
Maxine was quick to brush off Lavana's appreciation. Her own survival had quite literally depended on the Mortal Born's actions the trial before, and there were instances where Max believed Lavana had foolishly almost forfeited her own life to see the Rusalka through. That reality weighed strangely on her. Yet rather than ponder further on it, she was distracted by the Mortal Born's find.
"No way," she breathed with brow raised. Sure enough though, the mediocre sword that once belonged to her slain childhood friend was presented and Max didn't miss a beat. She gladly accepted its return and secured it back upon her person with a grin. "Where'd you find it?!" She shook her head. "Thank you." The weapon brought her thoughts back to a dark place. Mostly, she was thinking about what exactly she'd like to do with it now that she had it back in her possession. Her eyes lifted to settle on Sephira.
The suggestion there would be an "official investigation" was a notion that only made Max's smile turn to a sneer. Who would conduct it? The Element group that was its very focus? The Council who had sanctioned the forsaken festivities leading up to the kidnappings? As far as she was concerned, no one in the Scalvoris government could be trusted. Her contemptuous grin diminished when Sephira made her troubling point. No one seemed to know just how deep the cultists' corruption ran throughout the island. If it could infect the military, there was no one to say it didn't touch the Merchant Guild or the Academy as well. No one could be trusted. In that sense, Max's mentality hadn't been altered in the slightest.
Any rebuttal she'd had in mind was vanquished by a new stranger's arrival. Faith was a woman nearly the polar opposite from Maxine. She was a bit shorter, her demeanor one of grace and control, and from her emanated a mood of composure and compassion that had certainly been lost from the room the moment the Rusalka had awoken. Other faces in the room seemed to clearly acknowledge the woman's presence. In some capacity Faith must've been of some renown in Scalvoris Town, but to Max, she was just another healer unlikely to give her what she felt she needed. That didn't mean she'd deny the help while it was offered.
"Thank you, Faith," she responded simply, her brow knitting slightly as she transitioned from restrained anger to attempting to remember Faith's instructions. In this instance she relented to the healer's will with a nod, consenting to any desired inspection of her most grievous injury. She seemed to perk up a bit when Faith asked the exact question she'd been hoping for. "If what you have is stronger than liquor, yes please." Whether or not Faith would entertain her request was up for debate. It was worth the shot nonetheless.
Kura's arrival had a different effect. When Max became aware of her presence, she felt the rare inclination to listen rather than speak. The Councilwoman might've had better insight into what exactly had transpired the trial before. The Mauve Maiden and its captain had merited the Rusalka's suspicions. However, given the fact the Elements had been the true, immediate threat that night, she felt more like she'd fallen victim to a bait and switch. It looked like the Mauve Maiden had been posed in that harbor like a scapegoat for the premeditated crimes. Then again, maybe there was indeed a connection. The complexity of the crew's involvement was going over Max's head. Kura could hunt for alternative offenders all she wanted. Max would be sated first with the spilling of Element blood.
The woman that seemed to have followed Kura into the room provided a new perspective that the Mixed Race had failed to consider. Despite how in many ways it had felt like a loss, their battles had been a concise victory. Each of the women had performed at their highest levels. One might've gone as far as to say the very best versions of themselves had been present in that warehouse, even with all the killing that occurred. They had survived against great odds. The decimation of the cultists that had kidnapped them was something to be celebrated. At mention of Earth Mask's escape though, Max felt like doing anything but. A shiver ran down her spine and she set her jaw.
An island-wide hunt? That's not a half bad idea...
Maxine was contemplating how to execute such a feat when she realized a new tension had filled the room. This time it was fiercely between Sephira and Lavana, the latter of which had apparently once gone by the alias Alva. She reached over and snatched the bottle of rum from her friend's hand. Sephira's voice had been cold as the glacial chunks floating about the island. Max looked awkwardly away from the pair, tipping the bottle back to her lips to take a long drink from what remained. The Mortal Born hadn't lied to her since the moment they met. Not about her name, not about her family or where she was from. Not once. Lavana would find naught but a shrug from her when her gaze looked for comfort. It likely wasn't helpful the Mortal Born had also hinted at the murder of Sylvia Macklin, the Elements' missing and somewhat beloved receptionist.
"We did what we were forced to do," Max half-lied to provide extra cover for Lavana's emotion-induced confession. She couldn't defend her false identity, but perhaps she could steer the narrative again to ensure no one had ideas about throwing her friend in an Element owned prison cell. If Maxine wasn't already set off, that turn of events would certainly put her on one hell of a bloody spree. Her head turned to find the Councilwoman. "Tell me at least one of your connections has a lead on our mutual friend Earth Mask." Her eyes on Kura darkened something down-right sinister. "I'd like to find him and make sure his second meeting with death takes. Permanently."
"No way," she breathed with brow raised. Sure enough though, the mediocre sword that once belonged to her slain childhood friend was presented and Max didn't miss a beat. She gladly accepted its return and secured it back upon her person with a grin. "Where'd you find it?!" She shook her head. "Thank you." The weapon brought her thoughts back to a dark place. Mostly, she was thinking about what exactly she'd like to do with it now that she had it back in her possession. Her eyes lifted to settle on Sephira.
The suggestion there would be an "official investigation" was a notion that only made Max's smile turn to a sneer. Who would conduct it? The Element group that was its very focus? The Council who had sanctioned the forsaken festivities leading up to the kidnappings? As far as she was concerned, no one in the Scalvoris government could be trusted. Her contemptuous grin diminished when Sephira made her troubling point. No one seemed to know just how deep the cultists' corruption ran throughout the island. If it could infect the military, there was no one to say it didn't touch the Merchant Guild or the Academy as well. No one could be trusted. In that sense, Max's mentality hadn't been altered in the slightest.
Any rebuttal she'd had in mind was vanquished by a new stranger's arrival. Faith was a woman nearly the polar opposite from Maxine. She was a bit shorter, her demeanor one of grace and control, and from her emanated a mood of composure and compassion that had certainly been lost from the room the moment the Rusalka had awoken. Other faces in the room seemed to clearly acknowledge the woman's presence. In some capacity Faith must've been of some renown in Scalvoris Town, but to Max, she was just another healer unlikely to give her what she felt she needed. That didn't mean she'd deny the help while it was offered.
"Thank you, Faith," she responded simply, her brow knitting slightly as she transitioned from restrained anger to attempting to remember Faith's instructions. In this instance she relented to the healer's will with a nod, consenting to any desired inspection of her most grievous injury. She seemed to perk up a bit when Faith asked the exact question she'd been hoping for. "If what you have is stronger than liquor, yes please." Whether or not Faith would entertain her request was up for debate. It was worth the shot nonetheless.
Kura's arrival had a different effect. When Max became aware of her presence, she felt the rare inclination to listen rather than speak. The Councilwoman might've had better insight into what exactly had transpired the trial before. The Mauve Maiden and its captain had merited the Rusalka's suspicions. However, given the fact the Elements had been the true, immediate threat that night, she felt more like she'd fallen victim to a bait and switch. It looked like the Mauve Maiden had been posed in that harbor like a scapegoat for the premeditated crimes. Then again, maybe there was indeed a connection. The complexity of the crew's involvement was going over Max's head. Kura could hunt for alternative offenders all she wanted. Max would be sated first with the spilling of Element blood.
The woman that seemed to have followed Kura into the room provided a new perspective that the Mixed Race had failed to consider. Despite how in many ways it had felt like a loss, their battles had been a concise victory. Each of the women had performed at their highest levels. One might've gone as far as to say the very best versions of themselves had been present in that warehouse, even with all the killing that occurred. They had survived against great odds. The decimation of the cultists that had kidnapped them was something to be celebrated. At mention of Earth Mask's escape though, Max felt like doing anything but. A shiver ran down her spine and she set her jaw.
An island-wide hunt? That's not a half bad idea...
Maxine was contemplating how to execute such a feat when she realized a new tension had filled the room. This time it was fiercely between Sephira and Lavana, the latter of which had apparently once gone by the alias Alva. She reached over and snatched the bottle of rum from her friend's hand. Sephira's voice had been cold as the glacial chunks floating about the island. Max looked awkwardly away from the pair, tipping the bottle back to her lips to take a long drink from what remained. The Mortal Born hadn't lied to her since the moment they met. Not about her name, not about her family or where she was from. Not once. Lavana would find naught but a shrug from her when her gaze looked for comfort. It likely wasn't helpful the Mortal Born had also hinted at the murder of Sylvia Macklin, the Elements' missing and somewhat beloved receptionist.
"We did what we were forced to do," Max half-lied to provide extra cover for Lavana's emotion-induced confession. She couldn't defend her false identity, but perhaps she could steer the narrative again to ensure no one had ideas about throwing her friend in an Element owned prison cell. If Maxine wasn't already set off, that turn of events would certainly put her on one hell of a bloody spree. Her head turned to find the Councilwoman. "Tell me at least one of your connections has a lead on our mutual friend Earth Mask." Her eyes on Kura darkened something down-right sinister. "I'd like to find him and make sure his second meeting with death takes. Permanently."