- BOOM! *

full name: maia asalfi

species: human

pronouns/gender identity: she/her, cis female

birthday: august 9th

occupation: pirate and smuggler

residence: port grave

allegiance: to her family. all else can and will change.

full bio can be found HERE.

“Definitely mentioned a time or two,” he nodded. “Hey, I only act old because ‘m basically at my mid-life crisis.” Tristan firmly believed his lifespan was shortened. There were too many factors at play for him to make to be old. He had made peace with it, though. “Maybe that s’what ‘ll do when I retire. Just become a pirate, sail the seas and enjoy a life of pillaging. I could pull that off, yeah?”

"What are you afraid of?" She asked sincerely, unapologetically. "I'm not trying to be rude, but–" Maia shifted in her seat, leaning forward in an attempt to look closer at Tristan, "–what keeps you from, I don't know, trying?" She did know part of the answer to that, but could that really be all? "I'm not saying go and hop on a boat tomorrow, you know. But you're too young to be stuck in a life you hate, Tristan." Maia didn't use his first name often, and the fact that she did showed how honest the concern was.

“Wouldn’t say changed so much as sober,” said Tristan. At least for now. It had been easy enough so far, though. It was a matter of mind over matter when it came to alcohol. He shrugged as she posed the question back to him. “Wonder what else is out there, I reckon. Same as anyone else.” He wasn’t even from here. He supposed he had a greater tie to the outside world than most, though he could barely remember it. He spent most of his life here, anyway. “Just think about how things might’ve been different if I were somewhere else, I think. Course, I think ‘ve managed to plant some seeds here, so I’ll probably die here one way or another. Bury me at sea when I do.”

The smile on Maia’s lips now was a lot more tender that before. “I did always tell you you’d make a good pirate, didn’t I?” She understood that pull more than most, that will to see more, to be in motion. “You still got time, you know. You’re not that old just yet, even if you act like it.”

Alexander’s lips drew a long drink from the straw he’d punctured through the plastic flask. Mmm. Uncomfortable as the chair was, Alexander relaxed into the waiting room seat in spite of it. “It might just be you have a very trustworthy face.” No one here with any wits about them would trust on looks alone, but Alexander felt he had little to lose in the gamble. “What’s the worst you could do?” No, genuinely he wanted to know. His body shifted forward in anticipation of the answer. Another mouthful of blood slid down his throat, easing the pesky burn of thirst that had begun there that morning. 

.

“A trustworthy face? Can’t say I’ve gotten that before.” Maia couldn’t help herself from laughing at the idea. But credit were credit was due, he was right that she wasn’t one to uphold the law herself. “Let’s just say I’m not exactly in cahoots with our dearest authorities at the moment.” She shrugged, watching him suck the blood bag dry. As a rule of thumb, vampires, like the fae, didn’t get the most trust out of her from the get-go. “So I suppose your ‘trustworthy face’ assumption wasn’t entirely wrong.”

“You might not believe me, but I know what I’m getting myself into. Why else would I bother becoming a doctor? The point is to help when I can, and I’d like to believe that philosophy extends well beyond the hospital walls.” Do no harm meant more to Lixin than just avoiding making something worse in someone’s life. He actively wanted to assist those around him in whatever capacity possible. Medical related or not. “I take it he had something to do with a business dealing gone wrong?”

.

If Lixin didn’t have a needle threading through the neck right now, Maia would have shaken her head with amusement; instead, she opted for a light chuckle. “You almost care too much for your own good, kid.” She wasn’t trying to be condescending; it simply was that Maia, for as much of a front she was usually put, did care every so often. “Listen, I can’t and I won’t stop you from buying my stuff,” her tone became more serious as she spoke, “but you really shouldn’t get yourself any deeper into this business. You’re smart enough to know that you can’t care for others if you don’t keep your own head on your shoulders.”

“And how would I have managed that?” Lixin asked, taking the opening where there was one. He wouldn’t had prodded had it not been there, out in the open, ripe for picking. While his focus was primarily on the shallow cut itself, he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Maia had gotten herself into today, and how there was even a knife wound on her neck to start with.

.

“You did see the guy who was after me, right?” The wording came out more accusatory then she meant it, and Maia immediately regretted it. “I appreciate the help, doc. Don’t get me wrong.” She did her best to contain a wince as Lixin worked on her wound. “I say it because you’re a good kid. Promising, too. And if someone had followed us, it could have ended really poorly.” Lixin was the kind of client that Maia felt the closest to remorse about. Almost Lara’s age, young and with a good heart in their chest. There weren’t many of those left around Obsidian City.

“What s’that even mean? Gone Tristan?” he asked, looking mildly amused. “But what can I say, ‘m full of surprises. ‘Sides, trying to lay low nowadays,” he admitted. It was true. Given that he was still within a few months of being released from prison and already involved with a shady organization, it didn’t make sense for him to put himself out there.  “You still doing your thing, though? When you’re not here, of course.” 

.

“It means getting yourself into trouble because you can’t help that big ol’ vigilante heart you got there. Oh, don’t give me that look, you know it’s true.” Despite what the words might sound like, Maia’s small smile was an affectionate one. It faded slightly as the topic circled back to herself, but she managed to hold the unbothered facade. Mostly, anyway. “Yeah, I’m still hanging around these old men and their old boats.” It wasn’t that simple, of course, but she didn’t have to say it. Tristan knew, and there were no judgements between them. “Can’t complain about it, though. It’s been serving me fine.”

A moment hung between comment and reply where Alexander considered perhaps he’d be better off lying. He didn’t much feel like it though. “Strictly speaking, I’m not sure that they do.” His voice was the worn velvet of a whisper. “At least, I haven’t known them to advertise it. The squeaky wheel gets the oil though, isn’t it?”

.

The casual honesty managed to draw an amused chuckle out of her. “Figures”, she shook her head, though not in disappointment. Maia Asalfi of all people wasn’t exactly in a position to throw stones. “In that case, you really shouldn’t be divulging this information to the first stranger who asks.” Her tone was more amused than reprehensive, however, and if this man had more than one working braincell, he would probably figure out that Maia wasn’t exactly there to enforce the law.

Stupid. Stupid fucking men. Nadia was practically seething as she paced back and forth. Bringing her men to the hospital was always the last thing she liked to do. Especially when they got themselves injured through their own recklessness. Risking others, risking the ship. But she was always the one to clean up the mess. When she’d known most of them since they were children, how could she not? It was her weakness, her crew were.

She needed to calm down, lest the doctors let her in and she cause more injuries than he’d originally had. So she let out a breath and turned, heading down the hallway to another wing of the hospital. She’d let him sweat, and return when she felt better. 

She stopped when she saw a familiar face. “Maia?”

.

The attempt at swallowing down the lump in her throat was nothing short of futile. Maia's gaze fell to the vinyl flooring, unable to meet Nadia's. "It's Lara again", she admitted, her voice sounding weak. 

Anyone else and she might have kept her composure, withheld the information, but this was Nadia. Nadia who actually knew Lara, who had known her since her youngest years and first struggles. "Blacked out at home, early in the morning. It hadn't happened in a while. I thought– we really thought it wouldn't anymore." Maia hugged her own waist, trying her hardest to keep the dam from bursting. She still wouldn't look at Nadia.

Alexander was at the hospital for the same reason any vampire might be: blood. Power outages and useless freezers had made the task of finding it more difficult than it typically was for him. So, the hospital with it’s blood bags and generators it was. Was he permitted to buy blood from the hospital? Alexander wasn’t sure, frankly. He’d never been told no, but that didn’t mean much when you wore the Ives names. What was permitted and what was allowed were not always the same thing. 

He was just shoving a straw into the lip of the bag, taking a seat in the waiting room, when he caught a stranger’s eye. “I can drink this somewhere else if you’re bothered,” he offered. Alexander was nothing if not polite. And besides, she seemed like she was already having a rough time. 

.

Maia raised an eyebrow, might even have laughed if she had the energy to do so. If only her biggest problem was existing in the same room as a different species. "'S okay. Doesn't really bother me." Crossing her arms under her chest, Maia took the time to actually look at the stranger sitting across the room. It was a welcome distraction from all the anxiety in her stomach. "I didn't realize they sold these", she commented, nodding at the blood bags he was holding.

Everything happened in a flash, and Lixin didn’t mind. Better than an event that was long and drawn out. Torturous. They were in one place, and then another, Lixin still missing his shirt. “It shouldn’t be too deep, it’s likely just being agitated right now by all of the movement.” He still wasn’t sure if stitching her neck was the smartest solution, and given that somehow he had managed to find himself in a not so dissimilar situation last month, Lixin really did think he better not leave his own medical bag anywhere from now on.

“Sit. Please. We’ll need to worry about disinfecting first, and then putting as much pressure on it as possible before I go in for stitches. I’ll try to make them neat.”

.

"Aye aye, captain", Maia joked as she settled on the stool, trying to ignore the slight throbbing in her neck. One hand came up to grab her long hair and pull it aside, giving Lixin more space to work with. "You could have gotten yourself in trouble today, you know." She commented, but quickly snapped her mouth shut. Shouldn't talk, she pondered. It will be easier that way.

“Money s’always a good motivator if you got it,” he pointed out. And it wasn’t as if that was a false statement to make. This city was run on bribes and based on who had the most to offer. “But, reckon they’ll figure it out. Might just be overworked, what with the heat wave and people having heat strokes and dehydration. Might just take a while.” Hospitals never seemed to have enough personnel. “Oh, s’just my dad. Fractured his wrist, so they’re patching him up. Didn’t think it was a good idea to let him go on his own when they were done.” 

.

"Yeah, that makes sense." She tried to sound hopeful, tried to be hopeful. They hadn't figured it out before, when there was no heat stroke to blame, but maybe Tristan was right and this would be it. Maybe.

She welcomed the subject change. "Sounds like the sensible thing to do. Which is suprising." The usual smirk tugged at the corner of her lips again, more an attempt to distract herself than anything, but at least it was there. "I can't lie, though. I was half expecting you to have gone Tristan again." Even in these circunstances, she couldn't help but push his buttons.