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littleplantfreak · 6 months ago

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Down to my level pt. 2 (SFW)

Starring: Sugishita Kyotaro (he's 6'3 but idk how tall he is when he's all hunched over)

(It's a little different than the first two I did with Umemiya and Togame but I intended to stop near 500 words and I accidentally surpassed it and wrote 1700+ so although Hiragi was suppose to be here to he'll have to wait till next round sorry Ragi-chan!🥺)

When you first met Sugishita Kyotaro (if you could call it a meeting), he walked smack into the door frame of the local library. It didn't phase him in the slightest, but it sure as hell scared you enough to drop the books you were re-shelving. Looking around the bookcase, you can see the boy's forehead already showing tell-tale signs of a goose egg as he rubs it before bringing books to the main counter.

"Ah Kyo-chan! Returning Umemiya's gardening books again?" Hina-san, the head librarian, asks in delight before whisking the books away. "Do you mind helping an old lady move some boxes in the back? I have some snacks in the kitchen once you're done," she says, leading him into the back room before he can say a word. Not that he says anything after that; he just ducks through the doorway careful not to hit his head again.

Picking the books up and continuing where you left off, your mind wandered a bit to that boy. Glossy black hair falling in his face and a scowl that only softened slightly when Hina spoke with him, and he was wearing a Furin jacket to boot. He might be a little cute, you tell yourself before remembering that he could also end up being some scary violent guy that would beat you up if you said the wrong thing to him. After a bit, he comes back out into the main room with Hina, and you end up spying crumbs left on the side of his mouth from the Madeline cookies you'd brought in the day before. You would have tried to warn him if Hina hadn't already made him lower his face to dust him off while she laughs. He looks completely used to this treatment and you give him the benefit and decide he is definitely cute, Furin boy or not. Sugishita catches the smallest glimpse of you peeking around the corner with your arms full of books before heads off for patrol.

The librarian told him you'd been working part-time during the school year, full time during breaks, and that you were a shy one, so he has to be careful not to scare you away. Funny thing is, you didn't look shy at all earlier. Eyes full of curiosity and a smidge of apprehension, there was no fear in the look you gave him both times you clocked him coming and going from the library. Sugishita thinks to make note of your name only because Umemiya-san said it's important to remember the names of the people around you, even if you don't use them often. It also happened to be a nice one, though if anyone asked him, he wouldn't say.

The next time you see Kyo-chan, he is face down asleep on one of the study tables. You aren't sure how long he's been there since you didn't even hear him come in, but he looks completely wiped out. From the small profile you can see, a few bruises color his face, and there is a bandage slapped over his eyebrow where you assume a small number of stitches are. Not wanting to disturb him, you walk back to the lounge and grab the small blanket that you usually curl up with on your breaks. You lay it on his shoulders with the gentleness of a butterfly because honestly, what would you say if he woke up to you covering him? Sure, it's a nice gesture, but he doesn't even know who you are.

When he wakes up, the first thing that hits him is the smell of cherries. He's aware of the blanket, and grabs it before it slips off him completely. Looking around, the only person in the library is Hina-san, so he returns it with a small thank you.

"Ah that wasn't me dear! It must've been our cute assistant, but they've already gone home. Aren't they sweet?" She gushes, prodding him for an answer.

"Guess so," he mumbles out, still sluggish from the afternoon nap turned full on sleep. He smells like cherries on the way home too.

The third time, Sugishita sees you first. The step ladder you're on wobbles as you try to reach the top of the shelves with the duster. Stretching further on your toes, you grab the shelf to steady yourself, but the thing is years old and not in the best condition. You can feel it give way as you tip sideways, a squeak forcing itself out out of your throat. You brace yourself for a few nasty bruises until you realize your momentum has stopped.

"You're like a mouse," Sugishita says, and you stare in shock at the boy who caught you.

"Muh-MOUSE?!" Shrill is the only way to describe the voice coming out now. So maybe you do sound like a mouse. Who is he to say that though? He carries you away from the shelves despite the wriggling you're doing, desperate to put your feet on the ground. It's half-embarrassing, half-infuriating that his hold doesn't budge in the slightest.

"I'd appreciate it if you would put me down Kyo-chan," you huffed with your arms now crossed. His walk slows for a second before turning his face away from you. Apparently the way you called him had some effect, though you aren't sure what kind until you look at his ears. You swear they weren't that red before, and you start to feel giddy about it. "Kyo-chan, Kyo-chan, pleeeaaase put me down?" You make your voice sugary sweet. You would've batted your eyes at him too but the fast snap of his head back to you stops your teasing short.

You can only describe the look he throws you as hilariously appalled at your words, but it also confirms they were pretty effective. Neither one to back down, it becomes a staring contest until he speaks first for once.

"Sugishita Kyotaro." An air of finality hangs in the statement of his own name, but as this point you need to press his buttons just a little.

"I prefer Kyo-chan. It's cuter, don't you think?" He looks exasperated as he places you on the lounge's couch gently. Down on his knee in front of you, he grabs your calf to start prodding at your ankle.

"What are you- ow! Don't touch it!" You have to swat his hand away before he lowers your leg grumbling an apology and that saying it's probably sprained. You can feel it now that attention has been drawn to it though. A little red and not completely feeling right, it's almost like it's numb until you try to point a toe out. You cringe at the pain shooting up your calf. No amount of stretching or moving your ankle makes it feel any less painful than the first time, so you finally let it rest.

While you were experimenting with your new injury, Sugishita grabbed a roll of bandages and an ice pack from the kitchen to begin wrapping it. The way he gently takes your shoe off and handles the wrap reminds you of a prince. A silent, grumpy one, but there are so many princes like that in the romance novels that you may or may not have read in the fiction section. Your thoughts start off in a direction you'd do well to cut short but you can't keep a quiet "pretty," from leaving your mouth while you watch him finish up. And he really does look pretty. The sunlight hits him from the windows, lightening his brown eyes just a bit and his serious expression while he's concentrating on wrapping you up is no joke. "Ah...I meant your hair?" You trail off cursing yourself for saying something like that after teasing him earlier. If it were anyone else you'd expect him to tease you back. You aren't looking at him anymore, until he tries to draw your attention with a grunt. He's turned around, crouched with his back to you.

"Hop on."

"Your back?"

"My back. Hurry up."

"You're going to carry me?" He looks over his shoulder again, with blatant annoyance on his face, and nods. You were wondering how you'd get home, and this seems like one of the few viable options now that you did consider it. Once he stands up, you realize just how tall he really is. Holy Shit. You have to duck with him when he goes through the low doorways of the library, letting Hina know what happened before you both leave and she waves you off.

The walk home is silent mostly due to reveling in the novelty of being taller than usual. Occasionally, you'll point out a stray cat or some flowers climbing up a fence you could only see thanks to the extra few inches. Even though they're met with a hum or grunt, he doesn't seem to be bothered by it.

To Sugishita, you were weren't a bother per se and Umemiya would be pleased to see him helping someone, but he was struck again by the smell of your perfume while he carried you. That, paired with the melody of your voice as you leaned and chatted about the difference in altitude made it hard to concentrate until you said his name.

"Sugishita-san thank you for taking care of me," thanking the stars as well for remembering to tell him while you weren't looking at him fully after calling him pretty minutes prior. He lets out a breath before saying his longest sentence to you yet.

"You can call me whatever you want."

Oh. Oh. He's giving you the green light to call him Kyo-chan again. You were trying to be heartfelt, but he's gotta go and be cute like that? Ears and the back of your neck burn, but you're pleased at the new development. You end up thanking him again, with a regular kyo-chan this time, before hobbling inside your front door wondering when you'd see him at work next.

First thing in the morning though, despite the rain, Sugishita's outside your house with an umbrella telling you to hurry up because he'll end up late for school. It seems he's made it his mission to tote you to both work and school until your ankle is healed. You might just have to fib a little when it starts feeling better to keep the piggyback rides for a while longer.

#sugishita kyotaro x reader #wind breaker #seeee i dont just make silly posts i do write things #he was pretty stubborn to write for but thats so like him i cant even really complain #I pictured sugi helping put books on the shelf thats too high for a normal person to reach thus this was born #Also i tried being more gender neutral with it but probably failed at some part #i was like 'mari you cant write him to be dog-like silly thing you joke about it too much“ *proceeds to mention he smells stuff first”#LIKE A DOG #mari writes #i need to collar myself so i stop writing so much and so i stop using so many $20 words i shall endeavor to work on that

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serpentface · 7 months ago

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Palo and Tigran standing casually in place to provide an outfit reference.

They are wearing the most typical day to day clothing for Galenii monks. This consists of three main parts:

-A simple, ankle-length sleeveless robe (white in initiate monks and black in the fully initiated). -A dark woolen cloak, which doubles as a blanket. This cloak is the foundational item of clothing throughout much of Imperial Wardin as a whole, and worn by all social classes. They tend to be cut shorter and highly decorative in the upper classes, serving only the practical purpose of shielding the arms from the sun. Poor laborers may wear only the cloak and a loincloth and nothing else. In the case of Galenii monks, it is standardized, simple, and dark blue-gray. -The sash. This is a very long scarf that is the primary visual signifier of a Galenii monk. Its open ends drape down the front side of the body and are tied at the chest. It is slung over the shoulders and hangs in a loop around the back. These sashes are dyed an expensive royal blue, indicating the significance and relative esteemed status of this religious order.

Additional elements:

-The sign of the horns: a small iron pin used to fasten the cloak. This is the symbol of the Lunar Face Of God (the specific aspect to which the Galenii are devoted, which is primarily associated with fertility and the cycles of sacrifice and rebirth). This is very common among monks but not standardized wear. Galenii priests wear the sign of the triple horns (though more commonly as an amulet).

-Ear piercings: Galenii monks and priests wear thick earrings of dark meteoric iron and stretch their earlobes. One is added to each ear for each year of the initiatory process. Palo is a year in, and Tigran is fully initiated and has five bands per ear. Body modification is exceptionally rare in Imperial Wardi culture, largely in relation to taboos surrounding body integrity. The exception here is done with great significance and care- these earrings can be made only with true meteoric iron, considered to be the blood of God Itself. Permanently marking their bodies with this metal signifies this priesthood's integral connection to maintaining the continual cycle of sacrifice/rebirth that is believed to keep God's domain stable, and binds them to this role.

-Sandals: usually very simple in construction. Monks are often expected to go barefoot, but the cities are quite dirty so most prefer to avoid this if possible.

-Ceremonial dagger: a sign of a fully initiated monk. It is curved and its sheath is decorated with a tuft of lion's mane (a signal of the Galenii order's close connection to the Odonii order). Most of its uses are ceremonial, but it will be periodically used to perform animal sacrifices. A smaller razor blade is kept in the home for personal bloodletting.

-Hair: Fully initiated monks shave their heads, while those in the process of initiation have relative freedom with hair dressing. Palo is wearing his hair in a single braid tucked around the front. Broadly speaking, braiding the hair is associated with female beauty standards throughout much of Imperial Wardin (though generally in two braids). There is no cultural convention Against men doing so, but it is regarded as mildly effeminate (particularly in the south and southeast).

-Lore Friendly Sunglasses: Palo has photosensitive epilepsy. No effective treatments for epilepsy exist in the setting (most 'treatments' in Imperial Wardin are alchemical in nature, ie: ambiguously helpful at best or literal poison at worst), but understanding of the Nature of epilepsy as a neurological disorder is relatively accurate, and the concept of photosensitivity is loosely understood (though not with great accuracy, it's assumed to be caused by light in General). Palo had this pair of (VERY expensive) sunglasses commissioned as a youth, which Do slightly reduce the frequency of his seizures. Devastatingly stylish as they may be, his glasses do not offer much visual clarity so he only wears them in bright conditions.

#Am working on the dreaded Art Fight References #Also height comparison. Palo looks taller than he is because he's skinny as fuck and next to a 4'9'' guy. But he's 5'10''#Which is above average height for the setting (average man is probably 5'6''-7'') but not huge #I kind of need to reintroduce these guys because I made the earliest posts about them right around when I started actually writing #and a lot of their background lore has changed.#Namely their upbringings- most of the cast of the White Calf are stupid wealthy Imperial Wardi elites and I needed these guys to be like...#Normal people.#Tigran is still from a branch of a family that is wealthy in distant Ubibi but his specific branch is poor agricultural laborers living #around the lower Brilla river next to Wardin (city)#Palo is still better off but not crazy rich- his family were glass workers and traders out of Godsmouth and #would be considered middle class. Wealthy enough for occasional extravagances like sunglasses but nothing ridiculous #Most of the post-White Calf era stuff is now outdated too #AND ON ANOTHER TANGENT- most sun protective eyewear in this part of the setting is less 'elegant' (affordable sunglasses would #be mostly sheets of hammered bronze with punctured holes)#There is relatively sophisticated eyewear produced in Bur and Imperial Wardin (including some actual moderately useful glasses for #correcting visual impairment) but good pairs are prohibitively expensive and made by dedicated craft workers #Palo's pair would have cost about a year of his father's wages #palo apolynnon #tigran otto #the white calf

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