Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I'm not nearly brilliant enough.
The carnival loomed in front of them like some garish, flashing, colorful beast. Striped tents rose from the ground, full of games, goods, and animals. Shiny rides dwarfed the tents. The reactions among the group were mixed. Aless was grinning ear to ear, looking ready to explode with joy. Crona was attempting to hide behind her, terrified of the crowd. Riki couldn't help but feel a little happy looking at it. And Kid looked on with disinterest, clearly not impressed.
"What do you guys think?" Aless asked, smiling. "Oh, come on Crona, wipe that frown off your face! It isn't scary. The people here are nice, I'm sure. Riki, isn't it cool?"
"It's… bright," Rikita admitted, raising an eyebrow as a little boy walked out with a glob of cotton candy larger than his head. "Um… what should we do first?" She was overwhelmed by everything, having never been to a fair or carnival in her life.
"First let's buy tickets for the rides!" said Aless, charging off, dragging a helpless Crona behind her. Rikita ran to catch up, but stopped when she saw that Kid wasn't moving.
"Kid, what's wrong? Let's go!"
"And mess up my shoes? That ground is filthy mud! Disgusting! I didn't think it would be this dirty. And what's that smell?"
"I assume that's coming from the animal tents. Don't be a baby. Come on." She hooked her arm in his and, being taller than him, managed to drag him over to where Aless was buying tickets. Her friend was complaining about the prices to the ticket-seller.
"Six bucks for five tickets?" she whined. "That's insane! C'mon, I'll give you five for five. That's a fair deal."
"Maam," said the man in the booth, "I've been here since the crack of dawn. It's ninety-six degrees out, and my uniform requires long sleeves and pants. My joints ache and I am in a terrible mood. I am not in the mood to haggle. Either take the deal or leave it."
Aless stared at him for a few moments.
"Did you just call me maam?"
That's all she got out of his speech? Riki wondered. The first word?
"Yes, yes I did."
"Maam is for old women. I prefer miss."
"Maam, that is how I was instructed by my boss to address our female customers. Now, there are other people in line-"
"This is horrible customer service!" Aless cried. "Where's the manager?"
"Aless, just buy the freaking tickets!" Riki snapped. "You're holding up the line, it's hot, I'm aggravated, and if there weren't children here, I'd probably be cursing you out right now. Buy your tickets."
Aless looked behind her, at the growing line. She seemed shocked.
"Oh. I didn't know there was a line. Hehehe, oops." She sheepishly forked over her money and slunk off to the side. Crona, Riki noticed, was standing a couple feet away from her, clearly embarrassed by the stink her girlfriend had caused. Still keeping a grip on Kid's arm, Riki bought her tickets, and they stepped away to decide their next move.
"S-so now what?" asked Crona, a little flustered.
"We get on rides, duh," said Riki. "That's what the tickets are for. Let's start with something gentle and move up to the wild rides."
"The Ferris wheel!" Aless suggested. "That's calm. And it's perfect for couples," she added, waggling her eyebrows at her meister. Oh, that girl is gonna get it!
"Fine. Ferris wheel it is. Kid, Crona, you good with that?" The other two nodded and they made their way to the ride.
"What perfect symmetry!" Kid cried upon seeing the Ferris wheel, which was festooned in flashing rainbow lights. "Wait… it turned and messed up the symmetry… it's back! The beauty is back! Wait…" He stared dumbly as the wheel turned.
"It… it's r-really high…" muttered Crona. "That's kinda scary… are there seat belts? Please tell me there are seat belts…"
"Nope!" Aless said cheerily. "That's what makes it fun! It's part whimsical ride, part death trap! Awesome!"
"So are we gonna get on it or just stare at it?" laughed Riki. "Let's go, there's no line."
Once in their car, Kid and Riki looked everywhere but at each other. They were halfway up before Kid spoke.
"So… this is kind of awkward…" he said. "But I think you know why I'm here…"
"Yeah, yeah, I know you're more interested in Crona than in me," Riki said, waving a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt my feelings. I'm not interested in you either."
"Well… that's a little rude, but okay."
She laughed.
"Kid, I'm gay. If I'm interested in you, it means that I mistook you for a girl. Therefore, I just gave you a compliment."
"Oh." He looked down out at the fair. "Um, me too," he added quietly.
"Wait, what?"
"I'm… that… too." His face was getting red. Rikita had never seen the shinigami lose his composure, and was more shocked by that than what he had just said. Really, she'd always suspected it. Her gaydar went off like mad around him, after all.
"Oh. That's nice. Oh! Look down there! One of the tents has sheep in it! I like sheep… we're definitely going there."
"Wait, that's it?" Kid asked. "You don't think that's a big deal?"
"Dude, I'm a lesbian. I really have no right to judge. Does anyone else know?"
"No. Um, it just kind of slipped out there when you said you were… gay. So could you not tell anyone? Please?"
"Won't tell a soul," Riki said. "I promise. I'm not officially out either. I mean, if people asked, I would tell them, but I don't scream my sexuality out to the world like Aless does. She's lucky, being bi. She has twice the chance I have of finding somebody. Lucky bastard."
"And of course, the only one she wants is the one that I want," Kid sighed. They were at the top of the Ferris wheel again. "Though I must say, Crona is easier to handle when he – well, she – is dressed like a girl. I don't find 'her' so attractive if she's wearing a skirt."
Rikita laughed.
"Naturally, it's the opposite for me," she chuckled, "but I accepted a long time ago that she belongs to Aless. I suggest you accept it as well. Aless will go for your throat if you flirt with Crona. But you already know that."
"Yeah. After the prom, I kind of decided to give up. Doesn't make it any easier though."
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone." She snorted. "You know, this just makes it even more absurd that Aless set us up. Wanna help me beat her up tomorrow in Battle Tech?"
"It's a plan." They'd reached the bottom and it was time to get off. Thanking the ride operator, they hopped off next to Aless and Crona.
"Have fun?" Riki asked her friend. Not like she couldn't guess; Aless was smirking, and Crona was blushing. That alone said that Aless was being her usual, ahem, "assertive" self.
"Yup yup. How 'bout you two?"
Kid flashed Riki a glance, and she gave him the smallest nod to assure him that his secret was safe.
"Yeah, it was nice. I want to go to the tent with the sheep in it. I am not leaving this place without petting a sheep."
"Alright, I guess we can head to the animal tents," said Aless. "I do want to take a look at the chickens."
The group made their way through the animal tents. Kid was holding his nose and swatting away flies, looking distraught about the mud on his shoes. Riki stopped when they reached the sheep and put out a hand to pet one. After a while, Aless tapped her on the shoulder.
"Um, Riki… it's been a few minutes. Do you want to move on?"
"Do I have to?" she whined. "I'm in sheep heaven. They're so soft! One of you has to feel this sheep. I'm serious."
Crona reached out a hand toward the sheep, but stopped.
"What's wrong?" asked Riki. "It won't bite. It won't eat you or explode or anything."
Crona patted the animal gently, and smiled.
"It is really soft," she said. "Aless, can I stay here? I want to pet those llama things, too."
"Sure. But Kid looks like he's going to suffocate, so we're going to check out the chickens, okay?" They nodded.
Riki and Crona walked around, petting the llamas and alpacas.
"So, Crona," Rikita said as she fed a goat, "having fun?"
"Um, yeah! It's… it's really nice. Though I don't really like all the noise. Or the crowds. But it's nice that we can all spend time together."
"What happened on the Ferris wheel? Aless got off looking like the cat that ate the canary. You did not look nearly as happy."
"Oh. Well, she… she kissed me, of course. Because that's what Aless does, you know? I-I'm just not used to kissing in public." She frowned a little, scratching one of the goats on the head. It let out a loud bleat and she yanked her hand away.
"Have you told Aless that you're not comfortable with it? I know she can be a little forward. She might not realize what she's doing wrong."
"No, I'm not going to say anything. I'm trying really hard to be brave. And if I work at it, I'll be able to deal with all sorts of things! Even kissing. How was your ride with Kid?"
"Ah, you know. We just talked. We're not all that into each other, so it's really more friends hanging out than a date."
"Mm. I was a little nervous about him coming because of what happened at the prom. But he was okay?"
"He told me that he's trying to lay off the flirting right now. After all, he doesn't want his face smashed in by your girlfriend. I think he's given up on dating you, so now he's just trying to get rid of his feelings. You know what I mean?"
"Yeah. Hey, you wanna go find them?" Riki nodded and they traipsed over to the small animal tent, where Aless was admiring a fluffy chicken. Kid was scowling at the same bird, which was mottled black and white. Very asymmetrical.
"Alright, Aless. I got my fix of fluffy animals."
"Sweet. This chicken is awesome. It's so puffy and clucky and I love it." She made puppy dog eyes at her meister. "Please, mommy, can I take it home?" she pouted.
"I'm not your mother, I'm your meister. And I don't think your dorm room is the ideal home for a chicken."
"Can I keep it at your-"
"No. I am not having a chicken in my apartment. For one thing, they're messy, and – Crona? You okay?"
The pink-haired meister was gawking at the rabbit section. She'd gone pale and was wobbly on her feet.
"What?" asked Aless. "You hungry?"
"R-r-rabbits," she stuttered. "I-I don't l-l-like rabbits…"
"What? Why not?"
"I had a bad experience, okay?" she snapped. Immediately she regretted her tone. "I-I'm sorry Aless, but… oh god… I don't feel good…" She put a hand to her head and crumpled to the ground.
"Oh my God!" cried Aless. "Crona? Get up! Please get up!" She turned to the others. "I think she had a panic attack or something. Or maybe she's just overheated. Riki, could you carry her to a bench and set her down? Kid, I need you to get a cold bottle of water. I'll go get some food. If she didn't eat breakfast, then that could be it." She set off, Kid following in her tracks. Sighing, Rikita hoisted the other meister onto her shoulder and carried the teen to a bench, where she was set down.
Soon, Kid and Aless returned, Kid with a bottle of water and Aless with popcorn. The shinigami put the cold bottle to the collapsed girl's forehead, while Aless and Riki tried to wake her up. After a minute, Crona opened her eyes.
"What happened?" she asked, sitting up.
"You passed out," said Aless. "My diagnosis? A combination of a panic attack, hunger, and heat exhaustion. Here, drink some water and eat a bit." She turned to the others. "Now that I think about it, I'm hungry, too. Let's get something to eat, yeah?"
"Sounds good," said Riki. "I want… a corn dog."
"A corn dog?"
"Yeah. I've never had one before. They're typical fair food, right?"
The group found a food stand. As they waited in line, Rikita browsed the menu. Her jaw dropped open.
"Fried Oreos? I've never heard of such a thing! That's… that's amazing… I'm getting that!"
"You know that's, like, mad unhealthy, right?" asked Aless.
"I don't care. It's a fried cookie. I have to try it."
"I thought you were on a health kick."
"Screw the health kick." She turned to Kid. "What are you getting?"
"Ice cream, I suppose. Chocolate."
When they got their food and sat down, Riki took a bite out of a fried Oreo. She nearly fainted from the sugary goodness.
"Dis ish amazhing!" she cried through a mouthful of food.
"Manners, Riki," Aless chided jokingly. She was splitting a funnel cake with Crona, who was struggling with the powdered sugar. Aless sighed. "The thing about funnel cake," she told her, "is that you can't be afraid to get messy. Like this." She tore off a chunk of fried dough and gulped it down, powder sprinkling onto her shirt. "Everyone here will know what it is, so it doesn't matter. And sugar comes out in the wash."
Crona gingerly took a piece of funnel cake and ate it, still wary of the sugar. Riki turned to Kid, who was sitting next to her. He had a pained expression on his face.
"Um, Kid? You look like you're having an aneurysm."
"I practically am! Because it's impossible to make this ice cream cone symmetrical! One side always has more licks that the other! I had them the same, but then it started dripping on one side, and that messed it up… ugh!"
"Want some help?"
"Please."
They each took a side of the ice cream, licking it in such a way that both sides were symmetrical, and Kid wouldn't have a heart attack. It occurred to Riki that anyone who saw it would think they were together. Oh well. Maybe that's not horrible. At least he's cute. Or at least, I can see how other girls would be attracted to him. She noticed Aless staring at them, and paused for a moment to glare at her.
"What're you looking at?"
"You look just like a couple," Aless chuckled. "That's practically kissing right there!"
"It is not!"
"Rikita, quick, before it starts melting again!" Kid cried. Despite Aless making it awkward, he seemed to be enjoying himself. And Riki had to admit, she was enjoying herself as well. This was actually a good idea that Aless had had. She looked over at her friend just in time to see her kiss Crona, leaving powdered sugar on the other teen's face.
I wonder if she knows how uncomfortable Crona is with that. Oh well, I won't butt in. It's their relationship.
"So," she said, "who wants to get on some of the more wild rides?"
Aless bolted up and slammed her hands on the table, making everyone jump.
"Let's get on the Sidewinder!" she cried.
"What's the Sidewinder?" asked Kid, forgetting his ice cream for the moment.
"It's that big blue and gold ride over there!" She pointed to a bright, gleaming monstrosity of a ride. The ride's cars were lined up on either side of a large metal rectangle. This rectangle spun, flipping the riders upside down. As if that wasn't enough, the cars themselves flipped wildly. To Rikita, it was a wonder that nobody had flown out, until she looked closer and saw that the riders were enclosed in a cage door to keep them from being flung away.
"A-A-Aless, that's terrifying!" said Crona with a look of gloom.
"I know, right? That's the best part!" She grinned, showing her fangs. Not in public, Aless! Riki thought.
"Mommy, look at that girl's teeth!' cried a little girl walking by. She pointed at Aless, and Riki's heart sank. Oh God. We're screwed. The others had realized it, too, and paused, waiting for everyone to start freaking out.
The child's mother looked at Aless in confusion, then smiled at her daughter.
"Those are fake teeth, honey," she said. "Like the kind you wore for Halloween, remember?"
"But why is she wearing them now?"
"Maybe she's just being silly." She turned to Aless. "Sorry about that," she said. "My daughter's a little outspoken."
"Oh, no problem," Aless replied with a sickly sweet smile as the family walked away. As soon as they were out of earshot, she scowled. "Damn kids," she muttered. "This is why I'm never having children. They're so obnoxious." She cracked her neck. "Anyways, let's go. I wanna get on the Sidewinder."
The Sidewinder was not as high as the Ferris wheel, but still tall enough to strike fear into the riders' hearts. Kid raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure this is safe?"
"Of course not," muttered Riki. "Since when is Aless concerned with safety? The higher the death toll, the better, as far as she's concerned."
"I-it doesn't l-look safe," said Crona. Her stutter was more pronounced than usual, a clear sign that she was scared. "I don't really want to get on…"
"Neither do I," Kid told her.
"Fine," Rikita sighed. "I'll ride with Aless. You two can stay here." She shot Kid a look that said If you even so much as smile at Crona, Aless will have your head on a silver platter. He nodded at her and the two walked away.
Five minutes later, Rikita stumbled out of the ride's gates with whiplash, messed up hair, and a terrible sense of nausea that threatened to bring back her fried Oreos.
"Kyahahaha!" laughed Aless. "You look horrible!"
"Shut. Up."
"How was the ride?" asked Kid, striding up to them.
"Let's see," said Riki. "I feel like puking, my hair looks terrible, Aless was screaming her freaking head off the whole time, and I swear to god, that thing was making noises like it was going to collapse at any second. You two made the right choice."
"What're you talking about?" her weapon asked. "It was amazing!"
"Yeah, yeah. Yo, it's getting dark. Think we should head home?"
"I'm ready," said Kid. Crona and Aless nodded.
"Great. So where's the teleporter to get us back?"
"There isn't one."
Rikita looked from Kid to Aless and back, dumbfounded. They were completely serious.
"You. Fucking. Idiots!"
"Language, Riki."
It took all of Rikita's willpower not to put her friend in a stranglehold right then and there.
"Did it occur to you that we might not want to walk through the damn desert at the end of the day?"
"We'll be fine."
"I hate you."
"Love you too, dearest meister."
A/N: That turned out crappier than I expected. Oh well. As a side note, I just want to thank all the fabulous people who have reviewed and favorited my stories and put me as one of their favorite authors. You guys don't know how much that means to me. I also want to thank the people who submit anonymous reviews (since I can't PM them thank-yous), especially DwarfHamster, who gives me such positive reviews. You people are the reason I keep writing. xoxoxoArsenic