|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 5:04 pm
They used to travel on trains, or cars, or wagons with tents. It probably depended on the era. It had been a long, long time since he'd been to an actual circus- and that not the best sort of being. It had been near one of the first experiences in his so-called career of service. A year ago, even? Yes...it was May, I think. It was May then and now it is June. That man dressed in red and black and a top hat.As much as there was really any differences to the modern mind between carnivals and circuses. Maybe this one was more like an amusement park like Cedar Point, Six Flags, Busch Gardens or Kennywood. They'd been rebuilding more than a year. There were flyers up here and there, quiet but present that the opening would be again soon. Björn walked carefully along the parameter of the place, looking at the structures and colors from afar. But will anyone come? Wasn't it the opening day then too? And then the opening day of Destiny Con. Why does anyone do anything in this city anymore. At least...I don't think there's any news of anything at here again. Not that he'd personally heard or seen through the news vines of the rank and file. Not as a captain. Björn paused and rested his forearms on one of the tiny fences, looking harder at the security measures that were visible to the naked eye. There was no doubt more that were invisible. "At least it was rebuilt. I wonder if it is still the original owner. I hope they didn't die last year. " It had all been awful. He'd never found the heart to check the papers after it, and didn't know how to go about finding old newspapers at libraries. That might involve...computers. Evil things with tiny, confusing keys. no no no.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:30 pm
A year was an intolerable time to wait for something, but when that something was something you had spent your entire life dreaming and planning for? Maybe not so long. Plus, you know... stuffing your extra time full of weird knight stuff helped somewhat. The rest of Elijah's time was spent full of probably what you'd expect... practice, training and working out. With everything rebuilt, there was no construction Chester could force him to do and thankfully, he had managed to avoid incurring the cleaning-the-animal-pens punishment for a while.
Coming around the corner, the lanky performer slowed his long-legged jog down to a loose trot as he found someone leaning on the fence, looking intent on what was inside of it. Protectiveness suddenly perked, Elijah assessed the stranger with a critical eye and found himself more impressed than he could have liked. He didn't like men like that, but damn... this guy was as tall as he was, a nice thing to see, and built like a bloody wall. Slowing to a walk as he puffed to catch his breath, the performer unconsciously flexed his own arms. Nice muscle definition, of course, but lacking all the bulk... which was the point, really, and he soothed himself with that thought.
And then an idea occurred and suddenly the tall man was all wide, toothy smiles as he pulled the towel out of his track pants' pockets to wipe his face down with as he approached.
"Oi!" He called out jovially, taking a swig from the water bottle he'd carried with him. "You're a bit early if you're looking to visit the carnival, mate."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:28 am
Björn had been thinking back to the large letters and colours of 'Fate' over the entrance to the place so long ago, the current structures and anyone here or there seeing to the maintenance had been reduced to the white noise of location. The call out brought him immediately back to the present, startling a moment to blink at the source before fully registering what he was seeing- a bean pole of a man approaching and mentioning the carnival. "Ja....no. No, I was not looking to visit. I did once, it was not a good experience. I saw the flyers. I stopped to be seeing what had come of the place. It is nice to see that it will be reopening. You work here?" There wasn't really any other plausible explanation for what the human flagpole could be doing on the other side of the fence, but that bit of logical elimination wasn't in Björn's strong suits.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 6:33 pm
The reminder of last year, of the attack, brought a wince to Elijah's face and he rubbed his towel against his mouth before he shrugged loosely. It seemed people still remembered that, and it was going to be a rather big step to over come to get people to come back. Chester knew it, as he did. Its why they were working so hard to get the place back up again.
But that was an unpleasant thing to think about. There were better things they could be talking about and the tall man plastered another wide smile on his face as he posed, one foot behind the other, arm around his stomach and the other outstretched as he bowed theatrically with a sweeping grace.
"Elijah King. Contortionist, Acrobat and Performer Extraordinaire!" He said as he rose from the deep bow, obviously enjoying the opportunity for an audience. "I do indeed work here! I am the finest performer this carnival has, actually, and the owner is a close, personal friend. I was just out for my daily run when I noticed a mountain of a man leaning on our poor old fence and thought I would stop to say hello." There was an obvious accent to the shape of his syllables, hinting his birthplace was England and not Destiny City. Some of the phrases were more American though.
Pacing closer with an easy, confident stride, Eli tapped a long finger against the side of his chin, eyeing the other man.
"How much can you lift?" He said with a playful look.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 6:47 pm
It was unusual to meet anyone in the same height bracket as himself that wasn't also a part of the strongman and highland games circuit- watching the self-proclaimed performer sketch a bow was surreal. Elijah looked unreal as he moved, and he hadn't even done anything particularly strange. It wasn't hard to believe he was a contortionist, and could probably to a lot more that was a lot weirder. Contortionists were pretzels. "It is nice to meet you, " he offered back, no flare offered other than standing straight from the fence so as not to be rude. "Björn Guildson." "How much depends on what sort of lift it is? My bench is 400lbs, squat 700lbs, dead lift 850lbs and leg press is 1400lbs..." Those were usually the stats that were pertinent to weight training, competitions and used as betting measures and talking points. "Why do you ask? "
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:18 pm
Björn? Go figure... the man looked every inch Scandinavian. That meant they were something of relocated neighbors... kindred spirits, even. Pacing to the fence, Elijah offered his long-fingered hand to the bear of a man to shake, the other waving dismissively.
"That's twice as much as I weigh. Brilliant." He said with a grin. "Its a real pleasure to meet you. I don't usually see men of your... caliber around town. There aren't really many people as interested in pushing their physical limitations as you and me. Do you lift professionally? Done any performance work? I'm sure you don't have all those muscles just for show."
Most of Elijah's career was solo work and that had always been how he'd liked it... no need to share the attention with anyone else. But... there were certain benefits to working with a partner. Stunts and poses you could perform that were impossible alone. There were always downsides, but the benefits... those were what had set the performer's head to spinning.
"I mean... you certainly look like someone who enjoys showing off for a crowd. Hearing the people cheer as you heft a... thing into the air." Or whatever it was strong men hefted. Bar bells? Rocks? Beautiful women? Mmm... there was a thought. "The lime light is the place to be, my friend."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 11:52 pm
"Aren't contortionists usually very small people?" Elijah was very....tall. He certainly seemed of the right basic build to be a pretzel, just not to fit into small boxes and barrels once pretzeled. "Not around Destiny City or most places. Power-lifting and strength athletics are not so popular anymore. I do compete in the Strongman qualifiers and Highland Games. I have done a little performance work, ja- like bending hearts out of bars or lifting people on benches for festivals." Listening to and watching the proverbial sugar plums around Elijah's head was somewhat of a clue-by-four, prompting the obvious question, "Are you....suggesting I try to get a job here? "
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 3:23 pm
Elijah straightened up with a frown as Björn called him out for his tall, lanky build, running a long fingered hand down over his flat stomach self-consciously. The frown didn't last long though as he broke out in a cocky grin, his head tilted as he swept the other man another elegant bow.
"You are an observant man." He quipped, brushing his braids back over his shoulders with a hand. "I fell in love with the circus as a young lad, before I knew to what grandiose height my growth would take me. It was once an obstacle to over come, but I like to think its a benefit, now. Its far more impressive when I can do the same things the tiny people do. If you were half your height, but able to lift the same amount, it would be more impressive too."
At the slow question, the performer's grin grew even wider and he threw his arms wide in a gesture of welcome.
"That is a brilliant idea! If you want to perform here with us, you have stumbled across the right person, let me tell you. I'm mates with the man in charge and I could introduce you to him right now, even. Imagine doing those... fun things, but every day for the enjoyment of the visitors, not just during festivals. And training would have that extra little oomph that comes from actually using your skills, rather than spending all that time in the gym for the short duration of a competition! And, on top of ALL of that, you'd get paid for it. Pretty sweet deal, if I do say so myself."
Oh dear, was this starting to sound a little snake oil salesman? Whatever. He could never do anything that wasn't large and theatrical.
"And if you're not sure about committing all at once, you could probably work part time, or give it a trial period. Chester is a reasonable man, quite personable, and he really cares about his employees." Well, as far as he could tell with that stoic countenance and gruff demeanor. He was positive Chester wouldn't say no to him, how could he? They were partners, if not in the way Meg had suggested. That still gave him the willies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 1:52 am
In many ways, Elijah's manner felt like Buddy. The grand gestures, the shifts in tone from quiet to loud and Very Important, the slightly too wide smiles. But really, it was only that Elijah was a showman that cued the blonde into the fact that maybe, just maybe, Buddy wasn't always being genuine when he was being just the same. Maybe Buddy is acting? ....I don't think Elijah thinks lifting is fun."I have a job, I'm afraid. With a delivery crew. It is not so bad, it is a lot of lifting and the owner of the shop is very easy on the eyes." Which had all its own truths, despite being a gentle excuse for not jumping at offers to meet the very owner of Fate. Working for Alex had nice perks not involved in the paycheck, both for the negaverse and for enjoyment "I'm sure...Mr. Chester is very busy. You do not already have a strongman? It is a very usual sideshow to have. "
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:01 pm
The tall performer's face fell at the polite refusal, but the smile was back in moments and he reached to clap the blonde on the shoulder in a friendly way.
"That's a shame, but to each their own! The life of a performer is not for everyone. If you enjoy what you're doing, then that is all that really matters!" There were no hard feelings, even if he was disappointed. He'd taken an opportunity and it hadn't panned out, those things happened. "Busy or not, Chester would have made time for me, he always does. Hopefully you'll still come and visit us when we open, though! I'll expect to see you in the crowd."
Elijah tossed him a wink before he shrugged, throwing his hands into the gesture. "We had a strong man for a while, back when we first opened, but he was a little put off by the attack, and then when it took so long to rebuild and reopen, he decided he was better off looking for employment elsewhere. Chester is doing hiring now in preparation, but we haven't filled that particular role yet. That, and I'm always on the look out for likely talent, you know... just to help out things."
Putting it like that, part of Eli wondered why he had stuck around as long as he had... pure stubbornness maybe? That rose-tinted, hopeful view of the future that someday Chester would get off his lazy a** an reopen? Some strange sense of loyalty to a place he'd performed at only a single day before everything had gone to hell? It was hard to say. Maybe it was that Chester was a knight, and as Eli was one, he felt a need to stay near someone who seemed to know what the hell they were doing in this crazy powered up life. Whatever it was, the thought of leaving the Carnival was not something that had ever really occurred to him. Everyone should be so fortunate, or at least he thought, to have a place like this to call 'home'. Why would he leave it?
Standing around like this in a middle of a work out was making Eli's body cool and he could feel it in the slow loss of that elastic state he was used to when he was warmed up. Reluctant, however, to give up someone friendly to talk to, the performer began to stretched his arms over his chest, one by one, pulling on the shoulders to loosen them back up. Knees were next, ankles grasped in his hands to pull them tight.
"We've got most of the grunt work filled out now. Kids needing summer jobs, and all, but the specialists, the performers and what not, are harder to come by."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 11:50 pm
"You could look at the highland games. There are many strong competitors there. Or the gym." There weren't many of Björn's exact size and weight bracket, but there were some. A state search would go farther. There must be some way that people interested in circuses looked for them to begin with. How has they found the first guy to begin with, after all. Leaving the city altogether...it seems a smarter choice. Why have so many stayed? It is not easy to move, but it has been years. And it is better than dying. With how young the senshi are...would it be better or worse that it spread them out to move with their families? It seems like it would make them easier to hunt down in small pockets. Like the great nobles with hounds hunting rabbits.
It is not so happy a thought. When his attention landed back on the performer, Björn blinked at the rubber limbs going much, much too far this way and that. "I..." "I keep you from your work. I am sorry to bother you. Good luck, Mr. King. If I find anyone likely at the gym, I'll point them yours...or...Mr. Chester's way." He backed slowly, turning to side to go along the walk by the fence again as he'd come, but lifting a hand politely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 12:48 am
The look the tall blonde had on his face when Elijah noticed him watching the stretching was so classic to what the contortionist saw on so many other faces that he couldn't help a wide grin. Not everyone got weirded out by his hyper extension, but the few who did were hilariously funny to watch. It had been years now that the performer had been practicing his craft and he could hardly remember what it was like to look at the poses and wonder how a body could bend like that without breaking.
The hastily forced out farewell had Eli grinning even wider and he raised an arm to wave as Björn turned to go.
"Make sure you come back when the circus is open! Bring friends!" The Brit waved as he leaned over the fence, tickled despite the disappointment of losing a possible strong man. "The show will knock your socks off!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
