Players:
Summary: Stephen and Pudge meet an interesting young man.
Date: January 05, 2010
Too Friendly
Rating: G
NYC - Greenwich Village
The lower West Side of Manhattan is known as the Bohemian Greenwich Village or just The Village. Unlike most of Manhattan, the streets here are not in the usual gird that the rest of the island is. Most the streets here are named rather than numbered as well. The buildings here aren't as tall as high rises of Manhattan as they are the 19th century row houses and occasional one-family walk up apartments.
Maxwell is sitting at one of the many cafes out and about in teh village, enjoying a mornining coffe and sipping it lightly
Opening the door to his shop, Stephen takes a large breath of the cold morning air before coughing. "Too cold." He mutters briskly, wrapping his coat tighter. He locks the door behind himself as he shivers, moving to get something warm to drink. After all, many people need it. Caffeine is NOT his enemy, even if it affects certain things he's close to.
Things have felt weird for Pudge lately, and his aunts, so he's decided to pay a visit to his friend Stephen, whose jewlery shop happens to be in The Village. The popular weather man gets a few double takes from passer-bys as 'where have I seen him before' since his face is in a few billboards in New York City promoting Channel 4 News. He's wearing a pair of jeans and a light jacket over a tshirt, since the temperature doesn't really effect him. Noticing Stephen closing his shop, he jogs over there. "Aw you're closing shop early?"
Maxwell lifts his face up, and he hmmms? Well he sees the two men and he sips his coffe, peering at the two, finally he just decides to say somthing, "Greetings you two! Hello want to join me for a coffe?"
"No, I'm just taking a coffee break. My heater's not what it should be." Stephen laughs, smiling at Pudge brightly. "That and… the shop seems a little stifling. I need to be out doors. I just… freedom." He mutters. Obviously, he feels something off as well. If anyone would know, Pudge would be one of the few New York folks who could read that in him. He hears someone shouting, but it's morning, it's New York, people are everywhere. He doesn't pay attention. "Shop. Coffee. There. CAFFEINE." He chuckles.
Pudge has already been up for a bit, having to have made a few weather calculations for the station, not like it was hard work for him. "Okay coffee, and there is really something I need to talk to you about….if you haven't noticed it." Usually Pudge can just keep his temperature control internal but for some reason, around him is a bit warmer and Stephen would be able to feel it. "I need to talk to…well…hello there." He says to Maxewll. "Well my friend here is going for coffee." The greeting surprises him.
Maxwell smiles again, a young man in a blue suit…teenager really, speaking in that anomolous continental accent, "Ah very good, I've been people watching for the better part of the hour and could use some conversation, the coffe here is very good. If you would like to join me"
"Uhm… ok." Stephen says, tilting his head. "Sorry. I've been in New York too long. I'm not used to people actually talking to each other." He says with a nod, reaching up to brush hair over his ear. Doing so reveals a fetish-animal carved earring. He looks at Pudge sidelong. "Feeling strange, too?" He asks softly, trying to keep that part quiet so other people don't notice. But then, there aren't too many others in the magic world around here.
"I think I have been too." Pudge says shaking his head. "I'm not used to random kids coming up and inviting me…us to coffee either." He's kind of like a heater right now, as his area is just nice and warm unlike the rest of the city, yay weater control. "I'm Pudge and I guess if you really want to join us for coffee, I don't mind. How about we hit a dinner and get some breakfast too." Says the slightly over weight Weather Man.
Maxwell ahs, "Very good very good, Guten Morgan…I am Maxwell, pleased to meet you. Yes most people give me strange looks but I find the people that stop and actually talk to me all have good stories." he smiles again and orders coffe for the other two men and a refill for him! His blue suit is clean and pressed, his only ornamentation is the gold medallion, the white and black shield upon the front giving a faint glimmer. He offers just a faint, slow smile, weirdness? Well he's been weird since he got here but prehaps that's just manhattan.
"Food would be good. I can go grab that, if you want, Pudge." Stephen offers, patting a hand on the larger man's shoulder. "That'll give you a few minutes to get to know Max here." he chuckles. That, and he is just rather confused by the whole situation. That, and a few other things going on right now. "Anything in particular you like?" He asks the weatherman.
Pudge shurgs and lets out a chuckle. "You know me, I'm not horribly picky, I like food." He gives Stephen a look that says 'he not sure what's going on either'. "But I really do need to talk to you about stuff Stephen, I'm not sure what's going on and I haven't felt it like this…ever." He says being a bit cryptic before turning to Maxwell. "Well..uh…thanks. So..do you make a habit or approaching random strangers?"
Maxwell sips his coffe, "Of course, being 3 days to this city, everyone is a stranger, or near enough that I feel like I should et to know at least some people." his amulet glimmers again and takes antoher sip of coffe. Obviously a stranger, Maxwell Von Ryan, as I said, it is a pleasure to meet you…but I admit I think I've seen you somewhere before"
Stephen nods and moves away slightly. "Ok, I'll be back in just a few minutes." He says with a nod. He goes inside the cafe to see what they have.
Pudge watches Stephen go for a bit and nods. "Alright." He says before looking back at Maxwell. "Yeah…I'm Pudge Weathers, Channel 4 News Team. If you've seen the news you've probably seen me." He admits with a casual shrug. At least he's not in the suit and tie he usually wears. "Yeah, well, being that open in this city might not be a good thing."
Maxwell ahs again and he gives a little point of his finger, "Very good very good! I think I did see that." he keeps smiling, "Being that open? What's wrong with that. If we, as human beings, can't stop everynow and then and say hello to someone with the same condition, what would the world come to eh?" he asks with a little laugh.
"Someone's gonna think you're trying to rip them off kid. Or that you're crazy. There's a lot of crazy here in New York." Pudge is a bit older than Maxwell so he's a bit more jaded and just cautious all around with things. Though Maxwell might feel the heat that is around Pudge at the moment. "Who knows what the world would come to, I'm just a weather man."
Maxwell sips his coffe, and smiles, "Then when they find out I'm just geninunly pleased to meet people they'll be surprised as you. And that's a ray of sunshine on anyones day ja?" he says amusidly. Unabashed optimism. As pudge gets closer and the heat touchs him his amulet glimmers…though in his shadow…
Stephen returns, finally, carrying a small box. Inside the box are a half-dozen sausage rolls. Sausage wrapped in bread. Nice, toasty warm, and a few packets of mustard to go with it. He smiles brightly as he moves next to Pudge to place them down. "Sorry that took so long. Busy up there."
Pudge just shrugs. "Who knows kid. Some people might just punch you in the face for it, you never know." He smiles as Stephen returns and chuckles. "I think I've met the friendlist person in New York here today. Thanks Stephen, I owe you lunch or dinner or whatever sometime."
Maxwell sniffs a little bit, oh yes he knows sasuage, "Ah? Vas is das? Sasuage?" he asks again and mmms, "Well I hope I might be able to have one." he thinks and smiles a little bit again.
"Of course. It's Sausage rolls. The sausage is in the middle of the bread." Stephen says with a nod. "What brought you to New York?" He asks casually before looking at Pudge. "Everything just feeling… off lately?" He asks.
"They're really good." Pudge says taking one and putting some mustard on it. "Yeah, it's weird. Just like…I don't know if this sounds right, but the weather is uncomfortable. I don't know how to explain it. Even my Aunts feel it. They're better with this stuff than I am, I could only attune to weather."
Maxwell ahs a little bit, and he takes one and takes the offered mustard and he digs in happily and chewing a little bit listenining, and licking his lips, "hmm, vot are you guys talking about?" he asks and he takes another bite.
Stephen pauses to get his words right. "Hmm. Well, New York is feeling strange lately.Not like it normally does. At least to us. I can't speak for anyone else. It's like… to me, it feels like the world is closing in on me. Like everything is getting too confined." That's the only way to explain it. After all, his sense is like an animal's.
"I don't know about confined but it's weird, like…different fronts are moving in where they really aren't." Pudge says as he looks at Maxwell. "It's hard to explain kid, it's just, we can tell something doesn't feel right. Think of pressure changes that aren't really there. It's…odd. I know weather, and have been attunded to it since I went to live with my Aunts but it's not acting right."
Maxwell sniffs a little bit and he looks donw at his amulet, and he hmms, and looks back up, "Ya you're right, I thought it was just me moving from Germany, but it's more then that, they agree…" he says and takes another bite of his sausage roll, "Somthing is askew"
Stephen pauses as he notices. Yes, some normals have noticed, but… "Are you different, Max?" He tilts his head. "Perhaps in some sense of doing things that others cannot?" That's the only way he knows to obliquely reference things. But Pudge may be a little more bold. "Yeah, something like that."
Being subtile isn't something Pudge was ever great at, but then if one were to meet his two aunts, they'd realize why. His eyes follow Max's down to his Amulet and looks at it for a bit. "Who is this they?"
Maxwell takes another bite of his sausage roll and hmms at Stephen, "jawhol mein herr, I'm here to study magic, and they is the 12 knights of the teutonic order sealed in this amulet…" well he's candid about everything it seems and he just takes another bite.
Stephen releases a breath he didn't notice he was holding. "Ok. So, we're not only feeling strange, but Pudge… we ATTRACT mages." He laughs softly. "Studying magic here. That's gonna be interesting. And New York seems to be a hotbed for mages. Dr. Strange. That Young Avenger kid. Myself." He says with a shrug. "You feel it, too then. It's not just us."
"I guess, I don't think I ever met that Young Avenger kid, maybe you just attract mages, not me." Pudge says. "Which is maybe why I was attracted to you…I mean..met you.." He shakes his head quick and looks at Maxwell. "So, you have some teutonic knights sealed in an amulet and here to study magic? Have you been directed anywhere?"
Maxwell shakes his head, "Nein, I have no where really…" he sips his coffe, "institutionalized magic is forbidden in our consistition, I had to leave Germany to actually find a place to study…was told prehaps the village had palces, even in teh phonebook"
"Not really. And magic isn't usually institutionalized. It's mostly solo. I'm a completely solo practitioner. Well, with the exception of sharing my abilities with Pudge…" Stephen says with a half-shrug. He shakes his head softly. "Most mages aren't out loud about what they are. With the human world's opinion of mutants, we're BETTER… but we still like our privacy. To prevent people from constantly wanting magic for stupid things. Especially when everyone's magic is different. Mine is VERY limited."
"Also if the world found out some of the stuff we could do, they'd want us to use magic for all the wrong reasons. Pretty much what Stephen said, stupid things." Pudge says. "There really isn't a school of magics here in the US, but I was lucky where my Aunts taught me. As crazy as they are they know what they're talking about. I can't use anything outside of weather."
Maxwell finishes eating and he whipes his hands on a napkin, and he will take another sip of his coffe, "Ah? Ja? Well that is too bad, I was hoping to find someplace to study, I will have to go to school after all." he hmms, "Personally they are just protectors, I embody the desire and will to protect others through them, and use their powers for zat, I don't cast spells or anything…a least I don't think I can." he considers. "Hm, it is quite a coincidence that we all stop and have a coffe together, but then again, it's probably better not to question such things"
"Well, I'm the easiest to find of any of us. I work right there. I live upstairs from it." Stephen says, pointing to a jewelry shop across the street. "Hmm. Protection. Weather. Animals. Go figure." He says with a bit of a shrug. "With what I'm feeling lately, though… we may need to be keeping in touch all around." He says, looking from person to person.
Maxwell nods to Pudge, "A weather mage ah? A weather mage, haha I…" he pauses as if gettin told somthing and there's a blush to his cheeks, "Oh…oh my, how rude…" he says with a cough, "Ahem…right well it is nie to meet both of you. So ah…to find a teacher here then?"
Pudge lookst at Maxwell for a bit. "Well maybe if you tell me what it is that you find so amusing about me being a Weather mage, I might be able to talk to my aunts and see if they're willing to teach someone a bit. To see if you have what it takes." After all his aunts are quite skilled in the craft, even if a bit batty. "Yeah, I agree, we should keep in touch. You think you cound find that Young Avenger kid?"
"You'd probably be better off at a real school." Stephen says, a little bluntly. "Each form of magic is different. And not everybody can learn them." He touches the fetish-wolf on his wristband. "Gods know I don't think anyone else can get mine."
Maxwell nods, "Well, uh, you know, a weather mage being the weather man, slightly amusing ja? Little bit?" he asks as he leans back and thinks a tiny bit, "really? A regular school, but…even if it is not magical, I would need trainig prehaps more physical training, in combat and other things. That is what they do"
"Oh yeah, you should have seen Aunt Valerie teach me a simple protection spell, I couldn't get it at all." Pudge just has no talent for anything besides weather. "Why do you think I went into field I did? Weather. Though it's my last name that causes a bit of laughs." And his first but he won't mention that, nope, not ever. "Well you should continue an education but what exactly is it that you are looking to learn with Magics?"
"For physical training, I don't think you'll find anything that the Teutonic Knights would recognize, but… there ARE plenty of Dojo around here to learn new forms that they may have never encountered." Stephen explains. "Which is not necessarily a bad thing." He chuckles. "Oh it gets worse. If you knew his given name." He nods to Maxwell. "His first name is a weather condition. His last name is Weathers. He is a weatherman." Stephen ticks off on his fingers before chuckling. "By the by, Pudge… did you… get the box?" He asks, a little sheepishly.
Maxwell looks down at his hand and he looks around, he just flexs and for a moment there is a medival black steel gautnlet is on he hand, he unflexs and it and it goes away, "I mean, as I said I don't cast magic, but it is…it is magic. I fight in a suit of armor and defend people as a knight of the realm would I…I don't know what I can do with it, hwo to do it or even…what it costs me to do it. I don't know anything"
"Well my Aunts are more for teaching magic, but I would still recommend you stop by some time, they…might be able to figure something out. I really don't know." Pudge says as he looks at Stephen with a frown. "There will be no mention of my first name, thank you. And thank you for the gift, it was amazing." He looks at Maxwell. "For combat, we're not the people to talk to."
"I'm more combat oriented, but not in any formal way." Stephen says, brushing a finger over the wolf again. As he does so, briefly, fur covers his form, and his eyes become very animalistic. A deep growl comes from his throat before it all fades away. "I fight instinctually."
Maxwell thinks more again, "well thank you for at least talking to me, it seems I will need…need to find someone who actually is skilled in combat, I mean." he considers, "Perhaps I need to find a group of young heros, you said there was a young avenger?"
"There are a lot of groups of Young Heroes, I don't know any myself, personally." Pudge takes a business card and hands it to Maxwell. "Keep in touch, and seriously, try to stop by my apartment sometime, I live in mid town. My aunts would love to meet you." And he's serious about that. He look at Stephen and smiles. "Well Steve, (hey, Stephen made referense to his birth name) I gotta get going, gotta get back to the station, I'll call you tonight." He says wanting to talk more when they both have more time.
Seeing someone peering into his shop, Stephen rises. "Yeah, and I gotta get back to work. Looks like someone might be interested." He says with a nod, offering a smile to both Pudge and Max. He looks at Pudge. "There's probably other things we should discuss too."
Maxwell nods his head and he'll take the card and nods, "Well sure I would not mind meeting your relatives at all, thank you both"
