So far, those inclined towards ritual magic had a bad track record with him. Emily managed it fine, but maybe it was because she didn't have any preconceived notions about him. She'd studied with him, knew he had as much academic chops as anyone else. Meanwhile, others seemed to not bother to stop and listen, or understand what he meant. Different, each time, so Max didn't have a pattern to study yet.
He was a bit glad to have left the academic environment behind when he finished his Masters. He'd felt a bit too... worldly and practical in the face of his fellow graduate students, even if they'd only been about five years younger than him. Now, adding Fire Science to his resume, things were a bit different. More practical, in that he was using it for work every single day.
But the werewolf refocused on the conversation, wondering if Markus' formal language was because of upset or habit. It lacked an inflection that'd let Max know, so he'd assume habit until proved otherwise.
“Risky,” Max mused, grinning, when Markus essentially opened up a tab for them. He did not allude to how much he could put away as a werewolf, his resistance something out of the ordinary. Instead, Max took a sip and looked at the man over the edge of his glass. “Do you have any questions not related to a murder? I'd happily answer those.”