Being mid-sip, only the confused swoop of his eyebrows was the outward reaction to someone being 'unprepared' for something no one could be prepared for. Neither Max nor Goki had been prepared either, they were just more practised at winging it. As Markus continued, referencing an attack in a nightclub, Max lowered his beer and allowed himself a huffed laugh, muttering a low, “Been there, done that.”
Early on, he remembered one of his first run-ins. Scuffling with some furious spirit at Barbarous, with another guy–Malcom or Mac, actually, whatever he was calling himself now. He'd thought the guy calling himself Malcolm had been familiar, but it hadn't been until later that he'd realised they'd been the same guy. Later, Max had realised they might've been dealing with an Onryo, but he hadn't seen one since to confirm it.
But they didn't linger on the moment, Markus hustling the conversation forward in that characteristic way of someone who had something they wanted to get to. Talk about, whatever. Max inclined his head, showing he understood and inviting Markus to continue as the man drank. When he continued, asking Max about Vicky, and the aside about Mac pulling his stunt at the weird party, the werewolf nodded, allowing himself another sip from his drink before he spoke.
“I saw how sucker punched you looked, yeah. Didn't talk it out with you, did he?” Max observed shrewdly, the rhetorical question needing no answer. Max had felt plenty furious about it. It had come at the wrong moment, the fresh realisation she was dead, rather than just going no-contact with someone who didn’t agree with her choices. Max sighed, leaving all that unsaid, and confirmed, voice more subdued. “But yeah, I knew Vicky. We were friends until we weren’t. Then I found out she was dead.”
By now, Max had processed it. No longer fresh news, however tragic, and he'd got too used to saying goodbye to old friends. In Vicky's case, he'd already processed the loss of friendship, and the news of her death had been a short-lived shock, exacerbated by her being brought up like a gotcha. Mac talked a big game, but in the end Max didn't wonder if he hadn't been one of those people encouraging Vicky into getting deeper into the mess she found herself in. Magic for magic's sake, not stopping to think twice.
Early on, he remembered one of his first run-ins. Scuffling with some furious spirit at Barbarous, with another guy–Malcom or Mac, actually, whatever he was calling himself now. He'd thought the guy calling himself Malcolm had been familiar, but it hadn't been until later that he'd realised they'd been the same guy. Later, Max had realised they might've been dealing with an Onryo, but he hadn't seen one since to confirm it.
But they didn't linger on the moment, Markus hustling the conversation forward in that characteristic way of someone who had something they wanted to get to. Talk about, whatever. Max inclined his head, showing he understood and inviting Markus to continue as the man drank. When he continued, asking Max about Vicky, and the aside about Mac pulling his stunt at the weird party, the werewolf nodded, allowing himself another sip from his drink before he spoke.
“I saw how sucker punched you looked, yeah. Didn't talk it out with you, did he?” Max observed shrewdly, the rhetorical question needing no answer. Max had felt plenty furious about it. It had come at the wrong moment, the fresh realisation she was dead, rather than just going no-contact with someone who didn’t agree with her choices. Max sighed, leaving all that unsaid, and confirmed, voice more subdued. “But yeah, I knew Vicky. We were friends until we weren’t. Then I found out she was dead.”
By now, Max had processed it. No longer fresh news, however tragic, and he'd got too used to saying goodbye to old friends. In Vicky's case, he'd already processed the loss of friendship, and the news of her death had been a short-lived shock, exacerbated by her being brought up like a gotcha. Mac talked a big game, but in the end Max didn't wonder if he hadn't been one of those people encouraging Vicky into getting deeper into the mess she found herself in. Magic for magic's sake, not stopping to think twice.