“Best you stick to the court room Lawyer bunny, hahaha!”
He was actually starting to tear up from the joy, something the archer hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Harumasa burst out laughing when the arrow landed in the grass at the feet of one of the target dummies.
“That display was embarrassing enough, alright alright I accept your apology.”
He clamped a hand over his mouth and kept snickering. +
Luc found that he missed the hand — and immediately had to scold himself in his head. No, bad rabbit.ᐟ.ᐟ
❝ I, uh . . . think it goes like this . . . .ᐣ ❞ it said, trying to notch the arrow. It took a bit of fumbling, but it
Harumasa whistled as Luc pulled back the 80 pounds of the bow with ease. Hand was removed from the hip as he went to grab an arrow and handed it to the thiren.
“Wouldn’t want to ruin that reputation of yours with a dinner date.” +
The internal shrieking would surely only continue, at this rate.ᐟ
It took him a moment to even properly * think about lifting the bow, because all his brain was registering was a hand on his hip and Harumasa's breath occasionally
“Now— pull back on the string for me. I want to see what weight level you can handle.”
Hand still on hop, as golden eyes were laser focused on the thiren’s movements.
“Would make that apology rather insincere if you mamed me right after.”
He chuckled and set the compound bow in Luc hands, holding its hip to adjust to a side stand position. +
❝ . . . .ᐟ ❞ Luc's nature was to press — to ask for a response, to get a clear answer . . . but, for once, he took the silence for what it was.
❝ A few times, poorly, in a phys - ed unit . . . ❞ it answered shyly. Rich
“Ever fired a bow before?”
He said softly and set the bottle down. He heard everything Luc said, but didn’t acknowledge it.
Harumasa stepped up to the edge of the wooden cover with his bow. Gesturing for Luc to come over. +
❝ C — Could you sound a little * less happy . . . .ᐣ.ᐟ ❞ he squawked in embarrassment, cheeks growing hotter.
The lop huffed, crossing its arms tightly over its chest as it stared down the length of the range, thinking it suddenly
❝ . . . ❞ Luc briefly forgot he had to open his mouth to speak — which may very well have been a blessing in disguise, seeing as his current internal dialogue was just one long, frantic screech.
❪⠀ Quit ogling the enemy, idiot.ᐟ⠀❫
“Seems you’ve become the stalker now.”
He put the bow down, side eying Sokaku as she giggled and skipped away. His brow and chest was covered in sweat.
Harumasa moved away from the target area to a counter with water bottles and snacks behind him. +
The thiren followed along through the labyrinthian halls of the H.S.O. — how many rooms did one governmental building * need.ᐣ — before he was brought into the archery range.
It wasn't intentional, by any means, to be a gawker — but Luc
They slowly approached an archery range with fake grass and straw-man targets. Harumasa was under a wooden cover in his section six uniform.
Compound bow drawn. He breathed out and hit a bulleyes every time.
Sokaku did a head tilt at the confession. Not privy to what transpired between them, just happy Harumasa had a friend.
“Masa is training! I’ll take you.”
She completely abandoned the chips and skipped past Luc.
“This way!” +
It instantly winced at the thought.
❝ Well . . . I doubt he'd be inclined to call us that, ❞ Luc admitted sheepishly. ⠀❪⠀ He refrained from making any statements about his own feelings, because the answer * should be a resounding
She continued to skip down the hallway, opening doors with her ID badge as they headed into the private training area and quarters of the HSO 6 ; when they were on-call.
The light sound of thump thump thump could be heard in the distance. +
That errand Luc special brownie points in her oni’s heart. She shuffled away from the fallen chips, they would be dealt with later.
“Oh! Are you a friend of Masa!”
The thiren's eyes moved down to the crumbly mess on the floor behind her, then back up⠀ ❪⠀ as he pursed his lips to keep from breaking into snorts⠀ ❫ .
❝ . . . Soukaku, right.ᐣ ❞ For all Astrana's ire towards the organization
All Luc found was a startled blue oni munching on chips. She stopped the second the idea of being caught manifested. Sokaku hide the bag behind her back, upside down—- they all fell out and she visibly started to sweat. +
Typically, to Luc's understanding, walks of shame were reserved for the next morning hangover.
And yet, here it was, walking with great shame and eyes pointed toward the floor as iy moved through the H.S.O. halls to its intended