That Butler, New Face

That Butler, Performs 4

{Later that evening...}

The circus was quickly filling up as the curious citizens of London came  strolling in one after another to purchase the tickets that would allow  them to partake in the gay festivities of the evening and see what had  promised to be the show of a lifetime. So, naturally, everyone not involved with managing the midway was rushing to help the First  Stringers finish up the preparations for all their costumes and setting up the props for their acts. Ciel, Sebastian, and Chêne were no exceptions.

"Have you seen my hair ornament?" Wendy asked Chêne while they were both trying to finish doing their hair.

"Um, no. Have you seen my cap and veil?" she asked, sweat dropping. During  the chaos of everyone rushing to get ready all at once, it seems a few  items had been moved around or misplaced.

"Here they are," Sebastian told them as he handed over their accessories, flashing them his trademark shit-eating grin, while poor Ciel was running around like a chicken with his head cut off. It seemed like the second he thought he might be free, someone else wanted something from him.

"I don't 'ave enough knives! My spares! Where'd they go!?" Dagger yelled.

"Yes!" Ciel shouted, sweating, as he rushed over. Damn Sebastian for snatching up the easy job of assisting Chêne for himself!

=†=†=†=†=

{Under the Big Top, skipping ahead a bit...}

"Now  we have a special treat for you tonight, ladies and gents..." Joker  announced as Sebastian carried out the small box that Chêne had  decorated with an Arabian motif and set it down gently in the center  stage. An exotic song that was a cross between the music they had played  during Snake's act and the Arabian coffee suite from the Nutcracker  ballet started up in the background. "Always landing on her feet and  more flexible than any feline... feast your eyes on our lovely new  contortionist!" Joker declared, sweeping his hand in grand gesture  towards the small box, as he and Black stepped aside so Chêne could  begin her act.

Admittedly, the audience was a bit puzzled when  Chêne didn't immediately walk out onto the stage, and they weren't sure  what she intended to do with such a small box... After all, it looked far  too small for a human to fit inside of (in on piece, at least) no matter  how you looked at it. So, you can imagine their surprise when a slender  arm gracefully rose up from within, followed shortly by its twin, as a  lovely young girl in a harem costume slowly ascended from the shallow  depths of the small box, like a snake being coaxed out by its charmer.

They  oohed and awed when she gave them a sly little smile and wink before  setting her hands on the side of the box, bracing herself, so she could  lift her legs out of the box and pulled herself up into a handstand. She  then slowly spread her legs apart, lowering them to the left and right  of her torso in a side split while still suspended in a handstand,  pausing briefly, before transitioning into a front split so that she  could roll herself forward off of the box and onto her right foot,  setting herself up for three continuous flips that ended in another  front split.

The audience loved it.

Chêne smiled, grinning  impishly, as she jumped to her feet and took of running back towards the  box. She made a small leap at it, placing one foot on the edge of the  opening and the other on the bottom side as it stared to tip over from  the force of her impact. She let herself continue the fall forward,  tucking her head in, as she rolled into a somersault. The moment she was  on her feet again, she did a back handspring onto the box, placing her  hands flat against the solid bottom of the box, as she transitioned into  a backbend that resulted in both of her feet being touched to her cap.  She smiled while the audience applauded her show of dexterity and  flexibility.