>>“So. How did Vicente get mixed up in all of this? He doesn’t seem like the usual X-Trainee.”

The young knight dismissed the question with a shrug. "He threw me into a bear pit."

And that was that. If she was interested in the story, she would ask. Maxine always asked first. And then asked some more.
And then came up with ideas.

>>“I know you’re going to say no, but... would you let me go in first? I am a reporter. I’ve made a big enough deal about coming here that anyone worth their investigative salt can find out that I’m in town hunting for an interview with these people. Why don’t we try things from that angle, first? If I can get in for a real interview, then I might just be able to get a message to your mom. If we can somehow get her away from the rest of them... even if they’ve got her brainwashed or something, it would still be easier to deal with just her, minus the big bads who want to keep her around.”

Gawain blinked. Maxine noted that he would say no, but actually... what she said kind of made sense. His eyes narrowed for a few moments, looking into hers. She looked serious. Maxine hardly ever looked serious.
Damn she's hot.

He nodded very slowly.

"Do you think you could pull that off?" that was the main question, wasn't it "Going in alone? I don't want to get you in trouble... and I definitely don't want you to do something I am supposed to do myself. But... if you could get her away from the rest of them..." he mused "... somehow, in a, you know, diplomatic way? That would save us a lot of trouble." he smirked at her, in her pink-heart socks "And you would totally be my hero forever."

“Bear pit,” Maxine repeated, as if this were a perfectly normal social function. She didn’t do much traveling in mutant social circles herself, but from her own (mildly biased) reporting: she gathered that it was. Normal, that is. “Did you deserve it?” Because one simply must ask.

To the subject at hand, however: Gawain didn’t protest her noble offer to put her life on the line for his private crusade. Did not say ‘nay, fair lady, I could not sleep at night should ill befall you!’ Did not point out that of them all, she was the least capable of getting herself out of mutant-y troubles (even if she was building up serious clock hours getting into them). It was a far less chivalrous response than she’d expected of the young knight.

A grin twitched at the corner of her lips. Let’s hear it for a brain regularly soaked in nice, sensible estrogen. Maybe those Maya-days weren’t such a bad thing, after all.

“Who said anything about alone? Just... first. If we play that angle, then I’m the hotshot TV reporter.” It was literally in her job description. More of a figurative-literally, maybe, but that was besides the point. “That means I’m the one they’ll really be looking at, the one they’ll really remember. I’ll be the one working connections to get us in.”

She leaned back on her hands, and stretched out her legs so little pink hearts touched the sheets next to Gawain’s thigh. “I hear that hotshot TV reporters have cameramen, though. You—” She paused a second, looking Gawain up and down.

Street chic fashion.
Perpetual aura of playing hooky.
Barely legal baby-fat.

“—Vicente could do that,” she said. “As for you, I think it’s about time to tell me how that power of yours really works. If I smuggled in a mirror in the camera bag, could you ride in it?”

The lion man could hunker down and paranoia-nap to his heart’s content: it wouldn’t save him from Maxine Ralls. He could call her 'Miss Ralls,' if he wanted. Or 'Boss,' bless his heart.

>>“Bear pit. Did you deserve it?”

"Nope" the young guy smirked.
Of course he did. Maxine probably knew that anyway. No need telling her.

>>“Who said anything about alone? Just... first. If we play that angle, then I’m the hotshot TV reporter. That means I’m the one they’ll really be looking at, the one they’ll really remember. I’ll be the one working connections to get us in.”

Gawain nodded. Very seriously. Maxine was already doing the boss lady voice, and the last thing he wanted was to piss her off.
No wonder she's single.

>>“I hear that hotshot TV reporters have cameramen, though. You—Vicente could do that. As for you, I think it’s about time to tell me how that power of yours really works. If I smuggled in a mirror in the camera bag, could you ride in it?”

He couldn't help but grin at the image of Vicente as a cameraman. Guy would break the equipment to pieces in no time. Not to mention the crappy footage he would get... but Maxine was right, Mirror did not look old enough to have a job like that. Probably.

"Yup." he nodded "As long as the mirror is big enough, I can pull that off." he smirked at her "Ya're wicked, you know that right?"

>> "Ya're wicked, you know that right?"

Maxine smiled her sweetest smile; one that had never, ever scared any male away.

“Golly, Sir Gawain. No one’s ever told me that before.” She squiggled off her own bed, and plunked herself down next to him. The mattress bounced. Her little pink-hearted feet slid right up next to his, wiggling cutely. “Such a flirt. I’ve got half a mind to—“

Her hand snaked up behind his back… and gave him the very friendliest of shoves off.

“—Kick you out for the night.”

Smile.

Maxine escorted her dear night to the bathroom mirror, and blew a kiss. Nighty-night, Sir Knight.

((ooc: Continued in Finders Keepers.))