#kipling the apprentice | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

the-melting-world · 2 years

Text

Move Me 🍋

@the-midsummer-masquerade | Thank you for hosting and managing this event 💕

You can read all of the fics to Don't Stop Til You Get Enough | Midsummer Masquerade here

Day 4 prompts: voyeurism, suspension, magic

Kipling x Andrico

Andrico belongs to @ilyamatic

Music: “Move Me” by Wet

~ 1.2k words

Andrico was doing his very best to limp without making it seem like he was limping.

In fact, if anyone asked him about it, he’d say that he was strutting, thank you.

Drico refused to take off his rose gold boots even though they weren’t making things any easier. Perhaps if he could find somewhere to rest without so many damn people around, he could collect his bearings and come back to the exhibits.

Drico found himself stiffly shuffling down an empty breezeway that was sandwiched between the palace conservatory and one of the reception halls. The further he walked, the more the walls on both sides became shrouded in a blanket of green until it was not clear which sort of room he was entering.

Well, wherever he was now was private. The walls closed in around him and several panels drowned out the silence with indoor waterfalls.

Andrico sighed as he took a seat on a stone bench and wrenched off his boot, swearing that he would never play around in a room that dark again no matter how tempted he was by the individuals he had seen going inside.

How did I even let Jasna and Marie-Carmel talk me into–

Oh yeah. They cornered him at the same time. That was how.

Andrico zipped his boot back once he had rolled his ankle a few times and confirmed that he was going to be fine. Probably.

He stood up from the bench, took a moment to admire the alternating walls of greenery, stone and water before looking around for the exit.

That’s when he noticed a deep cut in the wall of stone. Like some kind of shelf. He craned his neck, not expecting to see much, but slowing down once he realized that there was glass at the far end of the depression.

On the other side of that glass were two masqueraders having a lot more fun than Andrico was at the moment.

He… lingered.

As he worked his cock with his right hand and braced the stone wall with the other, he wondered if the masqueraders on the other side knew of this secret spyglass.

Whether they did or not, they finished up before he did and abandoned their spot. Andrico was left still hard, restless, and as grumpy as ever.

His mood was about to take a turn for the worst when he heard footsteps entering the secret terrarium.

Andrico sheepishly tucked his cock back (not that it mattered when his entire costume was sheer teal) and apologized for trespassing on what he assumed was a private space.

“It’s fine,” the masquerader said with a smile. She gestured at Andrico’s waist. “Do you need some help?”

It was then that Andrico felt himself blush. Not so much because he had been caught helping himself on someone else’s turf, but because he suddenly recognized whom he was speaking to.

The woman on the other side of the spyglass from before. He was certain.

Before he could answer her first question, the masquerader — Kipling, he learned later on — was bending down and tilting her head in concern.

“You’re hurt.”

Andrico glanced at how he was favoring his foot and shrugged.

“Just a small sprain.”

He hoped.

“Small or not,” she stood up straight and offered her hand toward the vines dangling from above, “I can have the room take care of that.”

Andrico looked around at the enchanted space with renewed interest.

“Really?”

Kipling let the vines spiral around her wrist and torso. “It’s a recovery space as well as a pleasure hall. It’s nice when you need to spend some time off your feet. The only condition is that you have to take off everything. The room will do the rest.”

Andrico liked what he was hearing so far. But more than that, he was simply grateful that those annoying series of events brought him here with Kipling.

“In that case, may I help you undress?”

Kip dismissed the vines with a slight nod. Andrico took their place, sliding his fingers under the delicate straps of floral lingerie and freeing it from her body with relative ease.

“Are you always this polite?” Kip murmured as she drifted close, possibly daring Andrico to tear away the rest of the lingerie.

Then the man remembered how he saw her through the spyglass — with her eyes shut tight and her smile radiant whenever her partner yanked handfuls of her hair. There was also that delightful laugh she would let loose given the right amount of manhandling.

Before Andrico knew it, he was ripping the pretty thong piece off and finding Kipling’s lips in a shallow, heated kiss.

Kip kissed him back evenly, exploring his pierced cock with one hand and the nape of his neck with the other.

His gold boots dropped onto the mossy carpet. Then everything else.

Kip groaned at the new warmth, her turquoise-studded nipples tightening at any sort of contact with Drico’s hands or chest.

When Kip’s hand drifted up past Drico’s nape and into his roots, he caught her fingers between his like an angry bramble bush. Though the look in his eyes was anything but.

Kip met his serious brown gaze with her own.

“Can I let down your hair?”

She held his gaze and her breath as he regarded her one last time. Andrico noted the rendering of freckles across her nose and cheeks that was so similar to his own. Kipling kissed him then. Perhaps to snap him out of this trance, perhaps to put him at ease, he didn’t know.

With that, his hand fell away, giving her the freedom to take down his hair. Her other hand went back to stroking his cock. Drico bit back a moan as his hair came down and the tension left his body.

Kip whispered something that sounded like relief, but it also could have been praise. She encouraged Drico to shake out his curls. The humidity in the hall brought out all of his uneven volume, but he didn’t care.

Even though he had only had the pleasure of feeling his cock in Kip’s hands, Drico wanted the pleasure of her body, her mouth—

“I don’t want to come yet.” He grunted something of that nature. He almost regretted the words as Kip disengaged and took a step back.

“I’m glad you said something.” She said it fast and under her breath, as if she were chastising herself for getting caught up in the moment.

Before Andrico could reach for her again, the gardener held up her hand and rested her fingertips against his slightly heaving chest. The pressure she applied was just enough to make him take a step back. Then another. And another until Drico rather gracefully stumbled into a swing made out of plants.

Oh right. The rejuvenating vines. He’d almost forgotten about that.

“Just relax.” Kip whispered, taking down the rest of her hair now. Her curls and coils reacted to the warm air much like Drico’s.

Kip walked backwards into another set of vines. Naked and comfortable, she arched her back into them, letting the enchanted plants hoist her up.

Andrico felt surprisingly secure in his swing net, though he suspected the perfume from the tiny blossoms had something to do with how relaxed he felt.

Kip looked more at home in the air. She showed off a few angles before swinging closer to Andrico. Then she called upon her plant magic in order to line them both up with another spyglass. The view of the palace pleasure rooms was better than Drico could ask for.

Kip sank into his lap, her fingers sliding back against his roots. She dragged one moan after another from Andrico. And he returned the favor again and again. Regretting nothing as he did so.

#midsummer masquerade #vesuviaafterdark #the arcana #kipling the apprentice #andrico the soft chaos boy #kipling x andrico #coco's writing #lemon

16 notes · View notes

mh-midnight-wanderer · 2 years

Text

Well I hope in G3 they don't clutter with new characters each TV special. I know you have underrated character that's your absolute favorite and wishes that character get more screen time but with MH cast is so big. You almost forgot who is who? You will see ..

New Ghoul @ School: We have The Main MH cast:

Frankie, Clawdeen, Draculaura, Lagoona, Cleo, Ghoulia and Deuce

So far so good

Frights On!: Was introducing Belfry Prep vampires and Crescent Moon High werewolves and Van Hellscream [No dolls]

Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love:

There's C.A Cupid and Valentine [as Comic Con exclusive]

Escape from Skull Shores: Promote Skull Shores line and new characters: Andy Beast, Kipling, Tikis and Farnum [No dolls of them]

Friday Night Frights:

Aside to promote Skultimate Roller Maze line. Is more like introduction Robecca Steam and Rochelle Goyle [No Rocco doll]

Ghouls Rule: Promote Ghouls Rule's line, And new characters are humans [no new dolls]

Scaris: City of Frights:

Catrine DeMew, Jinafire Long, Skelita Calaveras and Garrott du Roque

13 Wishes:

Introduction of Twyla and Catty Noir, Gigi Grant and Whisp [as Comic Con exclusive]

Frights, Camera, Action!:

Clawdia Wolf, Elissabat, Honey Swamp and Viperine Gorgon

Freaky Fusion:

Neighthan Rot, Avea Trotter, Sirena Von Boo, and Bonita Femur

Haunted:

Vandala Doubloons, River Styxx, Kiyomi Haunterly, and Porter "Paintergeist" Geiss

Boo York Boo York:

Astranova, Luna Mothews, Mouscedes King, and Elle Eedee

Great Scarrier Reef:

Posea Reef, Kala Mer'ri, Peri and Pearl Serpentine

And out mention introduction of exchange students line...

In my option 3 characters should be limited and think carefully which characters would fit in the story and they would appear more in the future? Aside just appear background as cameo...

in Scaris: They just stick with Jinafire, Catrine and Skelita. Sorry Garrott but the movie is about Clawdeen entering a contest to become Moanatella's "apprentice"... Besides Garrott isn't MH student and lives in Scaris. I bet you almost forgot that he and Rochelle still together...

In Frights Camera Action!: Can they just stick Clawdia, Elissabat and Honey Swamp. Sorry Viperine, maybe in Deuce's family reunion in Greece would be more appropriate to introduce her ( I can't believe that never once Deuce and Viperina got interacted together)

In Freaky Fusion: Stick with Neighthan and Sirena and replace Avea and Bonita with Deuce and Jackson/ Holt (MH writers just forgot that Deuce is half human/gorgon and Jackson is half human/monster/elemental)

In Haunted: Just stick with River, Porter and Kiyomi. Sorry Vandala but she seems out place in school setting. Perhaps in Shriekwrecked series would be perfect for Vandala

In Boo York: Just stick with Astranova, Luna and Mouscedes and replace Elle with Seth Ptomely.

[RAISE HANDS WHO WANTS SETH DOLL]

I have nothing to say in Scarrier Reef: I just wish Finn Wake would be part of movie because he's siren and Gil's "stingray" form is pretty cool

So in conclusion: Focus on develop existing characters and don't make more

49 notes · View notes

scotianostra · 2 years

Photo

13th September 1813 saw the birth of Danial MacMillan, who co-founded the MacMillan Publishing giants.

Born on the Isle of Arran to a crofting family., young Daniel was apprenticed to a bookseller in Irvine, Ayrshire, at the tender age of ten. Daniel moved to Glasgow where he taught in a school for several years, before joining a firm of booksellers in Glasgow and, in 1833 he moved to London, with little more than his canny Scottish instincts and a strong desire to succeed as a book publisher.

In January 1824, Daniel, with his brother’s help, secured a place for himself as an apprentice to Maxwell Dick, a bookseller and bookbinder in Irvine. His contract specified that Daniel would work for Mr. Dick for six years, though his time there continued slightly beyond. He flourished in the job and Maxwell Dick wrote that “the said Daniel has served me with diligence, honesty and sobriety and it is with the utmost confidence I can recommend him as possessing these qualities in a very high degree.”

Daniel had big ambitions, he travelled south and in 1933 travelled south, at first, the 20 year old Daniel worked in a bookstore, which was located near Cambridge University and which specialised in classical authors. Daniel soon gained a reputation amongst University students as a well read, reliable guide to recent publications.

MacMillan next spent a brief period with a London bookseller, where he was joined by his younger brother, Alexander.

In 1843, the MacMillans opened their own shop, D. & A. Macmillan, at 57 Aldersgate St., in London, and published their first two books, which hardly set the world on fire, their first few years were hard and they flirted with bankruptcy, but stuck to their task and slowly turned things around. Their first big breakthrough came from their friend a backer Charles Kingsley who penned Westward Ho! which was published in 1853. Another success was ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays’, by Thomas Hughes. Books such as these, laid the foundations for Macmillan’s strong fiction list.MacMillan’s went on to have some of the most well known authors of the 19th century on its books, Lewis Carroll, Charles Tennyson, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, Maynard Keynes to name but a few.Together with Maurice and Archdeacon Hare.

Daniel and Alexander became supporters of the reform movement known as ‘Christian Socialism’ and most of their early publications reflected the liberal sentiments of that group, such as its commitment to universal education and as a consequence, the firm became a leading publisher of textbooks and other educational material.Daniel had suffered ill health from a young age and passed away aged 43 in Cambridge, where he is buried at The Mill Road cemetery.

Their publishing talents were not confined to pure literature; the Macmillan familyÂ´s vision inspired the creation of enduring copyrights such as Nature, widely considered the worldâ€™s leading scientific journal, launched in 1869, PalgraveÂ´s Dictionary of Political Economy in 1899 and Nursing Times in 1905.Â Until recently the publishing company was owned by the Macmillan family, who continued to manage the company into the 1970s.One of the involved family members was Harold Macmillan, the British Prime Minister from 1956 to 1963 who rose through the Churchill and Eden governments via a succession of high offices, and culminated with his becoming Prime Minister, keeping one of the fullest and most entertaining political diaries of the twentieth century. Its prominence in trade publishing continues to this day, but it also has great strengths in the educational and scholarly fields. Macmillan Education and its associate companies and subsidiaries in Africa, Asia, He was chairman of the company from 1964 until his death in December 1986

The and survives, by name only, with no family connections, they are wholly owned subsidiary of Holtzbrinck Publishing Group with offices in 41 countries worldwide and operations in more than 30 others.

The pics with the logos are the original and modern day versions.

#Scotland #scottish #booksellers #publisher #history

22 notes · View notes

self-shipping-chaos · 2 years

Text

Hello! Welcome to the blog! You can call me Shark or Omen, I answer to either. A few things to note:

Please DNI if you are not 18+

There will be yandere content on this blog, if you don't like this then don't interact

I'm not gonna tolerate anon hate, I will simply block and move on and yes it is possible to block anons

I'll add info about my self inserts as I finish making them

My f/os are as follows, feel free to send in asks about them and my s/is

Cyrus (Pokemon)

Giovanni (Pokemon)

Archie (Pokemon)

Maxie (Pokemon)

Cynthia (Pokemon)

Cyllene (Pokemon)

Karl Heisenberg (Resident Evil)

Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)

Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius/Olivia Octavius (Raimi, Spiderverse, TSSM, the animated series, comics, PS4)

Bayonetta

Pretty much any Mark Sheppard character (Crowley (spn), Charles Walker (Medium), Cecil (X Files), Kipling (Doom Patrol), Arnon (Charmed), Badger (Firefly), Charles LeBlanc (Xtinction: Predator X)

Yoshikage Kira (JJBA)

Jotaro Kujo (JJBA)

Rohan Kishibe (JJBA)

Lucifer (Obey Me)

Mammon (Obey Me)

Leviathan (Obey Me)

Satan (Obey Me)

Asmodeus (Obey Me)

Beelzebub (Obey Me)

Belphegor (Obey Me)

Barbatos (Obey Me)

Diavolo (Obey Me)

Stephen Arden (Species)

Maxim Horvath (Sorcerer's Apprentice)

Comte de Reynaud (Chocolat)

Boris "The Butcher" Blavasky (Man Who Knew Too Little)

Denis Brabant (Scorpion Spring)

Armand Gamache (Three Pines)

Leland Drury (White Fang 2)

Hugh Weldon (Pete's Meteor)

Andrés Galan (Matador)

Ricardo Morales (Law and Order LA)

Chandler Manning (The Lodger)

Angel (Maverick)

Gabriel Duvall (Law and Order SVU, but rewritten with more consistency)

Ares (Wonder Woman 2009)

Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin (Batman)

Dr. Stephen Strange/Sinister Strange/Heartless Strange (MCU, What If...?, and comics)

Michael Myers (the original 1978 version)

Bubba Sawyer/Leatherface

Pyramid Head

Valak (the demon from The Conjuring 2 and The Nun)

Cardinal Copia/Papa Emeritus IV (Ghost)

Father Jim DeFroque (Ghost)

Mary Goore (Repugnant)

Father Gascoigne (Bloodborne)

Moon Presence (Bloodborne)

Amygdala (Bloodborne)

Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower (Bloodborne)

Bob Velseb (Spooky Month)

Granthem Du'Met/Hector Munday (Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me)

I'll add more as time goes on

#self ship #dark self ship #yandere self ship

7 notes · View notes

rantreader · 2 years

Text

I went through my house and collected most of the books that I have not read. There are more, but I wrote a list of the 100 books that I want to read relatively soon. If I start the challenge today, it can progress throughout this year and go into next year. By the end of 2023, I want to have read all these books.

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

A History of the English Language by Albert C. Baugh & Thomas Cable

The Power of One by Byrce Courtenay

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche

Criminology – A complete Introduction by Peter Joyce and Wendy Laverick

The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Tarzan of the Apes and the Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twainn

When Fashion Really Works by Marnie Fogg

Go the Distance – A Twisted Tale by Jen Calonita

The Museum of Things Left Behind by Seni Glaister

Trinity by Leon Uris

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Makers of Rome by Plutarch

A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin

Difficult Women by Helen Lewis

The Wreckage by Michael Robotham

The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius

Traitors by Frank Walker

A Fortunate Life by A.B. Facey

Traitor to the Blood by Barb & J.C. Hendee

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Great Expectation by Charles Dickens

Heddy & Me by Susan Varga

No Silver Spoon by Katie Flynn

The Dance of Death and Other Stories by Algernon Blackwood

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Carrie by Stephen King

My Royal Story – Marie Antoinette by Kathryn Lasky

Theories of Race and Ethnic Relations by John Rex and David Mason

The Little Book of Psychology by DK

The World’s Greatest Idea by John Farndon

Don Quixote by Cevantes

The Survival Handbook by DK

Yes Yes Yes – Australia’s Journey to Marriage Equality by Alex Greenwich and Shirleene Robinson

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

The Fire of Joy by Clive James

Monsoon by Di Morrissey

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Conquerers’ Road by Osmar White

The Art Book by DK

How to Garden by DK

How Science Works by DK

German for Everyone by DK

The History of the World by Alex Woolf

Cathy by Cathy Freeman

Song of Survival by Helen Colijn

Pet Semetary by Stephen King

The Crime Book by DK

The Bone Collection by Kathy Reichs

Basic Mandarin Chinese by Kubler & Wang

A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Woolstonecraft

Joyland by Stephen King

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Gulliver’s Travels by Johanthan Swift

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Japanese Myths and Tales by Epic Tales

Eleni by Nicholas Cage

Psychology of Human Behaviour for Nurses by Dennis

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

More Rules for Life by Kitty Flanagan

Watership Down by Richard Adams

The Little Book of Politics by DK

Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel

The Road by Cormack McCarthy

A Royal Duty by Paul Burrell

Jurassic Park by Michael Chrichton

Dracula by Bram Stoker

English Grammar Usage by McGraw Hill Education

Night at the Circus by Angela Carter

The Confidence Booster Workbook by Martin Perry

Ancient Egyptian Myths by Catherine Chambers

The Girl in the Picture by Denise Chong

Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life by Miles Kelly

The Prince in the Heather by Eric Linklater

Simple Astronomy by DK

How to Kiss a Crocodile by Max Walker

The Fitness Instructor’s Handbook by Mark Coulson

Mool-nya-moonya Dreaming by Julie Tuckey

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The Shortest History of England by James Hawe

Mental by Dr Steve Ellen and Catherine Deveny

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Work by Louisa May Alcott

Deranged Marriage by Sushi Das

Stranger the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Emma by Jane Austen

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

The Book of Dust by Phillip Pullman

321 Seriously Smart Things You Need to Know by Mathilda Masters

Wish me luck.

#booklr #book challenge #bookblr #reading challenge

4 notes · View notes

aukanemin · 3 years

Photo

My captain, we are there again Where have not been before The lights are on there ignite souls

A commission for the unimaginable, gentle and light @asras3rdeye, whose patience and support was endless, and it is difficult for whom to express sufficient gratitude. This experience was in its own way new and unusual - a lot of restless thoughts and flowing ideas, but I can only hope that this time and company were as pleasant and delightful as they were for me~~

Light, immersed in movement and harmony of chaos of nature and waves - I first met Kipling, and this acquaintance gave birth to something wonderful, delicate and endlessly inspiring. Hot and dark contrasts give way to the gentle foam of the sea and the turquoise of the waves - the feeling of light and depth, wind and sun, and all this is so amazingly alive, cold yet summer like, and it helped to wake up from endless fogs and dark days for a while.

#oc #apprentice #others ocs #arcana #the arcana game #art #dark fantasy #witch #art nouveau #kipling #kipling the apprentice

98 notes · View notes

into-the-daniverse · 3 years

Photo

Happy late birthday/early Valentine’s Day @asras3rdeye!!! I’ve been wanting to get something of our girls for a while and when @orozqiyo on Instagram opened up for some Valentine’s commissions I jumped 💖

I love these two so much and I love you!!! Thank you for being the amazing person you are 🥰🥰🥰

#the arcana #the arcana game #daniverse oc #commission art #apprentice alec #art of alec #kipling the apprentice #kipling bronne #kiplec #Alec x kipling #kipling x alec #look at them 😭

86 notes · View notes

darladog · 3 years

Photo

Finally finished it lol

Kipling from @asras3rdeye

#kipling is so fun to draw #i love their series so muchhhh #asras3rdeye #kipling #kipling bronne #asra #asra x oc #asra alzanar #kipling the apprentice #not my fan apprentice #arcana #the arcana #the arcana art #my art

88 notes · View notes

hirodraga · 3 years

Photo

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE STOP COCO @asras3rdeye FROM WRITING FEELINGS Im softt ZURKHI! This handsom rebel right here belongs to @atypicalacademic !!!!! Thank you so much for comish me Coco!!! Comish info^

#the arcana #the arcana fan mc #the arcana mc #the arcana oc #the arcana ship #kipling the apprentice #zurkhi #the arcana fan ship #oc ship #kiping x zurkhi #digital art #my art #not my oc #hnnhhrnhrnrhnhnh #wild roses #illustration #the arcana game

27 notes · View notes

dreams-of-the-arcana · 3 years

Text

Wildflowers

@asras3rdeye’s Kipling x Tikos the Pirate

It wasn’t often Tikos found himself away from his ship with nothing to do. On board there was always something to do, no matter how small the job. Out on land though, not so much.

Wandering aimlessly could only entertain him for so long. Luckily, excitement was about to hit.

His fingers danced along the ukulele’s strings as a lively tune filled the square he had stopped in. The air bustled with chatter from people going about their normal days and the ambient hum of port towns.

Suddenly, a familiar feeling creeped up into his mind and he couldn’t help but grin. A memory of excitement, the taste of alcohol, the feel of soft lips. A single brown eye roamed the crowd until it landed on a particular face.

She hadn’t noticed him yet, perfect.

Stashing the instrument, Tikos popped up to casually stroll over across the square. Luckily she was looking the other way as he crept up. He plucked a bouquet off a nearby stall when the vendor wasn’t paying attention. It was filled with vibrant colors. It was time to make his move.

Tikos slipped a hand over her eyes from behind then put his arm on her shoulder so when she could see it would be the flowers.

“Guess who, Bumblebee?”

It had been a little while since their first meeting at the little port bar but Tikos was always playing the optimist.

Kipling jumped at the sudden contact and started to grab at his hand but once he spoke and she felt the scarred hand over her eyes she relaxed slightly.

“... Tikos?” She was hesitant.

He lifted his hand off her eyes with the bouquet right in front of her face.

“Aye,” he pressed a small kiss to her cheek.

A smile lit up her face as she reached out for the flowers and pulled them close to take in the scent.

“Did you get these just for me?” She teased.

“Of course, Bee. I knew you wouldn’t be excited if it was just little ol’ me.”

They both laughed and Tikos pulled Kip closer to nuzzle her neck with a wide smile.

“What are you doing here?” She managed to get in between laughs.

Tikos shook his head though.

“First, I’m taking you somewhere special.”

Before she could argue, Tikos had her hand laced in his own as he led her through the town. They headed for the edge opposite the sea surprisingly. Before long the town was a fair distance away and the fields opened up before them. As the almost reached the crest of a hill Tikos stopped.

“Up you get, Bee. I want to see your reaction.” He pushed her by her lower back just slightly.

Kip shot him a confused look but stepped forward to the top.

Below them a field of wildflowers spread almost as far as they could see. Beautiful reds, yellows, oranges and every variation filled the area.

Kip gasped and her mouth fell open slightly at the sight. Tikos grinned from her side as he watched her take it in.

“Oh, T! It’s beautiful!”

They made their way into the field and found a soft place to sit. Once they were closer to the ground, little purple violets could be seen under the bigger warm colored flowers. Tikos reached out to pluck one and slipped it into one of Kip’s buns.

“Sweet violet, it suits you.”

Kip smiled brightly back at him.

“I thought you didn’t know anything about plants?” She asked.

Tikos shrugged trying to look casual as he gazed over the flowers.

“I picked up a book or two...” He trailed off.

Kip’s smile only grew as she realized he’d learned because of their conversation from that night about how much she loved plants. He could have never known they’d see each other again but he had learned just in case. It was a bit of a heartwarming thought to her.

Slowly she weaved the flowers around them together. The warmth of the sun mixed with the spring breeze created a perfect sleepy little paradise out in the field. Time seemed to move like warm honey.

Kip focused on her task as her fingers expertly wove through the stems. Finally, she looked up from the crown in triumph. Only to find Tikos stretched out on the grass, fast asleep.

She should wake him up, she really should, but as she looked at him she realized just how peaceful he looked.

Instead, Kip crawled over to lay down about a foot away for a better look. Golden eyes roamed over his suntanned face. Without the grins, the jokes, or the walls it was easy to appreciate the little details of his face. Freckles scattered across his nose like constellations and seemed so innocent next to the scarring that covered much of his body. Slowly she reached out to trace the large scar running down his left eye, partially covered by the patch.

“Mm, if you wanted some attention you could have said so.” Tikos chuckled, his voice even deeper with sleep.

Kip jerked her hand back with heat rising up to her face.

“I- uh- I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s alright, Bee.”

He lifted himself up to his elbow and set his head onto that hand. Kip wanted to look away in embarrassment but she couldn’t seem to draw her eyes away.

Carefully she reached over and placed the flower crown onto Tikos’ white curls.

“I made you this,” she almost whispered.

He reached out to grab her hand as she pulled back and placed a small kiss to the inside of her wrist.

“Thank you,” his brown eye caught hers.

It was as if a magnetic force started to pull and then their lips met. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Out in their own private oasis, all that mattered was the moment.

#the arcana #the arcana game #fan apprentice #arcana oc #other people’s oc #arcana fanfic #tikos the pirate #the arcana fanfic #kipling the apprentice

28 notes · View notes

atypicalacademic · 3 years

Text

Springtime

(A/N: These two were clamouring at both of us, just- fighting to run into each other’s arms- so here. Love Kipling, and thank you for her, Coco!)

Words: 1.9k

Zurkhi x Kipling Bronne from @asras3rdeye

Zurkhi feels a season’s shift.

Papers in hand, shawl-collar coat rippling in the wind, Zurkhi paced up and down the rows of begonias in the Palace Gardens. His voice was only partly muffled by the fountain’s gentle rippling and the staff’s distant chatter; enough of it carried over the soft spring breeze to make his impending address to the Court apparent to anyone who made it their business to linger nearby.

They never did, however. Though he hadn’t ever made a demand of it, those around him tended to steer clear of the Suasor when he was in one of his spells- letting him mutter and pace and gesture wildly to his heart’s content. He suspected it to be more for their benefit than for his own.

And so, when he turned around at the end of the walkway to make his quick way back down, the sight of her, only a step away from him, startled him enough that he jerked to a halt, boots dragging on the dirt and his papers nearly flying out of his grip.

“Oh,” She smiled, bright and warm, fidgeting with the braided lock of hair by her temple, her eyes widening just enough that Zurkhi could fully appreciate the shade of them- shining like raw honey in the spring sunshine. “I’m sorry,” She stepped out from behind a stack of potted begonias. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Zurkhi swept his bright red hair out of his eyes. Loose, bell-capped sleeves hung off her shoulders, her crop top cut over her midriff, her shorts over halfway down her muscled thighs, showing off enough of the gleaming brown of her skin that it took a moment, and then another, for him to realize that he was staring. Cursing himself internally, he prepared to apologize- but when his turquoise eyes met hers- the Suasor found neither reproach nor confusion- but a faint spark of something else in them.

Oh.

“Not at all,” he managed to say, collecting himself, and offering a smile of his own. “I prefer company to solitude. And,” he shrugged, tearing his eyes away from her to gesture to the pots around her. “I see you are at work.”

“Only dropping off some deliveries.” She said sweetly, picking up one of the pots, the flowers bobbing beneath her wide smile, beneath the glinting turquoise of her nose piercing. “Don’t mind me.”

She got closer to him, the cowrie shells at her neck and wrists singing with the bounce in her step, and, when she was close enough that she brushed against his chest, she got to her tiptoes to place the pot over the stone-ledge. Her thick, cascading curls, the half of which was not tied into twin-buns, swept over Zurkhi’s arms and the bare skin at his collar.

Don’t mind me, she said.

He flushed, all the way down from his scarred cheek to his chest.

It never happened with him, never happened for him, really- and he had made peace with it as he had made peace with the scars on his face, with the ways of his own history. But he found himself eager as he read it anyway, this spark of her eager interest, this playful coyness with which she dropped back to her feet to read him right back.

She dusted her palms, her eyes locked on his, and he held out his own. “Zurkhi.”

He sensed that she could hear the breathlessness in his voice. Sensed too, that it pleased her as much as it surprised her. “Kipling.”

“Kipling.” He echoed, letting his turquoise gaze trail over her face, lingering on her eyes, the faint flush on her cheeks, the curve of her lips. Her hands were calloused where his were scarred, palms warm where his were cold and grooved.

They were hands that built things, he thought, grew things- gentle, beautiful things like the bright begonias that splashed color at the corners of his vision. For a moment, he imagined her tending to them, these hands tilting a can of water, these gentle fingers stroking over tender leaves- her voice whispering to them, perhaps, soothing things, patient things, so that they would rise slowly from the earth and reach towards the light.

He wondered how they would feel against his lips, against his face, against the tattoo that ran down his scarred back. Wondered if they would feel as the spring rain does to the hungry earth.

All at once, he wanted to draw her by the hand to hold her in his arms, to rest his head against her shoulder, to breathe in the scent of cocoa butter and soft earth and springtime.

“Are you alright?” Her eyes softened. Zurkhi nodded, and smiled. “It is a delight to meet you.” He lingered for a moment, and let her go, their fingers lacing gently into each other’s even as they parted.

She took a step back, the backs of her calves brushing against the leaves. “I’d have thought you’d burn a hole in those plants,” she teased, “that’s how intently you were gazing at them.”

Zurkhi chuckled, tugging at the end of his ponytail. “I do get lost in my thoughts-” he confessed, “I could only rein them in when I have, or well,” he glanced at the flowers, “pretend to have a listener.”

Kipling raised an eyebrow, and walked past him to sit on one of the stone benches by the side of the walkway. A stray flower drifted to her lap, and she patted the space beside her. “I can listen to you. I’m rather good at it.”

“Could you?” He followed her, sitting down close enough, that when she sidled even closer, their legs brushed against each other’s- her bare warm skin against the cotton of his palazzo pants. “I could.” She cradled her chin in her palm. “Unless, of course, you’d rather go back to gazing at the plants.”

He savored the suggestion in her golden-brown eyes, the barely-teasing touch of her skin. Folding his papers to one hand, he let the other fall to her knee, and caught her eyes, their brilliant turquoise matching the jewels on her piercings, her breath catching at the intensity of his gaze. “I would much rather gaze at you.”

She beamed at him, her cheeks flushing darker as she leaned forward a little more. “Talk to me.”

Zurkhi took a moment to blink, distracted by her proximity.

And then, he did.

He ran through his address and then some, offering her his hope, his conviction, his beliefs, the parts he still had to parse through and string together, the parts he had considered and discarded, until the papers, and his voice, nearly ran themselves out.

Kipling listened to him, her eyes brightening with every lift in his voice as though it held her in some form of thrall, her bracelets brushing against his knee, her legs knocking against his- nodding where he paused, asking questions where they needed to be asked, redirecting him gently when he went on a tangent for too long, and bringing him back when his words flew from him as they so often did.

There was nothing life-changing about this address- Zurkhi knew that; only a few rather routine ideas- but she listened as though they held more meaning than he thought it did, with stars in her eyes and her palm to her cheek like she had hardly listened to anything so striking before.

And by the seven seas, it felt so good.

“And that,” Zurkhi sighed, finally, “was what I was thinking of- before you came along.”

He tucked his papers into his pockets, feeling the knots in his chest ease, his heart lifting and rushing at that sudden lightness. At her.

Kipling tilted her head, still curious- as though she had not heard quite enough. “And what were you thinking of, after I came along?” She was teasing, the lilt in her voice suggesting that she expected him to respond in jest.

He chose earnest, instead.

“Of you,” Zurkhi dropped his voice to a whisper, and took her hand again. “Of your hands.”

Kipling swallowed, and looked away to catch her breath. “What about my hands?”

“That they are hands touched with light.” He clasped them tighter. “That they are hands that could grow things- that they are hands that could hold the springtime and bring it home.”

Kipling bit her lip, lashes fluttering. But she did not miss the faint wistfulness in his voice. “Anyone can grow things, Zurkhi.”

He dropped her hands, opened his own palms in the space between them. Kipling reached out, tempted to trace over the deep lines of old scars on his brown skin. But then, she settled on placing a hand on his slender shoulder, instead, her throat tightening at the sight of them, so many of them, just as they were on his face, disappearing down his neck, running up his sleeves-

“I cannot.” He said quietly, cutting into her thoughts. “I have not. Flowers do not bloom by these hands.”

“Of course they do.” She argued, pressing his shoulder insistently. “Have you tried?”

“I have-” Zurkhi’s smile was a tired thing. “I have never had the occasion to.”

“Until now.”

He searched her face, took in the quiet, sweet stubbornness of her expression.

Until now.

He remembered the voice of an old, distant friend.

Seasons change, Zurkhi.

“Until now.” He admitted.

She got to her feet, and he rose with her. Kipling tucked a strand of his wild red hair behind his ear, lingering to graze his earrings with her fingertips as she drew back. “I have a shop, down at South End. You could ask anyone around for me. I can prove you wrong about that.”

“Will there be roses?” He murmured. “Will you show me how to grow roses?”

“All kinds of roses.”

“I do love wildroses.”

“I could bring you wildroses.” She stepped away, before he could reach for her. “Come over, after your address.”

He had nearly forgotten all about it.

She turned to go, but she did not. As Zurkhi laced up his boots, he noticed that she was pausing to fuss with the plants, straighten every pot, a subtle sway in her hips- her gait carefully languorous.

As breathless as he was, as riveted and astonished, Zurkhi had enough of his faculties about him to know what it meant.

She was waiting.

“For the roses, or for you?”

Kipling stopped in her tracks, looking over her shoulder, the sun pouring gold into the teasing, triumphant quirk of her lips. “What do you mean?”

He jogged a little to get closer to her. “What I said, Kipling.” He leaned against one of the ledges, letting his eyes rove hungrily over her. “For the roses, or for you?”

In the space of a heartbeat, Kipling closed the space between them, leaned up ever so slightly, and pressed a kiss to the corner of his lip, right where his scar seamed to skin. Her warmth suffused him, spread through him like wildfire from only the soft touch of her lips- but before he could wrap his arms around her waist and hold her in place, she had pulled back, sauntering away from him, throwing another, beckoning glance over her shoulder. “You’ll have to see for yourself, Zurkhi.”

With that, she turned a corner, muffling a delighted giggle behind her palm, and was gone.

Later, as he was rushing up the Palace stairs, smiling unabashedly, his cheeks still flaming from where she had touched him, one of his aides, predictably, took notice.

“Spring in your step today, Suasor,” They narrowed their eyes playfully.

He laughed. “Indeed.” He said, just as he straightened, adjusting the ribbon to his ponytail, the wrinkles in his coat, his mind still reeling with honey-warm eyes and the music of cowrie shells. “Has spring not arrived?”

#the arcana #zurkhi #kipling the apprentice #kipling bronne #kipling x zurkhi #and the ship tag of course #otp: what the spring does to cherry trees #my fic #oh i have so many Plans #they have not stopped talking to me since they got used to the idea of each other #which was instantly #oof #i loved writing for kipling shes such a darling

8 notes · View notes

the-melting-world · 1 year

Text

Paradiso | Door Lords

~ In which the door lords gather with some new friends for a day of fun and relaxation in the Melting World...

Featuring: Ozy, Kipling, Khleo, and (@amuseoffire) Bakri, Theo, and Vehanoush!

Friendship Prompts: beach days, friendship bracelets, laughs, hyping each other up

Music: "Paradiso" by Yoko Kano

~ 1.2k words

At the entrance to the sea caves, there is a very tall rocky shelf overlooking a deep stretch of an old reef.

Because there was no one around to stop them back then, Ozy and his friends would leap from this rock and unleash their screams upon the elbows of broken, half sunken limestone architecture.

For the longest time, this tradition was only shared between Ozy, Kipling and Khleo. Many years passed where the reef went unvisited. The sea caves hiding just under the rocky outcroppings went unexplored. The ruins continued to collect sea moss, content to sink further and further into the belly of this island world.

That is, until Ozy and his friends, after so many years, finally returned. They came with more friends this time, who hailed from even farther lands and had never seen this rough layout of ancient lagoons and coral rock.

One after the other, Khleo and Theo jumped off the edge of the tallest rock. The sounds Theo made seesawed between bursts of boisterous laughter and raucous whoops as she cannonballed into the warm basin of liquid turquoise.

Kipling, Vehanoush and Taro were keeping to themselves off by the entrance to the sea caves. Kip had them working on a project that she, when probed by Khleo, said was a secret and that no peeking whatsoever was allowed until they were finished.

Ozy and Bakri were hanging out in the shallows, right between the leaping rock and the entrance to the sea caves. Thanks to the ruins and the rocks, there was enough disrupted sunlight to create a warm, dappled umbrella of shade.

Ozy was supposed to be helping Bakri ease into some deeper water to practice swimming, but the latter was more preoccupied by the faded glyphs on the broken limestone. The harder Bakri looked, the more he noticed a circular pattern forming.

Before he could comment on it, Ozy pointed to a ring of glyphs and said, “Grey mages have always traveled the Doors in teams of three. The Elders sometimes referred to it as the cadre.”

Bakri studied the depictions a bit. Then he asked, “Why three?”

The beads in Ozy’s locs whispered as he bent closer towards the rock and dragged his finger from one glyph to the next. “Three roles. Three specific functions. First you have the locksmith. Then the architect. And finally, the support flex.” He straightened up. “They can be powerful forces to be reckoned with on their own, but together…”

There was someone calling Ozy’s name from off to the right. The grey mage’s entire demeanor changed as he waved to where Kipling was sitting with Vehanoush.

Ozy and Bakri waded over near the entrance of the sea caves. Normally, Bakri would have hesitated at the sensation of the water level rising up his back, but he was preoccupied by the glyphs shimmering in and out of focus along the walls. And by the sheer wonder in this blend of tropical waters and forgotten history.

Once they reached Kip and Vehanoush, it was hard to listen to what they had to say over the exclamatory echoes of Khleo and Theo hurling themselves off the rocks in the distance.

“We can go somewhere quieter,” Kip said as she spread out the project she and Vehanoush had been working on: friendship bracelets made from cowrie shells and dark twine. It didn’t surprise Bakri that Vehanoush had seemed to master the technique even though this was their first go at it.

“There’s a lagoon not far from here called the Enchanted Pool. The water is so clear that you can see all the way to the very bottom.”

Vehanoush’s eyes lit up at Kipling’s description. Ozy started nodding enthusiastically with every word. Just as Bakri was coming around to the idea of visiting waters deeper than the ones they were standing in, Vehanoush caught his attention with the bracelet they had made special for him.

While she tied it around Bakri’s wrist and he was quietly admiring the smoothness of the shells, Ozy called out for Khleo and Theo. The grey mage’s voice bounced against the arching walls of limestone like a powerful bell. Despite this, they got no reply from the two cliff divers. Nor could they hear them splashing in the water.

Once again Bakri was being pulled in another direction. Though he didn’t mind. He waded through the shallow water with Vehanoush, keeping close to the sandbars while Ozy and Kip pushed into slightly deeper waters so that they could swim to the spot where they last heard their friends.

Vehanoush showed Bakri the friendship bracelets they had made for Theo, as well as the other members of Bakri’s team, Heîv, Sevak, and Abisoghom.

Soon they wandered out from under the shade of the rocks and entered into sunnier waters. It appeared that Khleo and Theo had left their playground and instead sought refuge on another exposed shelf. Khleo was lying on her stomach, her arms folded under her head.

Theo had taken advantage of Khleo’s lower back, resting her cheek just left of Khleo’s spine with her body facing away from the approaching group. Kip and Ozy both chuckled at the army of small conch shells slowly working their way up the rock and over Theo’s legs and hips.

“They played so hard, they wore themselves out,” Bakri noted, smiling softly as he bent to pry a conch shell off of Theo’s ankle.

A soft ripple of noise came from where Khleo’s head was. “I’m up. Just resting my eyes.”

Theo interrupted them with a yawn and added, “Yes well, I’m definitely fast asleep.”

As soon as Kip said something about having a surprise for the two of them, they were both very suddenly upright and holding out their hands for Kip to drop gifts into.

The six visitors sat in a row on the reef, their legs dangling over the water. A shifting array of brown skin glistened with salt and tiny sand crystals under the midday sun. Kip and Vehanoush tied everyone’s bracelets on for them. Theo celebrated the loudest, laughing and positively delighting at the way her cowrie shells clicked and snapped the more she flicked her wrist.

Bakri asked Ozy to finish telling him about the glyphs and what they stood for. He wanted to know about those three roles that each door lord cadre fulfilled. And if those same roles applied to Ozy, Kip and Khleo – then how exactly?

While Vehanoush and Theo were excited to hear about this too, Khleo reminded everybody how hungry they all were. So Ozy’s explanations would have to wait until they got some lunch. The three newcomers pouted, but agreed that it was definitely time to eat and hydrate a little.

Ozy reminded his new friends that they would have plenty of time to learn about the Doors. He promised Bakri that he would show him more glyphs in the sea caves. As well as the monastery where he grew up alongside Kip and Khleo.

He would show them everything worth seeing. He promised them.

Ozy really wanted his new friends to have that chance to see whatever they had their heart set on.

He believed they deserved all that the Melting World had to give.

#the arcana #door lords #silence is golden #friendship prompts #kipling the apprentice #khleo the barhand #ozy the grey mage #the melting world #beach tale #vehanoush toutounjian #bakri #zerin anwar al-bakri #apprentice theo #coco's writing

7 notes · View notes