.

Bodies were strange. They came in so many different shapes and sizes, endless shades of skin and hair and eyes, creating something so unique that no person looked quite the same. Sometimes… sometimes these traits combined perfectly, creating perfect people.

“Babe?”

From your place in front of the mirror, you jumped, squeaking. Whirling around, you saw Yuji, standing outlined in the doorway.

“Hey, Yuji,” you said, mustering up a smile. You took a step back from the mirror, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

Speaking of perfect people, you thought, eyeing Yuji up and down, your boyfriend was one of the best. Born with a genetic jackpot, Yuji was the most handsome man you had ever laid eyes on. While he was thinner and gangly in his teen years, at least from the pictures he had shown you, his twenties had done him well, filling him out until he was perfectly proportoined. His cheekbones were sharp, face model-worthy, and when he smiled he caught the attention of everyone in the room. There was no other way to describe it; Yuji was stunning, and you… well, you weren’t.

Yuji drew closer, taking in the drawn curtains, the dimmed lights. The mirror. “What’s up?” he asked, eyes tracking over your body.

You grimaced. While you adored Yuji, there was always another emotion hidden deep underneath your love. Something was waiting for the other shoe to drop, because for as long as you had been with him you couldn’t figure out why he’d give the time of day to someone like you. Compared to Yuji, you were subpar.

“I was just-” you tried to come up with an explanation, something that would dull the curious look in his eyes, but your mind fell flat. “I was looking,” you finished lamely.

Yuji only hummed, wrapping his arms around your waist and leaning in to kiss your temple. You slowly turned around til your back was pressed against him and you were facing the mirror again. Yuji hooked his chin over your shoulder, watching both your figures in the mirror.

You were watching too.

With the both of you reflected in the mirror, your previous thoughts were only brought to light. Yuji was beautiful, and next to him you were like the ugly duckling. You folded your arms across your chest, if only to hide a little more of yourself. Maybe Yuji wouldn’t notice.

Right when you were ready to squirm out from his hold, Yuji spoke up.

“Ya know,” he mused. “I think we make a pretty cute couple.”

It took your brain a moment to catch up, but when it did, you blinked. “Really?” you asked, craning your head up to try to catch his eye.

Yuji nodded. “Of course! I mean, you’re definitely better than me when it comes to the looks department, but I think I’m pretty close.”

“Oh.” To your horror, you felt your throat tighten, and tears started to well in your eyes. Before they could fall, you turned and buried your face in Yuji’s chest, but it was too late. Yuji had seen your eyes well up in the mirror.

“Babe?” Yuji sounded panicked. “What’s wrong?”

Sniffling, you nuzzled deeper into his chest. “You really think I’m pretty?”

“Oh, baby,” Yuji said. “Of course I do. I think you’re perfect.”

Your throat caught on a sob, and Yuji shushed you gently. He started to run his hands down your back, over your hips, up your arms. He whispered sweet nothings in your ears, while in-between he pressed kisses on top of your head and brow. He cradled you in his arms, guiding you towards the bed where the two of you layed down together, your head on his chest. He ran a hand carefully up and down your spine, still talking all the while.

You held on to him tightly, fisting your hands into his shirt. “Thank you, Yuji,” you whispered. It was too quiet for anyone but the two of you to hear.

[porcalinecunt]

𝐌𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋.

→ kunigami worshipping you like the loving boyfriend he is.

🎧 𝐊𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐈 𝐗 𝐅𝐄𝐌!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

♟️ 𝐒𝐌𝐔𝐓 / 𝐅𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐅

𝐜𝐰 — brief angst. reader is insecure. size kink. creampie. praise. some dacryphillia.

a/n » it’s been a while since i wrote something here. this fic got a bit personal then i expected so apologies. anyways, kunigami is lowkey becoming one of my favs so i had to write something for him. i’ll slowly get back to writing since life has been hectic lately. thank you for reading and enjoy. 🤍

Perfection is subjective, but Kunigami knew his own definition. It laid right below him, moaning and gripping his biceps as he pumped away. Syrupy eyes and swollen lips only turning him on even more, the sight of your fucked out face pushing him closer to the edge.

Only an hour ago, you felt that familiar pit in your stomach as your train of thought rammed into you like a bully. Your fingers feeling your skin, the urge to tear it off made your eyes water. A mess, the ugly duckling amongst swans that stood out like a sore thumb. It weighed on you, to the point where it felt like suffocating. Then your mind switched, the face in your head only worsened the feeling. Kunigami.

Your loving boyfriend, the man you’d easily call your soulmate in a heartbeat. To you, it’s a mystery to how you managed to even catch his attention. He was perfection in your eyes, from a body that looked like it was sculpted to artistry to a heart of gold that’s tougher then any opponent on the field. Kunigami was everything a gentleman should be. Gentle, kind, patient, you could go on ‘till your face turned blue. But even with all that, the question would still linger in your head. Why me?

It was come to a boiling point, alone in your own thoughts while he was at practice. Staring back at you in the bathroom mirror was a mockery of who many believed you were. Your eyes traced every imperfection that stained your face, down to the very body you live in. Hatred. That’s all you could feel. Hatred for how you look, who you were, the skin you walk in. it was unbearable, stuck in the void of verbal torture until—

“You okay, angel..?”

Snapped out of your thoughts by a gentle voice, turning to feel the relief of seeing his face. You couldn’t remember what happened next, all you could muster up is Kunigami picking you up bridal style and peppering kisses from your neck to your chest. You didn’t expect him to be balls deep inside of you, stripped of all clothing, leaving you bare for him to see.

Lost in his eyes, watching them trail up and down at your figure. Nothing but love and adoration filled his gaze, while your eyes screwed shut from the intense pleasure that filled your stomach. His pace was slow, but the tip of his cock kissed your cervix and stretched you out till you felt too full. Kunigami was always gentle with you in bed, but tonight felt so different. It felt like your first with him, slow yet hitting all the right spots. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss against your forehead. Butterflies fluttered around your stomach, especially once you felt his soft fingers curl around your face, making you look at him.

“You’re so perfect, angel..so fucking perfect..”

You almost had to prevent tears from spilling out. The sincerity and gentleness of his voice filling your ears, causing a smile to finally crack. Below your smaller figure, was your large—almost teddy bear—boyfriend, treating you as if you were made of glass. You were so lost in the mix of joy and pleasure, you almost forgot about your orgasm. Kunigami spread your legs slightly farther, fucking you deeper before you felt his hips stutter.

“K-Kunigami..”

“I know angel, i know..”

He whispered in your ear, his voice trailing off in a wisp of moans and heavy breathing. His large hands rested on your thighs, keeping your legs apart while he inches closer and closer to the edge. The sound of skin slapping against one another filled the room till it was almost unbearable. You bit down on your pillow, muffling your cries. Kunigami leaned forward, tracing the back of his index finger against your cheek. Your eyes opened a bit to see his smile, leaning closer for a kiss.

“I love you so much y/n, fuck—you’re everything i could ask for..”

Finally reaching his climax, Kunigami pressed his body against yours while cumming deep into your cunt. You clawed at his back as you clenched down from the sudden warmth, your orgasm coming shortly after. He hissed through his teeth as you soaked his cock with your arousal. You instinctively wrapped your legs around his waist, refusing to pull away. He couldn’t protest however, as his eyes remained glued onto your face. Cupping your cheeks in his palms, Kunigami pressed one last kiss on your pouty lips before watching your eyes grow heavy from the exhaustion.

You couldn’t be any more happier. That gut wrenching feeling that was eating away at you melted away, now replaced with a comforting warmth that embraced you just as tightly as he was. You’d wish this would last forever, and so does he.

Then again, why can’t it?

[theaskew]

Porcelain, a poem by Hirato Renkichi (Japanese 1893-1922) and translated by Sho Sugita. [Spiral Staircase, Brooklyn, New York: Ugly Duckling Presse, 2017.]

[garadinervi]

Diana Garza Islas, (2015), Black Box Named Like to Me, Translated by Cal Paule, Ugly Duckling Presse, Brooklyn NY, 2024

[writingescapades]

Book Lover P

I love how we all came as a community and agreed that Pinocchio is a bookworm. As a fellow bookworm, this worms my heart!

It was Lady Antonia who really introduced P to the library. Well more like she said the entire hotel was his to explore, and explore he did.

His desire for reading really came from a desire to be like his father. Get his approval. The big thumbs up from Papi.

He prefers to read at night, everyone is asleep and he has nothing else to do with this time. At first, he would just go out and continue to destroy puppets, but something changed after that first book.

The first book happened to be The Ugly Duckling. He would read and reread that story. Not fully understanding why he kept doing so.

It was in this state you found him. You promised yourself a night of reading as a reward for doing boring tasks around the hotel. Lo, and behold there was Pinocchio… reading.

He immediately gets up, thinking you had a task for him. Poor boy. You inquire into what he’s reading and he hands it over, as if guilty.

Reading the cover, you smile and give it back, along with another book. It’s a book of fairytales. Needless to say, Pinocchio devours this book. There were more books of this nature??

Thus starts a bond between you two. Late night reading sessions. P eagerly tapping your shoulder when he sees something interesting. You reading aloud passages.

Many times the hotel residents would find you asleep on the floor  while P sat beside you and silently read. Lady Antonia asked him to move a sofa into the library, so that you could at least prevent catching your death of cold.

That scared P, who then always ushered you to the couch once you got your reading material for the night. He wasn’t killing puppets just for you to die of a cold.

As P grows and understands emotions, he would often bring a book to you, point to a passage where a character felt something he felt and then point to himself. It helped when you put words to define his emotions. He would store away that knowledge.

There were moments when P would come home after a late night of stalking, and instead of just spending time in the library, he would wake you up and silently point to a page in a book. He never said anything in those moments but the passage he pointed you told all.

He’s very adept at matching the people he meets (their stories) to the fairytales he reads. It became a bit of an inside joke between you too, such as thinking of red ridding hood when Alidoro appears.

And yes, as you two grow closer and he gains more humanity, he really relishes the closeness reading brings the two of you. Sitting together reading often ends up being wrapped up in blankets, sleeping (resting in his case). And he loves how you never seem to stop analyzing the books you read. Sometimes when he’s bored or needs to get through some chore, he likes having you around to fill the silence.

Loves to rest his head in your lap, around your chest and listen to you read. It’s not just your voice, but the vibrations he feels as he listens. It just makes him feel nice inside. If you fall asleep, he likes to pretend he also fell asleep, just to hold onto the moment longer.

Most of the relationship is you giving him books to read, but every once in a while, he’ll surprise you with a recommendation. It’s not always something he read, but something he thinks you might like.

And yes, any book he finds outside comes straight to you.

Imagine teaching him to write down his thoughts and make his own story! That thought really hits him when he denies his father and the fight happens. It’s the first time he chose his own path.

You can always tell what mood he’s in by what he’s been reading.

The day that made you cry though was several weeks after Geppetto’s death. P was strangely quiet about his father’s secret and subsequent death, and though you pressed him to communicate something to him, you also knew he needed his space. So you took to seeing what he had been reading. But there was only one book, The Little Match Girl. He had been reading the story over and over again, seemingly lost in the young protagonist’s visions. You cried hard that day. How must he feel after being betrayed, insulted, and rejected by his father as both Carlo and Pinocchio?

You hugged him hard that day, and told him that he is not doomed by a fairytale narrative.

You knew you had your Pinocchio back when you hugged your back and you could feel just a few drops of tears on your neck.

[ce-archerhelke]

(via The Sealey Challenge: Gazing Down On It)

[starlightrosa]

I loved your Spa day with Lucifer,what if you did a follow-up,giving Alastor a hooficure where they learn Al's hooves are hyper ticklish?~

A King's Revenge

A follow up to this fic!

Summary: Lucifer decides to get a bit of payback on Alastor, since the bellhop so rudely tickled his wings previously. And Lucifer learns what really makes the Radio Demon smile.

Word Count: 2.5k

A/N: Ahh, thank you! I love Spa Days in Hell too! But YESSS, Radio Demon boutta get destroyed by cheeky old Lucifer. Ohh, I love it, nonnie! Anything to wreck evil Bambi >:D

Warnings: Alastor doesn't have feet, he have hooves. So uh... hoof tickles, for sure. Lucifer being teasy, the odd swear word or two. (The hoof tickles themselves are obviously all SFW)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pentagram sun rose quite happily in the crimson sky once more, signalling the start of a new day in Hell. The patrons all had their things to do today. Angel Dust was out on another shoot for Valentino. Husk was polishing glasses on his bar, while not-so-subtly nursing a bottle of whiskey alongside that task. A bit riskier of a play, but hey, Husk was a gambler for a reason. Niffty was busy swatting at flies. Charlie and Vaggie were poring over management plans, in a marketing bid. And Alastor was Satan-knows-where.

Lucifer came down the steps, yawning as he stretched out his wings. Lucifer was still getting used to showing his wings around these patrons. The last time he had done so, well.. it ended with his mischievous daughter and her bellhop tickling each wing until Lucifer was a babbling mess, in an effort to groom his wings.

Lucifer shivered a bit at the mere memory of that. He chuckled, having been refreshed after a night’s sleep with his newly preened wings. He supposed Charlie would have found out just how ticklish his wings were anyway, but the fact that Alastor had found out alongside her was a bit more jarring.

But Lucifer wasn’t one to be put down so easily. He had noticed Alastor’s unique self-care routine, or lack thereof. Alastor didn’t smell per se, but there was a hint of unwelcomed musk about him. Like a mix of dirt and cooked human flesh. Made sense, given Alastor did make a fair few visits to Cannibal Colony, where his dear friend Rosie lived. His breath, however… phew, that was a whole other can of worms.

Lucifer sat reading his latest novel, the golden title of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ embossed on the book as he pondered this in his head. Alastor didn’t really bother to take care of himself hygiene-wise, but he made sure his suit was immaculately pressed and washed. What kind of sense did that make?

And then there was a knock on the door, jolting the king out of his thoughts. “Come in!” he called, setting his book aside as he awaited his visitor.

To his delight, his daughter Charlie walked on in. “Hey Dad!” she greeted. Lucifer smiled.

“Ahh, there’s my little apple! How has the marketing been going, Char-Char?” Lucifer chirped, oddly chipper as his wings rose up, fluttering softly.

“Yeah, it’s been going well. I see your wings look a lot better.” she chuckled, a hint of a teasing tone in her voice. Lucifer chuckled and crossed his legs for a moment.

“Indeed they are. Right after you and the bellhop had your ways with me, like the cheeky things you are.” Lucifer growled playfully, pulling Charlie into his arms and using his wings to softly brush up against her sides. “But you should know not to mess with the Tickle Monster, Char-Char.” he added, smirking evilly.

“Pfffthahaha! Dahahahad, nohohohoho!” Charlie giggled, squirming in his arms. Lucifer chuckled and ruffled his feathers a little more against his daughter’s sides.

“Tickle tickle, little apple~” Lucifer cooed softly, enjoying the giggle fit he was happily pulling out of Charlie. No matter what age she was, she was his little girl. His pride and joy.

“DAHAHAHAD PLEHEHEHEASE!” Charlie shrieked, her eyes bright with mirth. The sight warmed Lucifer’s heart as he chuckled and let her stand back up, allowing Charlie to adjust her suit again to keep it nice and unruffled. Seems the bellhop’s mannerisms were starting to rub off on her for a little.

“Charlie, can I ask you something?” Lucifer asked, seeing his daughter adjust her suit. Charlie nodded once she had gotten her suit all back in order.

“Sure, Dad. What’s on your mind?” asked the princess.

“It concerns your business partner, Alastor. I am a little concerned about his hygiene. I mean, you’ll forgive me for saying so, but he does not smell very pleasant some days. Is there any way we could rectify that, little apple?” Lucifer asked, putting on a rather convincing show, as if he was truly concerned.

Charlie hummed, one hand resting delicately upon her cheek as she pondered. “Well, I’ve tried talking to him about it. But he just doesn’t seem to go for it. Vaggie and I are kind of at our wits end with him in regards to that.”

“Perhaps a spa day may benefit him.” Lucifer offered, trying to keep his tone neutral, offering his wings up as proof. The six wings of the fallen seraphim glimmered softly. Charlie gasped and nodded, a familiar shine in her eyes that warmed Lucifer’s heart.

“Oh yes! Dad, you’re a genius! I’ll go ask him!” Charlie said, making to run off, but Lucifer caught her arm.

“Ah, ah. Little apple, I know your enthusiasm knows no bounds. Leave this to me, hmm? Why don’t you and your girlfriend have the day off, and I will present the idea to him. I mean, he can’t exactly refuse his king, now can he?” Lucifer chuckled.

Charlie giggled. “I’m sure Alastor won’t have a problem with this. Call me if things get bad, okay?”

“Of course, little apple. You go spend time with your beloved.” Lucifer urged, making playful shoo motions to Charlie. Once the princess had disappeared, Lucifer’s soft smile changed into a cheeky grin as he set off to go find Alastor. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Alastor was relaxing on the balcony, sipping his black coffee from his mug, adequately titled as “Oh Deer.” Befitting for a deer demon. Lucifer walked out onto the balcony. “Afternoon, bellhop.”

Alastor’s ears flattened slightly, as his eyes narrowed. “Hello.” he hissed back, his tone bordering on the edge of fake politeness. The mere mention of Lucifer’s name brought a sense of ire around Alastor. Seeing him just made that ire worse.

Lucifer tutted, leaning playfully on the railing of the balcony. “Now, now. No need to look so defensive. Charlie tells me you’ve been working rather hard, and she wants to make sure you relax.” Lucifer quickly made up. The lie came easily. Lucifer knew Alastor would be more inclined to believe him if the king composed a lie that involved Charlie in some way.

Alastor raised a brow. He didn’t recall any time that Charlie said that, but Lucifer was still leagues above him in terms of power. Lucifer was the KING, for Christ’s sake. He held his microphone close to his chest. “She said that? Truly?”

“Indeed so. Not only that, but you seem quite overworked. I mean, you are on your feet constantly from what I have seen here during my visit. Surely you should want to put your feet up once in a while.” Lucifer continued on. He was selling a convincing act. He just hoped Alastor fell for it.

“My feet are up right now.” Alastor said, taking a long sip of coffee to prove his point, the ‘Oh Deer’ logo prominent.

Lucifer sighed and kept his smile. “Don’t make me make it an order from your king, bellhop. Do we have an agreement that you’ll come take the day to relax?”

Now it was Alastor’s turn to sigh, looking away as his ears flattened yet again before they pinned back up, his eternal smile etched stubbornly onto his face.

“If Charlie wishes me to, then I suppose I’ve no choice.” the deer demon sighed, getting to his feet. Lucifer had a hard time keeping his smile from turning wicked. He had Alastor right where he wanted him. Thankfully Charlie had told Lucifer about the new hotel’s building plan, so he knew there was a spa on the east wing at the first floor. And it was there that he led Alastor.

“Have you ever had a spa day, bellhop?” Lucifer asked. Alastor scoffed.

“I’d rather you said my name. I am not some measly bellhop.”

“Al, right?” Lucifer asked. He didn’t want to give Alastor the satisfaction of following his request entirely. That could make Alastor think that the literal king of Hell was easy to be manipulated. He wasn’t going to fall for that shit.

“Close enough.” Alastor murmured, as the two stepped into the spa. Lucifer led Alastor to one of the massage chairs.

“So, Al. You’re on your feet all fucking day, and I’ve seen that. I don’t know how your feet haven’t fallen off yet. But I have expertise in massages, I did it all the time for my wife. May I?” Lucifer asked, keeping polite as he gestured to Alastor’s shoes. The fact that Alastor seemingly hadn’t caught on was pretty shocking. Maybe the so-called Radio Demon finally had his guard down enough.

Alastor sighed, his ears flattening. But he knew he could not refuse the king of Hell. Not if he wanted to survive. So he reluctantly tugged off his dress shoes. When they fell away, Lucifer looked down, but to Lucifer’s slight surprise, Alastor didn’t have human feet. From his shins downward, he had dark deer legs, ending with a pair of red hooves.

No matter. Lucifer had some revenge to get. He gently settled Alastor’s feet in his lap and smiled at Alastor, doing his best to make it a friendly smile, though he knew Alastor was going to be on guard anyway. So Lucifer softly pressed his fingers to Alastor’s hooves. But he was not expecting a choked back noise to issue from Alastor’s throat.

“Al? You, uh… you okay?” Lucifer asked. Alastor nodded frantically, his eternal smile wobbling the slightest amount. It was physically impossible for Alastor to not be smiling, but his smile somehow seemed a lot more amused.

“S-Stohop!” Alastor said, though the chuckle in his voice was exactly what Lucifer wanted to hear. He repressed a wicked laugh and simply steeled himself, acting like he hadn’t noticed. Two of his wings softly snuck under Alastor’s knees and tickled there briefly, enjoying the deer demon fighting the tickly feelings silently.

“You’re dohohoing thahahat on purpose!” Alastor hissed, his legs twitching as he fought not to kick out to dispel some of the ticklish tingles running around his legs. His ears flattened to his head, and Lucifer chuckled despite himself.

“Doing what? I’m doing nothing, Al. I just want to ensure my daughter’s business partner has some well deserved rest once in a while.” Lucifer lied, even as he took advantage again of Alastor’s little weakness, and softly flexed his nails against the pads of Alastor’s hooves. Alastor couldn’t hold it back and a sharp squeal of microphone feedback left his throat. Lucifer covered his ears, before he looked down at Alastor incredulously. Then his lips turned up, and Lucifer burst into hysterics.

“Oh my GOHOHOHOD! Al, what the hells was thahahat?!” Lucifer cackled. Alastor grumbled, his voice crackling slightly.

“Yohohohou are insuhuhufferable.” Alastor grumbled, sitting up to glare daggers at Lucifer. But the king of Hell only grinned.

“Excuse you, I’m following your example!” Lucifer shot back. “Aren’t you the one who always says that you’re never fully dressed without a smile? Can’t have my daughter’s business partner underdressed! No, sir!”

“I swehehear to- NAHAHAHAHA!” Alastor screeched, his back arching. He fell back, squirming like a worm on a fishing hook as Lucifer was scribbling up and down one of the pads with one hand, but using his right hand to make gentle circles on the other. The differing sensations on both of his hooves was driving Alastor nuts.

And then Lucifer simply added his wings to the mix, making sure to pay attention to the back of Alastor’s knees once again, enjoying the soft cackling and microphone screeching that made up Alastor’s laughter.

“NOHOHOHO!” Alastor yelled, trying to tug his legs out of Lucifer’s hold. But the king wouldn’t let go.

“Ah, ah. Where do you think you’re going, Al?” Lucifer chastised, tugging the hooves back into his lap. He wouldn’t stop until he was done with revenge.

“Awahahahay frohohom yohohou!” Alastor shot back. “Stohohop doing it!”

“Doing what, Al? Oh, don’t tell me that you can’t say the word.” Lucifer chuckled.

“I-I CAHAHAHAN!” Alastor argued.

“Then do it.” Lucifer said, egging the deer demon on, smirking at Alastor.

To his credit, Alastor truly did try. “T-T-Tick… tick-”

“No, that’s not the word. Tick is the sound a clock makes, Al.” Lucifer interrupted. “I believe it is pronounced like this. Tickle. And I shall use it in a sentence for you. Tickle tickle tickle tickle!” Lucifer demonstrated, all six wings being put to use. Three wings on each of Alastor’s ticklish little hooves as Lucifer softly brought his nails behind Alastor’s ears and tickled there too.

“AIEEEEHEHEHEE! NOHOHO, NOHO!” Alastor cried out, more sharp squeals of microphone feedback being pulled out of him. His hoof pads and his ears? Oh, that was just cruel. Alastor couldn’t even move, he was that ticklish. And Lucifer loved every moment of this.

“It’s a wonder how Charlie hasn’t found out yet. Normally she’s quick to know about tickle spots. And your ticklish hoovsies are an absolute giggle goldmine!” Lucifer declared, enjoying the pink hue at Alastor’s cheeks. “Oh-ho, is that a blush I see?”

Alastor’s blush brightened at Lucifer’s words as he hid his face.

“Ohh, don’t be getting all shy on me, Al. Let me see that smile~” Lucifer grinned, softly taking Alastor’s hands away from his face. Alastor’s snarkiness was drying up fast, and tears sparkled in his eyes. Lucifer decided that maybe he should stop soon. So for the last little bit of his revenge, Lucifer went all out. His claws flexed upon Alastor’s hooves and tickled every last bit of his ticklish little hoof pads. Some of Lucifer’s wing feathers had fallen out, so he picked up the fallen feathers and brushed them over Alastor’s knees in a pattern.

Alastor’s laughter went silent for a moment. And then the loudest squeal of microphone feedback left him yet again as a long wheeze left Alastor before the deer demon simply went limp, and Lucifer took that as his cue to stop.

Lucifer softly took Alastor’s ticklish legs out of his lap and gently settled Alastor’s shoes back on, even going as far as to tie the laces for him.

“That was… cruel.” Alastor gasped out, the deer demon rubbing his eyes to dispel the tears of mirth that sparkled within them.

“You didn’t even try and stop me, bellhop.” Lucifer laughed. Alastor grumbled and sat up, his hooves tingling with ticklish energy. Though he wouldn’t lie, being tickled kind of reminded him of simpler times with his beloved mother, back when Alastor was just a young boy.

As Alastor headed to the door of the spa, he turned back to Lucifer, smiling ominously. “I hope you don’t think you’re going to get away with that. You will regret this deeply, Your Majesty~” Alastor said, his eyes sparkling with revenge as he left the spa.

Lucifer chuckled nervously as he stayed there in the spa, waiting thirty seconds before he hurried to his suite and locked the door.

Was he probably going to get tickled at some point by Alastor? Yes.

Would Lucifer do this again if given the opportunity? In a goddamned heartbeat.

The End!