Candi's Stuffed Aminal Theatre proudly presents...

Katalina giggles softly to herself watching the left pointed ear of Aloysius react to her gentle touch. It flickers and stands up as the cat's eyes remain closed throughout it all. Kat quickly opts to leave him be given it's quite a rare case when the cat comes up to join the dominatrix in her bedroom of the dungeon. Typically he stays put at home and wanders, constantly at play or just running away from Makayla as she chases after his tail. But, on the not so often occasion, and only when it's particularly slow, Kat, or Zoey, likes to bring him along to the dungeon. Not to roam as there are plenty of places and things he can get caught in, but just to keep close by for company. Today being no exception as Katalina lies, stretched out in bed next to the sleeping cat.

Katalina: How do you think her show's going, Al?

The question, while directed toward the cat, has its subject matter on Zoey performing out her shows now much further away. It's during these moments that Kat finds herself at her most vulnerable so shortening up the cat's name is a small comfort she can easily rely on. Makes it feel like they've known one another much longer than they actually have.

Katalina: Honestly, Al, it all makes me wonder just what some people out there are thinking. I'm...brainwashing her? She needs to be careful? Exactly how evil do people think I am?

Aside from the deep breath and his ears going back, Aloysius doesn't much answer Kat's question. Not that he could given...he's a cat so he wouldn't care to begin with. That's basically all that needs to be said there.

Katalina: Exactly. I feel...I feel like Shrek! People look at me and think I'm a big, gratuitous dominatrix that's hellbent on enslaving the entire populace. To quote the guy, they judge me before they know me when most of them the same people who would tell others not to judge a book by its cover. You don't think it's because of my affiliation with the others, do you?

I would say that Aloysius' response is that of stretching out his paw, but he did that while Kat was talking.

Katalina: I can't really see how. Aside from giving a lot of talk the biggest bit we've accomplished was triple teaming Joanna because she wanted it. Is that evil? Am I so evil, Al? So evil that some would put a label sticker on me saying “Warning: Do not love”? Well...whatever. Zoey and I have fun. We love each other, we make each other smile...I'm not parading her around on a leash. I'm not hounding her privacy, going after her friends, well...I did come after you.

The dominatrix giggles as she strokes a finger over the side of Aloysius' face, right around the fluffy cheek area. She stops though when his reaction is to stretch out and make a little groaning noise.

Katalina: Brainwashing her... What would we even call her? All the good names are taken. People are just incompetent sometimes. Aren't they, Al?

Kat smiles before whispering a little “yeah” to the sleeping cat.  Either because she wouldn’t stop addressing him or simply because he was a cat and they love their unpredictability, Aloysius got up and gave a mighty, arching stretch with an equally-mighty, and twice as cute, yawn.  Kat had been about to draw her hand back but then Al sniffed and nuzzled it, rubbing his head into her palm; the universal sign for ‘pet me, human’.  And the domina obliged, starting off a torrent of purring that always drew a smile.

Katalina: Yeah, you’re right. I’m being silly.  Not as silly as them, but… silly.

Aloysius seems to agree.  After a little more scritching he wanders close to Kat and lies down, curling up in a furry ball right next to her.  At that same moment, the phone on the nightstand went off to the tune of (fill in song here), prompting Kat to stretch out and grab it.  But carefully so as not to disturb Al.  Zoey’s face is briefly visible on the screen before Kat answers.

Katalina: Evening, dearest.

“Hey, just came off stage!  Whew… two shows in one night.  I’d forgotten what that felt like!  How are you?”

Katalina: Well, since you’re off galavanting in Sin City, someone else had to fill my bed!  I hope you see what your absence does to me!

Obviously she’s working to get a rise out of Zahara, who lets out a gasp of mock suffering before giggling on the other end of the phone.

“Is it Aloysius?  Did you let that fuzzbrain steal my spot?!”

Katalina: Now, now!  He came to me of his own accord!

“If I come home and the pillow smells like catnip, I’m gonna know you’re fibbing!”

Laughter on both sides, though they stop after a few moments.  Katalina, from what can be seen, needed that moment.  She’s got a little glow to her now, a more natural smile.

“I’m flying out to see Stacy and the others after the shows tomorrow.  Would you like me to fly back to Malibu so we can fly to St. Paul together, or would you rather meet me there?”

Katalina: Well, that depends.

Kat replies as she reaches out an arm so she can begin dusting the nip from Zoey’s pillow. Like she would put it on her own. Although the little grunting noise she makes for her reach draws a curious reaction out of the magician.

“What was that?”

Katalina: Candi, love. Be a good girl, Candi, and accept your spanking.

“She’s that close to the phone, huh?”

Katalina: Just,

The dusting pushes around the aroma as well and Aloysius becomes keen on it perking up both his head and ears. He gets up to his paws and wanders over sniffing the pillow then drops himself against it bringing another smile on the domina’s face.

Katalina: Have to wash it I guess.

“You’ll have to give him some treats to compensate in tricking him for a cuddle, hon.”

Katalina: I will.

A strong silence hovers between them as Kat comes to the realization...she’s been busted. Over the phone she can sense the magicians’ growing smile until she decides to pick up where they left off earlier.

“So my travel plans depend on...”

Katalina: Oh, right.

Figuring there’s no point in just lying there, Kat sets her pillow up against the headboard and rests back against it. Meanwhile, Aloysius paws at Zoey’s pillow a few times, sniffs, then drops himself back down over it earning a giggle this time from the domina.

Katalina: It depends on where your friend is. If she’s close by I don’t mind coming out to see you so we can travel together. But if she’s too far then I suppose we’ll just have to meet in St. Paul.

Waiting for the answer, Kat reaches out and takes advantage of this opportunity to give Aloysius a bit of a tummy scratch. He only presses his front paws to her hand and looks up before rubbing along more of the pillow.

“Upstate New York, so it’s probably best we don’t drain the coffers and just meet in St. Paul.  Tuesday morning sound all right you?”

Katalina: It sounds.

Kat brings her phone down beside Aloysius so his purring can be put through the receiver. After a moment of that, Kat brings the phone back up.

Katalina: --fect, love. See you then.

Kat smiles as she hangs up the phone and goes back to cuddling with Aloysius for a moment before sighing.

Katalina: Have to wash this pillow case now.

She looks up and soon realizes where she's resting her head.

Katalina: And my hair again.

---

There's something similar yet very much different about the scene we're in. It's still Kat's bedroom at the dungeon but...Candi's out of her cage. I don't know why anyone would ever do such a thing, but there she is. She's also standing above the camera as in it's been positioned on the floor and is looking up amid a field of stuffed animals. Why? Because Candi.

Candi: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!

From out of view comes Kat's voice.

Katalina: Candi, volume.

Candi: Sorries. *Giggle* Ladies and gentlemen!

The collared blond pauses a moment to look over to the side to see if that was a good enough volume to use or not. Seems like it so she turns back and continues.

Candi: It gives me super duper great pleasure to introduce to you...my Kitty Mistress! YAY!!!

Candi claps her hands loudly as she skips over to her spot on the floor and takes a seat while Katalina walks out from the side looking over giving a little wave of thanks to the plastic eyes staring toward her feet.

Katalina: Thank you, th-thank you.

The domina looks around feeling now a little uncertain on doing this. Whatever this is. Well, first she needs to calm down Candi. She tries with a few gestures such as lowering her hands a couple times then just holding them out to stop her. Nothing. So she tries the more direct approach in taking hold of Candi's wrists and smiles. After listening to her young slave giggle, she lets them go and heads back to where she was earlier.

Katalina: I really don't know how to begin this, so I guess I'll just jump right in. Nicole,

Candi: WHOO!!!

Katalina: No, no we're not cheering her, Candi.

Candi: Oh. BOO!!!

Katalina: Better. But, again, volume.

Candi: 'kay. ...boo...

Candi giggles as Kat continues on trying her best to focus on the camera and not the mass of animals, that thankfully are stuffed seeing as how Candi's paired a lion, leopard, and cheetah next to a gazelle in one spot.

Katalina: That last time we faced one another you seemed to spend quite a bit of time on Talon's refusal to speak. Trying hard to declare it a sort of weakness upon her part. You later labeled it as...intimidating. Quite indeed, I've been her partner for a few matches and even I feel a little intimidated by her. Not just the silence, but the presence. However, she isn't a part of this affair and you later on went in a bit of a different direction declaring fear as our tactic.

Kat makes a few disapproving clicking noises with her tongue as she waggles her finger about from side to side. Something Candi must have seen and heard a number of times.

Katalina: How very wrong you are on that, love. You see, intimidation is a lot more resourceful than fear. Fear creates panic, a panic that individuals will, on some extreme cases, go great lengths to get out of thus creating an unpredictable situation. For instance... Candi, will you join me?

Candi: 'kay!

No resistance in her tone as Candi is quickly up to her feet and hops up in front of her Mistress who gestures her to turn around so her back is to her. Candi nods and turns as Kat applies in a loose sleeper hold.

Katalina: This is an example of intimidation.

Candi: *Giggle* Kitty Mistress' hands smell like strawberries!

Katalina: Hold on.

After releasing the hold, Kat wanders off leaving Candi alone and slightly perplexed. But soon bouncing, clapping her hands when she sees her Mistress return with a clear ball gag containing sparkles inside. She knows just what to do as she opens up her mouth and tries to bite it from Kat's hands only to get a finger pointed in her face.

Katalina: What have I told you about being patient?

Candi: Sorry, Kitty Mistress.

Katalina: Alright.

Now that things have calmed, Kat can easily slide the ball into Candi's mouth and strap the two ends of leather together at the back of her head leaving her nice and quiet.

Katalina: Honestly, I didn't want to do it like this, Candi.

Candi nods her head as she smiles over her gag before turning at Kat's gestured command. Soon, Kat puts back in the loose sleeper hold as Candi reacts as she was taught in her own lessons resting her hands over Kat's forearm. However, for the purposes of this experiment, Candi knows not to go any further.

Katalina: As I was saying. This...is intimidation. Or, a visual representation of it. Candi is calm but she knows from here it's an uphill battle in getting free. This...

Kat immediately tightens up her forearm against Candi's throat startling the blond as she begins kicking her feet and clawing up Kat's arm.

Katalina: Is fear.

Given that Candi is gagged, she quickly releases the hold letting the blond drop down. Kat bends over removing the gag letting her get a few breaths in all the while patting her back lightly a few times.

Katalina: Good girl, and sorry.

Candi crawls back into place as Kat stands back up tossing the ball gag aside as she continues.

Katalina: Do you see now why it's much more profitable to keep to an intimidation rather than resort to fear? So, please, don't limit my abilities.

Kat asks with a little exasperation in her breath before giving a quick check on Candi who nods and gives a nice thumbs up before returning to her usual smiling self. Done there, Kat goes back to looking down toward the camera, again that's apparently supposed to represent a stuffed animal's view, and continues.

Katalina: Now, the entirety of this promo isn't bent on tarnishing your image, love. In fact, I figure right now is time to give you some praise! So good job, love, you and your partner are now 4-0 against us, aren't you? Just the two of you, that's an amazing feat, isn't it? Unnnnnnnnnless you decide to say something stupid thus ruining your credibility. Things such as “I beat you once so you're going to lose again.” You know, silly little things like that that really hold no basis other than the credibility that you put in luck rather than skill, because...well, that's all that statement really means. Not that I'm saying you lack skill, obviously you don't because you not only defeated Joanna and Emma, but you called their effort a...what was the word used again?

Kat—

Katalina: A failure.

Oh, she didn't really take that long to think of the word.

Katalina: Such a fitting word too, isn't it? Yes, because as we all know, failure in wrestling terms is defined as “having enough time given by your opposition to grab hold of an illegal object and use it.” So what were you doing during that time, Nicole? Because it certainly couldn't have been fighting control of said object away from them, could it? It certainly wasn't beating them either. You won by technicality and the fact that you claim it as anything on your resume...I don't know. On one hand I want to shake my head and try to ignore you. On the other, I just want to give you a hug because in your mind you clearly need to reach out to get your feel good moments. Though to be quite honest I'd much rather do the former because you're the type of individual that annoys me.

And that means a lot given that she's been in the room with Candi all this time. If Kat can remain focused enough to pick out something that annoys her like this? Ouch.

Katalina: You're most likely working on your arguments right now, snickering over your 50 Shades jokes, as if those were still fresh for anyone these days. Yes, I'm a dominatrix. Your partner's an idiot, and you are lazy. “I'm the Twin City Champion so no one's going to beat me.” Do you hear yourself, Nicole? Do you think the laws of reason only apply to those who have come before you as champion?

But...Kat catches herself as she pinches hold of the bridge of her nose giving herself a moment. When she's done, she takes a deep breath and continues.

Katalina: I should stop there. I'm...getting too excited and I'm upsetting people.

Kat takes a look down at the stuffed animals as Candi eyes a hippopotamus then smiles blankly back at her Mistress.

Katalina: Whatever. The fact is...Nicole, you're in more dire need of a depegging than anyone I've met before. That includes Constance. So this week, Nicole, expect to lose. But not just that, also expect having to go back to your locker room with Gina,

Candi: BOO!!!

Katalina: Back to your locker room with Gina--

Candi: BOO!!!

The domina waits a moment.

Katalina: To your partner...and tell her you're both not as good as you think you are. So until such time,

Candi: Wait!

Kat looks down at Candi oddly as the blond makes her way up to her knees and shuffles along over to the Horsewoman's leg.

Katalina: Did I forget something?

Candi nods.

Candi: God bless us, every one.

Katalina: Yeah, I think we're done here.

No fade, just an abrupt cut to black.