#Vulpes voice: (Sigh) ...Give me the tea..

[the-melting-world]

The Umbra pt.2

Vulpes Animus ~ In which a humble gardener goes on hiatus...

~ 860 words

Catch up on the Vulpes Animus Series

art by @ pxkibu

Kip walked into her private suit in the top floor of the conservatory refreshed, but restless. 

Why couldn’t it have been Asra she just came back from sharing a bath with? No matter how much she closed her eyes and tried to imagine her experience with who she actually wanted to be with, it wasn’t happening. 

To the Consul’s disappointment, Kip had not invited him back to her quarters. She didn’t even let him give her a kiss goodnight, which she knew was a little cruel, but honestly, she didn’t care. Valerius shouldn’t have brought up Asra. He knew better than that.

“I’ll make it up to him later,” Kip grumbled as she sat down on the edge of her bed to braid her hair before lying down. Taro came into her lap and began to make inquiring kroo-kroo noises, tilting her purple head this way and that.

“I’m fine, girl,” Kip lied. “I just want to go to sleep.”

And Kip tried to do just that. But she was up all night. Tossing, turning, groaning. Thinking about Asra. Wishing he was there to hold her and help her be still.

But that wasn’t going to happen.

Somewhere between dawn and true morning, Kipling fell asleep.

***

“Kipling? Kip? I’m really sorry, but you’ve got to wake up.”

Kipling opened her eyes slowly. Her head still felt heavy with sleep. She wanted to close her eyes again.

“No, no,” said the voice again. “Stay with me. Up you go.”

Kipling groaned as she was brought into an upright position. Finally, her eyes were beginning to register the familiar bright blue eyes and bouncy auburn curls.

“Nnnn. Portia?”

“Kip, you look terrible.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and offered up a rolled up cloth. Kip took it and sighed in happiness to find that it was damp and very hot. She unrolled it and buried her face inside the rough heat.

“I think I slept through all my alarms. Again.”

Portia was quiet for a moment. “Kip? The Countess wants to see you.”

Kipling swallowed. “Oh. Okay. Just let me get dressed.”

Portia waited for Kipling outside while she washed up. Taro rode on her shoulder on the way to the Countess’ tea parlor. While they were passing through the gardens, Kipling made sure to avoid looking in the direction of where she knew the foxhole lay. The same foxhole that the Magician had lured her into the day before Asra left.

Taro did what Taro was always prone to do whenever the two of them passed through this area. She tried to leap out of Kipling’s arms. No doubt to scurry into that magical pit. 

“Hey, Kip?” Portia looked over at her. “Is everything okay with Taro?”

Kip pretended to smile as she wrestled the squirming lemur under her arm. “Yep. Everything’s fine. She just gets a little antsy around this time of day.”

It was probably the worst lie Kipling ever told, but Portia didn’t press the matter. Soon the two of them were standing before the Countess. Both Nadia and Portia had sympathetic smiles on their faces before the conversation even started. Still, Kipling felt uneasy. 

She knew exactly why she was here. Ever since Asra left, Kip had struggled managing her new position as the palace gardener. She was always behind on ordering shipments of the necessary plant arrangements. The upkeep of the different arrangements throughout the Palace were suffering. So were the plants in the garden. It wasn’t the case that Kip’s magic wasn’t working. She just… couldn’t find the energy to really invest in getting things right. Whenever she tapped into her green magic to use it for something work related, her mind was always somewhere else. She couldn’t focus all the way.

“Kipling? Did you hear what I said?”

Kip shook her head, mentally scolding herself for zoning out again.

“I’m sorry. What was that, Nadia?”

Nadia and Portia exchanged glances, in between which Kip realized that neither of them had touched their tea.

Nadia took a breath before saying, “You’ve done so much for me already, but I think it would be in your best interest if you took a break from your duties at the Palace. Just for a little while.”

Kipling felt her heart sink. Nadia couldn’t have been any more tactful, but her message was clear: You are still hung up on Asra leaving and it’s affecting your performance.

Kipling didn’t blame Nadia for coming to this decision. She had been internalizing her own disappointment in herself this entire time. If anything, she should be grateful that Nadia was letting her off the hook. But as Kip plastered a smile to her face and thanked the Countess for being so understanding, she couldn’t help feeling like she let not just her, but the entire Palace staff down. 

Kip was tired of letting people down. She was tired of wishing Asra had stayed or at least let him go with her. 

She was tired of feeling like no matter what she did, she wouldn’t be good enough for any of the people or things that truly mattered to her.

#the arcana #vulpes animus #asra alnazar #asra #kipling the apprentice #kipling bronne #my writing #nadia satrinava #nadia #portia devorak #portia

[ya-boi-hawkeye]

Tea and Kisses

A birthday present for @theload featuring her OC; the one, the only, the more than slightly impressive Landilizandra. As well as Kitt, and the Tots, Canis and Vulpes. I hope I did her justice.

The sound of pattering little feet was not entirely uncommon upon the dreadnaught ship that acted as central command for the Armada. Especially considering the fact that the ship was crewed by over a thousand people, retrofitted from a military ship to incorporate living quarters.

Nor was it uncommon for Landilizandra to hear the pattering of little feet approaching her.

The sound of plastic scraping across the floor of the ship was on the unusual side, and though she felt herself growing curious, the dragon didn’t react. It wasn’t that she was ignoring the siblings, she wouldn’t do that unless she was genuinely upset, but her non-reaction was part of the game. Instead Landilizandra continued to feign sleep, going as far as to let out a deep exhale as she eavesdropped.

“Canis I wanna sit on the left.” Vulpes complained, her voice pitched low and in a whisper that, for a four-year-old was not very quiet at all. “That’s my seat.”

He let out a little huff, foot stomping on the floor. “You got to sit on the left last time.”

“Shh!” Kitt hissed a whisper at them. “You’ll wake her up early! Help me set the table!”

Ah, the voice of reason.

Landilizandra curled her tail around her body, the tip flicking, and it was perhaps for the best that Kitt and the Tots weren’t paying the most attention to her or they’d realize that she was already awake. Awake and very amused as they tried to do something—arrange a plastic tea table most likely—quietly. They weren’t very good at it, but then, they were also very young. And she supposed, whatever it was that she wasn’t supposed to see, was intended as a surprise and it would ruin said surprise if she didn’t let them finish.

Her nose twitched in interest when she smelled—ooh, that was Kes Dameron’s blend of chai tea. Delicious and flavorful if drank black, and even better when mixed with milk or cream. At this point it seemed pretty apparent that the children were trying to set up a tea party. But they also seemed dedicated to making sure it was a surprise. She would have to make sure that she seemed appropriately surprised when they ‘woke’ her up then.

“Is that everything?” Vulpes asked, somewhat impatiently. “Can we wake her up yet?”

“Everything is ready.” Kitt answered. “Let’s wake her up!”

Landilizandra continued feigning sleep when Canis approached, clearing his throat and speaking quietly. “Miss Lizandra?”

“That’s not going to wake her up!” Vulpes sighed, ever the outgoing one. “She’s sleeping! Like the princess in the story Tío Poe told us. She can only be woken by a kiss.”

There was a murmur of deliberation, followed by agreement and Landilizandra resisted the urge to laugh when she felt them crowding in closer. Her favorite part of the game was the way they decided to wake her up; sometimes they would cajole, or try to bribe her with food, or apparently to wake her like a princess. Kitt and the Tots were rather cute, and very sweet, so she would be happy to humor them.

“Miss Lizandra! Time to wake up! We have a surprise for you!” Kitt giggled, pressing a kiss to the side of her nose.

Landilizandra let out a sigh, cracking open one eye briefly. “One kiss may be enough to wake up a meagre princess, but goddesses, especially dragon goddesses, need lots.”

The children whispered louder at that, giggling more. “We can give lots of kisses!”

Landilizandra let out a chuckle when she felt the siblings press a series of smooches to her face, brows pulling together at the slightly tacky sensation left behind.

“Gotta wake up Miss Lizandra! We gotsa surprise for you!” Canis said excitedly. “You’ll like it but you gotta wake up!”

She let out a long suffering sigh, opening her eyes fully to peer at him. “I suppose, I have received enough kisses to wake me up. What is this surprise?”

“Well,” They stepped back and shared giddy smiles.

“I got tea from abuelo Kes,” Vulpes began.

“And I asked mommy and pop and they helped make cupcakes for us, and little nerf-bites for you,” Canis added.

Kitt stepped forward then, pulling a plastic crown, crusted in fake jewels from behind her back. “And we were wondering if you’d like to be the guest of honor at our tea party!”

She looked at the crown, a child’s toy that would barely fit over the horn on her nose, and at the earnest looks on their faces. They were sweet, these little ones, so sweet she could almost taste it, and she admittedly adored them. So much that she didn’t mind the colorful lipstick prints on her face, and dotting her scales. And, that they made the effort to set all of this up—attempting to be stealthy—was rather adorable.

“A crown befitting one such as I,” She chuckled, lifting her head as, in a shift of muscle and bone, she shrunk herself down to a size that would more easily fit onto the yellow spotted chair.

A size that would more easily be able to wear the crown. She lowered her head to allow Kitt to put the crown on her head, before sitting down in the chair. The kids arranged themselves around her, Canis resolutely taking the seat on her left, and Vulpes taking the one on a right with a slight pout as Kitt sat across from her. Landilizandra watched as the seven year old busied herself with setting out the cupcakes, and pouring the tea.

“I would like to call this meeting to order.” The child decided, once everyone had been properly served. “We are here to discuss the proper pillow ratios between the Tots. Princess Lizandra will be the final deciding factor.”

“I am ready,” She sipped the tea, holding it pristinely in her claws, “to hear your arguments.”

#happy birthday u square #kitt and the tots makes everything great #landi is a beautiful princess #even with many lipstick prints #LOADed with Sin #theload

[the-melting-world]

The Gardener pt.5

Vulpes Animus ~ In which a humble gardener visits the snack bar ...

~ 1.2k words

Catch up on the Gardener Saga

Asra offered his arm before he and Kipling set off for the tea room. The gardener was rendered a little speechless by his fresh attire. Unlike the plain white garments he had on before, these fabrics were vibrant and revealed much more of his chest and arms.

Kipling slipped her arm into his. A tingling warmth spread throughout her body as he tucked it between his bicep and rib cage. 

Asra said, “The garments that the Countess selected suit you well.”

Kipling blushed at the compliment, but he wasn’t finished. 

“However, I would have to say that your hair,” he found the silver lock again and traced its path through her crown braid, “is what really completes the ensemble.”

Asra tugged Kipling along before she had a chance to reply. But she didn’t mind. She leaned into his side and exhaled quietly when his arm quickly looped around her back and hugged her waist.

“Pardon me,” he whispered as they nearly approached the tea room, “I couldn’t help myself.”

Kipling giggled and reminded him, “We have to avoid giving the courtiers something to gossip about.”

They walked up to the door and the attendants bowed before admitting them inside.

Out of the corner of his mouth, Asra said, “I can already tell that’s going to be difficult.”

The two of them entered a circular, airy hall with a high, vaulted ceiling. Pale, white light filtered inside and reflected off of the marble walls and sky blue furniture. A white grand piano occupied the far wall. Its bench was the only Vesuvian-style furniture in the room. The rest of the space was styled like the palaces in Praka with thick, dense cushions and pathways of floral carpets. 

The courtiers lounged about the hall, none of them paying Asra and Kipling any mind. They were all too engrossed in their board games, tea, gossip, and smoking tobacco from communal glass bowls. 

It wasn’t long before Kipling spotted Consul Valerius, the only noble in the room who was already looking at her and Asra before Nadia called attention to their arrival. The consul stared at them unblinkingly over the rim of his wine glass, the ghost of a sneer playing on his lips.

Kipling rolled her eyes and focused on Nadia, who energetically rose to her feet and floated across the room to greet them. She kissed both of them on the cheek and spoke in an undertone.

“Finally! You most certainly took your time. I hope it was worth it.”

Kipling vigorously nodded her head. Asra did the same. 

Nadia’s gaze turned sly as she observed the way Asra has his arm hanging loosely about Kipling’s waist. And then Kipling’s nerves betrayed her and made her glance back to the other side of the room at Valerius. His focus hadn’t wavered and it was clear that he too was absorbing the placement of Asra’s arm.

Kipling narrowed her eyes at him.

Why would he even care?

“Asra, Kipling, come. Save me from General Rumel’s drivel on invasion tactics during the Gilded Crusades.”

Nadia came between them, looped her arms through theirs, and swept both of them towards the central cluster of cushions. Kipling took her seat around a low-rising table. Nadia introduced her and Asra to the nobles seated there. It took Kipling by surprise when she was referred to as the royal gardener’s apprentice. She wasn’t sure whether to interpret this gesture as a promotion or if Nadia was merely saying it to save the nobles from the discomfort of breaking bread with someone with no accolades to speak of. 

The tea served was strong and distracted Kipling from the rumbling of her stomach, but she couldn’t help glancing at the long table on the other side of the room covered with trays of cheeses, fruits, and delicate sandwiches.

Asra turned away from Nadia and the nobles and rested a hand on her wrist. “Kipling, are you hungry?”

She tried not to let it show. “I mean, I can wait until Nadia’s ready.”

He secured her hand in his and helped her to her feet. “Pardon me. Countess?” He flashed a charming smile. “Kipling and I will be back. We’re going to the snack table.”

Nadia gave a knowing grin and waved them off. “No need to come back. I’m perfectly content with Belarus and Rumel.”

Kipling mimicked Asra’s slight bow of gratitude before they made their way to the food. As if it knew that she was out of earshot of the nobles, her stomach growled in anticipation.

Mortified, Kipling placed her hand over her abdomen. “Asra, I’m so sorry you have to listen to this.”

He chuckled and gave her arm an encouraging squeeze. “Please, don’t apologize. I’m sorry that you had to wait this long to eat.”

The two of them reached the table and sorted through the food that Kipling wanted to take with them. Once they had filled a couple of plates, she followed Asra to an isolated cluster of cushions. It was located in a spot where they could see most of the hall without standing out too conspicuously.

Kipling’s heart fluttered at the thought of spending this time alone with Asra.

Once they got comfortable, another unpleasant bubbling erupted from her stomach. Kipling shut her eyes and concentrated on calming it down. She refused to be the first one to stuff her mouth in front of Asra and all of these nobles.

“Kipling.”

She opened her eyes to see Asra’s hand pushing a triangle-shaped sandwich in her direction.

“Open your mouth.” He fed her the sandwich, and she had to fight to keep her eyes from rolling back. For a moment, Kipling’s mind blanked and without a second thought, she took another bite. This time her lips caught onto his fingertips.

Remembering where she was, she pulled back and covered your mouth. “Sorry.”

Asra watched her with hooded eyes while she chewed. He popped the rest of the sandwich into his own mouth and said, “There’s nothing to be sorry for. How is it?”

Kipling savored the thin slices of cucumber, tomato, and the vinegar-based sauce. 

She smiled and sighed. “It’s just what I needed.”

Asra lifted the plate. “Would you like another?”

That was when Kipling noticed some leftover dressing clinging to the corner of his mouth. She grabbed one of the napkins nearby and leaned towards him.

“Hold on. You’ve got some . . .” she trailed off, concentrating on dabbing the corner of his lips. His eyes grew wide, but he went perfectly still. The direction of his gaze made her realize that the outfit Nadia had selected revealed much more than what she was used to. 

For some reason Kipling couldn’t yet explain, she didn’t mind when Asra’s gaze wandered past her neckline.

“Ahem.”

She and Asra both turned towards the new voice.

“You artisan types have so much trouble avoiding messes, don’t you?”

Casting a shadow over them and casually swishing the wine in his glass was the arrogantly handsome Consul Valerius.

#kipling the apprentice #vulpes animus #asra #the arcana fanfic #my writing #kipling #the arcana #the arcana fanfiction #asra fanfic #kipling bronne #asra x kipling #asra alnazar