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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Jun 25, 2012 20:09:56 GMT -5
Month 7, Week 4, Day 7. A public park in Detroit. Open.
On leave from his career as a military experiment to give him time to adjust to his surgeries and recover from his kidnapping, Maddox has decided to go running in a park. As his feet beat a steady rhythm against the paved path, he muses that if anyone had told him a year ago that he'd willingly choose to go running outside, he would have called them crazy.
Not that Maddox actually existed a year ago, Mayday reminds himself with a slight shiver. But that doesn't stop him from remembering a life of asthma and weak bones that had made him despise high-energy, high-impact activities like running. Not to mention that he tended to avoid nature and the outside because it was full of dangerous animals (including humans) and horrible diseases.
But he had never realized how good running could feel when you were actually capable of doing it for more than a few minutes before wanting to keel over and die. He's not even sure how long he's been running for, just clipping along at what feels like a sedate pace to him now - but would have been a full-out sprint for his un-enhanced body - losing himself in the sensation of the wind in his hair, and the feeling of air flowing steadily in and out of his bionic lungs, and the sound of his bionic heart beating in his ears, steady as a metronome.
He's not even sure why it feels so good. He'd never been a big driver as a robot, and he could still go faster and longer as a bike than his enhanced human body can run. In terms of absolutely strength, his real one could still easily crush this one. But for some reason he still feels strong, powerful, maybe even a little... confident. And it feels amazing.
It's probably just feelings leaked over from Maddox. What he is now is far more than his human persona ever dared dream of being. But as long as the feeling lasts, Mayday plans to cherish it.
Daydreaming away, Maddox is taken by surprise as a bear of a dog suddenly rushes across his path. Reflexively he kicks up in a leap that would make an athlete proud, vaulting clear over the shaggy monster canine. His startled jump is more powerful than intended and he stumbles and skids as he touches down.
There's a flash of pink in front of him and he flails as he goes tumbling into a poor, unsuspecting pedestrian.
It seems you just can't install grace.
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Post by Farlane/Faye Fairlane on Jun 26, 2012 8:25:02 GMT -5
He doesn’t realize it just yet, but this would be the second encounter he’s had with a humanized mech and the second time he’s encountered one while jogging as well. Unfortunately this time it was more of a literal run-into!
“Oh deary!” Faye exclaims, finding himself promptly on his butt with a lapful of what appeared to be a VERY adorable man. Luckily, he didn’t have any sort of drink to spill this time although his be-glittered fuchsia scarf had become thoroughly undone and his brilliant pink sunglasses sat somewhat askew atop of his nose.
“Are you alright darling?” he asks, bracing his weight on his palms and peering worriedly over the stranger as he straightens said glasses. He doesn’t get up just yet, not wishing to rush the young fellow.
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Jun 26, 2012 19:57:39 GMT -5
Pink.
For a moment all Mayday can focus on is that amazing, eye-smarting shade of pink that is Faye's hair. It reminds him of somebody he knew. Somebody pink. And curvy.
Then he realizes that he's sprawled across a stranger's lap. Touching. Touching a stranger. And the ground. And lap.
Flushing bright red, he flings himself back to his feet with a high-pitched squeak and begins to stutter. "Ah, gh, t-t-t-! Nuh. I- Sorry! I'm s-so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was dogging- I mean. Jump. Dog. Run jump. Dog. Gah!"
Flustered and apologetic and thoroughly tongue-tied, Maddox braves the horror of touching a stranger and leans down to try and grab Faye's arms and hoist him to his feet, like someone might pluck a fallen toddler from the ground. An impressive feat when Faye is a full-grown man and Maddox is still a rather thin specimen of human. Though powerful and perfectly chiseled - to an almost disturbingly symmetrical degree - his reinforced muscles are quite lean in appearance, and mostly hidden beneath his long-sleeved running shirt and pants.
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Post by Farlane/Faye Fairlane on Jun 28, 2012 3:25:30 GMT -5
“Oh no it’s fine, I- oh!” Now Faye is generally quite happy to be picked up but a literal pick-up was somewhat unfamiliar territory. He blinks at Maddox blankly for a moment startled at the utter ease with which he’d just been lifted from the ground. After that moment however he manages to regain his composure and he beams admiringly, “Wow, you’re strong.”
The earlier stuttering pings some memory at the back of his mind. Farlane didn’t exactly have a lot of close friends amongst the Autobots; he’s kind of trying to keep aloof (badly) what with the whole secret awkward past thing. However, you didn’t really need to be good friends with people to be familiar with them and he did find he rather liked Mayday throughout the short meetings they had had anyways.
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Jun 28, 2012 18:07:59 GMT -5
Maddox's dark eyes widen at Faye's admiring smile, and he immediately ducks his head and averts his gaze, blushing even redder. So much for confidence!
"I- I- I-" He sucks in a deep breath then blurts out rapidly. "I'm sorry that I bumped into you I was running and there was this dog that ran into the path and I had to jump over it and then I landed badly and I bumped into you and knocked into you and I'm sorry-!"
Wait, did the guy already say it was fine? Oh, uh- Hnngh.
Absentmindedly, Maddox gives in to the psychosomatic itching in his fingers and tugs out a wet wipe from the container strapped to his hip and begins to nervously clean his hands.
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Post by Farlane/Faye Fairlane on Jun 29, 2012 7:54:45 GMT -5
“Sweetheart, it really ain’t nothing,” Faye reiterates after patiently waiting for the poor guy to finish apologizing. Goodness but he could blush; Faye hasn’t seen a face that red since the last time he’d seen Tracks!
He watches as the guy gets out some wet wipes and he really is beginning to remind Faye of Mayday. The stuttering, the compulsive cleanliness, the nervousness in general... Could it be? Eyes narrowing speculatively, he re-ties the scarf around his neck and brushes the dust off of his butt.
“... If you’re so worried about it though,” he adds after a moment, aiming his most hopeful smile at the other man. “How about you ‘n me go get something to drink nearby maybe?”
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Jun 29, 2012 18:55:29 GMT -5
"Oh, um, well, okay- wah?" Maddox drops his wet wipe as the other man's offer filters through his bashfulness and neurotic cleaning frenzy. He gives Faye a look of wide-eyed startlement. Drinks are supposed to make him less worried?
"Uh, but- I'm. I'm not really thirsty." Or at least he didn't think he was, but he suddenly realizes that his mouth has become very dry. He swallows heavily.
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Post by Breakaway on Jun 29, 2012 21:05:30 GMT -5
Brock finally catches up to Maddox in time to see him being Maddox. He's not in bad shape by any means, but he's not a cybernetically augmented super-soldier, either. Also, he stopped to get a drink from the water fountain and chat to some women in jogging suits.
"Mad, when I said you needed to get a date, I meant with a woman," He says with a crooked smile as he approaches. "Not that I'm judging," he adds hastily, raising his hands defensively. "Like, I'm cool with people doing whatever, with . . . um . . . consenting . . . adults," he finishes, trailing off with an obviously fake cough.
"Brock Wayne," he says, holding out his hand to shake, all smiles once again.
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Post by Farlane/Faye Fairlane on Jun 30, 2012 6:04:17 GMT -5
Faye gives Maddox a rather knowing smile at the swallow, idly catching the dropped wet wipe. Maddox probably doesn’t want it back now but it’ll save the poor guy from unintentional littering. “It’s a lovely weather for ice tea at least?” he offers gently. He normally doesn’t push the issue with shy and nervous people but he is quite curious about whether or not his hunch about this being Mayday was right.
Of course then another weirdly familiar fellow takes the moment to arrive. Eyes sparkling with amusement, he peers at the man over his sunglasses through the rather awkward introduction. Really now.
“Well if you’re consenting,” Faye purrs at Brock, giving him a very conspicuous and appreciative look-over as he shakes the hand. “Maybe we can all get some drinks. Faye Fairlane. It’s nice to meet you.” Hopefully that rang some bells.
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Jun 30, 2012 11:31:27 GMT -5
Hurray! Brock is here to save him from embarrassment!
...Oh no! Brock is here to deepen his embarrassment!
"D-d-da-date?!" Maddox proceeds to make a series of increasingly bizarre, squeaky noises, getting progressively redder. Also breathing. Breathing getting harder.
Then Faye introduces himself and startles Maddox into sucking in a deep breath. "Di- did you say Farlane?" This human man isn't nearly as curvy as Farlane. But he is so very pink!
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Post by Breakaway on Jul 2, 2012 16:35:33 GMT -5
Brock gives Faye a weird look at the very obvious appraisal, then favors the pink man with a crooked smile and an eyeroll. "Right," he says, dropping his voice. "Let's all just pretend we're real surprised by each others' names and get out of here before we attract any more attention than we already have, huh?" He refuses to believe there are two sentient beings that pink in a single reality.
People are starting to watch, though, and that makes Brock more nervous than it usually would, thanks to recent events.
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Post by Farlane/Faye Fairlane on Jul 2, 2012 18:40:58 GMT -5
“Oh it can be a date if you want it to be love,” Faye teases lightly, winking at Maddox. Poor fellow, he looked like he was about to combust from all the flailing!
He laughs softly at Maddox’s exclamation and Brock’s words, leaning in conspiratorially, “Well ain’t we just the finest lads in disguise ‘round here?” He does note the beginnings of nervousness in Brock as well though and casts a discreet glance around. Really, Faye was used to having eyes on him a lot; it came with the whole pink thing. He does know it’s not horrendously comfortable for people talking to him at times however.
“So where you wanna go?” he asks softly.
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Jul 3, 2012 15:50:29 GMT -5
"Nuh-! Buh-! D-d-d- Ah!" Maddox grips onto his hair like a lifeline, giving Faye- Farlane! -a wide-eyed look of panicked helplessness, before turning his head to give Brock his most pathetic pleading look ever. He's not sure what exactly he's pleading for, but it's clear to him that he needs some sort of assistance before he randomly implodes. Because randomly imploding is totally something cyborgs do.
He opens his mouth to say something - or more likely just make more incoherent noises - only to be interrupted by a loud gurgling. Blinking, Maddox looks down at his stomach, which answers him with another groan. He squeaks back at it in embarrassment.
As it turns out, unnatural strength and endurance comes with a price, and for Maddox that price is nigh insatiable hunger once he comes down from prolonged physical activity. Honestly, if the military weren't paying all his living expenses now, he probably would have eaten himself out of house and home already.
"Somewhere... food?" he finally manages to reply.
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Post by Breakaway on Jul 5, 2012 10:00:54 GMT -5
"Food sounds good," Brock says, casting a glance at Mayday's stomach. The taxpayers probably pay for a lot of Mayday's caloric intake, which is awesome. "Wasn't there a little burger and hot dog stand and some picnic tables back that way?" he suggests, motioning over his shoulder with a thumb. Not exactly private, but they won't just be sitting here in the middle of the path, either.
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Post by Farlane/Faye Fairlane on Jul 5, 2012 12:45:26 GMT -5
Oh now, Faye was starting to get a bit more concerned. Mayday had always been nervous around him of course, but this nervous? The coy playfulness disappears from his eyes, replaced with worry and he’s about to ask Maddox if he was alright-
And then the growl of a starving beast interrupts him.
“... Well!” Faye says, trying to suppress his laugh, but his grin is a bit too broad. “To the picnic table it is!”
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