The ice lolly was cool and refreshing, a much needed salve from the heat of the midday. It had a sort of sparkle to it, a sensation not unlike something fizzing in your mouth, but in a very pleasant way, like a bottle of soda. Not exactly surprising - the wrapper did say it tasted like lemonade. Ithan quietly sucked on the lolly, letting it rest in his mouth as he sat on one of the benches in the shade, watching the people go by. The bumper cars crashed noisily behind him, people yelling and whooping as they bumped into each other. Some distance away, rave music played as the waltzer ride started up again, the seats spinning around so fast Ithan had to wonder how much time they had to spend cleaning up vomit from people who weren’t so used to the ride.
He pulled the lolly out of his mouth, and licked it. Probably best not to think about vomit while he was eating.
The local carnival was in full swing. Ithan had decided to take advantage of the opportunity and spend a day at the fair - unfortunately, it seemed like he had inadvertently chosen the hottest day of the damn year to have his little outing. It was absolutely boiling, even within the shade, and it seemed like there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t having trouble with the heat - tired-looking women with crying babies resting on their hips, overweight dads, burned lobster-red by the sun and drenched in sweat. The workers seemed okay, with their stalls being air conditioned, but everyone else was overheating.
Ithan felt something cool and wet drip down his hand, and he looked down at it - his lolly was melting! He’d better finish it up quick. He quickly put it back in his mouth, biting down on the flavoured ice, and chewing it in his mouth. It was soft, but pleasantly crunchy, and it cooled his head down a little bit, but he felt like he would either need to eat a lot more ice cream, or get out of the sun entirely to avoid dying from heat exhaustion. The second one seemed like the least expensive option.
He stood up, looking around for somewhere he could go inside and get out of the sun proper, which was a little difficult. Almost everything in the carnival seemed to be outside - their main rollercoaster, the ferris wheel, all the rides and stalls seemed to be outside. Unfortunately, it seemed Ithan would have to move from his little cove of shade beside the bumper car ride, and start moving around the carnival.
As he moved out of the shadows and into the light of the sun, one could better see his appearance. He didn’t exactly have an impressive amount of height - hardly an unusual size for his age, 5’5”, but it didn’t make him stand out much. Ithan kind of liked it that way. He wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of a being a noticeable person, he was happier to blend into the background, and the rest of his appearance spoke to that. His dark hair was cut pretty short, coming down to the nape of his neck at most. The silver steel, square glasses he wore gave him a little bit of style, bringing out his dark brown eyes a little bit.
His outfit for today was pretty casual - it had to be, with all the heat. A plain white t-shirt, with a little red logo on the breast - he couldn’t remember what brand it was for, he didn’t really care all that much about who was what in clothing brands. It didn’t cling too tightly to him, his kind of skinny shape allowing the shirt to hang a little loosely, so air could flow through it - if there was air to flow. Part of why it was so hot today was because of the lack of wind. His pants were light blue, loose and comfortable, held on by a brown leather belt - he’d thought about wearing jeans, but it was probably a good thing he hadn’t, considering the heat. Shorts probably would’ve been better, though. At least the brown sandals had been a good choice. Wearing trainers in this heat would’ve been a nightmare.
As he wandered the carnival, nothing looked particularly appealing just yet. The rides all seemed a bit too intense for his level of excitement - maybe later in the day he’d enjoy them, but right now, he just wanted to take it slow. Build it up slowly, really get into it before he started the stuff that rolled and pitched you every which way. Something where he could just sit down, and take in a spectacle. They had to have some sort of chilled out show he could watch, didn’t they?
His eye was drawn towards the big top arena that was the centerpiece of the carnival. It was sort of inevitable - everything about the layout of the venue was intentionally designed to lead the customer’s eye towards it. The lanes of stalls and rides all lead towards the big top, and it was the biggest structure in the area, its spire towering above anything else - except the rollercoaster, but that was far enough away that it didn’t detract from the big top’s height. It was a pretty stereotypical peppermint colour, the vertical stripes of red and white leading the eye up to the spire, but Ithan knew from previous experience that night time was when it really came alive. The whole thing would be lit up with spotlights, and fireworks would go off, letting everyone know it was time for the biggest show to begin.
It would probably be pretty cool in there. Problem was, he wasn’t sure if it was really open to the public yet. He’d certainly never seen anyone going in during the day, that he could remember, but then he’d hardly spent his entire day watching. Maybe they had smaller stuff going on during the day? It wouldn’t hurt to check. He began walking down the lane, towards the large tent.
He tried to keep to the side of the lane that was in the most shadow, but it didn’t really do much to keep the heat off his back. The sun was still high in the sky, almost blazing directly down on everyone. He could feel his shirt starting to get stained by the sweat, and the lolly he was still working on was only melting quicker and quicker. Screw it, Ithan thought to himself, biting up the rest of it and chewing it in his mouth, leaving only the stick. As he passed by a bin, he tossed the stick in, and rushed as fast as he could will his body to go in the humidity of the day.
Before long enough, though, he was approaching the big top, and it was dawning on him, again, just how big the damn thing was. Even the low entrance seemed to tower above the visitors to the carnival, that it would take 5 men standing on each other’s shoulders to reach up to it. Ithan looked into the entranceway. It was certainly open, and there wasn’t any sign up saying that he couldn’t enter, but still...with the way the lights inside were turned off, it was hard to really see anything past the entrance, and no-one really seemed to be going in. Ithan looked around, trying to see if there was anyone…official-looking around, but he couldn’t really see anyone.
A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead, and fell in his eye. He blinked, lifting his glasses up to wipe it out. That was it. He didn’t care if he was trespassing. He needed to get out of this heat, even if it was just for a minute. He walked forward with determination across the grass, and entered the shade of the big top. The noise of the carnival seemed to fade as he entered the shade. Ithan immediately felt a lot cooler, reasoning they must have something to air condition the place. It was a nice, relaxing coolness, and he took a moment to stand still and appreciate it.
Now that he was actually inside, he could see that the lights were on, but they were rather low. Ithan assumed they didn’t want to use too much power before the show tonight. The arena looked strange, without all the people filling it’s seats, and the center being largely devoid of activity. There were a few random props strewn about around the edge of the arna - little platforms, hoops, a small car, an old style barbell. The disarray with which the props were placed gave Ithan the feeling he shouldn’t really be here. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling like he was glowing from the heat he’d taken in from the sun outside. He’d wait in here a bit until he felt cool enough, then go back outside.
He crossed his arms, holding them by the elbows like he was hugging himself, as he walked a little further in to the arena. His shoes scuffed up the dirt, echoing around, making it clear that he was the only person in here. He stuck to the edge of the arena’s circle, wandering around it. It was weird, this place somehow seemed a lot bigger without people in it. Not that it didn’t look big with people in, but him being the only one in there was sort of overwhelming. The almost oppressive silence of the place, almost completely drowning out any of the noise from the carnival outside, made him feel anxious.
As he came near the props bundled up against the side, the feeling of trespassing was only deepening. He definitely wasn’t meant to be here - although they’d just left the entrance completely open...could they hardly blame him if he wanted to come in for some shade? He put a foot against the bar of the barbell, and kicked forward slightly. It rolled forward slightly, but then stopped, and rolled back to where it sat.
His anxiety was briefly replaced by curiosity. He wondered if this barbell was really as heavy as it looked. As previously mentioned, it was a classic style barbell - rather than the discs of modern barbells, on the end were two large, metallic balls - or at least, they could be assumed to be metallic given how they looked. It could just as easily be a trick, however - made of papier-mâché, and the guy lifting it just making a big show of how heavy it was, when really, anyone could lift it.
He knelt down, bringing his hands down to grab the bar. The second his hands grasped it, he kind of knew in his head already that it was exactly as heavy as it looked, but it was that kind of thing where his body was racing ahead of his mind. He pulled, and the strain on his body was great and immediate. He tried in vain to pull the barbell up for a few second, but let go pretty much immediately. His arms were starting to hurt, and his hands were a little bit red from the effort. It was absolutely a feat of great strength to lift this thing.
“Looking to become a strongman?” said a voice, right in his ear, and Ithan jumped a mile, tripping over the barbell and falling to the dirt floor of the arena. He rolled over, and looked to see that behind him, what looked like the ringleader of the carnival had appeared.
He certainly looked the part, at least. He was a big guy, tall, definitely beating out Ithan by a foot, with a round, rotund belly, and thick legs and arms. He wore a large, red, caped velvet jacket, with golden accents, that sweeped around his knees, some very tight white pants that looked like they’d just come out of the wash, shiny and new, along with a pair of thigh-high shiny black boots, somehow completely untouched by the dirt he was standing on. A red bowtie was around his neck, and a black top hat atop his head, underneath which was a shock of somewhat spiky ginger hair, cut short to come around his shoulders. His face was weirdly chubby and slender at the same time. He had fat cheeks, suggesting some kind of jolliness, but the expression on his face, and his features (a kind of long, slender nose, squinting eyes, thinner lips) made him look like he was scheming something. He was leaning forward, looking at Ithan with a glint in his...were those eyes red? Ithan blinked, and they were a slate grey.
What surprised Ithan was how he hadn’t heard the man coming at all. Those elephantine legs surely would have made some sort of sound, but it was like this guy had just teleported behind him.
“H...How di--” Ithan began, but was cut off.
“Our previous one had to leave due to complications.” The ringleader continued. “We could certainly do with another.”
“I...what?” Ithan was stumbling over himself. Was this guy…? He pushed himself up off the ground, dusting off his knees. “I...I’m sorry, I was just coming in here to get out of the heat. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed in here or not. I’ll leave now.”
“Leave?” The ringleader said, standing up straight, his belly protruding outwards. “I’m offering you a job, young man. My name is Algernon Vantucci. Ringleader of this carnival.” A mischievous looking smirk spread across his face.
“As a strongman? Uh...no, I’m good.” Ithan scratched his head. “Y-you saw how bad I was. Couldn’t even lift it off the ground.”
“That’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a little practice.” Algernon said, approaching Ithan with somewhat surprising speed, and bringing an arm around his shoulder. “You can do anything, if you put your mind to it!”
Ithan felt kind of uncomfortable with this strange man touching him. He raised a hand and moved Algernon’s arm off his shoulder. “I appreciate the, uh...confidence, you have in me, but I doubt I’d be ready to perform any time soon.”
“Don’t be so down on yourself, Ithan.” Algernon replied, leaning forward so their eyelines were level. “It’s the carnival. Anything and everything could happen here! Why don’t you give it another try? I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results. They’re really not as heavy as they seem.” He brought his arm back around Ithan, and sort of hustled him back towards the barbell. He had a very confident, grand bluster, a motormouth of compelling, manipulative speaking that made Ithan somewhat miss the fact that he had not told this man his name.
“It’s just a matter of motivation!” Algernon continued. “Of mindset! The little engine that could, no? If you resign yourself to assuming you can’t perform a feat, of course you never will! Give it another go, but this time, remove all your preconceptions about this. Get rid of your thoughts about you being weak, about just being a boy. There is only you, and the barbell.”
Ithan was really baffled now, but he was getting the feeling this was a guy who you couldn’t argue against, because he just wouldn’t listen. He might as well go along with it, just to prove he couldn’t, and get this dude out of his hair. He knelt down, grabbed the barbell, and pulled. The same result - too heavy, not even slightly lifting off the ground. He gave it a couple of seconds of pulling, then let go.
“See? Just not possible.” Ithan said, shrugging. “I’m gonna--”
“I know you weren’t trying.” Algernon said, with a knowing smile, wagging his finger. “You didn’t follow my advice. You came into it, having already decided you wouldn’t achieve it. I’m teaching you a lesson, young man. Do it properly this time, and you’ll be glad that you did.”
“Fuckin’...alright…” Ithan muttered.
He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind like Algernon had suggested. He tried to forget about the fact that he’d never worked out consistently in his life, that he’d mostly subconsciously resigned himself to admiring muscular physique rather than ever hoping to have it. Which, was like, not a necessarily bad thing but...preconceptions. It was just him and the barbell.
“Don’t think about the weight of it. It could be any weight at all. You could have any kind of strength. You don’t know, until you pick it up.” Algernon’s voice said behind him.
Ithan opened his eyes, knelt down, putting his hands around the bar, and pulled, and…
Well, if you had been expecting he’d suddenly found incredible strength and could lift the barbell over his head, you’d be disappointed. The barbell remained the same weight, and it hardly came off the ground. He pulled on it, straining his body, and the weights at either end lifted off the ground ever so slightly - but he couldn’t do it. He let go, and the weights fell heavily to the ground, despite the short distance which they had been raised.
“See? I can’t do it! Can barely even lift them!” Ithan exclaimed.
“True, true.” Algernon acknowledged, nodding, with his hand raised to his chin. Then he looked to Ithan. “But...you did lift them.”
“What?” Ithan turned to look at Algernon.
“You lifted it. It was slight, it was small, barely even off the ground...but you lifted it. You felt it, didn’t you? The strain of gravity as you defied it’s pull, the bounce as you let go of them and they fell to the ground. It can’t have fallen if it was never lifted in the first place...you must have lifted it.”
“I...I guess, but--”
“If I may make a suggestion”, Algernon continued, “Try pulling with your palms under the barbell, rather than over. It’s a more natural way to pull. I’m sure you’ll see the results immediately.”
Ithan was getting kind of irritated now. “Look, dude, I’m not gonna suddenly be crazy strong, alright? Just...let it be.” He snapped.
Algernon looked a little offended, but then he smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, my friend. I was just trying to give you a little motivation. I work very hard to bring joy and happiness to others. When I saw you, I tried to think of a way I could help you as well, bring you the happiness you seek.” He said.
Ithan felt kind of bad for snapping at him. He did seem like he wanted to help, even if he’d gotten the wrong end of the stick about Ithan messing with the barbell. “Alright…” He said, also with a tone of apology to his voice. “I guess I’ll give it another go.”
“Splendid!” Algernon clapped happily. “I’m sure you can do this! I have a very good eye for this sort of thing.”
Ithan didn’t know what he was talking about, but he dutifully turned back to the barbell. He didn’t know why he felt compelled to follow this guy’s instructions. He guessed he just felt awkward about sneaking into somewhere he wasn’t meant to be, then chewing him out. He knelt down again, turning his hands so they came under the barbell, like Algernon had told him. Setting his legs apart slightly this time, he pulled tightly on the barbell one more time, and as he pulled, something began to change.
Algernon’s eyes began to sparkle, as he looked closely at Ithan’s arms, which were straining heavily, and as they were, he could see them starting to grow. Ithan’s forearms were developing muscle at a surprising rate considering he’d only attempted to lift the barbell three times. The muscles began to strain against his skin, veins being pushed to the surface, as a crop of hair suddenly burst forth from his arms.
As he pulled, the barbell started to lift from the ground, but this was no mere fraction-of-an-inch lift. It was starting to come up properly, an inch, then two, and then his arms bent at the elbow, and his upper arms began to feel the strain. His biceps and triceps bulged outward with muscle, as he managed to lift the barbell to just the height of his knees...before it became too much, and he dropped it on the ground again, panting heavily.
“Holy shit!” Ithan cried, falling back onto his butt. “My arms feel like they’re on fire!”
“That just means you’ve been working hard!” Algernon said, looking excitedly at Ithan. “Did you see how high you lifted it? Look at how strong you are!” He knelt down next to Ithan, taking one of Ithan’s arms in his hand and lifting it. Ithan blinked. Where had...where had those muscles come from? He hadn’t…he’d lifted it, hadn’t he? That was...but where?
“They’re developing nicely, aren’t they?” Algernon said, before Ithan could question too far. “Try again! I bet you can get it even higher this time!”
Ithan felt like something was wrong here, but the rush of adrenaline of actually pulling it off was making his head kind of hazy, and it seemed like it would be easiest to just do what Algernon said. He pushed himself up, dusted his hands off, and knelt down again, grasping the barbell with more confidence this time, his hands growing thicker, as hairs grew out across his knuckles.
He began lifting again, and this time it was quicker, the barbells quickly getting to the height of his knees, just as he’d had them before. His arm muscles bulged outwards again, quickly beginning to look strange on his small body, but as he began to lift it past his knees, and he began to move his posture up, his body began to change in tandem. His torso was getting thicker, his core becoming stronger, as powerful muscle began to develop there.
There was a sound of tearing, as the sleeves of his shirt tore open around his enlarging shoulders, but Ithan didn’t hear it, so focused he was on lifting the barbell. His eyes were closed, his teeth gritted painfully, but, no pain, no gain, right? If he could just get to standing up straight...it was like pushing a heavy rock up a hill, where he felt like if he could just get it on to the next flat step, he’d be able to hold it there. His legs were thickening to hold the weight, his thighs growing, pressing tightly against his pants. Underneath his clothes, hair was growing all over his body, across his arms, along his stomach, which was bulging with a little bit of fat over the muscle underneath, on his legs. Testosterone was coursing through his body at an unnatural rate, making him grow more hair in seconds than he ever had in a single day prior.
With a sudden boost in power, Ithan pulled himself up straight, his spine popping as he spontaneously grew in height, now a few inches higher, approaching 6 feet tall. His arms hung down, holding the barbell at his waist, and he was breathing heavily through his nose, the effort he was exerting to lift this weight showing on his strained face. He opened his eyes, and saw Algernon standing in front of him.
“Oh, wonderful!” Algernon cried. “It’s all going so perfectly! You’ll be ready for the show before you know it!”
“What are...you talking about?” Ithan managed to say between breaths, his struggle showing even in his voice, which sounded slightly strangled, as he struggled to hold on to the barbell.
“Look at you, those rippling muscles! That powerful core!” Algernon leaned close, admiring Ithan’s body, which Ithan only just noticed. He found himself concerned - but he was struggling to understand why. Had he not always been like this? He’d worked on his muscles for a while now...why did he have this sensation like it was the first time he’d ever seen them?
“You’re going to be incredible, I know it! Keep going! Up to the chest!!”
Ithan nodded. He shouldn’t be concerned. He trusted Algernon. The man always had his interests at heart. He began trying to lift the barbell further.
As the barbell was raised higher above his waist, he began to feel the strain on his chest, and to compensate, his pecs suddenly bulged out with powerful muscle, becoming thick and prominent - and causing the collar of his shirt to rip open, inadvertently making it a v-neck, revealing an extremely hairy chest that made him look older, look...manlier. Powerful, and strong. He arched his back, growing taller again, taller than Algernon, as he lifted the barbell so it was against his chest, almost completely over his head.
He moved his feet to better support his weight, ignoring the fact that his sandals were breaking open as his ankles and feet grew in size, hair growing along the feet just as it had everywhere else. He let out a groan of exertion, and as he did, his neck thickened, making his vocal chords stretch, his voice getting deeper.
“Amazing! Wonderful!” Algernon cried with utter delight. “Come on, Gustav! Just a little bit more!”
Ithan creaked open an eye. “Wh...who’s...Gustav…?” He spoke between breaths, his voice with rasping with a distinct Eastern-European accent, completely unlike the American one he’d had seconds before.
Algernon laughed, a light, pleasant laugh. “Ohoho, Gustav, you get so wrapped up in your lifting you even forget your own name!” He chuckled.
“Gustav…” he repeated. That...wasn’t his name...he was pretty sure, but, come to think of it, he couldn’t...think of anything else it could be. He felt like he’d had a grasp of something a second ago, but he’d lost it now…
As he pondered the name, his skin was darkening ever so slightly, the tan deepening, becoming more of an ashen brown, the hair continuing to grow on his body - and his strained clothes were beginning to shift. His shirt was connecting with his pants, as his legs thickened again, and the pants ripped above his knees, just barely clinging to his thighs. The two articles of clothing were merging together, clinging tightly to his body. The lights of the arena began to reflect off them, the material changing to tight lycra as the colour began to change, stripes of red being painted horizontally across his body, making his clothes into a tight singlet that cleaved closely to his rippling muscles. The leather belt he’d been wearing held strong, expanding slightly, the buckle becoming thicker, settling beneath his belly, squeezing it upwards to make it stick out a little bit more.
Gustav...Gustav...he couldn’t think of any other name he could possibly have...Algernon must be right. His name was Gustav. He smirked a little. He could always trust Algernon. Algernon was always right. It wasn’t Gustav’s job to be smart anyway. He just had to be strong.
“Come on, Gustav! Just a little bit more! Bring it over your head!” he heard Algernon cry.
Of course! What was he doing, wasting time like this? He’d come here to do something. He grinned, and pushed the barbell upwards, higher and higher. As he did, his eyebrows thickened with hair, heavier on his brow, which was pushing forward, as his nose became square and prominent on his face. On his upper lip, he was growing a mustache that was quickly becoming full and bushy, growing into a thick handlebar moustache that covered his mouth.
While he was growing all this hair, however, it seemed he was losing the hair atop his head, the short locks of his dark hair falling away, floating to the floor - he was having a rapid attack of male pattern baldness, almost as if to make up for all the hair he’d grown on his body and face, and before long, there wasn’t a single hair on his head, all of it having fallen to the dirt, leaving him as bald as a newborn baby.
With a final groan of exertion, he lifted the barbell completely over his head, and straightened his back, now standing at a grand 7 feet tall, towering over Algernon. There was a slight nip at his right ear, as a gold earring clipped itself into it from nowhere, and as a final touch, ink was drawn onto the skin of his right shoulder, creating the shape of an anchor.
Gustav held the barbell over his head for a few seconds, then, turning to the side, over-exerted, he tossed the barbell to the ground, it crashing heavily against the floor. His arms relaxed, his entire body burning from the strain of lifting the immense weight. He bent over for a second, hands on his knees, breathing heavily, then he looked at Algernon with a grin.
“Is good to be strong, da?” He asked, rhetorically.
“Oh, indeed it is, Gustav!” Algernon clapped again. “Absolutely perfect! Tonight’s going to be a show the audience will not forget! Take a moment to rest in your trailer so you’re ready for it. They’re going to love you!”
“Da, boss. I vill do zat.” Gustav nodded, and turned to leave. He could always count on Algernon to tell him what was best for him.
As he exited the big top into the sunshine, he glanced around at the carnival, still in full swing, and smiled to himself. He loved working at the carnival. He’d done it ever since he was a child, starting as simply a helper for the carnies, then beginning to take on his own position as a strongman. It perhaps wasn’t the most glamorous job, and in the modern day, with all the computers and TV shows, he understood that simple entertainment like his probably didn’t have the same thrill as it might once have, but it was something he loved to do, especially to see young children, who were always the most excited by his abilities. He didn’t know much English - he’d never needed to, with Algernon mostly speaking for him, but fun was a universal language, and he loved to see children having fun, the joy on their faces as they rushed from ride to ride, and the awe they’d have later on, when they saw him perform his feats of strength. It was something that filled his own heart with happiness every time.
Best do what Algernon said, and rest up. He had a big night tonight. But then, it was a big night every night, at the big top.