Before the activities of Puyo Puyo Circus can begin, Kikimora sets out to clean the seats. As she grumbles about the leftover popcorn, a peculiar clown interrupts her. Requested by a tumblr anon!

Criticism and Cleansing

Kikimora didn't have time for nonsense. She had no desire to walk around and enjoy the circus when there was so much cleaning to be done. Lollygagging children loitered around the edges as the tent was raised. People cooed and hummed as the wooden booths were set up with food and festivities, as clowns blew up balloons and shaped them to be like animals or Puyos, but none of them acknowledged the growing filthiness.

Dust and dirt tainted the air. These circus folk didn't know how to take care of themselves. They simply plopped a circus down in the middle of a perfectly clean field and kicked up fine dirt.

Her grip on her broom tightened. She would have complained to the management, but her instincts took over. She knew that she wouldn't be able to stand another second without cleaning. She stomped inside the tent, taking in the dim, scarlet and yellow lights above her. Colorful streamers hung loosely from the ceiling. The seats were simple and rounded all the way around the base of the tent, but she furrowed her brow when she noticed stray pieces of caramel popcorn underneath them. Huffing, Kikimora immediately began sweeping them towards a nearby trash can, grumbling under her breath all the while.

"Darn these clowns. They can't even make the seating nice and proper for their-wha-?"

A shadow crossed over her. She thought she was the only person inside, but an odd, curved shadow loomed by her. Swallowing, Kikimora raised her head and came face-to-face with a jester balancing on a stripped ball.

"Is something not to your liking? At the Puyo Puyo Circus, we live to make all members of our audience happy," the clown remarked, giving an exaggerated, flourished bow.

Straightening, she brushed a couple strands of hair behind her hair. "Do you let your employees snack on the job?"

"Hmm...well, everyone gets a little hungry, you know? I'm not allowed to let them eat during their breaks?"

Flushing, she shook her head. "That isn't what I meant! Sheesh, you kids and your sarcasm."

She giggled, rocking back and forth on her ball. "What if I told you I was hundreds of years old?"

"Don't joke with me. Properly clean up after yourselves, understand?" she spat, but the clown's half-hearted shrug spiked her ire. "And what's your name anyway?"

Humming, the clown leaped off her ball and sent it rolling back down to the ringmaster's stand. Kikimora followed it, watching it bounce and come to a stop. To her bewilderment, an unfinished magic circle was drawn in swaths of violet paint on the podium, one she assumed was for an act.

"Pierrot," the clown replied after tapping her mask, "is my name."

"Oh, of course it is," Kikimora seethed, patting her face. "I'm sure that's your real name. Yes, because any parent would name their child 'Pierrot' and expect them to become a clown in the future."

"Unless they could see my fate and named me appropriately."

The bitter tone coating her words didn't go unnoticed. Kikimora lowered her hand back to her broom, the worn, almost splinterly material comfortable in her calloused palms. Her attention drifted back to the magic circle, and she asked what it was for, wishing she could see Pierrot's expression.

"Oh, that?" She chuckled. "Well, a cleaning lady who makes such unwanted remarks about my employees doesn't need to know."

She grit her teeth. She supposed she had said something unwarranted, but she knew she was right. They had all left a mess for her to clean, and just to prove it, she sweeped clumps of dust and popcorn into an overturned trash can.

Pierrot snickered, her irritation the second highlight of her morning. She already had her ringmaster in place, and amusing herself with a stubborn, uptight woman like Kikimora filled her idleness.

"If you really want to know…" She stepped closer, wrapping her arm around her shoulder, the poofy material of her costume pressing into Kikimora's neck. "...it's a summoning circle."

"Whatever for?" Kikimora asked, the sudden closeness forcing her to close into her broom.

"If you imagine what you desire while standing on that circle, it will guide you to where your desirable is." She set her hands over Kikimora's, her sharp gasp causing the corners of her lips to rise into her cheeks. "Would you like to try?"

"I-I-I'd much rather clean. I have no time to busy myself with childish games, so if you don't mind..." Kikimora mumbled, pulling herself away, and she quickly returned to sweeping.

Shrugging, Pierrot supposed it was for the best. Teasing an old demon could put her plans in jeopardy. She whisked herself away, knowing she needed to welcome her esteemed guests. She could already hear the fanfare of the trumpets and horns bringing in the waiting visitors, and with a smile, she departed.

Glancing over her shoulder at the spot where Pierrot once stood, she wondered about her identity. The Puyo Puyo Circus had sprung up out of nowhere, and the magic circle and Pierrot's actions only heightened her uneasiness. Something didn't settle right within her, and the urge to speak up clawed at her throat.

Yet, she had a self-imposed job to do. Cleaning before the guests entered was her own personal duty. As the curtain muffled the children's laughter, Kikimora wiped her brow and went back to work, hoping her intuition was wrong.