Chapter Text
What was supposed to be a packed summer, one filled with odd jobs and errands, had quickly turned into daily luxury shopping sprees.
Ruggie’s hands ached, multiple shopping bags weighing down on his arms, stacked on top of each other. The hot sun of the Scalding Sands burned into his face. Yet, he enjoyed this warmth, it was comforting.
Something familiar admits the expensively woven tapestries, professionally dyed cloths, and exotic fruits.
Two days ago, Kalim Al-Asim, Night Raven College’s most wealthy student had come by Ruggie’s doorstep and swooped him away, bringing him to the Scalding Sands under the excuse of wanting some company for a ‘little bit’ of shopping.
Ruggie had looked back at his homeland, saying goodbye to the kids he had been playing with, before taking Kalim’s hand and departing.
As much as Ruggie would enjoy playing ball with his neighborhood’s kids, he knew that tagging along with Kalim would lead to dozens, even hundreds of Tupperwares filled with food for everyone to share. And what mattered most was what he would receive in the long run.
“Mmm… This one seems nice. I think my mother would like it. Would you like one too?” Kalim turned to Ruggie, holding up a magenta shawl with golden embroidered flowers, swirling around one elegant Macaw.
“Nah, i’m fine.” Ruggie smiled, peering over at the display of scarfs. He picked up a shimmery turquoise one and held it for a moment. Its bright golden details paired beautifully with the fancy teal. “Is this the one you like?”
“Well, its cool ‘n all. But I don’t really need it.” Ruggie shrugged, setting down the shawl. “No, no. I’ll buy it for you.” Kalim insisted, calling over the stall owner.
An older lady, with fading chestnut hair appeared from behind the curtain. “Ah, Mr. Al-Asim. My favorite customer!” She greeted, a soft smile on her face.
“Just these two for today.” Kalim picked up the magenta shall along with the turquoise one.
“Where’s Mr. Viper? He doesn’t seem to be with you today.” The lady asked, looking around for any hints of Jamil’s dark hair.
“I’ve brought my schoolmate in his place. I’m trying to be… less dependent on Jamil.” Kalim answered, taking the packaged scarves off the woman’s hands.
The old woman glanced at Ruggie and gave him a warm grin. “Well it’s nice to meet you sir.” She bowed her head with respect. Ruggie shifted awkwardly, unused to this amount of courtesy.
“No need for any of that sappy stuff, just call me Ruggie.” He smiled back. “Well then, it’s been nice to see you Miss!” Kalim clapped his hands together, whisking Ruggie away as he headed towards the next stall.
As the hours ticked away, the market seemed to grow less and less crowded. The sun began to set from a bright blue into a comforting orange. And Ruggie wondered how much more shopping could one possibly handle.
In the past four hours, Kalim had purchased three carpets, five pajamas, two scarves, fifteen bangles, and two necklaces. Along with an assortment of dresses for his mother.
“Okay, how about we get a snack before we head back?” Kalim suggested. Ruggie snapped out of his daze, perking up at the mention of a snack, his hunger kicking in.
“That’s a great idea. I’m starving!” Ruggie grinned. Kalim, always told to be wary of the food he received, let Ruggie pick out any delectable he desired and decided to keep his appetite for when they returned home.
Ruggie picked out a delicious looking pastry, and the two headed back towards Kalim’s home.
The ride back didn’t take too long, maybe a good half hour. Ruggie ate his pastry, and listened as Kalim talked about how much he enjoyed visiting the market.
“I’m glad that we could go shopping today!” Kalim smiled. All his purchases neatly arranged in the back of his private ferry.
“No problem, Kalim. Thanks for all the goods, shishishi.” Ruggie replied, patting Kalim’s shoulder.
As they reached their destination, Ruggie and Kalim jumped off the ferry, with Kalim’s workers taking out the luggage for them.
“Are ya sure you don’t want me to bring the things in??” Ruggie inquired, looking back at the two men in uniforms hauling out the shopping.
“Oh, it’s fine. Don’t worry!” Kalim reassured, leading them inside.
Besides with accompanying Kalim with his shopping, Kalim had also asked Ruggie to stay the week. In hopes to show his friend all about the Scalding Sands, show him the various dishes and traditions of his homeland.
Obviously, Ruggie had agreed without much hesitation, especially with the promise of lots food to bring back home. He liked to imagine how excited the kids in his town would be once he brought back lots of cool sweets and spicy new foods for all of the to try.
“Welcome back, young master Kalim.” A servant greeted the white haired boy at the entrance of his grand mansion; one comparable to many palaces owned by royals across the world.
Kalim smiled back politely and gave a cheerful reply, whilst Ruggie stood by awkwardly, just as he had done yesterday when he had first arrived.
The two ventured inside the massive home, with tall walls, open aired windows, and lavish velvet red curtains.
With servants and loud chatter coming from every room, no wonder Kalim was such an outgoing guy; he grew up in such a cheerful home.
Kalim’s room was located upstairs at the end of the corridor, walking up there felt like crossing Night Raven College’s from one side to the other, but with a room like Kalim’s the walk would always be worth it.
The bedroom had an identical atmosphere to Kalim’s dorm room back at school. With a huge bed, big windows, fuzzy carpets, and expensive looking ornaments.
“Oh woah, they do clean up the place nicely, ya? Shishishi.” Ruggie looked around, just this morning, Kalim’s bedroom was a mess of clothes, discarded pillows, empty dishes and textbooks.
Now it was sparkling clean, with not one crumb in sight. “Well, yeah.” Kalim nodded, sitting down on his bed.
“So, what’re we gonna do tonight?” Ruggie asked, taking a seat on the floor in front of Kalim, taking in the wonderful feeling of the soft carpeting bellow him. Honestly? He could sleep on this thing for days if he had the time.
“Well, we studied and ate yesterday night… how ‘bout we stargaze up on my balcony? The skies here are pretty clear, you know?” Kalim suggested, pointing over at his balcony, adorned with throw pillows, a small table and one telescope, pointing towards the north.
Ruggie pondered for a bit, in truth, he was a bit tired. But he did want to see the bright stars for himself. Since not much was visible from the windows of Night Raven College or his own hometown.
“Sure, seems fun.” Ruggie shrugged with his usual smirk. Kalim took the beastman’s hand and whisked him over to the balcony.
For a second there, Ruggie swore his stomach did a flip. But before he could register his body’s reaction towards Kalim’ the white haired boy had sat down on his knees, beckoning Ruggie to sit beside him.
The dark blue sky shimmered above them, stars gleaming and forming beautiful constellations. “Man…” Ruggie sighed, content. Taking in the gentle breeze and the magnificent sight before and beside him.
Kalim’s hair seemed to dance with the winds, reflecting the lights of the sky. “Thanks for… Asking me to accompany you.” Ruggie grinned, leaning back onto the wall, grabbing a navy pillow and holding it in his arms.
“Of ‘course! I love partying and hanging out with you.” Kalim grinned back, giving a friendly nudge. “I hope we can do this more often, even at school. My dorm has a sick balcony.” Kalim wished, imagining how fun it’d be for the two of them to enjoy more nights together, sitting peacefully whilst staring at the stars.
Ruggie laughed, enamored with the idea of regular nightly star gazing with Kalim. The thought of seeing the cheery boy every night to watch as the stars twinkled sounded amazing.
And as the night grew older and older, the two spoke of little things, classmates, teachers, foods, and even their dreams and aspirations.
Eventually, a calm silence began to settle between them and Kalim drifted off into a slumber. For a while, Ruggie just sat and watched, listening to the white haired boy breathe. Wondering what he could possibly be dreaming of, before taking him into his arms, and carrying him over to his bed.
“Jamil might scold me if I just let Kalim sleep outside like this.” Ruggie thought, Kalim snoring in his arms.
The hyena set down his friend onto the bed, tucking him in, shoving the extra throw pillows to the other end of the bed.
Despite the numerous spare rooms Kalim had in his house, he insisted that Ruggie shared a room with him.
And so, Ruggie quickly changed out of his outdoor clothes into some pajamas, and made himself comfortable on Kalim’s red sofa.
Wrapping the blanket Kalim had provided for him around his body as if he were a roll of sushi.
And as soon as Ruggie found himself comfortable, the boy drifted into sleep. Dreaming of a new, free donut stall at school…
———
Morning came as soon as the night had passed, Ruggie’s dreams were pleasant and comforting as usual.
And as the boy stirred awake, he felt a presence at the other end of the sofa.
Ruggie stretched his arms out and let out a yawn, rubbing his eyes as he adjusted to the bright sunlight flittering through the windows.
“Ka…lim?” Ruggie called, sitting upright as he leaned towards the boy curled up at his feet.
“Mmh..?” Kalim groaned, shifting in his sleep. Ruggie nudged his friend, hoping he’d wake up. “Why’re ya sleeping here? Ya got a whole big bed over there. Shishishi.” He chuckled, unwrapping the blanket that covered him.
Kalim turned his body to face Ruggie’s, rubbing his eyes awake, squinting them as they adjusted to the naturally bright room. “I guess i…” Kalim yawned, stopping himself mid sentence.
“I think I just… Subconsciously moved here.” Kalim replied, stretching his arms out forward and cracking his knuckles. His legs up against his chest, have covered with Ruggie’s blanket.
For a while, the two boys sat there. Soaking in the warm lights as they chatted and laughed.
Everything seemed perfect, until…
“Kalim, are you awake yet?” A familiar voice rang from behind the door. Kalim got off the sofa, fixing up his hair as he opened the door, with Ruggie at his heels.
Kalim pulled the door open and was greeted by a slightly irritated Jamil. One sassy hand on his hip. “It’s past lunch. You’re supposed to be getting ready for tonights dance.” Jamil reminded, a dissatisfied look on his face.
“Oh shit, you’re right!” Kalim yelped, realizing his mistake in waking up late. “I totally forgot about that.” He sighed, rubbing at his temples, feeling disappointed in himself.
Ruggie put an arm on Kalim’s shoulder and reassured him there was still lots of time and being defeated over something that had already happened wasn’t something to be upset about.
“Anyways, if it’s tonight… Don’t ya still have some time? You said it’s tonight?” Ruggie inquired, hand still on Kalim’s shoulder.
“Yeah, but this one,” Jamil gestured towards the white haired heir. “Takes a while in getting ready for these things. Especially because this time, he’s trying to be more independent and do most things on his own.” Jamil sighed.
Ruggie huffed and couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. “I didn’t know you were the indecisive type.” Ruggie commented.
“Well, I always want to dress appropriately for the occasion! That means sifting through different outfits and making sure they look nice and fit the event.” Kalim pouted, justifying his hesitance; both hands at his hips.
“Well, I’ll help him out.” Ruggie declared. Jamil nodded with understanding and gave the two more details on the dance.
“Oh and, I informed your father that Ruggie is visiting. He said that if he wanted to attend, he’s more than welcome, too.” Jamil announced one last time before disappearing behind the doors.
“So, what do you think? You gonna come?” Kalim asked, turning to his hyena companion, full of anticipation. “I don’t have anything fancy to wear. I don’t mind staying here while you’re out.” Ruggie shrugged. In fact, all he had brought with him on this trip was a couple of T-shirts, shorts, and some pajamas.
“Well, you can always just borrow some of mine. I’m sure something’ll fit. It’s not that we’re that far in height, anyways.” Kalim suggested, pointing towards an oak door at the west side of his room, leading towards his walk-in-closet.
“Are ya sure?” Ruggie chuckled awkwardly, tilting his head sideways. He wasn’t one for inconveniencing others. “Mhm!” Kalim hummed, a wide smile on his face. Truth be told, Kalim wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of attending these sort of gatherings, they always had some sort of romantic undertone to them. But maybe with Ruggie at his side, it wouldn’t feel too awkward.
Ruggie pursed his lips, giving the offer a think. If he went, it was a guarantee there would be an array of expensive dishes and treats… But he wasn’t enthusiastic on having to wear intricate outfits and suits. “… As long as i ain’t wearing anything too itchy.” Ruggie grinned, his sharp fangs covered by his hand.
Kalim clapped his hands together with a small jump of joy. “Alright then, come on!” Kalim’s face had lit up, almost as if he really was shining. He led Ruggie over to the closet, and threw the doors open. Revealing a closet almost twice as big as Ruggie’s dorm room.
Filled top to bottom with the finest suits, traditional clothing, and expensive garments. Each one shimmering brightly as the sun touched the fabrics.
Each section of the closet seemed to be sorted by color. Ranging from scarlet reds to the darkest of blacks. “Let’s see…” Kalim’s face had strode into the closet, running his hands along the clothes. Ruggie followed with absolute awe. Counting in his head, just how much money he could make by selling just one of these suits. His mouth agape with admiration.
“Which one do you want?” Kalim asked, looking through his collection of fine suits. Each one tailored without a single mistake. Some had small diamonds sewed into the cuffs, creating one of Scalding Sands’ signature clothing patterns. Small little beetles crafted from red rubies and green emeralds.
Ruggie peaked behind Kalim. The theme of the dance was quite simple: colorful and fancy. Meaning creative suits and loud dresses. “I’m not the best at picking these kinda of clothes, i’ll take whatever.” He shrugged, his head only filled with the thought of warm pastries and exquisite dining.
“Alright then!” Kalim exclaimed excitedly, both hands on his hips as he thought about what they both could wear. He had a couple of good ideas, but wasn’t sure which one to execute first.
“Mmm… Okay, i’ve got some ideas.” Kalim put a hand on his chin. Humming as he struggled to remember in which area the suits he had envisioned were sorted into, his eyes darting around the walk-in-closet.
“Aha! There!” Kalim pointed, ecstatic. He skipped over to the very back of his closet and pulled out two suits. Each one pre-matched with ties and clips. One with a teal tie, accented with a small golden peacock feather shaped brooch beside the chest pocket.
“Don’t you think this one is adorable? It totally matches the scarf from yesterday!!!” Kalim squealed, impressed by his own amazing fashion choices. Holding up the suit with utter pride. Kalim handed Ruggie the outfit before picking out several other suits.
One with embroidered pant cuffs, another with a bright purple ribbon shaped tie, and one more with a long, shiny red checkered tie.
“Huff!” Ruggie grunted as Kalim tossed him another suit.
After sorting out for suits for Ruggie to choose, Kalim had began picking out his own garments. One after the other, in the end he had chosen out five different clothes to try on.
Ruggie had a feeling that this would take longer than he originally anticipated…
And for the rest of the evening, the pair took turns in trying on their suits. Initially, Kalim had even tried on a similar outfit to the one he wore at the school’s gala, but decided against it.
In the end, the two had finally decided their looks.
Ruggie had settled for the first look. The teal tie paired with the peacock brooch. But instead of the blazer, Ruggie had decided to go for a more original design, and wrap the teal shall Kalim had bought for him around his waist as a makeshit belt.
Seeing this, Kalim had gotten inspired, and picked out his own shawl. A ruby red one to match the tie he had chosen.
The shawl had beautifully embroidered beetles and vines all over it, with short shiny tassels that sparkled when met with light. “Oooh!! We look amazing!” Kalim sighed with content, twirling in the mirror as he soaked in the gloriousness of his outfit. “The shall idea is absolutely incredible!” Kalim grinned, his hands taking Ruggie’s, holding them tightly.
“Shishishi, just a bit of my artistry!” Ruggie puffed up his chest, proud of his fashion suggestion. He really did think that the outfits looked amazing.
Kalim spun them around, giggling as the room swooshed around them. Ruggie’s face warm with a tingly feeling. He couldn’t help himself from laughing as well.