#kipling x tikos

[the-melting-world]

Episode 10 🍋

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Music: “Atlantis” by Ellie Goulding

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

cw: lemony content ahead 🍋

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

****

Time seemed to have no foothold the longer Tikos spent with Kipling. The two of them gathered coconuts along the cluster of trees where they grew along the beach. Kip watched as Tikos used his cutlass like a machete, hacking away at the coconut’s husk until he made it to the dense core. Then he passed it on to Kip, who deftly carved a hole in the top for drinking.

Kiki and Taro joined them later when they had drunk all the water and moved on to carving out the pale meat on the inside of the shells.

When the sun was at its peak and its hottest, Kip offered to rub a little sunscreen on Tikos’ back. He, of course, accepted the offer. Soon the pirate was on his stomach sighing blissfully as the water spirit straddled his waist and worked a homemade sunscreen along the grooves of his tanned spine.

Gently, he asked Kip to tell him more about the curse.

“It all has to do with me,” Kip confessed. “At least, that’s the only explanation I can think of. It seems that if I don’t want the person to leave, then they can’t. No matter how faint my desire for them to stay is, the curse picks up on it. The storms are tied to my emotions and to those of my dolphins.”

It was ironic how relaxed Tikos was during the massage given the nature of what he was being told. He didn’t ask her what methods she had employed in order to outsmart the storms or prevent them from happening. He could tell by the weight of her words that she had tried everything.

So he closed his eyes and let his frustration melt under Kip’s touch.

Later, when the two of them were walking over the stretches of shallow waters and long sandbars, Tikos reached for Kip’s waist. His hand idly dipped past her hips, gathering up the stretchy fabric of her skirt into his fist.

“What other sort of magic do you know?” His question was innocent enough, but Kip easily read the real question in his eyes. Still, she decided to play along.

“Wish granting mostly. Small ones,” she emphasized when she suspected where his thoughts had taken him. “Visitors usually ask for some extra height or a stronger nose before they try to leave.”

Kip placed her hand over the pirate’s. Then she encouraged him to hold onto her skirt while she walked backwards towards the shadow of a stray limestone shelf.

“What would you wish for if you had the choice, Tikos?”

Tikos wandered along slowly with her, gently tugging at her skirt as he dragged his gaze up and down her form. “I wish…”

He didn’t speak again until Kip’s back was pressed to the rock. The pirate ducked his head and stole a heated kiss.

“I wish that you might indulge me in a fantasy of mine. One involving me taking you against one of these boulders. Please?”

Kip blushed and nodded as she helped him gather her skirt up close to her navel. Soon Tikos’ sea-weathered fingers were warming up her core. Meanwhile Kip fought back eager whines as she unfastened the buckles to his trousers.

When his pants were loose enough, Tikos lifted Kip and anchored her against the rock with a soft grunt. Then they were both gasping and flexing against the rough limestone. Kip wrapped her arms snug around the pirate’s neck, entangling her fingers in his sun-bleached curls. She kissed him through each wave of pleasure, nipping weakly at his lower lip as the pressure of his final thrusts sent her mind in a tailspin.

Afterwards, they made their way back to the lagoon, but not without finding more ways to take advantage of Kip’s walking spell. In fact, her legs had gone so boneless from effort, Tikos had to carry Kip back to their original spot.

This time, the water spirit allowed her guest to sleep beside the lagoon where she rested for the night. Tikos fell asleep to the sound of Kip quietly humming an ancient water song. The likes of which all who had heard before him had not lived long enough to tell the tale.

#the arcana #mermay au #kipling the apprentice #tikos the pirate #kipling x tikos #kipos #lemon

[dreams-of-the-arcana]

Kipling misses her playful pirate 💖 - 29?

Kipling shall have her pirate! Who is surprisingly sweet today 🥰

29. Staring at each other’s lips for a moment before moving closer, as if drawn together by some unseen force.

To see Zotikos Orion Katsaros-Yakinthos cook was an experience. Mealtimes for the pirate growing up were a very important time dedicated to fun and family. As such, the cooking was just as exciting.

Tikos had poured drinks for himself and his gardener to sip on before he began, mostly to give Kipling something to do with her hands. He’d turned down every one of her offers to help. No, tonight he wanted to spoil her completely. Loud singing, jokes, and taste tests were a key component to his process and if he happened to steal some kisses under the guise of cleaning food off of Kipling’s lip? Well what could he say, he’s a giver.

Candles flickered around them and the delicious smells filled the kitchen as he worked. Finally, with as much flair as he could produce, Tikos set out dinner and pulled a chair out for Kipling. Who gave him a playful curtesy in return.

“Kali orexi! Dinner especially for my Bumblebee!” Tikos took a bow while laughing before sitting down to eat. “Though unfortunately likely to be less exciting than our last dinner.” He shot her a teasing look at the memory of bandits invading on their last trip.

Kip’s mind trailed back to what happened after though and looked at the food shyly. He had a way of teasing that left her a little flustered no matter how many times they’d been together. Instead of indulging him they started to eat and casually catch up.

After dinner, Tikos produced his own homemade baklava for dessert and eagerly watched as Kipling tried it for the first time.

“Wow, it’s so sweet but surprisingly not overly sweet,” she mused as the flavors melted over her tongue. Candied oranges, dark chocolate, almonds, walnuts, and honey all coming together for a beautiful flavor. Tikos was more content to watch her enjoy it with a rare soft smile.

“Aye, though it’s my μητέρα’s recipe I can never make it quite like she can,” he chuckled.

“Mm, well if it’s better than this then I’d love to go meet her and try some,” Kipling offered lightly. Though it caused Tikos to freeze slightly.

“You... you want to... meet my parents?” He sounded unsure which was unusual but he kept his eye on Kipling. She reached over and took one of his hands in hers.

“Yes, I think I would love to,” she said without hesitation. “They sound like quite the characters and they made you so they must be fun.” She stroked her thumb along his knuckles calmingly.

Tikos took a moment to process before a wide genuine smile spread across his face.

“That they are! Terrors of the ocean! Lifelong rivals turned star-crossed lovers over sword fights, treasure, and danger!” He started talking about his parents excitedly. Kipling listened with a soft encouraging look. When Tikos got passionate, which was often, she felt like she could listen to him forever. As he started to wind down though he noticed he’d been leaning in towards the gardener more and more. It was too late though, they both felt that unseen pull that felt so natural by now.

Tikos’ eye traveled down to Kip’s lip and he was so close now when he softly whispered: “Bee.” That was all it took for Kipling to fill the empty space and kiss him. Unlike the easy carefree kisses of the day, this one was about longing and unspoken passion. It was everything they wanted to share without saying a single word. Though if pressed, they could describe it as “Perfect.”

————-

Kali orexi - Good appetite

μητέρα - Mother

#the arcana #the arcana game #fan apprentice #arcana apprentice #arcana oc #other people’s oc #arcana fanfic #arcana kiss prompt #kiss prompt #romantic #tikos the pirate #kipling x tikos #kipling the apprentice

[the-melting-world]

Warm Water 🍋

Kipling x Tikos

~ In which a humble gardener has dinner with a daring pirate…

This 🍵 was infused with “Warm Water” by BANKS

I had so much fun writing this fic with @dreams-of-the-arcana’s Tikos the pirate! So, technically this is Tikos and Kipling’s third date, which *cough cough* usually means….

cw: slow burn lemon

~ 1.8k words

Kipling Bronne is about to board a ship set to sail for Nevivon. She’s traveling on business to pick up a shipment of a rare ivy that doesn’t export outside of the port. To Kip’s surprise, the captain of the ship has hired a certain blond pirate and his crew for security.

***

“No wonder the tickets were so cheap,” Kip grumbled.

Tikos the pirate tossed his head back and laughed good-naturedly. He casually threw his arm around her shoulder and steered her up the ramp onto the deck. 

“Kip, come on. You have nothing to worry about! Think of my presence as nothing but a small insurance policy. Trust me, these trips are so standard that the chances of us running into petty thieves is slim to none.”

His words caused Kip to relax a little, but being out at sea still made her nervous. She hadn’t been on a boat since she left her island more than a decade ago. Tikos may not have known the source of Kip’s unease, but he was quick to detect it. So he turned her until she was facing him and asked, “Would you like to join me for dinner tonight, Bee? I’m making it from scratch.”

For a moment, Kip forgot about the past and looked up at the pirate. The midday sun reflected sharply against his bleached curls. That combined with his tapered ears and swarthy complexion made it easy to believe that he was born from some pirate fairy tale. 

“You can cook?” Kip covered her mouth at the rude slip. But Tikos merely laughed as he drew her in by her waist. 

“I love to cook.”

Kip felt her face grow warm at the close contact. Tikos didn’t seem to care that they were in plain sight of the ship’s crew and passengers. Kip lightly rested her hands against his ribs, hoping he would wait until they were below deck before making another move.

“What are you going to make?” Kip asked, trying not to lean too much into his strong chest. 

“That, my sweet honeybee,” he gently lifted her chin, “is a surprise.”

***

Rich, pearly light shone down on the ship’s passage over dark, warm waters. Kipling stood outside of Tikos’s cabin in a dress the same color as the moonlight. The garment fit snugly above her waist before it flowed and rippled loosely about her frame. Kip checked and smoothed it down for the millionth time before knocking on the door.

When Tikos opened it, his radiant smile slipped. “Kipling, you look –”

“Too formal?” Kip blurted. “Or not formal enough?”

Tikos shook his head as he stepped through the door and pulled Kipling against him the same way he had that afternoon. Only this time when he lifted her chin, he gently muffled her questions with a slow kiss. Though this wasn’t their first time, Kip’s eyelids drifted shut and she let herself get lost in the moment. Tikos always made it so easy to do so.

“You’re too beautiful,” he said as he pulled away, “that’s all.”

Kip blinked herself back to reality. She suddenly noticed the rich scents wafting out into the hallway.

“T, that smells incredible.”

Excitement took over Tikos’s face as he tugged Kip along. “I made souvlaki!”

Before Kip could even ask what that was, Tikos guided her to a small bistro setup in the center of his cozy cabin and pulled out a chair for her. Kipling nearly fell speechless at the sight of the rustic, yet elegant spread of mezes, quartered lemons, and of course, the entree – a combination of skewered meats and vegetables. After they both took their seats, Tikos started to pour the wine. “The souvlaki is made with–”

“Wait! Don’t tell me!” Kip held up her hand. “I want to see if I can figure it out on my own first.”

Tikos’s smile nearly took over his whole face. He hardly paid attention to his food as he watched on while Kipling slowly savored each bite and worked through all the possible flavors in her head. Most of her guesses were correct, though Tikos teased her a few times to see if she would second guess herself. 

Eventually, their game evolved into more mature conversation. Kipling took a sip of her wine and asked, “Does it make you uncomfortable to talk about your eye?”

The pirate’s gaze turned sly. “What would you like to know? It’s brown like yours and looking at the most enchanting lass it’s ever seen.” He propped his chin on his fist and deliberately fluttered his eyelashes.

Kip tried to stifle her laugh behind another sip of wine. “I meant your other eye.”

Tikos pushed some of his hair back to show off the full patch as well as the scar snaking out from under it. “There is no other eye, Bee. It’s all just glass now.”

The wine suddenly tasted sour.

“I’m sorry.”

Tikos let his curls flop back into place. “I’m not. People wanted me dead. Did everything  they could and all they got out of it was a useless eye.” He stretched his arms above his head as he leaned back. “Meanwhile, I inherited the sea, the gales and the winds, the fish and all their kin.”

Kipling smiled. “Sounds like you found all the treasure a pirate could ever need.”

Tikos came out of his stretch and leaned over the table until he was face to face with Kipling.

“Exactly.”

Before long, they were sharing soft, savory exchanges, tinged with wine, lemon, and heat from the spices.

“Kipling,” Tikos whispered against her lips, “would you like to stay for dessert? And then, maybe you wouldn’t mind staying a little longer…?”

Kip met his steady gaze, but before she could answer, the door to the cabin burst open.

“Bandits! Above deck!”

Kipling felt her veins turn to ice, but Tikos grinned as he rose to the challenge. Brandishing his sword, he offered his other hand to Kipling.

“Come with me.”

Kip kept close to Tikos’s side as he whisked her down the hall and onto the deck. It wasn’t quite pandemonium to Kip’s relief. The invading pirates wanted to steal rather than harm, but they still had weapons and wouldn’t hesitate to fight off those that got in their way.

Kipling hung back while Tikos pursued those trying to take off with the most valuable cargo. The gardener clung to the side of the ship and did her best to keep track of Tikos with nothing but the moonlight to assist her.

How could he manage to smile and laugh at a time like this, she wondered. The pirate’s blade caught and tossed the light as he entered a complex sword dance. He spun, leaped over steel, and somersaulted away from some potentially fatal blows.

“Tikos – watch out!”

The pirate defended himself in time, but not without taking a hit. Kip ignored the danger and ran to his side. Luckily, the last of the bandits were retreating and Tikos’s crew were crying out in victory. By the time Kip reached her pirate, he was trying to hide his flesh wound so he could celebrate with the others.

Kip took it upon herself to tuck his arm around her shoulders and encourage him to lean on her as she guided him below deck. After she helped him out of his shirt and wrapped the wound in his side, Tikos simply couldn’t help himself.

“Sorry our dessert got ruined.” He smiled at her from where he rested on the cot. “I suppose you won’t want to have anything to do with me for the rest of the evening.”

Kipling got on her knees and came up beside him. “Oh, I want something to do with you.”

For the third time that day, Kipling kissed the pirate. But there was something more restless and urgent about it than before. When the things they both wanted couldn’t be any clearer, Kip drew back and glanced at his shirtless torso in concern.  

“What about your ribs?”

Tikos gave a lazy shrug. “I’ve been in worse shape while having, uh… quality time.”

Kip snorted and shook her head. But she took Tikos for his word and easily slipped out of her underwear before carefully straddling him so he wouldn’t have to move.

“I’ll go slow anyway,” She mused, dropping her gaze in order to focus on unfastening his belt.

Tikos sobered a little, a faint blush spreading over his freckles as he watched. “That is… much appreciated.”

Making sure that she didn’t jostle him, Kip leaned over Tikos and kissed the scar by his patch while she made herself snug and comfortable around him. Tikos grunted in amusement and then again in excitement as Kip eased into a rhythm as natural as an ocean wave.

The pirate’s hands drifted up her thighs and under her dress, resting around her waist. He held firmly to her warm curves, encouraging her with light squeezes whenever he needed a change in pace. 

Kip kissed him one last time before positioning herself upright for better control. Usually she would have let go of the shyness by now, but it was hard to do so with Tikos. She closed her eyes off from his low, teasing gaze and simply concentrated on showing him a good time.

Tikos, meanwhile, never stopped looking at the gardener. His breath hitched at the sight of her pierced nipples tenting against the cotton of her dress. His hand drifted up and touched one, which caused Kipling’s hips to buck unexpectedly.

“Oh,” Tikos gasped, barely noticing the stinging in his side. “Can you do that again, Bee? It felt good.”

Kipling opened her eyes. Her cheeks were warm with sweat and lingering blush. Some of her concentration broke as she chuckled nervously. “T, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

Tikos couldn’t resist teasing her. “Please?” He pushed the fabric of her dress back and brushed a sea-weathered thumb across her turquoise stones and hardened bead of flesh. 

“I know you want to.”

Kipling gasped and leaned over him, her hips bucking impatiently. Tikos rushed to kiss her. Kip moaned into his mouth and then into his shoulder, unable to hold back now. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she didn’t want to stop either.

“Tikos, I’m –”

“Mmmm,” Tikos hummed, “me too.” He captured her hips between his hands and held fast as they both lost a little of themselves to the other.

When their bodies finally let them rest, Tikos helped Kipling snuggle in between his good side and the wall. The food, wine, and not to mention all that action above and below deck was more than enough to send Kipling directly to dreamland.

Tikos, however, lay awake for a while, watching the humble gardener’s breath rise and fall against his tanned chest. He read the spaces between her freckles and springy curls like they were bedtime stories. Because he was a pirate and the sea was his only constant, Tikos committed Kipling’s features to memory. Then he let sleep take him to the same place as his humble gardener.

#kipling the apprentice #tikos the pirate #pirate tale #kip of cups #my writing #the arcana #kipling x tikos #slow burn #lemon

[dreams-of-the-arcana]

A soft Kipos fic 🥰🥰🥰

Pairing: Tikos x Kipling Bronne ( @asras3rdeye’s OC)

Over the Seas

“... hey.”

“No.”

“But-“

“No.”

“It’s just, I don’t want to keep you if you-“

“Bee.”

“-Captainy things to do?”

A low rumbling chuckle shook the entwined pair.

“Captainy things?” Tikos’ voice was still heavy with sleep as he teased the gardener currently wrapped up in his arms.

Kipling blushed and buried her face in his chest further. It seemed like an important worry up until the words were out of her mouth. Suddenly the past five minutes she’d fretted over it seemed silly.

In the Captain’s cabin of the Charybdis’ Decent, the sun was just starting to filter through the intricate stained glass window at the back of the room. It was just enough light to throw weak colorful rays onto the pair in bed. Tikos stretched out leisurely with Kipling cuddled on his right side using his shoulder for a pillow. He’d managed to kick the blankets off himself during the night and seemed to have never made it back into any clothes. With her leg thrown over his own, Kip was fully aware and avoiding thinking about it too much.

It wasn’t close to the first time they’d been together but somehow it always felt so intense that it may well be.

“Don’t worry so much, Bee. I did the best Captainy thing I could,” he assured her. “I hired people who can run a ship without needing me constantly.”

Her face only felt hotter and he pulled her into a hug on top of him.

“I’m just...”

“We can turn around if you’re too nervous?” His tone was light but she knew he was being serious. If at any point she changed her mind they’d be right back to Vesuvia. But she wouldn’t, she was determined.

“No!... well, I am nervous but I still want to go.”

“You jus’ let me know. They can... be a lot to handle.”

Staying on course, the Charybdis’ Decent continued to draw closer to Nevivon. Where Kipling would be introduced to Tikos’ parents for the first time. Which was enough to be worried about already but adding on the inherit nerves with sailing for so long.

“Hey.”

Kipling looked to meet Tikos’ eye, he hadn’t put his patch back on either. He trusted her.

“Come here,” he purred and crooked a finger at her.

Kip leaned down closer on Tikos’ chest and he gently caught her lips with his own. It was a slow, soft, and sleepy kiss with no sense of urgency or motive. He took his time exploiting every trick he knew she liked before pulling away to lean his forehead against hers.

“They’re going to love you. Know how I know?”

She had an idea but stayed silent.

“Because I love you.”

Her cheeks flamed with a blush but she couldn’t keep the happy smile off her face at those words. They enjoyed a moment of just being overjoyed. Then he ran a hand up her bare thigh that currently straddled him and Kip opened her eyes to his usual cheeky grin.

“Besides, I know the best stress relief, aye?”

“... aye.”

Only a few hours later, Nevivon was in full view sparkling in the sunlight.

“LAND! NEVIVON IN SIGHT!”

The shout from a crew member drew a smile from Tikos. It’d been some time since he’d been to visit. It seemed like whenever he had a free moment he was likely to be found in Vesuvia. Not that the crew teased him incessantly about it but, well, what else is family for?

“Ah! Smell that beautiful sea air!” Tikos took in a deep breath aboard the deck as he manned the wheel. Kipling rolled her eyes at him playfully. She sat nearby working on finishing up the bracelets she was making for his parents. They were beautiful and full of seashells the pair had collected on adventures.

“I have been since we set sail.”

He grinned at his companion.

“Aye but it’s so much better when land is in sight. Makes me never want to leave.”

“As much as I love looking at the ocean and your ship, I would really like to see a plant again soon.”

“Of course you do, Honeybee. And so you shall.”

They enjoyed the short back-and-forth as the ship came into dock.

Finally, it was time to disembark. Surprisingly to Tikos, they managed to get their feet on the dock before two loud commanding voices rang out.

“Zori!!”

“Tizos!!”

Tikos held Kipling’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“μητέρα! татко!”* He called out.

A thin woman with long black curls streaked with grey pushed her way past the crew and spotted them.

“το μωρό μου!”*

Behind her came a large man with short white hair and kind brown eyes.

“Γεια σου!”*

The woman rushed towards them and pulled Tikos down for a hug while rapidly firing off in their native language. Then her eyes gravitated towards Kipling and her smile grew even bigger as she pulled her in for a hug as well.

“Ey, μητέρα, in Vesuvian please.” Tikos said to his Mother as she tried to speak to Kip.

“Oh yes! Vesuvian! My darling girl, welcome, welcome! We are so happy to meet you! And to see our boy! Oh Tizos! It’s been so long! Everyone is wanting to see you and your beautiful woman! Yes! We made a big feast!”

“Ayy, ay, љубов моја*. Let her breathe! Come now, she’s not going to disappear.”

Tikos cut in as his Mother shot his Father a cross look. He could sense the argument and decided to spare Kipling for now. The two of them could argue for days some times.

“Let me introduce you. μητέρα, татко, this is Kipling Bronne.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you!” Kip spoke up, quietly thankful that Tikos gave her an opening. In only a minute she understood where he got his love of talking.

“Aye, όμορφο κορίτσι*, we’re looking forward to getting to know you. I’m Thalia and this is my husband Adrijan but you may just call us Lia and Adri.”

Finally releasing Kipling, Lia turned her attention back to Tikos and launched into her usual barrage of questions. Why are you so skinny, why have you been away so long, who’s cutting your hair, etc. Adri took the opportunity to shake Kipling’s hand and place a kiss on her cheek in greeting.

“Don’t mind Lia, she’s very excitable.”

Kip smiled back at him and nodded.

“I think I know someone like that as well,” she said and glanced over at Tikos who had dissolved into his native tongue and was speaking just as fast as Lia back and forth. Adri laughed and gestured up the dock for them.

Kip and Adri chatted as they led the small group back up into Nevivon to their small house. Lia and Tikos seemed to never even break in their bickering for air.

The day was just as much a whirlwind as the beginning and Kipling found herself completely immersed in the Katsaros-Yakinthos family. ‘Relatives’ of all kinds popped in throughout the day to see them and bring gifts while Lia and Adri were eager to hear all about Kip and her life. The gardener worried about seeming boring next to all the excitement but the two hung on her every word with fascination and smiles. Especially when Kip told them she was a gardener as they admitted they couldn’t keep a plant alive no matter how hard they tried. Kip offered to give them some advice but soon she had a whole crowd of lifelong seafarers stopping to listen as they passed by.

In no time at all to her, Kipling found herself out of breath sitting by a bonfire on a beach while Tikos continued dancing with a myriad of people to lively music. She watched him as he moved so easily with a genuine smile that seemed so natural on his face. While he’d offered to sit with her she’d waved him off, it was much better to admire him from her vantage point. It was as if the years just melted off of him and he looked his age for once. For all his laid back attitude and easy smiles she realized he was still carrying so many scars inside and out. While she sat she pulled the bracelets back out to continue on them. They weren’t quite finished yet and she hadn’t really had a moment to focus on them.

“Do you mind?”

A voice broke her out of her thoughts and Kip looked up to see Lia gesturing to the seat next to her.

“No! Not at all.”

“Wonderful,” Lia smiled and sat down with a content sigh. “Ah what a day it has been!”

Kip nodded in agreement, keeping her hands moving but glancing up occasionally.

“It warms this Mother’s heart to see her only child so happy,” she spoke slowly for once and with great purpose.

“If... if you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you have any more? I was surprised when Tikos told me he was an only child.”

“No child, ask me whatever you wish. It is a simple answer. Adri and I were great enemies for many years. Too proud to give up our feud over the sea. When we finally realized our love we thought it was too late for any children at all. Zotikos was a gift. From the sky, the sea, whoever. A most wonderful gift.”

Lia looked over and smiled with Kip.

“He is very taken with you.”

That brought the heat rushing back up to Kip’s cheeks and she shyly looked back at her hands.

“I am happy. I feared he would be too stubborn like Adri and I,” she laughed. “He’s never brought someone home so we know you are special.”

“Never?” Somehow the knowledge that she was the only person he’d brought home to meet his parents made everything seem so much more... intimate.

“No. He has never even mentioned another before. Now you might say he could just keep things from his old Mother but no, he would tell me if he met someone.”

Kip looked back at her pirate dancing without a care in the world. She wondered if he’d been lonely all this time. Then she turned back to Lia and held out the completed bracelets for her and Adri.

“For you both, I wanted to give them to you earlier but… you know…,” she gestured broadly while trying to find the right words.

Lia laughed and nodded, not needing anymore explanation. She held a wrist out so Kipling could put the bracelet on her.

“I love it, όμορφο κορίτσι.” Lia assured her and gave her a fond kiss on the cheek.

Despite the nerves, the long voyage, and the overwhelming day Kipling realized that she’d grown to understand her lover much deeper. Maybe that made it all worth it. She liked to think it did.

Sitting there by the fire while surrounded by joy and laughter. Opening up new sides of one Zotikos Orion Katsaros-Yakinthos, mystery pirate who had always seemed so carefree. A warmth started to spread in her heart that blossomed when a single brown eye found hers.

—-

Combination of Greek and Macedonian words

μητέρα - Mother

татко - Father

το μωρό μου - My baby

Γεια σου - A welcome

љубов моја - My love

όμορφο κορίτσι - Beautiful girl

#the arcana #the arcana game #fan apprentice #arcana apprentice #arcana oc #other people’s oc #arcana fanfic #tikos the pirate #Tikos x Kipling #meeting the parents #kippling bronne #kipos

[the-melting-world]

Episode 9

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Music: “Atlantis” by Ellie Goulding

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

****

The next morning, Kipling was kind enough to send one of her dolphin kin to retrieve Tikos and bring him back to the surface. When the pirate found the water spirit, she was not shooting him cheeky grins from one of the lagoons. Rather, she was shooting him cheeky grins from the top of a limestone boulder. And she was kicking the air… with her legs.

“Why so surprised, Captain?” Kip giggled, flaring out her toes. “I can conjure legs if I’m rested enough and the tides are right. Most of us shapeshifters can. Breakfast?”

Tikos didn’t realize how much his gut was aching until he saw Kip bring out the chipped plate piled high with something round and fried. Without thinking twice, he raced towards the rock and used the momentum to easily scale to the flat top.

Kipling laughed heartily as Tikos flopped down beside her with an easy grin despite the effort it took to mount the rock. He carded his hand through his sun-bleached curls and hid his labored breath behind an exaggerated yawn.

“Good morning!”

Kip giggled and poked one of her breakfast fritters between his cheesing lips. Tikos’ visible eye widened, but he reacted accordingly, taking the food and chewing with gusto. It wasn’t the first time he had mystery cuisine shoved into his mouth and besides, he trusted Kipling.

Tikos released a musical groan as he swallowed the warm, tender meat. “Some kind of fried shellfish?”

Kip popped a fritter into her own mouth and hummed in confirmation. “Conch.”

“I could eat this every day,” Tikos sighed as he went for another one, but not before pressing a grateful kiss to his host’s lips. Kip self consciously tried to dust away the crumbs from the last fritter, but Tikos tutted and stubbornly dragged his lips over hers.

Against Kip’s protests, Tikos whispered, “You made breakfast for me? For the crimes I committed to your reef, I thought I was going to join the rest of the pirates at the bottom of the trench earlier than I thought.”

Kip made a nervous sound. “Please don’t joke about that. I couldn’t stay mad at you for too long.”

Tikos drew back and traced a finger down her single ghostly white braid. “Another one of my poor jokes. Forgive me.”

Kip leaned into his touch, her amber-like gaze softening.

Tikos added, “Once again, I’m sorry about your reef. I was thinking… perhaps I could make it up to you. I’ve been thinking of ways to break the spell over you and the island.”

Kip shook her head. “The curse, you mean.” She sighed and leaned her head on Tikos’ shoulder. He naturally wrapped his arm around her waist and tried to comfort her.

They both looked down at where her brown legs peeked out between the slit in her wrapped skirt.

“Trust me, I do want to hear what you have to say, but,” she lifted her head and walked her lips along his five o’clock shadow. “Not over breakfast.”

Tikos was content with temporarily taking his mind off of the curse and directing all of his attention on enjoying the conch fritters while he looked out at the sparkling lagoons with Kipling.

#the arcana #mermay au #kipling the apprentice #tikos the pirate #kipos

[the-melting-world]

Episode 1

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Music: "Atlantis" by Ellie Goulding

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

***

Zotikos Orion Katsaros-Yakinthos balanced on the bow of a small schooner, peering out at the misty reef ahead through his spyglass.

The pirate captain had left his crew behind on Stormchaser. Not that he hadn’t wanted any of them to join him in his pursuit of long lost secrets – he certainly extended the invitation. It was just that none of his motley crew dared to set foot in these shallow, teal waters.

Tikos wasn’t the type of captain to force his crew to go where nothing but morbid curiosity pulled him. On the surface, there was no gain, no treasure to be had from this island shrouded in mist. So Tikos left them be and took the schooner out by himself.

Rumor had it, this island was cursed.

The Republic of Floating Isles – as it had been known long ago. If you were lucky enough to get your hand on a map that still charted its existence, it would be identified as such. But out here in pirate country, the small archipelago was known by a different name.

The Melting World.

Once every three hundred years, the islands would appear. There was a story that came with it. One of temptation, mystery, and tragedy.

According to legend, The Melting World was home to a very powerful water spirit. A nameless entity who never allowed anyone who entered the reef to leave.

Tikos lowered his spyglass.

He had faced such creatures before. Sirens, selkies, all sorts of mer and their kin. They had many forms, but in the end, he found that they were all the same.

This water spirit, whoever they were, would be no different.

He would find out what was so precious about this place that no soul had managed to bring back to the surface. Because if there was one thing he knew about the merfolk, it was that they were always hiding or protecting something.

Whatever this water spirit was guarding, Tikos would find it and take it for himself.

#for funsies #the arcana #mermay 2021 #mermay!kipling #kipling the apprentice #tikos the pirate #kipos #mermay au

[the-melting-world]

Episode 2

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

***

Tikos was not gentle while guiding his schooner through the rising beds of coral. The water was shallow enough for him to wade through and pull the boat along, as far inland as he could get it.

By now, the mist had evaporated, making the pirate wonder if it had been a simple glamour to make the islands appear more mysterious than they truly were. As he took in the forested cliffs of intense green contrasted against the shimmery, pale limestone cliffs, he could acknowledge that the lack of mist did not subtract any of the wonder from the Melting World.

Tikos had dragged his boat as far as possible. He didn’t feel the need to bother with an anchor since they weren’t close enough to shore for the tides to run away with it. And there was nothing he could tie it up to with rope. The sand bank that held the boat in place would have to do for now.

Kiki, Tikos’ weasel familiar, sprinted down from the schooner and onto his shoulders. She nipped at his ear and chittered fast and urgently.

“Hm?” Tikos hummed absently as he reached back to give her scritches. His gaze was still on the lush cliffs and vibrant plant life creating shadows over the water. He continued to wade between the corals, using the island as a beacon.

Kiki dug her claws into the pirate’s shoulder and squealed sharply. Tikos jerked to a halt and nearly swiped his familiar into the water.

“Gah! Kiki, it’s too early to draw blood. What’s wrong, girl?”

But as soon as Tikos tore his eyes away from the wonder of the island, he could see why his familiar was so alarmed. Stretching out before them like a fresh wound in the reef was a deep blue chasm. Tikos was mere inches away from stepping directly into the dropoff. Not that he wouldn’t be able to swim himself to safety, but he didn’t trust ominous indigo trenches – especially ones carved right between two shallow bodies of water.

Tikos continued to stare down into the trench, letting his eyes adjust to the change in light. Shapes began to take form under the bright sun. Tikos took a step back as more realizations came to the surface. He wasn’t looking at just any old trench.

This was a pirate ship graveyard.

#mermay au #kipling the apprentice #tikos the pirate #kipos #mermay!kipling #my writing #the arcana

[the-melting-world]

Episode 6

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

***

“Please,” Tikos repeated, coming as close as he could to the spirit without touching her. “Let me see your face.”

Finally, the water spirit looked up at him. Her irises were a glazed brown and so full of hope and curiosity, but at the same time there was an old, familiar pain. Part of Tikos expected a spell to wash over him. One of those common magical lures that pulled him further and further under the mer’s influence. But as he held her gaze, he sensed no enchantment emanating from the water spirit. How then was his heart beating so fast and his thoughts so jumbled he could hardly think to say anything?

“You’re beautiful,” Tikos finally managed to blurt.

The first hints of a smile played at the corner of the spirit’s mouth. “Is that all you humans know how to say?” She said it as if she’s been called beautiful so many times before, but it pained her for some reason.

Tikos tried again. “You’re right. Beautiful is a poor definition from what I see. Honestly, I’m... I’m speechless.”

The skin under the spirit’s eyes darkened briefly with color as she slowly turned away. She swam languidly, as if she didn’t care either way if he followed her.

“You dragged your vessel right over my corals. They didn’t like that.”

Tikos flinched at the memory. “I’m so sorry. You felt that?”

Kip stopped swimming and placed her hand on the surface of a rock riddled with uneven holes. “I can feel everything these islands feel.” She was back to avoiding his gaze, no matter how hard Tikos tried to get her attention.

“Why can’t you look at me? Am I that hideous?”

She chuckled a little. “No... I’m a water spirit. It’s in my nature to become attached. To nature. To animals. To people.” She turned her head. “And I always end up regretting it.”

Tikos closed the gap again, meeting the spirit by the rock. He propped his arm against the stone and leaned against it. “Don’t beat yourself up. I’m the same way.” He reached out and threaded one of her braids between his fingers. “But what I regret more is not letting myself connect at all.”

Something fluttered in Tikos’ chest when the spirit looked up at him again. She leaned into his hand and sighed. “I can’t decide if your words are wise or foolish.”

The pirate nearly slipped against the rock as the water spirit suddenly shifted in order to kiss him.

“Or both.”

#mermay au #the arcana #kipos #kipling the apprentice #tikos the pirate #mermay

[the-melting-world]

Episode 4

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

***

Tikos didn’t expect the island’s interior to be as mesmerizing as its exterior. After the school of dolphins had herded him over the channel of wreckage, he could relax and finally enjoy his surroundings. They traveled down ethereal limestone waterways where the sunlight was interrupted by the eroded rock and flowering canopies.

Tikos lost himself in the games the sunrays played against the surface of the water. Kiki cooed in amazement at all of the shifting scenery.

Eventually, the dolphins brought Tikos and Kiki into what could be best described as an indoor-outdoor series of caves. There was no vegetation, so everything was bathed in glowing teal and white light. The bottom of the cave was about six feet deep, allowing Tikos to stand if he really needed to.

He slid from the dolphin’s back and swam through the maze of glimmering limestone columns on his own. The dolphins disappeared from view, but they sounded like they hadn’t gone too far. Tikos figured the water spirit was somewhere close by. Kiki chose to ride on top of the pirate’s head, only hopping off in order to scale the roughly cylindrical pylons that connected to the cavernous ceiling.

“Don’t go too far, Kiki. There could be traps.”

Right as Tikos was thinking of what he would possibly say to the spirit on whose territory he was currently invading, something approached him in the water.

“Well, hello. And who are you?”

The creature gave a little chirp. With her soft fur and cute face, she reminded Tikos a lot of his own familiar. This one looked like a lemur crossed with a seahorse. When the newcomer was sure she had Tikos’ attention, she zipped off through the water, stopping every so often to make sure Tikos would follow.

Eventually, the strange lemur led Tikos to a part of the cave that was mostly closed off from the outside, but still close enough to let in the sunlight. The little creature chirped in triumph as Tikos and Kiki swam into view.

Tikos’ heart stuttered when he heard a voice hiss, “Taro, no! Why did you bring them here?”

He only caught a glimpse of a brown skin and iridescent jewelry before a speckled tail splashed enough water to conceal the creature’s getaway.

Tikos swallowed. He had no doubt that he had just spotted the water spirit. He felt his skin flush from the memory of their face alone.

Suddenly, the thought of stealing the water spirit’s secrets didn’t seem like such a simple task.

#the arcana #mermay au #mermay!kipling #tikos the pirate #kipling the apprentice #kipos

[the-melting-world]

Episode 7

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

***

Tikos dragged his thumbs over the water spirit’s webbed ears as held her face and pressed so that her spine met the cool, eroded rock. She parted her lips for him and savored every light intake of breath, both his and her own. They were tentative at first, but that initial taste ignited a cool fire and soon they were chasing shallow, hungry kisses.

The mer withdrew, but only slightly. She breathed, “I don’t even know your name.”

Tikos chuckled as he pulled her back in. He fed his arm underwater in order to scoop her tail around his hip. “Forgive me. I’m Zotikos,” he found her lips again, gently this time. “Orion,” he went back for another kiss. “Katsaros,” and another. “Yakinthos.”

Tikos pulled back to check her reaction. He found her lashes fluttering dreamily before her eyes finally cleared and she lifted an expectant eyebrow.

The pirate laughed. “Tikos is what they call me.”

The water spirit hummed in understanding. “Kipling is what they,” she gestured to the dolphins in the background, “call me.”

Tikos repeated her name as he walked his lips down her neck. Kip wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and exhaled loudly. She hadn’t felt this sort of contact in three hundred years and couldn’t hide how much she craved to be held and marked in her warm, quiet caves.

“Tikos?” Kip wondered aloud while Tikos’ face was still buried in the crook of her neck. “Why would you come to the island if you already knew how dangerous it was?”

Tikos lifted his head and matched her sober expression with one of his own. “I thought there would be something worth protecting here. I’m ashamed to say it now, but I thought you might have been hiding something.”

Kip shook her head. “You’re not the first one to assume that, but… there’s nothing here. Only the curse that kills whoever tries to leave. No one knows where it came from.”

Tikos lowered his gaze and bit his lip in uncertainty.

“If you don’t think I’m telling the truth,” Kip said, “I can take you on a grand tour of the islands and show you all there is to see.”

#the arcana #mermay au #kipling the apprentice #tikos the pirate #kipos #mermay!kipling

[the-melting-world]

Atlantis | Mermay AU Masterlist

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos the Pirate

Atlantis

episode 1 episode 2 episode 3 episode 4 episode 5 episode 6 episode 7 episode 8 🍋 episode 9 episode 10 🍋 episode 11 episode 12 episode 13

#tentative masterlist #organizing #kipling the apprentice #kipos #mermay!kipling #mermay au #mermaid au

[the-melting-world]

Episode 5

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

cw: nudity

***

The water spirit was trying to avoid him.

She, if he had to guess, didn’t seem scared of him so much as shy. Tikos wasn’t used to shyness when it came to the mer. Wrath. Temptation. Seduction. That he could handle! But trying to coax an elusive entity out from their own hiding place?

“Please go away.”

Tikos had no idea where to start.

The pirate used every trick in the book that he could to keep her talking so that he could find her more easily. “Your friends led me here, my darling. The dolphins and the lemur-seahorse – they are your friends, correct me if I’m mistaken?”

He heard her make an annoyed sound. “My cousins, yes. The sea-lemur is Taro. Also, I’m not your darling.”

Tikos drifted around another limestone pylon, hoping this would be the one she was hiding behind.

“Forgive me. Sometimes I get a little carried away with the pet names. What should I call you, oh serene water spirit of the Melting World?”

“Didn’t you hear the stories?” She said, dodging the question entirely. “Leave now and you might have a chance to make it off the island in one piece.”

“I would like to see you first,” Tikos said without a second thought. “Can I look upon your face just one time? Then I’ll leave, I promise.”

He heard water rustling nearby, followed by the clinking of shells and other small trinkets. Tikos turned around very slowly, his brown eye searching for the water spirit. When she appeared, his breath caught at the sight of her crown of sea crystals and pearls braided throughout her wet, springy curls. Her warm brown skin glittered faintly under a dusting of seasalt. Thanks to the sheerness of her blouse, he could see everything, including the pearlescent baubles framing her nipples.

Tikos pushed off from the pillar to meet the spirit in the center of the cavern. The closer he came, the more of her he took in. The water was clear enough for him to see that her tail was of the same shape and speckled design as the dolphins that brought him here. Her ears flared out past her curls and braids as thin, membranous fans.

Tikos brought his gaze back to her face, which held just as much suspicion and reservation as her voice had earlier. Her eyes, however, were mostly still downcast.

“Please,” Tikos said softly as he closed the gap between them. “Look at me.”

#the arcana #mermay au #mermay!kipling #tikos the pirate #kipling the apprentice #kipos #nudity cw

[the-melting-world]

Episode 3

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

***

Tikos didn’t know if he should trust the handful of dolphins that had swum up from the depths of the trench and were now circling him and Kiki.

They didn’t look like any dolphins he had seen before. Their form echoed that of the bottlenose, but they were covered in spots, like some kind of aquatic dalmation.

Tikos consulted his pocket nautical codex. He leafed through the pages of illustrations, which would never acquire water damage thanks to a special drying charm.

He gave a soft ah-ha when he reached the page depicting the dolphins before him. They were a friendly species native to warm Prakran waters, but concentrated in the nurseries of tropical islands, including the Republic of Floating Isles.

Tikos closed his book and studied the dolphins some more. They came in all different sizes, so he assumed that they were a family. Based on the way they rolled on their side and rubbed up against his legs like cats wishing to be stroked, Tikos guessed that they wanted him to follow them somewhere.

He glanced over at the trench in uncertainty and back at the smiling, freckled dolphins. Kiki chirped in gentle curiosity as if to say, What are we waiting for?

Tikos perked up. If his familiar was relaxed about this whole situation, then he had nothing to worry about. Right? Besides, how could he call himself an adventurer if he wasn’t willing to cross a pirate graveyard?

“Okay, which of you thinks you’re strong enough to carry me?”

Even though the dolphins wore permanent smiles, they seemed to all beam at Tikos’ question. Several of the larger ones rotated in fast, tight circles while peppering the air with their high pitched clicks.

This wasn’t the first time Tikos swam with a dolphin, so he felt at home as he stretched out along the animal’s muscular back and took hold of their sturdy dorsal fin.

“Take me to the spirit of this island,” Tikos said as soon as they left the safety of the shallows. He tried not to pay attention to all of the sunken wreckage they were passing over. He knew that merfolk could smell fear in humans. So he did the best he could to strike it from his heart.

#the arcana #kipling the apprentice #tikos the pirate #kipos #mermay au #mermay!kipling

[the-melting-world]

Episode 8 🍋

Mermay!Kipling x Tikos

Tikos belongs to @dreams-of-the-arcana

All episodes can be found here: Mermay AU Masterlist

cw: oral, orgasm denial 🍋

***

The water spirit was kind enough to take Tikos all over the main island. By the time dusk rolled around, they were in an underwater cave. This time it was completely closed off from the outside. Some kind of magic kept the cavern lit up in that same blue-green glow as before.

Tikos walked along a rocky shelf that ran parallel to the channel slicing through the cavern. Kipling, of course, swam alongside Tikos in the narrow waterway. The two of them had left Kiki, Taro, and the dolphins to roam the shallow waters above while Kip took Tikos on a tour of what she said was once a grand library.

“Your island,” Tikos said, gazing up at the crumbling bookshelves and disintegrating scrolls, “is a wonder.”

Kip snorted softly. “It’s mostly ruins. I wish there was something worthwhile to show you. A trove or some ancient tech. But there’s nothing interesting here.”

Tikos stopped walking and lowered himself to his knees. He reached for Kipling and lifted her chin.

“Believe me, Kip. I’m interested. You could take me to the empty sandy bottom of the ocean and I would still be interested.”

The meaning in his words wasn’t lost on Kip. She hoisted herself onto her palms in order to meet him in a searing kiss. Then she withdrew a little, smiling. “You’ve seen everything there is to see, Tikos. So what now?”

“Now?” Tikos hummed, bringing her back in for more kisses. “Now I would like to focus on breaking this so-called curse.”

Kip breathed sharply against his lips. “Don’t be a fool.”

“Tell me,” Tikos lowered himself completely onto the shelf and pulled her against his chest, “is it foolish of me to want to be with you more than I want to seek buried treasure?”

Kip was silent as his hands traveled across her salt-kissed skin. She looked pleadingly at his face, taking in his intense brown eye and the dark patch over the other. They spent the next few moments communicating through their gazes and touch alone. Kip’s skin responded to every new spot Tikos explored with his calloused hands.

As his fingers neared her excited nipples, she clutched at his wet, open shirt and whispered, “It’s been… three hundred years since…”

Tikos nodded in understanding. “We can go slow.”

Kip shook her head as she took hold of his wrist and guided his hands right where she wanted them.

“No. I mean, I miss this.”

Tikos made another sound of understanding as he tested the softness of her breast before teasing her nipples and pearls between sea-weathered fingers. Kip whimpered with a soft smile on her face. Her speckled tail flapped blissfully in the water.

“And this.” Kip lowered her lips to Tikos’ collarbone. Soon he too was peppering the air with weak, breathless sounds. “I miss tasting humans.”

Kip dragged wet kisses down his neck, her hands coming to the buckle on his trousers. It soon became evident that she knew her way around human clothing.

Kipling’s shells and pearls clinked against the rock as she slid backwards into the water. Tikos watched mesmerized as she lapped at his cock and took him in again and again. Kip used her hand to warm him up at his base while her mouth did all the hard work.

Based on the way the water spirit hummed quietly and occasionally beat the water with her fluke, it was clear that she meant what she said earlier. Kipling worked her jaw to suck and savor everything she missed all those years.

“K-Kip,” Tikos whispered, his elbows aching from leaning them against the rock, “I’m getting close.”

He didn’t expect her to come off of him so suddenly.

“Ah – wait. I can go a little longer. I just–”

Something sly and wicked crossed Kipling’s features for the first time.

“You know, I promised my corals some kind of consequence for how you treated them today.”

Tikos, suddenly seeing where this was going, scrambled to his knees. But she was already back in the water, slipping out of his grasp.

“You’ll be fine here until morning. There are warm blankets and a bed just around that corridor.”

Tikos knew he looked ridiculous, holding his still hard cock and reaching out for her. But he didn’t care.

“Please, Kip. Don’t leave me like this!”

The water spirit giggled behind her tail fin. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back for you in the morning. Besides, you’ve got everything you need.”

She looked pointedly at his hands.

“Don’t you, Captain?”

#the arcana #mermay au #kipling the apprentice #tikos the pirate #kipos #lemon #minors dni

[dreams-of-the-arcana]

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

[the-melting-world]

🌿🐚Kipling Bronne Masterlist

Kipling’s Bio Kipling’s Art Kipling’s Aesthetics 

*Rest is under the cut*

🌿🐚HCs / Novelizations / Fics

First Date HCs

Random NSFW Facts | Kipling 🍋

Kissing HCs

The Arcana Visual Novel: Vulpes Animus (AO3)

Prologue (Arcana Echoes Event)

The Empress

Strength

The Sun

🌿🐚Main Tags:

kipling the apprentince - everything (asks, art, fics) pre-July 2022

kipling the gardener - everything post-July 2022

door lords - posts within the Door Lords Timeline (mostly fics and interactions)

the melting world - posts in connection to the Door Lords (moodboards, etc)

🌿🐚Ship Tags

kipasra - Kipling x Asra (from the arcana visual novel)

kiplec - Kipling x Alec @/into-the-daniverse

dapling - Kipling x Dante @/arcanecadenza

kiplum - Kipling x Calum @/vissentasenadz

kiplenko - Kipling x Milenko @/sunrisenfool

kipos - Kipling x Tikos @/dreams-of-the-arcana

what the spring does to cherry trees - Kipling x Zurkhi @/atypicalacademic

the gardener and the barhand - Kipling x Khleo

one thousand hours in the garden (brotp) - Kipling x Muriel (from the arcana visual novel)

#kipling bronne masterlist #kipling bronne #kipling writing masterlist #kipling bronne writing masterlist #kipling the gardener #coco's writing #oc writing #door lords