It took Cross a few seconds to realise where he was. Events of the previous night returned to his mind slowly and he remembered his adventures to the forest and everything that had happened in the circus. He remembered that he was in the newcomers tent where Killer had left him before disappearing.

He sat up and almost jumped as he noticed a young human sitting on the bed across his. They were looking at him with curiosity in their red eyes. Cross stared back at them.

"You're the new knife thrower," they suddenly said. Cross nodded slightly. "Are you good at it?" they asked.

"I am pretty talented with knives," Cross admitted with a nod. They seemed doubtful. Cross took a guess that they were the Chara that Ink had mentioned last night.

               The flap of the tent opened and Killer stepped in. His empty eye sockets immediately landed on the human. Cross felt him go through many states of confusion before the realisation hit him.

"Chara! What the hell are you doing here?!" Killer exclaimed, confirming Cross' guess about the human's identity.

"I heard there was a new knife thrower. I had to come check him out," Chara answered, moving their eyes from Killer back to Cross.

"Now that you have seen him, get out. You have somewhere to be, don't you?" Killer pointed towards the tent flap behind him. Chara furrowed their brows and groaned, but got off of the bed and headed towards the door.

They glanced at Cross once more before pushing past the flap and disappearing. Their annoyance faded from Cross mind and was replaced with Killer's feelings. He seemed to be a bit happier today, yet Chara had made him a bit annoyed.

"Sorry 'bout them. They are a knife thrower as well, though nowadays they are more needed up in the trapeze or tightrope," Killer explained. He watched from the window as the human child ran off to their own directions.

"Is there something to do today? Or why are you here?" Cross asked, getting Killer's attention back to him.

"You're in need of a new outfit. I don't know if you've met him yet, but I'll be taking you to Lust so he can get your measurements," Killer said. "You see, we all have our own outfits that are made by Lust. We also have other props and gadgets that are made by Ink and E–" – he stopped mid-sentence, regretting something – "Blue. Ink and Blue," he corrected quickly.

"I met Lust last night. He helped Ink and I to the Ringmaster's tent," Cross informed. Killer scoffed playfully at the latter part.

"I'm not even surprised that Ink got lost. He can be pretty helpless if he has to wander through the circus on his own. There are so many tents and during winter the lights are shining so brightly. He finds his way around when he's not thinking, but when he accidentally tries to use those braincells of his, he's hopeless." Cross felt Killer's joy as he spoke of Ink. It was a pleasant and warm feeling, something Cross hadn't felt in a while. He hadn't even realised how much he had missed that kind of feelings.

"I didn't get a good look at the whole place last night." Cross remembered. "Can you show me around a bit once we get going?" he asked from Killer.

"Sure! Let's first go see Lust and then I'll give you a proper tour of everything we have here," Killer hummed and flashed him a grin before turning around and heading towards the flap. "Let's not waste time!" he said and turned around to wait for Cross to follow him.

Cross got up from the bed and followed Killer to the flap. The other pushed it open and one by one they stepped outside.

              Cross was surprised by how the circus looked in the daylight. The lights were off and the atmosphere was no longer that dark and mysterious. The music was still going, just like it had been doing for the whole night. Again, it was tune Cross recognised.

"Lust should be in the costume tent." Killer took a guess, which sounded pretty accurate. "It's this way," he said and began walking.

Cross could now feel the emotions of a few more people around them. Someone was annoyed by something, another one was feeling heartbroken. Negative emotions were in the lead it seemed like. Luckily Cross had grown to stand them better, as long as they didn't grow too painful.

There had been multiple occasions where he had gotten physically hurt just for feeling someone else's emotional pain. Could this circus cause that to happen again? It was a question that haunted his mind.

              "This is the costume tent." Killer stopped in front of the tent Cross had seen the previous night after his arrival. Killer pushed the flap open and stepped in, Cross following after him.

Lust was working by a mannequin in the middle of the tent filled with mannequins, costumes, fabrics and all kinds of crazy accessories and colours. He had a black hoodie wrapped around his waist, which Cross hadn't seen last night.

"Please wait a second!" Lust hummed without turning around from his work. He was holding a pincushion in his hand and a measure in another.

The atmosphere in the tent was cheerful, thanks to Lust. Cross could feel how much Lust loved what he was doing. He was excited about something too. There was also a hint of love hidden in his emotions.

Lust placed one more pin to the fabric and threw the pincushion on the wooden table next to him. The measure was thrown around his shoulders. He turned around to see who had walked into the tent, his expression brightening as he saw Cross.

"Killer! Cross! I think that I can already guess what brings you two here!" Lust exclaimed and made his way to them.

"You know how it works. Cross needs a new outfit," Killer said and looked at the monochrome skeleton next to him. Lust nodded and spun around Cross a few times to get a closer look at him.

"I will be needing measurements then. You don't mind if take them, do you?" Lust took a step back and pulled the measure from his shoulders to his hands.

"I don't mind," Cross answered. Lust flashed him a smile before taking another look at his clothes. Cross felt his hesitance.

"I'm sorry to ask, but could you take off your layers of shirts?" Lust asked. His tone was careful. "I don't think that I can get the correct measurements if you're dressed for Antarctica," he continued with a light joke.

Cross had expected this. He was aware that he indeed looked like he was dressed for Antarctica. He nodded. "Sure. I can do that," he answered and began taking off his shirts.

Lust nodded and turned to look at Killer. The knife thrower had found something that interested him from a table. Cross couldn't see what it was, but he could feel Killer's curiosity.

"Hey, what's" – Killer turned around and stopped mid-sentence – "this... HOLY SHIT!" he exclaimed in shock after seeing Cross. His exclaim made Lust turn around to see what had shocked him.

Lust gasped and raised a hand to cover his mouth. He was terrified, and so was Killer. Cross could tell it easily. He was starting to feel a bit awkward, standing in front of the two with his damaged bones exposed.

His ribcage was full of new fractures that he hadn't gotten a chance to get healed yet. The rest of his bones were covered in healed and some new scars. It wasn't hard to tell why the two others were so shocked. The wounds should have been painful, but he had grown used to living in pain.

"What... How..." Lust stuttered behind his hand. His eye sockets were widened and he didn't know what to say exactly. Killer, too, was speechless.

"I'd rather not speak about it.." Cross mumbled, crossing his arms in front of him as a slight cover. He tried his best to fight back the events that tried to spill back into his mind.

"W-well, I'll start measuring now so you can then get dressed again!" Lust quickly hurried to say and moved next to Cross. "I apologise if my fingers brush your bones at any point," he added before starting to measure.

              As Lust continued to measure and write down the numbers, Killer moved closer. Cross knew that they both were still horrified by how his bones looked.

"I think I know where I have to take you next," Killer said as he examined Cross' ribs with his empty eye sockets. Lust pushed him out of the way when he got too close.

"And where might that be.?" Cross asked. He had a bad feeling that it would be whatever medical place the circus had to offer.

"It better be Geno." Lust glanced at Killer. The statement was a slight threat towards the knife thrower. From Lust's worry Cross made the guess that Geno must have been some sort of healer.

"You better not be talking shit about my dear in here," a new voice called out from the flap behind Cross. He couldn't turn to look because Lust had ordered him to stay still, but he saw Lust and Killer turning. The new person – despite the threat – didn't feel mad, rather amused, but also confused and curious. They seemed pretty chill, yet there was a hidden coldness underneath it all.

"For a second I thought that you had gone and turned this tent into a strip club, but apparently we're just experiencing Lust in his natural habitat: measuring innocent victims," the new voice continued as they moved towards them. Cross had the urge to turn around with a knife, but he didn't feel any threats coming from this new person, so he held himself back.

Then he saw an unfamiliar skeleton from the corner of his eye. They were now filled with surprise and shock as they got a better look at him and his exposed bones.

"Now I can see why you were talking about my Geno!" they exclaimed as they stopped next to Killer. Cross was able to take a better look at them and the long scythe they were dragging behind them.

"This is our new knife thrower, Cross," Killer introduced him. "I'll take him to Geno once Lust is finished with the measuring," he announced.

"Cross, eh? I believe we met already" – they took a moment to think of the right words – "a while ago.. My name's Reaper if you have forgotten."

"Now when you said it, I do remember you.." Cross nodded and glanced away. The God of Death sighed, crossing his arms. Lust and Killer glanced at each other. Cross could feel their confusion, but also slight pity. They knew that one didn't meet Death itself for no reason.

"I got the measurements," Lust spoke up and stepped away from Cross, holding a notepad in front of him. "You can get your Antarctica clothes back on." He pulled out a sketchbook and sat down on the table while Cross got dressed again.

"I will come inform you once I'm finished with your new outfit, but now you should go meet Geno. Killer and Reaper, you better take him there." Lust gave a warning glare towards the two others. Reaper snorted. He seemed to be amused by the way the designer had threatened him, the God of Death, just like that.

"I would never miss a chance to see my Geno~!" Reaper smirked and turned towards the flap. "You can follow me, Cross. Killer, you can come too if you want to."

               As Cross had guessed, Reaper led them to the medical tent. It was a white tent filled with beds and curtains that separated them.

"This is the medical tent," Reaper announced as they stood in the tent. "I'll go get my dear Geno from the other room, please wait here!" he said before hurrying to the other side of the tent and to another room in there.

Cross took a look around. The tent looked familiar, and for a moment he was expecting to see a familiar face pop up and hurry to him with concern filling their beautiful face. But obviously that wasn't the case.

Suddenly a new aura entered the room. Cross stiffed as the pain hit him. He managed to barely hide his reaction. He immediately turned to look towards the door where Reaper had disappeared to.

From the door towards them was heading a new skeleton. They were glitching a bit and had a bloody cut in their chest. Cross could immediately identify where the sudden pain had come from. It seemed like the new skeleton was always in pain.

They walked to them and stopped in front of Cross. Reaper hadn't followed them out of the room, but Cross assumed this skeleton was Geno.

"I'm assuming that you are the new person Reaper told me to help," they spoke up and looked Cross up and down with their one visible eye. "My name's Geno and I'm the nurse here. If you're concerned about my healing abilities, I can prove to you that I have graduated from a medical school," he continued and offered his hand for a handshake that Cross answered.

"I'm Cross. And don't worry, I won't doubt your healing abilities," Cross said before pulling his hand back to himself.

"Reaper said you needed to get your ribcage healed. Please take a seat on that bed and remove your shirts," Geno said and gestured towards a bed next to them. Cross obeyed the order.

"Where did you leave Reaper?" Killer asked curiously as he wandered behind Geno to a table filled with medical tools.

Geno pulled his scarf up a bit before giving an answer. "He came to bother me when I was in the middle of a task. I left him to finish off that task for me," he explained and changed his black fingerless gloves to latex ones.

Next he moved Killer out of his way and walked back to Cross, clearly surprised and a bit terrified by the damaged he had in his bones.

"That indeed looks bad.." Geno whispered as he stopped in front of Cross and took a closer look at the damage. "I'll have to fix these, but it will most likely hurt. Unless you can a high pain tolerance."

"I've been through a lot, I think that I can handle it," Cross answered. He actually had grown a pretty low pain tolerance due to his annoying ability, but he hoped it wouldn't hurt that much.

"Here’s a rag you can bite on if you feel the need to." Geno handed him a rag that he took. "As I said: this will hurt. Are you ready?" Geno turned to look at him.

Cross nodded and wished for the best. Killer took his chance and lurked out of the flap, disappearing outside. Cross could tell that he hadn't been really into the idea of watching the painful process.

              The process was indeed painful. Cross bit down to the rag as hard as he could. Geno kept calm and apologised after every muffled scream Cross let out. Geno's own pain also made Cross feel even worse, but he tried to ignore it.

"And I'm done," Geno sighed finally, turning around to grab some bandages to finish up the work. Cross laid back on the bed, his whole ribcage aching.

Suddenly a wave of sadness came from the other room. It was very overwhelming after all the physical pain that it made Cross cry out in pain. Geno turned to look at him with concern and worry.

"What happened?" he asked while starting to carefully wrap the bandages around Cross' ribs. "Are you hurting also somewhere else?"

Cross shook his head. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he answered. Geno seemed still concerned, but nodded hesitatedly.

"Now you're all bandaged up. You can put your shirts back on," Geno said and stepped back to the table to clean up his tools while Cross got dressed again.

"You should go outside to find Killer. I don't think he's gone far. If you need more healing," – Geno turned around to face Cross again – "You're always welcome to come here. This tent is a safe space for everyone and no one is allowed to get hurt here," he explained.

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you!" Cross gave Geno a smile before exiting the tent through the flap, immediately almost tripping onto Killer who had been sitting outside the flap.

"Oh! Hey! You're ready!" Killer stood up from the ground and took an examining look at Cross. "Would you like to continue the tour now?" he asked.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Cross nodded. He was really curious about everything else the circus had, and he wanted to meet everyone he hadn't yet met. Somewhere deep in his heart he was also hoping that there would be a certain person waiting for him somewhere in the circus.

Words: 2875

[23.5.2022]

More designs I drew for the characters introduced in this chapter. And before anyone gets confused, the Chara mentioned is Storyshift Chara.