Angst/Fluff ask from the wonderful @poetic-emptiness-fanfic (I am so sorry for the delay! I appreciate the ask :3)
Answered from this list
Characters: Julian, Ella the Apprentice
Words: 822
He really shouldn’t be surprised. Or this frustrated. It’s not like sleep had ever come easy to him. Maybe it was all the coffee he had consumed in his life, or maybe it was the fact his brain was never able to completely turn off, but insomnia had plagued him for as long as he could remember.
It had been a busy day. No, it had been a busy month. Winter was right around the corner, and as usual, the change of seasons brought with it a whole new host of illnesses. It seemed to Julian that he hadn’t had a moment to breathe in weeks.
The herbal remedies Ella had given him to use in the shop were helping some, but nothing would ever be as effective as his healing ability. Which he didn’t have anymore. Not that he regretted giving that up to see Ella again, but it did make work a little harder.
When he found a rare moment to himself, he felt his mind racing, his thoughts scattered. Believe it or not, his insomnia seemed to have gotten worse.
And, to top it off, it felt like forever since he had been able to see Ella. She had recently returned from a two week long trip with Asra, and had only had time to stop by earlier this week to drop off more herbal remedies. She had told him she would try to stop by later in the week, but she hadn’t been able to yet.
Not that he held that against her. She was a busy, beautiful, talented magician who had responsibilities to attend to in her own life. He knew she would come see him if she had the time. He had thought about stopping by the shop if he had time, but his days had continually been running long.
It was just so hard to concentrate on anything other than how much he missed her.
Sighing loudly, Julian tried in vain to return to his new book on bloodletting with Parakan leeches in the dim candlelight of his office. After re-reading the same page for the fifth time, he flipped the book shut and rested his head on his desk, watching the flame of his candle flicker and jump in the soft breeze from the open window.
Although he felt exhausted, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Truthfully, the only way he was able to fall asleep without much of a fight was with Ella in the bed next to him.
He smiled to himself, thinking about her slim body pressed against his, her face resting against his chest as he held her in his arms. She fell asleep so quickly with him, and her steady breaths and rhythmic heartbeat helped calm him, and lulled him into sleep.
He ran his hands through his hair, pushing his auburn curls from his face. Maybe he should just make the time to go see her. Tomorrow, for sure. He could bring her lunch, or maybe grab a bite at the Raven for--
A light rap at the clinic door startled him out of his thoughts. A knock this late must mean an emergency. Quickly, he pushed his chair back and made his way to the door. He unlocked it quickly and opened it...
...to reveal Ella standing on the steps, smiling warmly at him.
“Hello, Julian.”
“Ella! What a pleasant surprise,” he said, returning her smile and ushering her into the clinic. “I was just thinking about you.”
She smiled, tucking a stray chestnut curl behind her ear. “Only good things, I hope?”
“Always, my dear.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He felt her smile into the kiss, raising on her tiptoes to deepen it.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” Julian cocked his head to the side, his brows knitting together in concern. “But it is awfully late. You’re not hurt or anything, are you?”
Ella’s smile slipped a fraction, as she began picking at the skin around her thumbnail, her eyes turning to her feet. “No, I’m not hurt. I just...” She sighed, lifting her gaze back to him.
“I’m sorry it’s late. I um, I had a bad dream. I... I can’t sleep. Can I stay here?” She tucked the uncooperative curl back behind her ear, blushing as she continued. “I just sleep so much better with you, and I know that--”
Before she could finish, Julian pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her hair. Ella sighed and rested her head against his chest, returning the embrace. He held her for a few moments longer, smiling into her hair, before giving the top of her head one last kiss and pulling away to look at her.
“You’re always welcome to stay here, my dear. Always.” He kissed her gently on the lips before taking her hand. “Come, let’s go to bed.”
//this is mostly gonna be lore about where they come from and what i feel like their home would be like hehe ill do more just gotta piece everything together :3//
Finch and Callum come from the city of Hjalle.
Hjalle is across from Nevivon, which I think in a Modern AU would be around Russia. Hjalle, I’m thinking of as a France/Luxembourg/Baltic-esque city. (It honestly just really depends on who it is and where you’re looking on a map.) I also think of Hjalle as a smaller city.
Their parents owned a Bodega on the coast, with an apartment above the shop. (Yes they had a bodega cat.) Their parents had noticed Callum’s hearing and Finch’s ability with nature, and decided to send them to Vesuvia to live with their Auntie D, also known as Auntie Dream. (More on that in a second.)
The day they arrived, happened to be the same day that the Satrinavas arrived aswell. Being pushed aside, Finch landed in Asra’s little bauble shop, while Callum landed in some splattered pomegranates.
Auntie D was a magician who was skilled in Dream Magic, along with the elements. She taught Asra, Finch, and Callum.
Finch helped kids in the street. She would tell them stories, teach them basic skills, feed them, and when Vesuvia was having terrible weather, she would bring them in to have a warm place to sleep.
When Callum turned 24, he left on a boat to help cities with people like him. The fifth night sailing, their boat was taken under siege by Pirates, and was rumoured to not have any survivors. There were 3 survivors. They washed up on a shore two klicks away from Hjalle. Callum left them on their own, in his defense, he had no idea who they were and they didn’t know how to communicate with him. After leaving them, he ventured back to Hjalle, and stayed with his parents until he had enough to get back to Vesuvia.
After Callum had left, there was about three months before the plague hit.
During the plague, Finch still worked with children. She would work with the children who lost their parents to the plague, and who had it. Although wearing the proper gear, she caught it. She, obviously didn’t know it yet.
Cue her and Asra’s argument, making him leave and her stay.
Random OC asks! What inspired you when you were making Kipling?
Thank you for asking!!! That’s a great question.
I’d have to say the biggest inspiration was just my own background. A lot of my family is from the Caribbean, which is so diverse and has such rich culture/history/lore that I often incorporate it in my writing (on and off my blog).
Also she’s named after Rudyard Kipling, author of the jungle book. Books/literature play a big role in Kipling’s route (which I am nowhere near close to writing pffft!) and the jungle book is one that is close to my heart/childhood.
Hoped that gave a little more insight into Kip. Thanks again!
@poetic-emptiness-fanfic thank you for the ask! :)
7. Is your character an optimist or a pessimist?
Optimist, for the most part. She likes to look at the world as glass half full and tries to see the best in everyone. But she’d probably describe herself as more of a realist in most cases.
13. Have they ever been bullied or teased?
As the youngest child, and the only one to ever show any magical ability, her siblings picked on her often, but it was nothing more than normal sibling teasing. She didn’t really let it bother her, but she does make an effort to step in if she sees someone being treated poorly by others.
34. What’s their view of lying?
Not a fan. She would never lie to anyone, even if the truth is painful. And Ella would rather you not lie to her. She doesn’t see the point. If you’ve done something you feel the need to lie about... you probably shouldn’t have done it in the first place.
74. What is your character’s favorite game?
Ella really enjoys chess. She loves the strategy of the game, how each piece has its own unique and important role, how you’re always trying to guess your opponents next few moves. She’s not actually very good at chess, but she loves any chance to play and improve.
99. Do they talk to inanimate objects?
Oh, for sure. Ella talks out loud often, sometimes in general and sometimes to specific objects.
hi~ :3 can i have the 30,34 and 35 for apprentice aks? :3
@xayahagressive thank you for the ask! :)
30. What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?
Skittery bugs, celery, lucio, people who are rude or dismissive to others.
34. Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?
Ella is always looking for solutions to problems, and will not waste time continuing to do something that doesn’t seem to be working. She may not completely forgo the idea altogether, but she’ll make adjustments to see if she can get a better outcome.
35. How does your character behave around people they like?
If Ella likes you, she’ll be very open and friendly (and sometimes a little too touchy, but she’s working on it). She’s the type of person to always ask how you’ve been, and she genuinely wants to know. In general, Ella isn’t an awkward person, and will make friends and keep a conversation going very easily.
If Ella likes you, its a whole different story. She’s a blushing, stuttering mess, and she knows it. She’ll often try to hide this by just not engaging in conversation (which kinda makes it hard for the other person to pick up on the fact she likes them).
6. Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?
Unfortunately, the only dreams Ella is ever aware of are nightmares. She consistently has dreams that she loses her memories again, or that those she loves have forgotten her. These types of dreams bring her greatest fears to light, and it will often take her hours of days to recover from a dream like that.
19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?
Ella’s greatest flaw is her inabililty to open up when something is bothering her. She becomes distant, withdrawn and cold, which to some people translates as disinterest in the relationship. Although she has only had a few serious relationships in her life, this quality definitely put strain on them, and ultimately led to the end of the relationship.
43. Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?
Aside from her familiar, no. As the youngest child with no children of her own, she was never responsible for the care of anyone other than herself.
Ella enjoys the frightening and spooky aspect of Halloween and would probably gravitate toward a more “scary” costume. Her somewhat dark sense of humor suggests that a zombie or ghost costume would be her first choice (you know, since she, well, died?) but Asra and Julian would not approve of that. She’d probably settle for a vampire.
7. What’s their most irrational fear?
Bugs, but specifically ones with more than 8 legs. She thinks they are so gross and cannot stand the way they move with all those itty bitty legs. Nothing needs that many legs.
The smell of campfires has always reminded Ella specifically of fall. The smell of the air on a chilly autumn morning is a very close second.
16. Would they stay in a haunted house overnight?
Probably. She’d have a lot of fun exploring and trying to communicate with the spirits. Ella isn’t afraid of much, but she’d be more willing to do it if she could have someone else stay with her.
23. What’s the best gift they’ve ever received?
Ella always admired Muriel’s wood carving skill, especially the little animal figures he had made for Asra. She mentioned to him once how much she loved the carvings, and was surprised to find one waiting for her in the doorway of the shop later that week. Carefully tucked in a small leather pouch was a carving of a whale, her favorite animal, humming with a very familiar protection charm.
When she showed Asra, he told her than Muriel had asked to borrow one of her books on whales so he could get the shape just right. She was so touched by the gift and the thoughtfulness of it, that to this day she carries it around with her wherever she goes. She considers it somewhat of a lucky charm.
