As the audience shoved and pushed its way to the exit, the large cast began taking off costumes and putting on their "work clothes" as they jokingly called the black jeans and black t-shirt with the Anything Goes Circus logo on the back.
The butterfly magician was getting herself out of the black costume she had worn for the final act when the Ring Mistress came in and distractedly thrust a dunk tank uniform, which consisted of trunks and a spaghetti strap bathing suit with the logo of the circus on the front. "Diolyn, Daori's kid is sick and everyone is too busy to take over her position, I need you to fill in for her, okay?"
She left before Diolyn had the chance to say yes. 'Yeah, no problem Zarinthia, anything you want Zarinthia, any time.' Diolyn sighed and went into a small box room set aside for these kinds of changes and shut the door. After shucking the shirt, pants, bra and panties, she tugged on the suit, and pulled her long hair into a pony-tail. She gathered up her discarded costume and stepped into the bustling group of people rushing to get to their next job. Dumping her clothes into a basin marked "dark finale clothes go HERE!" she headed for the exits that lead to the fair games part of the grounds.
Before she reached the door though, a boy of about thirteen rushed up to the main podium and pushed a small, orange button. The lights flashed out and then on to get everyone's attention. In the deathly silence of the room, he said in a stage voice that rang clearly through the area:
"Every seat in the house has been full for all three shows. We have now made fifty-four thousand credits worth of entry fees to the show today. Zarinthia just wanted you guys to know that you are all wonderful, she's thankful to you all for a hard days work. And also, that she may be a slave driver, but at least all of her slaves get a decent wages, free housing, and good but cheap healthcare. Thanks."
He darted out of the arena, grinning at the shocked silence he had left behind. As the door began to close behind him, he could hear the applause, laughter, and congratulations going around within the under stage area. Life was good.
Diolyn snickered at her mother's sense of humor and exited the building, pausing to breath in the computer generated summer night's air. She could just barely see the stars over the circus lights of bright blue, green, yellow, orange and red; the flashing of the winner sign over various games and the duller signs of food stands. The air was flavored with hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, and funnel cakes. The petting zoo was just to the left of the games area, but downwind of the food court which offered a greater variety of old time, carnival style food. Diolyn could just barely make out one of the giraffes.
The young woman began to walk towards the dunk tank, dodging and weaving through families with youngsters and parents harried about trying to keep the kids and their wits from splitting apart in the throng of people; couples on dates and the occasional gang of teenagers her own age laughing and punching each other and flirting with their girlfriend or boyfriend.
Upon reaching the dunk tank, she groaned at the sight of another woman about twenty-one, sitting on the board over the tank and arranging her self in flattering positions and winking at the crowd in an exaggerated manner. A teen male, most likely sixteen or seventeen years old was standing at the toss line and trying hard to hit the bright target. His girlfriend, a girl the same age with short black hair, was quietly urging him on. He'd hit the target twice, had missed as many, and was on his last ball. He pitched, the ball glancing off the side of the target, but did not sink the victim. He won a small/medium bear and his girl hugged it to her, smiling, and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.
Diolyn grinned and joined Jessica on the board. The pretty blonde nodded to Diolyn, but wasn't overly welcoming. Jessica felt that Diolyn got special treatment because of what she was; Zarinthia's daughter. Diolyn herself knew her mother gave everybody their own brand of Ring Master treatment and only really disliked Jessica because her breasts were three sizes larger than her own and her hips were far slimmer than her 32 inch one.
Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, and Heero Yuy stepped up to the dunk tank throw line. Heero was first, calmly picking up one of the balls and, dark blue eyes intensely focused, threw the ball, knocking the target back. The two girls, a blonde with short hair and a brunette with her longer hair pulled into a pony tail, dropped into the water. The brunette grinned and waved at him through the glass then turned, kicked against the bottom of the tank and pulled herself back onto the board. Heero felt a vague notion to smile, and didn't try to squash it like he once had.
Diolyn watched as the attractive youth picked up the second ball and without any hesitation and barely time to aim, BAM! Down went the girls. This time, still under water, Diolyn clapped and watched the boy's mouth twitch with another almost smile. Back on the narrow wooden board, she watched him pick up his third ball.
Heero, again with barely any time to take aim, hit the target. The sound of the springs and gadgets giving out under the board the girls were sitting almost reminded him of the sound of a mecha getting a tune up. The darker haired girl nudged the blonde and they both stuck their tongues out at him. He felt his mouth spread up and realized he was grinning. It was weird to feel his face smiling, but it wasn't too bad.
Jessica looked side long at the boy. "Y'know," she muttered to Diolyn, "He's not bad looking when he smiles." Diolyn nodded agreement and settled onto the board. She wasn't planning on getting too comfortable. He didn't disappoint her. Jessica and Diolyn fell into the water a fourth time and immediately resurfaced. "Maybe we should just stay in the water, hmm," Diolyn called.
The two people standing beside the guy appeared to be his friends, because the one with hair covering his right eye nudged him and the other with a long brown braid and shocking blue eyes laughed. The boys smile widened.
The three boys could barely believe how carefree they were acting but the circus was creating such a safe and relaxed feeling that it almost felt natural to be acting so. Heero picked up his last ball and dropped the girls for the fifth time. The elderly gentleman who took the credits and gave out prizes showed Heero the selection and gave him a free game ticket redeemable at any booth, smiling. Heero picked a large blue bear. "For Mariameia," he explained. None of the other prizes appealed to him and Lady Une had told the group that the girl didn't have enough toys.
The other two boys shrugged and Trowa stepped up for his turn.
Bam, down the girls went. Bam, bam, bam, BAM! The girls jokingly teased him each time for his perfect aim.
Trowa accepted his own free ticket and a brown bear. The other two looked at him. Shrugging, he said simply, "Mariameia."
Diolyn was struggling not to laugh as the two boys both got a large bear in different colors. She was pleased as well that the boy's apparent gift for aim drew a crowd to watch their skill. People would try to do as their current customers did and spend money. The third youth stepped up and winked at them. Diolyn could feel herself blushing and quickly looked at Jessica, only to find Jessica looking at her. They went giggling into the tank.
Duo grinned, appreciating the brunette's long legs as she pulled herself out of the tank yet again. He watched as they turned almost simultaneously and sat. He tossed the ball into the air, caught it, and then pretended to throw it. The people behind him laughed as the girls glared at him. He threw and dunked them when they weren't expecting it.
Diolyn and Jessica came up gasping for air. When Jessica could speak, she playfully asked, "Found that awfully funny, didn't you? Someday that Karma's gonna come back at you." He laughed with the others around him while Diolyn helped Jessica back onto the seat. "It will," Diolyn called at him.
"If it comes shaped like the two of you, I heartily welcome it," he chucked the ball at the target and dunked them while they were trying not to laugh. "Only two more shots of torture from you, Blue Eyes," Jessica called. "And thank God for that," she whispered to her partner. Diolyn nodded her agreement. "I've never been dunked so many times in one night." They were dunked twice more, each time almost in a fit of laughter by Duo's antics.
"Well, guess that's it for me," Duo called to the girls as he accepted his ticket and a bright pink bear. He didn't say anything to his companions, and they didn't ask. The people around him protested. A boy with dirty blonde curls around twelve and his older brother of about sixteen and closest to the gundam gang asked them to keep shooting, the request echoed from behind and round by the rest of the small crowd. The three weren't actually going to keep dunking the girls, but they were completely surrounded by a group of people who admired their aim without any military interest. They finally agreed.
Suddenly, Heero stated the obvious. "It's too easy for me. Move the target back and make it move, please?" he added, after getting poked by Duo. Trowa and Duo echoed the request and Diolyn signaled for the request to be granted. So the tank was moved back and the target set to moving.
Heero picked up his first shot, but before he could throw it, Duo proposed a wager. "We have to hit the target all five
times, or the person or persons who don't have dish duty for a month, kay?" They all agreed.
Heero dropped the girls five times without incident, accepted yet another ticket and a green bear. Trowa dropped them four times, but on his third toss, Lady Une showed up with Mariameia, who gave him tight hug right as he threw and it missed the target by a quarter of an inch. He picked a smaller white bear and stepped aside for Duo to take his turn. He made four of the five.
Diolyn had noticed him checking out her legs and during his second throw, shifted and stretched, straightening her legs and arching her back. It was a blatant and obvious move to disturb his aim. He missed by three inches and Jessica and Diolyn got to share a slightly maniacal laugh before being dunked.
Duo accepted a purple bear and a months worth of dishes in the company of Trowa with unexpected grace. The slightly larger crowd surrounding the small group of pilots clapped and finally let them through. Jessica and Diolyn said good-bye, waving at their customers and smiling uncontrollably. Dou was bringing up the rear and waved back, doing one more thorough scan of Diolyn before disappearing out of sight.
"Ouch."
"Tell me about it."
Bam.