Scaffold Settings

[scaffoldset]

Noah

Presenting : Noah

Noah the Twunk

Noah the gymnast, wrestler, dancer, scholar, artist, actor, all around amazing bro. Noah the performer.

"For real this time" the spectators want to believe. Rumor or promises, who knows. So many gathered around the scaffold for a real scene. But this has been done before, and Noah is still actually Noah, and he's presenting ...

He loves showing off, and many here have seen how good he is on the scaffold stage, every instant worthy of a snapshot. Even if the story of a prince at the terminus of a royal succession is trite and hokey, it's theater that gets the guys to unzip in the scaffold yard.

======

Most gathered here have already seen how it ends. The subject is pushed onto the block, guided firmly by the headsman himself.

The princely chopping block is worthy of some extra description

... to be continued.

[scaffoldset]

Cowboy Theme

The event I'm going to is cowboy-themed. This part of the country there is a lot of that, but no actual cowboys.

Anyway it would be fun if there were a play area for you-know-what. Cattle rustlers getting what they deserve ...

[angel-of-the-gays]

Neck appreciation!

[roquelaureonrecon]

[homovictim]

[thissiteisshite]

[scaffoldset]

Finishing School for Men

What exactly does finishing mean? And the answer, no less: "a terminal education, up or out"

The premise is that, in early adulthood, the academic proposition is very much in doubt for a variety of reasons. And yet there remains this gap of several years for young adult men to fully form all the graces of good judgment and responsibility. A good deal of that comes from bonding.

This is a better system, like the early days where the fitness of character was held in higher esteem than any particular score or skill.

The scaffold is rather active in this institution, rivaling the penitentiary in carrying out the dispositions. The superintendent of the finishing school really believes in early capital disposition by selecting out those who will end up having the same fate. A bit much predestination perhaps?

It will be many years before the numbers show the effect.

[scaffoldset]

Rodeo - Town Square

The town square part of this amusement park -- I mean "rodeo" -- is what really sells tickets. And Jack is such a great actor. Don't know if that's his real name or not. It's called a public dangling because it's just a show. Jack is perfectly fine afterwards and he's gonna do what he does so well again and again.

Of course it's not just Jack doing the show. That handsome tall cowboy is also great in his role doing the ropes. There are several other men who dangle in the series - newer actors trying out for a spot. There are rumors, however, that these men might include someone from the penitentiary who is getting their sentence carried out.

Analyzing the allure of this show, it helps to explore the fantasies individually, ask what is it about this public spectacle that makes you... whatever. It seems to be the intersection of several tribes:

Cowboy and Frontier guys

Rope subs / Rope doms

Execution freaks

Jeans, Leather, Boots

Hoods and Masks

Inmate stuff

Re-enactment nerds

Have I forgotten anyone else

[scaffoldset]

Stories for friends

Writing some fiction

But only jotted down some notes so far

Team/Gym scenarios. Frosh initiation

Last night chatted about rodeo/western scenes

My buddy likes the dangle. Hoping he likes the chop too.

---

As for reblogs, not a lot of material that is scaffold-only. Portraying the fate of a man is what gets you into trouble. The equipment should be neutral most of the time.

[scaffoldset]

Face Down

Usually on a pillow, sometimes chin hooked on the edge of the bed. Imagining that this is the final position, waiting... yet actively in a periodic rhythm, in this headspace climbing toward the trill and release. And then the heavy slides down its path or swings toward and then it is done.

[scaffoldset]

Interscholastic Scaffold

It's a regional thing. Maybe state if it's a small one. Coaches from across the league have pooled their leftover budgets to invest in some shared equipment. The answer to the question, "why do we have a guillotine that we have to move all over the place" Some people miss its presence if it's not set up at the tournaments.

[scaffoldset]

Glove Stub

I've been trying to write about a pair of gloves for about a month now. Its about the gloves that the headsman pulls onto his hands, almost showing off, when he will do his job for real.

It's so difficult to write to completion because, as part of the writer's block, all those little details add substance. So what's starts out as focus and framing around some hand gloves expands to an exposition about the full ceremony of execution.

It seems like it's easier to write about writing than writing about the story itself.

It would be more doable, probably, to make this a "Glove Series" - each aspect of this particular execution highlighted in its own post.

Here's an incomplete list:

the subject, hoping for mercy, offers some favor to the headsman, and he accepts without any obligation in return

the waiting subject is pushed into his final position

the codpiece is opened, revealing the headsman's passion for this job

[takenoprizners]

“Of course, as an aspiring actor, you yearn to go deep into a good role. That day will come. In the meantime, get your hands dirty. Learn. Do what is necessary to stay out of the hole. Keep your chin up. When you hit a low point, brush yourself off and keep making headway. If you pee your pants on the set, just pretend that no one saw it. Once it has passed, a mishap can seem refreshing. And when that big break finally comes, don’t worry about getting in over your head. Jump in feet first. A wise man once said, ‘You either make dust or eat dust.’”

– F. A. Kerman, Jr. – A Thespian’s Guide to the Universe

[Film credits: Beau Geste, Death Rides a Horse, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence]

[scaffoldset]

Dream about Drones

It was a VR show in a dream, so it's at least twice removed from reality. There was a conveyor belt of drones being de- ...decommissioned by a chopping action. A rather stimulating representation. Just a vignette, that is all.

[wildwesters]

[scaffoldset]

Seasoning the Block

The block is made of wood, and choosing the right kind of wood is important, but let's dwell on those details later.

This is a note about conditioning the block with oil every so often so that the wood does not dry out and split.

Yes, the block is to be reused. There is a possible exception for a distinguished subject to have his one-use chopping block. It would need to have historical significance and be museum worthy, or if the subject has his own estate that can keep such an object.

[scaffoldset]

Leather

There are 5 basic materials of the scaffold.

Wood - most of the scaffold itself

Metal - fasteners, chains, etc

Straw - loose straw, basket, rope

Cloth - clothing, pillow

Leather - belts, clothing, mask, gloves

Of these materials, leather could be the most expensive. Production is a foul process even with the most traditional and considerate use of tanning agents, so my civil authority the amount produced is rationed. Fortunately, well-crafted leather should last a long time.

While there is not much leather to be seen on the scaffold, its presence is rather prominent. The headsman's head and face covering, his codpiece, his boots of course...

The subject of execution, while typically having all clothing removed upon the scaffold, could still be restrained by leather. There is an assortment of belts, cuffs, collars, even a hood for situations where these items could be wanted.

The gloves, oh the gloves. The keen observer knows that the headsman has a designated pair of gloves for when he has a real job. Let's continue the discussion about the gloves in another post.