| [Aug. 29th, 2017|03:51 am] |
Genma glanced at the shorter, curvier Raidou on his arm, and didn’t have to fake the blush that washed across his henge’d cheeks. “Well, wife,” he said, “what prize would you like? Shall I try the ring toss?” He gestured at the nearby stall, with its tiered shelves of prizes glittering in the late afternoon sun.
“How about that balloon game over there?” Rie said. Gendou followed her gaze to a colorful stall with a small crowd of contestants — mostly giggling teens, and children with a parent or two in tow.
“I guess we’re not too old, are we? I feel like we’re courting all over again,” Gendou said. “Didn’t I win you a balloon once back before Ka-chan was born?”
His mother shook her head fondly at them. “Go flirt while the children are busy.” She shooed them towards the stall. “I see some new friends I can chat with.” She set off with determination towards a group of silver-haired festival-goers who were resting on benches outside a tea-seller’s stall, watching the youngsters bouncing by. She didn’t know a single one of them, of course, but with her intel training, Kurenai would make Kaede one of their inner core in no time.
And get all the juiciest gossip.
“Mother is a force of nature,” he told Rie. “No one can resist her.”
“Well, you had to inherit it from somewhere,” Rie said, concealing a laugh behind her free hand. “Now, balloons!”
Jittery warmth spread through Genma’s chest. He grinned at Rie and led her to the stall. Bright little balloons swirled and tumbled in a shallow ‘river’ in front of the stall. “What color, then? Yellow, to match your obi?”
Rei’s nose crinkled and her cheeks dimpled. “You are supposed to decide, husband-mine. If I give you all the answers, I may as well win it myself.” She poked Gendou’s ribs for good measure.
He yelped, laughing. “Yes, yes, my precious flower,” and paid the vendor for his chance to win her a prize. The vendor handed over a pair of needle-thin chopsticks that tapered to slick, blunted points. They almost felt like senbon in Genma’s hands.
But Gendou didn’t use senbon, and he didn’t have chakra. He crouched next to the trough, and studied the mass of balloons, with their trailing elastic tails tangling in the water. Finding one with an accessible tail was the first trick. He chose one at last, held the chopsticks poised for a moment, then plunged them in and grasped the string.
Without chakra it was all down to a gentle touch. Gendou eased the balloon free, tugging it delicately away from its mates. It was a pretty shade of blue, ringed with slender white and gold stripes. He lifted the string out of the water. Slowly, slowly… The string stretched, slipping against the chopsticks. He gripped them tighter, lifted again. The balloon was almost out of the water…
And the elastic slipped free. A little girl next to him, who had been watching with fascination, said, “Awwww,” and patted his knee consolingly.
Gendou shook his head and smiled. “I’ll try again.”
He paid the vendor for a second chance, and went to work. While he was selecting his next target, Rie struck up a conversation with the vendor. She hadn’t grown up near here, her family were from further away. This was a special holiday they’d saved for. What was this village like? What was this festival like? Where were the best places for sightseeing? She kept it up, all the while watching approvingly as Gendou pulled a fresh balloon free. This time, he succeeded. He held the balloon aloft and grinned at his wife. “Well? Will this one do?” The prize he’d picked this time was a dark purple with metallic gold and silver lines swirled around it like threads.
The vendor took the balloon from Gendou before Rie could even answer, and handed it to her. “Keep going,” he said. “You can keep trying until you drop one.”
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