In the Tickle Jungle, deep within the thick blackness of the dark, a young man named Ben Tennyson was being held captive.
Ben was laying on his back with his ankles, wrists and waist tied to the ground by feather roots. His shirt was removed, leaving him naked from the waist up. His shoes were removed as well
A bonfire was set to provide light, light to reveal his captor.
His captor was a Tickle Monster. Not just any Tickle Monster, it was Risa, empress of the Tickle Jungle.
And she was doing to Ben what every Tickle Monster does best; tickling.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! RISA, STOP!" Ben laughed as Risa tickled his exposed stomach with her soft, fluffy fingertips and using her two tails to tickle his feet.
"I can't stop, Ben. I'm helping you become happy." Risa mused as she glided her fingers all over Ben's upper body. "And you know I'm good at making you happy." She smiled and batted her eyelashes at him.
"NO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You're just-hahahahaha! Trying to flirt with me again! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Risa smiled. "Oh, Ben. I would never do that..." Risa lightly dragged her fingertip along Ben's stomach, making heart and swirl shapes. She giggled seeing Ben's skin quiver.
The Tickle Monster was obviously flirting with Ben. She was deeply infatuated with Ben. His pure, ticklish laughter and kind heart always made Risa's heart all aflutter.
"Yes, you would!" Ben wriggled around, trying to escape. "Now let me go!"
"If you keep resisting like that, I'm going to have to be a little more...underhanded." Risa emphasized this by softly tickling Ben's armpits.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHO, RISA! NOT THERE!" Ben screamed. "HAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I CAN'T TAKE IT! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Will you promise to be good?" Risa inquired with a teasing smile.
Ben heavily nodded his head. "YES! YES, I WILL! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Say you'll be a good boy and I'll stop." Risa sang, not stopping.
"OKAY! OKAY! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'LL BE A GOOD BOY! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Good." Risa stopped and Ben took a well needed break.
"You're evil..." Ben panted, weak from ticklish exhaustion.
"I'm not evil. Just playful." Risa smiled and came close "And I could just play with you all night." Risa whispered into Ben's ear. She gave it a little nibble, making Ben smile and squirm a bit.
Risa then rubbed her cheek against Ben's chest like a cat, purring affectionately.
Ben giggled. It not only tickled, but the boy also felt a sense of Risa's playfulness.
"Just admit it, Ben. I make you so happy." Risa nuzzled against his cheek. "You love playing my little tickle games with me." She graced his cheek with a kiss.
Ben's face turned red as a fire engine. Despite his hatred of tickles, in a way he did enjoy it. But he won't admit it. "N-No, I don't! And don't like being your tickle toy!"
Seeing Ben too stubborn to enjoy himself, Risa decided to use her secret weapon.
"Oh, Ben. You need to relax..." The pink furred monster came close to Ben's face. She looked deeply into the boy's green eyes and began singing, using her hypnotic voice.
As she sang, Ben felt his mind go hazy as he gazed into Risa's icy blue eyes. Despite being a monster, she was very beautiful. He couldn't help but gush over her beauty while being mesmerized. His mind blurred and worries gone, big grin spread across his face.
"Tell me, Ben. Do I make you happy?" Risa asked Ben, gently holding his cheek in her hand.
"Oh, yes you do." Ben answered. The hypnosis made him more relaxed and truthful. "I love it when you make me laugh."
"Even though I'm a hideous monster?" Risa cooed, looking concerned about his response.
"You're not hideous at all. You're beautiful." Ben swooned. "Absolutely beautiful..."
Happy with his response, Risa leaned in closer. "Maybe we can seal that with a kiss?"
Excitement taking over, Ben puckered his lips for the kiss. Risa touched her lips with Ben's and they enjoyed a passionate kiss.
They pulled apart, Risa smiled seeing Ben's lovestruck face, his body felt like it was turned to jelly.
Risa snapped her fingers and freed Ben from her spell.
Ben shook his head, blinking twice. Seeing Risa's knowing smile, the hero felt embarrassed. "No fair using hypnosis..."
"But it did help you relax, didn't it?"
"Just promise you won't tell anyone about this!" Ben pleaded.
"That depends. What's in it for me?" Risa asked.
Ben groaned. He knew it would come to this, Risa having leverage over him. "I'll do anything."
"Anything?" Risa put her arms around Ben, he became more flustered. "Then you'll agree to be my personal playmate?"
"Playmate?!"
"Yes, if I'm ever feeling bored, sad or alone, you'll allow me to summon you here and play with you to my heart's content. You'll let me tickle you, cuddle with you, and kiss you..." She kissed his cheek again.
Ben's heart raced, felt really hot and steamy now, but he still had his integrity. "I-I-I don't know-"
"Please?" Risa ran a finger up and down the hollow of his armpit. Ben shivered from her feathery touch. "I promise I'll treat you well."
"Okay! Okay! I will!" Ben responded right away before Risa tickled him any more.
"Yay!" Risa was happy Ben agreed, but she noticed Ben looking sad. "Why so blue, Ben?"
"Why?! I just sold myself to a Tickle Monster! That's why!"
"Ben! You didn't sell yourself! We just made a deal, that's why! You love being in the Tickle Realm and being tickled for fun! I can sense it when you enjoy yourself laughing and having fun! Especially with me around..." she said, running her tail under Ben's chin. Risa giggled. "Oh, Ben! You're blushing!"
Ben frowned looked away, his face full of blush. "I'm not blushing..."
"Ah, ah, ah. No frowny faces allowed in my jungle." Risa wiggled her fingers. "Do I have to tickle your armpits?"
"NO! No! Anything but that!" Ben backed away but with minimal results.
"Oh, but saying that wants me want to tickle them even more!" Risa wiggled her fingers closer to Ben's weak spot.
"No, please! You can do anything to me! Just don't tickle my armpits!" Ben said fearfully.
Risa's fingers stopped wiggling. "Anything?"
"Anything!"
"Hmmm...then how about we call it a night?"
A long silence.
Ben blinked. "Huh?"
Risa snapped her fingers and the vines released Ben. "It's getting late. Let's get to the mansion and rest up." She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.
In a second, a little bird flew from above and perched itself on Risa's extended finger. It was a small owl that was cotton candy blue with a white belly.
"Aw! Who's this little cutie?" Ben cooed, stroking the bird's head. The small bird leaped into Ben's palm and nuzzled against his thumb.
"This is Hoobert, a Tickle owl." Risa said. "These owls are very reliable animals to me in the forest. He will fly us to the castle."
"This little guy?!" Ben blurted. "He's so tiny! He's sitting in the palm of my hand!"
Risa giggled. "Just watch." She gave Hoobert a nod and the little bird flew off of Ben's hand and began to grow! In mere seconds, Hoobert was big enough to ride on!
"WHOA!" Ben jumped and stumbled into Risa.
"See? Tickle owls are very reliable." Risa and Ben got on Hoobert's back and flew into the night sky. Ben was in awe as he looked at the beautiful stars above and the fireflies twinkling below.
"It's so beautiful!" Ben said.
"Of course. The beauty of nature is everywhere. You just have to take the time to look." said Risa.
After a magical flight over the forest, Ben and Risa landed on the balcony of Tickle Castle. They walked inside a lavish, feathery bedroom.
As Ben set his bare foot on the feather carpet, he began to feel sleepy already. He flopped down on the bed.
"Jocu and the others decided to give you your own room to the castle." Risa said. "The bed you're laying on is a tickle bed just like Fuzzles."
"Mmmm..." Ben hummed blissfully as the magic, fluffy blanket rubbed his tense arms and legs. "I noticed." He turned to Risa and smiled. "Thanks for bringing me here. I was having a rotten day and I needed a good laugh."
"That's what a tickle monster is here for." Risa stroked Ben's hair as the boy enjoyed his massage.
"I'll always here to cheer you up, Ben." Risa said softly. "But promise me you'll always be there for me. I've been alone for so long...and I don't want to be alone again. I just want a friend I can play with every now and then. A friend with a big heart and loves to laugh, someone like you..." She looked at Ben with hopeful eyes.
Ben's eyes were closed, he was asleep.
Risa sadly dipped her head, until Ben's hand touched her cheek.
Ben smiled as he opened an eye. "I promise."
Risa's eyes watered, she couldn't be more happier. She curled up beside Ben and the two friends fell asleep together.