Big Top Blues
Cap'n Coree
Mugen muttered curses under his breath as he weaved his way through the tents to his destination. Upon entering the brightly colored tent he nearly passed out due to the overwhelming funk of animals. He scanned the tent for the "Jet" fellow he was suppose to be meeting there, but in the dimly lit tent it was hard to see much at all.
Suddenly a flame sparked, and lantern was lit, and from out of the shadows it seemed, a rather tall man stepped out. His skin was dark. At least ten shades darker then Mugens. He had a spiraling white design painted around his eye, curving down onto his cheek. He seemed to be made of muscle. Every part of him was well defined, not bulging or disgusting, but gracefully so. He was unlike anything Mugen had ever seen before, and for a moment Mugen was afraid.
"You Jet?" Mugen asked, breaking the silence.
"Mmh. Jet is the name these circus people have come to call me due to the hue of my skin. Back home I was known as Enzo."
"So which is it? Enzo or Jet?" Mugen asked, placing a on his hip lazily, not wanting to appear intimidated by the strange mans stature.
"Which would you prefer?"
"Enzo sounds fine to me, I mean if its your name its your name. I never was too keen on nicknames." Immediately the large mans face broke into a smile, and he placed a heavy hand on Mugen's shoulder.
"Neither am I," he laughed, "Mugen is it? I've already heard you caused quite the commotion today. News travels fast here. I don't like many people here, but I'm fond of your friend Fuu, and that Valjean fellow."
"Hmph." Mugen huffed.
"Well, lets get you to work. You're going to be cleaning up the animal dung today, eh?" Enzo said regarding the broom and bucket in Mugen's hand. "Here," he held out a small wooden cylinder with a split up the middle, "You're going to need this."
Mugen took it in his own hand and examined it, "What the heck is this for?"
"It's a clothes pin. Put it on your nose." Mugen pried the prongs apart and stuck it on his nose. The squeeze was hurt, and he couldn't breathe out of his nose.
"Exactly what does this do?"
"Keeps the smell out." Mugen shrugged and Enzo waved a hand at the stalls surrounding them.
"Here is where we keep the horses, camels, donkeys. Anything with hooves basically. You won't be expected to clean after the lions, tigers and bears. (oh my) Only I'm trusted to do that, since I am use to them. Start here then come find me."
Mugen grunted and opened the first stall. The animals were already removed, standing in the a fenced in circle in the middle of the tent, and all Mugen had to do was shovel loads of hay, and other more sickening contents into his bucket. Then when it was full he'd empty the bucket, load the stalls with more clean hay, and move on to the next. It took hours to finish, and it was nearly noon when he shoveled out the last stall, his back aching, his clothes caked with dirt. He stumbled over to Enzo, heaving and looked at him hopefully.
"Well, that only leaves the elephants.."
Mugen's limbs froze in fear. "Ele-ele-elephants?" He stuttered.
"Yes, my friend, the elephants. You know the large gray beasts with the long noses?"
"I have to clean up after them?" Mugen asked in disbelief. Enzo grinned, and nodded.
"Why, of course. But I have to say, you're going to need a bigger bucket." Mugen cursed and threw his bucket down on the ground. "Calm down, sit and eat with me first." Mugen huffed, dropping to a squat next to Enzo. Enzo passed him a bowl of red rice, and despite the fact that Mugen's stomach was churning from working with such disgusting material, he dug into the food with gusto.
After reluctantly passing the bowl back to Enzo, Mugen pulled out a large cart as he was instructed and wheeled it out of the tent to where the elephants were being kept. It was outside, so Mugen assumed it wouldn't stink as much as the indoors, but the elephant smelled thousands of times worse then the smaller animals within. The elephants, also unlike the smaller animals, were not removed from their holding pins, so Mugen had to clean around them.
Not even the magic clothespin protected Mugen from stench of the elephant dung…
"Mother fucker," Mugen cursed at one large elephant that chose the exact moment Mugen had cleaned the last mound of shit to release a whole new load. His aching arms pushed the now-reeking broom and sweeped it up into the pail before he emptied it into the overflowing cart next to him. Carefully Mugen pushed it, wheeling it out of the holding pen to the site designated for its disposal, avoiding any bumps or dips that might cause its contents to come plummeting down atop his head.
Just why was he doing this again?
Life on the road hadn't been this miserable had it? Sure every now and then he went hungry but what was the price of his meal now? His dignity? What little dignity he had left that is..
Suddenly he recalled how soft Fuu had been in her sleep, and he passed off the pains in his stomach as products of hard work. He had been lonely. He didn't want to admit it. Whores, food, fights, none of them seemed as fulfilling as the had before. He need companionship. So much so as he started paying for women's time as much as their favors. But it didn't fill the void.
Mugen was dismissed by Enzo, who told him to find Big Al the next morning to see what he needed to do then. Enzo explained that often, all new comers started off where Mugen was at, and then Al would test them in a few other areas. If he found something that fit, then they would be free from dung-duty forever, and if not, well then…
"So you couldn't do anything?"
"I could, I am a fire breather for the show, but my heart belongs with the animals."
"Good luck to ya." Mugen said, tossing the clothespin to Enzo. "See ya around."
Enzo grunted, and waved as Mugen retreated towards Fuu's tent.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Fuu hollered as Mugen went to climb through the tent.
"Al said-"
"Well you aren't coming in here covered in that." Fuu said.
"Well what am I suppose to do?" Mugen snapped, too tired to care that he was covered in mud and other goopy smelly substances.
"Take a bath and wash your clothes, duh!"
"And where do I do that?"
"Huff, wait here." Fuu said, pushing past him, careful not to come in contact with him at all. "And don't touch anything. Don't think of going inside." Mugen waited while Fuu disappeared, the returned carrying several white fluffy towels, a bar of soap, and what looked like a balled up robe. Fuu lead Mugen to a lake several yards away. She stopped a foot away from the stream and looked at him sternly.
"Okay, strip." Mugen looked at her, shocked and she pointed to a large basin with a roaring fire beneath it, and several yards of rope tied across the lower branches of trees, clothes hanging here and there. "You want your clothes washed don't you? Jeez, who knew you were so shy." She tossed him the robe and turned around, tapping her foot. "I won't peek or anything-"
Suddenly Mugen's clothes came plummeting at her head. She screamed as she peeled the filthy garments off herself.
"MUGEN- YOU-" There came a splash from the lake and Fuu turned around to see the robe laying dejectedly on the ground. Fuu sighed, stretching her neck to look at the back of her kimono and shoulder and- oh no, her hair!
She chucked the bar of soap at Mugen, and it plopped into the lake. Then she dropped the towels on the ground and crouched behind the basin, stripping off her own clothes to dip them in the water with Mugen's. Peeking over the basin she assured herself that Mugen was too busy soaking in the water to see her, quickly she darted from behind the basin, a devilish look in her eyes as she gathered the rags off the ground, and plummeted into the lake.
Mugen spun around quickly, but too late, as Fuu seized the soap and rag, scrubbing them together to collect a nice foam. Then she began to rub the rag roughly against Mugen's face and hair.
"Ah- FUU what are you- Pffft that was my mouth-"
"Good- that's just as dirty as the rest of you," she said, scrubbing Mugen's back and shoulders now, daring to reach under water to scrub the his lower back. Mugen squealed as she dipped dangerously low to his backside, and seized her hands.
"FUU! You're turning into a heathen!" he shrieked. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"
"Making sure you're clean so you don't stink up my tent."
"This isn't like you," he scolded, glaring at her. She was sunk up to her neck in the water, and even though she was completely hidden, Mugen found the idea of her being completely nude in the water with him oddly exciting.
"Well, more often then not a lot of the camp bathes at the same time. Sometimes you have such a tight schedule you can't worry about silly things such as men and women bathing together." Fuu shrugged, smacking Mugen with the soapy rag.
Mugen snatched the rag out of Fuu's hand swiftly and proceeded to scrub it against her viciously as she had done to him, knocking her hair out of it's loose knot. She squirmed, but her went right on rubbing, until her face and neck were blotching red from the abuse.
"MUUUUGEN!" she shouted, pushing his hands away, "I'm not like you, I don't need help bathing." She huffed, dunking her head under the water to rinse of the soap clinging to her hair and face, and swam towards the shore. Mugen watched as she emerged, hoping to catch a glimpse of-
"HEY- No fair!" Mugen shouted, "What was all that crap about men and women bathing together- you're still in your bindings!" Fuu stuck her tongue out at him over her shoulder.
"I might trust most of my co-workers," she said, "but I know you, Mugen." Mugen huffed, and watched as she bent over to pick up the robe on the ground, admiring the slight curve of her back before she wrapped it around herself and moved to the basin to hang stir their clothes then hang them on the rope hanging from the trees.
"I'm going to talk to Al and pull some strings to make sure you don't get dung-duty again." She called, "I may have to let you sleep in my tent, but I don't need you stinking it up. I'm heading back now, you coming?"
"I think I'll stay here for a bit," he replied.
"Alright, but not too much longer, we have to practice tomorrow, and we need to wake up bright and early and find a job that will suit you."
Fuu disappeared, leaving Mugen to soak in peace. Even though the water was cold and clammy, Mugen felt deliciously warm. Warmer then he had felt in quite awhile..
"but I know you, Mugen"
He grinned, dipping himself in the water up to his chin, blaming this elated feeling on the fact that he wouldn't have to clean those wretched stalls again.
AN : I'm trying to write shorter chapters so I can update more often, and stretch the story out a little longer. So far I have a pretty good idea of how I want the story to progress, but there are some blank spots I still need to fill in. Tell me what you think.