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Maximos' reaction was nothing short of boyish charm and amazement.

"Whaa?!" He said, his eyes open wide and mouth agape in shock. Raven had pulled a feather from her head. Taking the words as just what they were, a bird with feathers did not seem so very amazing. But the amazing part seemed to come from the fact he had never seen her do it before. And immediately after he said as much, holding the feather in his hand like a brand new sort of impressive thing and saying. "I didnt know you could do that!"

And while he truly didnt, Maximos was not so enamored that he lost track of the moment. The Shadow smiled into her eyes, holding the feather between two fingers and thanked her with a very warm, "Thank you. And I will."

Then looked back at the feather and laughed an innocent child's laugh and said. "I'll see you soon, alright?"

He did not push her out, or anything of the nature but he did draw out his keys. As the sign on the door outside said, one had to knock, which meant he would need to lock it behind her. Yet still, he smiled brightly at the small woman.

Maximos smiled a warm brilliant smile that ran all the way up his cheeks to his eyes giving then that tell-tale squint of happiness. His face, it said everything his lips didnt, and didnt need to.

Raven would step out into Latent, just as when she had entered, accompanied by Max's practically glowing grin.

Still smiling and now waving, Maximos would slip a black key into the shop door from the inside. This was the power of a single memory, one spire tearing up out of the darkness and giving him the ability to survive as well as Raven could clearly see and even feel.

It was an old memory that stretched all the way back to the Shadow's youth. After the Destroyer's rampage. After Maximos, renewed and restored ventured to the nearest land and the closest village and the biggest Inn there in. This memory was a lesson learned, when Maximos first proclaimed he planned to defeat the Dark Lord but wanted to confess and make amends for the terror and horror of the Destroyer. When bottles, knives, and then fists came flying at him full of hate and rage and panic. When it all became too much for a fragile boy who just wanted solace from people that simply could not, and did not understand who and what he was or what he was going through, past themselves. That's when Maximos learned.

He closed the door to the shop, and turned the key, the windows went jet black giving a few to absolutely nothing. A nothing, that as the clack of the lock engaging rung out across the empty store, matched the look of complete emotional emptiness that spread across his face. His smile falling away as quickly as tissue in a flame.

That was when Maximos learned, to lie. And he learned it perfectly.

He stepped away from the door as the nothingness flattened his lips and withdrew his fake smiles. Beneath the soul deep mask he looked tired, withdrawn, and worse.

But, as he turned to walk back behind the counter and then stopped, it seemed perhaps at least a few of Raven's words carried weight. Maximos reached into his vest pocket, drew out his phone, dialed a number and then waited.

"Lu." Was all he said, his voice worn, detached.

"No, I'm not." He replied after a few moments of silence, bowing his head slightly and rubbing the bridge of his nose and brow with his fingers. And then finally.

"I would like that, yes." And with a click, he closed his phone, fiddled through his keys and then opened the door in the back of the shop. Light poured in, along with the sound of seagulls and scent of salty air. Maximos stepped through then closed and locked the door behind him.