[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

in actuality, jayden did not have anything against Yumi Hasegawa. he knew her as someone who was apart of their ranks, a loyal member of team rocket, and a successful businesswoman for having taken over the casino as well as she had.

[break][break] (yet, the bite of envy that followed with her name did not quite cease — when he thought about the evenings that must have been spent with fern delaney, whenever they were not with him.)

[break][break] still, his expression is unreadable as it always is, as he accepts her hand out to shake. there is nothing wrong in politeness, after all.

[break][break] "i'm surprised to see you here," he says, glancing around him. not far off, children clamber atop a TAURUS-RODEO game, attempting to win first prize.

[break][break] "are you alone?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] [attr="class","fas fa-crow"] magnificent funtasia [break]
[attr="class","fas fa-crow"] Yumi Hasegawa
[break] — Involve or reference a Taurus-Rodeo Game.

☉

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"not in particular."

[break][break] he'd already come to the festival with both Cillian Quinn and Naomi Sato, and experienced more than he'd anticipated. though, looking at all of the sprawling lights, it seemed like there was plenty more to experience.

[break][break] he watched a group of children crouch around a game titled DUGTRIO RING TOSS. one of the children shouted with glee as a ring swung around a glass bottle, pulling a squishy plush to their chest with glee. it was an over-sized dragapult.

[break][break] it didn't seem particularly interesting to him, but a gunshot alerted him to a new set of games. balloons were erected in the middle of a stand, and a carny stood watch, handing over plastic guns in exchange for dollar bills.

[break][break] "what about that one?"

[break][break] his head tilted.

[break][break] "do you fancy a bet?"

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] [attr="class","fas fa-crow"] magnificent funtasia [break]
[attr="class","fas fa-crow"] Yumi Hasegawa
[break] — Reference Dugtrio Ring Toss

☉

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

money would be too easy a wager, and also mean nothing to either of them.

[break][break] "winner earns a secret."

[break][break] "if you win, i'll tell you something about me not even fern knows."

[break][break] he watches her expectantly.

[break][break] the silent game that he plays with Yumi Hasegawa is nearly akin to one of the TUG-O-WAR contests being showcased at the other end of the park, except higher stakes. there's no rope, no mud slicked between them, preparing for their downfall. just pride.

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] [attr="class","fas fa-crow"] magnificent funtasia [break]
[attr="class","fas fa-crow"] Yumi Hasegawa
[break] — Tug-o-War Contest

☉

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

jayden could sympathize. after all, last time he had partaken in a similar game with fern delaney, he had felt similarly disparaged by whatever power the carnival vendors wielded.

[break][break] but, of course, sympathy could only go so far. they had made a wager, after all.

[break][break] jayden takes to the booth and pulls the plastic gun from her hand.

[break][break] his takes aim, and his first shot — misses.

[break][break] frowning, he tries again. he is luckier, because his next five shots make their mark. they pop five balloons in succession and jayden turns to Yumi Hasegawa.

[break][break] "my apologies."

[break][break] though there's nothing apologetic about the way that he looks at her, just a little spark of competition in his eyes.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] [attr="class","fas fa-crow"] magnificent funtasia [break]
[attr="class","fas fa-crow"] Yumi Hasegawa
[break] — Win at least one carnival game.

☉

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

the vendor gives him tickets to let him know that, since he'd hit so many, he can go ahead and pick a prize from the prize wall.

[break][break] though jayden has little to no interest in such a thing, it gives him time at least to mull over Yumi Hasegawa's response as he leads them both towards it.

[break][break] "tell me how you and fern met," he said, trying to be casual about it. in reality, however, he was painfully curious. all he knew about Yumi Hasegawa and fern delaney's relationship was that she knew a version of him that he didn't, a version before they had met. and when he'd seen them talking together so intimately at the gala, he had felt nothing but jealousy in the way that she could understand them in a way that he was still struggling to.

[break][break] his eyes explore the wall of prizes, all useless in their own way. there was a giant arcanine plushie that he did not have enough tickets for, a toy gun that looked like it would break in a fortnight, and finally... a medium-sized serviper that struck his eye. eventually, he handed over the five tickets he had procured over to the vendor.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] [attr="class","fas fa-crow"] magnificent funtasia [break]
[attr="class","fas fa-crow"] Yumi Hasegawa
[break] — Pick a prize from the prize wall at one of the Carnival games.

☉

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"are you funny?" he asked, with a head tilt, instead of answering her question.

[break][break] because her question was almost too embarrassing to answer, and he didn't want to admit it right away. because he had a feeling that, if she was friends with fern at all, she would figure it out anyway.

[break][break] at the topic of the seviper, his expression shifted into briefly pleased. just barely palpable in the stone-cold expression that was typically his face. he lifted it towards her in offering.

[break][break] "good. because it's for you."

[break][break] then jayden stepped away from the carnival game, leading them deeper into the park. off in the distance, there was a congregation of people gathering and he wondered what it could be about.

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] [attr="class","fas fa-crow"] magnificent funtasia [break]
[attr="class","fas fa-crow"] Yumi Hasegawa
[break] — Give your prize away to your thread partner or an NPC.

☉