The master cylinder is so far fine, some dirt had gotten in from the dust seal which is completely shredded. i cleaned it out and am ordering a new one.
once i got most of the fluid out of the reservoir I noticed a fine black film that was accumulating in the corners and in both the supply and relief ports. I cleaned this out and in the process accidentally squirted a drop of brake fluid in my eye- i don't recommend following my lead here
once my eye was better i put new fluid in and bled an entire bottle of brake fluid through just to be thorough. Each time i stopped to refill the reservoir i pumped the lever vigorously and tapped on the junctions with a soft mallet, which usually yielded a couple bubbles.
conclusion-brakes are as firm as the day i bought her, which still means there's something to be desired, but i think i'd have to make the jump to SS lines to get the feel i want. When i determine it needs lines that will happen, but for now I'm happy with it as long as it stays this way.