(Untitled)

[dancin_maxxie]

The last two months have been hard on Maxxie. In little ways, and in big ways, but nothing that he wants to complain about. He turned into a girl, and that was weird, but it's about the only thing that centers directly on him. (That involved Claire, too, but nothing Maxxie did hurt her by it.) But he fucked a guy he shouldn't have twice, kissed a

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[priorlives]

The stage wasn't far from the hut in Bohemia where Prior lived. He was walking nearby when he heard the singing, and it was enough to make him head that way. He arrived just in time for the boy to start the chorus, and he stood near the back of where the audience would be, and watched.

He'd been on this stage before - he'd played Dr. Dillamond in Wicked, which was one of the very, very few times he'd been a man on stage, even if he'd been a goat, too.

He loved this song. He'd seen Company more than once during its original run, and this song... yeah. There was something to be said for feeling alive, in the time that he'd come from.

When the (pretty, young, and clearly gay) boy finished, he waited a moment and then started to clap.

[dancin_maxxie]

Putting your heart and soul into it isn't always the prettiest choice. It isn't even always the best sounding choice, from a technical perspective. So when Maxxie hears the applause and opens his eyes, sees a man he thinks he has seen once or twice in passing, a flush of embarrassment warms his cheeks. But it's easily pushed aside. He's applauding after all. Obviously, he was good.

Of course he was good.

"Thanks," he calls out to the man, then follows with a cheeky bow. "Broadway in the jungle. Glad you enjoyed my totally necessary show."

[priorlives]

Sadly he has his cane so his entrance does lack some finesse, but Prior makes his way to the stage anyway.

"You won't get any judgment from me," he said. "I wore goat horns on this stage. But you're good, I don't get enough random musical numbers around here."

[dancin_maxxie]

"Thanks," Maxxie says again, the grin brightening in pleasure and amusement. Looking at him more closely, taking the time to consider him now, Maxxie's got the feeling he has seen him somewhere before. Maybe they met at some party and he was baked.

"Goat horns? I haven't been around long enough to see any plays around here. What was that for?"

[priorlives]

"Wicked," said Prior. "Do you know it?" He climbed the steps to join him on the stage so that he wasn't looking up at him. "I'd never heard of it before I came here, after my time." He offered his hand. "I'm Prior."

[dancin_maxxie]

"Yeah, of course," Maxxie says with enthusiasm, catching himself only after he realizes that could be rude. He's never been behind the times in a conversation, but he can't imagine it's fun.

"I'm Maxxie," he says, taking the man's hand in his. "It's nice to meet you. Wicked's only a couple years old for me, but it was a big deal. So were you like.. Dillamond?"

[priorlives]

"I was," said Prior, and smiled wryly. "And was probably far more fabulous a goat than he was intended to be. Elphaba was actually here on the island, and my friend Maureen who looked just like her, played her... yeah, a little surreal actually."

[dancin_maxxie]

He laughs a little at the mention of fabulous goats, but that sounds just fine by him. There's always room in every production for a little more fabulous of some kind.

The grin fades to complete shock though when he realizes what Prior's saying. "Wait... Elphaba. Like... green skin, Wicked Witch of the West? Actually her?"

[priorlives]

"Uh huh," said Prior, looking amused. "And Maureen was apparently in a musical too... fuck, what was the name of it. Rent, maybe? I know I heard Roger bitch about it before."

[dancin_maxxie]

"Wait, so that's--" He had thought he had seen a guy looking like Adam Pascal walking around. Like him though, not actually Roger Davis or anything like that. It's easy to pretend and harder to accept the impossible.

All the air rushes out of him in a curse, eyes wide. "Holy shit."

[priorlives]

"Ah, so you've seen it, I guess," Prior said. "Roger's my ex." Pause. "Actually so is Mark, I guess, but he's not here anymore."

[dancin_maxxie]

"Well, yeah, it's RENT and I'm-- Wait, hold on." He raises a hand, a serious frown on his face as though he might be about to question everything Prior's told him for a very good, logical reason.

"They weren't together?"

[priorlives]

Prior let out a snort of laughter. "They were," he said. "For a while. It didn't last, and then Roger and I were... until he fucked Brian Kinney. And then Mark and I... until he disappeared... and I realize I'm making myself sound like a total slut."

[dancin_maxxie]

Maxxie laughs, not unkindly, and shakes his head. "Not at all, dude, really. Two boyfriends is totally not slutty. And if Roger cheated on you, then.. I think on the slut scale, that actually gives you some negative points."

[priorlives]

Prior looked a little sheepish. "I guess you're right," he said. "Anyway. Point of this story is - I know people in musicals. And I liked your singing. Were you a performer at home?"

[dancin_maxxie]

He's said thanks twice already, which is the only reason he doesn't say it again, though he grins gratefully through the praise. "I was. I still am, I think, but I guess we need another play or recital or something before I can say that. I was actually on my way to try my luck in London when I showed up here."