"You've brought us a fine woman and an adorable little sprat, you sure they're circus material?" Joker asked carefully taking in your profiles. "Hey, you are a boy right?"

"Yes, I've been in service as a pageboy for some time now my name uh- is Finnian." Joker walked up to the young lord, "That's quite an imposing name for a sprat like you. What about you lass?"

"I'm Vera it's a pleasure to meet you," you smiled gently at him. "Aye that name suits you but we'll see about circus names a little later. Being pretty ain't gonna get you anywhere here, you'll have to possess talent too. What is it you two are good at?"

"Darts I suppose?" the young master said. You looked away at Sebastian to see him in the company of several blushing ladies, you rolled your eyes... quite charismatic. "You alright there? For a moment I thought I was losing ye," Joker came up and obstructed your view forcing your attention on him.

"Oh, I'm sort of nimble, and I like animals... I can aim well," you mumbled.

"So darts for the little one here and for you we'll try the tightrope or trapeze, your choice lass," he smiled and grabbed the both of you by the shoulder and led you two away for your entrance test. First, it was the young master throwing darts.

"That's almost cruel, putting it so far away from him. Might as well put it in the next country over," Dagger whispered to Joker. "Well I can't put it right next to him can I? I'll be darned impressed if he- COOL!" As far as the target was from him, never working his muscles out a day in his life,(unless you count fencing), the gleaming knife he threw hit the target. A confident smirk made its way to his face. You didn't know how stupid people could be, did no one notice it started its descent before going straight up to hit the target? Sebastian was hurling rocks to aid the young lord's feeble attempts to hit the bullseye.

"Shall I throw another set?" Quite cocky of him since he didn't really do any of the work.

"That was only the first part of the exam, next we have the tight rope."

~

The young lord had to best the tight rope so instead of the flying trapeze you went with that as well. You're already there, might as well. The amount of laughter between you and Sebastian after he came down was ridiculous, though you tried your best to suppress it of course. Let's not forget when he had to smile, that melted your heart, fake or not that was the brightest smile you've ever seen and it suited his face more than a scowl did.

Time for your part of the exam.

Your heart beat rapidly as you steadied one foot on the slightly wobbly rope, Joker, Dagger, an angry young lord, and Sebastian watched you intently. Instinctively you put your arms out and began to walk, shaking slightly you tried to not think about what should happen if you fall. Then again it's not like Sebastian would allow you to fall, plus there's a net below and Doll behind you on the platform with the excess rope that was around your waist. Gaining a bit more confidence you took a few more steps.

And slipped.

"GAH!"

Grabbing on to the rope, you squeezed your eyes shut hearing gasps from the circus members in the room. "You can let go, the net will break your fall!" Joker cupped his hands and shouted at you from the bottom. Looking down you saw all of them staring at you. Even the young lord displayed a little fear in his eye, everyone except Sebastian who was smiling at you. You possess the talent, just need to utilize it. Swaying your body a bit to give yourself a push off you hoisted yourself up and landed on your toes. You glanced back down and saw they were in shock, using this to your advantage you performed some tricks for them, spinning on your toes, faking a fall only to wrap your leg around it and force yourself into a handstand position, gracefully bringing down one leg after the other to stand upright on the other side of the platform. You had gotten rid of the petticoat so only your thin skirt remained which you pinned to your stockings in various places, so thankfully nothing was displayed.

"Blimey that was incredible, like Finnian here we thought you were a goner after that first slip up," Dagger patted the young lord on his back.

Joker had been in his thoughts looking at the ground with his chin resting between his prosthetic fingers. "I think I have the perfect part for you in our circus lass."

~

"There's Black."

"Hello, I'm Black a pleasure to meet you all."

"The female one here is Beauty," confused at your name you nodded to everyone shyly smiling.

"And the wee one here is Smile."

"Wha-" the young master stuttered clearly surprised. You snickered knowing that you'll be using this to annoy him for as long as he lives. "Come now Smile, wouldn't you like to say a few words to everyone?" Sebastian was enjoying this as well.

"It- it's nice to be here," he stuttered out. Your turn to poke fun.

"Give everyone a bright smile, Smile," you grinned down at him to which he growled in response.

~

"So all of you used to be servants aye?" Joker asked as he gave the three of you the grand tour.

"Yes, rather odd isn't it, even though Beauty here wasn't in the same household as Black and I."

"Oho I thought ye three had run away from your master coming here together and all," Joker turned around laughing.

"Well who wouldn't run away from a bratty master? His demands are higher than others in my opinion," you smirked.

"Talking like that of your master I'm surprised he didn't throw you out for your cheek before you left."

"Well Smile, he would never get that chocolate raspberry mousse cake he loved so much," you gave him a closed eye smile knowing it would annoy him and there was nothing he could do or say within that moment. "Haha well that's rich folk for ya, some are downright mean and brat-like."

"Joker, you got a minute?" Beast walked in, spotting Sebastian she angrily blushed and turned her head the other way. Probably upset about him messing with her tiger during the performance last night. "Beast, just the gal I was looking for, I have a pleasant surprise for ya. Beauty'll be working with you and Betty. You did always want an assistant and something to freshen up your act. She's perfect!" Beast looked you up and down finally nodding in your direction, "Dagger told me about the audition. We'll need to get her a costume."

"Aye, let's leave that for tomorrow."

~

After Joker left the three of you decided to get used to the way the tents were set up. Not long after it started getting dark, to blend in with the workers you got some stretching in. The young lord had instructed you to move about within the main tent and observe people. They seemed like industrious people is all. If they were all participating with the missing children they wouldn't have taken newcomers in. Suddenly everyone's attention was diverted to Sebastian. The showoff ran around the circus performing various acts at top speed. "Urgh," the young lord closed his eyes and shook his head in annoyance.

"Alright that's enough!" Dagger shouted. Everyone clapped and looked at him with admiration.

"Oi! Suit! Come down you have a competitor!"

'Mm?'

A man with a bright sequined yellow suit and some sort of pole he used for balance was at the top of the highest tightrope. He glanced down at you and sighed. Using his pole to stop him from shattering every bone in his body he jumped down right in front of the four of you. "Oh honestly. One day without overtime is what I want. I do not need interference from your kind. What sort of soul are you in pursuit of? Answer me vile demon," he pointed what you realized wasn't a pole at Sebastian's face. You narrowed your eyes at him. How'd he know what Sebastian was?

"Reapers, " his face grew dark.

"Reapers?" you raised an eyebrow.

"Grim Reapers, their job is to harvest the souls of humans who have found themselves on the brink of death. In order to carry out this task, each is equipped with his own death scythe. They work from a list of souls ensuring that their harvesting duties are properly performed and eliminate anything in their way. They are indeed grim. Their work involves reviewing each dying souls kaleidoscope of memories what is also known as the cinematic record, to determine whether or not the time has come for them to die. We have dealt with them before which I greatly prefer to forget. It was during the Jack the Ripper case, Grell is a reaper which is how he got away that night. As for this one, you probably don't recognize him at all."

"The man on the building," you breathed out, vaguely recalling the man who muttered "interesting" at your barely conscious figure that night. "I thought I was seeing things. But if he's here, that means..."

"Yes, someone in the vicinity is going to die," Sebastian said with a grave look on his face, staring daggers at the man. 'So he's supernatural, and he's blatantly saying things like that in the open is he mad?!"

"I beg your pardon? What the devil are you on about?" you questioned him raising your voice.

"Don't talk to me like that after allowing that vile creature to sully you." He pointed what you assumed was his death scythe at you. "I advise you to point that precious thing of yours the other way if you want to keep it," you spat feeling a low growl in your chest. Clearly you didn't take people pointing things in your face lightly.

"Vile creature? Demon?"

"Wait Dagger- " the young lord started.

"Oi," Dagger rapped his knuckles on the grim reaper's head. "What have I told you about that occult twaddle, people won't know whether you're joking or not." The whole tent erupted in laughter while the three of you let out sighs of relief, grateful people were ignorant to the existence of demons, and other beings. He pulled out a comb combing the part where Dagger had hit, "I'm not actually joking."

"Very funny, anyway after dinner tonight you'll get assigned your tents so the four of you report to Joker when you're done eating, alright?"

"Aye, Beauty! Come with me!" Joker came back in and shouted for you. "That's me boys, try not to misbehave while I'm away." The young lord scoffed at your words and you left. "Right Beauty, you said you liked animals? Beast and Betty here will be perfect. The creative way ye moved on the tight rope you can perform a sort of ballet dance and do tricks with Betty you'll have a ways to go. Tomorrow we'll see what to do with you alright? I'll take ya to the mess tent for dinner."
~
"Next tent'll be Black and Suit." Poor Sebastian, they both looked like they wanted to kill each other, the thick tension cracking like a fierce wind blowing furiously against a thin window. "Look how happy they are."

'Okay this man either jokes too much, is sarcastic, or is just plain stupid.'

"Uh, Beauty sorry to break this to ya but we don't have anyone ta pair ya with. So you'll be in a tent all by yourself," he scratched his head looking down. "That's alright. I don't mind."

~

Of course you don't mind, it makes it easier to sneak into Sebastian's tent. Or so you thought as you were confronted with William's death scythe, which nearly clipped your face. Fortunately, Sebastian hauled you out of the way. "I believe your problem is with me, not her," he snapped, and William retracted his scythe from Sebastian's grip. "My feud is with anything associated with demons, mates and half-breeds included," the grim reaper William said, straightening his polished glasses.

"Half-breeds?" you looked up at Sebastian cocking an eyebrow. "There has never been any record of such a thing, rarely are a demon and human together in the first place but it is impossible for them to produce a half-breed I believe the term you're looking for is simply "demons' mate." Let it be known you can injure her with that as well so I respectfully suggest you keep your death scythe far away lest you want to unearth it at the bottom of the Thames."

William carefully consulted his book which you assumed was his list of souls and looked up scrunching his eyebrows like he was mentally calculating something. "Right, I don't want either of you disturbing my sleep."

You climbed awkwardly into the top bunk and laid down waiting for Sebastian to come up while he and William bickered back and forth, you started falling asleep. At long last, he climbed into the bed, his precious tailcoat draped over the side so it won't wrinkle. "You're not going to undress?"

"Mmm," you inched your head onto his shoulder and rested your arm on his chest and his arm made it's way around you drawing you in. He chuckled deeply and gently kissed your forehead softly, "Sweet dreams."