Traveling above the crowd, a lone individual tried his very best to balance himself on the thin rope. His heavy breaths resounded in the hot summer sun, but his auburn eyes lie focused on the stinging his bare feet would receive with each step. It felt as though they were burning, but he knew even a sound from him would result in automatic unbalance, or worse...
His clothing waved back and forth in the breeze, and the mask around his face clung sweat to his brow. A small sob rocked his entire being. If only this torture would end soon.
A royal blue pupil watched from a distance to the man walking at a steady pace back and forth outside of the main tent. His wire was strung to a nearby tower, but it seemed as though he wouldn't retire from his work anytime soon. His bright orange and red clothing contrasted to that of the clear blue sky just behind him. How could he see out of that tight mask covering both his hair and face?
"They showcase acts before the main event?" Ciel mused, eyes drifting towards his butler. His hair shifted slightly in a light breeze, but overall, he was quite toasty. It was the thick of a very warm summer for Great Britain. If only the winter would freeze over such troublesome days.
Sebastian's smirk did not lessen even as his maroon gaze shifted to the tight-rope walker.
"William Pandora. Apparently he's a very gifted tight-rope walker, as well as a trapezist. Rather odd that a gifted man such as him is walking at such a slow speed. If I read correctly, he'll be one of the main acts of today's show." At this remark, the attractive butler rummaged through the small pamphlet they had received upon entering the circus. The rather gaudy yellow dressed and red-nosed clown juggled several balls, highlighting the words, "Carnaval De Payaso" above them.
Ciel could only sigh.
They had arrived at this child's show to investigate roles of a circus performer to offer a bit more insight on the life before trying their hand at Noah's Ark. When had it turned into a tourist visit?
Crowds of people milled about, children ogling the various dressed performers, as well as the man walking several stories up. To be honest, the whole thing seemed to be a mockery of the Earl's intelligence. To think, others had it in their mind that this was entertainment for him. Or, at least someone of his age group. At least Elizabeth hadn't caught wind of the circus in London. Having her here would have driven him absolutely mad.
"Let's hurry up to the main tent already. Hopefully this bore will start soon and we can leave." He placed a foot onto the dirt long shaved of any grass. The grounds of the park were always heavily abused every two years when the circus came to the city. Not only that, the main street the circus used for its parade was always lined with trash by the end of the event. Really, these performers were just a bother.
Ciel glanced forwards, a sudden road-block stopping his step.
A smirk was settled below red and yellow face-painted skin, which, in turn, sat below black locks of flowing hair. The young girl standing before Ciel nearly popped his eyes out of his sockets, mostly on account of her clothes. A colorful skin-tight tank top seemed far too scandalous to be seen in public. Even worse, she wore not a dress, but rubber pants a similar shade to the red and yellow stripes of paint on her face. Just what type of circus were they running!?
Ciel was close to opening his mouth when her black hair swayed in her sudden movements. She gripped her thin calf, raising it into the air.
His mouth could only widen as she lifted the appendage higher and higher before setting it on her shoulder and behind her head. Her bones cracking emitted throughout the scene, but her smirk did not deaden.
The preteen giggled at the gaped mouth the Earl Phantomhive held. Perhaps she still found this usual reaction entertaining.
Nonetheless, the foot she held dropped back to the dirt as if nothing unusual had taken place. Her bare feet pounded past him before her final laugh told the words she most likely said everyday.
"Enjoy the Carvnaval De Payaso!" With this remark, the girl not much younger than Ciel escaped into the crowd now issuing a gasped applause.
A figure in black leaned down to Ciel's position.
"You were saying, sir?" He laughed with an amusement that Ciel could have slapped.
The young Earl let out a small blush before shrugging the butler off. He continued with his steps forward, eyes focused on the tent in the distance.
"Shut up."
Quite evidently, many others had the same idea as the Lord. They milled about in the stands, laughing and chatting aimlessly in order to stave off the boredom before the show would begin. The murmur of their voices filled the tent, yet the circular center remained uninhabited by anyone. Ciel assumed this to be the center stage, but it seemed rather odd for the main-point of the show to be lower than the stands the audience would sit to. Maybe this was the norm, though.
In this large center, a draped wire lie strewn across the top of the tent. It seemed several stories higher than that of the altitude the tight-rope walker had been overcoming. To be anywhere near such a thing ran a cold chill down Ciel's back. To think the performer would be trapezing back and forth from the two ends seemed impossible. Just how crazy were these people?
The duo found a rather empty row to sit themselves in, but that solitude soon left as other filled the empty area. Soon enough, the entire space around the stage was filled with screaming children and chattering adults. However, the constant hum of the crowd died down soon enough as a lone man made him towards the middle of the stage.
The lights around them dimmed, a certain hush calming the children and focusing their small attention spans to the man dressed in rather odd clothing.
The lone individual held a rather tall hat to his head, hiding any greasy hair that he may have. His red red jacket lie spotted in yellow dots, narrowing Ciel's eyes in annoyance. Just how gaudy could they get?
"Welcome one and all to the Carnaval De Payaso, London's finest traveling circus!" His young voice bounced throughout the room, the microphone extending the sound. He laughed, eyes sparkling in the awe of the surrounding crowd.
"For our first act, we present Francine, the lion tamer! We implore you to hold your applause until the very end, as the animal is very sensitive to any noise!" And didn't that just make Ciel want to clap his very heart out?
The Earl sighed, holding his head up with a bored knuckle.
"How exactly is this supposed to help us with Noah's Ark? I thought we were masquerading as ignorant fools, not experienced performers." Even though his words hinted of boredom, his royal blue pupil never left from the center stage. It skimmed across the exotic animal, as well as the beautiful woman sticking her head into its mouth. Perhaps the boy leaned just a tad closer to the wall separating him and the stage in that moment, but Sebastian decided it would be best not to state such a thing.
"Yes, well, it wouldn't be too horrible to understand exactly what we're getting into. And, My Lord.." He sighed shaking his head.
"It's not as though you have very many wondrous talents that would wow anyone-"
"And when did you decide this!?" His glare flashed back to the butler in an instant, showing any anger he may hold. It was in this instant that another loud rumble of clapping began. They both turned back towards the center of the tent.
The lion previously standing in the middle now bounded next to the tamer called Francine. They walked out of the circle of light directed to the announcer, and he continued to speak in loud booms that often left him out of breath.
"Let's be glad the old girl hadn't skipped out on dinner!" He laughed loudly, adding another glare from Ciel. Such stupid humor only appealed to the children giggling around him.
"And for our next act..."
The light projected directly on the man disappeared, sending the entire tent into absolute darkness. Worried cries of children filled the area for a time that felt to be several minutes. Ciel couldn't truly be sure, as a single light flickered on, yet this time, it was in the top of the tent.
Standing at one of the towers was a single man. However, Ciel was quickly able to recognize him from his outfit alone.
"William Pandora." He stated bluntly, realizing the main event of the circus was to be begin any second.
Even without visual aid to the man in the middle of the stage, his booming voice narrated William's moves towards the hanging rope. He gripped the material tightly, heavy breaths visible as they inflated his chest.
"And now for what you're all been waiting for! The all-gifted and incredibly talented, William Pandora! Unveil Pandora's box and find out its mysteries as you watch him glide through the air like a sparrow!" With this, a silence was issued throughout the tent. They all watched with bated breath as the performer stepped closer and closer to the edge of his tower.
With no time left to pause, William took a leap off of his safe footing. His body glided through the air as a fast pace, the rope swinging along. Just as he had been described, he gave off the appearance of a flying sparrow.
A rather odd noise filled the sound of the tent just at that moment. Without any voices, it was very easy to hear this noise. At first, Ciel couldn't tell just what it was. Only when he saw the body of William Pandora falling far out of the reaches of any safe distance did he realize just what the noise had been.
It was the noise of the rope snapping.
The man flailed in the air hopelessly, his landing area being directly where the leader of the show had been standing. William Pandora fell like a dead sparrow into the darkened area of the stage, breaking the wooden planks used as ground for the tent. The silence that had started upon his descent continued as the individuals were left wondering if this was part of the act.
Silence.
Several minutes passed, and still no one had been able to regain any lost breath. It seemed all at once when the shouting and screaming began. A very fast uproar came from the bolting individuals. They tried their best to shove each other out of the tent, but the entrance had long been shut.
Ciel wasted no time in his decision. He bolted from his seat as well, but his hand found only the edge of the wall. He took a glance back to Sebastian with a slight smirk on his face.
"You did say to find out how a circus worked, did you not? Well, here's our perfect chance." And he hopped the wall to the infinite darkness of the stage below.