(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?"

“Hmmm?”
Shoan looks over her shoulder, bringing the cart to a halt
“Oh, just prepping the next round of the urban combat course. I had quite a success before so I’m trying to up the ante a little.”
She bows politely as a rubber chicken head flops to the ground.
“I hope I didn’t disturb you. It’s good to see you continuing with your exercises.”

"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.

She looks down. She looks back up.
“Yup.”

"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?"

"That is the question of the hour Yul-san, you see."
Lowering her voice
"I am preparing another round on the urban obstacle course, and the chickens are crucial."

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."

"Oh? Well, I suppose it would be a little cruel. You would be out here practicing, and from inside you'd just hear the sound of chickens and gunfire."
Pretending to stroke her chin as if in great thought
"I suppose it would not be too hard to setup the course for two, if you feel you can keep up, that is."

"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?"

"Well if you put it like that Yul-san than of course as a skyrider I will expect you to take the lead."
But she shakes her head with the slightest of grins on her face
"I can't let you assist on the setup though, that would spoil the surprise. If you allow me say...five minutes I will have the course prepared. You can work on some chicken based one-liners while you wait?"

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 gets a look, but it's probably an amused one as Shoan pushes the cart deeper into the course and the sounds of movement and scraping and ocassional rubber squeaking can be hard before she returns, going to collect her rifle before rejoining the unicorn at the course entrance.

"This will be the second time I've run though a course with another samurai here, so I'll be holding you to a high standard of both quips and accuracy."

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."

"....Well it would be poor form to shoot you before the course has even begun."
Shoan quickly covers her mouth to hide a snort as she slides the doors open for Yul, revealing what looks like a long urban street flanked by buildings.

"On your lead. Men in masks are villains, chickens are heroes, civilians are civilians. The goal is to take out the villains, support the heroes and save the civilians."

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.