Three teen adults have promised their lives to a quirky and quick witted Ring leader. When these teen adults are not in the circus performing or being called freaks they are busy running errands for their Ring leader. Many people thing being in the circus is all fun and games, but what happens when the fire eater burns his throat, scorching it practice after practice, or when the rope walker is deathly scared of heights. Still not convinced being in the circus is tough? Well, how about if the lion tamer, is a young lass? There is no where to run, no where to hide, because where ever you go. He is there, the Ring leader, he watches your every move and hears your every word...what will you do when you are pushed beyond your limits?
Catherine Lowes, a girl who was just nineteen yet she was a lion tamer in a circus. The circus, it was her home, she had grown up in it for as long as she could remember and oh how she hated it. Her pink hair was loose and a few strands feel in her eyes, she brushed them away. Her pet tiger was sitting beside her; she buried her face in Rajas fur. It was soft, she stroked her tiger he was beautiful and tame. Raja was like in some ways, quick to anger and hard to calm down. There were only two people that could control Raja, Catherine herself...and the Ringleader. As much as Catherine hated the circus, she was careful to give Xander all the respect he deserved.
Her tiger Raja, he gave a soft growl. She looked at her tiger and frowned, sometimes she wished she were a tiger trainer instead of a lion trainer. Too her, tigers were far easier to break in. But then again she had owned Raja since he was a little cub, she had trained him, fed him, and bathed him, this tiger was faithful and patient with her. Catherine's teal eyes held little to no happiness, she was often described as a marionette because of the clothes she wore and the makeup she did. But being one of the few girls in the circus, that was all she could do to keep her feminist ways.
Their circus truck rolled on, Raja had taken to sleeping at Catherine's feet. She slid down beside the graceful cat and put her arms around him and her head followed on her arm. She closed her eyes, Catherine knew some horrid job waited for her as they got to the new circus area for the show.
A room, solely lit by a lonesome desk lamp was the current setting for the tall silhouette of a man. The yellow light cast down by the bulb caught the shimmering grey streams of smoke that curled up in the air before his face. It danced about the loose strands that tangled around his head. He was not cleaned up, not at all. Slender fingers brushed over his jaw, rubbing slightly against the unshaven mess that had been made up over a few lazy days. With another slow drag from the cigarette Xander tipped his head back, blowing out a steady stream over head, a low grunt from his lips. He glanced down at the leather bound wrist watch, clicking his tongue lightly before pushing back away from the desk he was seated in front of. He let his legs drop off the top of them, black boots giving a thud as they struck the wooden floor. Standing up, he brushed down his over coat, a hand loosely raking through his hair as he strode out of his office and into the hall of his home.
Xander wasn't rich. He'd like to say his circus business was paying him very well, but alas, it wasn't. He had his acts to pay off, and the venue, and the equipment... He did get profit, of course, he'd make sure of that. Even if it did include docking his act's pay. He didn't exactly have any real issue with that. They needed the money, and there he was providing. And it wasn't as if anyone dared go against him. Xander had the ability to strike fear in all. What with those stony grey eyes, the hollowed face, the generally dark aura that seemed to follow in his wake, it was a rarity that they would dare argue anything he said. But as intimidating as he could be, he could also be alluring. It wasn't an odd sight to see the man with another under his arm, or a woman skirting quickly out of his room at a late hour. He never kept anyone for more than a night or so, it was hard to hold his interest, but he did have his fun when he wanted it.
Tonight was not a night for much fun. This could be sensed as his footsteps, sharp and deliberate, crossed down the hall towards the front door. He slipped on an over coat, propping his smoke between his lips as he exited his house and locked up the door behind him. He grabbed it again between his fingers, exhaling slowly as he continued down the street. There was an upcoming show, and he doubted his people had gotten in enough practice. For god's sake they didn't even have a rope walking act. "Fuck." The man bit down at his lip, pausing in his step. He looked down the road. The area on either side of it was quite barren. There was his house, a one story with a basement. But from there the land just stretched out. No other houses. But there were a few tents. Something that resembled a barn, too, but that also belonged to him, and no regular farm animal was kept up in there. There were a few cages spread out along the yards and yards of land that he owned. All of it put towards his circus. And not one of those blasted kids were here yet. With an irritated noise, the man turned on his heel and began pacing back in the other direction; waiting upon the arrival of his acts.
Catherine was out for a walk alone at night, it was cold and dreary night. Her head turned back and she saw it was Xander, she turned away uninterested. Her light rose pink hair hung well past her waist, it was loose, which was a rare sight. The teenager rarely let her long cotton candy hair loose; she described it as an unruly mess. But tonight it was smooth and tamed, it looked like an endless ravine of pink. The night was foggy, it was eerie, and the fog seemed to be creeping on the ground seeming to lick up and engulf everything in its path. The girl stood there looking like a statue, if the wind was not tossing her hair all around she would have surely looked like a mannequin.
Catherine had thought many times of running away, but what was the point? Where would she go? How would she feed Raja and her own self? She wished there was some one she could talk too, some one she could relate too. Catherine had never had a friend, well one that was human anyways, her only friends were the circus animals that she had to work with and work hard to tame. She sighed, she was considered a freak by many why? Because of her pink hair and her odd bright teal eyes, but she wasn't, she always told herself that she wasn't a freak but sometimes...she couldn't help but believe other people she over heard.
Catherine was wearing her favourite dress on but on top of the dress she a sweater that till her waist, of course it was big for the skinny girl but she didn't mind. At least it was warm, she had Gothic shoes on, and belts were all over the shoe. Catherine's style varied everyday, some days she was bright but other days she dressed darkly. Her mood swings were infamously known, she could be as sweet as honey yet also as thorny as a rose. As the night inched on Catherine stared at the moon with emotionless eyes, her eyes flickered softly, sleep was coming on to the girl but being stubborn she decided to fight it.
Catherine's eyes snapped open as she heard laughter; she turned around annoyed searching for the person who had disturbed the night. She saw it was a couple, she looked at them with sad eyes. Catherine saw they were out for a stroll, for obvious reasons. The boy was grabbing the girl and keeping her warm, she blushed and looked away when she saw that, the couple obviously sensed her presence because they were staring right at her now. She slouched from the shadows and headed back to the circus grounds, her steps slowed..."Crap.." she muttered, Xander was outside. She gulped and tried to go unseen, but she knew it was impossible, the circus ground was bare without anything to cover Catherine from Xander's sight.
Last edited by X---AznCo0ki3; 03-17-2011 at 03:45 PM..
At the sound of laughter, Xander's own dark orbs flickered over to the couple walking on the opposite side of the street. He brought the stick back to his lips, dragging from it before letting it rest back down by his side. He blew the smoke out in short puffs, the balls instantly being torn apart by the breeze as it dissolved it into the air. He didn't believe that the couple noticed him however. His dark apparel didn't exactly give him the chance to stand out against the night. Not that he wanted to, he was quite content in blending in with the shadows for now. He'd make his presence known when it was needed. And so the man remained silent as he watched the two further down the road. It was then that he knew another was around. Someone who should not have been.
Xander followed the strangers' gazes to the sidewalk he was standing on. Further down, coming into view despite her wishes was the bright haired young lady that belonged to his crew of Circus acts. The Lion Tamer. Catherine. The man's eyes narrowed slightly on her figure. On the flourish of pink hair that was splayed out down to her hips, just where a bit of her dress was visible under the over sized sweater. He wondered, and it was only a flicker of a thought, if she had borrowed the garment from one of her coworkers. He was sure that the trailer was trashed with their clothing, he hadn't really stepped into it in a while. If she could see the features of his face, she would watching his brows pull together, and his lips curve into a displeased frown that brought lines down on his cheeks. His nostrils gave a slight flare as he began to stride towards her. "Oh Catherine.." His voice was low and rough. He came to a slow stop in front of her, pulling the cigarette out from between his lips as he breathed a steady stream of the grey smoke against her face. It spiraled off, twisting and playing in those long locks. As he looked down at her he watched the last of the smoke disappear before he continued. A low chuckle passed through his lips. "You look like a mouse caught by the hawk, a poor little thing in trouble." A slight sneer. His hand was gripping her arm, tightly, but not quite painfully. Xander began to lead her across the lawn towards where the tents were set up. "Now, what will be your little excuse for being out tonight, when I'm sure we've had discussion on where your place is here before."
He wasn't pleased. The man dropped his smoke to the earth, grinding it down with his boot before flipping through his coat pockets to retrieve a fresh one and his lighter. He propped the cigarette between his lips, holding the lighter out to her with a smirk. "Light me up, hm?" And he knew she would. She was in enough trouble tonight with this incident. It was a well known fact that one shouldn't be roaming at this late of an hour, especially off of his property. Right now, while Catherine lived on his property and worked for him, she had rules to follow. And everyone knows what happens when one breaks a rule... Punishment.
Catherine's insides felt like they were going to implode, her insides were shaking with fear but her face...it gave away nothing to what she might be feeling. She stopped when she was a few feet before him and watched with distressed eyes as he strode forward. She gulped quickly before the man came directly in front of her, Catherine turned to the side and coughed vigorously as the smoke ran all over her face, through her hair and down her neck travelling into her over sized sweater. She parted her lips to say something then decided against it, what was the point? She was already in trouble. Catherine tired to size up to Xander, but much help that was. The man was much like a giant compared to her, Catherine was well below his shoulders. A small smile played on Catherine's lips as she heard his comment, "But this mouse has been caught by the hawk, she has been caught by the most dangerous hawk known to man kind" her voice was but a whisper in the night as she spoke to Xander. "My excuse? I have none" she said as she tried to keep up with his long legs, she thanked the lord for when they stopped. His hand had quite a grip, she tried to wriggle herself lose but it failed. "I just wanted some fresh air....not like I was running away" she muttered almost scared of retorting back to the Ringleader.
Catherine saw as he stomped on the left overs of the cigarette and sighed, how she hated smokes...they were life killers. Not that she would mind if Xander was killed by them, but they created so much pollution. She watched with subtle curiosity in her eyes as he popped another death stick into his mouth, but he did not light it. Instead he held the lighter out to...Catherine. 'Light it for him..?' she thought to herself as her brow twitched. She knew what Xander was up, well, she had a subtle idea. He knew that she would not refuse tonight like she had done before in the past. As Catherine took the lighter she tried to avoid brushing her fingers against his, she stood up on her tip toes and lighted the death stick for him, she watched as the bright flames lit up the night and licked the end of the cigarette with glee. "Happy?" she muttered. Why didn't he just hurry up and give her the damn punishment. The punishment would have been better than standing out here with Xander, though she had a few punishments in mind that she knew he love to have to make her go through. They were as follows in Catherine's mind. A night with him, no food, no pay for a while, changing her lion to a more ferocious one, having her tame a lion without the whip and or whipping her.
Catherine looked up and met his gaze, she was never going to let him break her. Her fists were balled up underneath the long arms of the sweater as she waited, the silence creeped on into the night.
His cold eyes sized her up momentarily. They strayed from her exotic teal eyes to the pale throat that was soon engulfed by the large sweatshirt. Further down her torso, her figure mutilated by the folds of the jacket, so no real feminine figure could be properly distinguished besides the legs that came into view. Her boot clad feetmade him chuckle. Such an odd child. So different in her style. He couldn`t say he particularly disliked this, however. He enjoyed seeing what she'd appear in on a daily basis. As long as she wore what she was supposed to while performing, then they didn't have a problem appearance wise. He wasn't that controlling, despite everything else. But when his control over them was tested was when he'd have to bare down on them. Like this instance.
His lips curved up into a dry smile as she went on about how powerful a hawk it was. How cute it was when they sucked up. It would be rewarded however, so a smart move on her part. He sunk a hand into his coat pocked as he drew a breath through the stick between his lips, giving it a light puff to get it going as the flame caught it's end enough to light it up. He pulled it from his mouth, giving it a light tap before taking the lighter back and returning it to his pocket with the pack of cigarettes. "No, of course you weren't running away." He looked down at his own shoes for a moment, scuffing at the floor as his eyes returned to her face. "You'd really have to be quite suicidal to decide on a silly thing like that." His tone softened now, but it was all mocking. "Besides, I do take such good care of you. I keep you clothed and fed, I've given you a roof over your head." His cigarette returned to his mouth, balancing lightly as he spoke. The hand, now free, rose to brush candy coloured hair from her cheek, toying with an piece in an almost absent manner. "I only ask that you do as I say, it's not a very hard concept. No wandering around when it gets too late, especially off property. You've been here long enough to learn this... but apparently not." His tone had caught the sharp edge again. "Now. Give me your arm." He paused momentarily, allowing her the chance to raise it up to him before he took it himself. He held to her wrist, pausing for another drag, before his other hand pushed the long sleeve of her jacket up to her elbow. Xander's long fingers closer around her forearm, and his free hand went to his lips. From them he stole his cigarette, blowing out the smoke, curtiously away from her face this time, as he brought the burning end towards her arm. "Let's not forget again." He stated in a flat tone as he pushed the cigarette end to her wrist, pressing it hard enough to give a scarring burn and also put it out. "Now hop off to bed, mouse."
Xander dropped the smoke to the floor, giving it a light stamp for good measure as he looked down at the young lady before him, waiting for her to go back to her place so that he could go back inside and get some sleep. He was only waiting for the Fire-eater to arrive now, and it was likely he would in the morning. And then tomorrow... tomorrow was to be spent practicing and finding himself a rope walker. For god's sake he needed a rope walker.
Catherine saw the way his eyes traveled down her body, 'sicko' she thought to herself. Though he had this old, chivalrous charm to him, which could work to his advantage Catherine was not one to be fooled. Catherine maintained her gaze with Xander, the more she seemed to be out here with the Ringleader the angrier the teen seemed to get. Catherine almost spat out at him as he touched her face, though her teenage face did give him the pleasure of a delicate pink blush.
Her eyes widened with shock for just a second, his tone...it was kind, was this a trickery he was playing on her? Such good care? She tired not to snort, abusing them was such good care. Catherine's teal eyes flickered slightly with dark irony. She had grudgingly raised her arm to her Ringleader, this man...he puzzled her, his voice was on a hard edge again. Catherine watched as he rolled up her sweater sleeve, he puffed out smoke from the death stick, but this time...to his side so she didn't end up in a vigorous fit of coughs. Catherine made sure her fingers did not tremble, she was not one to show fear no matter how bad her insides shook. She kept her eyes locked with his as he pressed the lighted end of the cigarette into her arm, Catherine had almost a smug look on her face that screamed 'Look you freakin' bastard, you hurt me...but I am not crying.' the defiant look on her face stayed as she nodded. "I won't forget" she whispered. Catherine gave a small nod as she made her way to her tent.
Catherine took her time walking to the tent, the moment she had turned away the tears had the pleasure of streaming down her smooth, clear face. Catherine opened her tent and her knees gave away, Raja stirred, her tiger seemed to look up and tilt its head towards Catherine. She wrapped her arms around her tiger and cried into his fur, after her tears were gone and just the dried paths of them were left on her face she blew out the lamp and faded back into the night once more.
Xander smirked, watching the defiant look on her face even after he had removed the burning stick from her arm. "That's a good girl." It was admirable, in a sense. Even if she would go sob quietly on her own, at least she was a big enough girl to not act like a blubbering idiot infront of him. As soon as she turned around to head back to the tent, he himself was going off to his own house. He yawned, rubbing a hand over his face as he climbed the steps of the small porch before opening up the door again and letting himself inside. He didn't have much more to do that night, so he didn't bother entering his office, but instead headed for the bedroom.
It was larger than the office, and less dusty. One of the four walls had a large window centered on it. However deep red drapes blocked out most of the moonlight, save for several slivers that filtered through, casting over the area and revealing just how much dust was floating in the larger space. The walls were a dark gray wallpaper, adding to the overall gloom of this place. Maroon blankets were in a bundled mess atop of cream coloured sheets. He didn't make his bed, nor clean up his room all too often. It wasn't like anyone else had to see it but him, with the exception of the whores he took home, or occasionally one of his Acts, and what did it matter to him what they thought of his room. Because of this, it usually stayed in the same state throughout the day.
As Xander shut the door to his room, he was already kicking off his boots, his hands working on his overcoat. He tossed his discarded tops onto the nearest chair, giving it some purpose in the corner where it sat. He tugged at his belt, pulling it free, and letting his pants follow, both of the items also going onto the chair. He'd take care of them later, the exhaustion was a bit more important to the man at the moment. With a low grunt he collapsed down on his bed folding his arms behind his head and sucking in a breath, exhaling slowly as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. There was much to do in the morning, but for now.. Sleep.
Catherine felt something warm on her cheek as she shifted her weight to the other side of her body, she sat up with a jolt. Her breath came jagged and almost scared, her teal eyes darted around her tent. Catherine gave a small laugh and ran her fingers through her pink knotted hair, "You are finally loosing it..." she muttered to herself. Her eyes squinted as she stared out into the bright day, Catherine poked her head outside the tent and saw that not a thing stirred yet, she quickly grabbed a fresh pair of clothes from a neatly set pile beside a suitcase. Her small form rose from her tent as she made her way to the shower area she took time brushing her teeth, she seemed to be captivated by the mirror in front of her. She was not a vain person but today...she appeared different to her own eyes. Washing her face and wiping it Catherine stripped herself as she slunk into the slightly chilly waters of the circus, her body shuddered as she quickly showered.
Meanwhile, in another part of town. A rowdy, trouble making boy waited to pull his ultimate prank.
"ENRIQUE WELLS!" a loud voice boomed from a part of a dark, ivy covered building. A fuming women, about 45, came rushing out. Her face was as red as a beet as she seemed to thunder down a familiar path to a small house. She reached the small shack and burst through the doors, "ENRIQUE" she thundered once again. Stomping her feet till she reached the bed with a young adult sleeping in it. The woman grabbed his ears and the boy whimpered, "Why you rascal" she almost spat out. By this time, the boy was in hysterics. Enrique pulled away, he clutched his stomach to support himself as he ran to the farthest corner of the room.
"HOW DARE YOU...YOU..." she seemed like a gorilla to Enrique, which helped fuel his laughter. The way her arms dangled beside her rounded stomach. "What?" he replied in an innocent tone, his pinkish red hair glistened in the dull sunlight that broke through the dark room. His golden eyes shone with childish mischief. "WHAT?!" she screamed again, by this time many children of all ages had gathered outside. They wondered what the scene was today, "What do you mean what?! I just took her granny under panties and put them on everyone's door! I mean come on, when you look at it from my point of view...I could have done something much much worse" Enrique said, almost doubled over with laughter now. He ran out the door almost tripping because he was laughing so hard, "WHEN I GET MY HANDS..." the lady yelled, but she knew it was no use, this time he wasn't coming back, he had packed his bags and he was headed in a different direction.
The trouble maker was known as Enrique Wells, he was 20 years old and was an orphan. He laughed down the dusty road, small town cars honked at him, he grinned at the people in them and made strange faces. Everything Enrique the orphan had ever owned was in the small backpack that he carried on his back, he had two pairs of clean shirts and three pairs of pants. He stopped to catch his breath, breathing in deeply. He coughed, the air was full of dust and pollution, this was his first step into the world outside of the orphanage. For as long as Enrique remembered he had been stuck inside the orphanage.
His golden eyes perked up with interest as he saw the outside of colourful tents and cages with animals. A circus was in town! He couldn't wait, he wandered into the place as if he owned it. He saw that one of the cages was open, his mind worked his tricks as he thought of new plans to use to his advantage. He inched inside the cage and as soon as he had stepped in, SNAP! The cage was shut. He turned around surprised, like a deer suddenly caught in a car headlight. "HELP!" he called out helplessly. His fists ponded against the cage, but it was no use.
The morning sun was turning the dim room into something of a sauna. It's sudden heat filling the place until the man's chest began to glisten with the shine of sweat. He licked his lips slightly, feeling parched. With a low groan he finally forced himself up in his bed, rubbing an eye with his hand before raking it through the mess of hair on his head. He really needed to shower. This heat didn't make it any better. So with that, Xander threw his legs over the side of his bed, cracking his back before getting up. "Gneh..." The man trudged to the second door in his room, the one that would bring him into the bathroom and not the hall. His boxers were soon being dropped to the floor as well, as he bent to turn on the faucets and start the shower. Xander always did like a nice long shower...
After a while he stepped out of the steaming tub, his wet feet smacking the tiled floor noisily as he grabbed a towel from the counter rubbing it through his wet hair, before drying himself off, finally hooking the thing around his hips as he strolled back into the bedroom. Xander give his lower lip a light tug, scratching his stomach absently. Now to find clothes to dress this body of his. He wouldn't put on much if he didn't have to. Xander was quite content with his figure. Very tall, lean and strong. It was something his had to work for, when he wasn't being lazy. That and he had just lucked out at birth, apparently. He scratched the back of his leg with his foot, yawning still as he cracked open the window, letting the fresh air and sunlight into the dingy room. "..." Xander merely stood there, hands down by his side, squinting slightly at nothing in particular. He finally exhaled. "Smoke. And that he did. Dropping his towel to the floor, kicking it away, he fumbled through the folds of his jacket. After retrieving his cigarette and his lighter he lit up, puffing lightly a few times before pressing it back between his lips. The man let out a satisfied noise, tugging on clothes finally. After his boxers: A pair of dark trousers, patched with jean fabric in a few spots, as well as a small tear on his left knee that he'd yet to attend to. The man paused to exhale the smoke, letting it stream from his nostrils before strapping his belt on and grabbing a shirt. It was a simple beige button up, though he left the neck and first few buttons undone, partially tucking the front into his jeans. Two socks and boots later he was grabbing up his pack of smokes and his lighter and shoving them into his pant pocket, and heading out the door.
He had several things to do today. He wanted to find himself a rope walking act, and he needed the rest of his bloody crew to show up and get practicing. At this rate Catherine would be getting mauled by what she's been training, his fire eater -- the one who's arrival he still awaited-- will light himself up, the rope walker -- who was yet to be present at all -- would fall.. And what else? His clowns would trip up, his contortionists would end up snapping their spines... The list went on. He let out a grunt of frustration, his cigarette bobbing between his lips as he worked them unhappily. He shoved his hip against the front door, and it gave an unhealthy whine as it jarred open for him. Xander's eyes flickered slightly wider as he heard the cries for help. He strode out quickly, cigarette in hand as he blew the smoke out to let it trail in his wake. His boots crushed the grass underfoot as he walked forward looking around for the source.
And then he saw him. A wide grin slowly spread across the cleanly shaven face. He paused in his step before continuing on towards the cage where the poor boy was rattling away inside. "Didn't your mother teach you not to touch what doesn't belong to you?" He sneered, quite well unaware that he was indeed an orphan. The man came to a stop in front of the cage, puffing on his smoke and blowing it upwards and letting the breeze do with it what it would. Xander tossed a hand through his hair, it was mostly dried, though still cold and a bit damp. He looked down at the kid, tapping the ashes from his smoke absently as he eyed him. His cool eyes raked over the body. He looked momentarily at the lock, to the keys strung through the laces of his boot, back to the kid. "My, my, my. What have you gotten yourself into?" His eyes were amused, oh he'd have fun with this one.
"I don't have a fucking family" Enrique snarled. He had been alone ever since he was a baby. He had grown up in the orphanage and every time he had bothered to make a friend...they were taken away, or adopted as people liked to say. He hated it, he hated when some one he cared about was taken away! They never returned like they promised, he hated being close to any one and everyone. Enrique felt the angry tears sting his eyes, he punched the cage bar desperately. "LET.ME.OUT!" he said stressing on each word. Enrique's mouth was twisted into a very unattractive sneer, she let out a low growl again.
Who the hell was this man? "Let me out now!" he demanded again, though he was in no position to demand. "You freakin' circus freak!" he spat out. He gave a desperate scream and kicked the cage, which was a very bad idea. He almost instantly doubled over in pain, his foot throbbed. Enrique's breath came out jagged and sharp, what the hell had he gotten himself into. He stood up and gripped the bars of the cage so tightly that his skin stretched white over his knuckles. He looked the man in his eye, Enrique's gold eyes were flaming with rage. His body was shaking with rage and fear at the same time, he had no idea what to do, he was stuck and he had no way of getting out. Enrique was always used to getting his way, whether he had to fight for it or scream, it just did not matter...he just wanted his way.
Meanwhile, in a separate part of the circus steam rolled out of the shower area as if it were fog on a cold and dark night.
After what seemed like hours Catherine dragged her body out of the shower, she sighed. The bathroom was steamed and it felt nice on her hot skin. She shuddered slightly, the morning was warm but her body was cold. Catherine took her towel and draped it around her tiny frame, she took time and looked into the mirror once more. She was a mess, her hair was even more knotted than before and it had already started to frizz slightly because of the steam. As she looked into her own teal eyes, she saw it. The scar from last nights mishap, it was there to remind her that she had chosen to be a rebel. Catherine poked it idly, she frowned. She really hoped that it would not leave a noticeable scar, Catherine was already self-conscious.
Catherine dragged her body into a pair of worn out shorts and a loose yet fitting shirt. She put her hair in her towel and walked out, she smiled outside to the world. Breathing in and then out deeply she took the morning in. It was a nice morning now that she was all clean and awake. Catherine was wearing the same boots she was last night as she padded through the field. She squinted her eyes, she was pretty sure she could make out Xander's frame...and there was some on in the cage. Her face was slightly horrified as she thought about the poor chap that was in it.
Xander's amusment was even greater as he eyed the one in the cage. He showed it blatently on his face as the boy spat words at him in the harsh tone. Such a trouble maker, he seemed to have unintentionally caught. Such a rebel. Such an... An eyebrow arched up at the comment, and the amusement that lined his face straightened out flatly. "Circus freak, hm?" His eyes narrowed, expression darkening. "You kids should mind your manners. It will tend to get you into trouble." He turned his eyes in the direction of Catherine as he spotted her noticing the commotion. "What do you think, Precious? He called us freaks. Do you think we should let such impolite people loose again..? Or shall we make this a life lesson..." He was asking, but wasn't really seeking her input, especially if she was not going to give him the answer she wanted. The man paused long enough for her to make whicher comments that she inevitably would, before turning back to the caged boy. "Personally, I like the life lesson idea. Or rather, just the route that lets me toy with you." A grin slid over his lips as he gave the bars a thunk with his boot.
He drew another puff from the cigrette, letting it stream out his flared nostrils. "First of all, you're roaming my property-- without permission. Secondly you touch my things-- without permission, and then to top it all off you turn out to be an awfully mannered punk who needs to learn a thing or two about proper ettiquet." A gust of win rattled around them briefly, throwing strands of his hair up to the wind. He combed it down with a hand again as he continued. "See, lucky for you, I have a knack for disciplin.. and a slight interest in investing my time in fiesty boys like yourself." His eyes glinted as he ran his tongue briefly over his lips. He had those eyes fixed solely on the other male in the cage, no longer acknowledging Cathrine's presense-- so he wasn't really sure whether she was still watching or not. As attention grabbing as this whole even was however, something a tad more important to the very moment and near future pulled up onto the lot. And this important something was Noah Perry.
The whirr of an engine dying signaled his arrival. He didn't have a particularly nice ride, as if he could afford that. It looked like it'd been passed down a few generations, old and ratty. But it worked, and so it would suffice. The driver's door popped open and following the gray canvas-shoes that emerged out onto the graval, came the slender figure of a red headed boy. With a flick of his wrist he shut his door behind him, not glancing up across the field yet as he walked to the trunk of the car. From it he pulled out his duffle bag and another napsack that he swung over his shoulder. It shut with a thunk. Green eyes lifted finally to the scene before him, an air of a smile tugging his lips as the familiar area and familiar people stood out before him. Immidiatly his eyes found Catherine. Strands of her unusual hair peeked out from under the towel she'd wrapped it in. Fresh from the shower, how cute. He gazed at her a long moment, flashing her a half smile. At least he'd have her throughout this mess of a season. But his attention was soon dragged away by a certain commotion.
Noah walked quickly onto the field, momentarily eyeing the figure in the cage, but then turning those light eyes to the man he was quite fearing at the moment. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, a glimpse of black body art flashing as the neck loosened a bit. He was late. Should have arrived here yesterday, but things had gotten complicated at home and-- He flinched as Xander's hand clamped around his elbow, bringing him forth. "Sir.." He swallowed and looked up directly at the man, pushing back his anxiety best he could.
"You're very late, Noah." Came the dry toned voice belonging to the man who was looking down at him. He watched the boy flinch unintentionally, it made Xander chuckle. He released his arm and instead grabbed the top of his head, turning it so that Noah was now looking at the one in the cage. "Looky what we caught today." Xander was saying, smiling tauntingly at the caged fellow.
Noah managed to brush the hand off of his head after a moment as he looked over the other male. He glanced over at Catherine for a moment, then back to the boy. He bit his lip, feeling sorry for him. "Um.. I'm Noah." He then pointed to the girl across the field. "That's Catherine. And since I don't suppose he's introduced himself yet, this is Xander-- our boss." He paused. "Good luck." And then he was off, skirting away from any whack Xander was about to throw his direction as he gained a safe distance between them. Once this was accomplished he looked around, he wanted to talk to Catherine.
Catherine looked like a deer that had been caught in front of very bright headlights. She blinked a bit dazed. Catherine shrugged, “What ever you feel is right..” she said cautiously to Xander. “This is not my area to interfere…so I prefer to stay out of this” she whispered in her cool voice. She tucked a single piece of curly pink hair back underneath her towel where it belonged. Catherine eyed the boy for a moment and then offered him a weak smile as a gesture of friendship, though he was partially right, they were kind of freaks. Catherine tried talk like that not to bother her anymore.
Catherine had moved closer to the scene, her brows were almost knitted together with worry and sympathy. She was about to open her mouth again, but something in the corner of her vision caught her eye. Swiftly she turned her head and looked at a familiar heap of almost junk roll in, Noah. She watched him shyly, still the same old boy she knew. Turning her head away shyly she looked angrily at Xander, she knew he had setup those traps that way, no person would be able to avoid their curiosity and would wander in, getting locked inside until Xander came outside and “analyzed” them.
Her heart nearly skipped a beat as she saw Noah looking at her. She gave him a cat like smile and a small wave of the hand. Catherine saw Noah walking towards Xander and the small smile on her face was instantly replaced by a worried expression. She flinched as Xander grabbed Noah’s hand, her small hands clenched into tight fists. Catherine gave a small wave as she saw Noah pointing at her, most likely introducing her to the boy. Catherine walked shyly towards Noah, she put her arms shyly around him and pulled him into a light hug. “I missed you,” she whispered too him.
“Yes, a circus freak…” Enrique hissed through his clenched teeth. “And you people should learn to watch your mouths…” his eyes went to the girls; she was standing at a distance. Her pink hair, and her teal eyes, his mouth twisted in distaste. He seemed even more aggravated than before. Enrique looked at the spot where the man kicked the bars and kicked it back with force. If only that man’s foot had been there, he would have kicked it back with force.
“Well maybe you shouldn’t have these damn things open in the first place!” he argued back. “Do anything with me and you will be sorry…” he muttered out. His eyes narrowed as he saw another male making his way to the cage, Enrique saw the way that the man treated the boy. Yet, the boy seemed to stay calm and not fight back. “What the…” he muttered to himself. Forcing himself to nod at the introductions he opened his mouth defiantly, “My name is Enrique” he said as he watched the pink haired girl Catherine make her way shyly closer. Enrique tried to keep quiet for now, he didn't want to do something he would deeply regret.
