Eien blinked down as something collided with him, or rather someone. He blinked slowly as it finally registered who it was, and his brow rose slightly. "Then why are you apologizing?" he spoke, earning a light brush to his shoulder from his younger sibling, whom he turned to face. Hikari pursed her lips together at her brother as she rolled her eyes at him. "It seems that Kari does not want this creature, perhaps it would be best suited to you," he spoke, handing the stuffed penguin to Reiko. If he could have (and he really could have), he would have smirked at his sister at the deflated light in her eyes as he handed Reiko the creature she had tried so hard to win.
"You...are evil, E-chan, so very evil," she muttered beneath her breath, glaring at her brother but shrugged her shoulders nonetheless. Eien merely mimicked her action, shrugging his shoulders as well. "But he is right, I didn't want it," she stated, smiling at her cousin in the process. She did want it, however; she wasn't going to take that away from her cousin, especially since it was Eien giving it to her. She had no idea how her cousin felt about her brother, however; any show of affection from said older brother was something she wanted everyone to know he was capable of such.
"If you say so, Imouto-chan," Eien replied, folding his arms across his chest, a perfect mimicry of their father. Hikari scoffed at him once more before making her way to Reiko's side, linking her arm together with the Akarui. She stuck her tongue out at her brother as he rose his brow once more. "Must you always do that?" he questioned, his tone laced in boredom as he regarded his sister. He turned towards Reiko, though, and sighed softly. "Are the two of you hungry? Or do you still wish to play these games?" he questioned, waving a hand in the direction of the different stalls that housed various games. If they were hungry, he'd accompany them to the food court, however; if they wished to play games, he would accompany them to the stalls. It wasn't exactly something he liked to entertain, leaving his family unattended. Though he was short one sister, he could scent her with someone whom he trusted enough to keep her well.
Kiko blinked down at the (rather adorable, she had to admit it) stuffed penguin now resting in her hands, and then back up at her cousins, who were now engaging in what was honestly rather normal banter for them. She felt herself go a little pink in the face, but thankfully, she was able to force it to subside before either of them had cause to look at her again. She found her smile again, though, when Eienâs posture so perfectly mimicked Uncle Hikaruâs. Sheâd never actually told anyone this, but her uncle had definitely been her first crush growing up, and the similarities between he and her cousin, for whom her feelings were much deeper than that, were really quite obvious to her, though she took care not to mention it. Their personalities were very different, thoughâshe had realized this a long time ago.
She giggled softly when Hikari stuck her tongue out at him, and happily linked arms with her cousin, the penguin under her other arm. It was going to be a wonderful night, she could already tell; sheâd had fewer random mishaps than usual today, nobody was picking on her, and she was with her family. It didnât take any more than that to make her happy, in all honesty. âWell, if Kari-chan is hungry, we can go to the food court, but otherwise, perhaps we could find some games?â She didnât need to eat, herself, as a vampire and absent the hybrid traits of both her cousins, but she certainly did not mind doing so, and whatever they wanted was fine by her. It was enough to be with them. Some days, she was reminded of just how lucky she really was, mishaps included.
Hikari waited for her cousin to answer, wanting to know what she wanted to do before adding her thoughts to the mix. She, herself, wasn't all that hungry, and Reiko was a vampire to boot, so she really didn't need to eat anything. The obvious choice would be to make their way towards the games. She turned her attention towards Eien, not really having to say a word as he already made his way ahead of them, but not so much as to leave a distance between them. Hikari merely dragged Reiko along as they made their way to the first game. She tilted her head, inspecting it for a moment before she turned to Reiko and Eien.
"How many," he stated, not bothering to even mask it as a question when he noted the look in his sister's eye. The game was rather plain and easy. It was set up much like a dart table, different colored balloons littering the boards. The stall vendor simply handed him the darts and explained the rules. Pop three balloons, they got to choose a small prize. Pop more than ten, and they could choose any prize. He sighed softly, purchasing the eleven darts and handed them to his sister, who took them almost gleefully. There was a rather interesting looking ferret she spotted, and it almost looked like a red panda, with its coloration.
Without much thought, she threw the darts, managing to pop nine balloons in the process. Something must have been out to get her, or so she thought, as Eien watched in amusement as she missed the last two balloons. "They are close together. How do you miss them so easily?" he spoke, a hint of teasing almost laced in his words. Hikari merely pouted as he allowed the faintest of tugs to pull at his lips, but it wasn't enough to cause him to smile. He could smirk if he wanted to, but then again, it was a half smile, and he never did anything half way.
"Kiko, I think E-chan has it out for me," she merely whined to her cousin, grabbing hold of the girl's arm again.
âBut you did so well, Kari-chan,â Reiko replied, obviously confused as to why her cousin was disappointed and also impressed with her success. If it were, her, sheâd probably have nearly stuck herself with half the darts, and accidentally hit someone else with at least one, no matter how good her aim was. Of course, when she followed her cousinâs eyes to the ferret, she understood, and frowned slightly. She could try winning it for Kari-chan, but she was afraid her usual luck would hold and it would be a disaster.
It happened, though, that she caught the eye of the student running the booth, and recognized him immediately as the one whoâd been carrying the box of the darts earlier. She smiled in greeting, waving slightly, and he returned the gesture, slightly pink in the face. Funny, since it wasnât all that warm or cold outside. Maybe he had poor temperature tolerance, or really good circulation. He of course knew what was going on, and glanced back and forth between the two girls. âWell, actually⊠nobodyâs hit all eleven all night,â he said with a shrug. âSoâŠâ he reached up, unhooking the ferret from the ceiling of his booth. âThink of it as a prize for first place.â he handed the item to Hikari, and Reiko beamed.
âSee? Youâve done better than anyone has all night! Thatâs wonderful, Kari-chan.â She felt a little better now, too, since she had not missed the way Hikari looked a little disappointed when she didnât get the penguin, no matter what she said about it. Now they both had one. âThank you, Hiromasa.â The human boy looked very surprised that she knew his name, but just nodded and mumbled something under his breath, his face transitioning from pink to red. Reiko, however, did not notice, as sheâd already turned back to her family.
âOkay, so whatâs next?â
Even her cousin's words could not keep the dark cloud from hovering over Hikari as she continued to pout. Eien was half tempted to roll his eyes at his sister's reaction, but left it alone. His eyes, however, did not miss the way the stall vendor, Hiromasa, and Reiko's own eyes met, and with a faint interest, noticed the way the boy's face turned pink. His lips pursed into a fine line as he regarded Hiromasa. He watched as the boy spoke, grabbing the ferret and handing it to his sister. Immediately, the cloud dispersed from her and her eyes sparkled. She grabbed the ferret, hugging it to her as she hooked her arm once more with her cousin's.
"There are other games to play, or if the both of you are so inclined, the plays are about to start," he answered. He tilted his head towards one of the stages that were already prepared. What they were going to be showcasing was something he did not know, nor did he care to. If they wanted to watch the play, he would join them. If they wanted to play more games, then he would follow them until they tired. And knowing his sister, she'd probably decide on the games. He was half tempted to leave her on her own, allow her to keep her misfortune to herself before it started rubbing off on him, however; he'd never truly do that.
"Since when did E-chan entertain plays?" she spoke, raising a brow at her brother. "Besides, most of these plays are either sappy, heavily romantic, or just awful and rushed," she added, her tongue slowly making itself known from her mouth. She didn't like romance movies, that much was obvious, and for reasons she did not wish to share. Eien, however, sighed softly, shaking his head at her words. He didn't like much of anything about this festival, and the only reason he was here was to keep an eye on his family members to ensure that they were safe, and not causing too much trouble. Right about now, Ryoku would be causing trouble along with Naya.
âUm, actuallyâŠâ Kiko ventured, looking a bit sheepish. âI think Iâd really like to see the play. Apparently theyâre putting on As You Like It this year⊠and I really do like Shakespeare.â She confessed it a little ruefully, because honestly, the play was silly, and probably not to most peopleâs tastes, since it had an odd mix of very strange comedy and, as Kari had suggested, more than a little sappy romance. But then⊠Reiko was kind of a sappy romantic herself, though she generally kept the trait in check very well.
âYou two donât have to come of course. And if itâs bad, I promise weâll leave, soâŠâ she smiled gently, making a shooing motion with her hands. âFeel free to go have fun without me.â She did want to see the stage before it was inevitably destroyed by her sister or Tora-san or someone else.
Hikari's lips pursed into a fine line at Reiko's suggestion, however; she pulled it back into a smile. "Well, if that's what Kiko-chan wants, then you two go enjoy that play. I, on the other hand, have other things to attend to!" she stated, shoving her brother towards Reiko and dusting her hands off in the process. Eien merely shook his head. He really didn't want to split up, however; he also didn't want to follow after his sister when he knew she was more than capable of defending herself. Reiko, on the other hand...his eyes drifted towards the Akarui and he heaved a sigh.
"Shall we then?" he spoke, offering his arm to Reiko in the process. He watched as Hikari disappeared from sight, shaking his head still as he had somehow managed to find himself in the possession of the red ferret she had so desperately wanted earlier, and yet was so fast to abandon it. He didn't understand his sister at times, he really didn't.
"You...are evil, E-chan, so very evil," she muttered beneath her breath, glaring at her brother but shrugged her shoulders nonetheless. Eien merely mimicked her action, shrugging his shoulders as well. "But he is right, I didn't want it," she stated, smiling at her cousin in the process. She did want it, however; she wasn't going to take that away from her cousin, especially since it was Eien giving it to her. She had no idea how her cousin felt about her brother, however; any show of affection from said older brother was something she wanted everyone to know he was capable of such.
"If you say so, Imouto-chan," Eien replied, folding his arms across his chest, a perfect mimicry of their father. Hikari scoffed at him once more before making her way to Reiko's side, linking her arm together with the Akarui. She stuck her tongue out at her brother as he rose his brow once more. "Must you always do that?" he questioned, his tone laced in boredom as he regarded his sister. He turned towards Reiko, though, and sighed softly. "Are the two of you hungry? Or do you still wish to play these games?" he questioned, waving a hand in the direction of the different stalls that housed various games. If they were hungry, he'd accompany them to the food court, however; if they wished to play games, he would accompany them to the stalls. It wasn't exactly something he liked to entertain, leaving his family unattended. Though he was short one sister, he could scent her with someone whom he trusted enough to keep her well.
Kiko blinked down at the (rather adorable, she had to admit it) stuffed penguin now resting in her hands, and then back up at her cousins, who were now engaging in what was honestly rather normal banter for them. She felt herself go a little pink in the face, but thankfully, she was able to force it to subside before either of them had cause to look at her again. She found her smile again, though, when Eienâs posture so perfectly mimicked Uncle Hikaruâs. Sheâd never actually told anyone this, but her uncle had definitely been her first crush growing up, and the similarities between he and her cousin, for whom her feelings were much deeper than that, were really quite obvious to her, though she took care not to mention it. Their personalities were very different, thoughâshe had realized this a long time ago.
She giggled softly when Hikari stuck her tongue out at him, and happily linked arms with her cousin, the penguin under her other arm. It was going to be a wonderful night, she could already tell; sheâd had fewer random mishaps than usual today, nobody was picking on her, and she was with her family. It didnât take any more than that to make her happy, in all honesty. âWell, if Kari-chan is hungry, we can go to the food court, but otherwise, perhaps we could find some games?â She didnât need to eat, herself, as a vampire and absent the hybrid traits of both her cousins, but she certainly did not mind doing so, and whatever they wanted was fine by her. It was enough to be with them. Some days, she was reminded of just how lucky she really was, mishaps included.
Hikari waited for her cousin to answer, wanting to know what she wanted to do before adding her thoughts to the mix. She, herself, wasn't all that hungry, and Reiko was a vampire to boot, so she really didn't need to eat anything. The obvious choice would be to make their way towards the games. She turned her attention towards Eien, not really having to say a word as he already made his way ahead of them, but not so much as to leave a distance between them. Hikari merely dragged Reiko along as they made their way to the first game. She tilted her head, inspecting it for a moment before she turned to Reiko and Eien.
"How many," he stated, not bothering to even mask it as a question when he noted the look in his sister's eye. The game was rather plain and easy. It was set up much like a dart table, different colored balloons littering the boards. The stall vendor simply handed him the darts and explained the rules. Pop three balloons, they got to choose a small prize. Pop more than ten, and they could choose any prize. He sighed softly, purchasing the eleven darts and handed them to his sister, who took them almost gleefully. There was a rather interesting looking ferret she spotted, and it almost looked like a red panda, with its coloration.
Without much thought, she threw the darts, managing to pop nine balloons in the process. Something must have been out to get her, or so she thought, as Eien watched in amusement as she missed the last two balloons. "They are close together. How do you miss them so easily?" he spoke, a hint of teasing almost laced in his words. Hikari merely pouted as he allowed the faintest of tugs to pull at his lips, but it wasn't enough to cause him to smile. He could smirk if he wanted to, but then again, it was a half smile, and he never did anything half way.
"Kiko, I think E-chan has it out for me," she merely whined to her cousin, grabbing hold of the girl's arm again.
âBut you did so well, Kari-chan,â Reiko replied, obviously confused as to why her cousin was disappointed and also impressed with her success. If it were, her, sheâd probably have nearly stuck herself with half the darts, and accidentally hit someone else with at least one, no matter how good her aim was. Of course, when she followed her cousinâs eyes to the ferret, she understood, and frowned slightly. She could try winning it for Kari-chan, but she was afraid her usual luck would hold and it would be a disaster.
It happened, though, that she caught the eye of the student running the booth, and recognized him immediately as the one whoâd been carrying the box of the darts earlier. She smiled in greeting, waving slightly, and he returned the gesture, slightly pink in the face. Funny, since it wasnât all that warm or cold outside. Maybe he had poor temperature tolerance, or really good circulation. He of course knew what was going on, and glanced back and forth between the two girls. âWell, actually⊠nobodyâs hit all eleven all night,â he said with a shrug. âSoâŠâ he reached up, unhooking the ferret from the ceiling of his booth. âThink of it as a prize for first place.â he handed the item to Hikari, and Reiko beamed.
âSee? Youâve done better than anyone has all night! Thatâs wonderful, Kari-chan.â She felt a little better now, too, since she had not missed the way Hikari looked a little disappointed when she didnât get the penguin, no matter what she said about it. Now they both had one. âThank you, Hiromasa.â The human boy looked very surprised that she knew his name, but just nodded and mumbled something under his breath, his face transitioning from pink to red. Reiko, however, did not notice, as sheâd already turned back to her family.
âOkay, so whatâs next?â
Even her cousin's words could not keep the dark cloud from hovering over Hikari as she continued to pout. Eien was half tempted to roll his eyes at his sister's reaction, but left it alone. His eyes, however, did not miss the way the stall vendor, Hiromasa, and Reiko's own eyes met, and with a faint interest, noticed the way the boy's face turned pink. His lips pursed into a fine line as he regarded Hiromasa. He watched as the boy spoke, grabbing the ferret and handing it to his sister. Immediately, the cloud dispersed from her and her eyes sparkled. She grabbed the ferret, hugging it to her as she hooked her arm once more with her cousin's.
"There are other games to play, or if the both of you are so inclined, the plays are about to start," he answered. He tilted his head towards one of the stages that were already prepared. What they were going to be showcasing was something he did not know, nor did he care to. If they wanted to watch the play, he would join them. If they wanted to play more games, then he would follow them until they tired. And knowing his sister, she'd probably decide on the games. He was half tempted to leave her on her own, allow her to keep her misfortune to herself before it started rubbing off on him, however; he'd never truly do that.
"Since when did E-chan entertain plays?" she spoke, raising a brow at her brother. "Besides, most of these plays are either sappy, heavily romantic, or just awful and rushed," she added, her tongue slowly making itself known from her mouth. She didn't like romance movies, that much was obvious, and for reasons she did not wish to share. Eien, however, sighed softly, shaking his head at her words. He didn't like much of anything about this festival, and the only reason he was here was to keep an eye on his family members to ensure that they were safe, and not causing too much trouble. Right about now, Ryoku would be causing trouble along with Naya.
âUm, actuallyâŠâ Kiko ventured, looking a bit sheepish. âI think Iâd really like to see the play. Apparently theyâre putting on As You Like It this year⊠and I really do like Shakespeare.â She confessed it a little ruefully, because honestly, the play was silly, and probably not to most peopleâs tastes, since it had an odd mix of very strange comedy and, as Kari had suggested, more than a little sappy romance. But then⊠Reiko was kind of a sappy romantic herself, though she generally kept the trait in check very well.
âYou two donât have to come of course. And if itâs bad, I promise weâll leave, soâŠâ she smiled gently, making a shooing motion with her hands. âFeel free to go have fun without me.â She did want to see the stage before it was inevitably destroyed by her sister or Tora-san or someone else.
Hikari's lips pursed into a fine line at Reiko's suggestion, however; she pulled it back into a smile. "Well, if that's what Kiko-chan wants, then you two go enjoy that play. I, on the other hand, have other things to attend to!" she stated, shoving her brother towards Reiko and dusting her hands off in the process. Eien merely shook his head. He really didn't want to split up, however; he also didn't want to follow after his sister when he knew she was more than capable of defending herself. Reiko, on the other hand...his eyes drifted towards the Akarui and he heaved a sigh.
"Shall we then?" he spoke, offering his arm to Reiko in the process. He watched as Hikari disappeared from sight, shaking his head still as he had somehow managed to find himself in the possession of the red ferret she had so desperately wanted earlier, and yet was so fast to abandon it. He didn't understand his sister at times, he really didn't.