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ROLL: Maximus +rolls 1d20 for a result of: 4
*
Welcome to New York. As the hustle and bustle of a Thursday crowd, partying a little early for the weekend, buzzes around the street, people dart through the traffic, or make turns into clubs and stores that are still open. Others hustle towards the theaters and little dives that serve up music. Thieves prowl for marks. Heroes try to save the night. All typical for an evening in New York. What is not typical is what is obviously a man…based on his goatee and masculine features, wearing a long black dress with little straps over his muscled shoulders, and a slit up to his thigh. Heels. Bright red lipstick. He's wearing a man's fedora as well, black curls dangling from it. Normally it would be a cause for much harassment, but folks only seem to frown and open their mouths before they shut them again in silence.Really. Someone should seriously talk to his guard about letting him out of the house most days.
*
Welcome to New York is about right. Jay's first week here has been a whirlwind and the young man still looks out of place for anyone who atually pays attention. Which is, admittedly, almost nobody because, well, New York. The very same reason that nobody is saying anything to the cross-dressing man, or at least not doing anything actively about him.
Nobody but for, well, Jay. The red-headed young man catches sight of that dark-clothed figure, his expression going from one of mild confusion and concern as he navigates the streets to agast hesitation and a bucketload of confusion. "What the—?" Jay murmurs to himself, the click-clack of his thong sandals picks up as he strides right on up to Maximus. "Sir? Sir." The second time he sounded more certain. Nope, definitely not a bearded lady. "Hey, pal," his accent makes each letter and syllable lean. Deep south, loud and clear. Confusion and a little…anger? Alarm? Something conflicting clear in Jay's youthful features while he tries to catch Maximus' eyes.
*
Maximus turns towards Jay and levels a steel blue gaze at the southern boy with the tragic humpback, though upon looking him up and down, he notices the feathers and lifts a dimpled chin. He smiles slowly. Hayseed. "Yes. I know." His smile grows and grows, until it is far too broad than necessary. His voice would sound British to Jay, but its not precisely so, being influenced by isolation and Asian intonations. "Who are you? One of my subjects…come to /guard me/ too?"
*
Those startling blue eyes turn on Jay and the young man's steps slow, his shoulders pressing backward in recoil. As if some animal instinct burried in his subconscious screamed at him that something wasn't quite right. In fact, something was very /wrong/ with this animal. Whatever edge that touched Jay's face now gone and turned to wariness as the hump on his back puffed up, stretching the denim shirt on his back. "Whoa…" Verdant eyes flick up and down the slitted dress' silhouette for an assessing moment. "Nah. Ah'm here cause ya look like yer about three minutes from gettin' yer nose broke."
*
"Ohhhh, /concern/. Admiration." Maximus widens his eyes briefly. "How charming. And what do you think is the next step from here? Do you live nearby? How do you rescue me? Show me…" His smile and demeanor calms, changing moment to moment. He takes his hat off his head and fiddles with the brim. "Its the hat, isn't it? I thought the hat was a bold statement…with the gown. Usually I go with a flower, but I just felt a little /rebellious/." He squints his eyes and stares at Jay. "Oh, I was distracted. You were saving me."
*
The assessment draws forth a hint of hurt pride and immediately a need to re-establish his footing as Jay squares himself with more certainty, confusion in his features fading as some of the wind is taken out of his sails. "What? Show you?" He takes too long to answer and the whole non-sequitur about the choice in hat has Jay's brain checking out, confused gaze dropping to the hat as Maximus takes it off and plays with it. Dazed, it's clear that he isn't accustomed to handling such things. A flick of his eyes back to Maximus' face when he gives the okay to continue trying, Jay takes a deep breath and habitually wets his lips, holding both pale palms up. "Look, man, Ah'm just tryin' to do mah civic duty. It ain't the hat. It's the dress." His tone seeming to angle toward the obvious. "Yer a full grown man runnin' round in a skirt." Jay pauses for effect. "That don't seem a little bit odd t'ya?"
*
The alterations of his mood fluctuate again and his red lips form a grim and serious line. Maximus bores his gaze into the winged one. He takes a step nearer, breeching the line of comfort with purpose as he replaces the hat on his head. "Are you calling me crazy? You know…heh. heh. heh. I…" Red lips pinch together and his voice drops, "truly dislike being called mad. What are /you/? /Hiding/. Concealing. Trying to fit in and blend." He reaches out to try and pat Jay's denim-clad shoulder with the back of his first three fingers. "Wearing this fabric that appears to be unable to decide if its blue or white and not in a good way. I am /magnificent/, not mad." His voice changes to a singsong one, "Just like you could be. Probably. Unless those feathers are coming from your rear…" he makes a skeptical wince-face.
*
There's that feeling of discomfort again. That warning that hums in the back of Jay's brain as Maximus steps closer, invading his personal space, staring hard into his eyes to where Jay doesn't trust him enough to look away. Instead, the younger man's eyes are stuck on Maximus', even as Jay slightly turns his head away. Slowly, his brows arch upward, crawling in that direction. "Ah said odd, not crazy," Jay's accent thickens and tone quiets as the man in black nears. His shoulder shifts, leaning out of the attempt to touch his shirt. "Mah grandaddy went crazy, an' that was just a bunch of him runnin' around in the yard buck naked as th' day he was born, throwin' sticks at squirrels. Danglebits flip floppin' all over. He caugh his left nut on th' fence tryin' t'climb over it. Crazier than a half moon billy goat off his mama's tit too soon." He's rambling. He knows he's rambling, and stops, wetting his lower lip with a quick tap of his tongue. "What Ah'm hidin' under mah shirt ain't half as concernin' t'some folks round here as what yer hidin' under yer skirt, Sir. Ah'm /tryin'/ to be /helpful/."
*
Maximus continues to stare at Jay as the southern boy descends into a rant worthy of listening to for the stream of insanity that comes from his mouth. His vision shifts around Jay's form while Max listens, a new appreciation for his would-be-savior. Dark brows climb up and up, and then a smile breaks across his face. "Hah! Oh, I like you." He leans his face in, "I'm not even sure what a billy goat is. Brilliant. Yes, yes. Ahhhh, rest assured, hero, that I am headed home and am also perfectly safe. For I am /Maximus/." As if anyone around here would have heard of Maximus. "Youuuuu keep talking like you do and you will be just fine as well. What was your name? I may need you, occasionally. For parties."
*
Jay's anxious rambling in the face of what seems to be a very clearly unhinged and uncertain individual ceases, though it seems to have won him some points to relax by. A quick flick of his eyes down to that bright red lipstick, sudden fear of what that lean in might culminate in kicks Jay in the small of his back; he leans backward to keep approximately the same amount of distance between their faces. Praise? Okay. Praise is okay. Jay still seems uncertain. He quickly jumps into the conversation with a swift rejoinder, "Oh, Ah'm not a hero." The word seemingly something Jay tries to hand back, nearly physically with a slight palm out wave of one hand. A hurried wave that turns into a hesitant reach in offering to shake. "Mah name's Jay. Jay Guthrie. Uh, Maximus? Ah'm sorry, Ah'm new in town, Ah don't know who you are…" Admitting lamely, now afraid that he really is supposed to know who this madman is.
*
"Ohhhhh that's expected." Maximus readily admits, cruising through more of Jay's personal space on his way down the street as he departs. "But you will remember, Jay-Jay Guthrie."
*
Jay bristles a little and swiftly pivots, managing to keep his sandal on as he scoots back and watches Maximus breeze past him. "Pleasure to meetcha, Sir…" Automatic response but Jay doesn't sound entirely certain of his own words while he watches Maximus walk away. This city…
*