Darts

“Have you tired yourself out yet?” Finnegan grumbled as he shuffled alongside Maya. She'd slowed her gleeful prancing to walk at the same pace as him. He liked to go slow and take in all the sights around him. And the boardwalk had no shortage of them which they could marvel at between weaving through the crowd of excited Soapuppies. The two of them had been there for a while. Finnegan was donning a hat he'd gotten from a Soapuppy on stilts and Maya secured the strings of a batch of colorful balloons just above her paws. 

“What if I float right off this boardwalk?” She asked jokingly when she got them, and Finnegan looked at her blankly for a moment before responding completely seriously.

“I’d get you down.” He'd said.

Even though it seemed like he was just complaining, she knew he was having a good time with her at the boardwalk. He was looking to do something else, but didn't want to keep her there too long if she was ready to go home. It was just his slightly snarky sounding way of checking on her.

Maya was glad they were having fun. Not that they've ever had a bad time together (from her perspective at least), but Finnegan didn't seem like a carnival kind of guy. He liked quiet afternoons and picnics, wrinkled his nose at big crowds, and got incredibly huffy if he felt like he was on his feet for too long. Despite all of this, he'd thoroughly enjoyed the showcase of clowns and acrobats, and happily demolished a strawberry funnel cake with her. She was already reminiscing about the powdered sugar dusting his snout and the way his eyes lit up watching two very talented Soaps swing through the air and twist around each other.

Maya didn't notice she hadn't replied until Finnegan nudged her lightly with his nose, making sure she was alright. “Oh! Of course not.” She smiles, and he hums in response.

As they continue down the boardwalk, she notices the crowd is becoming more condensed. There's something around here! Is another show starting? A performer wandering about? 

Maya looks around and notices a number of game stands. Ring toss, duckie pond, a game with a water gun and target, and more than she could count! Any of them would be way more fun than just walking.

And her eyes fall on something, one of the sparse prizes across all of the stands. It's a huge, vintage looking stuffed bear with a faded floral pattern. It would blend perfectly into their cozy little home. It's definitely not old since it's here, but it looks homely.

“Oh Finn, look at that! Isn't it precious?” Maya coos, pointing a paw up at the plush. She absolutely had to have it. And she didn't need to tell him that for him to notice the sentiment.

Finnegan looks at the stuffed animal and then back at Maya, blinking as he thinks it over. “Yeah, it's pretty cute.” He replies with a nod and keeps walking for a moment. Maya smiles, ready to continue down the boardwalk. Maybe they don't have the space for it at home and she hadn't noticed. After all, Finnegan was the more conscious one about the limited space in their home.

But then he turns around in the confusing way he does when he's changed his mind about where he's going, crossing over her and starting towards the game stand that hosts the giant bear. Maya almost squeals with delight, trotting after him. If she could wag her tail, she would. At least she thinks that's how that works.

The stand is hosted by a grizzled, grey-furred Soapuppy, who honestly looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. “Darts, 3 for 2 duckies. Hit all three balloons to win.” He mutters unenthusiastically, adding in half-hearted jazz paws. Maya looks absolutely delighted and Finnegan just forks over the duckies.

He glanced towards her, seeming to consider handing her the darts to let her play. But he steps up instead once the colorful little darts are given to him.

Finnegan narrows his eyes, well-trained as they'd always been, as he aims at one of the many still intact balloons perched up on the wall. It shouldn't be much of a task for him. Sure, they rig a game or two, but why would they fix darts? That'd just be ridiculous.

When the third balloon pops, Finnegan almost jumps, “Yes!” He cheers under his breath, and that makes Maya chuckle. As nonchalant as he acted, she knew he loved a good game, and more importantly, making her happy.

"You win, hooray.” The carnie tries to sound excited, but he's much too worn out from saying the same thing too many times. And as a reward, he passes over half of a golden ticket to Finnegan.

“Oh…” Maya blinks, Finnegan raises an eyebrow. “Wait, um, how many tickets is it for a big prize?” Maya asks. 

“Six.”

That made sense. After all, there was an odd shortage of prizes around the stands now that she thought about it. She cringes, starting to back up. “You know uh, I don't really need it,” she felt like she was lying. “Maybe next year?” She suggests. But Finnegan is already laying out a stack of duckies, determined to win that giant prize for her.