Chapter Twenty
Butler, Employed. Bride, Silk Dancer
"What are you doing, you pervert?!"
"How dare you lay a hand on my lady's fair and tender skin?!"
"I haven't even touched it yet!"
"That was mighty athletic, Sir! I reckon I'd hire 'ee."
"Is that true?"
"If he's anything like 'ee, that's fine. But I reckon we'll give an entry test."
"Very well. We'll come back tomorrow with him, then. Thank you for all your help today."
"Oh, Sir, Miss!"
"No need to show us out."
Now then…
I don't sense the children at all.
But I have been sensing something. Could it be…
"This area is off-limits…"
All those memories flooded through Marianne as they stood before Snake and his family of serpents. She held Sebastian's arm tightly as they listened to him speak.
"…says Wilde."
Wilde, the large snake who had snapped at Sebastian, hissed loudly. A second snake trailed along the floor by their feet when a third, slenderer snake reared its head and hissed at the couple.
"The exit's that way! ...says Goethe." Snake said.
Sebastian gave a shit-eating smile.
"You're too kind."
He led Marianne away, ignoring the snakes as they stared curiously after them.
"Ta-ta!" Snake called. "…says Goethe."
Sebastian and Marianne quietly climbed into the carriage. Ciel tapped his cane on the roof, and urged the driver onward.
"Report!" he ordered.
The demon bowed his head.
"I'm afraid we were interrupted before we'd made a full circuit of the circus," he explained. "I'd like to penetrate a bit deeper into their organisation, but we have a request for you in that regard…"
Ciel stared at the smirk on Sebastian's face.
"What?"
Marianne sweatdropped.
How do we explain this one…?
Back at the town house, Ciel was proving very indignant with their request; they still had not even gotten to an agreement.
"I'm asking you why that suddenly became the plan!" he snapped. "When did I order you to say that?!"
He threw his coat and hat into Sebastian's arms. Marianne winced at the venom in the boy's voice. Sebastian smirked.
"Does it inconvenience you, My Lord?" he asked.
Ciel gritted his teeth, but sighed heavily.
"Well, we'll argue about it later," he said. "I'm exhausted. I want to go straight to bed."
The girl bit her lip.
"I think you've forgotten something…"
Just then, Soma came bursting through the doors to the parlour.
"Ciel!" he cried. "Ciel, I'm so glad you're here! I've been waiting and waiting!"
Agni appeared behind him and bowed in greeting.
"Welcome home, Lord Phantomhive, Sebastian, and Miss Marianne."
Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Right, I forgot you were here," he groaned.
The prince went on to hug the young earl with great enthusiasm.
"Ciel, it's been too long! How have you been?!"
Sebastian pressed his hands together and bowed back at the Indian men.
"Namaste, everyone."
Marianne gave a quick curtsy. She remembered how Soma and Agni came to be living at the Phantomhive town house…
After the Curry Exhibition, and Mina's subsequent rejection of the suggestion of returning to her homeland, Soma was left in a deep depression. His blithe spirit however, was soon rejuvenated when he was effortlessly tricked by Ciel into minding the town house while they were at the manor, and had been happily doing so since. Sebastian often told her he was often scandalised at the thought of Soma being the prince of anything.
Agni meanwhile, almost functioned as a mother for the immature teenager. Sebastian was deeply moved by the man, and watching him have his fate determined by his master, showed him the true gravity of those words.
Soma finally released Ciel and spoke.
"I didn't expect you at the town house so early!" he laughed. "Did you miss me that badly? Poor lonely Ciel!"
Ciel only shrugged his shoulders.
"Sorry, but I'm tired. I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now," he said before turning away and heading towards the stairs.
The prince was disappointed.
"What?! But I've been so excited to challenge you to that 'chess' game of yours!" he cried. "Don't you care about dashing my hopes?!"
Marianne winced; she could tell that Ciel was getting angry.
"NO!" the boy snapped.
"What's wrong, Ciel?! You look so grumpy!" said Soma. "We finally get to see each other again, so at least smile a little!"
Ciel finally snapped.
"Shut it! I'm tired! So keep quiet!"
He continued his way up the stairs after that.
The prince could only watch him.
"Right…" he sighed. "You won't attract good fortune if you don't smile, you know!"
Agni placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Your Highness…"
Sebastian and Marianne went upstairs to join Ciel in his room. The girl assisted the young earl in removing his outer layers and shoes while the demon closed the door behind them.
"That pair is as lively as ever," commented Sebastian.
Ciel plopped down on his bed.
"I'll give them up as a bad job, but your plan is a different matter," he said. "Why should I be forced to join the circus, too?"
Marianne sighed.
"You aren't being 'forced to join'. You're passing a test and getting them to admit you," she explained.
"You both joining should be enough." Ciel complained. "I don't fancy living in a tent!"
Sebastian smirked.
"Are you sure, My Lord?" he asked. "Had you forgotten? This is your game. You don't mind me, your chess piece, deciding my own moves?"
Ciel scowled.
"I suppose you're right."
Shaking her head, Marianne continued.
"Sebastian and I have vouched for your character, and given a cover story to retain their sympathy and get easier access to the tents."
"But circuses require tricks, don't they? I can't do any." Ciel groaned.
The demon let a sneer spread across his face as he took the removed clothes to the wardrobe.
"Oh? But you seem so good at 'stay' and 'fetch.'"
The room suddenly went cold.
"What?" Ciel snarled.
Sebastian smiled.
"Pardon me, My Lord." He bowed. "At any rate, do your best at your entrance test tomorrow. As your butler, I'll give you my heartfelt support."
Ciel glared at him with his one eye, before sighing. Sometimes, he knew when to admit defeat.
"Fine. I'll join too."
Sebastian bowed.
"Very good, My Lord."
The following day, they arrived at the circus. Sebastian smiled from the gathering of circus folk as Ciel stood before them with Marianne at his side. Joker, stood at the head of the group, was the first to speak.
"What a lovely little tacker! A boy, I reckon?"
Ciel was dressed in a commoner's garb with a white medical patch over his eye. Marianne stood with him in a loose dark dress and buttoned boots; her hair was pulled back in a bun to keep it out of her face. The boy nodded his head.
"Yes. I've been in service as a pageboy. I needed to work for the master so I could stay with my sister as she worked as his governess," he explained. "My name is, er… F-Finnian."
Joker laughed.
"That's an imposing name!" he smiled. "Well, I'll give 'ee a stage name if 'ee pass."
He leaned closer with a scrutinising eye.
"Art 'ee a boy, though?"
Marianne sweatdropped at that implication. Ciel only replied with the only answer he could give.
"Yes…"
Sebastian was surrounded by beautiful, adoring circus performers, but his eyes remained on Marianne. Joker nodded his head with a smile at the young pair.
"But just being adorable won't see thee through a circus. We must do tricks, too. What's your specialty?"
Ciel thought for a moment.
"Well… darts, I suppose."
"Hmm, that'll be knife-throwing, then."
Joker turned to Dagger.
"Dagger! Give him some knives."
The knives were quickly bestowed. Ciel quietly weighed them up in his hands.
"Now, aim for the target," said Joker.
Ciel saw the distance between himself at the board, the centre marked with a pink heart. He gritted his teeth and accepted the challenge before him. Marianne backed away towards Sebastian, and let the boy focus. Ciel held the blade between his fingers, arm stretched out in front of him. Behind him, Dagger was smirking at Joker.
"You're a mean one, Sir. His skinny arms couldn't even throw far enough!" the knife-thrower laughed.
"I am not!" Joker retorted. "It's no kind of show if the target is nearby, is it?"
Ciel threw the knife. It spun in the air towards the target, and looked as though it was about to fall short.
"See? I knew it-!" Dagger bemoaned.
But then the knife slammed into the head marked on the target after it was propelled upwards by an unseen force.
"Blimey!" gasped Joker.
Ciel only smirked, and threw the next knife. The same thing happened again, and the knife was about to fall to the ground. From behind him, Marianne watched Sebastian clench his hand, and fire a pebble into the knife to send it straight for the target. This pattern continued until all the knives were embedded in the board. With the head looking like a pin cushion, Ciel smiled darkly at them.
"Will that be all?"
Sebastian and Marianne clapped quietly. Dagger was in shock. Joker was impressed.
"Well, that's fine control," he complimented. "You're more talented than I reckoned, but the test isn't over yet!"
Ciel then became apprehensive.
"Next is…"
They were all inside one of the tents. Doll tied a rope around Ciel's waist as they were standing on top of a high platform. Marianne was at his side, having changed into a black leotard, knee-length floaty skirt and ballet slippers; a length of rope was also attached to her. Joker, Dagger and Sebastian were watching below.
"…Tightrope walking!"
Ciel winced as the rope was tightened.
"That's tight!" he complained.
Doll merely looked at him for a moment before continuing.
"Cope. Do you want to die?"
Joker called up to them.
"Doll! Do that lifeline up tight! He's new and he'll be hurt if he falls!"
The boy glanced down from the height.
"Could you test me on something else, please?" he asked.
"What? Quitting already, boy?"
"N-No! I'd rather just do a different-!"
"Then stank along! Haven't got all day, have we?!"
Ciel's eyes met Sebastian's down below. His eye narrowed and he gritted his teeth in determination. Doll glanced at him again.
"Will you quit?" she asked.
His answer was short and concise.
"No. I'll go."
He took his first step onto the rope, bare feet gripping the coarse fibres. Marianne could only watch as he trembled and juddered with each step, her heart climbing into her throat and sitting on the roof of her mouth. When he got to the centre of the rope, it dipped slightly, immediately causing him to become off balance. He swayed this way and that. But a pebble hit him straight in one side, and then the other. He regained his balance after that.
"Oh, he got his balance back!" Dagger gasped.
Marianne glanced down and saw Sebastian with a handful of pebbles, set to aim like a pea shooter.
"Damn it!" Ciel hissed. "I knew this would happen."
Sebastian continued to fire several more pebbles in quick procession, straightening Ciel's posture and quickening his pace.
"Ouch!" Ciel cried as he all but leapt for the opposite platform.
Marianne could only wince in sympathy, knowing that had to hurt.
Next, it was her turn. She took a deep breath, and braced herself for the walk across. Marianne counted her steps in her head.
One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.
She kept her eyes on the waiting platform, refusing to look down. When she reached the centre, she stopped as the rope dipped, and waited for her equilibrium to balance itself again. Marianne started to walk again after that.
Think like a cat. Think like a cat. Damn, they make it look so easy!
She breathed a sigh of relief when she made it to the other side.
Back down on the ground, Ciel breathed heavily. Joker only smiled.
"Amazing! I didn't reckon you'd make it across!" he said, clapping his hands.
"Thanks." Ciel grunted as he rubbed his many forming bruises.
Dagger walked up and patted Ciel on the head.
"This cutie passes then, eh Joker?"
Joker shook his head.
"Not yet!" he cried. "There's something important 'ee be missing!"
Ciel stared at him wide-eyed.
"A great big smile!"
Ciel and Marianne were shocked to say the least. She didn't know what she could do to help. Joker merely laughed.
"Come on, smile!" he encouraged. "What's wrong? Don't look so chuff!"
Sebastian's shoulders were shaking as he held in his laughter.
"Here, smiiiiile!" the man said. "Come, come! Smile!"
Eventually, Ciel gave in, and gave the most beautiful smile. Marianne felt tears in her eyes at the sight of it. It had been such a long time since she saw a smile even a fraction of the brightness before her. Sebastian only watched on with a darkly pleased smile on his face.
Joker then turned to Marianne.
"Now, it's your turn, Miss. What can 'ee do?" he asked.
She bit her lip and looked towards the high platforms of the tightrope walk again. The hanging lengths of silk caught her attention as they trailed all the way down to the ground.
"Aerial silk…"
"Don't have one of those. Let's see what 'ee can do." Joker said.
She went back over to the ladders leading up to the platforms, climbed up to the top, and removed her skirt and shoes. With a cleansing breath, she twisted her hands into the silk and took off from the platform, holding herself up with only her arms. Her first move was to let herself fall, twist herself up in the silk, and hang herself upside down while doing the splits. That was only the start of getting their attention…
The rest of the routine followed in a similar manner, with complex twists, spins, drops, and other feats that only attested to her flexibility. Sebastian was most impressed, and looked forward to when it came time to put such skill to more… pleasurable uses. Marianne blushed under the intensity of the demon's bewitching stare.
It was later when Joker introduced the three of them to the rest of the troupe.
"All right, everyone! We have some new mates joining us!" he said.
Sebastian, dressed in a costume similar to his butler uniform, with the exception of a black necktie held together with a skull pin, a black top hat, and a black strike going down his right eye, smiled at the group.
"This is Black…"
"I'm Black. Pleased to meet you," the demon greeted.
Marianne was dressed in a black leotard with white fur lining the neckline and furred straps going off her shoulders, black stockings held up with fur garters covered her legs with black ankle boots on her feet. A floaty white skirt was wrapped around her waist, and stopped before the tops of her stockings; her hands were covered with black elbow-length gloves, and a pair of black cat ears sat on top of her head. A black dot was painted under her left eye and her hair was styled into fluffy curls. Her red jewelled choker was tied around her neck.
"This is Kitten…"
She gave a little wave.
"Hi there…"
Ciel meanwhile, had the misfortune of being dressed in a costume that could only be compared to an overly ruffled pirate, in white and blue no less. Three blue diamonds were painted under his left eye, while a black eye patch covered his right.
"And the wee one here is Smile!"
Ciel's smile was incredibly forced, not that Marianne could blame him. Although the irony of his name wasn't completely lost on her. Sebastian chuckled until she elbowed him in the ribs.
"Give 'em a warm welcome, everyone!"
Sebastian smirked.
"Go on, Smile, say a few words."
The boy stammered his greeting.
"P-P-Pleased to meet you."
Joker only laughed.
"Come on, Smile- smile!"
After the introductions, the trio followed behind Joker as he gave them a tour of the grounds.
"Now, I'll give 'ee a quick backstage tour. Follow me!"
He pointed to a collection of tents.
"First, the tents ye'll be sleeping in."
The insides of them were crowded and cramped at best.
"This is where the 'second-stringers', live-stagehands and newcomers and such. They sleep about two, three to a tent."
Joker then pointed over to the mess tent.
"Over there's where we eat, and where we store the food. Cooking's a big part of the job while 'ee be new, so work hard."
He pointed down towards the medical tent.
"Furthest down the line is the infirmary, where Black and Kitten were yesterday."
And finally, he led them towards the collection of private tents surrounded by the boundary.
"And past here are the private tents for the main cast."
"Private tents?" Ciel asked.
"The big names get places to themselves, you could say. Oh, and…" Joker pointed to the tent at the front of the lot. "The first one is Snake's, so best keep your distance. He lets lots of poisonous ones run loose. One bite, and 'ee be stone dead."
The ringleader smiled brightly despite his words.
"Snake and his serpents are cruel shy of strangers, so ye newcomers must be extra careful."
He extended his cane towards Ciel.
"That reminds me… Smile, what happened to thy right eye?" he asked.
Ciel touched his eye patch self-consciously.
"Er, there was an accident."
Joker knelt down before him and gave a smile.
"Oh… Poor thing, with 'ee so young," he said. "Well, we're all damaged here, so let's all be friends!"
The boy furrowed his brow.
"Sorry, what?"
Sebastian then proceeded with his questions, his arm wrapped around Marianne's waist.
"Did all the players join up during your travels, like us?" he inquired.
"Most, yes," answered Joker. "But we first-stringers all come from the same place. We're childhood friends, like."
"Childhood friends?" Marianne asked.
"Yep!"
They walked past Jumbo as he played the harmonica. Doll and Beast were in their tents getting dressed. Dagger was attending to his knives. Peter was helping Wendy with her dress. And Doc was testing his prosthetics for fluidity of movement. Ciel recognised the song Jumbo was playing.
"'Tom, Tom, the Piper's son'… Mother Goose?"
Joker smiled.
"Oh, well spotted, Smile! Not too many know that song."
Marianne drew Ciel to her as she spoke.
"Our previous master was rather fond of it, so it is not so forgettable."
Joker looked at them curiously before Sebastian put in his part of the conversation.
"I must say, it surprises me that all you first-stringers are lifelong friends."
Joker looked up and his smile widened.
"Oh? Snake's the exception, though. His snake-handling is tops, and we needed a snake man, so he took the shortest road to the top."
He shook his head and went on to explain more of the rules of the circus.
"First-stringers get to eat first, so they don't have to fight tooth and nail for their food, and they get their own tents. So, everyone else has a friendly rivalry, trying to be first-string."
They walked into a large tent where many of the lower-stringers were practicing their skills.
"See 'em all working? There's some time before we open, so all the newcomers are practicing, taking every moment they can, looking to earn their public debut."
One of the stringers fell from the trapeze and landed in the safety net below.
"Everything starts from the basics! You three get nice and ready before you…"
Joker's speech was interrupted by someone calling his name from behind them. They turned and saw Beast approaching.
"Joker! Got a moment?" she said.
"Sure."
She glanced at Sebastian and Marianne in their costumes, saw the way their hands were joined together, and huffed, looking away with a red blush on her cheeks.
"Right then," said Joker. "Work hard, boys and miss!"
It was later that Ciel, Sebastian and Marianne held a conference about their mission. The demon was massaging Ciel's shoulders as he worked on his stretches. Marianne was doing the same, leaning forward with her legs spread into the splits.
"I can't believe the entrance to the private quarters is a tent of poisonous snakes… Not guard dogs, but guard vipers, eh?" Ciel muttered.
Sebastian continued his work.
"Yes. I say, Young Master… or rather, Smile, your muscles are very tight," he smirked.
"He's got a point, you know. You should be able to at least reach your toes while keeping your legs straight in front of you." Marianne agreed, holding her ankles while in the splits.
"Keep your opinions to yourselves!" Ciel snapped. "And I don't want to hear that from you when you doing that! How did you even get that flexible in the first place?!"
She smiled at him.
"You'd be surprised by the things you learn when you're trying to get your family's disfavour."
Ciel sighed heavily.
"Anyway, I suppose we'll have to rise to the first string to access the private area. A few poisonous snakes should be no challenge for you. We need to know whether the children are…"
"The children aren't here." Sebastian interrupted.
"What?"
"I didn't sense them in the circus tents at all, either last night or during today's tour."
Ciel pouted from his position, leaning against Sebastian's back with their arms linked together.
"Still, there's no proof they aren't involved in the disappearances either. We can't leave until we've thoroughly investigated them."
Marianne leaned backwards into an arch while Sebastian leant back against Ciel.
"That's true. After all, we don't know what condition they're in, so maybe that could affect Sebastian's ability to sense them," she said.
Ciel scowled at her.
"Don't say such unlucky things! She wishes for their safe return."
Sebastian smirked.
"Very good, My Lord. Ah, and although I don't sense the children…"
"What is it?" Ciel asked.
Their private conversation was interrupted by the abrupt appearance of Dagger.
"Hey, you three! Quit stretching, and get practicing!"
Ciel started.
"Mr Dagger! Right, sorry."
Marianne brought herself up into a standing position.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault. They were stretching with me since I need to before I go up on the silks," she apologised.
Dagger seemed to accept their answers and smiled at them.
"It's your first day, right? I'll coach you through practice," he said. "First, we need to decide what your acts will be. Any requests?"
Marianne shrugged.
"I'm already decided with the aerial silks."
Ciel's lips pulled into a false smile.
"I'd prefer something less physically demanding than the tightrope. Greatly prefer."
The memory of Sebastian using pebbles like bullets to straighten his posture and maintain his balance was something he would not like to experience again. It was much too painful… Dagger laughed at his request.
"Yeah, you do seem pretty frail! Not at all like your sister!" He produced his knives from behind his back. "Right then, I'll teach Smile all about knife-throwing."
He then turned to Sebastian.
"What about you, Black?"
The demon smiled.
"I have no particular preference."
"Yeah, you're a real athlete! Try whatever you think you can manage. I'll watch!"
Those words caused Marianne to sweatdrop.
Oh dear… You've unleashed the demon…
Sebastian immediately ran off and started to demonstrate his many skills. His first stop was the high platform.
"First, the trapeze."
He swung on the trapeze, performed several aerial flips, and landed on his feet on the next trapeze. Many of the stringers began to watch him. Dagger cried out to him when the demon started to fall backwards.
"Hey!"
Sebastian hooked his feet onto the swing, did several more impressive tricks, and landed on the opposing platform before going down to the ground.
He collected the clubs.
"Next, juggling."
Too many to count were being juggled in his hands.
He dashed for a tall pole next.
"Pole climbing."
Disappearing up the pole, he swung back down again like a propeller.
Sebastian was then backflipping through several flaming rings.
"Rings of fire."
He was up in the air on what looked to be a string not long after.
"Aerial acrobatics."
One after another, he performed the circus feats with ease. All the circus performers were watching him in awe.
"The trampoline."
"Skipping rope."
"Contortions!"
His final act involved a very sharp sword.
"Next, I'll swallow this sword…"
Mercifully, Dagger put a stop to it.
"Enough, enough!"
Marianne nodded her head in agreement.
"I'd rather not think about what damage happens inside you," she said.
And I have to wonder what would happen to the sword, what with the contents of your stomach… She thought to him.
Sebastian grinned at her devilishly. He quickly became surrounded by the stringers in their awe and amazement. Ciel leaned against his back while Marianne placed her hand against his arm.
"Hey, you're getting carried away! Act more like a new…" the boy whispered.
Just then, they were interrupted by an unusual revelation.
"Well, I'll be darned! Another bright new star? I'd better keep sharp!" Dagger laughed.
"'Another?'" asked Marianne.
"There's one more brilliant lad who just showed up." Dagger pointed up to the platforms. "Look, over there!"
They all turned around, and were shocked by the familiar face staring back at them.
"He's a former civil servant, or something, and he's strangely serious."
Walking along the tightrope was William T. Spears. He was dressed in the most clashingly colourful concoction of an outfit, right down to the shining yellow suit jacket he was wearing.
"I say! Come down, Suit!" called Dagger.
Ciel gasped.
"That's…!"
"A Reaper." Sebastian muttered darkly.
Marianne huddled herself closer to her mate's side. She remembered the Reaper all too well, and how he had been so nonchalant about her as she was slowly bleeding to death all those months ago. The education Sebastian gave her after that night stuck in her memory…
"Reapers appear when humans are at death's door to harvest their lives. To this end, they each have their own 'Death Scythe', and they follow the list of souls to properly execute their duties. They eliminate anything in their way. They are called grim… and deadly reapers!
"Their job is to check each dying soul's kaleidoscope of memories, its Cinematic Record, to determine whether they should die or be left alive."
Her thoughts drifted to what Sebastian was saying in her head.
If they are here, one thing is certain… And that is before long, someone is sure to die.
William looked down and saw Sebastian, his green eyes narrowed.
"Ah, yes, I thought I sensed something foul. For goodness sake…"
He twirled his Death Scythe, and sent the sharp end straight for Sebastian's head. The demon tilted his head out the way. William turned on the tightrope in his brown office shoes.
"I didn't think we'd meet again. What prey are you hunting for this time, you vile demon?" he said as he leapt down using the extendable rod of his Scythe.
Sebastian pushed Ciel and Marianne behind him as the pruning shears were held in front of his face.
Surrounding them, everyone seemed to be watching them with a morbid sense of awe.
"'Demon'?"
"What does he mean?"
Ciel's eye widened.
No good! They'll find out who Sebastian is!
He spoke up, hoping to diffuse the tension in the room.
"I say, what are you on about?!" he asked.
Spears ignored him.
"As if it weren't bad enough that Reapers are in such short supply, demons have to pop up everywhere, too?" he complained. "I'll have to work yet another late night!"
Marianne arched a brow at that.
That's what he's worried about? I think his priorities are mixed up…
Dagger muttered one word.
"'Reaper'…?"
"Well, you see…" Ciel tried to explain but was stopped as the knife-thrower walked forward, his hand extended towards them.
"Look, you."
Dagger slapped William on the head.
"Cut it out, you plonker."
Marianne had to hide behind Sebastian's back as she stifled her laughter, but that was a very difficult thing, since her sides were splitting.
"You say your gags with such a straight face, people can't tell they're gags!" Dagger sniggered.
The other circus members started laughing with him as he went on to explain, "This guy's been cracking jokes since the day he got here. Going on about 'souls' and stuff. He's an incurable occult freak!"
William straightened his glasses.
"I'm not actually joking."
Dagger smiled.
"Let me introduce you to the new rookies!" He pointed to Ciel, Sebastian, and Marianne, who poked her head out from behind the demon's back. "The little one's Smile, the big one's Black, and the pretty little lady is Kitten!"
He clapped the two supernatural beings on the shoulders.
"You're our rising stars, so play nice, all right?"
Spears immediately turned away, but not before casting his eyes suspiciously over the girl.
"I flatly refuse to play nice with vermin," he said.
Dagger shook his fist at his retreating back.
"'Flatly refuse'?! Circuses run on teamwork, you know!" he shouted.
Ciel glanced at his two servants.
"What is a Grim Reaper doing here?" he asked.
"It's rare for a Reaper to go undercover himself, as well." Sebastian commented. "Still, this tells us one thing for certain."
Marianne watched the Reaper walk away with a frown on her face, her hand laced with Sebastian's.
"Something is going on at this circus."
If any of you are unsure about what Marianne's act involves, just type in aerial silk routines into your search engine and you'll see a large variety of them. Also, thank you for all your suggestions in what her circus name could be. Kitten was simply too good to resist though, and I felt Sebastian would be more than happy with it, even though she doesn't get the matching cat tail. It would just get in the way.
Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Please read and review!
