Day 22: Ticklish Kiss
Tickletober 2023 - Critical Role - C2 - The Mighty Nein - Shadowidomauk - lee!Essek (implied)
A/N: inspired by this art. also inspired by ‘imagine two wizards.’ shadowidomauk dynamic reminds me of me trying to sleep / read / study vs my cats speeding around the house like demons at 3am
Caleb is fully engrossed in his text when Essek tears into the room in a rather un-Essek-like fashion.
Like a cat, Caleb bristles with a startle at the interruption as his bedroom door slams open and a purple body flings itself into the bed with him. He’d much sooner expect this brash behavior from his other purple partner.
As though on cue, Molly saunters into the doorway behind him, unhurried and unbothered. He gives the two a once over and smirks. “Well, well — I am quite famished you see, and I think two wizards will do nicely instead of one.”
Caleb’s eyes flick between them, settling on the frazzled elf scrambling to get behind him on his bed. “…What did you drag me into, Essek?”
“He—” Essek swallows. “He kissed me, but— it, it was…”
Molly snorts out a laugh in delight. “Oh, dear, that was your first raspberry, hmm?” He cocks his head with mock pity. “That’s a shame. We’ll have to make up for lost time.”
When Essek looks back at Caleb, his face has shifted, Essek realizes; it has taken on a complexion far more red than usual, and his eyes have a little twinkle of compassionate understanding. “Oh.” He takes Essek’s hand and draws him closer, shelving his book on the table for the time being. He presses a kiss to the back of Essek’s palm and, noticing the pulse racing away anxiously, gives him a sympathetic smile. “He lives up to the devilish blood, truly.” Casting a rueful glance at Mollymauk, Caleb sighs. “I know that look in his eye. There’s no getting out of this, I’m afraid.”
It takes Essek a surprising amount of effort to suppress the whine that builds in his throat when Caleb’s words settle in. But— after a moment, a defiant streak flashes in his eyes, his fingers twitch with arcane potential.
Mollymauk chortles out a little laugh. “Now, now. None of those magic tricks. That’s not going to help.” Molly tsk’s at him. “Unless,” He looks to Caleb, “you’d rather I go and get Jester to help me...”
Caleb’s eyebrows shoot up. “No.” His head shakes as he waves Molly into the room.
Essek turns to face him, betrayed. Caleb nods to him with a knowing look and a shrug. “Trust me. This is the better option.”
Mollymauk steps in with a grin and kicks the door shut behind him. “That’s more like it.”
A short while later, Jester is drawn anyway, like a moth to a flame, by the sound of their laughter.