Believe it or not, she'd been in a circus before. Her fifties were weird.
It's important to note that she hadn't been in that circus of her own will. It was a whole thing. Point is: she had experience in circus work. She was excited for the stunts she would get to do!
She still had to go over to the Flynn-Fletcher house. She was excited to hang out with the others, then she was reminded that she had to ask her 'dad' for permission.
The past two weeks she'd gathered up some funds. She had hoped she wouldn't ask anything from Mr Martin. In the end that decision had been taken out from her hands. Linda had reached out to Mr Martin.
Reese wanted to groan until the world ended.
Mr Martin had come up to Reese as she was making herself some breakfast. She had thought she was getting out of this without talking to him. Reese didn't think she even needed to, she was old enough to be Martin's grandmother, she was just magically changed to look twelve. She didn't need parental permission.
Which is why it felt so patronizing and annoying.
"Apparently you think you're going to the circus." Mr Martin noted.
To her credit, Reese didn't jump at the sudden spoken word. She lowered the spoon in her hand. She kept herself quiet before turning to face the man.
The man resembled her in looks- her same peachy pale skin, same blonde hair, only when Reese got to his eyes did Reese see their difference. The dark blue in his eyes made something in Reese pause. There was something dark in the background there, something poorly exposed that anyone could see if they looked at him. Reese worked hard to keep her own hidden, something you would only see if you searched.
Reese stood silent. She had her back to the counter, staring at the man in what could only be described as professional curiosity. "You think I'm not going?"
"No!" Mr Martin insisted. "How are you gonna pay for it?"
Reese briefly considered an easy lie about the Flynn-Fletchers covering the cost. It seemed unlike, besides it could have ramifications in the future. Then again, telling the blatant truth wouldn't do her much good. She wasn't yet clear on how Mr Martin would react to Reese having her own source of income. He even complained about Zara's upkeep by saying he would be the one to pay for her supplies.
"They won free tickets on a radio show." Reese lied evenly. She did a quick mental headcount. "Enough for two chaperones and eight kids."
Mr Martin narrowed his eyes at her. Reese could tell the excuse was already working. Humans generally wanted to believe what was easier. The idea of winning a contest was easier to believe than Reese came up with the money herself, or that another parent covered the charge. Sure maybe Mr Martin was assuming that- maybe he thought the lie was bogus, which was doubtful- anything was simpler than what he didn't want.
Reese could see it all playing out on his face. As a case study, it satisfied a curiosity.
"Fine." Mr Martin huffed, walking to a kitchen cupboard. Reese sidestepped around the table while still observing him. "I'll tell Linda you can go. Whatever. Just get out."
Reese didn't need to hear it twice.
==W&R==
Walking into the Flynn-Fletcher house, she loosened her hold on the Bag. Reese gave herself a moment to exhale. Reese let herself in without waiting to knock.
Everybody was gathered around the dinner table. Reese was worried for a moment until seeing that Baljeet wasn't there.
"Hey, did I miss anything?" She asked anyway.
"Nope, there's still time." Phineas assured her.
Reese sat herself down on a stool. She could relax now, she just had to wait until the circus started. She could have a lot of fun with this. There was...there was fun to be had.
Before long, Baljeet came running in. Reese watched with few comments. Lawrence Fletcher walked in, telling them the circus they were planning to see had been cancelled. Only when the adults walked away did the kids get the idea to make their own circus.
==W&R==
Her act had been giving her trouble. While yes, Reese had the plan to use the tightrope for her act there was just...she knew she could add to it.
Reese had wanted to the tightrope. She had training for it, or at least in agility. She could easily manage stunts there. She could do it blindfolded- oh wouldn't that be fun! A blindfolded tightrope walk...should there be fire? Probably not. Reese didn't have much experience with fire tricks. Still. Tightrope- a classic.
She'd gotten into a purple/dark pink unitard for her act. She cheated with Edna Mode's cardinal rule by having yellow streamers hanging from her wrists and ankles. Her hair was done into a lion's mane style behind her head, complete with pink and orange streaks painted on. Her eyes were given flames done in makeup.
Reese made sure to tell the brothers about her act. They could get together all the props while Reese made sure word was out about the show. Reese made a little joke that she was practically a juggler too, with all she was doing before the show even started.
==W&R==
The show was going off without a hitch. Well a few hitches but nobody had told them not to include wild parsnips. Reese should've remembered that- they weren't even using nut based oil in the popcorn machine for allergy reasons. Parsnips should've been the next thing. Reese made a note of that for other events in the summer.
"We're moments away from Ferb and The Amazing Perry!"
Reese perked up. She went on after Perry, so she got to watch the act. Better yet she got to watch Perry sneak back in.
He was a spy, but Reese was a classically trained ninja. She was taught by the people who invented sneaking around. Perry thought he was so good at it, it was adorable.
Baljeet walked backstage. Reese gave him a brief thumb's up- a joke. Baljeet made a show of taking off his thumb again to wave it at her. It made Reese laugh. Ah, working with young kids. Always such a laugh.
Reese was hyping herself up for her act.
"Let's hear it for Baljeet the Stupefying!"
You can do it. You can do it.
"But now, prepared to be astounded when The Amazing Semi-aquatic Perry, aided by Ferb-"
It's just a tightrope walk. You can manage that. It'll be great.
"-attempts to jump through that hoop into the Shallow Pond!"
Knock 'em dead, Martin.
"Ooh!"
The audience's wild applause had Reese focusing back in. She braced herself, letting her hands slide to her hips in a confident pose.
She was ready for it.
Sneaking out from behind the curtains, Reese snuck up the tightrope walk. She made sure to keep out of sight.
"Yeah! Let's hear it for the Amazing Semi-aquatic Perry!" Phineas announced to the crowd. Reese got into position, leaning over the edge of the platform with her hand holding the tightrope pole. "Now our next act is- wait where did she go?"
Reese whistled out. The spotlight went on her. She waved out at the cheering crowd.
"There she is, Reese the Mystifying!" Phineas announced. The crowd cheered louder for the new act. "Watch now as she performs depth defying stunts on the tightrope!"
Reese gave a final wave to the audience before slipping into her role. She started with a run, leaping out onto the tightrope. The tautness of it had her bouncing off. The audience below gasped. Reese grabbed the tightrope as she passed back down, letting herself twirl around the tightrope twice before pulling herself against it.
Upside down, she crawled along the tightrope for a stretch. She let go with her hands, letting her feet be the only things holding the rope. She 'walked' on the tightrope, waving her arms and the respective streamers at the wild crowd.
She 'jumped' on the rope. It sent her into the air again, flinging her upright onto the rope. She finished the home stretch by just twirling along it. Her finale was a final jump on the taut string, flinging her onto the tightrope end platform.
The crowd cheered.
Reese was beaming bright, making the bright neon colors of her outfit shine brighter with her.
==W&R==
The act had been filmed. Reese was happy with that, she'd been the one to set up a camera.
Reese curled Zara around her shoulders. The snake was happy for the view. Reese brought out the camera, showing the snake her performance.
Zara tightened her hold on her human at the more risky stunts. The child had clearly lost her mind, letting go of the tightrope so often. Jumping on it, worse yet. Hanging upside down off it then walking on it like that? Zara wondered if her human knew she was insane.
Reese pointed at the screen. "See that? That actually upsets me."
Oh, so there was hope after-
"That streamer got in my hair. You couldn't even see my face in this shot." Reese huffed. "Unreal."
The snake lost all hope in this human. Hence why she was hugging her human, deciding that Zara would teach Reese how to not do things that could get her killed.
(Zara didn't know the best part
Those were the bits where Reese felt just so alive)
==W&R==
AN: To WingDings13: yes I also don't believe that 71 is too hot. Like, it was 85 when I was writing S'Winter. But I did a lot of checking, and the closest place that fits Danville was around this weather in 2010 June. Like...71 sounds downright chilly compared to 85. But the boys complained about heat, so it...must be bad? For Danville?
Look at me- trying to make logic in Phineas & Ferb.