|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:32 am
Hadrian looked, for all intensive purposes, like he was dead. He lay on the ground beneath the surface of the lake (or maybe it was a pond) that he had happened upon earlier, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed and his ankles bound, and he was not breathing. He'd been like this for a good ten minutes.
He was practicing.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:36 am
Lucrezia had decided that, for all intensive purposes, she hated Gaian food. Every time she went to the meal cart, they just handed her another carton of sticky-sweet carbonated chemicals until about noon, when they'd given her a sandwhich. She'd have to ask Ankita where she got the melon she used to train her Aye-Aye.
She had retreated with her lunch to the grassy hill overlooking the lake not far off from the fairgrounds.
She'd finally gotten some solid food. Nothing was going to mess her meal up this time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:43 am
...sixteen one-hundred, seventeen one-hundred, eighteen one-hundred--
Hadrian's concentration was abruptly broken as a tiny fish attempted to swim up his nasal passage. He inhaled a bit of water and sat up, head emerging from the water and going into a near-hysterical coughing fit, frightening the fish away. He growled a bit to himself and ducked beneath the water again, beginning to untie his ankles.
Frickin' fish...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:25 am
The sandwhich went flying.
Of course, it wasn't every day that a very, very pale young man popped out of a lake you thought was empty.
And then went back under.
Lucrezia glanced over at the ruined sandwhich lying scattered across the hillside, swore a very audible "Merde," and rushed down to the edge of the lake. She stared at the water where he had gone under, wondering if he would resurface.
Was he another Cirqueling?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:29 am
Hadrian's arm surfaced first, a length of thick rope clutched in his fist. Then came his head, facing down...and then the rest of him.
When he saw the young woman, he gave a start.
Oh, Christ, he was still half-naked.
"Sorry," he said, scrabbling for his shirt on the bank, "Didn't see you there."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:38 am
"Likewise," Lucrezia replied, still somewhat bitter about the sandwhich. "You startled me pretty bad."
She reached for the shirt and handed it to him. "Here."
There was an akward pause.
"What were you doing?"
Underwater with a length of rope, she added silently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:43 am
"Uh...thanks," Hadrian nodded appreciatively and shoved his shirt over his head, the fabric clinging uncomfortably to his damp frame, "...huh?"
It took a moment for the question to fully register.
Committing suicide. What do you think?!
"Practicing," he nodded, as if that explain anything.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:57 am
Her hunch had been right - he was another cirqueling. "Holding your breath?" Lucrezia asked, showing genuine interest. "So, you do underwater stuff? Escape artistry? Or...?"
She trailed off. It was likely something somewhat different.
Hopefully, that was a good conversation starter. In her experience, circus people loved to talk about themselves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:02 am
"Ah...no. I'm just one of the freaks," Hadrian said, rather uncomfortable with talking about himself, "How about yourself?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:12 am
"Rigging crew at the moment," Lucrezia replied, shrugging. "But I'm trained in trapeze and aerial silks."
Surely just being an albino wasn't enough to count as a freak. True, it was rare and all, but if you didn't look too hard he looked rather normal. Just extremely pale.
"So, where does the breath holding practice come in?" she asked curiously.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:15 am
"Hm," Hadrian retorted and nodded, "I'm the local fishboy. Longer time under the water makes for a better suspension of disbelief."
He looked down at himself and cursed silently. His white t-shirt had gone see-through. God damn it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:28 am
Lucrezia followed his gaze and blushed slightly.
"Should we head back to the fairgrounds?" she asked, figuring he'd probably want to find some dry clothes.
"Oh, and I'm Lucrezia, by the way," she added, offering him a wrapped hand to shake. "Who're you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:32 am
"Probably," Hadrian huffed and took Lucrezia's hand after drying his on a dry bit of shirt, "Hadrian." Without another word, he started off for the grounds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:45 am
Lucrezia shrugged and followed in similar silence.
Well, she supposed she deserved that. After all, she must have embarrassed him a fair bit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:58 am
Hadrian continued in silence until he spotted the upturned sandwich. He paused then and pointed at it.
"That my fault?" To him, it just seemed that it would be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
