#WxS gone too far with jokes

[kasaraku]

I'm bored.

*Proceed to make angst*

I was just scrolling through tiktok before seeing an analysis about how Tsukasa is aND THE SCENE WHERE TSUKASA WAS HANGING AND THE OTHERS IGNORE HIM. It gave me an idea,,,,

It's frustrating him.

He loves the attention! He loves the smiles of people! He loves the bright positivity that shines in their face whenever he makes a cool pose!

Then why did he feel hurt?

Of course it's because their attention to him is about judging him badly. Of course it's because their smiles to him are but mocks of how he's nothing but a clown. Of course it's because the bright positivity that shines in their face is fake and they're actually humiliating him.

He knows it all already. It stung whenever that happened, but he let it happen. Because he's always known as the ‘oblivious and naivé’ kind of person. Someone who's easy to be manipulated, someone's easy to be used. So what? If he's in a good use for people, it's fine.

He should've gotten used to this feeling of frustration and hurt. Then, why did it stung even more when it's with his troupe?

They did nothing wrong- just joking and all sorts of that. There's nothing wrong with them making fun of him once in a while. Nene has done that daily. Emu has been crushing him down whenever he shows up at her sight of view and dumbly agrees on him being made fun of. Rui with his joke about sending him to the sky, making him an actual star of the world in such a short time and ignoring his calls when he got stuck.

It hurts, coming from someone who you truly care about. He knows they're only joking, but he can't help but feel hurt about it and, to add salt to his already wounded heart, them ignoring how he feels with it. Just them seeing how he overreacts makes them loosen up with their jokes, and it warms his heart they're loosen up to him. But it hurts when they also loosen up the jokes.

The jokes are funny, but he's still hurt. Why, oh why, do they not realise it? Surely Emu feels it, right?

“Thank you everyone for the hard work today! This will definitely be our best show yet ~!” Rui cuts the tension of the practice as soon as the last act is done. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, with Emu jumping happily saying ‘wonderhoy!!’ with that bright aura of her showering the other three with it.

Nene sighs again and sits down on the floor, accepting the water bottle that Tsukasa gives her. Rui and Emu were talking about how the scenes should be made to be more magical and eye - catching, while the other two just watch them talk and enjoy the calmness of the atmosphere.

If you ignore how Rui keeps on having his cat smile and Emu getting more and more excited by the second, that is.

“Tsukasa, you should probably lower your voice in that one scene where we meet, you know. Your obnoxious voice is really gonna make the audience deaf someday…” that was a joke, that was a joke, that was a joke, that was a joke-

“Nene!! That scene was in need of a loud scream, okay!? It was expected of a future star such as myself to be giving my best!” he cannot let his ugly feelings show their way out. He needs to repress them. The World Future Star needs to shine, but this Tsukasa can just die.

He doesn't like it when he shows how weak he can be with emotions.

“So loud…” Nene murmurs, but doesn't move away. Huh, if she's complaining, then why is she still sitting next to him anyway? It's weird…

Letting their silence as they watch Emu and Rui talk in such ways they cannot understand, Nene gets up and just stares at the duo in silence. Tsukasa doesn't know if she's thinking about something or watching them, but it's none of his business.

Suddenly, Emu looked at Tsukasa with her blinding smile, “Tsukasa - Kunn!! What if we kaboow you to the sky when the scene you were sling slang with Nene - Chan???”

He doesn't understand her, but he understands what she's aiming at.

“No way! That scene doesn't need to be changed!!! You can't just throw me to the sky when it's show time!?”

“Fufu ~ That's why we want to change the scene to make it fit! And, does that mean I can launch you outside of the show?”

“Absolutely not! We're done with the launching part!!”

“Geh… at least lower your voice, idiot. “

“WHO DO YOU CALL AN IDIOT!?”

Emu laughs at it and keeps on repeating the word ‘idiot’ over and over again, while Rui just laughs it out loud. It feels humiliating, but they're only joking. Emu has done this before, Nene has jabbed him with her sharp words before, Rui has turned a blind eye at this kind of thing before.

Why did it hurt so badly now?

Emu makes jokes about things to him, and so is Rui. But it hurts so badly now. Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? He's never been this bad before.

“It's not funny…” hearing his timid voice, Rui stops laughing. It shouldn't be too bad, but somehow hearing the same Tsukasa Tenma who's loud about things, having a timid voice is insane. It's not that insane, but it's extremely rare that he does it.

It shouldn't be too bad, right? They're just joking, after all. He can understand. (?)

“Jeez, calm down. It's just a joke. No need to be dramatic. “ It just added to the flame. What does she mean when she says that it's just a joke!? It's never a joke to begin with!

He woke up on the wrong side of the bed, being exhausted after practising his lines last night. Having to endure the other students’ comments about how loud, obnoxious and annoying he is. He loves the attention, negative or positive, but it's too much for him right now. And then he forgot his lunch and also his homework was forgotten on his desk at home, so he got punished and laughed at by others. It's too much.

Too much for a boy with a fragile heart like his.

With the others talking about it, he blocked their voices, getting them out of his head while trying to calm himself down. He's so tired, he can only endure so much today,

And he's at his limit.

“You should've just lowered your voice like when you become Thorpe-” “I'm so tired of this already!”

Suddenly, the atmosphere turns cold. The three looked at him in shock and somehow the shock was getting worse.

Tsukasa'a crying. And his eyes look like it's on the verge of dying with his lights flickering. Emu gasps and covers her mouth. Nene looked conflicted and frowning, thinking where did she go wrong. Rui is with his frowning, realising that his timid voice before was actually his limit.

They realised that Tsukasa is someone who's easy to tease, but never realised that he's on his limit.

“I'm so tired of your jokes! Don't you understand how it hurts me- how it affects me as myself!? You guys are always joking here and there, but never realise how your jokes are getting too far! “ shouted Tsukasa. It hits them to the core.

They've gone too far. And they've been hitting the limit for a long time.

“Tsukasa… you can understand that those are jokes right-?” Nene tries to lessen Tsukasa's anger. This was like the first time they had an argument, and at that time Tsukasa was at fault, but it's not his fault that he doesn't realise that he wants to do shows for his sister.

And now it's their fault for getting too far. And they cannot see the reason why it's not their fault when Tsukasa has clearly shown signs of him being uncomfortable by their jokes.

Tsukasa laughs. His laugh feels so empty, “I know! But it still hurts nonetheless! What do you think about how people have been saying bad things to you and then treating it like a joke? I've been feeling that since long and have gotten used to it, but you guys who know better about me don't realise how it hurts me so badly! You guys know that words are like arrows, right!?

I've asked you guys to stop, but you guys didn't! You only make it worse! I've had a bad day already, so just spare me…

Please…”

And that's when he broke down. He choked on his own saliva at the end and cried silently on the spot. He cannot handle them being this mean to him now. He can any other day, just not now. He had enough for today.

The three can only watch him crying. It hurts them how, even when he says stop, they didn't. They hurt him the way they never realised that it's affecting him greatly. Frustration and stress has built its way to his body as he cries himself. It only hurts them even more when they realise that he's trying to quiet down his cry.

Emu has already broken down by how she has affected him so much it makes him cry. She cried at how she should've realised it was too much for him. She's sensitive to feelings right? Why can't she actually feel the bleeeegh feelings that latched on Tsukasa??

Nene can feel her eyes prickling with tears. She has done this. She has made him cry. Not of happiness, not of dying of laughter, no nothing. She made him cry tears of sadness. What she promised not to upset people close to her, has broken down. Why? Is all she wanted to ask herself.

Rui didn't cry. No tears have made its way to his eyes. But his heart that feels the warmth of laughter suddenly goes cold when Tsukasa shouts stop and he feels empty because of how Tsukasa confesses his feelings about the jokes they've made. He should be mad. Tsukasa yelled at his childhood friend again -at him and Emu too- , but he knows it's their fault for upsetting him until he cries. He failed another friend, it seems.

No one has said a word before Tsukasa runs away from the Wonder Stage. Everyone was shocked and tried to chase him, but he ran faster and out of everyone's sight. He also left his bag too. His phone is with him, right? Maybe they can call him.

But Rui stopped Emu's attempt to call Tsukasa.

“Maybe we should let him calm down first. We can apologise to him when he calms down. “ Emu was hesitant, but nodded anyway, and put her phone in her pocket.

Nene starts sobbing, “How are we so blind to his frustration..? Weren't we all just joking before..?”

Words are like arrows. When you says bad things about them, it's like an archer shoots an arrow at them.

And they're the archers to Tsukasa.

[I'm writing this late so uhh... might be OCC. Forgive me.]

{★▪︎▪︎▪︎•¤■♡}

[pissfizz]

Ok so I just woke up so pardon me this may not be accurate and is entirely first impressions. But hallelujah we got the first actually good miku design and not one that’s super boring or fugly as hell!! As a costume I actually quite like hers, however I’m on the fence if it fits her and represents her as a character, and although I don’t dislike how it looks I’m a bit confused about the sudden white cat features. For the other four… why is it just simplifications of their regular costumes. That’s literally the laziest route they could’ve gone. Especially tsukasa, that’s literally just a suit with barely anything else to it. Tsukasas may be by far the worst design released so far I’m not even joking it’s lazy looking and uncreative. As I’ve been saying there’s ways to show characters maturing while still being creative with their outfits and not straying too far from their character. I can’t say much on rui because due to his pose I can’t see any of it really which is annoying, but I’m leaning towards I don’t really like it. Once again, just looks like a lazy reskin of his standard costume. Emu I can’t decide how I feel, like it’s not bad but they just took her standard outfit, recolored it, and leaned more into a lolita aesthetic, same with nene, but I think it works for her just a little better. I don’t like the layering going on with emus skirts though, it looked better with flouncier fabric, and the tops of her socks look a bit awkward. Nene is fine I guess, I also like this one just as a costume, but it’s way too heavily based off her standard costume and is really lame compared to that one. She reminds me a little too much of the Peter Pan costumes. Also once again, the sapping of colors is a choice that I am Not Enjoying ESPECIALLY with wxs and vbs like these are the groups that need it the most. Hoping n25 gets more color in theirs tomorrow for plot reasons but due to this running theme I don’t think they will. Maturing =/= losing color and creativity and that’s what a lot of these have done so far ESPECIWLLY this one and leoni. I like the miku relatively well here, tsukasas costume should be burned, and the others just piss me off a regular amount.

[kairoscler]

First Ruikasa fic ever! Inspired because @ticklish-n-stuff makes amazing fics and because I love Ruikasa angst/comfort and idiots falling in love or idiots realizing they're in love!

Warning: does contain tickles! Though they're not until a little ways in.

The Ruikasa happens near the end!

Rui sighed for the bazillionth time that day, plopping right back down on the bed after having gone over to his door and grabbed the doorknob. He had ended up not opening the door, noticing his fingers were ever so slightly trembling. 

As he stared up at his ceiling in the dim light, his little inventions piled up everywhere around him, the purple-haired boy could not help but be frustrated at himself. 

He knew what time it was. If he didn't leave now, he would be late for rehearsal. And he was usually the first one there. 

If the others had specific questions about the tech... Rui wouldn't be there for them. But he couldn't confront Tsukasa. At least, not before figuring out what was going on with himself first. 

Why had that one joke Tsukasa made yesterday affected Rui so much, when he'd completely brushed off much worse insults by complete strangers at school? Rui Kamishiro of all people was sulking in his room because of some stupid joke? This whole situation has got to be some stupid joke. And Rui had tried laughing at it, laughing it off. But it sounded far too bitter, and the feeling that came along with it was far too uncomfortable. 

"Rui! If you don't want to take it seriously, then leave!" 

At least, Rui thought it was supposed to be a joke, as the words echoed through his mind again. 

Maybe Tsukasa had just had a bad day, or maybe it was a really bad attempt at a joke, but the intention hardly mattered when a single quiet sob broke the silence. It surprised Rui enough to stop and think yet again. No tears ended up coming out, but he was only increasing in frustration. Why had one line affected him so much when he felt fine the previous day? 

Admittedly, Rui already knew the troupe could probably manage going on without his ideas. It's something his classmates had made abundantly clear from a young age. No one really needed his ideas. Sure they might be different or funny or ambitious, but everyone in his past could always make something just as good without them... they'd all said.

That night, Rui couldn't sleep no matter how long he tried for. He tried everything short of sleeping pills, since he didn't have any. In the end, he ended up pulling an all-nighter working on his next mechanical project to take his mind off of whatever was going on. It worked for the night, but... 

Rui remembered he had to go to school still. He might not pay attention because he can learn it on his own and get the homework done relatively quickly, but attendance was attendance. 

Even at school, his classmates observed Rui being a different kind of strange. Instead of scribbling ideas and mumbling to himself, he was oddly spacey, staring outside at the sky and taking several minutes longer to realize that class had ended. 

Not to mention, he timed his pathing to completely avoid Tsukasa, not even taking the opportunity to get into any messes or trouble. Even the teachers, who knew the way Rui was, were getting a little concerned. One even approached him in the hall and asked if everything was okay because "You haven't done a single disruptive thing, and you look kind of down." 

Rui seemed to be rather caught off guard by that sudden concern from a teacher, even laughing a little bit at that. 

"I appreciate the concern," he did not, "Yeah, I'm fine, just haven't been getting as much sleep as usual." He explains it away, going on his way before the teacher could respond. 

- 

Rui continued to avoid going to a couple more rehearsals without any better reason than 'I have to work on the tech for the show' over text, and it was strange for the rest of WxS. 

To Tsukasa, it was strange because Rui was always so invested in the rehearsals. Yet, now he's working a lot more on his machines than anything. 

To Emu, it was strange to not have someone to bounce fun ideas off of. Someone to understand her noises and back her up that it's a good idea. 

To Nene, it was strange because she knew that Rui wasn't the type to miss rehearsals. She knew he was the type to take shows very seriously in every aspect. And Nene's concern was the most concerning. If she was concerned with Rui not showing up without an actually good reason, there was something wrong. 

Nene tried not to worry anyone, but after a couple more days of this completely avoidant behavior, she said to Emu and Tsukasa, "I'm sure it's nothing too serious, but just in case it is, I think it's best if I go talk to him first." 

The others nodded. Out of all of them, Nene knew Rui for the longest and probably knew him best. 

Once Nene got back to her own place, she figured she might need backup, because nothing she's seen Rui go through had made the boy hole himself up in his room and avoid everyone. So she called the only sociable person in her and Rui's childhood friend group (and in fact the last member of said childhood friend group), Mizuki. 

Mizuki had met Rui on the roof of the middle school he went to. They were just as odd as he was, society had decided, so they became friends with Rui. While he and Nene were still friends, Nene had to go to a different middle school. 

Rui's mannerisms had basically settled in by middle school, so Nene and Mizuki were the two most qualified to read Rui's expressions. 

"Nene-chan!" Mizuki's voice chirped through the speaker, "We haven't talked in a while! How have you been?" 

"I'm okay," Nene responded, "But, I need your help with something." 

"Not even a 'how are you' back??" Mizuki joked with a giggle, then got back on topic, "What's up, Nene-chan?" They knew Nene wasn't much for conversation. 

"Rui's been acting really weird lately and I might need you to come help and see what's wrong… you know how stubborn he is…" Nene did sound pretty concerned. 

"Eh?! What's he doing??"

"He's just been avoiding us, especially Tsukasa, and he's been avoiding talking to us beyond greetings and pleasantries…" 

"..." Mizuki was silent for a while, and Nene wondered for a second if they'd disconnected… until they spoke again, "... especially Tsukasa-kun?"

Nene nods… then realizes Mizuki can't hear a nod, "... yeah." 

"He's in his place, you said?"

"Yeah, I'm headed over now."

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as possible!" 

Nene hummed in affirmation, hanging up the phone, then headed out to head to her neighbor Rui. 

-

Rui was working on machinery again, concentrating ability lessened due to the lack of sleep, but still working on machinery. At least it was getting done. 

When he heard a knock at the door, Rui jumped for a moment. He had sat there for a moment before he heard a familiar voice come through the closed door, "Rui!" That was the loudest he'd ever heard Nene be, "Open the door, Rui… I need to talk to you." 

Rui hesitated. He knew what she would want to talk about. 

“… I’m coming!” He called back, nonetheless. He knew he could trust Nene to keep quiet with what he told her, so he put the parts of his machinery he was dealing with down onto his workbench in a specific order so he would know what was where later, and then finally opened the door. 

The first thing he was greeted by was Nene’s concerned gaze. Rui realized he probably looked pretty tired too, but he still smiles at his childhood friend, “To what do I owe the pleasure, Nene-chan?” 

“You know what I’m here for, Rui. Why have you been avoiding anything to do with Tsukasa lately?” The question causes Rui to pause, trying to determine how he should explain it to Nene, and she took that as wanting to come up with an excuse, “And don’t you dare say it’s nothing.”

It seemed that the long pause was the perfect length of time for Mizuki to arrive. 

Since Rui was facing out the door still, he noticed them first, “Eh? Mizuki?” Nene glanced back at the newest arrival, to which Mizuki responded with a smile and a giggle, “Yup! That’s my name! Don’t overuse it! Let’s all go inside to talk!” They gently nudged until the three of them were inside Rui’s messy room. 

Mizuki went straight over to Rui’s bed and sat on it and Nene followed suit. Now they were both staring at him expectantly. 

“Well this is just like old times~” Rui chuckles, attempting to change the topic. He couldn’t necessarily just shove these two out, and he figured if anyone should know, it should be the two people he trusted most not to judge him. 

“Rui,” Mizuki spoke first, rather sternly, “you’re making them worry for you, what’s going on recently?” Nene nods in agreement. 

“… well…” Rui hesitates, a slight red coloration tinting his cheeks. This was hardly noticeable at the moment, but he was avoiding looking either of the other two in the eyes. 

“… it’s… not exactly nothing, but it is ridiculous and highly unusual…”

“If it’s bothering you, we won’t judge,” Nene spoke up this time, “and I won’t laugh, though I can’t say the same about Mizu.” 

“Hey!” Mizuki gently elbowed Nene with a giggle, “I’ll try not to~” they joked to lighten the mood. 

Rui relaxed a little, chuckling just a bit, but ultimately said nothing yet. 

All it took was a glance at Rui’s hands that were clenched in fists for Mizuki to realize the two of them needed to help him relax more so he would speak more freely. They looked at Nene and mouthed one single word. Nene nodded, understanding what they must do. 

“Rui,” Mizuki got his attention first before reaching out, grabbing Rui’s wrist, and pulling him onto them after turning him so that his back was against Mizuki’s front, arms held to his sides by the beat hug Mizuki pulled him into, their legs wrapping around his legs. 

“Eh?! What are you-?”

“Now, Nene~!”

Nene had instantly jumped up off of her place on the bed and got in front of Rui, devious fingers moving his shirt up and wiggling her fingers up and down his abdomen. 

“Pfft-!” Rui wriggled around in Mizuki’s grasp, but his ticklish nature caused him to noodle his limbs as he squirmed, shaking his head as if it would help him hold back his laughter. It worked at first… until Nene moved to his sides. 

“Nahaha- Mihizuhuhu! Nenehehe! Why ahare you dohoing thihihihihs-…?” Rui’s struggles renewed in their intensity as the ticklish sensation spread through his sides.

“Well, we need you to relax, Rui~,” Mizuki explained, “You know you don’t like to speak your mind when you’re so tense~” 

Nene sees how Rui’s bright smile was plastered on his face as she tickled him, cheeks flushed at the prospect of being so helpless as he was being tickled. 

While this was torture to him, Rui still had just barely enough mental capacity to not throw his head straight back so he avoided bonking Mizuki in the face when Nene's hands moved up his sides, as far as Mizuki's arms across his chest allowed. 

But he really cracked when Nene wriggled her hands into Rui's armpits by moving her hands out and to the other side of Mizuki's arms.

"GYAHAHAHAHAHAHA- NEHEHE AHAHAHAHA STAHAHAHAHAP PLEHEHEHEHEHE-" Rui just about died, his laughter fading out into a silent laughter with tears in the corners of his eyes. 

Only then did Nene stop tickling him, smiling down at her very ticklish friend. 

Mizuki giggled, letting go of Rui and watching as Rui slid down to the ground in a fit of residual giggles. The two of them smiled at Rui, sitting back into his bed and letting Rui catch his breath. 

After he could breathe properly again, Rui chuckled a bit, "... thanks, guys."

"Our pleasure, Rui~" Mizuki smiled.

"Now will you tell us?" Nene adds, also smiling.

"Fihine, yes," Rui stayed sitting on the floor with his back against the side of the bed and both friends messing with his hair, "... it's just that, Tsukasa-kun said something the other day, and I really couldn't figure out why it affected me so much…" he conceded. 

Mizuki and Nene hummed in thought in unison. 

"And besides that, how do you feel about Tsukasa-kun besides that?" Mizuki knew what questions to ask, Nene thinks. 

"Well… he's just so bright and engaging, and just about everything he does is like a show in and of itself… and it…" Rui paused for a moment, "... it makes my heart feel like it's gonna beat out of my chest when he smiles at me…" Rui pauses again.

When Nene looks down at him, she sees his face is bright red. 

Mizuki looks at him as well, "... ne, Rui…" he looks up at them, "... have you ever thought that maybe it's because you're falling in love with him?" 

Rui froze, tensing for a few moments.

"Eh-?!" He was definitely blushing more somehow. He was literally a tomato. 

-

The next day, they had rehearsal again. This time, Rui went to Wonderstage. Nene met him just outside and she was also just getting there. 

"Ne, Nene," Rui got her attention, "I thought about it last night and… would you mind pretending to finish a last minute errand with Emu for maybe the first half hour?" 

She smiled knowingly at him and nodded. 

When Rui and Nene showed up at the stage, Tsukasa and Emu were there early. 

Nene ran on ahead and asked Emu for help running an errand, and said to Tsukasa, "You stay here." Very subtle. 

When Tsukasa saw Rui, the brightest smile came across his face and he basically tackle hugged the taller boy, though he made sure not to tackle him too hard. And Rui hugged him back, stumbling back a couple steps with a giggle. 

"RUI! Why'd you avoid me so much?? Did I do anything wrong??" Tsukasa's expression almost immediately turned to a frown as he looked up at Rui, still hugging him. 

"Well… just a little… but thanks to that, I figured something out. So it's not a big deal, Tsukasa-kun~" Rui explained.

"Tell me what I did, Rui, so I don't repeat that mistake! A world future star cannot be hurting the troupe he leads!" Tsukasa insisted, finally letting go and pulling back. 

Rui chuckled after a short pause, "Will you allow me to tell you my realization first, Tsukasa-kun?" It was a genuine question. 

Tsukasa tilted his head a little (like a curious puppy, Rui thought) and confusedly said, "... oh, okay." 

"... I took several days off…" Rui took a breath, avoiding eye contact, "... I was thinking a lot about something, and Nene and Mizuki helped me realize that I'm in love with you, my star. Your smile, your hair, your style… even how you hated bugs, but you still tolerated me telling you all about them… I… I'm in love with you, Tsukasa Tenma." 

The final confession caused his voice to tremble as he felt the tears in the corners of his eyes. 

The silence was deafening in the moments that it took Tsukasa to take in all of what Rui had just said. 

It took so long that Rui looked back at him with a concerned, "Tsukasa-ku-... mph-!" 

But he was cut off when Tsukasa rushed up to him and pulled him down into a kiss. 

Was this really happening? Tsukasa Tenma, the brightest and most accepting person he knew, was kissing Rui Kamishiro? 

It felt like an eternity, and when Tsukasa finally pulled back, Rui had to catch his breath again. There were tears streaming down Tsukasa's face. 

"Sorry, Rui, I-... I never knew you felt the same way…! I fell in love at some point and I didn't know when and… and I didn't say anything because I thought it might weird you out and I didn't want to lose my precious director because of uncontrollable emotions and-... and-"

Rui giggled and pulled him back into a hug to stop him from his rant, and of course, Tsukasa reciprocated. 

-

They didn't realize how long they'd been standing there hugging until Tsukasa finally pulled back again and asked, "... so… what was it that I did…?" 

Rui hesitated for a moment before responding, "... it was just… your remark about me not being serious… it… it really shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did so…" he fades off, looking away from Tsukasa again. 

The blond looked like he finally understood.

"Ah! I never got to apologize to you for that! I felt really bad after saying it, but I never got the chance be-... but it's still my bad. I'm sorry, Rui."

Rui chuckled, "It's alright, Tsukasa-kun~ after all, it's how I figured out my feelings for you, my precious star~" 

Tsukasa blushes… and they kiss again. 

[maka-in-klay]

Klango’s Origin - Part 2

As promised, here’s part 2! I have more to say at the end. . . But, for now, I hope you enjoy! 💖

~~~

Once Klango emerged from the Hall, the horizon was already lit with a tinge of pale sunlight, so he gave up on getting some rest and sat in the sand beside the crack to watch the sunrise. Soon enough though, as he rested, his exhaustion caught up to him. Heryl found him passed out in the sand, and took him to a shady, shallow cave so that he might rest without being burnt by the hot sun.

Klango awoke much later, in the middle of the day. He stretched and yawned, glanced around, and then remembered where he was. Jumping to his feet, he made his way energetically out of the cave to find his new friend.

It didn’t take Klango long to track the ape down; he found Heryl beside a pond, gazing deep and long into the water.

“Whatcha doing?”

Heryl jumped, not having seen the yellow guy approach. “Hey! You can’t just scare me like that!”

Klango sat down by his side, tucking his legs up neatly. “But whatcha doing?”

“Shh.”

Heryl went back to watching the water, so Klango stayed where he was, unmoving. They stayed there, motionless, for two whole hours, before Heryl made a sharp, swift motion and plucked a fish right out of the water! Now it was Klango’s turn to jump - he had been daydreaming about his chunk, and the vine ontop it, and had not been paying much attention.

“That’s what I was doing.”

“Huh?”

“Earlier. You asked me what I was doing.”

“Oh.” Klango looked down at the ground, feeling his face glow warm with embarrassment. “I forgot.”

~~~

Soon enough, the two were inseparable. Klango would follow Heryl around as the ape performed his daily tasks, helping wherever he could. Heryl, in turn, taught the hoop-head everything he knew about Proto-Skullmonkey culture and the history of Guhrli and the other worlds of Creation.

Klango found all the worlds fascinating, but he was drawn in particular to the story of Ottoborg and his seven sons. Heryl would often joke about Klango being the lost eighth son of Ottoborg - he did, after all, have the hoop on his head, and spikes on his back, which were said to be defining features of the sons of the fourth king. They always brushed it off as a joke between friends.

But, some late nights, Klango would sit awake, in the cave he had made his home, and he would let himself think (but only for a little bit) that perhaps he was Ottoborg’s son.

He started to grow quiet - most days, he would prefer to sit on a rock, up on a small cliff that he would climb to, and watch the beings on the world below going about their day. Heryl was worried, for he barely saw his weird little friend anymore.

Klango was sitting in his usual space, quietly thinking, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped about a mile, nearly toppling off the cliff, before he was yanked backwards, falling into the soft lap of his friend. Heryl chuckled. “Whatcha doing?”

Klango smiled fondly as he sat up, recalling their first casual encounter, but the smile was brief. He turned back around to gaze out at the horizon.

“Just. . . thinking.”

“About?”

Klango shrugged. “About. . . where I belong? Who I belong to? Stuff like that. . . I don’t know.” He sighed quietly, leaning back against Heryl.

“You belong here?” Heryl said, half-asking it. “Or. . . Do you not want to belong here?”

Once again, Klango just shrugged. “I dunno how to put it.”

“. . . You could belong to me,” Heryl murmured the suggestion, responding to the second question.

“That would be nice.”

They sat up there until the sun was low in the sky.

It started to become a routine, of sorts. Once Heryl was finished with his chores for the day, he would climb up the cliff and sit with Klango until the sun was setting.

But one fateful day, disaster struck.

~~~

Klango came to, and, finding himself face-down on the ground, shakily pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. His memory was blurred, but he could faintly recall falling from a great height. His head was spinning and his vision blurry, and his body ached all over - but he managed to shuffle over to another body nearby. Heryl.

The Proto-Skullmonkey was on his back, oddly still, strangely so. And, when Klango put a hand on his chest, Heryl wasn’t breathing.

“H. . Heryl?” Klango mumbled, then tried again, louder. “Heryl? Friend?”

He expected, no, hoped to see his friend sit up. To smile at him, to tell him to stop being a moron. But nothing happened. He grabbed Heryl by the shoulders, shaking him gently. “C-C’mon. . .”

Time became blurry. He could only recall bits and pieces. His face was pressed into Heryl’s fur, and then others were pulling him off of the ape while he screamed and struggled. He was being pulled away by another friend, Bern, who was leading him to the Healer, and he felt numb, and hot tears were dripping down his face. He was shaking as he sat, then was laid down, and the last thing he saw was his closest friend in all of Creation being laid down beside him.

So crushingly still.

~~~

Klango woke up much later, alone. Sitting up, he realised he was in the tent that belonged to the tribe’s healer, Mleng. For a moment, he was confused - but then it all came rushing back to him. The fall, the pain. . . Heryl.

He stood up quickly, but quickly regretted this action, as all the blood rushed to his head and bruises from the fall began to ache. He sat again, leaning against the wall and hugged himself, lowering his head as he felt tears start to come on.

He cried until he was tired enough to fall asleep again.

When he woke up again, it was late, at a time when all the other inhabitants would be sleeping. Someone had thoughtfully covered Klango with a blanket. He sat up. . . and noticed a small, pale square of fabric at the foot of his bed.

He picked the scrap up, and, realising what it was, held it tight against his chest, doubled over with dry sobs.

It was Heryl’s bandana, the one he’d never, ever taken off, not in all of the time he’d known Klango.

~~~

It was a month gone by since the fall, and nothing was the same to Klango without his Heryl by his side.

When the planet Wx came close to Guhrli and the Harvest of the Wx began, Klango bid goodbye to the world he had called home for so long, and climbed onto the new world. On his first night on Wx, he gazed down at Guhrli, now far below him. He tied Heryl’s bandana around his own neck.

“I won’t forget you.”

~~~

I know, it’s getting a little drastic now!

I recall moments when I first showed off version 1 of Klango’s story. People loved Heryl so much - and don’t worry, I love him too! I promise you, things get better in the conclusion. Stay tuned for that 💖💖💖

I hope you enjoyed!

Part One here.

Part Three here.

Part Four here.

Part Five (END) here.