Hello, readers! Here is the next chapter!
I am hoping it flows better and better...
Well, let's get started.
Idly standing about in the tent, watching many performers practice their acts, Katherine wasn't sure where Ciel was—probably practicing or something elsewhere. And, Sebastian was...near William? Katherine had a feeling those two would be like gas and fire, not a good combination.
"Oh well, it can't be helped..." she snickered inwardly.
"All right. Listen, the rest of ye, too," Joker's voice came to Katherine's ears. It would seem he and the other first-string people were having a private meeting. It wasn't nice to eavesdrop but she decided to listen in. They were speaking away from all the other circus people so it might be a chance to gain some clues.
Katherine neared the opening, acting like she was keeping herself pre-occupied with some other things. She listened intently with what was being said. But, the light atmosphere seemed to immediate disappear, a more serious one setting in.
"Father says there aren't enough sweets for the main event," Joker's voice came to Katherine's ears. She could also hear several gasps by the others, so she decided to peek in the tent. Everyone's head was bent down in what she thought was sadness and dismay upon hearing Joker's next line: "We'll do it tonight." Katherine backed away, one of the nearby performers watching her run off in shock, the boy watching her appearing to be nothing more than a used-to-be servant and nothing "special". But, he knew she had overheard something but wasn't entirely sure what it could have been. He ignored it, for now.
Katherine sat on a box, resting after her small sprint, staring at the ground in disbelief. She replayed everything in her head, sighing. "We'll do it tonight," echoed in her head. So, this wasn't just a circus, then, huh? What was going on, then? And, did Katherine really want to get involved with it?
"What are you doing here, Ice? Joker's about to reveal the sleeping arrangements," Beast, the animal tamer, said, walking on.
"Sleeping arrangements...?" Katherine asked herself, finding everyone in no time at all.
"Ah! Ice, glad ye found your way and just in time!" Joker beamed in elation. Katherine, however, could not take that happiness seriously after what she had just heard. Joker noticed the hesitance in her smile but decided he would leave it be for the time being. "The announcement has had to be delayed but no longer!"
Katherine blinked. Were the sleeping arrangements really this important? Katherine stood beside Sebastian, listening to Joker's words as she read off the sheet he held. It seemed Ciel would be rooming with someone that was not Sebastian—oh, this would not be easy. Ciel even had Sebastian button his clothes. How would he survive the few days here...? Though she was sarcastic, part of that was true.
Ciel, as Katherine expected, was not happy.
"It's time to be independent!" Dagger shouted, beaming a smile. Ciel looked less than thrilled but attempted to remain friendly, "That's not what I..."
Katherine could tell Ciel was conversing inside his own head but how Sebastian and he would be separated, but Ciel still paid attention to Joker, who continued to speak. "And Black's roommate is...Suit!" Joker smiled happily.
Katherine noticed Sebastian and William's gazes, which were getting darker and darker by the moment. But, unlike Ciel and her lover, Katherine could not find the situation horrible. In fact, it was all she could do to stifle the laugh that begged to seep through her lips. Sebastian's face was very, very funny. Sebastian gave a stern look at Katherine's amused figure, his look still quite the dark one, Katherine giving a smile, "No luck, Black. I'm sure you both will come to a compromise."
Sebastian's dark look never faltered, not even slightly. Katherine sweatdropped. Her reaction and words would come back to haunt her, she was sure of it.
"And, Ice, since we've an odd number...ye have to room alone. It is true that ye could have stayed with Suit and Black but I considered it too risky. With a beautiful face like ye's, I did not wish for awkward situations. Is that okay?" Joker asked, Katherine nodding. "Ah-ha! Splendid!"
"Now if we can just search the first-stringers' tents, we can go home..." Ciel's voice came to Katherine's ears. Katherine stood off to the side, Sebastian washing his young master's body. Why couldn't the kid wash his own body...? Ciel held a too pampered life. Well, he already knows he will die at the end of the "relationship" he and Sebastian has, so...I guess it can't be helped.
"I'd planned to quietly work our way up the ladder, but I can't spend that much time under these conditions," Ciel stated, Sebastian finishing up with Ciel's bath time. "I'm at my limit." Katherine fought away the smirk, Sebastian placing a shirt on Ciel, buttoning it up, "Personally, I've find brute force easier than infiltration, since that reaper keeps me from moving freely at night."
"You really have a dislike for that reaper, don't you?" Katherine spoke, folding her arms, smiling slightly. Both Ciel and Sebastian looked over at her, Ciel speaking before Sebastian could, "The reaper's presence doesn't prove them guilty. Behave yourself."
"So, when do we move...?" Katherine asked, Ciel wrapping the sheet around him for warmth, "The time to strike is during a show, while they're all away from their tents. First, I need a way to slip free of the freckled chap who tails me everywhere..." Katherine sighed, "He only is being friendly. Not exactly a crime."
So, Katherine found herself in Snake's room. And, she was well-aware why he was called "Snake"—how could one person have so many snakes?! "L-Let's get this over with..." Katherine said, all the snakes already pinned in some cages. "According to the program, your act ends at 7:50 and the encore is at 8:00, so you have about a ten-minute window," Ciel said, Sebastian looking a little puzzled, "To do what?" Ciel replied, "As soon as your act ends, release all these snakes and go back for the encore. Katherine and I will look through their tents, since she has already performed her act."
"Will you both be able to handle such a thing?" Sebastian asked, Ciel dismissing the butler, "Fine. Now, get back to the show tent. They'll be suspicious if you're late." Katherine gave a smirk, "And we all know Mr. Perfect-At-Everything is never late."
"Very well, my Lord," Sebastian bowed, Ciel and Katherine leaving. Sebastian grabbed a hold of Katherine's arm, "You and I are to talk when others are not around to listen." Katherine blinked, "Uh...okay? I really should go, Ciel's waiting." Sebastian watched Katherine leave, narrowing his gaze. He knew she had been hiding something and, to be honest, he was losing his patience.
"Do we really have to check Beast's place? Or, at least let me do it alone. She might tolerate me better than you. The girl definitely has an attitude and I can handle those types better than you, 'Smile'," Katherine asked, folding her arms.
"We are investigating together," Ciel scolded. "Besides, Sebastian is not here to save you if you were to get into trouble, like you always do."
"How mean," Katherine pouted. Glancing around, she noticed a picture frame. Picking it up, she could see it was Beast and the other first-stringer people, as well as some old man. Who was the man, though? Ciel began to rummage through the trunk in Beast's tent, Katherine becoming uneasy, "Come on...hurry up, already."
"Here, too...it's the same man with her," Ciel said, Katherine looking at the picture Ciel held. It was a younger Beast and the same man from the other picture. "Where are they...?" Katherine asked. Ciel soon answered, "...Workhouse? An orphanage?"
"Orphanage?" Katherine asked, Ciel nodding, "Joker did say something about them all being from the same place. They must all be from the same workhouse. But, where is this workhouse? I need a clearer shot of it..." Hearing footsteps getting close, Katherine panicked, "Ciel...we need to go. Like, now." Ciel replied, "No...I need a clearer shot of this."
Beast entered her tent, the tent bare as she scanned it with her eyes. She changed, a new top being given to her, secretly, and soon she left after complaining how she liked the top she previously wore. Katherine felt herself exhale her held breath, "Geez...can you move, now?"
The trunk's lid opened, revealing a tightly compacted Katherine and Sebastian, Ciel watching from under the bed. Sebastian seemed to lightly sigh, "I was right to return ahead of schedule..." Katherine, still cramped in the box, begin to complain, "Move!" Sebastian only smirked, "My, my, I never knew you could get into such positions. You must bend extremely well, compared to the normal girl your age and size." Katherine growled, "That doesn't mean I am comfortable..."
Out of Beast's room, Katherine, Ciel, and Sebastian spoke to one another. "The photos we found are important clues, I'm sure of it. When you examined the photo, did you notice anything, Katherine?" Ciel asked, Katherine nodding, "The ring...I've seen the imprint before. It's on Beast's leg. I caught a glimpse of it when she was seeing if I was worthy of being a tamer. Needless-to-say, I was not."
"Now that I think of it, he was wearing a ring," Ciel said, looking at Katherine, "You could make up such small details from a simple photograph?" Katherine nodded once more, "I never thought it until now but it was something strange, huh?" Sebastian gazed at Katherine for but a moment, a smirk playing on his lips. So, her eyesight has improved already? The changes were happening a little quicker than Sebastian anticipated, but he was not complaining.
"That seal and the workhouse..." Ciel trailed off, "We need to know more about whoever that man is." Katherine was not as keen about this place, though she didn't know why. And, that man in the photo...she really felt uneasy at his image. Was this one of the "side effects" of when she lost her purity to Sebastian?
"It's almost time. Let's stop here for today. I still must free the snakes before the encore begins," Sebastian said, Ciel disagreeing, "There's still Joker's tent." Sebastian nearly gasped, "But, my Lord..."
"Katherine will search the tent and I will stand watch nearby. We should manage if we work through the encore, Katherine not having to attend it," Ciel instructed. "I will end it today." Katherine felt even more uneasy, Joker's words coming to her thoughts once again. Ciel turned to Sebastian, "Go back. When it's over, get back here before they do and free the snakes." Ciel walked out, Katherine sighing slightly, Sebastian bearing a smirk, "Yes, my Lord."
"We need to get this finished. I have a bad feeling," Katherine voiced, Sebastian giving her a smirk, "I see your senses have changed, indeed. But, fear not, My Kitten, for you are in good hands."
Katherine looked through Joker's stuff, remembering Ciel's words. "Ciel said his clothing said that man is wealthy. He's in the pictures with those children, so he might very well be a philanthropist." Suddenly, something caught her eyes—it was a letter under Joker's pillow. Katherine took it, opening it. Her eyes went wide, "Why does he have a letter with Ciel's birth information?"
Sebastian had freed the snakes but Ciel and Katherine were still by Joker's tent, Ciel's eyes wide as he stared at the item Katherine found, "What is my name doing here? Are they on to us?!" Katherine heard a noise, pulling Ciel along and putting the letter in the exact same area it had been in, "They're back. We gotta get out of here!"
Hiding behind a few boxes, Katherine and Ciel tried to find a way to get back without be spotted, "We should have headed back sooner..." Ciel paid no mind to her, focusing on a good time to escape. Falling down, though it was a quiet tumble, Katherine noticed Ciel's eyes widen in fear. And, for good reason. Turning her head, she saw a snake staring her down, Katherine's eyes wide, tears threatening to stream. A light caught her and Ciel's attention, the light coming from a lantern being held by one of the first-string members: Doll.
Oh boy...Katherine cried in her mind, frozen from the snake before her. We got caught by a snake and by one of the first-string people! Maybe I should leave these things up to Sebastian from now on...
Okay! That's the end of this chapter. A little short, I know. But...I wanted to update ASAP. It's moving along and a few things are changed here and there.
Anyways...
How did you guys like it? Yay? Nay?
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Well, until next time ^_^
BTW, if anyone's wondering...I stopped this chapter at the middle of Book of Circus, episode "His Butler, Taking Flight".