Desdemone didn't know if there would be someone at the threatre or not. She was just there to rehearse her own little part of tonight's show. She silently opened the back door and walked down the hallway, which lead from the dressing rooms directly on stage. She adjusted her long dress as she stepped on stage, not wanting it to tangle itself around her slender ancles. She flipped her waist long blond hair idly as she stepped on the cold wooden planks of the stage. She was bare footed once again and though she knew that if any of the puppeteers or Aubree for that matter saw her they would scold her, she was prepared to take the risk.

She saw the other girl then when she was already in plain sight. She gasped slightly and turned to walk away. This was strange. The stage was usually completely empty at this time of day and she could rehearse with no one to disturb her. Plus, this girl was actually playing with marionettes, from what little glimpse Desdemone had managed to catch of her, which meant she wasn't completely harmless. The fifteen year old doll turned gracefully around, her petite form looking extremely small in front of the opened backstage door:
- Beg your pardon. - she began with a steady, though quiet voice. - Will it be a problem if I rehearsed my routine for tonight? - she asked in the most polite way possible. - I don't wish to disturb you, since you were here first. - she finished, glancing back at the girl with her calm crystal blue eyes.

Mona glanced blankly back at the young woman, before looking down at her small bare feet. At least no one made her ware tight shoes while she was rehearsing. She was confused as to what to do, since the woman neither forbid, nor permitted her to proceed with what she had planned:
- I don't have a puppeteer. - Mona said in a calm, quiet voice. Her unfeeling crystal blue eyes once again fixed on the woman. She stood in place, waiting for some sort of reaction, some sort of order perhaps.

When the other told her to go on, Mona went over to the stereo which was set into the corner, putting on her music for tonight. Now, Mona was always the one who performed the slow, ballet-type styles of dancing. She was extremely flexible, which made her whole routine look like a gymnastic combination. The girl slowly unding the skirt of her dress, letting it drop to the floor, a pair of training tights underneath. She stretched a little, not wanting to gain an unwanted trauma simply because she was careless of her warm up. She pushed the play button on the stereo and a very melodic song began to play.

Mona closed her eyes for a moment before she began. Her dance was a series of jumps and turns, which would make anyone in their right mind dizzy. Her movements were quick, yet soft, perfectly matching the music. Dancing was all she had ever done, it was hard not to strive for perfection. The grand final was when she stopped, facing the audience (well, in this case the empty chairs and benches) and took her leg into both hands, lifting it up over her head, her head tilting a bit backwards. Like a real gymnast. The song ended and so did her dance, but Mona stayed in place. She finally let her leg go and turned to the other woman, as if expecting some sort of reaction.

Mona stood in her place, almost as still as if she were a statue. She was actually interested what the female puppeteer had to say to her. When she announced that she was now her puppeteer, Mona didn't look all that thrilled, actually she looked just as emotionless and bored as she always was. She glanced at the small trinket in her hand that An had given her before her gaze was lifted to the other's face. Was she serious about this? Up until the current moment, Mona had somehow managed to avoid all puppeteers' interest and this one managed to claim her in what, ten minutes? It was completely absurd. But she had no other choice but to accept An's decision.
- My name is Desdemone... - she began after a few moments of just staring up at the other. - Some call me Mona. I would prefer you called me so too. - she added as she glanced away. - I am...fifteen. - she finally stated, for a moment forgetting her own age. The circus had that effect on people. If you stayed here too long, you were bound to loose track of time.

Mona listened carefully to An's critics and only nodded her head every now and then. The thing with Mona was that she only managed to express emotions when she danced. At no other time was she able to smile or fake tears. To look unhappy or pleased... It was a strange occurence indeed and she was sure that she wouldn't be able to give proper explanation for it as well.
- Are we going to work on that routine now or do you have something else in mind? - Mona asked, her tone somewhat dull and monotonous. She didn't think she had to "befriend" An or anything of the sort. They had a strictly business relationship and Mona intended to keep it that way. She wondered how far would she be allowed to go and would she be able to push An's buttons but she figured she'd have planty of time to figure that out later. For now, her routine was top priority.

Desdemone listened carefully to what her new puppeteer had to say. She certainly seemed to know what she was talking about, which meant she had quite a lot of experience with puppeteering. The way she talked, let Mona at ease. They were talking about practices, which meant that she was serious about her performances and it wouldn't be all up to Mona when it came to choreography and technique. She was glad that An didn't take her for a mere toy and could actually see her qualities as a performer, which meant that for the puppeteer, she was someone, she was a person, something she didn't manage to succeed in showing all the temporary puppeteers she had been assigned to up until now.
- Perfect? - Mona asked, as if she weren't quite able to comprehend what An was talking about. She was questioning herself mostly since she knew she was good enough, but didn't believe she had it in her to reach perfection.

Her rules sounded pretty simple to follow, since Mona already had practice twice a day and ate small portions of food on a regular basis. She knew how to take care of herself, so as to be in a perfect condition for performing at any time. The key with her was good night sleep. She slept like a log and when she got enough rest, she could go on the whole day, without a single complaint of being tired.
- Rape? - Mona questioned again. Indeed, she was naive. She had absolutely no idea what that meant, she only knew it sounded negative and that was enough for her though she realized slowly that innocence was not always a virtue. Mona gripped the marionette tight in her small palm, although she showed no signs of appreciation or happiness. She just glanced up at An with her big childlike blue eyes and nodded.

Putting the small trinket aside, careful to remember where she had left it, so as not to forget it, she went over to the stereo and played the song again. This time, she focused only on controlling her facial expression, slipping only once in the end. The strain still showed as well, though she tried to lower it to a minimum. When she was one again finished, her leg pulled above her head, he made a complete turn while still holding it before letting go and standing up straight in front of Anberlin:
- How was it? - she asked, hoping that she was improving.

At first, Desdemone had to admit she had a hard time following Anberlin's trail of thoughts. She had her way with words, that much was true, but she had an interesting way of putting her thoughts through. It was hardly understandable if you didn't take a moment to think it over.
- That is far from the perfect doll however....and I intend to keep it that way....No offense. - Mona said as she bent down to adjust her tights. What she meant was, even though she loved dancing, she could never get comfortable with the thought of someone controlling her. She was obedient to the point where people left her alone.

- How can I not be human when....nature made me one? - Mona said with a confused expression as he scratched her upper arm, averting her gaze from Anberlin. She was not sure she wanted to hear the answer to that one, but she knew she had to. She had to understand what her puppeteer was threatening her with after all. - Would you please explain? - she asked in the same dull monotonous voice. Only people, who knew Mona well enough, none of which were present, could tell that the matter at hand actually concerned her.

At the end of her dance, Mona leaned on the near by wall. She didn't look tired, if that were even humanly possible... Then again....Mona wasn't quite human now, was she? She listened to An's advice and only nodded when she was finished.
- If I show strain, than I must not be fit enough... - she said, with only a hint of disappointment. She was very concerned about her physical state. She didn't want to fail. She wanted to be the "perfect dancer", not because of the large crowds, but for her own satisfaction.

- Yes, I am my own choreographer. Most of my "part time" puppeteers didn't have the time to make one for me. - Mona said, answering An's question, accompanying her words with a light shrug of the shoulders. She pushed herself off the wall and walked a bit closer to An.
- I understand. - she said as she examined the wooden stage beneath her feet. - I have always trained alone. Other people frustrate me. - she confessed. She was not big on the social scene. She was a misanthrope in her essence. And An would probably soon see that, should she choose to invade Mona's personal space.