Either her new friend was stark raving mad or a genuine ex-soldier from some far-away coast, apparently with a trail of blood as merit to show for the experience. The anecdote itself wasn't strange. It was when Lavana seemed to place the ordeal firmly in history that Max grew confused. A reasonable explanation would've been that the other woman had merely been more metaphorical than literal. She had to have been. Lavana was youthful in appearance for any bizarre alternative to have been reality, right? The Mixed Blood shook the thoughts away. What did she care where this woman came from and who she'd been? There was a job to be done. That had to be the priority.
Maxine followed Lavana's gesture across the tavern to the mark. He wasn't a very big man. His arms were wiry, likely from arcs of carving and hauling carcasses at the butcher's shop. Otherwise, he was just a tall and lanky man of dark eyebrow length hair. His facial features had of course been denied to her thanks to the parasitic whore sucking his face like it was the very air she breathed. Max sighed and rolled her eyes before taking the lead.
"I really do hate to break up a happy couple," Max said without much enthusiasm. "You and I need to have a little talk, Daris." The pair continued to remain pressed together in superficial passion despite the fact that one of them had been directly addressed. The prostitute even went so far as to glance sideways during the display, her eyes casting an irreverent, arrogant gaze upon the Rusalka. Their make-out became more dramatic within a trill, the prostitute clearly trying to wrestle away the prospect of his attention moving away from her in favor of the new arrivals. Max reached forward and forcibly yanked the whore by the hair away from the man. It was quite a scene between the way the woman was unceremoniously dismounted from a lap to the floor, breasts flying out of her ill-fitting clothing for all to see. Max nearly felt bad. Nearly.
"Like I was saying," Max continued, her attention having never left the man even when the whore cursed her as she rushed to cover her chest. "I have some questions for you. You know my friend here already." Max thumbed toward Lavana with a neutral expression. There was no downplaying the intensity of Daris's displeasure. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, a distinct vein popping from his forehead.
"Ya've got quite t' nerve," Daris spat and crossed his arms. "Sard off, yeah?"
By now the whore had discovered that the exposure of her bosom had actually granted her more attention than ever before. She traded up for a new lap seat at the man bar and all seemed quickly forgotten. Max invaded Daris's space with a lean, bracing the heels of her palms upon the table while she loomed over him where he sat at the table.
"I'm feeling generous today, so I'm going to make you an offer I don't usually make," Max suggested. "I'm giving you the rare chance to change your mind. Reconsider your attitude." Then she reached into her pocket and procured the carving knife from the crime scene. She turned the handle so that the brand of the butcher's shop was clearly visible. "Lose this last night?" All the color drained from the man's face. He stared up at Lavana and Max with wide eyes.
"Look," he said with a low voice. "I--I'll tell it all. All of it! Just let me fill me mug, yeah?" Daris was shaking like a leaf when he carefully rose from his chair. He slowly began to make his way to the bar. Max stood up straight and turned to Lavana with a shrug. Yet, not a trill after she turned her back on his, Daris changed his route and made a mad dash for the door. The sound of his footsteps sent the Rusalka spinning and cursing, before she inevitably took off after him.
She ran after him around the corner, across the street, and through an odd maze of alleyways before the realized something was very, very wrong. She skid to a stop when Daris inexplicably did. Her caramel eyes darted around the alleyway, only to find it was a section of the town that was more on the abandoned side. Doors and windows were boarded. No voices carried from the houses that corralled them within the narrow passage. Daris turned to face her just as another man appeared at his side to ward off her quick advance.
Shit.
Max took a few steps back and looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, another pair of bruisers had manifested to block a hasty escape. She pursed her lips and balled her fists at her sides. If Lavana had been just as quick on her feet to race with Max through the streets after Daris, the pair had together found themselves very trapped indeed. "I take all that back," Max mused quietly. "I guess you did dress for the occasion, Lavana."
Maxine followed Lavana's gesture across the tavern to the mark. He wasn't a very big man. His arms were wiry, likely from arcs of carving and hauling carcasses at the butcher's shop. Otherwise, he was just a tall and lanky man of dark eyebrow length hair. His facial features had of course been denied to her thanks to the parasitic whore sucking his face like it was the very air she breathed. Max sighed and rolled her eyes before taking the lead.
"I really do hate to break up a happy couple," Max said without much enthusiasm. "You and I need to have a little talk, Daris." The pair continued to remain pressed together in superficial passion despite the fact that one of them had been directly addressed. The prostitute even went so far as to glance sideways during the display, her eyes casting an irreverent, arrogant gaze upon the Rusalka. Their make-out became more dramatic within a trill, the prostitute clearly trying to wrestle away the prospect of his attention moving away from her in favor of the new arrivals. Max reached forward and forcibly yanked the whore by the hair away from the man. It was quite a scene between the way the woman was unceremoniously dismounted from a lap to the floor, breasts flying out of her ill-fitting clothing for all to see. Max nearly felt bad. Nearly.
"Like I was saying," Max continued, her attention having never left the man even when the whore cursed her as she rushed to cover her chest. "I have some questions for you. You know my friend here already." Max thumbed toward Lavana with a neutral expression. There was no downplaying the intensity of Daris's displeasure. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, a distinct vein popping from his forehead.
"Ya've got quite t' nerve," Daris spat and crossed his arms. "Sard off, yeah?"
By now the whore had discovered that the exposure of her bosom had actually granted her more attention than ever before. She traded up for a new lap seat at the man bar and all seemed quickly forgotten. Max invaded Daris's space with a lean, bracing the heels of her palms upon the table while she loomed over him where he sat at the table.
"I'm feeling generous today, so I'm going to make you an offer I don't usually make," Max suggested. "I'm giving you the rare chance to change your mind. Reconsider your attitude." Then she reached into her pocket and procured the carving knife from the crime scene. She turned the handle so that the brand of the butcher's shop was clearly visible. "Lose this last night?" All the color drained from the man's face. He stared up at Lavana and Max with wide eyes.
"Look," he said with a low voice. "I--I'll tell it all. All of it! Just let me fill me mug, yeah?" Daris was shaking like a leaf when he carefully rose from his chair. He slowly began to make his way to the bar. Max stood up straight and turned to Lavana with a shrug. Yet, not a trill after she turned her back on his, Daris changed his route and made a mad dash for the door. The sound of his footsteps sent the Rusalka spinning and cursing, before she inevitably took off after him.
She ran after him around the corner, across the street, and through an odd maze of alleyways before the realized something was very, very wrong. She skid to a stop when Daris inexplicably did. Her caramel eyes darted around the alleyway, only to find it was a section of the town that was more on the abandoned side. Doors and windows were boarded. No voices carried from the houses that corralled them within the narrow passage. Daris turned to face her just as another man appeared at his side to ward off her quick advance.
Shit.
Max took a few steps back and looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, another pair of bruisers had manifested to block a hasty escape. She pursed her lips and balled her fists at her sides. If Lavana had been just as quick on her feet to race with Max through the streets after Daris, the pair had together found themselves very trapped indeed. "I take all that back," Max mused quietly. "I guess you did dress for the occasion, Lavana."
Boxcode Credit: Poppy
