A/N: I'm super sorry about the slow updating, it's cause both my laptop and the desktop, have been acting up lately, and now that it's summer and I have guard practice, and my bro, who currently lives almost half a country away, is coming to visit, I've kinda had a small crimp in my schedule, but not to worry, I will find time around everything I have this summer to write for you peoples anyway, go forth and read to your heart's content, also, review, those inspire me.

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"Come one come all, to the greatest circus ever at all!"

Hanataro, Haruhi, and Jack all stared at the parade that came through town, consisting of several caravans, lions, tigers, and bears, oh my, and elephants, horses, contortionists, acrobats, maybe two clowns, and several other sights. The people were dressed from insane costumes to regular clothes, making for a wide variety of colors within the parade, that just so happened to be making them late for school.

"A circus?" Haruhi wondered aloud, since it seemed to be a very strange one indeed, especially when a pale skinned boy with white hair and light blue eyes happened to see them and then exited the parade to approach them. He was dressed normally, a tan jacket, tan t-shirt, dark pants, and was traveling on a skateboard.

"Hey, haven't seen you for some time, how have you been?" he asked, looking at Hanataro,

Hanataro shrugged his shoulders, "Ok I guess, what about you?"

"Well, you know, just up to the usual old tricks." he answered nonchalantly, then he noticed Haruhi, "Who's he?" he inquired, jerking at Haruhi with his thumb.

"Right, Haruhi, Shiki, Shiki, Haruhi." he introduced the two to each other, making Haruhi ponder over who would give their son a name that meant dead corpse.

"Kay then, you gonna come to the circus, they'll all be happy to see you guys." Shiki said,

"Hi hi, Shishi-chan!" Jack suddenly exclaimed, distracted enough from the brightly colored parade to notice the taller boy,

"Hello Jack." and he made a deep bow to the small girl, which made Haruhi even more curious, "You got the letter saying we would be here, right?" he asked Hanataro.

"Yeah, my cousin gave it to me a few days ago, along with some other information that I cannot speak of at the present moment." he answered,

"Alright," Shiki turned his head over his shoulder to look at the parade, then turned back to the small trio, "I gotta get going, if I don't, then that stupid old bastard's gonna be pissed, see you later." and with that quick farewell, Shiki disappeared quickly into the parade once more.

"How do you know him?" Haruhi asked Hanataro immediately after Shiki was gone,

"He's Will's cousin, introduced us once." he explained easily,

"Why did he bow to Jack though?" she asked, thinking it would be extremely strange for anyone to act so formally towards her.



"Just because Jack is estranged from one portion of her family, doesn't mean that the possibility of her taking on her grandmother's former life style, isn't low." he answered, thinking it was clear and definite, when it actually didn't make all that much sense.

"What?"

"The old lady was the great great grand daughter of the guy who started this circus, everyone in the circus is related, or at least most of them, so she was going to take over the business, since she was the oldest of the original founder's children, but ended up settling down and getting married instead." he paused to look both ways down the now empty street before crossing the road, "Since Jack isn't going to get her family's business and was pretty much abandoned by them, the probability of her taking over the original business is rather high."

"Yes, didn't I say that before, no, well, anyway, Jack had never met Will or really anyone from her grandmother's side of the family, so it's safe for her to meet them, there are no memories that they can stir up." he explained, and something about his face said not to speak anymore on the subject, and so Haruhi stopped her questioning.

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School seemed to pass by quickly, and Hanataro invited even the Host Club to come with Jack, Haruhi, and him, to visit his friends, and Jack's relatives, although he left that out, at the circus, which Hanataro told them was called Circus de Filiano dos Oddities, which he said was Portuguese, or something, he wasn't all that sure.

When they exited the school, they noticed several more multi hair colored people in bright and dark outfits; one of them even included Shiki. They were handing out fliers or showing off talents, such as the contortionists who rolled themselves into balls and rolled around people, or the acrobatic teams that performed several small stunts, all of the people were from young to teenagers though, no adults.

Shiki seemed to have noticed Hanataro and Jack and so, quickly skated over to them, with a blond who had long hair that rivaled even that of Hanataro's, but the bangs seemed greenish, with such light green eyes they seemed nearly blue, wearing a strangely designed green shirt, brown pants, and seemed to be gliding over here, but then they noticed he was wearing roller skates.

"Hanataro, Haruhi, Jack." Shiki said in greeting bowing deeply, and when the blond stopped skillfully next to him, he also bowed, rather easily even in the skates, "Are these the rest of your friends?" Shiki asked, gesturing to the rest of the Host Club.

"I suppose." Hanataro answered, the blond remained quiet, paying more attention to his surroundings than the actual conversation,

"Oh, this is Murder, he's American, joined us on one of rounds there and came here with us, but his Japanese is surprisingly excellent for a person who's often taken for a mute." Shiki told the group after the rest of the Host members were introduced, he earned a well placed kick to the head from a roller blade clad foot from the comment, how Murder had not fallen over while doing that, they would never discover.

"Pray tell friend, why hast thou bother with comment such as thus." he said, his voice rather like the apple of Adam and Eve, a forbidden temptation, and he used such an old way of speaking, it was rather a more strange combination.

"Or maybe that's why he doesn't speak." Shiki pondered, rubbing the bump on his head as he got up from the ground which he had been crushed into by Murder, who was glaring at him, but then he suddenly sighed, obviously upset by Shiki for some reason.



"Jack-chan will call yous Mu-chan!" Jack suddenly shouted, having somehow found a way onto Murder's shoulders without anyone else noticing, Murder stared at her, wondering how she had gotten there without his noticing, then merely let Jack sit there, who smiled at this, although she was really smiling at something else that was now her own secret to keep from the others, and of course it was Murder's secret as well, he just wouldn't realize she knew it too for a while longer.