inukai | chicks dig stuffed animals

[dogethis]

[It's not everyday a carnival rolls into the city. The booths are buzzing with entertainment, and there's even more than a handful of agents from Border dropping by. There's no brief vacation from work like playing a game or two and winning stuffed animals that have no place in the squad operation room! Sumiharu definitely attends with the intention of killing a couple hours.

Perhaps what comes as a small surprise is the familiar deadpan profile of the talented sniper from Kageura Squad. The last time he'd "seen" Ema, Sumiharu had gotten shot during a rank battle. It's rather funny, in retrospect, that everyone gets along well enough despite constantly beating each other up in controlled fights. What's even funnier is how close Sumiharu and Ema are, and yet it's only now that the former has noticed the latter. In an ever amiable tone, he speaks over the crowd:]

Oh? So you were here, too, Ema-kun?

Comments

[minibis]

[Without family willing to accompany, and not feeling any particular need to invite any friends out (... maybe he could've asked Amatori and Izuho, but) Yuzuru was mainly here to kill some time. He'd seen a few of his fellow Border agents, waved when applicable, but otherwise hung out by himself.

... He can't say Inukai of Ninomiya Squad was someone he wanted to run into.]

...

[Yeaaaaah, he'll just pretend he didn't hear him and go back to his goldfish-scooping game. (He doesn't even want a goldfish.)]

[dogethis]

[Yeah, why didn't you ask little chica out on a game date, huh?

So it doesn't take a genius to notice that Ema doesn't care for this company right now. Seems like Ninomiya and Kageura Squads aren't meant to mesh, but this is a carnival! Sumiharu crouches down beside Ema to watch.]

You're fishing for goldfish? I hear it's harder than it looks. How many have you caught so far?

[minibis]

[None of your business!!

Yuzuru should've figured Inukai wouldn't be dissuaded so easily. Alas.]

... A few.

[Is his noncommittal answer, as he finishes catching the one he was after, before dumping it back into the water.]

Why don't you try?

[This is actually not a friendly invitation: he's hoping that if Inukai decides to try, he can use that time to walk (and get) away...]

[dogethis]

Sounds like fun!

[Challenge accepted. Fishing some yen out of his pocket, Sumiharu pays the vendor for a bowl and poi. After eyeing the fish in the water, he gently lowers the poi.]

Let's see – with this, it's best to aim for the head.

[He's completely absorbed. Best of luck if you intend to escape, Ema.]

[minibis]

Good luck.

[And then Yuzuru used all of his sneaky sniper skills to silently slip away.

Bye, Inukai.]

[dogethis]

[It might be a good thing, because Sumiharu breaks the paper backing on the poi and that's a very sad turn of events. That's when he realizes that Ema isn't next to him anymore.]

He sneaked away while I wasn't looking, huh? So the invitation was a ruse.

[Too bad he didn't get a goldfish for his troubles. It was fun while it lasted, though. Sumiharu isn't too broken up over the loss.

The next half an hour or so takes Sumiharu around the carnival, until he comes across a booth with cork guns. Numerous participants are lined up for the next round, and Sumiharu decides to pitch in to see how many shots he can get in one sitting. Each participant is given four corks; of as many tries, he hits two cans.]

Wow! It's not as easy it looks. All the corks were different shapes . . .

[He looks around to see how the other participants did. It's yet another surprise that he sights Ema a few spots over as people move away to other attractions.]

Did you play, too, Ema-kun?

never mind ONE MORE TAG

[minibis]

[What with being a sniper, it's no surprise that Yuzuru would be drawn to a cork gun booth. Even if holding the gun probably won't be the exact same as it is when he's in his Trion body, it shouldn't be too difficult, right?

Dealing with Inukai, if anything, is harder—not that it shows on his blank face even as he inwardly goes why and turns to Inukai.]

... Are you following me?

[PLS STOP.]

CB

[dogethis]

[Are you always this rude?]

What kind of a question is that? This may be a carnival, but doesn't it make sense for people like us to be drawn to the same booth?

[Besides, why anybody would waste time at a carnival following someone who doesn't want company is beyond him.]

It's pure coincidence. Don't worry about it.

screams

[minibis]

[Just to your squad.

And good, because it'd be super questionable for an 18-year-old to be stalking a 14-year-old, just sayin'.

Yuzuru stares at him with his typical deadpan look, which could be interpreted as acceptable or I hate you or anything in between. His tone isn't much better.]

Then to answer your question, I haven't played yet.

[dogethis]

[See, at least Ema responds. It's not like being around Kageura, who destroys Sumiharu's okonomiyaki while looking him in the eye at the restaurant.

Leaning over the counter with his elbow propped on the top, Sumiharu rests his chin on his palm. It's a cork gun, of all things, but Ema's good at what he does.]

Can I watch? I want to see if you'll hit all four cans.

[minibis]

[Hey, his captain may have anger management issues, but at least he's not a salty douchebag unlike someone!!]

You see me shoot things plenty of times in rank battles. [And/or get shot by him, but same difference.] Why are you so curious now?

[dogethis]

[Which salty douchebag.]

That's then, and this is now. Besides, there's no scope on a cork gun, and each cork has a slightly different shape. A simple challenge, wouldn't you say?

[minibis]

[...]

Well, it doesn't matter. It's not like I'm the one who decides whether you can be here or not.

[Aka do you as like, Inukai, as he tries to ignore your presence and gets the gun ready.]

[dogethis]

[Just what he would expect from Ema. Sumiharu watches with faint interest as the vendor hands out the corks to the next round's participants.]

Do your best.

[minibis]

I don't need you to tell me that.

[Yuzuru's half-tempted to aim the thing at his head, but Inukai isn't worth getting kicked out of the carnival for. Instead, he aims at a can, and after a few moments (it's odd, shooting outside of a Trion body), he fires.

... The world may forever wonder if it was intentional or not, but the way the can flies after being struck has it go straight for Inukai's face—]

[dogethis]

[By the time Ema fires, most participants have already run through all four corks. But none of the cans they hit (or missed) went so far, and the world may forever wonder how Ema's first can manages to sail a couple yards through the air.

He's too used to defensive maneuvers in his Trion body. Sumiharu reflexively backs away and attempts to call up his shield, which doesn't appear. In the end, the can hits him squarely on the nose and hits his shoe with a dull thud.

Is this the real life.

Did that really just happen.]

[minibis]

...

[Ema stares, with his usual passive expression, and with his usual passive tone:]

Sorry.

[He's not even remotely sorry.]

[dogethis]

[Sumiharu laughs the apparent slight off. He picks up the fallen can and sets it down on the counter next to the rest of Ema's corks.]

Well, mistakes happen.

[Yes, this was a mistake. You made a mistake, Ema. Mistake.]

Try again.

[minibis]

Fine.

[And so he aims again, and he fires again...!

... And that's another can going flying in Inukai's direction. Total accident, like before!! Maybe. Just, you know, coming from the kouhai of the previously most technically skilled sniper in Border.]

[dogethis]

[Somehow, Sumiharu is not surprised. He manages to catch the can when it flies at him this time, and sets that one next to its predecessor.]

. . . Ema-kun? Can you fire from another angle?

[minibis]

[Completely innocently, otherwise known as deadpan:]

Why?

[dogethis]

The cans are flying at me. [He plays with one, tipping it with a finger.] It's hard on the vendors if they keep going over the counter.