Katerina Vivvolo's Story

Katerina sat listlessly, letting the flames dance across her fingertips and crawl up her arms. The fire was the only source of light inside the cage; a fireproof blanket had been thrown across the bars, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Distantly, the sound of the Cirque drifted down to her; the roar of the crowd; the swell of the music. The chain around her neck rattled as she shifted her weight. It had to be her turn soon, judging by the sound of the show. Yet no one had come to bring her costumes and hassle at her to get ready.

She would put on a good show tonight, she had vowed. She would smile and dance and jump through all the their hoops until they were satisfied, and then perhaps they’d let these chains off. It was just an accident, I won’t break the contract again. Her skin shimmered and burned in the gloom.

It had been too long. She could hear more voices outside, snippets of conversations. Walking as close to the bars of the cage as the chain would allow, she cupped her hands in front of her mouth and yelled, “What’s happening tonight? Am I going on? Anyone?”

All the other freaks were free to come and go as they pleased, this wasn't fair. The chain snapped taut. Katerina swore. There had been times in her life where she'd roamed around the streets alone, visiting bars and clubs, matching anyone who dared to challenge her drink for drink. She'd do anything to have that kind of freedom again. I will do what they want, let them trust me. Then find a way out, somehow. But first, she had to perform. Please the crowds. Please the ringmaster.

"I have to prepare! Someone let me out!" she yelled again.

Katerina yanked on the chain, trying to make some noise to grab someone's attention, someone, anyone at all. "Hello! Ringmaster!" Something moved in the corner of her eye, and she snapped her head around to get a look at it. The fabric of the blanket that covered the cage had twisted up, and a girl's head was looking in through the bars. Katerina blinked. It looked like she had cat's ears. And fur. It wasn't anyone she'd seen around the Cirque before, she was sure of it. She racked her brain to remember, but came up with nothing.

Perhaps she was new.

That meant there was a chance she could be manipulated. Convince her to let off the chain. Katerina opened her mouth to speak, but just as suddenly as the cat girl had appeared, she was gone.

"Hey. Hey. Hey!" she yelled. "Come back!" She scrambled over to the side of the cage where the girl had been, crawling as close to the bars as the chain would allow. When she stretched out she could just place the tips of her fingers under blanket and lift it up. "Please, come back!"

Katerina touched something moist, like a cat's nose, making the flames on the ends of her fingers sizzle. She startled and abruptly pulled her hand back. "What the-," she was was cut off by the girl's face appearing once more under the curtain. She had returned, her eyes huge as she took in Katerina's body, glowing red hot with flames.

Realising that the fire must intimidate the girl, Katerina focused all her energy on cutting off the flames. The cage plunged back into darkness as they sparked and went out.

"Hey, you, you came back," she softened her face and smiled as sweetly as she could muster. She pointed to the chains around her neck. "You see these? I need help."

Victoria heard noise near the cages and quickly lept from her perch and pushed her wing through the curtain. She was no longer bitter, just a bit paranoid. She looked around and sniffed the cool air before the scent of something... wild caught her attention. She listened to a voice... Katerina was it? “Careful...” She warned the cage besides her. She knew all too well that escape was impossible. She climbed back onto her perch once she realized that it wasn't the Ticketmaster back to clip her tail feathers.

“There is some dark magic here...” She spoke softly unsure if they cared to listen to her. She normally could careless about the people in the cirque but she could sympathize with those who tried and failed to escape. “It'll be your head if you fail...” She looked down at her wings her glowing eyes narrowing a bit. She wasn't even trying to escape. She just wanted to fly.

Her eyes quickly darted forward, “And to the creature...” She folded her wings tightly against her body, “You'd better find a place to hide else I make you my midnight snack!” She hissed and slammed her talon into the side of the cage to make a loud CLANK. Now she was just teasing. She couldn't help herself. She was a harpy after all. She preyed on peoples fears long before becoming apart of this freak show.

Koko looked at the girl in the cage. She had been on fire, "Doesn't that hurt you" she asked the girl," pointing to the chain around her neck.
I would never want to be chained up like this, but should 'I be so trusting on this girl? She tugs on the chain a bit.
"Ill go look for some keys," she says, "I can't break it." Koko turns about, her fox tail flipping behind her, she hesitates and returns to the side of the cage and says through the curtain, " I promise I will come back."

She moves over to one of the other cages and lifts up the facbric. Its a bird, no...a woman. She too looks so sad, pent up in a small cage. The bird was thrashing around a bit and slammed her talons on the cage. She was more frightnening than the fire girl, fire couldn't hurt Koko, she was a fire demon afterall. "Would you like some help too," she peeps, hoping the bird isn't too hungry, "I'm not sure what I can do but if you tell me where I can find some keys...maybe I could get you guys out of there?"

"Does that hurt you?" asked the girl, pointing to the chain. Katerina twisted the chain ever so slightly up her neck and let the festering purple bruise speak for itself. All the tugging and pulling efforts to escape had only inflamed it further. The girl tugged on the chain gently, then darted off full of promises of finding a key.

"If it could be broken, I wouldn't still be here would I?" she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice, as she was left alone again. She could've swore she glimpsed a fox tail on the girl as she turned around. Not so long ago it would've been strange, but now that she thought about it, was there anything normal about the Cirque? Says the girl on fire, she thought. The Freak.

Someone was whispering something in the cage next to her, softly at first, then louder. The Harpy maybe? The Harpy had seemed just as unhappy as herself, Katerina remembered, and tried to sympathise.

CLANK.

Katerina winced as the cage jolted. She only hoped that the Harpy wouldn't scare the fox girl out of setting her free.

Victoria eyed the little fox and her head tilted to the side wondering why she hadn't run off. "It wouldn't make a difference..." She climbed down from the perch and knelt down to her level. She figured that it would be her good deed of the night to try and help this poor animal. "We are free to roam during the day and yet we cannot leave this place. Releasing us from these cages during a show would only get us into more trouble." She kept her wings pressed against her body afraid of anyone seeing how hideous they were.

It was true that the cages they were in at the moment were simply for show and that at any other time they could leave them freely. However, should they try to actually try to leave the cirques grounds, be it by land or air, they'll find that they simply cannot. "You should leave, little fox." Her auburn eyes were glowing as she spoke. She didn't even want her to bother it would only cause her to be captured sooner. "Katerina!" She called in a hushed voice, "Calm yourself. You'll be free of your chains as soon as this ridiculous show is done!" She tried to calm the elemental down a bit. She was always a bit nicer once her stomach was full.

Katerina held herself very still so to better hear the conversation between the harpy and the fox girl. Her muscles ached from the rigid position, and the tension made her skin spark fire again. She cursed softly and tried to diminish the flames, but she couldn't get herself to focus. The Harpy called for her to calm down, but it only made her more tense.

The conversation was taking a turn she didn't want it to go. "Don't listen to her, fox girl," she hissed. It seemed that the Harpy that already given up all hope of escape. More the fool. Katerina wouldn't let herself to be beaten so quickly. Even when all means have been tried, she believed, there was always more. She hadn't been out of her cage since the incident, and she didn't feel like sitting around like a vegetable and wait to be forgiven. Once these chains were off, she would sneak away, and hope every else would be too pre-occupied with the show to notice.

"Go find a key," she urged.

Victoria's nails dug into the bottom of the metal cage slightly causing the steel to whine and dent. "I can fly... with limits." She spoke softly remembering that her wings had been clipped. She couldn't fly at all. She lowered herself a bit more so that she was at the same level as the fox girl. "Unless you are good at hiding and can dash like the wind... I wouldn't bother." She whispered darkly. Curiosity is what got most of the freaks after all... wasn't it? Just looking for a place to rest for a bit... or maybe figured that the audience could make an easy meal.

She tilted her head a bit when she heard Katerina speak. She was hell bent on getting out. "Learn from your punishment, girl!" Victoria tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice as she spoke, "I know I have..." Her voice softened a bit before giving a sigh. "Do whatever you wish little fox." She climbed back onto her perch. "Just try not to be foolish..." She gave a halfhearted warning before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "The clowns have the keys." She added. "Don't worry about me." She spoke softly as she cracked open one eye.

Koko sat between the two cages and pondered My head hurts...decisions,decisions.
"Well, the bird girl is free to raom about her cage...but the other one, that chain is so thick and heavy. I think I would want it off too..."

She looks aorund backstage. There are cages draped in fabric and lots of dirt. She peeks through to the performance and it looks like the magician is still on. She creeps around and looks under tables and on top of boxes...but no keys.

"I don't see any," she says," Do you know where I can go look?" She whispers through the bars.
I have a really bad feeling this is going to get me in big trouble... she thinks, but chains are chains right? Id hope somene would do the same for me... Her head still pounded from all the decision making.

She wasn't however being careful to ensure she wansnt seen, she noticed her tail flipping about on the ground beyond the limts of her hiding place nad drew it in quickly, praying that no one saw. shoot! She curls up tighter and tries to think up a plan...

Katerina shifted her position again. Her legs were screaming from being in the same position for so long. The Harpy's voice sounded bitter as she spoke. It seemed to Kat that she had accepted her lot, but Kat was not quite so ready to admit defeat. I need this chain off. It made her feel helpless. The sooner she was out of here, the better.

The fox girl was darting away again, Kat could tell by the retreating footsteps: light and quiet, just like you'd expect a fox to sound. If you weren't listening, you'd miss them. She doesn't sit still much. "The clowns- go to the clowns," she called after her, desperately, before sinking to the floor of the cage, exhausted. Flames crackled and danced across the surface of her skin, bathing the cage in the soft, warm yellow light.

Kat tried to calm herself by recalling the days she'd spent on the streets, careless, but above all free. She remember the boys -and sometimes girls- she'd been with, the dares she'd done, the things she'd tried. How it had all ended with a flash and a crackle of flames, and the pungent odour of burning skin. And blood. So much blood. It seemed a world away now.

I'd kill for a drink, she thought, something strong.

Victoria looked around her dark tent as if she could see through the thick red velvet. "They should be near the animal tents." She spoke as her head tilted a bit so that she could listen for the clowns. "But..." She could hear the other acts. "Be careful..." She knew that the others wouldn't harm her. They'd probably try to get her away from the cirque before she was captured. She heard the fox move around some and her eyes looked in the direction of Katerina.

"If a creature as powerful as myself can't get out of this place... with my wings no less. What makes you think that you can?" She asked the girl smelling the burned flesh and trying to keep the idea of feeding as far from thoughts as possible. "It would be rather insulting if she makes it out..." She murmured to herself angry that she couldn't leave. She had tried everything. Flying, running, she's even changed her form to try and trick whatever spell kept her from leaving. It didn't seem like anything would help.

Koko looked out from the cages. Well there go the only two clowns I see... SHe wactches them run off away from the tent.
"What am I doing here..." she whispers to herself, "What if I get caught, will they put me in a cage too? I don't even know these people...but for some reason I want to be near them. They understand how if feels, to be different...even if I as in a cage, atleast I would have a purpose."

She peeks out to where the clowns were to see something shiny on the ground. Is that a...key? yes! She scrambles over to retrieve it. Its small and shiny, Koko used to pick upthings like this on her walks. She crawls back over to the cage with the girl.

"I found a key," she says, reaching up to unhook the chain from the cage. She inserts the key into the lock and turns it, all of the sudden a thick cloud of blue smoke explodes into the cage making a loud popping noise, covering the fox girl in blue dye.
The force of the blast pushed all of her fur back from her face, and it was completly blue. Koko could only stand there a moment as her ears rang, she spit out dye onto the floor of the cage. Well I did pick it up from a clown...I should have known better...

"I guess that was a trick key," she looks up at the fire girl, cringing she says,"I'm sorry."

The blast must have drawn attention... she realizes as her heart starts to race, I have to hide! She dives into under the nearest pile of props.

Katerina snorted. "You think very highly of yourself, don't you?" she said, with a bitter edge to her voice. "Well, even if I'm not a high and exalted 'powerful creature' such as yourself, I'm not going to go down without a fight. They want to treat me like an animal? Fine. But I'm not going to make it easy."

She held her breath and listened for the fox girl; either she was too quiet or she was far away by now. She could hear distant conversation, murmurs, and the sound of the show in full progress. The magician, most like. She'd only seen the show a handful of times, but she'd decided that the magician was her favourite act. There was something about it; the way he had the audience wrapped around his fingers as they marvelled at his tricks.

"I found a key," the fox girl suddenly said. Kat had missed her return.

"Finally," she exclaimed, crawling as close as possible so the fox girl could easily reach the lock. The key slid effortlessly into the lock, and for a moment she waited with bated breath, her heart roaring in her chest with anticipation. But instead of freedom, she got a cloud of blue smoke exploding in her face with a loud bang. The key was a fake, she realised. That damned little fox girl.

She reached out to grab her by the fur, but the fox girl slipped from her fingers and darted away, leaving Kat sitting humiliated in her cage, wiping blue dye from her eyes.

(Double post)

"Don't you know your own clown?" Victoria laughed darkly in her cage. If anything, befriending your clown was the smartest move a freak could make. A clown, one who could get away with almost anything under the strict rules of the cirque; to have one on your side would make your stay massively different. "Only the clown assigned to you has the key for your cage silly," She stretched her wings, "Sorry, little fox! The ink will wash out... don't you worry." She cooed to the creature as she paced about her cage.

"It will indeed..." That voice... Victoria was frozen as she heard the footsteps pace around her cage. "What have we here?" The Ticketmaster chuckled as he approached Katerina's cage. "An escape attempt?" He threw back the curtain and eyed the fiery girl darkly. "Tsk tsk tsk... we can't be having that." He touched the bars of her cage, "You will be free of your chains as soon as you learn to follow the rules." He moved over to the props and crossed his arms, "Little fox... would you please come out?" He asked kindly. She could make a lovely freak... or maybe even a furry clown. Hm...

"I will not hurt you little fox. I simply want to speak to you." He spoke as his smile shrank into something a bit more human. Victoria moved about her cage afraid to say anything to the girl. She just murmured a soft, "Be careful, fox..." She could feel the glare from the Ticketmaster on her but she didn't care. She had done everything but thrown the girl out of the cirque. Whatever happened next was probably going to happen anyway.

Koko wipes her paws on her face, but seems to make more of a mess of it. She has spread the dye all over her arms and even more so around her face than before. The bird woman says something about the key she had used, and the ink not staining her fur.

Koko hears footsteps approaching the cages, and she holds her breath. She stays as still and silent as possible. She hears a voice takling to the fire girl. Its muffled under all the props,she can't really understand whats going on...but then she hears a very noticible word. "Fox."
I have been caught, she thinks to herself, might as well stop hiding...

She sticks her heaf out fromt he pile, as a pink boa dangles across he nose. Her blue ears perk up and she looks up at the source of the voice.
She smiles coyly and pulls out a blue paw to wave, "Hello, Im really sorry about your cage...and all the blue everywhere..."

Blue dye slowly dripped out of Kat's hair, as she thought on what Victoria said. If there really was a clown assigned to her, getting them to join her side but be more beneficial than a dumb little fox girl. Her skin burned fiercely now, just as inflamed as her temper.

She felt him coming before she saw him, a sharp sense of unease in her gut. The Ticketmaster. There was dark magic around him. She held her breath as heavy footsteps fell next to her cage, and that voice. He threw back the heavy curtains. Kat flinched; the light that came flooding into the cage was unbearably bright after so long in darkness. By the time she had found her voice again, the Ticketmaster had already moved on to dealing with the fox girl.

The way he dealt with Kat so nonchalantly re-ignited her defiance. She spat. "Is this how you treat human beings?" she called, grabbing the bars of the cage with flaming hands. "I've had enough. Fuck the contract, I want out. Do you hear me!"

The Ticketmaster held back a chuckle and tilted his hat. "Don't worry about the cage..." He snapped his fingers and a couple clowns appeared. They handed the girl a damp towel before they ran over to clean Katerina and her cage. "Now," His eyes darted to the side for a moment as he sensed all of the special beings in his territory. "You are looking for shelter, is that correct?" He spoke already knowing that she had nowhere but the forest to go. "I can offer you a permanent home, my dear... you'll be assigned a loyal clown like the others who will keep you fed and safe..." His eyes landed on the cage of the fire girl.

"You may leave your cage freely whenever we are closed to the public..." That was his way of letting her know that her punishment was up. Hopefully, her clown would be around soon to unchain her. "But, during the the show, your cage is to remain locked. To keep up appearances. A small price..." He looked at Victoria's covered cage, "Don't you think?" He could hear the harpy shuffle about inside. She didn't reply. "We have a few rules, but so long as everyone remains intact and in top form, ready for the show, then you are free to do as you wish." He was grinning again. This time a bit more blissful. The Cirque, after all, was his pride and joy. He couldn't speak of it lightly. "I think that you'll make an excellent addition to our show." He eyed her carefully before reaching behind his back and pulling out a piece of paper from seemingly nowhere. He showed it to the fox. "Just a signature and this entire place will be your new home." He clicked a pin and held it out to her.

Kat flinched away from the clowns when they attempted to wipe the blue dye off her with a damp towel. Her stubborn pride had already taken an enormous beating, she wasn't going to let them dry her off like a mother would dry off her child. "I'll do it myself," she hissed at one of the clowns as she snatched the towel out of his hand. All the while she was listening the to the Ticketmaster, snorting in disbelief when he mentioned 'fed' and 'safe.' She would've been just as safe, if she'd stayed in jail. The ticketmaster had been full of promises then. He seemed like the sort of man who carefully chose each of his words and wouldn't hesitate to use them to trick and subdue in order to get what he wants.

I should've just served my time. I should've never signed the bloody contract. And, now, right in front of her the fox girl was about to make the same mistake.

A half-mad laugh escaped her lips. "Go ahead and sign, little fox," she said, rattling her chain, "After all, I wouldn't mind me some company."