Marvel at the Spectacular Cissie King-Jones, Sharpshooter Extraordinaire!
[More AU!Dick for phase_rpg. The part of Cissie will be played by notarrowette today!]
After showering and changing, Cissie went to sit in the bleachers to watch the clean up after the show.
Dick was helping with the clean up. They didn't really need it, but he got restless with nothing to do. He saw Cissie sitting in the bleachers. Cleaning up was good, but he should check up on her. He handed his broom off to one of the trainers and wandered over to the bleachers. He vaulted over the side and walked up to her. "Great job out there, Cissie."
Cissie looked up and fought the urge to blush at the compliment, shrugging a shoulder. "Thanks. I didn't do as well as I could have with the second trick, though."
Dick shook his head and grinned. "I'll bet you were the only one who noticed. I know I didn't."
Cissie bit her lip. "You didn't? Really?"
"If you hadn't said something, I wouldn't have known," Dick said. He sat down next to her and nudged her shoulder with his. "Did you notice how I fumbled a landing a little halfway through?"
Cissie frowned, thinking back over Dick's routine. "No. You did?"
"I did. Actually, it was a pretty big mistake and I'm gonna have to do a lot of practicing tomorrow to make sure I don't make it again. But you? The audience? Everyone who isn't a master of trapeze? Didn't notice anything." He spread his hands wide. "Show business. It's what looks good that matters, not how good it really is."
Cissie wrinkled her nose, giving a tiny, uncomfortable laugh. "I guess so. It's just--different."
Dick gave her a sympathetic look. "Your mom?"
Cissie nodded, watching the others. "I was supposed to be the best."
"You're certainly the best I've ever seen. And I've seen some pretty good archery acts." Dick reached down and picked up her bow. "See, what I can't get over is that this is an actual bow. Most circus archers use trick bows. But you're better than them without taking the easy route."
Cissie blushed again, shrugging. "Trick bows are too light. I don't know how to use them, and I miss. And I feel silly."
"Hey, you don't need to make excuses, I think it's great!"
She gave him another small smile. "Thanks, Dick. I--I want to be good though. For everybody here."
Dick threw an arm over her shoulder. "Anyone ever tell you you worry too much? You are good. And we're really happy to have you."
She leaned against him. "Worry too much? Not really." She glanced up at him. "I'm really happy here, too. Thank you."
Dick grinned down at her and ruffled her hair a little. "That's the important thing."
She ducked her head, squeaking. "Diiick!"
Dick laughed and reached over to tickle her.
She shrieked and squirmed away, scooting over a few feet on the bleacher. "Do you think they have the animals settled in for the night yet?"
Dick laughed and let her alone, raising his hands. "Probably not all of them. Why?"
She shrugged again, uncertainly. "I like to visit them sometimes?"
Dick nodded. "Me too. Especially Zitka."
Cissie smiled. "Zitka's awesome. I think she's smarter than some people."
"Truth." Dick stood up and smiled. "Wanna visit her with me? We can snag her some apples on our way."
Cissie nodded, her face breaking into a grin. "Okay!" She crossed the distance between them and slipped her hand into his.
Dick grinned back and squeezed her hand a little. Together, they walked out of the tent and over to the animal enclosures.
After showering and changing, Cissie went to sit in the bleachers to watch the clean up after the show.
Dick was helping with the clean up. They didn't really need it, but he got restless with nothing to do. He saw Cissie sitting in the bleachers. Cleaning up was good, but he should check up on her. He handed his broom off to one of the trainers and wandered over to the bleachers. He vaulted over the side and walked up to her. "Great job out there, Cissie."
Cissie looked up and fought the urge to blush at the compliment, shrugging a shoulder. "Thanks. I didn't do as well as I could have with the second trick, though."
Dick shook his head and grinned. "I'll bet you were the only one who noticed. I know I didn't."
Cissie bit her lip. "You didn't? Really?"
"If you hadn't said something, I wouldn't have known," Dick said. He sat down next to her and nudged her shoulder with his. "Did you notice how I fumbled a landing a little halfway through?"
Cissie frowned, thinking back over Dick's routine. "No. You did?"
"I did. Actually, it was a pretty big mistake and I'm gonna have to do a lot of practicing tomorrow to make sure I don't make it again. But you? The audience? Everyone who isn't a master of trapeze? Didn't notice anything." He spread his hands wide. "Show business. It's what looks good that matters, not how good it really is."
Cissie wrinkled her nose, giving a tiny, uncomfortable laugh. "I guess so. It's just--different."
Dick gave her a sympathetic look. "Your mom?"
Cissie nodded, watching the others. "I was supposed to be the best."
"You're certainly the best I've ever seen. And I've seen some pretty good archery acts." Dick reached down and picked up her bow. "See, what I can't get over is that this is an actual bow. Most circus archers use trick bows. But you're better than them without taking the easy route."
Cissie blushed again, shrugging. "Trick bows are too light. I don't know how to use them, and I miss. And I feel silly."
"Hey, you don't need to make excuses, I think it's great!"
She gave him another small smile. "Thanks, Dick. I--I want to be good though. For everybody here."
Dick threw an arm over her shoulder. "Anyone ever tell you you worry too much? You are good. And we're really happy to have you."
She leaned against him. "Worry too much? Not really." She glanced up at him. "I'm really happy here, too. Thank you."
Dick grinned down at her and ruffled her hair a little. "That's the important thing."
She ducked her head, squeaking. "Diiick!"
Dick laughed and reached over to tickle her.
She shrieked and squirmed away, scooting over a few feet on the bleacher. "Do you think they have the animals settled in for the night yet?"
Dick laughed and let her alone, raising his hands. "Probably not all of them. Why?"
She shrugged again, uncertainly. "I like to visit them sometimes?"
Dick nodded. "Me too. Especially Zitka."
Cissie smiled. "Zitka's awesome. I think she's smarter than some people."
"Truth." Dick stood up and smiled. "Wanna visit her with me? We can snag her some apples on our way."
Cissie nodded, her face breaking into a grin. "Okay!" She crossed the distance between them and slipped her hand into his.
Dick grinned back and squeezed her hand a little. Together, they walked out of the tent and over to the animal enclosures.