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On a day like today, no one could possibly feel sad.
That's what Ame thought to themselves as they wandered the Valley. The sun was tucked away behind the clouds as it started its adventure toward the horizon. They passed the bus stop, casting a harsh, squinting glance over the area. No, that wouldn't work. It was open but there wasn't enough space to run around. They continued on, their good luck charms and other accessories clinking and jingling with each step as they lugged along a very large kite. On a normal day, Ame would be tending to their own little bug colony that had gathered on the farm. It was something of a pet project that the townspeople were not very fond of as they'd been under the impression that Ame would be on the farm… Well, farming. It wasn't really in their scope nor did they quite frankly care about what anyone else thought, they weren't going to go messing up the natural order of things by hacking away at the grass and tilling soil. That was the end of that.
The antennae on their headband bounced in rhythm with their steps while they crossed over into the middle of town, walking the cobble path and soaking up the scenery. Where would be the best place to fly this? They made a quick left and headed up toward the Community Center, still in disrepair. They had spoken to Lewis at some point about fixing it up, but again, that wasn't quite the first thing on Ame's agenda. Especially not right now. As they approached the open area in front of the Community Center, they paused by one of the trees. Perfect. They stood still a moment, the skirt of their dirtied dress floating with the gentle breeze. They lifted the kite with one hand, its string wrapped around their other hand while they tried to get the kite to pick up wind. They tossed it, sort of unsure of exactly how to get the kite in the air now that they were staring at it during a painfully slow descent.
They picked it back up. As the wind blew again, Ame threw it into the air and it sure did sail for a moment… Right until hit Shane directly in the face. Where he had come from, they hadn't a clue, but he managed a mangled 'oof' as he raised both arms, tangling up in the string and the legs of the kite. There was some mumble of what the hell before he knocked the kite away from him and it still drifted slowly to the ground like a leaf.
"What are you doing?" He normally wasn't a conversation starter and his unfriendly tone made that pretty evident.
"Flying a kite." Ame answered, deadpan with their eyes locked in on him a little more intensely than he may have expected. He faltered, mouth parting for a moment like he wanted to make some quip. Instead, he sighed.
"Maybe try not flying it into my face next time."
"Water off a duck's back. Y'know, like it's just a kite. It won't kill you."
"Do you even know what you're doing?"
"Not really."
Shane's shoulders sagged a little. From what Ame could tell, he'd probably rather be at home and halfway through a six-pack. Surprisingly, with a roll of his eyes, he turned to go pick the kite up. They still held onto the string and started to bring the line in as he plucked it off of the ground. He walked back over to them and opened his other hand. They handed him the spool and the confusion must have been apparent because he snorted a little, some semblance of a laugh though his expression never changed. He turned, the both of them silent as he waited for the wind again. It tousled his hair when it came and he faced away from it, raising the kite with one hand and waiting for the wind to pick up enough that it began riding the current of it.
Then, he let it go.
Ame's eyes widened as it stayed in the air and Shane slowly began letting out the line. He moved closer to them as he did it though his eyes were glued to the kite as it finally rose into the sky. He came to stand sort of behind them, reaching around to grab one of their hands and make them grab the spool again. He still held the other side to let out the string and his hand covered theirs as they guided it together. Before too long, it was in the clouds, and Ame grinned. "Woah. It's really up there."
"Yeah." Shane nodded, unmoving as his Ame stared up into the sky. They appreciated that he didn't reek so much of alcohol today, likely a result of having to work as he was still in his uniform. The Valley was silent, oddly empty as they shared this little moment all to themselves. Ame leaned back a little as the kite made its own path, their head resting against his chest. Their antennae were in his face but for once, he wasn't so bothered with the business of their outfit. He seemed to relax a little, even, and found himself smiling just a smidge as he watched the kite sway and flip in the wind.
"This is kind of romantic."
Shane sputtered, looking down at Ame with wide eyes that carried a wild, confused look in them. Then, he huffed a laugh, not noticing the tinge of red that flushed across his cheeks. He'd let go of the spool, though Ame held on to it with a much more knowledgeable ease after watching Shane. They offered him an odd smile that didn't quite meet their eyes, somehow both flat and genuine. He shook his head, shoving both hands into his pockets and shaking his head as he directed his gaze to the sky.
"You're so weird."