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klugami · 6 months

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Amitie the idol?! New conflict. I’m done. Anyways I wish I had a boyfriend but more Klugami soon. Or not. It took like half a year for this one hehe

Isolation.

For a city with such a colorful cast, everyone blurs into the same shade of brown. Browns, purples, reds. No matter what you do, you’re just another hat in a crowd. Embracing yourself might be fun, but in the end, you’re still a nobody. Faceless, perhaps. Why pretend you exist? Occupy your niche, pretend it’s all fine. Aren’t you happier like this?

Why do you want to be unique so badly? Is it truly unique, or do you just want to feel loved? Do you even want to be loved, or are you so desperate to have acknowledgment? To be something more than one brick in the Great Wall of society.

Perhaps.

Sig looked at the window, from behind the counter. Orange lights, a sight that he’s grown tired of. In the past few weeks, or maybe it was months, it feels like he’s seen Klug less and less. Raffina told him that this was normal, but… no, it’s probably fine.

Besides him, Raffina and Lidelle seemed to be more consistent customers. They’d chat about the happenings, usually that nothing new happened. Amitie was usually there too, but today she was not. Sig never talked to any of them outside of orders, anyway.

He still comes by, every now and again, though he’s grown a bit stranger over time. Now, Sig always felt that Klug was kind of the hiding type, but it feels like whatever Klug was hiding got bigger. But at the same time, he smiles more. Was it genuine or not? Sig didn’t know.

As the door chimed, Sig immediately looked to see who came in. Disappointingly, it was not one of his friends, but rather a papergirl. This is odd, Sig thinks, as usually letters are delivered straight to his home. ��Is it urgent?” He asked, now looking at the bread he had for sale.

“No, no!” Ally tried to explain. “I’m not here to deliver anything. Ooh, but your bread looks super good! I insist, Mister Sig! I want to make a purchase!” She looks at many loaves of bread, pointing out each one’s qualities to her like “oh! It’s so cute!” Or “I really like that bug!”

Ally fawned over all the bread, before lightly smacking herself to remain focused. “Ok! I’ll have.. whatever’s cheapest!” She decides.

Sig looked behind him, then grabbed a loaf of bread. The plainest one he had, as per Ally’s request for something cheap. At least he wasn’t parting with something more extravagant.

“Here it is. 5 silver coins.” He recites, putting the bread in Ally’s hands. “I thought you had letters to deliver?” Sig said, offhandedly, as he went to go bake a replacement loaf.

“There’s no need to worry! I’m off today!” Ally said, as she sat herself down to eat her bread. Though before she could even get started, the door swung open again, seeming out of breath

“Puff… Baker! Baker! I’ll have the usual!”

Amitie waved from the door, upon seeing everyone present. “Oh! Raffina, and Lidelle! The whole gang’s here!” She grinned, as she scuttled to the front. “Y’know, I didn’t expect everyone here! Usually we’re all too busy to meet up!”

Lidelle turned over, excited to hear Amitie’s voice. “Oh! Ami! I-It’s been a while since we’ve talked… you’re alone this time. W-What happened to Klug?” She asked.

As Amitie waited at the counter for her usual order, she contemplated what she was going to see. “Well uh— how do I put it.. I haven’t the foggiest clue what happened to him!”

“He’s dead?!” Lidelle gasped.

“What? No, of course not!” Amitie reassured her. “But like… he’s been all cooped up in his house, and he won’t answer the door. I don’t think he’s left it since we talked about the thing..”

“The thing?” Raffina asked, now also invested in the conversation. “Amitie, what on Earth is the ‘thing?’”

Since she was going to be here awhile, Amitie sat down near Lidelle and Raffina. “So, like, the short of it is that we were at his place talking but all of a sudden, he got mopey. And then he told me I should leave and that we—“

“But why were you hanging out together? No, why were you at his house? What happened before this?” Raffina interrupts, suspicious. “What was so important that you had to tell him something at his place?”

“Well, I should probably explain the rest of what happened before. Okay?” Amitie said, as she leaned back on her chair, nearly falling, but that’s per usual with Amitie.

…

So like, before we talked about it, it was actually really normal! I had actually gotten a meeting with a company! Like, a real idol company! The actual meeting was super nerve-wracking though, because there was this tall mysterious type!

I remember giving them a demo of one of my songs, and some long questions, but only one I really remember! “Why do you sing?” He asked me, his aura actually freaking me out. “What inspires you to perform?” Well, that question was the most important to me.

Really, I knew this answer already! But it was the only answer that I knew! From the get-go! “I perform to make people happy! To make the world I live in better, even if it’s just one person who smiles!” I told him, pep and all! And I think this was the ticket, because I got a card after!

The interviewer even seemed to be smiling, but I couldn’t tell. “We’ll arrange for an audition. We can talk further on the phone.”

I was stoked! It was absolutely incredible that I could have a chance! And of course, the first thing I had to do was tell Klug about it. But as I got up to leave, they told me something else.

A few things, actually, but most important was that they’d end up… taking me to another city. One that was far, like, somewhere I don’t know the name of.

It’s scary, right? I think it is…

But, this is something important, still, so I had to tell Klug! After all, he’s my closest friend—

…

“Aren’t you two..?” Lidelle interrupted. “I-I thought you guys were.. and… did you two…?”

“Well, yeah, we are dating, but that doesn’t make him not my friend! This story isn’t about us splitting!…I hope.” Amitie explained, before returning to the story.

…

After all, he’s my closest friend, and I can’t just leave him in the dark of such an important decision! Now, I know his schedule like the back of my hand, so that day, at that time, he’d be at the top of the hill that overlooks the clo—

…

“Clock? Klug? The same Klug who adores exhaust pipes?” Raffina interrupted immediately after.

Amitie frowned, but ignored that entirely.

…

The Hill that overlooks the clock tower! It’s actually a really nice place! That’s where we hung out and made advertisements. And he was still there, probably drawing the same clock tower again. I could probably look at him draw for a while, super mesmerizing!

Well, I wasn’t there to go just admire, I was there to talk! So I tapped him on the shoulder, which surely got his attention. “Hey, Klug! I’ve got the best news of my life today! I need to tell you!” I told him, loud and clear.

“Is it something that you have to spend money on?” Klug retorted, as per usual. Sometimes we end up spending a bit of money on shopping, but I don’t know why he said that like I do it DAILY! It’s kind of rude of him to speak like I do it often.

Well, anyway, I tell him “What makes you think that? What I’ve got to tell you is something so important that…” And then, I had the perfect idea! “Oh! Actually, let’s go somewhere!” I said, as I grabbed both of his hands, which is probably why he was in a sour mood later, as it ruined his canvas or whatever.

I mean… maybe if I told him then… then he wouldn’t be so…

Whatever! That’s not the point right now, right now I’m just telling what happened, and what happened was that I took him all around the Primp District! I took him to the train station, then I took him to the restaurant we ate at, even this very bakery! It was like.. like hitting him with all the good memories so that I could soften the blow!

Because, like… well!

What was I talking about? Oh, right! So, it was at one of these places that I decided to tell him about what happened! I forgot where exactly, but I basically just told him something like “I have wonderful news!! I’m going to be a real singer! For real!”

And he wasn’t shocked or anything. If anything, he seemed happy for me! “That’s… that’s really great, Amitie!” He said. “Your dream is coming true before your eyes. That’s amazing!”

“Yeah! Yeah it’s all great! I’m thinking about packing soon, cuz there’s gonna be a LOT of train rides! That’s traveling! Isn’t that exciting?” I said, and it was then that his happiness got kind of … sad.

He didn’t say anything that seemed envious or anything. He just went “Oh. Well then, if that’s what you must do for your dream, then you should go for it.” And “But if it’s hell, it’s what you wanted after all.” Actually, maybe that last one was a bit envious. Whatever he felt, he left for a bit. I didn’t see him until—

….

“Your order’s ready” Sig called out, and Amitie stopped her story.

“Ooh! Delish!” She chirped, as she took a large bite out of one of the loaves given to her. It seemed whatever sadness she had reminiscing was going to be buried under delicious bread.

Raffina watched as Amitie had stuffed herself full of bread. That story seemed kind of…unfinished. “None of this mentions the…‘thing’ you two talked about though…” Raffina thought aloud.

“Well— uhm—“ Amitie stammered, but swallowed her words. “It’s actually—“

“And if there’s no mention of the ‘thing’…” Ally finished her plain loaf, adjusted her bag strap, and clapped her hands together. “Which means that we should go and ask for the other half of the story!” She chimed in, happily. “These two happy lovey-dovey friends…we have to fix this!”

Raffina didn’t share the sentiment, but it.. was sort of her job to keep peace. This sort of falls under that. Technically. Maybe it’s a thinly veiled excuse to verbally attack Klug. “Well… if it’ll help us figure out what’s wrong with that guy...” She reluctantly agreed, to Ally’s cheer.

“Wonderful! This story is so exciting, my heart may burst!” Ally cheered, as she went to the door with Raffina. “Miss Amitie! We’ll be off! We’re going to find out what exactly happened”

“U..uhm… Good Luck, Guys!” Amitie wasn’t too sure why they were talking about this. But if it meant things’ll get better, then it was fine. Right?

The most obvious place to look would be his house, of course. Ally knocked on it, but there was no answer at all. She knocked again, but no answer. “Phew.. there’s no response. He really is cooped there, how lonely…” Ally lamented with a frown.

But while Ally was knocking, Raffina had managed to open a window.. Well, it wasn’t really that hard. Especially for someone like Raffina. “Don’t give up so quickly, look! Damn it, a door lock isn’t going to stop anyone if you leave your windows open. Come on, we have a talk to have.”

The two girls climbed into the house through the window, only to find Klug was sitting there, idly, almost lost in thought. Ally tiptoed over, and waved her hand in front of his face. As expected, he made no comment nor even reaction.

“…it’s so scary..” Ally whispered, as she retracted her hand. “It’s like he’s devoid of anything…Mister Klug, can you even hear us?” She asked, tilting her head slightly. “You’re ok, right? …Right…?”

Klug blinked, then looked straight at Ally, then Raffina, then at the open door. “…Ah. Salutations, Raffina, Orange Hair Girl.” He mumbled. “You broke into my house… Is there an evacuation notice?”

“Of course there is no- have you really sunk so low as to be unaware of what’s outside?” Raffina gasped, in disbelief. “No, we’re here on the grounds of where in the hell were you for the past few weeks! Locking yourself in your home is a safety hazard, as well!”

He sighed, now falling onto the ground. “You worry too much. I suppose Amitie sent you on this little quest. I’d tell you to tell her I’m alright, but it wouldn’t matter.” Klug said, his voice with a pinch of regret.

Struggling, Ally tried to pull him upright, but this only resulted in her dropping him on the ground a few times, so she left him as is. “Amitie actually told us you were locked here, but she never sent us on a fetch quest. We actually came here to find out why you’re so sad and lonely!”

Hearing that, Klug stood up, and tried to walk elsewhere, but Ally stopped him. “No! You can’t keep hiding, we’re here to help you! It’s for love’s sake!” She assured, almost shaking him.

“If I tell you what happened will you two leave me alone?” Klug asked, to the two of them nodding yes, almost rhythmically. It wasn’t the answer Klug wanted, but he wasn’t a guy who’d go against word. “..Alright, alright, so.” He sat down.

…

This couldn’t have been any more than a few weeks or a month ago, so it’s still fresh in my mind. Amitie must’ve told you that she had landed some sort of acting gig, and that’s true.

I don’t actually mind her pursuing her career, but her immediately saying that she was leaving town did make me feel sad. If it was Raffina, I wouldn’t really care that much, but having to say goodbye to Amitie for a bit was actually disheartening, to say the least.

After the conversation ended, I chose to mull it over, maybe pick up something to make it easier on me. So, I chose to take to what made me the most clear minded— painting.

You surely must know that I enjoy putting what’s in my thoughts and in my eyes onto a canvas, and that’s precisely what would save me from mental confusion! I sat down, propped my canvas against myself, and took to still life drawing.

And it was while illustrating one of the most beautiful lamps I’ve laid eyes on that I was finally thinking— Why should I have to say goodbye to Amitie? Surely, someone as simple-minded as her would likely realize that leaving Primp won’t be as cracked up as she thought! Hm.. that sounds more like something you’d say, Raffina.

Regardless, the gentle orange glow that the light gave off was just enough for me to get my thoughts in order. At first, I thought of going with her, though if I left Primp District, who would be here to preserve its rich culture? I couldn’t do that. So I thought about keeping Amitie here, though I couldn’t go out and just marry her. Thus! I settled on the idea of convincing her.

With what money I had, I knew I’d be able to give her some sort of big reason to stay. I even planned out a day and everything! No, it was a week! A week that I’d finish off with a grand hot air balloon ride, a so perfectly Amitie-like activity!

…

“Ahh! A week of just the two of you!” Ally gushed, her eyes practically full of hearts. “That’s so romantic!”

Klug froze in his storytelling, and held his head down, as if disappointed, or even upset. “… … I guess it was romantic.” He finally continued. “But you came here to figure out why I’m ’sad and lonely’, correct? Let’s skip ahead.”

…

The sixth day is when things went downhill. I decided to close the day off with a sleepover, something that Amitie and I haven’t done in a while. That, and it would have been a good way to wake her up early for the balloon trip. Getting her to agree to staying over was easy, no surprise there.

Of course, now you two are here, and if you glance at the couch, you’ll notice I even moved the cushions around. Yes, Amitie was to sleep there, but she never did, because we never got to sleep in the first place.

In fact, we spent almost all night just.. talking. I was hoping she’d try to practice her dancing — preferably, not around any of my valuables. But within an hour, she was seemingly already tired, and she mumbled about how she was excited about her new “totally-amazing extra-wicked new life” or whatnot.

Yes, it was then I decided to reveal my plan, and so I got up and told her that she should come with me to the living area. And it was… THERE, that everything was to fall apart! Oh, the minute I started talking about how much I would miss her… the girl would interrupt. I remember it well. Saying things like “Ooh, but imagine how many people I’d meet outta town!” And the like..

Eventually, she told me the worst of it— it wasn’t simply leaving for a bit, but that she might never see Primp District again. She’d never be back.

“But, But Amitie! To leave Primp District forever?! Doesn’t that sound hasty?” I cried out, now in a desperate plea to change her mind. “I only just finally got to see you again, and you’re going to leave me and the others…”

“I’m not a kid! I want to go after my dream, I can’t standby.. I can’t just say no! I wish I could be here forever!” Amitie yelled. Her yelling was so.. abnormal. She almost never did that. “But I wanted this for years! I can’t back out now!”

It was a whole thing. It felt like a betrayal, even.

I think she knew I was upset, and she tried to comfort me. She gave me a hug. She held my hands. She left a kiss on my left cheek. She apologized about having the outburst. “I didn’t mean to hurt you” and “I could’ve said it better!” But if she was so worried about me, why was she willing to leave so suddenly?

I couldn’t convince her to stay, I realized, and so it was pointless to continue! “No, it’s nothing for you to be concerned about!” I told her, regaining my composure! “Well, I doubt you have time for tomorrow, so how about you go home?”

And she stammered! Amitie stammered, like she usually does, but it wasn’t her usual tripping over her own words— she sounded kind of.. shocked. And that was strange. She babbled about something, but I can’t recall. And after that, I told her again to leave, and she did.

Hm.. come to think of it. I wished she’d stay. But, as she so clearly has her life figured out, I can’t hold her back! But.. but I..

…

“Alright, alright! Hold it.” Raffina interrupts, though this wasn’t so much an interruption and more an after-examination. “You’re saying that.. the reason you’re upset.. is because Amitie’s successful? That’s a pathetic reason, isn’t it? Do you really want her to stay or do you just want someone to like you!” She crossed her arms, as if restraining herself.

Klug stared upwards, the faint light reflecting off of his glasses. He didn’t have an answer, nor did he want to know the answer. “I wish she’d stay. Or at least, I’d wish—“

His line of thought was interrupted as Raffina (now free of her self imposed restraints) picked him up off the floor and held him up as if he was an easily throwable plush doll.

“Kch. You’re so annoying, sometimes! You wouldn’t be here, and you would’ve been happy, if you just.. spoke up!! You’re the furthest thing from perfect I know, stop trying to be that, because it’s PISSING me off!” Raffina shouted, before running out of steam. She dropped him, took a breath, and simply unlocked the door, and left.

Ally, meanwhile, stayed a little longer. She dusted off her dress, went towards the door, but paused. Looking back at Klug, even if he’s dazed, he really does look pathetic. Not even in a sad way. He just looks so lonely. “…I promise you that we’ll fix everything! For the sake of love.” She told him, under her breath.

Ally went scrambling back to the bakery, Raffina’s (unwilling) hand in tow, and bursted the doors open. “Alright, Baker! Miss Lidelle! Miss Amitie! I have a—“ She stopped midway, upon realizing that Amitie is missing. “Ah. Miss Lidelle, any idea where Amitie is?” She asked.

Lidelle turned her head towards the door, then back to Ally. “Uhm.. Ami said she had to catch a train tomorrow, so she, uhm, she went to her house…” She answered. “Do you want her for anything? It’s really late..”

Ally then grabbed Lidelle’s sleeve, pulled her out of her chair, and bolted out the door again. “Alright, alright! Let’s go after her then!” She announced, now with a party of 3 (and Sig, who followed after.)

The 3+1 of them had scrambled to Amitie’s house, though none of them really knew what Ally was planning. Ally knocked on the door with a simplistic rhythm, and a mere two seconds after, the door opened.

“Oh! Raffina, Lidelle, and Sig! What’re you guys doing here!… and uh— what’s your name again? I forgot..” Amitie chirped, with a wide grin. Her smile faded as she saw the determined face Ally was making.

“Miss Amitie, I have a plan to get Klug out of the house! It’s going to need you, so forgive me for bothering you, but come with us!” Ally told her, extending her hand for Amitie to take.

Seeing as Amitie valued her friends, it was an easy choice. She took Ally’s hand, and gave an affirming nod. “Alright! Let’s do it, then!” She agreed.

The 5 of them, now complete, had begun the march to Klug’s house again, though none of them knew the plan at all. In fact, when they arrived, Raffina nearly opened the first floor window again, before Ally stopped her.

“We can’t break and enter again! That’ll just make him worse!” Ally scolded, before she turned to Amitie. “Miss Amitie, which window would he be near at this time?” She asked.

“How would I know that! He could be anywhere! Uhm.. it’s uh.. it’s night right now, so he might be going to sleep, which would be…” Amitie looked around the outside of the house, before pointing at a higher window. “That one!” She exclaimed.

The five of them looked at the general height of the window. It’s not exactly too high, but it wasn’t gonna be reachable with just a short hop.

But Ally had a look in her eye, as if she expected it. “Perfect-o… so! Here’s my plan. We all stack up on top of each-other, having Miss Amitie knock on the window as if she’s an angel from heaven.. surely, this’ll allow them to reconcile..”

Sig kept looking at the window. “…and if Glasses doesn’t open the window?” He mentions, taking a bite out of snack food he brought.

“Then we’ll try a different window! And again. And again! That’s the power of Love, Mister Sig!” Ally assured, with a wink. “Miss Raffina, I want you to pick me up, as high as you can! After I pick up Miss Amitie!”

“Doesn’t this idea sound a bit foolish?! Ally, you can’t possibly be serious— we have better hopes of having Amitie just knock on the door!” Raffina argued, as she effortlessly lifted Ally upwards (who was, herself, struggling with Amitie)

But Ally just giggled at the retort. “That’s why Miss Lidelle and Mister Sig will be on standby, in case something happens. Like a human ladder!” She explained, as she wobbled slightly. “Ok.. Miss Amitie, can you reach the window?”

Amitie reached her hands to the windowsill, grasping on for dear life, and pushed her face against the window to make a knock. “I’ve knocked on the window, but I can hardly hold on!” She exclaimed, her hands trembling.

She peered through the window, and while Klug was there, he seemed out of it. Just sitting in the middle of the room. Not sleeping. Just.. nothing. Was it a depressive spiral? She knew he got mopey sometimes. But that just meant she had to try harder.

Trying her hardest to still her movements, she knocked on the window again, and again. And again. But it felt like he couldn’t hear her. If a knock wasn’t going to do it, she had to try something else.

“… Everyone, time and time again, can feel that they’re all sad and hopeless.” She sang, trying to project her voice as loud as she could. Amitie wasn’t really the best singer, but she knew that he couldn’t ignore it.

Seeing as Klug perked his head up to the window, it just meant Amitie had to keep going. “It’ll be fine! Let’s cheer ourselves up!” She continued, now smiling. Even if she wasn’t believing in her smile, it’s what a true idol would do.

And it’s a true idol’s job to make others smile, too.

Klug looked out the window, and was somewhat shocked to see that Amitie was literally right there. “How on.. How on Earth are.. Amitie, get down from there, you’ll fall.” He told her, pointing downwards.

“Let me inside! I want to talk with you! About— uhm.. What was the plan, Ally?” Amitie asked, looking at Ally. As the window was opened (nearly smacking Amitie in the face), Amitie never got a response from Ally, who simply just smiled.

Just the two of them now, Amitie thought. She.. didn’t actually know what to say. The few times she was at his house, she had friends with her. And the time she was alone, it only resulted in her getting kicked out.

“So, why are you here? Don’t you have a magical fantastical job to do?” Klug remarked, moving stuff around to appear tidier. “I thought you had to leave. I thought you were gone, even.”

Amitie gulped in nervousness. She was trying to think of what to say. “Uhm.. uh.. I leave tomorrow, actually.. but— but that’s why I’m here today! I’m here to— I’m here to at least see you one last time for a long time!” She finally decided, trying her best to remain positive and chipper.

Throwing away empty paint bottles, Klug tried not to look at Amitie. “You know, I’d rather you have not come back here. It hurts me too much to look at you.” He told her, now walking away. “I’ll let you out the house, just—“

“But— but I don’t want to leave!” Amitie called out, freezing Klug’s movement. “Believe me, I wish— I wish I could see you and follow my dream.. but— but I’m not…”

She stopped talking. She said something like this last time. That resulted in a fight.

“I really wish I could see you when I leave. I wish you and Raffina and Sig and Lidelle would all follow me.. but, you guys also have dreams.” She explained, starting to cry. “And.. and that means I gotta go places. And I gotta say goodbyes… but that just means you can focus on your dream too, Right?”

Sniffling turned to sobbing, to Amitie loudly crying. She was the emotional type, still, even now. “I’m.. I’m sorry! I’m so.. I’m so sorry!” She kept repeating. “I’d miss you, and everyone, and Primp… but.. but..”

At this point, Klug turned around. Watching and listening to Amitie wailing was hurting him. Hearing her say what she was saying was breaking him. He still, of course, was her friend. And the best thing he could do as her friend was to give her a hug, like last time.

The simple act of a warm embrace wouldn’t make Amitie stop crying, but the acceptance of her speech was comfort, too.

“If it’s your dream, you should go for it. Don’t.. don’t worry about me or the others.” Klug told her. “I don’t want you to worry, and I’m sure we can still keep in touch. I’m pretty sure a mailwoman even visited my house earlier, we can send eachother mail. Weekly.”

A loud sniffle, and Amitie stopped crying as much. “Re-really? Would you promise every week?” She asked.

“I promise.” Klug affirmed, wiping away one of Amitie’s tears with a swipe of a finger. “So you leave tomorrow, huh… you better get to sleep then. Do you want to— uhm, stay over? I live closer to the train station anyway.” He offered.

Amitie flushed red, but she tried to steady herself to be calm. “I’d.. I’d like that, I think. We never finished the last one… but I’m tired already.. I’ll see myself downstairs.”

“No, no, you need to rest easy, you can just take the bed here. I’ll sleep on the couch.” Klug insisted, pointing. “You could- er.. you could borrow a shirt from the dresser, so you don’t mess up your own clothes! I’ll get out now, even.”

Closing the door behind him, Klug went downstairs, and simply sat on the floor. He still kind of wanted Amitie to stay forever, but just knowing she’ll speak to him every week is fine enough.

He wanted to go back and tell her something else, but he couldn’t bring himself to go upstairs. Not right now anyway. He stared upwards at the ceiling, thinking about the time he had spent outside, not just with Amitie, but with the others.

Wanting to thank her, Klug went upstairs, and gently opened the room door, cracking it open to make sure Amitie wasn’t busy. Turns out she already was out like a light. Delicate and smiling, as she usually is when awake.

“Ah, Amitie… Thank you, for everything. I love you.” Klug told her. Gently brushing her bangs out of her way, he lightly kissed her on the forehead. It was the least he could do. The littlest of a last memory before she went on to the rest of her life.

The smell of baked goods filled the air, and the world was still as bland as ever. But this time in the bakery, it was lively. Raffina and Lidelle were here, of course, and just a few minutes ago, Klug came by for an order.

“You know why I need plain bread! I can’t use a loafy bug as my model!” Klug argued, frustrated. “Sig, I’ll pay you extra, I just need a standard loaf!”

Sig blinked flatly. “There’s only bugs here. If you want bread, you go somewhere else.” He answered, tired. “Do you ever even eat the bread you order? Food waste.”

Slamming his hands onto the counter, Klug gave up. “Damn! You’re so difficult, refusing the customer won’t give you any money!” He told Sig, before his frustration melted away. “…but, I guess I’ll have the one that looks like a ladybird.”

“Coming up.” Sig said, leaving for his work. Mild banter like that was usual, and while it did annoy the customers, Sig didn’t really mind that much. Klug’s his friend, and he’s just ok with the fact that he’s actually here.

And then, suddenly, the door opened with the chime of a bell. Curly haired and red all over, it was an exhausted paperwoman. “Excuse me, excuse me!” Ally called out. “Is this a Mister Klug here?”

Klug turned around, his eyes lighting up. “Oh. Letter. It must be from Amitie.” He remarked, as Ally handed the letter over. “..She sure writes fast. I wonder if it’ll even be legible. Raffina, Lidelle, you should come listen too.”

Confirming his hypothesis, the words themselves were scratchy, but at the very least, they were readable.

“ ‘Hello from the distant land of Lyla! It’s Amitie! It’s really great here, though there’s not a lot of people. I’ve been kind of busy preparing for the audition. It actually went super well! I got to write a contract and everything♥︎ I’m gonna try my best on my first album, and I’ll invite you live to my first concert! Isn’t that exciting? Best wishes, Amitie!’ “

“It seems like Ami’s got her life together…” Lidelle commented, in awe. “We should go see her soon, maybe we can surprise her..!”

Klug put the letter down, and shook his head. “I want her to focus on her career right now. We’ve still got lives too, Lidelle.” He said. “I’ll write her back after I finish my next masterpiece, I’ll even invite her back here for when she’s free! We can even pay for her train ticket.”

Sig came back, ladybird bread in hand. ”Alright. Got your ladybird. 7 bronze coins.” He informed Klug, who paid nearly immediately. “Oh. Ami sent you a letter, huh? Is she doing ok?”

“…Yeah. She’s doing alright.” Klug nodded. “I think that her dream is finally coming true.”

#klug puyo puyo #puyo puyo #amitie puyo puyo #クルアミ #24manzaishipping #klugami #kuruami writing #ok #raffina puyo puyo #ally puyo puyo #the others aren’t important but Lidelle and Sig are here #puyo puyo steam city

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klugami · 10 months

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Do I have to actually use this account what the fuck bawww I’m scared I’m scared!!

I haven’t written for Puyo in a while gimme like a year.

#klug puyo puyo #puyo puyo #amitie puyo puyo #none of these tags work for this cuz like #why are you little.

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klugami · 1 year

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Pinch…

(I can’t believe they’re real /j)

#klug puyo puyo #puyo puyo #amitie puyo puyo #クルアミ #kuruami on the paper #24manzaishipping #klugami #now for mod tags.#the stage show is kind of mid but it’s cool Klug is there.#backseat gamer ami

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klugami · 1 year

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klugami · 1 year

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Confidence and Love are at the door! Are you gonna answer? I’m not. Here’s the third part of the KlugAmi Steam Fic

Why do people fall in love? Could you even call this sort of thing love? Is it wrong to be excited by thoughts of romance when you’re not a little kid? Is it wrong to be so innocently in love? Why do these feelings feel so gentle, so tender? Is it Love? Or maybe it’s a delusion?

That was the dilemma of the morning. That was what Klug had to think about. Of course, he knew already that there was something with Amitie— that, somehow, he felt infatuated. Definitely so. But was it correct to feel such was the question?

As he sketched up the mansion that loomed in the distance, he wondered ever still. There had to be an answer. He considered sending a message to a particular love column— some “Lady F”. However, the answers from her seemed… strange.

So truly, he was on his own for these thoughts. Him and the painting of the beautiful mansion. Klug didn’t really think he’d want one, but they gave off an ethereal aura, one he wanted to capture. The emotion of this piece was “contemplative”, matching his own.

Oh. Yeah. The restaurant.

He was supposed to go to the restaurant with Amitie last week. And every day, she was at the door, knocking. And he heard her.

He didn’t want to tackle these emotions. Not today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. The date was something he needed to feel ready for. And he wasn’t ready yet.

Picking up his canvas, his masterpiece, he went back home— a rather far walk. All the while, he pondered the romance more. Klug pictured Amitie, walking alongside him, talking about things he didn’t really care about.

She would probably talk about a new gig she got, maybe, or perhaps she’d ask to check out something. Amitie is simple, really. A pretty face with maybe a word or two of insight, but at her core, she’s a simple person.

… pretty.

Amitie really was Pretty. But that can’t be the only reason. After all, Klug felt like he just enjoyed.. being with her. The time he spent with her was fulfilling, and even the bad times were still some of the best hours he had. But, this is all childish, isn’t it?

Isn’t it more mature to love people for deeper reasons? He can’t just enjoy her company or her looks— he has to… well, he doesn’t know. Whatever it is can wait until later. He’s home now.

… …

“Uwaaa! This is so stressful!” Amitie pulled her hat downward. What was she going to do.. What was she going to do? Yesterday, she and Klug agreed on going to a restaurant. But, now that today was here, she was starting to get nervous.

It’s strange to think about, but her legs already propelled towards where she remembered Klug lived— the house itself looks only slightly different, but otherwise, it’s like the few times she and the rest of her friends came over to celebrate some events.

… … it’s all going to be fine! It’ll all be fine! She’s going to be fine! It’s not like she’s going somewhere scary! It’s just… …

She couldn’t help but feel weird. Strange. A feeling she didn’t understand. But, still, she must have courage! She can’t just bail! That’s not nice!

She pressed on the doorbell, shutting her eyes tightly in case the person on the other end was a complete stranger.

Luckily, it was still Klug on the other end, but he didn’t answer the door directly. “Who’s there?” He asked from behind the locked door. “Speak your name.”

“It’s Amitie! Are we still going to eat? Or did you change your mind?” She yelled. “I know you’ve said no last time. And the time before.. but, what about now?”

Amitie’s persistence.. an admirable trait, Klug thought. Whether it was Pity or a Subconscious thing, Klug decided that he should do it. The date. Today.

Some clicks later, the door was opened, and Klug peered from it. “Ah. Salutations. I didn’t expect you at my doorstep.” He said, looking at Amitie. “It’s getting a bit late, but I suppose we can go. Do you need me to get the coins?”

“No no! It’s fine!” Amitie assures, taking out a silver coin. “I prepared just for this!” She grins, waving it around like a toy.

With that, Klug came out of the house, standing stiffly. He wasn’t entirely prepared, given he was engrossed in other things, but he already opened the door. He was going to go through with it, whether he liked it or not.

He liked Amitie, anyways.

The two of them walked around for a bit in the Primp District, searching for the restaurant of fists and music. The sound of walking across the busy city was charming and nostalgic.

The sun had gone, and the lamps had turned on. The very vibe was beautiful, and the lights reflected off of both of the parties. While they walked closely, it was stiff, and both walked side by side rather than together.

Steam filled the air, warm but not hot. It wrapped itself around the city like an embrace. As they got closer to the restaurant, Amitie’s eyes fell to a flower that grew in the ground.

A dandelion. A delicate thing that managed to grow in such a densely populated city. She bent down to grab it, but could she bring herself to? The dandelion, bright and yellow, popped against the monotonous reds.

“Amitie, are you going to squat and sit there all day?” Klug asked, sounding annoyed. “We have to keep moving! Come on!” He tapped Amitie’s back, which got her to get up and continue.

Soon enough, they found the restaurant, and when they opened the door, they were immediately greeted with the smell of… beef? The place itself seemed rather high-class for a restaurant, with well dressed waitresses.

As the two of them sat down, one of those waitresses came by; a green haired one. “This is Restaurant Rulue!” She said, though she seemed distracted. “What can I getcha? We’ve got all sorts of yumminess like steak, chicken breast, and..” The waitress rambled on about the food, getting distracted.

“What… What's the recommendation?” Klug asked, overwhelmed by all the options. “I— we’re not allergic to anything in particular! Whatever you recommend, we’ll order!” He quickly tries to gain control of the situation, or at least sound like he’s well assured.

The waitress pondered it for a moment, then snapped her fingers when she figured it out. “The manager likes to tell us to always recommend ‘Nostalgic Roast Beef’! It pairs well with the live show that happens every now and then.” She suggests, though her mouth watered with every word.

“We’ll have that then!” Amitie agreed, almost standing from her chair. “We smelt the beef earlier, I almost thought it was all you served!” She laughed for a good three minutes, though no one else did.

“Righty-oh! Before I go, what drinks would you two like?” The waitress asked, leaning in a bit too much between the two of them. “Though I don’t really recommend anything alcoholic with beef. The manager told us that.”

Klug started to look around the restaurant, which seemed to be full of people. “Water is fine.” He said offhandedly, as he admired the rather elegant staircase. Where does it go? Possibly a living area of sorts, as nobody had gone up yet.

“Water works for me too.” Amitie nods, as the waitress scurried off to who-knew-where. They’re going to eat at a big fancy restaurant! They’re hanging out! And it’s all so exciting! And… wait.

Exciting may not be the word, actually. The better word that could describe it is “scary”! Like, super scary! There are so many utensils on the table! Which one does she use? Why does she need 3 knives? It’s all too grown-up!

And that meant this was serious! What did she get herself into!

“Waaah!!” Amitie cried out loud, clutching her head in panic and fear. “I shouldn’t have agreed! I should’ve just- I should- I could’ve— I!”

Watching Amitie panic made Klug panic too. Not of nervousness regarding the date, not really. But the distress was really contagious, and it manifested in the worst headache he’s had for years.

The waitress came back, bringing the water cups, full of ice. “You guys look super stressed.. in a few minutes, the half hour show starts, though, and water helps with headaches!” She chirped, setting the cups down and skipping elsewhere.

Suddenly, Amitie snapped back to normalcy. “Eh? Show? I wonder what that’s like.. Klug, don’t you think it’d be neat if I got to perform shows? I could bring my little song maker and then everyone would clap…”

Klug had no reply. He knew what he would say, but he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move, period actually. He tried to grab the glass of water, and that did the trick. “Phew… I think it'd be interesting to say the least. Definitely a… performance.”

The two laughed about this over their waters, but Amitie could only think of yesterday. Whatever it was, it’s still here. There’s something about Klug. Something admirable. Should she ask about it? It’s awkward.

Klug fiddled with his hands, trying to figure out a conversation topic. He tried to draw with a brush that wasn’t there, thinking as hard as he could, but he was drawing blanks, much like he was doing in person.

He knew. He knew very well what he was doing here. He knew that this was meant to be romantic. And he knew that he could say something about that. But, this knowledge was more subconscious. He was both fully aware and completely blind.

As the roast beef arrived, Klug thought more. He’s acknowledged the setting, the nature, and what he’s done. He intended it this way. So why does he not know? Why doesn’t he understand his own actions?

“Blehh! There’s mushrooms on mine! Who does that, to a perfectly good meal no less!” Amitie whined, poking them. “I don’t wanna be rude though… maybe I should just eat them, anyway. Ew… so gross.”

Klug picked the mushrooms from her plate, agitated from her complaints. “It’s not that serious. You overreact quite a lot, Amitie. Even when we were kids.” He recalled, as he cut into the beef. “Maybe this was a bad idea after all.”

Just then, the lights went out. But almost soon after, a blue light illuminated the stage, or more specifically, the girl on it. Orange hair, a blue outfit, and a microphone in her hand. She was definitely an idol.

“Alright! Everyone, listen up! Today’s song is—“ She paused, as her eyes fell to the blonde in the audience (if you could call it that.) She stood still, but not from fear. Rather, she smiled, and even then, not for herself.

Amitie hid her face away. “Oh gosh— I should’ve expected this!” She whispered, both excited and embarrassed. “What if Arle ends up distracted from her song— ooh, I don’t want to get her fired!”

Arle pointed at Amitie’s general direction, intending for her to be the recipient of her words. “Okay! This song…” She looked at Amitie’s table, noticing the other party. “It’s a song that introduces you to a person with the name of ‘confidence’!” She guarantees with a wink, as the song begins.

Unlike Amitie, you could tell that Arle’s music was well-produced, maybe even tailor made to her talents. And Arle herself was graceful, with her movements to a minimum. A different kind of ‘musical star’, but with a similar passion that shone.

Amitie knew all of this. That’s why she looked up to her. It wasn’t entirely Arle that made her want to be a performer, but she was a major part in it.

And Klug? What was Klug gaining from this song? The person named confidence for him was already at the door. He knew that. He even let Confidence in a long time ago, maybe when he was 12 or so.

Isn’t that the thing that makes you self assured?

Is Confidence the driving force of everything? That’s what Confidence was when he let them in, so why does he feel like Confidence was knocking still? Was there one at the door, the one named Ego? What’s Confidence?

Is it a sort of thing that makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do? Is it what one would call strange? Is Confidence even a person, or is Confidence more like an animal that does what it pleases with no regards for what the consequences are?

Upset with these revelations, he turned to Amitie, who was completely drawn in the music. But still, the thoughts plagued him! Was the date motivated by Confidence? Or maybe it was Ego? Are they the same? Are they different? What does it mean?

The lights came back on, and Arle waved cheerfully. “Thank you, everyone! I will be back in thirty minutes! Enjoy your meals!” She grinned, as she went offstage, and to the bathroom, signaling for Amitie to go there too.

Amitie spots Arle, but doesn’t really get why she’s waving her hand. Well, it’s a bit strange. She also didn’t know that employees used the customer bathrooms, but maybe that’s just really normal. She wouldn’t know.

“Amitie!” Arle whispered, but loud enough for her to hear. “Just get over here! It’s important!”

Oh! That makes sense, Amitie realized. “Okay! I will be right back, Klug! I’m not going to the bathroom, so don’t worry!” She promised, as she wandered over to the bathroom, spinning with every step. When she got to the restroom, she stopped, and took on a more serious expression. “What’s the matter?”

Arle held a mock microphone to Amitie, wide eyed with curiosity. “So! How’s that date going along? I didn’t even know you got a boyfriend. I don’t really know why you would but, is he treating you ok?”

“What! Boyfriend?!” Amitie yiped, immediately breaking the serious air she tried to have. “Arle! I thought there was something important-! You of all people wouldn’t be the type to get all girl-talk, especially if a boy is involved!”

Arle laughed at this notion. “You’re right! I don’t care too much for boyfriends and girlfriends and that sort of thing. But, Amitie, you didn’t seem like the type either! Your teacher has always told me you were always more of the… platonic type? Of course I’m going to ask!”

Making an X with her arms, Amitie went on the defense. “Well, first of all! Klug isn’t my boyfriend! … not yet anyway! So I can’t answer any of your questions! Though, I have one for you.”

“It’s not related to the questions I’ve asked you, right?” Arle asked, suspicious.

Amitie waved her hands around, obviously denying such. “What! Why would I do that! I’m asking about that song you performed! Who made it this time? It was super lifting!” She spun around to illustrate.

“Actually, I had a hand in the production of that particular song. Of course, I had some friends work with me, but the performance was done by the restaurant’s band. They are rather talented, probably because they were also hired from outside of it.” She explained, putting her hands on Amitie’s shoulders to stop her.

“Before I got hired by Rulue, I had the company I worked for composing my music. But, as you know, I didn’t really stay locked down with them very long.” Arle sighed. Letting go of Amitie, she looked around the bathroom. “Well, I’m happier here than I was then. I get to have free lunch and dinner, and I get paid to have shelter, and it’s less strict!”

“Oh right! The food! It’s gonna get cold!” Amitie realized, hurrying out the bathroom. “Good talking, Arle, but I still have to finish my beef… even if it has mushrooms!”

Amitie scrambled back to her table, where it seemed that Klug had finished both the meal and water. “What were you even doing over there?” He asked. “Do you want the rest of your beef or not, Amitie? It doesn’t really matter, because you’re paying for half of it, but I don’t want to waste money better spent elsewhere.”

“Hm… hm…” Amitie thought, before getting back to eating the rest of her roast beef— now plucked of mushrooms. She was erratic and fast, probably in a rush to get out. The reason why is unclear.

“Ok! Done! Check please! Check please!” Amitie waved in large grand sweeps of the hand, almost to an embarrassing degree.

A waitress (the very same green one from earlier, no less) had come back. “A check, you say? Your meal comes out to around 15 Gold and 1 silver! Total!” She told them. “If you give me an extra gold coin I can dance for you, too!”

“Why would we pay extra for that?” Both Klug and Amitie asked, flatly. The two of them pulled out an array of coins, and passed them to the waitress. Though Amitie paid mostly in silver.

“Alright! Let me just add this all up… yep! That seems to be enough. Though, you paid a silver extra, take it back!” The waitress flipped the coin back to Amitie’s hand, winking. “The manager tells us to tell you to come back again, so: C-O-M-E B-A-C-K S-O-O-N!!”

…

What a time, huh, Klug thought. The whole thing could have gone way better. If possible, he’d avoid doing it again. Specifically the restaurant. That was absolutely the worst part.

But Amitie simply smiled at him. “That was fun! I didn’t really like the beef too much, but the performance was really spectacular, and I enjoyed spending time with you! I know we’ve just been together a lot— but I want to spend more time with you! More and more!”

Huh. That sounds…

So, Amitie wants to spend time with him, Klug thought. This could be anything from friendship to love. Does she not hear herself? Is she that oblivious to the implications of her words? How vague, he laments.

“It looks like it’s super late now. We should start heading back.” Klug said, pointing upwards. “If you want, we can still walk together. I can drop you off, even.”

The two started walking back, specifically to Amitie’s this time. The darkness still blanketed over the city, and it bore an orange hue, warm and comforting. A few steps in, Amitie stopped. So, Klug stopped too.

“What now? If we keep stopping, we’re going to get in trouble with Raffina! Do you want that? Is that what you want?” Klug barked, in a rush to head home. Or maybe just fear of the pink-haired wielder of the whip.

Amitie giggled, thinking Klug was ridiculous. “Oh, I’m not stopping to get in trouble! I just-“ She paused. “-want to ask you if I can hold your hand. If that’s okay with you, that is.”

Oh! Oh. Oh… Klug blinked, rubbed his eyes, blinked again, sputtered nonsense, adjusted his glasses, fixed his hat, and blurted out a “Huh!?” He felt the headache come back, flooding his mind, he couldn't believe it.

“I— I mean! We can do that. It’s dark after all, and knowing you, you’ll end up completely lost and somehow in another district.” He covered up, holding his hand out for Amitie, who immediately took it. The two walked somewhat awkwardly, though, it felt so… good?

Their hands were warm— heck, Amitie’s hand was soft. Soft… almost in a way that felt like calling to something that Klug didn’t know. Instinctively, he held her hand tighter, finding comfort and peace with it.

Amitie loved the feeling. There was such love in this simple action. But, to her, this was something she wanted for nostalgic reasons. As children, everyone held hands. It was normal. So why was it just couples that did this?

Wait! Couple? Couple!

Amitie felt her heart skyrocket. Is this a fabled romance? Was this a date? Are they dating? She squealed, but quickly covered her mouth with the free hand, not wanting to draw attention. After all, the quietness made the walk better.

Right before the bridge to Amitie’s house, they stopped. They were outside of the main city (or downtown, if you will.), so there was no fear for trouble anymore.

Confidence.

Confidence and Love. Klug knew about the latter. But the former.. Did he have confidence? Enough to go on the date, perhaps, but something nagged at him. Something was unfinished.

“… Amitie.” He mumbled. “..no, I should speak clearly. This is important.” He cleared his throat, and spoke louder. “Do— did you enjoy the time we spent together? The amusement park, the dinner, the walking.. all of that?”

Odd question, Amitie thought. “Yeah. I did like it. I had fun. Why are you asking me now?”

Klug firmly gripped Amitie’s hand, and even took the other one, facing her towards himself. This is confidence, isn’t it? A wrong answer could wind up in shame. And he acknowledged that. “If you enjoyed those times.. we should do what you said, and go out more often!”

“What!” Amitie gasped, feeling her heart thump more and more. “Klug— you- you don’t mean— are we— you know?” She couldn’t even hear herself over her heartbeat, but at the same time, she was acutely aware of her surroundings, acutely aware of Klug’s breathing, even.

“What I mean is, I want- I want us to go out, as a couple! I want you to be my girlfriend, Amitie!” Klug shouted, before letting go of Amitie’s hands, feeling himself boil full of feelings of both joy and anxiety.

Amitie said nothing. She touched her own cheek with her hand, trying to come to terms with what happened. “Well— I.. I don’t know what to say.. I.. I think.. I think I love you, too, but I’m not sure! I don’t know!” She started to cry, wiping her tears herself.

“You don’t have to feel obligated to say yes!” Klug reassured, disappointed but not surprised. “I don’t expect you to love me back, you don’t have to feel bad. I’m content with just spending time with you— even if it pains me to say it.”

Amitie looked at him with red eyes and the face of a wet cat. “No! It’s not that- I just don’t know my own feelings! I love spending time with you, too! And I want to be with you! I don’t— I’m so… I-“ She started to cry more, her head falling onto Klug, who had turned it into more of a hug.

This is the kind of thing a boyfriend does, isn’t it. Something so textbook, but also something that felt less childish.

Klug stroked the back of Amitie’s head, the golden locks that befitted her heart. Every part of Amitie was good natured and gentle, and he loved that so much about her. He felt absolutely terrible that it was him this time, again, that hurt her.

“You don’t have to reciprocate at all. But I’ll make sure to never leave you by your true lonesome. If I can be there, I will be.” Klug told her, holding her as tight as he could. “I’ll atone for abandoning you and the others, because I’m your friend.”

Amitie felt her sadness melting away, but she didn’t want to leave the embrace. Her feelings got clearer. Ever more so. “… I love you. I do.” She spoke, words that spoke straight to the heart despite the muffle. “…thank you for coming back.”

Why do people fall in love? Maybe it’s to feel comfort, Klug decided. Maybe it’s to feel whole. That’s as good an answer as any, as the feeling washed over him. Even if he can’t put it into canvas form, he was content with just living in the moment.

For just this once, he can allow himself to shamelessly indulge in the moment, a moment of comfort.

#klug puyo puyo #puyo puyo #amitie puyo puyo #kuruami writing #クルアミ #24manzaishipping #klugami #okay mod tag now.#irl I actually have a crush on someone and this was based on that #so it’s that! but like fun.#sorry.#puyo puyo steam city

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klugami · 1 year

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Guys I promise I’m still writing

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klugami · 1 year

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Cute people doing cute things as a test to one’s art.

#klug puyo puyo #puyo puyo #amitie puyo puyo #kuruami on the paper #24manzaishipping #klugami

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klugami · 1 year

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Older designs of Klug and Amitie coming soon.

#klug puyo puyo #puyo puyo #amitie puyo puyo #… … probably.#I’m not sure how kids draw anymore but I think it’s cute.#kuruami on the paper #24manzaishipping #kuruami family #klugami

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klugami · 1 year

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“A girl who seems to come from the future Primp Town! Apparently a member of at least 5 clubs, she strives to do her best in everything!”

That’s right guys it’s time to meet the Klug/Amitie Fan Kid.

So uh.. their name. I don’t actually know that. I’ve called her “Nimbi” because she was conceived with cloud magic in mind— might extend to skies in general. Basically.. water/air magic. Yeah. Not to be confused with “weather.”

As the little blurb says, she’s a member of 5 clubs! Part of their decision was Klug’s influence, but they also did it because they have multiple interests.

Neither of her parents are good at parenting but she turns out okay so it’s fine. Amitie is the one who did her hair when she was younger, and she probably also bought the clothes she wears now.

Not really weather magic but because it’s cloud sky magic it’s like water and air elements

#puyo puyo #Amitie mention #klug puyo puyo #I need a fanchidl tag.#kuruami family #lets go with that or now.

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klugami · 1 year

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The Magic of Love (and also money. A lot of money.)

Painter!Klug and Singer!Amitie go on a carnival date in this one! Because the last carnival date fic I did did so well guys I’m cheating the system.

“Would you stop hovering over the canvas, Amitie?”

Klug shooed away his friend, who’s head basically obscured his work. The two of them had spent quite some time in the empty performance center. Klug was a young man around 16 years

old, as both parties were, and chose to pursue a life of art.

And Amitie? Amitie was one of his childhood friend’s, who chose to become the city’s Premiere Idol. The dream was one that she pursued to the bitter end, even if it meant no success.

Today was the first time she’s got an audience that wasn’t just her old teacher, after all. Even if right now, that audience member is focused more on the chairs.

Klug held up the canvas to compare it to the seats that sat before them. Satisfied, he put the canvas next to him, and let out a relieved sigh. “Whew.. all that’s left is to let the colors dry for the final time, and then it’s off to the museum.”

“Museum?” Amitie asked, confused. The one museum she’s heard of usually only has art exhibits for old pieces. Like, really old pieces! “Why are you going to the Museum, Klug? Do you work there, too?”

Unbelievable, Klug thought! Wasn’t it obvious? He turned his head away from her, unable to bring himself to see such a thoughtless girl. “Couldn’t you gather it yourself? This portrait of a stage audience radiates classical energy! I suppose that children of future generations would wish to look upon it!”

He got up, and spun around, eager to explain. “Oh, to be a world-renowned artist in my time? Well, you want to be a pop-star or whatever it is that you said, you wouldn’t understand, but I wish to become timeless!”

He explained, enthusiastically. “No, I wouldn’t mind being a nobody artist for now.. but to surpass Death itself via immortality in art form? Oh, Amitie.. Amitie, Amitie, Amitie! For such, I would give up my right arm!”

Amitie watched as Klug sat back down. She didn’t really get any of it. “If, uhm, that makes you happy, then I guess that’s fine!” She assured, cluelessly. “But- like, well—“

Amitie tugged at her hat, unsure of what she wanted to say. “Why— no, when is that painting going to be finished?” She asked, forgetting what she wanted to say. “I bet you wanna go back to the Primp District. After all, gotta go back to your job, ahaha!”

The way Amitie acted was strange, but Klug figured this might just be something from the time they spent apart. “Of course I do!” He told her, returning to his usual hard-to-crack manner. “Then you can continue practicing your little dances, and I can do what I have to do! Let’s go, posthaste!”

“Okie Dokie!”

The two walked out the performance center, only to see a crowd of people walking by— so crowded, they could hardly see in front of them. Many chattered about their jobs, while some discussed the latest in the news.

Including that red-haired drill-haired girl from earlier, who ran into Amitie. “Ack!” The redhead yelped, as she stepped back after the impact. “Ow…ow, ow.. sorry about that! I’m in a rush! I’m looking for the source of this di-SAS-trous voice! You know, sounds something like- AHH LALALA?”

Amitie frowned, the sound annoying her. “Well- I don’t think I’ve heard anything like that. Why? Does it matter to you? Are you a police officer like Raffina?” She asked, her eyes swelling with wonder.

“Ando, Ringo! Reporter, rather!” The redhead introduced, holding up a copy of the latest news. “I thought that the song that was sung would’ve led me to some sort of mysterious entity! ‘I don’t believe it!! The Anti-Siren of the Performance Hall!’ What a title, is it not?”

Pouting, Amitie threw her head down. “Aww! I just missed them, then! That would’ve been so cool to see!” She moaned, on the verge of sniffles. “I guess that wouldn’t have helped my show, though.”

Klug read the paper in front of him, and then held Amitie’s head up to have her read it too. “A circus, huh?” He read out loud. “Ringo, what is this about? You don’t think…”

Rolling the paper back up and putting it in her bag, Ringo pointed to her left. “It’s a big spectacle indeed! A carnival came, and there’s a circus that travels with it!” She affirmed. “It’s something everyone looks forward to, and it leaves in the morning tomorrow! If I were you, I’d go there!”

“A carnival! That would be so fun! Klug, do you wanna go, or do you wanna go back to the train?” Amitie asked him, mustering her puppy eyes— she naturally doesn’t have the money for anything, so she’d have to rely on Klug.

Klug stammered, then sputtered, then resigned to his fate. “Ah- I- erhm- that’s a- well see— sure, sure we can go! If that’s what you really want, and if you twist my arm any further it’ll break!” He spat, grabbing Amitie’s wrist. “Ringo! We thank you kindly for the information.”

As the two ran off, Ringo was left in the dust. “Anytime! … and they’re gone…. Maguro! We gotta go look elsewhere!”

•

While it was advertised as “Seri-nity Circus Comes to Suzuran!!”, it appeared that it came with a carnival. In bright lights read colorful signs, with advertisements. Many rides adorned the place, and you could hardly tell that there was a proper circus in there.

“20 Silver Coins for 20 tickets… 40 silver coins for 50…” Klug read on the paper near the ticket booth. He took a glance at the amusement that surrounds them, then back at Amitie. “How much time are we going to spend here?”

Amitie looked around, and then decided. “I think.. well, I don’t want to hold you up, so let’s just get 50 tickets. A lot of rides are 4, so it’ll be enough for the both of us to get on a few!” She suggested

40 Silver Coins poorer, the two were now free to roam the place… Carnivals actually are a source of nostalgia for Amitie— she went to one with Sig many years ago. Oh, how little they were! How they were given pocket change to go check out all the games, and how she never won the ball toss..

Speaking of which, there are plenty of carnival games— one of which advertised a cute, large plushie of a mascot creature of sorts— some yellow rabbit?

“Oh! Klug, look!” She called, grabbing his arm and pointing. “We should play that— I want to try to win the plushie, isn’t it the cutest thing? I mean, I’m not the best at ring toss!”

Operating the machine was a young man who looked to be having a bit of a nap. After being tapped, he seemed to wake up. “Oh! You’ve caught me in— so, you want to play the ring toss game? That’s a four ticket game!”

As Klug began to hand over the tickets, he made the connection. “Aren’t you the guy who did the work on the— nevermind. Give me the rings.” He cut himself off, as he took the 3 rings, and began to plan out where he was going to throw.

“So, the rules of the game are—“ He stopped to move out of the way as Klug threw one of the rings. “Hey! No— oh, it made it— but! You have to make all three—“ Another ring lands, annoying the game runner. “Would you stop playing for a second so I can explain to you the—“

The third ring lands neatly around a peg.

The gamerunner facepalms in frustration. “You might’ve won this round, young man.. but if you don’t listen, you’ll end up losing an important game! And then you’ll be missing your tickets with nothing to show for it!” He foretold, before signaling for Klug to come closer to the counter, as if to tell a secret.

“And that’s not a good thing to do when you’re courting a lady.” The gamerunner whispered, gesturing towards Amitie, who was trying to reach for the yellow rabbit plush. “Did you bring her with you? You should win some more prizes to make her happy.”

Klug rolled his eyes, and looked at Amitie, as the signal intended. Come here? With her? By technicality, sure, but he wouldn’t go as far to, say, courting. Nevermind that he could easily find himself lost in looking at her, as if she was as captivating as.. Well, still.

He went over to help Amitie with the plush, bringing it down to her delight. “You’re not going to make us play more of these are you?” He asked flatly, not wanting to have no hands to carry with. “Can’t you be normal and come here for what we’ve intended: The circus?”

“Oh! Yes, yes yes yes!” Amitie jumped up and down, holding her plushie tightly. “I want to see how they put on shows in Suzuran! Back when I was younger, well, I guess you remember, but I went to carnivals a lot, but they only rarely had clowns!!”

As she droned on, (“‘Get real!’ I thought!”) The Circus’ big tent came closer and closer, and a sign outside even read “Welcome to the Seri-nity Circus!”

Amitie looked back at Klug, who was following behind her slowly. “It’s 5 silver coins per person!” She told him. “You don’t suppose you have more of them, right? Ahaha…”

Klug wanted to get angry, but couldn’t bother, so he grabbed 10 silver coins and paid when the time came. It was after that, that he got frustrated. “Amitie, if you want to do stuff like this, you should really keep a wallet. I shouldn’t have to pay for you!”

Amitie pressed her fingers together, bashful. “You could say that I’m forgetful!” She giggled, as they went to find a seat as the show was being prepared. It took a while to find the ones that were actually meant for them, but when they did, it had an okay view of the stage.

“Have you been to a circus performance, Klug?” Amitie asked, shortly before the lights cut out.

Klug wanted to answer, but the focus was now on the show— a blue haired girl waved for attention, but when the applause roared through the tent, she meekly held her ears until it dimmed down.

“Attention, please! I— we, we want to thank you all for coming to tonight’s goodbye show!” The blue haired girl announced, smiling. “I am Serilly, but today is about the show.. Ladies and gentlemen..! The first act!”

The sound of rushing water filled the tent, as a splash crashed onto the stage! As the water dissipated, Serilly appeared to have vanished with it! In her place stood a fish— no, a man in a fish costume? No, that’s a fish— a Fish who did fancy tricks, including that of leaping to great heights, aerial flips, and eventually picking up one of the crowd to perform with.

The crowd member seemed very pleased with the fish, as they both did moves that defied logic, to moderate applause! Everyone seemed happy!

“Klug, Klug! It looks like they’re going to— oh! They’re gone!” Amitie reacted, taking hold of Klug’s hand to squeeze in shock and excitement. “What do you think is going to happen next?”

Klug couldn’t keep with Amitie’s excitement, which was impossible to do even on the best of days. He didn’t know what was going to happen next, nor could he make a prediction. The show itself, though, was fun.

“And now..• Serilly called from offstage. “I’d like everyone to meet my latest recruit, if they want to, that is!” While the words sounded sarcastic, her tone felt extremely apologetic, as the next act came on stage, with greetings that sounded calming and elegant.

“Is that Arle?!” Amitie called out, as the actress got atop a round, bouncy ball.

The actress sure sounded like Arle, but one couldn’t see her face. As she rolled atop the ball, she did all sorts of tricks, including that of abandoning the ball, spins, handstands, and more! When she hopped off for good, the ball rolled offstage, as the clown bowed, and waved towards the crowd.

“Please, remain seated as I prepare the rest of the acts!” Serilly requested, as the lights came on.

It was at this time that Klug realized that Amitie was still holding his hand. In his heart, he was screaming at the top of his lungs. But in reality, he scrunched up his face, as if disgusted.

“Do you feel sick?” She frowned, worried. “We can go home if you want to—“

Klug shook his head, as he couldn’t figure out what words to say— how could he?! His mind is invaded with all sorts of terrible thoughts! Terrible, terrible!

Amitie looked at her hand, still grasping onto Klug’s. She decided to let go, not really needing to hold on to it anymore. Quiet! The show begins again.

Serilly is back in center stage, skipping her waves. “Everyone..!” She yelped. “We’re going to have to address a warning..! The audience will get wet, so please turn off your gadgets and doodads!”

After about a few seconds, the audience was doused in water. While everyone was rightfully annoyed, some dared to open their eyes. This glimpse into the sea rewarded them with fascinating, beautiful creatures that could be in the palms of their hands.

As the torrent cleared out, everyone coughed, and sputtered. Klug even got out of his chair to immediately run outdoors, in a panic. “Oh no! No no no! Oh no no no!!” He shrieked, watching his soaked sketchbook lose quality instantly!

Amitie followed, extremely concerned. “Gee, what’s wrong? You seem- oh! Your notebook!” She tried to fan it with her hands, even if the effort was a token one more than anything.

He looked at her with a look of annoyance. “Of course— tch! What a ripoff. The effects were cool, but not at the cost of my art..” He comments as he simply sucked it up and held his notebook out from then on.

“Ooh! Ooh! I know just how to dry it off! We should check out the roller coaster! It goes super high and super fast so it’ll get the wind on your sheets!” Amitie suggested, already practically dragging the poor boy with her.

This time, it was Amitie who paid the 24 tickets for the ride. (must be popular!) The coaster itself looked as though it warped around the whole district! Amitie couldn’t wait— this beats trains, for sure!

“Are you sure this is safe?!” Klug screeched, his fingers anxiously tapping against the guard rail. “My- my- my- my papers! They could fall out! Amitie!”

Amitie helped to hold on to the notebook with one arm, as Klug was too paranoid to focus completely. “I’m pretty sure the death rate of this one is relatively low!” She reassured him, excited for the thing to go off.

In a flash, the thing accelerated. At first, it was dark, with lanterns illuminating the tunnels, before the Steam City was in full view again, but just barely, as they were facing upwards.

Klug was SHAKING in his hat. He could NOT do this?! How was Amitie able to keep calm? This is a terrifying state to be in! He tried to focus on Amitie instead of the fact that he was on his possibly last ride as a mortal, but as the first drop came, he couldn’t focus.

“UKYAAAAH!!!”

Screaming, crying, there was nothing really enjoyable about the roller coaster. Why would there be? They are AWFUL! And they should not EXIST.

As they got off, Klug stumbled about for a bit of time, before Amitie had to catch him before he hit the ground.. “How embarrassing…” He thought, “Having to be saved by a girl who would trip at any other time..”

Amitie could only giggle, unfaltered by insults. “Well, I guess you want to go back now! We’re running out of tickets! At least I’ve won this cute plushie…. Oh, and it’s a shame that your papers were wet—“

“I think it’s about time we head back to Primp— I don’t think I wish to linger here any longer.” Klug requested. To that, both agreed, with minimal silliness. As such, they went to the train station, with what little money they had.

Ringo (the girl with the newspaper.) was there, seemingly conducting an interview. She saw Klug and Amitie walk over, and was (seemingly) interested in what they did. “Oh, you two! So you’re leaving already? How was the C-A-R-N-I-V-A-L? ♪”

Klug prepared to speak, to say that Amitie had an amazing time, that it was subpar for someone of his intellect, but Amitie spoke first. “It was fun, but Klug here didn’t have so much fun! Thank you for telling us, though! It feels like we got closer!” She grinned, to Klug’s embarrassment.

“Oh! I see. I see…” Ringo said inquisitively. “Hm… Maguro! Get this!”

The purple haired boy pushed the camera closer to the pair’s face. It appears that this one is “Maguro.”

“‘Tenderness! The Carnival is grounds for Love?!’ … mm, that doesn’t sound like a good headline, does it? Well, it seems like a good article, however! Can you tell me your favorite rides? Tell me, tell me, T-E-L-L M-E!!”

Klug frowned, upset at the title. He couldn’t express WHY, since Amitie was just… was… just.. whatever! He grabbed her hand and ran past the two reporters, staring downwards the whole time to avoid contact.

•

The train hissed, and the two had gotten onboard. It wasn’t too long ago that they'd been on the train, and it would be a while. A perfect opportunity to speak.

“Actually.” Amitie began, turning back to sit properly instead, her face facing towards Klug. “Why.. why DO you paint stuff like exhaust pipes? I know you said you like the idea of immor-lation or whatever, but— why stuff like that?!”

Klug thought about the answer. In his head, it was simple: he enjoyed the way it looked. He liked painting buildings and skies and clock towers. But, such a childish answer— it isn’t right! A wrong answer to a hypothetical question!

“I..I have a vast appreciation for the life I live, and seek to preserve it for the future…” Hemurmured, thinking of an answer. “Yeah.. that sounds about right! You should’ve guessed that, after all!”

Amitie sighed, and continued looking out the window. “I guess… I just thought there might’ve been something of a— well? I don’t know..” She replied sadly. “I think— I was asking more about.. well— uhm..”

Amitie felt tears well up in her little eyes. “Actually, forget it. It’s- it’s all fine! How about we talk about something else? Like- uhm— if we could— hang out again! I missed you! I missed seeing you.. I missed— I missed—“

Friendship is so difficult to maintain. No, Amitie was difficult to maintain. A girl who is so easily cheered up is the same girl who is so easily heartbroken.

What word could he say? What was the right course of action? His mind and his pride were at war, between what he wanted to do and what he wanted to do— they weren’t the same, at all!

His selfish desires had peaked, as he took Amitie’s hands, the act calling for her eyes to lock onto his. “We.. we can go to the restaurant then! If that’s what you want, then, we can go! But! You’ll have to pay!”

Amitie was going to cry. This did NOT make it any better. Forcing a smile, she shut her eyes to blink away tears. “.. yeah! Yeah, that could be fun! Tomorrow!”

She took her hand back to wipe away the remaining tears, but when she finished, she and Klug stared at each other, their eyes thoughtless and wide.

It felt as if the air between them grew thinner, and the train went silent, and if the world became more beautiful.. and more beautiful.. but then, the train halted, which made them practically jump back.

“Primp Station— everyone off!”

As they got off the train, not a word was said until the split in their paths to head home. Even as she walked home, Amitie didn’t know what to think. What COULD she think?

It’s been so long. Quite so long. Even if they’ve been friends for a short time, Amitie remembered the group quite well.

How they would celebrate holidays, and study together. How every time one of them was messed with, the rest came to support them.

All the birthdays they STILL spent, and how Klug stopped showing up after he announced that he would be beginning “the rest of his life!” as he put it.

And, now?

Now he is doing that— he has money! He’s still hotheaded, and he’s still kind of mean, but.. it was.. kind of.. cute? Ohh! She can’t think that! That’s so weird! That’s her friend!

Amitie can’t even imagine the beginning of it, or even if what she thinks is true! No, that’s a lie. She believes wholeheartedly that, at some point, that Klug became ‘cute’, and that means she must feel something.

But feeling stuff is icky! Especially if it’s someone you’ve known for so long! What if she says that?! What if he knew before? Would he have said everything still? Was she acting differently?!

All those times, all those things she did.. the hands, the giggling, the— oh no! She was acting differently! It’s so obvious! It has to be!

Amitie wanted to cry, but she was too old to be crying. Not again. She can’t be so childish, if she’s going to be like this. She knows she has to confront it, even if it’s difficult.

But all she wants is to go back to normalcy.

#puyo puyo steam city #amitie puyo puyo #klug puyo puyo #puyo puyo #クルアミ #kuruami writing #24manzaishipping #klugami #okay regular tags now #Serilly Mention #ringo ando

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