Greetings, folks! I got bored and decided to write a story. It's entirely improvisational, all written on-the-go in the space of approximately 15-20 minutes. It is based in a fictional town known as Lymborough, with an undisclosed location (though you can pretend it's England, as I too am from there). In Lymborough is a university which focuses around tickling, and its official name is the Lymborough University of Tickling.
This is the first instalment of my fictional story, and any other instalments will depend primarily on the feedback this one gets. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and feelings on the matter, and whether you think it's worth expanding into more instalments!
The Lymborough University of Tickling
Over recent years tickling has garnered widespread attention. It has become a topic of interest to many, eventually becoming subcategory in areas of psychology and sociology within schools. From this it became a phenomenon, eventually branching away from its exclusivity to psychology. This lead to it becoming its own unique subject in school, and fast forward a couple decades, it would have an actual university built around the premise; the Lymborough University of Tickling. This establishment is predominately funded for its research into tickling, with many fields of interests for prospective students to study. For instance, researches in the field of psychiatry delved into the prospect of tickling as a means of a treatment for various mental conditions such as anxiety and depression. Whilst not a sole cure, as few things can act as a sole cure for such complex and often misunderstood conditions, it made promising strides. It showed significant progress in its ability to make such conditions more copeable in patients who underwent experimental tickling treatments. These tests gave way to the modernised field of study, an opportunity for students to become qualified as a Tickling Psychiatrist, which requires a 3-year course in the subject Psychiatry and Tickling. This particular field of interest gained the attention of Rosamund Garcia, who will be beginning her extensive campus tour the following morning at 0900.
As for any student with the prospect of university on the horizon, Rosamund is feeling heightened anxiety. Often she feels her heart may rise to the surface through her throat from beating so hard. Adding to this ceaseless anxiety is the still socially confusing concept of fetishism for tickling. Whilst the recent spread of tickling as a subject has made the concept all the more socially acceptable, fetishism still remains in the shadows as a mysterious, questionable and apparently demonic concept. Unfortunately for Rosamund, and the entirety of the rest of her prospect class, this is an added stress she will have to cope with. It's comparable to the phenomenon known as ASMR, or Autonomic Sensory Meridian Response, which rose to fame on YouTube as a method of relaxation, often helping those with the response falling asleep. Surrounding this phenomenon was tremendous controversy, with it being demonised by society as a peculiar and unusual trait. Such is the reality of life, tickling currently witnesses the same fate.
Rosamund packs her supplies into a bag, triple checking everything entering it. The campus tour encompasses only the areas which focus around Psychiatry and Tickling. The facilities are extensive, and as tickling is often a hands-on experience - pun slightly intended - the courses are often 50/50 with regard to theory vs. practical. After about 20 minutes of procrastination, surpassing the time she was meant to be sleeping, she finally begins controlling her breathing and preparing for bed. She switches the light off, calms her anxiety with a video, and falls to sleep to awaken the following morning.
The alarm signs at 0730 and Rosamund's awakening is far from calm. She metaphorically launches out of bed, sitting straight up and grabbing her shirt. "Oh my god" she breathily exclaims, "Today is the day. I'm going to university" which many prospective university students are no doubt also saying in synchronisation across the country. "Let's check my bag again" and she does, unzipping the backpack and searching through her supplies. Her bus departs at 0810, and is fortunately only a 5 minute walk away. Content with the supplies, she lets out a sigh of both nervousness and excitement, "This is it" she says, "Lymborough University here I come!"
Her mother, Isabella, is sitting downstairs reading the newspaper and eating her usual grapefruit waiting to wish her daughter luck. "Hi mum!" she says with the same combination of nervousness and excitement, "Hi Rose! Ready for your first day at college?" she says with encouragement, "Yes mum. I'm so nervous that I may return home in the form of a puddle of sweat, but I'm ready" she jokes. The two laugh, as light heartedness is often the way through. "That's my girl. Go and enjoy your first day, it's only a tour. You won't have to do anything this early" she reassures. Rosamund nods, and the two exchange a warm hug, before Rosamund exits the house to her bus stop. Arriving with time to spare at 0805, she walks to the stop to find an equally shivery student-resembling man. "You here for Lymborough too?" he opens up a conversation with a little hesitation, "Yeah... You feeling the anxiety too?" she asks, and the two chuckle, already establishing a mutual feeling. "I'm Joseph, Or Joe, whichever you prefer." he says, reaching out to shake her hand, "Rosamund, or Rose, Hi Joe" she says with a smile. The two smile warmly, undoubtedly feeling a vibe but both far too nervous to admit.
The bus pulls up, interrupting their small talk, and in the distance is a scurrying man with his backpack hanging for dear life with only one strap around his shoulder. "Hold up!" he yells, as Rosamund and Joseph enter the bus. Just barely on time, the rushing man enters the bus as it sets off on its path to Lymborough. Panting, he collapses onto the nearest free seat. Rosamund and Joseph decide to sit at the back and chat to calm their nerves. "Are you from Lymborough too?" Joseph asks, "Yes" Rosamund replies, "I never expected this place to be the first to have a university around tickling. It never struck me as the area to fund it", "Me neither! Statistically Ustershire has the highest statistics of tickling, both in terms of school subjects and employment" they exchange continual small talk to one another as the bus continues its bumpy journey to their eventual academic future. It makes a few stops along the way, allowing for several equally nervous looking students to board.
The bus arrives, "Last stop kids!" the driver shouts, "Enjoy your tour!". The students make their way out onto the sidewalk. A few footsteps away is an enormous gate, beautifully gold and shiny, with a feather statue at the top. The tourguide, who is also a renowned Tickling Psychiatrist, opens the gates and greets everyone. "Welcome, welcome, to the Lymborough University of Tickling! You're going to absolutely love this establishment. I'm very happy you've decided to come along with us, and I hope we can show with this tour that you have made the correct decision!" she enthusiastically says with a wide smile. "If you'd like to follow me this way, I'll begin the tour by showing you reception and security" she says, signalling for everyone to follow her. The professional attire is rather fitting, as the guide is dressed smartly in a shirt, skirt, heels and a blazer with a golden feather stitching on it, along with her name beneath it, Georgia Fernandos.
The students are showed the usual reception and security areas, nothing too interesting, but a mandatory part of the tour. "Should you have any troubles, security will always be happy to assist you. Reception is generally not necessary to visit as you will all be issued student cards which will grant automatic access to the university, that area is more for externals and for job interviews and such like. Now, the boring stuff is over! Let's head over this way to your practical examination area" she excitedly says, as everyone follows eagerly. Rosamund bites her lip with both positive and negative anticipation, peaking through the window to see a variety of instruments such as an X-shaped upright table with straps, and a chair with straps at the armrests. Georgia opens the door to reveal the room, "Here is your practical room! As you are very aware, tickling often invokes powerful reactions, so these pieces of kit are highly necessary!" she jokes. "You there" she points to Rosamund, "What is your name?", "Oh... Uh. Well. My name is Rose" she stutters, "Hi Rose! No need to be nervous. Would you like to come over here for a second?", "Um... Sure" Rose stumbles over curiously, gulping her nerves as she turns to face the crowd of students. Joseph sticks his thumb up and reassures Rose, "Now, Rose. Why do you want to be studying the fascinating area of Psychiatry and Tickling?" Georgia asks, "Well... I... I've always had an interest in psychology. And tickling. So I am in a... A time where I can actually combine the two in academics." she explains, "Very good" says Georgia, "And are you ticklish?", "Um... Yes, I am", "That's very good! Although not a necessity for you, per se, it's often beneficial to be ticklish yourself to further understand the benefits. It's simply an unfortunate predicament if someone isn't ticklish, as they can't reap the benefits of such an amazing treatment." Georgia passionately explains. "Now, Georgia, would you like to take a seat here for me?", "Here?" Rose worriedly replies, "Yes, darling, here. Don't fret! It's nothing horrible" Georgia laughs, patting the seat. Rosamund understandably wonders about it, as the chair is the same she saw through the window, with the straps. She sits in it, and Georgia gently takes Rosamund's wrists and places them onto the armrests, before strapping her wrists down. "This, my prospective class, is one of the many tools you will be utilising to study the effects of tickling. Simple, yet effective" she explains, looking down at Rosamund, dressed in a cropped jumper and jean shorts. Georgia reaches down with only one arm and, with her long fingernail, presses it delicately into Rosamund's unfortunately exposed side and glides it up from her hip bone to her ribcage. She tries to squirm away, finding herself unable to due to the straps, and lets out a loud and frantic giggle. "As you can see, class, it's a rather effective and fun way to observe tickling!" she says, gliding the fingernail back down Rosamund's side. "Now, I must emphasise that we are hot on ethics here. There is absolutely no abusing allowed - discomfort is not something we encourage, let alone abuse of any equipment here. That is why at all times we have what is known as a safeword - useful in professional situations as discomfort will only exaggerate the conditions you are trying to treat." she explains, whilst gliding her fingernail up and down on squirming Rosamund. After letting out a little sweat from the squirming, Rosamund is able to breathe as Georgia stops the tickling and unstraps Rosamund. "Thank you, Rosamund." Georgia says.
------------------- TO BE CONTINUED -------------------
This is the first instalment of my fictional story, and any other instalments will depend primarily on the feedback this one gets. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and feelings on the matter, and whether you think it's worth expanding into more instalments!
The Lymborough University of Tickling
Over recent years tickling has garnered widespread attention. It has become a topic of interest to many, eventually becoming subcategory in areas of psychology and sociology within schools. From this it became a phenomenon, eventually branching away from its exclusivity to psychology. This lead to it becoming its own unique subject in school, and fast forward a couple decades, it would have an actual university built around the premise; the Lymborough University of Tickling. This establishment is predominately funded for its research into tickling, with many fields of interests for prospective students to study. For instance, researches in the field of psychiatry delved into the prospect of tickling as a means of a treatment for various mental conditions such as anxiety and depression. Whilst not a sole cure, as few things can act as a sole cure for such complex and often misunderstood conditions, it made promising strides. It showed significant progress in its ability to make such conditions more copeable in patients who underwent experimental tickling treatments. These tests gave way to the modernised field of study, an opportunity for students to become qualified as a Tickling Psychiatrist, which requires a 3-year course in the subject Psychiatry and Tickling. This particular field of interest gained the attention of Rosamund Garcia, who will be beginning her extensive campus tour the following morning at 0900.
As for any student with the prospect of university on the horizon, Rosamund is feeling heightened anxiety. Often she feels her heart may rise to the surface through her throat from beating so hard. Adding to this ceaseless anxiety is the still socially confusing concept of fetishism for tickling. Whilst the recent spread of tickling as a subject has made the concept all the more socially acceptable, fetishism still remains in the shadows as a mysterious, questionable and apparently demonic concept. Unfortunately for Rosamund, and the entirety of the rest of her prospect class, this is an added stress she will have to cope with. It's comparable to the phenomenon known as ASMR, or Autonomic Sensory Meridian Response, which rose to fame on YouTube as a method of relaxation, often helping those with the response falling asleep. Surrounding this phenomenon was tremendous controversy, with it being demonised by society as a peculiar and unusual trait. Such is the reality of life, tickling currently witnesses the same fate.
Rosamund packs her supplies into a bag, triple checking everything entering it. The campus tour encompasses only the areas which focus around Psychiatry and Tickling. The facilities are extensive, and as tickling is often a hands-on experience - pun slightly intended - the courses are often 50/50 with regard to theory vs. practical. After about 20 minutes of procrastination, surpassing the time she was meant to be sleeping, she finally begins controlling her breathing and preparing for bed. She switches the light off, calms her anxiety with a video, and falls to sleep to awaken the following morning.
The alarm signs at 0730 and Rosamund's awakening is far from calm. She metaphorically launches out of bed, sitting straight up and grabbing her shirt. "Oh my god" she breathily exclaims, "Today is the day. I'm going to university" which many prospective university students are no doubt also saying in synchronisation across the country. "Let's check my bag again" and she does, unzipping the backpack and searching through her supplies. Her bus departs at 0810, and is fortunately only a 5 minute walk away. Content with the supplies, she lets out a sigh of both nervousness and excitement, "This is it" she says, "Lymborough University here I come!"
Her mother, Isabella, is sitting downstairs reading the newspaper and eating her usual grapefruit waiting to wish her daughter luck. "Hi mum!" she says with the same combination of nervousness and excitement, "Hi Rose! Ready for your first day at college?" she says with encouragement, "Yes mum. I'm so nervous that I may return home in the form of a puddle of sweat, but I'm ready" she jokes. The two laugh, as light heartedness is often the way through. "That's my girl. Go and enjoy your first day, it's only a tour. You won't have to do anything this early" she reassures. Rosamund nods, and the two exchange a warm hug, before Rosamund exits the house to her bus stop. Arriving with time to spare at 0805, she walks to the stop to find an equally shivery student-resembling man. "You here for Lymborough too?" he opens up a conversation with a little hesitation, "Yeah... You feeling the anxiety too?" she asks, and the two chuckle, already establishing a mutual feeling. "I'm Joseph, Or Joe, whichever you prefer." he says, reaching out to shake her hand, "Rosamund, or Rose, Hi Joe" she says with a smile. The two smile warmly, undoubtedly feeling a vibe but both far too nervous to admit.
The bus pulls up, interrupting their small talk, and in the distance is a scurrying man with his backpack hanging for dear life with only one strap around his shoulder. "Hold up!" he yells, as Rosamund and Joseph enter the bus. Just barely on time, the rushing man enters the bus as it sets off on its path to Lymborough. Panting, he collapses onto the nearest free seat. Rosamund and Joseph decide to sit at the back and chat to calm their nerves. "Are you from Lymborough too?" Joseph asks, "Yes" Rosamund replies, "I never expected this place to be the first to have a university around tickling. It never struck me as the area to fund it", "Me neither! Statistically Ustershire has the highest statistics of tickling, both in terms of school subjects and employment" they exchange continual small talk to one another as the bus continues its bumpy journey to their eventual academic future. It makes a few stops along the way, allowing for several equally nervous looking students to board.
The bus arrives, "Last stop kids!" the driver shouts, "Enjoy your tour!". The students make their way out onto the sidewalk. A few footsteps away is an enormous gate, beautifully gold and shiny, with a feather statue at the top. The tourguide, who is also a renowned Tickling Psychiatrist, opens the gates and greets everyone. "Welcome, welcome, to the Lymborough University of Tickling! You're going to absolutely love this establishment. I'm very happy you've decided to come along with us, and I hope we can show with this tour that you have made the correct decision!" she enthusiastically says with a wide smile. "If you'd like to follow me this way, I'll begin the tour by showing you reception and security" she says, signalling for everyone to follow her. The professional attire is rather fitting, as the guide is dressed smartly in a shirt, skirt, heels and a blazer with a golden feather stitching on it, along with her name beneath it, Georgia Fernandos.
The students are showed the usual reception and security areas, nothing too interesting, but a mandatory part of the tour. "Should you have any troubles, security will always be happy to assist you. Reception is generally not necessary to visit as you will all be issued student cards which will grant automatic access to the university, that area is more for externals and for job interviews and such like. Now, the boring stuff is over! Let's head over this way to your practical examination area" she excitedly says, as everyone follows eagerly. Rosamund bites her lip with both positive and negative anticipation, peaking through the window to see a variety of instruments such as an X-shaped upright table with straps, and a chair with straps at the armrests. Georgia opens the door to reveal the room, "Here is your practical room! As you are very aware, tickling often invokes powerful reactions, so these pieces of kit are highly necessary!" she jokes. "You there" she points to Rosamund, "What is your name?", "Oh... Uh. Well. My name is Rose" she stutters, "Hi Rose! No need to be nervous. Would you like to come over here for a second?", "Um... Sure" Rose stumbles over curiously, gulping her nerves as she turns to face the crowd of students. Joseph sticks his thumb up and reassures Rose, "Now, Rose. Why do you want to be studying the fascinating area of Psychiatry and Tickling?" Georgia asks, "Well... I... I've always had an interest in psychology. And tickling. So I am in a... A time where I can actually combine the two in academics." she explains, "Very good" says Georgia, "And are you ticklish?", "Um... Yes, I am", "That's very good! Although not a necessity for you, per se, it's often beneficial to be ticklish yourself to further understand the benefits. It's simply an unfortunate predicament if someone isn't ticklish, as they can't reap the benefits of such an amazing treatment." Georgia passionately explains. "Now, Georgia, would you like to take a seat here for me?", "Here?" Rose worriedly replies, "Yes, darling, here. Don't fret! It's nothing horrible" Georgia laughs, patting the seat. Rosamund understandably wonders about it, as the chair is the same she saw through the window, with the straps. She sits in it, and Georgia gently takes Rosamund's wrists and places them onto the armrests, before strapping her wrists down. "This, my prospective class, is one of the many tools you will be utilising to study the effects of tickling. Simple, yet effective" she explains, looking down at Rosamund, dressed in a cropped jumper and jean shorts. Georgia reaches down with only one arm and, with her long fingernail, presses it delicately into Rosamund's unfortunately exposed side and glides it up from her hip bone to her ribcage. She tries to squirm away, finding herself unable to due to the straps, and lets out a loud and frantic giggle. "As you can see, class, it's a rather effective and fun way to observe tickling!" she says, gliding the fingernail back down Rosamund's side. "Now, I must emphasise that we are hot on ethics here. There is absolutely no abusing allowed - discomfort is not something we encourage, let alone abuse of any equipment here. That is why at all times we have what is known as a safeword - useful in professional situations as discomfort will only exaggerate the conditions you are trying to treat." she explains, whilst gliding her fingernail up and down on squirming Rosamund. After letting out a little sweat from the squirming, Rosamund is able to breathe as Georgia stops the tickling and unstraps Rosamund. "Thank you, Rosamund." Georgia says.
------------------- TO BE CONTINUED -------------------