characters
+ and -
key
... = thinking
. = pausing
, = about to say something
? = not knowing
- - = interrupting/interrupted
begin. + meets - in the center of a circus ring.
+ hi, excuse me, can you please stop that
- stop what
+ stop setting up here
- huh
+ that folding table with the little characters
- my chess board!
+ yes, chess board. you can't play a chess game here.
- oh no i'm sure i can, the lighting is very good. bright for focus and it's quiet. my visibility is ideal too. i'm looking to find somebody who will play with me.
+ i understand it's just that a chess game doesn't belong here
- why?
+ well this is the circus.- so
+ there are no games in the circus.
- there are absolutely games in the circus!
+ no there are no games,
- then what are there?
+ attractions.
- . you're being picky with your words.
+ it matters the difference.
- why?
+ because games are about winners and losers and attractions don't have anything to do with either of those things.
- what
+ in a game you cheer the winner and you boo the loser. or you hate the winner and you cheer for the loser to defeat the winner next time.
- ...
+ in an attraction, some body does something interesting, and it catches your eye.
- ...
+ sports arenas are for games. other places are for games too. like the fair. games get to be anywhere. attractions not so much. that’s why there’s the circus. the circus is the only place for only attractions. - ... who are you?
+ i'm part of the circus.
- very interesting. and what do you do here?
+ i clean the fun house mirrors in the entrance
- how ridiculous!
+ ?
- cleaning mirrors that don't even work,
+ how else will people see the reflections properly,
- so impossible!! hahaha
+ ...
- ... you are mostly in janitorial work then?
+ oh ah no . i'm in love, also.
- very interesting!! with who?
+ the trapeze artist.
- and does she loves you back?
+ i don't know.
- ???
+ i haven't asked her.
- does she know you love her???
+ i always double check the knots in the ropes before she goes on even though i know they've already been double checked by somebody else.
- who?
+ the person whose job it is to do that.
- do they love her?
+ i don’t know,
- and does she see you doing this?
+ sometimes. whenever she does, she always says thank you.
- ...
+ ...
- you are sure you love her?
+ every night she flies off a swinging bar forty feet high and catches another bar and her legs do the splits in the air,
- this is really no good,
+ she's very graceful, she does other things too, in the air.
- no, your loving her,
+ ?
- you shouldn't love someone who doesn't love you back.
+ ... why?
- it's a rule!
+ oh
- .+ .
- .
+ do you have some one you love?
- me i'm waiting
+ waiting for what
- the right scenario. you have to look out for certain things in people that indicate what they’ll do next. then you can move your feelings around accordingly, preemptively.
+ what for
- to get into the spot where you have the advantage. for example, right now your position is not good at all,
+ of course! but i rarely stand here,
-that’s not what i-
+ i watch the show from behind that wing to the left,
- ah but from the ground!! fortunately this is a very clear situation. it works even literally. see how she has all the leverage? with you on the ground, and her all the way up?
+ oh... leverage to do what?
- whatever she likes! if i were you i’d withdraw
+ withdraw why
- why!!!!! because you’re losing!
+ losing to who?
- to her!!
+ it's an attraction,
- you should love some one who will make you a dinner!
+ but she doesn't make me dinner.
- correct exactly.
+ ... when she is flying in the air, i get the sense that it's the time she spends on the ground that's borrowed. like, a loan- - ---a loan!!!!
+ ---so i would never ask her to extend her time on the ground,
- ...?
+ to make me a dinner.
- but if you did ask, she would refuse. that's chess for you! predicting many outcomes ahead of time, all without actually making a single move! and then you get to save all your moves
+ for what
- for other scenarios!
+ oh. but i only have this one scenario.
- what i mean is that if you know it's a loss, for you, to love the trapeze artist, you can stop loving immediately! maybe this is a bit advanced for now, this sort of abstraction. let’s play! you'll understand strategy more once you start playing. then this sort of thinking will come naturally... you are crying?
+ ,
- did i say something---
+ ,
- i didn't mean to---
+ your board, please---
- what?
+ chess ---
- oh---
+ ---it just doesn’t belong in the middle of the---
- i've---
+ circus ring,
- never met any one so sensitive about chess---
+ i'm sure that’s true...
- i'll pack up my board now, i didn't mean to offend you,
+ that's okay, thank you, that's okay...
- you know chess is a very common game almost every where---
+ yes,
- it's well-respected, all over the world,
+ of course, yes, all over,
- you can see why i could’ve never anticipated this reaction!---
+ ---that's okay,
- you do interpret things strangely. or, irrationally...
+ oh, yes, definitely
- very irrationally...
+ i know, i know, it's why---
- would you like a tissue,
+ it's--- it's why i joined the circus...