(expecting)

Yul had performed well enough in the fight the day before, but there was always more time to practice one's skills. After his usual pleasant morning routine, Yul dressed himself in his usual outfit and jogged to the dojo, carrying not just his daisho, as he often did, but his gunbelt as well. His rifle was carried in his pack, lawfully disassembled.

Inside, he took a moment to bow before heading to the gunnery range. Kneeling down, he took his rifle from his pack, beginning to assemble it.

Yul glanced over, giving Shoan a casual wave. Nodding, he went back to work, assembling his rifle with a click.

He frowned.

"Hey, Shoan-san!" He called, rising to his feet. He jogged towards her, carrying his rifle carefully. "What..." He frowned again, "-what are you doing?"

"Yeah, uh, always trying to improve." Yul gave a vague sort of bow.

"Ummm, I have to ask. Is that a rubber chicken? Or... part of one, anyway?" He nodded towards the fallen object.

"Oh, okay." Yul nodded. He looked at her for a few seconds.

Finally, he smiled. "Okay, I give. Why do you have so many rubber chickens?"

Grinning, Yul crossed his arms over his chest.

"Shoan-san, you've gotta realize, you can't tell me something like that and not show me what you're setting up. That'd just be cruel."

"Hmmm." Yul rubbed his chin with one hand, eyes narrowing, but with a smile on his lips. "Asking a Unicorn, a Skyrider, if he can keep up. How about that."

He grinned, aiming a finger-gun at her. "You're on. Let's do it. Let me give you a hand setting up?"

Yul laughed. "Okay, sure thing. I'll wait here."

He nodded. "Oh, and don't worry. I'm not gonna chicken out. There's one." He waved a hand, smiling. "I'll try to have a few more when you come back."

Yul secured his gear, moving to stand next to her. "Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Gotta make sure we can finish the course in good order before we worry about time."

He readied his rifle, even as he looked at her, his expression neutral. "In other words, let's not count our eggs before they hatch."

After a few moments of consideration, Yul shouldered his rifle again, carefully drawing his pistol. "Chickens are heroes. Got it." He gently shook his head. "This is quite the setup you've got going here, Shoan-san."

He looked at her, smiling. "Isn't that always the goal? Okay. Cover me. Let's go help some chickens."

Yul moved forward in a low crouch. His pistol was held at the ready, angled down, but able to be raised at a moment's notice if a villain appeared.

It was with a tense sort of excitement that Yul moved forward weapon at the ready. That excitement rose further as the thunk behind him announced the arrival of... something.

Yul spun, raising his weapon... but not firing. Both in weapons training and piloting, not firing until you'd identified your target was thoroughly drilled. Besides, Yul was good, and he was fast. He could count on his reflexes to give him that extra fraction of a second before shooting to figure out what he was actually shooting.