Chapter 28
"Perfect! Now we have our very own Shooter!" Joker beamed down at her with an excited grin, handing her two elegant-looking guns. "I've already got a tent set up for you to train in."
Estella stared at the guns in her hands and grinned back at him. "Cool. Thank you, Joker."
"Nah, it's good that you got that skill with you. It will be a fresh act!" He caught her by surprise when he suddenly bend down to her eye level and patted her head. He straightened up with a sigh and threw her a wink. "It's good to have you as another sister. Welcome to the family!"
Estella blinked a few times at his affectionate gesture, it struck her strange. The last time she had someone doing that to her was before… her parents' deaths.
His grin was contagious enough to snap her out of her trance. "Thanks." She thanked him the second time.
"Alright! Now let's find our other two new members, I've got to get you guys settled."
Ushering her to follow, they entered the next tent.
….
"Thanks for waiting~ It's time for the new arrivals' room assignments~" Joker announced enthusiastically.
However, the said people didn't share the same enthusiasm. Dagger was the only one who returned the enthusiasm.
"Huh, Smile's not very cheerful. Smile, smile!" Joker smiled encouragingly at an exhausted Ciel who sat slouched on a crate.
Estella strolled over to Ciel the moment she joined the other newcomers. "Hey, what's with you?"
"Nothing."
Raising a raised eyebrow at him, her eyes widened at a stranger beside Sebastian. The be-spectacled tall man with neatly-combed black hair just stood there emotionlessly. It was odd- with the exception of Sebastian- to see a circus crew all dressed up so formal in a suit.
"Alright! For fairness, these are the results of a lottery."
Her attention went back to Joker.
"Smile and Star are in Tent 8." A boy stepped up beside Joker the minute that was said. Joker slapped a hand lightly on the smiling boy's back and continued. "Here's your roommate."
It'll be…tough to suddenly room with someone else. Ciel thought worriedly before glancing over at Estella who was looking back and forth at him and the smiling boy. And why with her too?!
Ciel watched her raise an arm. "Erm…why do I have to share with males?"
Joker looked surprised at her question and that was before a side of his mouth quirked up amusingly and at the same time, apologetically. "Sorry, sis. There are not enough tents to house everyone so you will have to bear with it."
Sis…?
Ciel glanced over at Estella who nodded slowly to Joker's reply.
"Black's in Tent 9."
"What?" Ciel turned his head to Joker in shock. "Seba…Black aren't rooming together with us?!"
"Hm?" Joker blinked at Ciel's outburst. "Your tent can only fit three people, Smile."
"Ahahaha. Smile really sticks close to Black, huh~" Dagger commented cheerily. "You'll be independent soon." He nodded with a grin at Ciel.
This is bad. If Sebastian and the two of us are separated here, moving around is going to be…
Ciel panicked. "Black, Star and I should be together afterall-"
"Black's roommate is...Suit!"
All heads turned to the quiet be-spectacled man.
Eying Sebastian and the man intriguingly, Estella swore she saw their faces darkened at Joker's announcement.
"Whaaaat?!"
….
Estella sat on her assigned bed, watching idly as the 'Freckles' boy asked Ciel whether if he could let him take the top of the bunker bed across hers.
"Go ahead. I think I prefer the bottom anyways." She heard Ciel reply.
She glanced away from them and stared at her feet, letting her mind wander to 'Suit' who she have just learned to be a shinigami like Grell from Ciel.
It was strange to see a shinigami here. Could it be…the disappearances of children were really linked to this circus? Her eyes bore unblinkingly into the floor as disbelief arose at that thought. Could people this nice do such things?
"Wan' one, Star? There're from the popular Funtom Company!" Estella gazed up from the floor to see Freckles's waiting hand in front of her face. Her eyes widened at the wrappers which stared back. Funtom sweets?
"Thanks."
Surprised by how the dark one she chose melted nicely on her tongue the moment she popped it in, it struck her why she never got to taste Funtom sweets before even when they were her master's products.
"Anyhoo, you two just gimme a shout if there's somethin' you two ain't gettin'. There's a long life of circus ahead you two!" Freckles said cheerfully and headed out of their tent.
"So...What do you think of that sweet?"
With a face so solemn she never expected Ciel would ask such a trivial question, she gave him a dry look instead.
….
Tears streaked uncontrollably down her flushed face. Hiccups kept coming as she made her way towards the blue tent ahead.
"Joker!" She called out when she reached its door.
Joker poked his head out. His hair was down and his face was free of the tear drop paint he had earlier. It was new to her to see him in plain shirt and pants like an ordinary man, not all geared up in his performance attire.
"Star? What are you-"" Shock passed his face. "Why are you cryin'? You okay?"
"I had a horrible nightmare. Sorry for disturbing you, I could only find you." She sniffed. "It's that…you are just like an older brother to me. I don't know who else to go to. So…" Estella rubbed her eye and gave another sniff. A slight blush decorated her face. "…can I sleep here? Please…?"
C'mon, c'mon! This has to work! They're depending on me!
Joker blinked a few times at her and that was before a gentle smile broke across his face. "Come in." He held the drapes apart for her.
Yes!
Nodding, Estella stepped past him, only to be shocked by the size of his tent. It was thrice the size of hers.
Joker caught her gaping and realized why. "Yea', spacious huh…" He placed his hands on her shoulders and led her inside. Moving further into the tent, the sight of a queen-sized bed nearly made her gasp but luckily, she caught herself.
"Do you mind sharing or I could just sleep on the flo-"
"No, it's alright." Guilt stirred within her when she realized what he was about to say.
"Gotcha'. Let's sleep then." A pat came down on her back.
She watched Joker climbed onto the bed and rested his head on the pillow with his arms crossed behind it. With a side of his mouth quirked up at her in silent laughter, he patted the empty spot beside him.
They are depending on you, damn it. She breathed. Okay, this isn't so bad… At least you're sleeping next to a handsome man…God, this is freaking-
"C'mon, Star, you need the sleep for tomorrow's training."
"Alright." Estella walked over to the other side of the bed and awkwardly slipped under its cover. Her eyes darted away from the ceiling to the man beside her, fully aware of the warmth he was giving off. It was awkward and comfortable at the same time.
She then slowly turned to rest on her side, only to be surprised to find herself staring right into a pair of purple eyes. "You can tell me what you dreamt tomorrow if you want to, Star." He suddenly reached out to pat her head before letting out a yawn.
"Okay." She threw a tiny smile. "Good night and thank you."
"No problem. Night."
….
Estella hasn't slept yet. She was wide awake and busy to do so for the past twenty minutes. Her eyes have been roaming the tent for clues. She didn't dare to get out of bed as it might wake up the male. Once in a while, drifting into thoughts about this mission, SIGMA, her master, Sebastian and Brandon.
Shaking her head when she realized she was drifting into thoughts again, she glanced over to the snoozing male to check that she hasn't woke him up with her shaking. The steady breathing from Joker made her heave a relieved sigh.
Alright, focus. Anything related to children…
Estella strained her eyes to make out things in the dark just like she did earlier. The moonlight easing in was her only help.
It wasn't long before a photo frame across piqued her interest.
The few short figures she could make out in the photo using the poor light told her they were children. She crawled towards it to have a better look. Luckily, the photo wasn't that far for her to see.
Her eyes landed at the teenage male in the middle– disheveled orange mid-length hair and purple eyes.
He looks familiar…
She turned to look at the sleeping male. Her heart sank. She found out why. That boy was Joker.
Disappointed to find out that the figures she was looking at were the circus's crews when they were children, she slid back under the blanket.
Estella sighed.
Her master might be right about this circus having nothing to do with the missing children afterall.
….
"Hey, strip down! I'll wash you back." Freckles cheerfully offered the bewildered boy, holding a water-filled bucket in his hand.
Ciel glanced at their 'bathroom' in shock. In this 'bathroom', everyone around him was soaked half-naked in towels tied around their waists, dumping water over themselves. None seemed to be affected by the fact that they were bathing outside in the winter.
Ciel gaped. "Out…Outdoors in the dead of winter?! And with that water?!"
"Of course!" Freckles leapt forward and began trying to strip him. "If you just splash down and wipe yourself off immediately, you'll be fine!"
"Stop it!"
"C'mon!"
"Hey!"
Ciel tried to push off Freckles who was surprisingly strong for someone shorter than him.
"Just strip already!"
"No-"
The two fell onto a tub of water, tipping it over as they rolled off onto the hard ground beside it.
Ciel went rigid when its shockingly cold water fell on them.
Freckles who was hovering over him, grumbled "Blimey! You even got me soaked, fightin' back like that!"
"…Won't you move away?" Ciel crawled away from him and stood up, only to be hit by a breeze.
"Heh…" Ciel turned to that voice which sounded like Dagger's with eyebrows raised. "You've quite the body there though you don't look like it."
He nodded stiffly at the man, beaming in the inside. "Uhhh…yeah, thanks."
"Geez, since we're soaked so just give it up already and strip." Ciel's eye widened when he felt someone who sounded like Freckles lift up the back of his shirt.
Ciel reached his hand over to his back to stop him.
However, it was too late.
"Smile…"
Ciel's heart skipped a beat.
"Let go of me!" He yelled through gritted teeth, stalking away.
….
Estella who was busy tying the shoelaces of her knee-high boots glanced up in surprise when a dripping-wet Ciel stomped into the tent. "What…"Her eyes drifted downwards and widened. Surprise and embarrassment grew along with the blush on her face. His soaked white button-down shirt stuck onto a nicely-toned body she never thought a scrawny-looking person like him would have.
"Enjoy what you're seeing?" A smirk was evident in his voice. "But at least, please do it with your mouth close, tha-thank….ACHOO!"
Closing her mouth when she realized that she was indeed gaping, she brought her gaze up and rolled her eyes at him. "Change out of that already! Seriously…"
"Of course. Don't tell me what to do."
"Fine." Estella went silent and went on to tie up the rest of the shoelaces.
Ciel turned away from her and yanked open the wardrobe he shared with Freckles. Crouching down to his briefcase, he flipped it open and pulled out the first set of shirt and pants he spotted.
As he was about to shut the briefcase close, a sudden gasp came.
"Phantomhive…"
"What is it?"
"I-Is that what the cult gave you?"
Ciel's eye widened in shock. His hand flew to his back to cover the cursed mark.
Crap! This shirt's practically transparent now! Damn it, I forgot!
"Can I see it…?" He flinched when he felt a hand timidly touched the hand he was using to cover the said mark.
Ciel whipped around with a glare which made her jump.
"Mind your own business. Don't you have practice to go to?"
She then suddenly went uncharacteristically quiet. The way her eyes bored coldly into him was making him uncomfortable.
"Blancbas-"
"A sensitive topic." Her gaze on him softened. "I understand..."
He watched her stiffly walk out of their tent in silence with eyebrows raised.
….
His skeletal hand drew open the curtain. The room he was looking into has target boards all lined up in a circle around a girl. She was too busy firing shots at the boards to notice his presence.
Beast's earlier question resonated in his head.
"Joker, are you sure about lettin' the newcomers join the show so early? Are they good enough to even show their faces?"
Even though he had reassured her that he has seen the talents in them, he still wanted to check that he was right. Were they really ready? Was he right about them?
Joker focused his attention on the girl once again.
The girl suddenly drew back with the two guns given by him firmly held by her sides.
What's she waitin' for? He frowned.
Abrupt and silent, she raised up the guns once again and placed an arm over another in a 'X' pattern. Then she started.
After two simultaneous 'bangs' at the two target board to her left and right, her arms swung in action. Swinging her arms at target boards to target boards, 'bangs' echoed noisily throughout the tent. He 'wowed' when she suddenly leapt up into the air and somersaulted. Firing deftly at the boards from all four directions as she plummeted head-down towards the ground, she did another turn in the air and landed on one knee with a dramatic end.
The girl's eyes then widened with something that looked like disbelief as though she was too surprised by her own stunt.
The skeletal hand holding onto the curtain let go as its owner spun away in glee.
Joker grinned excitedly as he strolled away from the tent, leaving the girl to gape at herself. "Dangerous and…cool. Definitely a fresh act!" He clapped delightfully. "Looks like Black and Star are ready for Wednesday's show afterall~"
….
-End of Chapter-
...
This chapter's lame! Gahhh! ABUGREJYNJFNHRS!
Anyway…I would like to warn you that Ciel might become more 'OOC' as the story goes along. Well, 'OOC' to some of you. To me, it's not so because I would hate to make my characters OOC.
The so-called 'OOC' in Ciel is actually just a side of Ciel you've never seen before. A side when he starts to like someone so much. C'mon, he's a teenager too, even with how his past made him, it's natural to act the way he is – a little flirty and uhhh…mushy? Yeah whatever. He's human afterall, alright? So before you decided to scold me for the OOCness, think about what I wrote about it first. Thank you.
And please head to my profile for a poll. PLease kindly do it, I am curious! O
Okay, enough with all yakking. Let's get this story to 500 reviews before it reaches its 30th chapter. Please review! Thank you.
xoxo,
SavageTrickster