Big Top Blues
cap'n coree
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A mile of old people strech from the parking lot to the counter, howling for their senior coffee, but too anxious to give the poor girl behind the cash register any time to make it. Cap'n Coree stood behind the counter, her brain fried from working a nine hour shift the day before only to have to return home, go to sleep and do it all over again. Currently she was staring past the line of old people at the t.v. in the lobby, pondering the question a fellow co-worker had asked earlier.
"How old do you thing the host of the Price is Right is..." she asked no one in particular, staring at the prune as he motioned to set of numbers on the screen, causing the young house-wife contestant to emit shrill squeals. After giving it a great deal of thought Cap'n Coree decided that he must be the highlander, and he was being awfully full of himself to flaunt his unnatural lifespan on television. The Captin resolves to hunt him down and kill him, after all, there can only be one!
Now the old woman behind the counter is swinging her purse at the Captin's head, and her manager is looking murderous...
"Hello, Welcome to Mc. Donalds can I take your order?"
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Thats not the right story!
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When Mugen woke up, the camp was buzzing with activity, people were shouting, things were being slammed, picked up, moved, and then slammed to the ground again. Mugen looked around the tent, Fuu had left already, and he exited the tent, certian he wouldn't get anymore sleep with the noise outside. Outside two large men, obviously not Japanese, were heaving boxes towards the large tent.
"Ye lookin fer Fuu?" one asked gruffly, struggling to keep the box up.
"Yeah." he replied, watching them lazily.
"She's that way," he said, trying to motion towards the tent with his head.
"What way?" Mugen asked, blatantly trying to cause trouble. The dim witted man took the bait, removing his hand to point to the large tent.
"That way-" suddenly there was a large crash as the box tumbled out of their hands.
"You fucking moron, blimey can't ye keep ahold of nothing ye fucking wanker?"
"Oi, don't call me a fucking moron, ye dirty bastard."
Mugen smirked, and waved goodbye.
"Thanks." he called over his shoulder, leaving the two to bicker and pick up the contents alone.
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He pushed his way into the tent to find it just as busy and crowded as the outside camp. People were practicing acts, while in the middle the short man with the handlebar mustache barked orders.
"Okay, a little faster now, Isabella, faster!" he commanded, staring at the swings. Fuu was standing ontop of one of the ladders, watching with disdain as the other girl was swinging.
"FASTER!" Al shouted in frustration, as she tried to swing hard enough to reach the other bar, "Come on- the audience would be asleep by now."
"Maybe you could swing faster if you kept ze legs closed," a wiry girl with mousy brown hair called from the bottom of the ladder. Fuu tried to keep from laughing and waved to the girl at the bottom. Isabella kicked her legs in rage, and finally managed to swing fast enough where she could flip to the next bar.
Mugen eyed the tiny girl at the bottom of the ladder, swearing he had never seen someone so unattractive, her hair was a mess, and she was dressed in a gaudy yellow outfit with orange lace hanging off of it. She almost looked like a littler version of Fuu, with everything downsized. Mugen swore he'd never see boobs smaller then Fuu's, but this girl had proven him wrong. Maybe thats how girls were over seas, but Isabella had a pretty nice pair, in Mugen's opinion atleast. At the moment the little girl was complaining about the size.
"Non, Isabella, you are juzt not built for it, eh? Ze breasts they get in ze way. Tu est grande, non? Too big." she was shouting, obviously trying to get on the older girls nerves.
She had the same annoying voice that that Valjean boy had. Mugen imagined that if Fuu had a child with that Frenchie, this would be their child. Instantly, he disliked her.
"AL! TELL SOPHIE TO SHUT UP!" Al shot the girl a stern look, but Mugen thought all it did was make him look more so silly.
"Sophie, what did I tell you about making fun of Isabella and her eh- well you know what I'm saying."
Sophie shrugged, "I am juzt trying to help."
"Sophie is right," Al called, "you're still so sloppy, theres no way you can go on tonight. It'll have to be Fuu. "
"But thats not fair-"
"Can't be helped. We'll just have to skip out on the parts that would take two."
"Juzt as well, she might have an what-you-call accident? Drop Fuu -kaboom- right to the ground." Sophie raised her voice a few notches in a bad imitation of the busty girl climbing down the ladder, "OH- Sorry Fuu I am juzt so big breazted I cannot see past my own chest, non? Ohohoh Looks like I will be ze one that does the shows-" Suddenly she was being shaken violently by the older woman, her head rolling from side to side.
"ISABELLA!" Al shouted, jumping up and down while waving his hands in the air. "ISABELLA! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT ABUSING SOPHIE! ISABELLA!" Al began to shout a stream of words Mugen couldn't understand, but evidently, Isabella did, because she dropped the child on the ground and stalked off.
"This is bullshit Al, total bullshit. I could just be as good as Fuu, better, if that old bitch would have favoured me."
Al sighed and watched Isabella walk away, "Fuu, could you start training Sophie now? The way things are going Isabella may never make it to the trapeze."Sophie let out a squeal of joy and climbed up the ladder to stand next to Fuu who took a wooden swing in her hand and began to talk to her, too quiet for Mugen to hear. Only then did Al notice him.
"Oh it's you- Muu.. Muujonji-nin-tu? I'm sorry, these Japanese names, so many odd sounds, you'll have to help me out the first few days-" Mugen thought a guy with the name Alfredo should not be telling him about odd sounds in names.
"It's Mugen."
"Ah-yes." He thumped himself in the head lightly, "I forget so easily sometimes. Well, lets get to work Mugen, let's find you a job." Al motioned for him to follow and lead Mugen around to seperate stations. "Here we have the clowns, who are for humor purposes mostly, perhaps we could dye your hair red-"
"No." Mugen said firmly, and Al looked disapointed, and lead him to the next, "Here we have the animals, you could-" Valjean stood by the trained bear, and shot him a dirty look which was Mugen returned, a whip clenched in his pale right hand.
"No." he repeated. Thus to the next station, and to the next. "The fire breathers?" Enzo stood with a torch in either hand and a jug of some strong smelling liquid.
"Here, " Enzo said handing him the jug, "put this in your mouth, but don't swallow." Mugen eyed the bottle.
"Can I get the clothespin again?" Enzo laughed but shook his head, and Mugen tilted the bottle to his mouth. The instant the liquid touched his lips, he spit it out again.
"NO!" he gasped, still spitting on the dirt floor. Enzo waved goodbye, before sloshing the stuff himself and bringing the torch to his mouth to shoot a splay of flames.
He was no good at juggling, he refused to bend his body into odd shapes.They approached the strong men, the two Mugen had hassled on his way in, and they were still bickering too much to notice either Al or Mugen. This time, however it was about who could lift the most weight. Al decided Mugen didn't have the build for it anyhow. Nothing seemed to suit Mugen, and it was driving Al crazy.
"Well, you can always clean the stalls-"
"Not a chance."
"Well then what can we do with you," Al paused to look up at Sophie, who was already swinging better then Isabella had, and looked at Fuu as she coached her on the methods it took.
"Legs tight, straight out, bend as you flip, don't let go of the bar too early or late. Just feel the motion of the speed and height with your body- you'll know. Lean forward and back to increase speed, always keep the legs together, not sprawled like Isabella- good good, now feel it? Trying jumping to the next bar, nothing fancy, just jump, just let go and grab the other-"
Sophie was hesitating, and Mugen didn't blame her, even though there was a net now spread out beneath the high swings, for practice, it was still quite a fall.
"Well, Fuu does need a partner, and Sophie is too young," Al's was thinking very quickly, seeing things Mugen could not in the not so distant future, "and with a male and female we could do alot more- act out those talkes everyone is so fond of hearing-" Suddenly he was very exicted, "An epic romance performed by on our very own flying trapeze!" Mugen's stomache lurched, and it is to be debated wether it was over the thought of swinging so high up, or acting out a romance with Fuu.
"I-"
"It's this or the stalls..:
"I'll do it!" Mugen said, admitting defeat. No free meals, as it were, and swinging up there and pretending to love Fuu must be better then elephant shit. Perhaps.
"Fuu," Al called, "It's seems there is another option. Sophie looked down at Al with a mixture of relife, and disappointment."Mugen, get up there, Sophie, you've done enough for the day." Sophie returned to the platform and scurried down while Mugen climbed the opposite ladder to reach Fuu.
"Oh-it's you," she sighed. Suddenly her tone became brisk and buisness like."Okay, well, being up here is kinda like dancing, or I suppose fighting for you, you've just got to feel it and depend on your reflexs to get you through, you're instinct. Once you get use to the feel of it, you develop techinque." She grabbed the bar that was dangling a few feet away. "Take it in your hands, just feel it." Mugen did what he was told, the reminder of the smell or fresh dung urging him to listen.
He stood there gripping it for some time, unsure of what to do.
"Are you use to the feel of it?"
"Yeah."
"Hold it like this," she said, rearranging his hands, "hold it tight, but not too tight."
Mugen held it as she instructed, unsure if it were tight or too tight, but just wishing he could get off this platform-
"Use to it now?"
"Yes!" he snapped, losing a little patience.
"Good," Fuu said, and pushed him, suddenly he lost contact with solid ground and was dangling in the air, stuck to the bar. He felt his hands begin to slip and he began to cuss at Fuu viciously.
Then his fingers slipped completley, and he began to fall. It was as if he lost all feeling in his body, he couldn't even work his mouth or lungs to scream. The air was passing by him, through him, and he was helpless.
Suddenly the net caught him, bouncing after the wieght of his body struck it. He stood, his legs wobbling, the net bobbing, and glared at Fuu.
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?"
"Everyone falls, you have to learn to, so you know how not to." she explained, as if that made it perfectly okay to shove him off the platform. "Climb back up."
Mugen reluctantly did so, relying on Fuu to know what she was talking about, that she wasn't going to get him killed. She lead him through the process again, but this time he didn't fall.
"Good Mugen!" She cheered. "Now, put you're legs together. Tighter. Tighter. Okay, now swing them back and forth, harder, faster. Alright. Keep building up speed. Legs straight! Tighter together. Tighter.."
Mugen followed instructions for what seemed hours, before she finally thought he was getting adept at swinging.
"Okay, now when you reach the top of this swing, jump to the next- just feel for it in your body,if you think the timing it wrong do not let go- it is crucial to get the timing right, but that I can't help you with, it's different for all of us, all of our bodys are diffrent, and they fly differently."
"Or fall." Mugen grumbled. But he did as he was told, and tried to find the 'timing' inside himself. He felt the swing peak, and he released the bar, swinging his legs up and forward, he spun in midair, bottom over top, and was feared he was going to fall and break his neck.
Fuu let out a small gasp of suprise as his hands wrapped themselves around the second bar, and pressed a hand against her chest.
"Mugen! You- That- You shouldn't try stuff like that right away-" she gasped.
Mugen himself, was panting, staring at his hands in disbelife. He could have sworn he was done for- but there he was hanging from the bar, whole, and once more, it had been almost enjoyable. Mugen began to laugh until the swing shook with the force of it.
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When Mugen and Fuu were finally dismissed, it was late. They got one break at mid-day to eat and drink, but other then that it had been plain work. Mugen was catching on quick, even Fuu admitted, he almost caught on as fast as she did. Mugen was dripping sweat, and when he looked at Fuu, her body illuminated by the moon, and the few lanterns hung about camp, he could see the sweat coating her as well. It was hard work, Fuu had to show him alot of the harder moves, and they had even gotten into a few of the moves that take pairs. It wasn't a bad look for her, especially since she was still in costume and it clung to her damp form even tighter then before.
"So- you in the mood for another bath?" Mugen asked, streching his sore limbs.
"I'd like to grab something to eat first-"
"And drink." Mugen added."Nothing fills a man up after a hard day at work like a nice bottle of sake."
Fuu rolled her eyes, "Like you would know anything about hard work." Mugen snorted and stripped off his shirt, his coat already tied around his waist, and twisted it to wring out the sweat in reply. "Gross, you do need a bath."
"Pssh, look whose talking."
Fuu scurried into her tent for a moment, leaving Mugen outside, before coming back outside wearing a bathing robe, carrying a bottle under one arm, and a bundle of towels in the other."
"Come on, I'll show you where to get food."She said, leading him to a rather large white tent. Behind it a bonfire was roaring, and several people stood around with sticks, the smell of roasting meat wafting through the air.
Fuu and Mugen entered and a cheerful plump man greeted them.
"Ah, Fuu, what would you like?"
"Dumplings, please, two orders." Fuu said, motioning towards Mugen.
"Alright," the man said. Tables were set up, but only a few people were eating at them. The man disappeared behind a screen set between the "dining room" and the "kitchen". After a few moments he came back out carrying two trays of dumplings which he handed over to Mugen
"Thank you, Micheal." She said as Mugen took the trays. They left, heading for the lake. Fuu told Mugen to set the trays down by the lake, and afterwards, handed him the towels and bottle, the first he dropped on the ground, the latter he clung to.
"Okay." she said, placing her hands on her hips.
"Okay what?"
"Turn around." Mugen snorted and turned away from her, the russle of clothes teasing his ears, then the splash as she entered the water. When he turned around she was in the water, with one of the trays in one hand, already eating.
"Mmm yum, Micheal really knows how to cook."
Mugen heaved his shorts to his ankles and kicked them off, then made his way to the lake. He lowered himself into the water next to her, not caring that she squealed and covered her eyes, and began to guzzle the bottle of sake. After downing a nice amount he passed the bottle on to Fuu, who did likewise, and picked up his own tray.
"Jeez, " Mugen cracked his neck, "sure takes a toll on yeh. Don't think I've been this sore since, well, Nagasaki."
Fuu shot him a worried look, afraid it might be too much for him, and he'd run off again. "You get use to it." Mugen began to try and rub the ache out of the muscles, when suddenly his hand bumped into another.
Fuu was rubbing tiny circles into his spine, working carefully, but pressing hard. Mugen let out a small groan, letting his arms fall to his side and Fuu paused for a moment. "Don't stop." he commanded. "The shoulders." She consented, lifting both of her hands to either shoulder, rubbing the ache out of them. Mugen's head dropped forward and he picked up the bottle to drink out of it once more, and Fuu paused to do the same. His head was buzzing, from the sake or the backrub, it was hard to tell. Fuu touched a sensitive spot on the back of Mugen's neck and he let out a loud growl of pleasure, sinking back into her. She was standing behind him now, her hands working his back, lower and lower, and Mugen was begining to feel dangerously good.
"Remember back in Nagasaki..." Fuu said as she rubbed his lower side, her fingers brushing his stomache every now and then.
"How could I forget?" Mugen asked.
"At the crossroads.." she went on, tracing a path over his spine, causing him to shiver slightly. Mugen picked up the sake bottle, but offered it to Fuu first, before guzzling half its contents. A pleasant blush was creeping into Fuu's cheeks, thanks to the sake, and Mugen was pretty sure she'd be wasted soon, which had its good and bad points, depending.
"While I walked away," she said after drinking more from the bottle and continuing to rub his back, starting at the shoulders once more, "that one of you would follow me, chase after me. I walked so slow- waiting to hear one of you coming back to get me."
"Mmm." Mugen replied, melting beneath the firm hands on his shoulders working their way up his neck into his hair.
"But neither of you did. I just didn't want it to end. I suppose, though, I needed to find my own way in life. I couldn't have you guys there to always pick me up." Mugen tried to listen to what she was saying, after all she wasn't bitching, infact her voice sounded almost like a purr at the moment. It was probablly important. "When I found this place it was unreal. The circus. Lady Elizabeth took to me right away and showed me the tight rope, and the trapeze. It was the most amazing feeling, being up there, all those strangers watching, cheering. It made me feel beautiful.." She paused for a moment, before running her hands through his hair, massaging his head.
Suddenly Mugen was aware that despite the cold water, the massage was having a very undesirable effect on him. It couldn't be- Fuu was giving him a- no it wasn't possiable, but he could feel it. His whole body was tingling, and he was afraid that if it didn't stop soon-
"It's the best feeling in the world Mugen, all those people, the applause."
Mugen moaned, before agreeing that it was, indeed the best feeling in the world. Fuu retracted her hands, suddenly embaressed.
"Are you alright Mugen?" Mugen sunk into the water, unable to explain what was taking place. Fuu was just to naive, just too innocent, but then why would she be touching him like that? Talking in such a low, seductive voice.
"I- uh- I didn't mean to leave you at the crossroads- I mean, if I had known you wanted me to-" he said lamely, turning to meet Fuu's eyes.
"It's alright Mugen. Like I said, I couldn't have you guys baby me all the time. I needed to grow up."
"You still seem like the same old Fuu to me." Mugen said, except before she wasn't this- what was it about her now, that was making him delierious?
"Thanks." Fuu said, sinking in the water to be level with him before throwing her arms around him in gratitude, "that means alot to me too. You're just like I remember you too, Mugen. I'm so afraid that you're going to take off again." Fuu's wet body was pressing against Mugen's own, only she still, as the day before, had bindings on. Mugen was worried she'd find something she shouldn't and tried to scooch away from her, but his arms weren't listening and proceeded to wrap themselves around Fuu's waist. His head fit in between her shoulder and neck like it was made to rest there, and he buried lips into the tender soft flesh resting therein.
"Mugen-" Fuu cried, alarmed, but Mugen merely pressed a hand against her back to gain more access to her neck and shoulders. Fuu was pushing him off, more blush rising in her cheeks and Mugen pulled away.
"Wassa matter?" he replied, honestly confused.
"It's just- you- I- ah. ." Fuu looked around for any excuse- "I'm getting tired, I better go." She scrambled out of the water, leaving Mugen disappointed and alone.
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AN of no particular importance, just Cap'n rambling because she has no real friends to talk to.
Ah the cap'n is getting a new job at a Wendys. Meaning she has to confront the scary manager and tell her "I quit." Problem is, half of me, some twisted crazy half, will miss that job. Watching the above mentioned price is right while talking to Kita.. sigh, good times. But a boy from school that isn't partial to me at all got a job there, you see, Cap'n has this habit of getting picked on by the not so intelligant fellows at school, and talking circles around them until they don't know how they've been insulted, but they know they've been insulted. Or my favourite:
Boy With Upside Down Ears: Look at yer shoes, them some big ass boots. You look retarded wearing mismatch socks.
Cap'n: Yeah, well atleast my ears aren't on upside down.
Boys friends: Hahahahah she got you, you're ears do look like they be on upside downs.
B. W. U. D. E.: Shut up.
Plus I have friends at Wendys and the promise not so erratic work hours, the point of this: I will be able to write again! UNLESS THEY LIED! Yay
And Cap'n has the "roasting" skills.
Thanks to everyone who helped or showed support after mohawk man messed up the comp. He shaved off his mohawk though, I saw it coming.