Aurora smiled softly. It was almost time for her to perform. They were going to surprise her that night with her act. She wowed the audience with her daring escapes, but lately, her normal routine was not working quite as well as she would have hoped. People were changing and that troubled her. People wanted more dangerous acts… What had society become…? "Back in my day… People weren't so eager to see vi-" she stopped abruptly. "Oh for the love of the Gods… I sound like an old woman…"
"Rori? You are on," the small voice of one of the stagehands said from behind her, breaking her out of the prison that was her increasingly darkening thoughts over her age and how old she sounded.
She sighed and said with a bright smile, "Of course."
She walked out on stage and did her normal opening bit. "I need a volunteer… Someone to prove that these chains and locks are real… Anyone will do…" her voice was clear and gentle. She rarely had people not volunteer to come up on stage to help prove that she was no con.
"Anyone will do?" A familiar gruff voice from the audience said. The green hair was unmistakable.
Rori's smile grew into a true grin of happiness. "I guess you will do just fine."
Vancha March approached the stage and held out a hand for the chains and locks. Aurora instead grabbed his hand and pulled him up onto the stage. "I think that you should help with this… It seems that my normal assistant is shirking his duties tonight," she smiled at the Prince, who was actually wearing clothes for once… Perhaps that was Larten's doing…
Vancha grunted his response and snatched the chains from her hands and began to wrap them around her. She had a small frame, so the chains looped easily around her about five times. He connected the two ends with a padlock and then cuffed her hands. He smiled, thinking that he had her beat.
"Oh dear… However will I escape from this?" Rori said in mock helplessness. "I do believe that this strong man has beaten me," she giggled and as easily as Vancha had gotten the cuffs on her, she was out of them. "Now for the locks," She smiled and began to shimmy out of the chains.
Unbeknownst to the crowd, or to Vancha March, as she moved she built up a great deal of static electricity which popped open the lock. She silently thanked Larten Crepsley for teaching her that little trick when she began her work at the Cirque Du Freak.
The chains clattered to the ground and she took a short bow. "I do believe that is all I have for the night," she told the crowd. "I do apologize… For... I am feeling unwell…" She faked a sneeze and threw down a small glass ball, about the size of a shooter marble and a deep purple, glittering powder poofed out and she flit away, off of the stage.
She was smiling when she got into her tent.
"You think you are clever, don't you, Aurora?" Vancha said from his seat on the top of her coffin.
"What? You don't like it when a girl gets the best of you?" She giggled happily. "Silly man…"
He mumbled something and crossed his arms.
"Don't mumble. It isn't attractive."
"I don't care," he says looking at her, a bit pissed.
"I care. Now, how about a hug?" Rori smiled sweetly and fell against the Prince.
He grunted and folded his arms around the slender woman and held her close. "Why do you stay here anyway… Come and travel with me," he shifted uncomfortably in the restricting clothes that he was wearing.
"And sleep on the cold ground… In the dirt…" She shuddered. "No thank you."
"You wouldn't be cold with me…" He muttered.
"Sire March… Are you trying to woo me?" She giggled and fluttered her eyelashes.
He turned bright red and picked her up. He threw her over his shoulder and smiled, walking out of her tent.
She sighed and allowed him to do so. "Well. It seems that I have been kidnapped. At least he will take me back… Eventually."
