Eva’s train of thought is derailed as abruptly as Kathrine’s entry. A mildly irritated emerald gaze snaps up to meet the Malevolent. The blue hues of her computer cast her tired features in a rather sharp light. It takes her mind a moment to get back on track and assess the situation. It takes an extra few seconds to register when the last time she saw Kathrine was. An AQUA meeting most likely.

“Councilwoman Fairburne,” she challenges Katherine's soft smile with one of her own: sincere and delicate around the edges, “What brings you down to the depths of the research department?” her domain. She’s not naive, Eva knows this isn’t a social call.

---

Katherine Fairburne

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"Mm."
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The weight of her newfound title, Councilwoman, still lingered upon her heart, an elixir of pleasure and pride that fuels her every movement. In response to the melodious sound of her new role, her posture, already impeccable, undergoes the slightest of adjustments, as if eager to mirror the elevated stature she now embodies.
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"This report does," she concedes smoothly, the words flowing effortlessly from her lips, embracing Eva's tacit agreement to jump right to it. There was little point in beating around the bush, after all.
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With a graceful motion, the Malevolent glides the file across the scientist's desk, a silent invitation for the Peacemaker to delve into its contents with her discerning gaze. The report she offered belonged to Eva herself, detailing the tampering identified in skyler dross's Blue Orb. "I suspect I have something in my possession that might have suffered a similar treatment."
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And then, a heartbeat later, "Can you tell me more about how the blue orb was tampered with? What was done to it? Can this be easily identified in other objects?"

[attr="class","bottom"]Eva Morales [break]

People had a knack for sliding files across her desk. For some reason, it always seemed to be the thing to do. A practiced hand reaches out to snatch the file.

The Professor’s gaze flicks down towards the folder’s contents. Silence lingers for a moment while her eyes dart across the pages. She doesn’t need to read it to remember everything. She wrote it after all.

“Yes, the Blue Orb,” she sets the file down and focuses her attention back towards Katherine. There is a sparkle of intrigue in a slightly narrowed gaze. As always, the promise of discovery draws her in like the addict she is.

“Oh really?” her brows shoot up and she doesn’t attempt to hide her interest, “And what might that possession be?” she leans forward, her fingers tapping against the cover of the report, “Everything I know is in here,” the nature of the contamination was unknown as well as the extent. She hadn’t revisited the subject since she initially tested it, “This was a while ago . . . so I may be able to glean a little more with updated research. Depending on the object, I assume the same process could apply to seeing if what you have really was tampered with,” the energy signals would be the same if that was the case. If it was something different . . . then there was just more to discover.

---

Katherine Fairburne

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"I figured you'd ask."
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Katherine's limited acquaintance with Eva did little to dampen her impression that the professor possessed an innate curiosity, one that could be effortlessly captivated by the allure of delving into uncharted realms of research. There was none better than her, a newly-elected councilwoman, who could supply such a rare opportunity.
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The GRISEOUS SHARD attached to her necklace glimmers lightly before reality distorts, bending to the Malevolent's whims. A tear in space opens itself and allows passage for a similar, albeit smaller golden shard to emerge. It falls to her palm, its shimmer and pulse matching that of its twin.
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"It's this thing," she says simply, flatly, before placing it on the desk. The distorted energy remains heavy in the air, palpable despite having already dissipated. "Do be careful with it, yes?" she warns with a smile that whispers of concealed threats.
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"Hrm, hrm. Well, it's best we get to it then. I'd hate to waste your time in case there's nothing wrong with it."

[attr="class","bottom"]Eva Morales [break]

As always, Kathrine doesn’t disappoint. Eva’s limited interactions with the previous Elite Four member had always exceeded her expectations and this is no different. She plucks a shard out of the Distortion world as if she was picking apples. Even the oppressive nature of the distorted energy doesn’t dampen her intrigue - it heightens it.

Eva handles the piece with an impressive tenderness. It’s not the first rare and delicate artifact she’s had the pleasure of examining. Katherine’s threat is unnecessary, but Eva smiles anyway, she knows it makes the dotting owner feel more comfortable, “Interesting,” she speaks softly, her brows knit together in contemplation.

“A few questions first,” she abruptly breaks her focus from the shard and back to Kathrine, “Questions pertinent to the evaluation,” Eva quickly clarifies to ensure the Malevolent she’s not wasting her time. After all, time lost is lost forever.

“A thorough history is part of a swift diagnosis,” she gently sets the shard down between them, now entirely focused on Kathrine and whatever tale she weaves, “Where did you obtain this artifact?”

---

Katherine Fairburne

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"It was a gift."
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Katherine ran her tongue across her teeth as though the taste of her words surprised her. Although she wasn't lying, she could have easily been more honest with the head scientist. But then again, saying it came along with a job offer wouldn't have made the best impression on Eva.
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The faint glimmer of her own GRISEOUS SHARD, the one attached to her necklace, pulses once more, breathing as though it's alive.
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"I'm certain of the authenticity of this one, by the way," she's kind enough to share more, courteous enough to recognize that it might support the scientist's investigation, "you could try comparing them, if you'd like."

[attr="class","bottom"]Eva Morales [break]

Eva’s patience blossoms into a wider smile. Her success fully banked on Katherine’s cooperation and willingness to share. The vague answer was not what she needed, but it was all she was going to get, apparently. Eva learned long ago that prying and demanding more never made anyone feel more comfortable.

“A gift,” she repeats pointedly, the punctuated statement reflecting how vague of an answer it was, “Some must have been feeling quite generous,” she muses out loud, “I imagine something like this is hard to come by.”

Eva’s gaze lingers on the necklace for a moment then slowly draws a trail back down to the one in question, “That would certainly be useful, yes,” having a control is always important, “What makes you so worried about this one in particular?” she motions to the one on the desk between them, “Does it act as if it's contaminated or are you just worried about its origin?”

---

Katherine Fairburne