Welcome to Gaia! ::

By the time Rina returned with their drinks, Yumichika's food was gone. He wished that he hadn't eaten so quickly, but the food was just delicious! "Thank you," he told her and took a sip. The syrupy juice was very sweet. He wasn't sure if he liked it, but it would do.

He barely caught what Rina said under her breath. "You've had it before? When?" he asked innocently.

Yumichika brushed off Rina's comment as a case of deja vu. For all he knew, it was something she subconsciously remembered from her life as a human. It didn't matter.

He obliged to her request and stood, offering his arm as they walked. He and Rina were interested in winning more items, and they found a stand with a strange game. A male student skillfully swapped 3 cups in circles speedily across the wooden table where he sat. It looked like he was betting something against the current contestant. He raised the cup currently in his right hand to reveal a small white ball, and the contestant rejoiced.

"Huh... Hey, Rina, let's watch him a few more times. I think I want to play this game," Yumichika said, very interested. He decided to focus on the movements of the boy's hands. It was like learning an opponent's movements in battle. Yumichika had a good feeling about this game.

Yumichika knew which cup held the ball. He hadn't taken his eyes off of the boy's hands until the cups stopped spinning. To Rina, he said nonchalantly, "It's the one on his left..." He waited for the boy to reveal the ball, and he was correct to his pleasure. The kid currently playing sighed loudly. She had guessed the cup on the student's right side. He gave Rina a side glance before continuing, "And I wouldn't give all the credit for your speed to merely your Shinigami powers. Sometimes people just have natural talent."

The boy took note of the couple and called them over. "Do you two want to give it a try?" Yumichika obliged and led the way. "Is there a prize if we choose correctly?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "Yes! If you choose correctly once, you get a piece of candy from our modest candy jar. Twice in a row, you get a bigger treat. Three times in a row, and you get a stuffed animal! Interested?" Yumichika nodded and said, "Very, but let the lady go first," offering the contestant's chair to Rina. She seemed like she wanted to play, as well.

"Good luck!" Yumichika encouraged Rina before the game began. He watched as the cups moved and eventually stopped. Like Rina, Yumichika thought that it was the middle one. The boy raised the middle cup, and the little ball was there. "Not bad, not bad. But don't get excited yet! Round two gets faster!" Indeed, the boy's hands moved a little more quickly than before. However, Yumichika could still tell which one. It was the middle one again. He wanted to tell Rina, but this was her game. He hoped that her eyes were as sharp as she made them seem.

"Right again! But can you survive this?" the boy told Rina. This time when he spun the cups, he did a nifty trick and actually lifted two of the cups in the air to swap them a few times as he shuffled. Yumichika was impressed, but he wasn't tricked. The ball was in the cup on the boy's left if he was correct, and he was certain that he was.

Yumichika clapped jubilantly when Rina won. He could tell that she had to guess on that one by the questioning tone, but it didn't matter. She won! "Good job!" he told her happily. When she asked which animal to choose, he gave a quick glance at the animals set up behind them before pointing to a light green stuffed bear with white paws and muzzle. "What about that little bear?" he suggested.

"It's yours if you want it, miss," the student said to Rina, reaching for the bear. He gave it to her and sat back down. "What about you? I bet you want your turn, too," he said with a playful smirk.

Yumichika obliged and sat down. The game began again. One, two, three. The game ended in hardly a minute. Yumichika was just too good. He chose a golden lion that didn't look too shabby. "Ready to go?" he asked Rina.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's see what else we can see before evening," Yumichika said cheerfully and held out his arm for Rina to hold. He held the lion in his free arm, and they began walking.


They played several more games, realizing that they made a pretty good duo. After more stuffed animals-- it was a good thing that they won a huge backpack at the ball toss--, a few vouchers for free goodies at food stands and tickets for shows, and other human knick-knacks that they didn't even recognize, they were exhausted and happy. The fireworks would start fairly soon, so they decided to head to the bridge before the crowds. The sun was beginning to set, but it was still light outside.

When they arrived, Yumichika saw a few white lilies floating on lily pads down the river. Having a familiar idea, he reached under the railing of the bridge and plucked one from its pad. To his fortune, it was dry. He seemed very lucky today. Smiling, he offered it to Rina. "Just like yesterday, hmm? I could put it your hair again if you would like," he said, the flower delicately resting in his palm. A few people passed by them, but it was like they were alone at the park again.