"You got it set up?", asked Powder.
"Yep, the usual.", he replied.
The shooting range. One of the few carnival games still operational in the playground. As is tradition, Ekko and Powder held a sharpshooter competition in the playgrounds. The score was never close - even at her young age, Powder was among the top marksmen in Zaun. Ekko never stood a chance; he knew this, but he didn't mind losing. And she loved watching him try.
"Who's going first?" she said, quietly.
"Ladies first", he replied.
"Ok, but before we start… I have something for you."
Powder reached in her back pocket and pulled out a box.
"Here, I know how much you like...I hope this… I hope you like it" she said, quietly.
Ekko looked at the box. Monkey-shaped wrapping paper with a firelight bow encased the present.
"Shut up, he's opening it!" she said quietly. "No, he's going to like it… he has to like it."
Ekko recognized this behavior. It started after the accident. He never asked her whom she was talking to - it didn't matter. She was still Powder to him, funny talks and all.
Ekko opened the box. A silver pocket watch sat wrapped atop a blanket of chains. Bronze and iron etchings lined one side, with a lever to wind the contraption on the right. Ekko marveled at the intricacies of the design.
He pulled it out carefully and sat in admiration.
"I told you he'd like it", Powder whispered contently.
"I... thank you, Powder. I didn't… how did you know I liked…"
"...clocks? I didn't know I just.. Thought you would like it." she replied.
The familiar feeling of awkwardness crept back into the room.
"Anyways, I can test it right now!" Ekko said, excitedly. He wound up his new present and set it for 30 seconds.
"Ok Pow… I got 30 seconds on the board, let's see how many you can hit."
Powder readied herself.
"And… GO!"
Ekko hit the timer. Powder was off to the races. Bullets whizzed from her gun at incredible accuracy and speed. 4 targets, 6, 12… the mechanical scorecard struggled up with the action. He looked up from his stopwatch to catch a glimpse of Powder's eyes. They were deterministic as ever; they always are, especially when she was doing something she loved. But he also noticed a sense of… sadness?
The timer stopped. The room was hazy with smoke and gunpowder.
"Time's up!" Ekko exclaimed loudly.
"I know…" replied Powder, a single tear streaming down her eye.
Ekko found himself staring at the barrel of her gun.