GRIM REAPERS
third person
——— • Joker took the pleasure of giving the new recruits a tour around the camp. He showed them the tents, from the newer members' tents to the main troupe's tents. Also giving them a warning to try not to come close to Snake's tent as he lets his friends slither around.
"Private tents?", Ciel asked.
"Well, if you climb up the ranks then you'll get one of these. Scarlet! Would you like to get one of these? I'll prepare one for you~", Joker suggested with a smile.
The girl shook her head, "No need, I'll stay in the tents where new members sleep in, it'll be fair that way," she insisted.
Joker appreciates her kind gesture. He then points his baton at Ciel's face, "That reminds me. What happened to your right eye, Smile?", He asks curiously.
Evangeline also glances curiously, though she knows she shouldn't pry, Joker just opened a door to arouse her curiosity.
Ciel acts warry, "This? I was in an accident."
"I see," Joker then cups the boy's face with his prosthetic, "That must be hard on such a small boy."
Ciel awkwardly said, "Yes..."
"Well, everyone 'ere has their own sob stories. Let's all be friends." He encourages. "Okay?", Another awkward answer from Ciel.
"Did most of the members join the circus during your travels like us?", Sebastian asked as they continue to walk around the camp.
Joker hums in thought, "Most of them. But the main cast all comes from the same town. We're all childhood friends.", He answered.
Evangeline smiles, "Childhood friends, how lovely...". "Yes!"
They passed by one of the main cast, Jumbo. He was playing a song on a Harmonica, it was a familiar sound to both Ciel and Eve.
"Over the hills and far away~", Evangeline sang in a low volume, she used to play this on the piano when she was younger, the kids in the orphanage loved her arrangement.
"Tom...Tom The Piper's Son...Mother Goose?", Ciel muttered. Joker seemed pleased when he heard the two kids, "Oh! You two know a lot of trivia~!"
"It isn't a very well-known song."
Ciels immediately comes up an excuse, "No...My master liked that song. How about you, Eva— er— Scarlet?", He acted naturally.
The girl hums, "I liked the original song, but I mostly play it like a lullaby on the piano," she answered.
Sebastian then changes the subject, "It is surprising to hear that the main cast were all childhood friends," he said. Joker's mind thankfully followed.
"Really? Oh but...Snake is not. His neck charming is the tops. When we were looking for a snake charmer, you got fast formation into the main cast." He explained.
Joker then proceeds to explain how ranking in the circus can affect you daily opportunities. Like how the higher you are, the higher privileges you get.
"So everyone works hard in here!" They enter a tent where a lot of circus members are practicing. Some were juggling, balancing on giant balls, trapeze, and a lot more.
Joker apparently got stolen from the new members when Beast asked for his assistance.
Ciel took this opportunity to pour out a bit of his curiosity, "Scarlet, if it's not rude to ask, why did you join the circus?", he asked.
Eve looks at him, "Well, I don't really have anything to do back at the manor. It's the same routine everyday, it's making me tired, so when I heard that a circus was coming to London, I asked my brother for permission if I could join just for a little time," she smoothly lies.
Ciel nods, "I see. I'd like to meet him, he seems like a caring person," he lies, acting polite.
Eve momentarily left them as she mingles around with the other members, she naturally becam aquaintance with some especially with the girls and women. For now they don't seemed to be forced to be here...
Evangeline thinks about Doll, she's possibly the same age as her. Doll seems like the person who's just naturally an introvert, she doesn't seem forced.
Eve glances at Ciel's and Sebastian, she noticed something odd for a while now. She stares at the eye-patched boy...
No matter how he tries to act, and no matter how he tries to act natural, in Eve's eyes "Finnian" acted more like a noble than a commoner.
She sighs.
Yes, there are workers out there that can adapt to the actions of their masters, so she can't assume yet.
But if they are what she thinks they are...then this mission might become more interesting.
In the middle of stretching, Black and Smile got interrupted by Dagger. "Hey, you guys. Don't just stretch all day!"
"Dagger! Yes. Sorry...", Ciel immediately stands straight.
Dagger brishes it off, "It's your first day, right? I'll help you regearse. You need to decide your performance. What do you want? Scarlet already has her eyes on fortune telling, we don't have that so we're glad she joined."
Evangeline approached them with a smile.
"I would like something that's not too physical. Like the tightrope...", Ciel grimaced at the memory.
Dagger laughs, "You do seem tad weak. Ok, I'll teach you knofe throwing."
He then turns to Black, "What about you, Black?".
The tall man smiles politely, "I do not have a preference," he answered. Evangeline comments, "You're quite athletic." She complimented.
Sebastian smirks, "Oh? How'd you know? Is that another guess?"
Eve smiled, "I did say you're good at martial arts last night, right?"
Dagger brings a finger up, "I'll give you some pointers. Show me what you can do—!"
"Of course!"
Eh?
To summarize it short, Sebastian did every flawlessly. Everyone in the tent were impressed, including Evangeline, she has mever seen someone so multi talented.
"This butler's the definition of perfect....", She thought to herself.
"Next, I will swallow this sword...", Sebastian brought uo a sword up, directly to his mouth. Out of fear, Dagger stopped him...
"ENOUGH! ENOUGH!"
Evangeline clapped, "That was incredibly impressive, Black!", She said.
Dagger crossed his arms, impressed. "You really outdid yourself. Another open coming star. I need to keep up!"
"Another?", Eve and Ciel says at the same time.
"There is two more incredible new member." He then pointed to the tightrope, "Look, there!"
The three newbies turned around and looked up to the person, but as soon as Ciel and Sebastian saw that "incredible person" they immediately new something was odd...
"The other one's a former public servant and oddly serious and his companions is a bit arrogant, but tolerable. Hey! Come down for a second!"
"Suit! Prince!"
Ciel and Sebastian is familiar with their kind. Green eyes, and would always wear glasses because of how near sighted they are.
"Grim reapers?", Sebastian muttered.
William T. Spears, a grim reaper that they met during the Jack The Ripper case. Though he wasn't really an enemy, him and his companions' presence is a big sign that something odd's going to happen in this circus.
Grim Reapers appear as people die amd harvest their souls. They use a tool called a Death Scythe to harvest the souls of the dead. In order to probably executive jobs based on the list of damned souls, they must eliminate all obstacles.
The duty is to check the cinematic record that presents the memories of the damned and judge whether they deserve to die.
Though Ciel and Sebastian does not want to meet another Reaper, their appearance here does confirm one thing.
"Someone will die in the near future." Sebastian concluded.
"Eh? Mr. Callisto?", Eve suddenly called to the familiar person besides Spears. Sebastian and Ciel looks over to the girl with a bewildered expression, the two wonders how does she know a Reaper.
Ciels begins to think the possibilities, "She knows a Grim Reaper? Is she aware that he's a Grim Reaper? How did she meet one in the first place?", Multiple questions popped in his mind.
The man, Callisto, has shining blond hair that you might mistaken it as golden straws. He has a lean yet well built body and has quite the handsome face.
The man looks down to the girl and widens his eyes, "Oh? Well isn't it the little lady~", he mused.
Spears looks dowm in disgust, "I knew I smell something rotten," he said.
The two men jumps down from the tightrope, Spears used his extended Death Scythe as Callisto used a rope.
"I thought we'd never meet again. What fouls schemes," Spears then proceeds to point his gardening tool at Sebastian. "What do you have up your sleeve this time, Demon?"
Eve and Callisto completely ignored the commotion and started chatting. "It's been so long since I saw you, how have you been?", Evangeline seemed delighted to see him.
"I'm good, you look great in that dress, brat." The man laughed. Evangeline smiled menacingly, "I'll kill you~!"
"Eh? No, you can't do that, kid."
"Wait, have your eyes always been green?"
"So you noticed? Does it look good on me?"
"Your stage name suits you."
"So do yours, Scarlet..."
Ciel doesn't know what to look at. Does he need to protect Sebastian's identity or does he listen to the conversation Evangeline has with a Grim Reaper?
He decided on the first, "Oi! What are you talking about?", Ciel defensed...
"We had a Grim Reaper labor shortage already. Add in a demon and it really seems like i'll need to overwork tonight," Spears complainsed.
"Grim Reaper?"
Ciel panicked, "No, w-wait! This is—"
Dagger bonks the Grim Reaper's head with his palm, "Quit with the jokes, silly! You say it with a straight face, so I couldn't even tell it was a gag!"
The circus members laugh with him, it was a fortune for Ciel and Sebastian. "This guy has been telling jokes since he joined. All this stuff about souls. He's seriously obsessed with that occult stuff." Dagger said.
"I wasn't joking," Spears muttered.
Callisto and Eve approached them. Dagger pulled them over and faced them, "I'll introduce you to each other, kay? The bigger one's Black, the smaller one's Smile, and this little lady here is Scarlet!"
Spears briefly glances down at the girl, his eyes narrowed. "So this is one of the troublesome humans Callisto's looking over. I admit, I did not expect one of them to be a child...
Evangeline James Moriarty..."
The Grim Reaper was curious over the child amd her family, bit that isn't his job.
Dagger then pats the mens' shoulders, "You two future stars should be nest friends, you hear?"
But Spears is not interested, "I have no intention of being friends with vermin." That's what he said before walking away.
Callisto patted Eve before excusing themselves to catch up for a bit. "We'll be back, don't worry."
"Please excuse us, Black, Smile, Dagger..."
Ciel and Sebastian narrowed their eyes as they whispers with each other, "Why is a Grim Right here?"
"It is rare for a Grim Reaper to go undercover...it also surprised me that Moriarty knows one," Sebastian replied warily, it's suspicious.
"However, this makes one thing clear.
There is something off about this circus."
Ciel nodded, he then briefly glances at Callisto and Evangeline who just left the tent. "Moriarty, in my eyes, used to be a normal noble girl who just wants to get away with noble duties, but now I see her as a mystery.
The more they spent time in this Circus, the more suspicious and mysterious the tings get. Though they are now sure that this circus is the main suspect of the missing children, their interest and curiousity over Scarlet grows.
Ciel likes detective games, and his curiosity likes to uncover Evangeline's truth.
"This chess game might have a third party..."
ווווו×
Trivia!
#1. This chapter ended the same time episode 3 ended!
#2. I added a borrowed character from the manhwa Death is the only ending for the Villainess, Callisto Regulus. He'll play an important part in this story, so please look out for him~
#3. No, he ain't a prince here. But he's a part of Louis and Eve's past.
#4. I love the ending song of Book of Circus ( ꈍᴗꈍ)
#5. Have I mentioned that this is a slow burn? ( ╹▽╹ )
So don't expect romantic interactions between Ciel and Eve yet!
#6. Suggest ship names? →
#7. Don't forget to comment your thoughts, and vote!