Businesses? Yeah, no. Zevran wasn't going to get a job like a normal person. Not unless that job involved him killing people for money or maybe whoring about. Which, conveniently, was what the Fae paid him to do anyway. So he was good.
Zevran grinned, toeing his boots off onto the kitchen floor so he would scuff up the cabinets when he started kicking his legs back and forth while Max spoke. "Royal is it? Well, cover me with frosting and call me the king of Ferelden. What are you waiting for?" He was already undoing the buckles around his waist to get his shirt the rest of the way open.
[His pace stuttered when her tail coiled around his cock. Wow! That was unexpected but so, so hot. He hummed louder to show his appreciation.
Meanwhile, those moans and whimpers she let fly were music to his ears. Still not begging, though. He needed to hear her say please before he gave in. For now, she would have to endure his tongue probing deeper between her folds, teasing at penetrating, but pulling back just before he does. Such sweet torture.]
Astarion purred softly in pleasure, taking his time meeting his love's lips and tongue in a sumptuous kiss, cool and agile fingers drifting languidly down Max's chest and flipping open any shirt buttons they found. For a moment, it almost seemed as though Max's pleading would be ignored, but eventually Astarion's lips broke from Lioriley's with another satisfied little sound. "What do you think, darling?" he drawled, slipping around to stand behind Lioriley, letting his hands wander over her body, as though to emphasize Max's helpless position and inability to touch her the same way. "Shall we play?"
She continued to grind down into Max's lap even as she parted from the kiss with her beloved and leaned back, inhaling deep and sliding her tongue along her teeth like she was drinking in the remnants of his affections. Without really thinking, her fingers splayed along Max's now exposed chest, letting him feel the crackling of her leylines against his skin.
"Hm." she hummed thoughtfully, rolling her body into Astarions' hands, head tilting back to peer up at him. "As you suggested before?" She kept her commentary vague to keep Max on his toes; ever wondering what exactly they were talking about. But her eyes did briefly flit down to his crotch as if for silent confirmation from the vampire spawn. "Unless you mean just the two of us..." Both viable options.
"I'll certainly make you feel like a king by the time I'm done with you."
He took a moment to appreciate the sight of Zevran starting to undo his pants and open his shirt. But then he got to work preparing his icing. Gotta get it in a piping bag, which he kneads and massages in his hands suggestively for Zevran to watch. That was part showmanship but also needed to bring the icing up to temperature. Wouldn't want it to be too cold.
After talking with Lilith, Rowan puts their tome down, sitting curled up in one of the chairs in their room. They know Max means well, they said the same to Lexa, but how has he managed to upset another one of their friends? And how do they explain this without bringing Timber into the equation, who they promised Lilith to keep quiet about.
When Max comes home they're still there, a pensive look on their face, but after a moment, they do stand to greet him, trotting over to kiss the corner of his lips with their usual affection, even if they still seem a little distracted. "Welcome home. Come and sit with me a minute, once you got yourself sorted?" They request, gently tugging on his arm, before stepping away so he can come in properly.
They've been together long enough now that Max can sense there's something different in this greeting. A tension in the room. So, he's relieved when they ask him to sit because it means whatever it is, they can talk about it.
"Okay," he says quietly while he loosens his tie and removes his belt and shoes. The rest can stay for now. He takes a seat at their side.
Once Max joins them, they curl into him. They need to try and not get distracted by, well, Max. Remember that Lilith was upset enough to let Timber take over, they remind themself, as they curl their arm around their mate's.
"So, I was talking to Lilith earlier." They start, watching Max, waiting to see how he responds to that.
"I figured." Rowan sighs, running their free hand through their hair as they watch Max. "What happened? She sounded really upset." Not quite true, but if she was upset enough to retreat still after a while, it must have really bothered her. Or has she been hiding all this time and Rowan just didn't notice? They feel guilty at that thought. They should be spending more time with her. After they reached an equilibrium between her and the garou, they've been more or less leaving her to her own devises.
"I didn't... mmm," Max makes a frustrated noise. She was upset and he gets why but he still thinks he has a right to be upset too for what she suggested.
Maybe if he starts from the beginning.
"She called me one of the days shortly after Mark started working at the cafe to tell me that... she killed Mark. Well, okay, in her words she 'took care of it' but Mark never came home so I can put two and two together." If she could hunt demons he's sure poor Mark never stood a chance.
"She thought he was dark magic impersonating me. She thought she was protecting me so, really, I wasn't that mad about it. I told her he'll come right back unscathed. She not happy that I'm going to keep using Mark for the cafe but she said she'd leave it alone. So far, she has."
None of that is actually what the fight was about though. Part of him feels like stalling. He doesn't want to say because... what if Rowan agrees with Lilith? But, no. They won't. How could they? They absolutely wouldn't.
"All of that was fine... I thought. But then, I mentioned it was good having Mark around because Lucas has still been healing. And that's when things really, uh, got bad..."
At that frustrated noise, Rowan can't help but stroke his arm softly, unable to resist giving him physical comfort. They do resist leaning forward to kiss his shoulder, though, watching him as he speaks.
And, well, all of that tracks. They can't really blame Lilith, because they were on edge, ready to launch themself at Mark if he made one wrong move when he first showed up, and they know that she has that thing about magic that they don't really understand. And she would have made sure it wasn't Max before she attacked, right? Mark and Max look similar, but it's pretty obvious they aren't, if you pay attention.
"Poor Mark. He don't never get a chance to stick around, does he?" They comment, shaking their head lightly. Between one thing and another... They run their fingers along Max's arm again, until they reach his hand, where they lace their fingers together, squeezing gently. "What happened then?"
The comfort is appreciated. It makes telling the story a little easier. Rowan is hearing him out and that's important.
"I told her that he'd been hurt and that he was still healing. And she started questioning why we didn't just take him to a healer. I tried to tell her it's a sensitive topic to him. He's still working through it on his own. She called him an idiot for that.
"I also mentioned that I'm not really sure if someone like, say, Lioriley even could heal it, assuming Lucas consented. Ghoul attacks are nasty for a reason, they always linger a little. That's when she..." His hand in Rowan's squeezes harder.
"She said then we had two options. Ask the fae to heal him or kill him and have him hard reset." He still can't believe Lilith would say to kill Lucas. Even if it was only hypothetical, why say it at all? She knew he'd be upset by it, she even said so. Lucas almost died already once! This isn't even a hypothetical option to consider. Not at all!
"She said she knew I'd be upset by that and told me I should just... not be upset by that?!" He's getting animated now. His free hand swinging in the air in a very 'what the fuck' kind of gesture.
"But I just-! How could she even say that? So I told her of course we're not fucking doing that and that if I found out she tried to do it we wouldn't still be friends after."
He deflates a little now. "Which, I know in hindsight was shitty but... she just killed Mark! And she said it so callously. I... I lost my cool."
Next to Max, Rowan tenses, their hold on him tightening as their rage surfaces. For a moment they see red, the threat to Lucas igniting their urge to defend their mates from any danger. But they pull themself back, taking a deep, calming breath before loosening their hold again, reminding themself that it's not a current threat, that Lucas and Max are both fine, and that they need to focus on Max and listen to the entire story.
"I can't believe she'd fucking say something like that." Their voice is still low, dangerous, but under control. "Why'd you even think that was an option! Of course it fucking ain't!" Another deep breath, and their fingers flex again, before they squeeze Max's arm lightly.
"You was nicer than I'd have been." Even with their ability to frenzy removed, they're glad she didn't try and say that to them. There's just some things that can't be ignored.
Max grips on to them, tensing while he waits to see if he needs to spring into any kind of action. Though, he must admit he's feeling vindicated too. So, it's not just him! Rowan agrees that was an awful thing to say!
"I still don't understand why she thought I could just... hear that and not react the way I did." His nostrils flare and he has to take a calming breath for himself too.
"But then she told me 'Fuck you for suggesting I'd kill a friend' and screamed at me that she was just listing out options like it's a step in a process and that just because I don't have the patience for something like this, or that I always have to butt into things, doesn't mean she's the same." Those words, even now, still sting. There's a ring of truth to them. What happened with Lexa, and Edgar, and Lioriley is proof. But... fuck. He's been working on that. And this time--This time!--it was different. This time she was the one butting in!
"I don't think that was fair of her to say when I was the one suggesting we let Lucas handle it in his own way and in his own time! But I didn't even get a chance to tell her that because she just told me 'fuck you!' and hung up. And that was the last time we spoke."
Max watched with envious heat in his dark eyes while Astarion's hands roamed over Lioriley. If only Max could be doing the same. Driven by that though, he finally began to struggle against the ropes that held him. But those struggles were weak and mostly a token effort.
Lioriley's power thrummed over his chest, tingling the skin and sending more jolts of need straight into his cock. He wriggled harder beneath her, trying to relieve himself with the friction of her in his lap. Whatever they were hinting at, he wanted it. Needed it. Right now!
"Oh god, please play with me. I want to be yours, both of you!"
"Did you really?" Well. Shockingly, that made him feel a bit better. Perhaps Astarion wasn't the utter bastard he thought he was, if one as soft as Max could even contemplate drawing blood for his lover.
"If and when you do go to your patron, be very, very careful." His tone didn't imply condemnation, only a gentle warning. The wisdom of a high elf--the race of elven kind most closely connected to their Feywild roots. "Choose your words with the utmost care. Rehearse them in your mind and examine them from every angle. Leave the fey as little room as possible to interpret your request as they see fit. They are bound by their word, but they're tricksters, chaotic and amoral. Queen Mab, most especially. Consider, even, approaching a different Archfey, one that looks more favorably upon mortals. The Green Man of spring or the Lady Titania."
As Max continues, Rowan watches him, listening and taking in his words as they focus on trying to settle themself down, to settle the flood of adrenaline back down. Their soft fingers stroke his arm as he takes a deep breath, trying to help keep both of them calm. If Max gets riled up, they're not sure they'll be able to hold back either.
So they take some time after he finishes, focusing on breathing in and out, stroking Max's arm in time with their breaths as they take in the puzzle of Lilith's behaviour. "She was really upset by it, so I wonder if she said that to hurt you." There's a reason why they thought Max might have said something to Lilith, after all, even though they wouldn't say that to Max.
"You can't just go around suggesting that you could just kill someone, though. You just don't!" Rowan huffs, leaning their chin on Max's shoulder, annoyed. "Even as a hypothetical. Especially after killing someone!" Maybe Silent had had the right idea about Lilith to start off with... but no. She's never been a problem before, not really, and Rowan's enjoyed her company. "What reaction was she expecting from you?" They ask, slowly, speaking out loud more than really asking Max.
Luckily, with the help of Rowan's gentle stroking and their breathing alongside him, the anger seeps away leaving him to sulk instead.
"If that's what she meant to do then... it worked." He feels bad the minute he says that, and hunches in on himself.
"I didn't realize she was still so upset about it. I though it would be like last time, where she yelled at me and then that was that..." the fact that it seems to happen so often between them is worrying. He never means for things to go that way. How does he keep fucking up like this?
"I should go apologize to her. I know. I just..." he huffs. He really should, especially if she is still upset. Only, he's still upset too. She did hurt him, whether she meant to or not.
"I guess she was expecting me to be rational about it. I mean, sure, if you look at it from a purely logical perspective: If Lucas died here, he might come back whole. But... fuck. That's the kind of shit Erik would say. Perfectly, coldly practical."
Curling in closer, Rowan wraps around Max's arm, tucking their legs up as well so that they're both bunched up together. "She should apologise to you too." They say. Lucas too, really, but Rowan'd rather that he didn't know about this whole thing, if possible.
"Even logically it ain't useful. Wiping one trauma with another? How the fuck does that help anyone? Lucas'll get there when he's ready, and in the meanwhile he's got us both to keep an eye on him. He ain't in no danger here, if he ain't a hundred percent for a bit it ain't going to be a problem. And even without all of that - might come back whole means you're doing all of that with a questionable chance of success. No, it sounds to me--"
They pause, scratching at their cheek. How do they explain this without breaking Lilith's cover. It sounds to them like it's a choice that she might have considered back home, perhaps. Which maybe explains why it hit home so hard for her. They need to try and think over all the things they told her about her home world sometime when they're calmer. "Maybe it's the kind of decision she's had to face before. If you think about it, sometimes medical decisions are like that, aren't they? Switching off machines and stuff. I wonder if it struck too close to home?"
"I don't know if she will..." he leans heavily against them. Reliving the whole argument again makes him feel so rotten and tired.
"I know Lucas will be okay. And however long it takes, we'll be there for him while he works it out. I know Lilith cares about him, too, and was just trying to help in her own way. Maybe you're right that it's something she's had to do before. But that's just it... I was afraid maybe she'd take it on herself to try and help him when he doesn't want it. You know? Sometimes she acts like we don't know what's for our own good." If he thought Lilith might kill Lucas, it's because he thought she'd think it was to save him, paradoxical as that sounds.
"I think magic is great and healing is great but some wounds need to heal the natural way. That scar means something to Lucas. We don't have to know what to know that much. Maybe healing it when he's not ready would cause more harm. It's like how I won't get rid of my brand yet. Jackie already offered to do it, but I don't feel ready. I think that's where Lucas is at right now. He's still coming to terms with whatever caused that scar. So, how is he going to feel if the physical representation is gone but the mental wound is still too fresh?"
Rowan's quiet for a long time, looking away at the floor. They don't loosen their hold on Max, but they're clearly thinking. "It's PTSD, innit. The physical side is frustrating, but it ain't the real issue. He's got to work his way through it, then he'll be ready."
They glance up at Max again and offer him a small smile. "And so'll you be, one day. And in the meanwhile I'm here for both of you."
"Yeah," Max nods, almost more to himself than to Rowan. "I think it is. And he's trained to deal with that in others but I don't... I don't think that's the same as when it happens to you personally."
As for himself. Well, maybe it's the same problem. He's been trying to lean on them more when he needs it. To recognize that he needs it in the first place is still sometimes a challenge.
The smile he offers back is wan, but grateful. "Thank you Rowan. You help more than you could possibly know."
He chews his lips a little, thinking about this next request. He hates to make them a go-between but... "Could you talk to Lilith for me? Not to make apologies for me but just to find out if she'll talk to me? I need to make this right if I can."
"Of course. There's nothing I wouldn't do for Lucas or Rowan." Max was a usually gentle enough soul, but there were a few things that could rile him up enough to draw blood. Taking away the loves of his life was one of those things. To Max, Astarion's reaction sounded perfectly reasonable.
Max paid close attention as Astarion spoke of the fae. It did sound very much like he knew what he was talking about. And what he said matched perfectly with everything Max had experienced so far here.
"Thank you. I will do exactly what you say and look at it from every angle. Maybe even talk it out with others before I go through with it."
It was not so bad of an idea to ask someone else, either. Someone who seemed a little more inclined to play nicely. Rowan's patron was the Green Man, so maybe. But also, Peony spoke highly of Titania.
"I really appreciate the word of advice. This is too important for me to fuck up if I can help it."
Squeezing Max in, Rowan kisses his shoulder affectionately. "That's what I'm here for, innit? You can always come to me. If you get into a fight with someone and all." Is there a light hint there that they'd have rather found out from Max rather than Lilith? Yes. But they're not going to directly tell him off for it, because it's not something they feel they have a right to demand from him.
"And yeah, I was going to suggest not going back to her for a little while anyway. She was real upset when I talked with her. Give me a week or so and I'll talk to her, okay? Like I said, she owes you an apology too, and I ain't sending you into a situation where you're going to apologise and she's going to act like she did nothing wrong."
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(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-03 04:35 pm (UTC)Zevran grinned, toeing his boots off onto the kitchen floor so he would scuff up the cabinets when he started kicking his legs back and forth while Max spoke. "Royal is it? Well, cover me with frosting and call me the king of Ferelden. What are you waiting for?" He was already undoing the buckles around his waist to get his shirt the rest of the way open.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-04 02:45 am (UTC)Meanwhile, those moans and whimpers she let fly were music to his ears. Still not begging, though. He needed to hear her say please before he gave in. For now, she would have to endure his tongue probing deeper between her folds, teasing at penetrating, but pulling back just before he does. Such sweet torture.]
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-06 10:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-06 10:38 pm (UTC)"Hm." she hummed thoughtfully, rolling her body into Astarions' hands, head tilting back to peer up at him. "As you suggested before?" She kept her commentary vague to keep Max on his toes; ever wondering what exactly they were talking about. But her eyes did briefly flit down to his crotch as if for silent confirmation from the vampire spawn. "Unless you mean just the two of us..." Both viable options.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-08 10:35 am (UTC)He took a moment to appreciate the sight of Zevran starting to undo his pants and open his shirt. But then he got to work preparing his icing. Gotta get it in a piping bag, which he kneads and massages in his hands suggestively for Zevran to watch. That was part showmanship but also needed to bring the icing up to temperature. Wouldn't want it to be too cold.
"What kind of design is your favorite, Zevran?"
Action
Date: 2021-05-08 08:24 pm (UTC)When Max comes home they're still there, a pensive look on their face, but after a moment, they do stand to greet him, trotting over to kiss the corner of his lips with their usual affection, even if they still seem a little distracted. "Welcome home. Come and sit with me a minute, once you got yourself sorted?" They request, gently tugging on his arm, before stepping away so he can come in properly.
Re: Action
Date: 2021-05-08 08:30 pm (UTC)"Okay," he says quietly while he loosens his tie and removes his belt and shoes. The rest can stay for now. He takes a seat at their side.
"What's wrong?"
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-08 08:34 pm (UTC)"So, I was talking to Lilith earlier." They start, watching Max, waiting to see how he responds to that.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-08 08:37 pm (UTC)"Oh..." he sighs. "How is she? We haven't spoken in a while." He's guessing that's what this is about now.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-08 08:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-08 08:54 pm (UTC)Maybe if he starts from the beginning.
"She called me one of the days shortly after Mark started working at the cafe to tell me that... she killed Mark. Well, okay, in her words she 'took care of it' but Mark never came home so I can put two and two together." If she could hunt demons he's sure poor Mark never stood a chance.
"She thought he was dark magic impersonating me. She thought she was protecting me so, really, I wasn't that mad about it. I told her he'll come right back unscathed. She not happy that I'm going to keep using Mark for the cafe but she said she'd leave it alone. So far, she has."
None of that is actually what the fight was about though. Part of him feels like stalling. He doesn't want to say because... what if Rowan agrees with Lilith? But, no. They won't. How could they? They absolutely wouldn't.
"All of that was fine... I thought. But then, I mentioned it was good having Mark around because Lucas has still been healing. And that's when things really, uh, got bad..."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-08 09:04 pm (UTC)And, well, all of that tracks. They can't really blame Lilith, because they were on edge, ready to launch themself at Mark if he made one wrong move when he first showed up, and they know that she has that thing about magic that they don't really understand. And she would have made sure it wasn't Max before she attacked, right? Mark and Max look similar, but it's pretty obvious they aren't, if you pay attention.
"Poor Mark. He don't never get a chance to stick around, does he?" They comment, shaking their head lightly. Between one thing and another... They run their fingers along Max's arm again, until they reach his hand, where they lace their fingers together, squeezing gently. "What happened then?"
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-08 09:20 pm (UTC)"I told her that he'd been hurt and that he was still healing. And she started questioning why we didn't just take him to a healer. I tried to tell her it's a sensitive topic to him. He's still working through it on his own. She called him an idiot for that.
"I also mentioned that I'm not really sure if someone like, say, Lioriley even could heal it, assuming Lucas consented. Ghoul attacks are nasty for a reason, they always linger a little. That's when she..." His hand in Rowan's squeezes harder.
"She said then we had two options. Ask the fae to heal him or kill him and have him hard reset." He still can't believe Lilith would say to kill Lucas. Even if it was only hypothetical, why say it at all? She knew he'd be upset by it, she even said so. Lucas almost died already once! This isn't even a hypothetical option to consider. Not at all!
"She said she knew I'd be upset by that and told me I should just... not be upset by that?!" He's getting animated now. His free hand swinging in the air in a very 'what the fuck' kind of gesture.
"But I just-! How could she even say that? So I told her of course we're not fucking doing that and that if I found out she tried to do it we wouldn't still be friends after."
He deflates a little now. "Which, I know in hindsight was shitty but... she just killed Mark! And she said it so callously. I... I lost my cool."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-08 09:41 pm (UTC)"I can't believe she'd fucking say something like that." Their voice is still low, dangerous, but under control. "Why'd you even think that was an option! Of course it fucking ain't!" Another deep breath, and their fingers flex again, before they squeeze Max's arm lightly.
"You was nicer than I'd have been." Even with their ability to frenzy removed, they're glad she didn't try and say that to them. There's just some things that can't be ignored.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-08 09:50 pm (UTC)"I still don't understand why she thought I could just... hear that and not react the way I did." His nostrils flare and he has to take a calming breath for himself too.
"But then she told me 'Fuck you for suggesting I'd kill a friend' and screamed at me that she was just listing out options like it's a step in a process and that just because I don't have the patience for something like this, or that I always have to butt into things, doesn't mean she's the same." Those words, even now, still sting. There's a ring of truth to them. What happened with Lexa, and Edgar, and Lioriley is proof. But... fuck. He's been working on that. And this time--This time!--it was different. This time she was the one butting in!
"I don't think that was fair of her to say when I was the one suggesting we let Lucas handle it in his own way and in his own time! But I didn't even get a chance to tell her that because she just told me 'fuck you!' and hung up. And that was the last time we spoke."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-09 03:04 am (UTC)Lioriley's power thrummed over his chest, tingling the skin and sending more jolts of need straight into his cock. He wriggled harder beneath her, trying to relieve himself with the friction of her in his lap. Whatever they were hinting at, he wanted it. Needed it. Right now!
"Oh god, please play with me. I want to be yours, both of you!"
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-09 03:15 pm (UTC)"If and when you do go to your patron, be very, very careful." His tone didn't imply condemnation, only a gentle warning. The wisdom of a high elf--the race of elven kind most closely connected to their Feywild roots. "Choose your words with the utmost care. Rehearse them in your mind and examine them from every angle. Leave the fey as little room as possible to interpret your request as they see fit. They are bound by their word, but they're tricksters, chaotic and amoral. Queen Mab, most especially. Consider, even, approaching a different Archfey, one that looks more favorably upon mortals. The Green Man of spring or the Lady Titania."
4 successes on empathy
Date: 2021-05-11 06:57 pm (UTC)So they take some time after he finishes, focusing on breathing in and out, stroking Max's arm in time with their breaths as they take in the puzzle of Lilith's behaviour. "She was really upset by it, so I wonder if she said that to hurt you." There's a reason why they thought Max might have said something to Lilith, after all, even though they wouldn't say that to Max.
"You can't just go around suggesting that you could just kill someone, though. You just don't!" Rowan huffs, leaning their chin on Max's shoulder, annoyed. "Even as a hypothetical. Especially after killing someone!" Maybe Silent had had the right idea about Lilith to start off with... but no. She's never been a problem before, not really, and Rowan's enjoyed her company. "What reaction was she expecting from you?" They ask, slowly, speaking out loud more than really asking Max.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-11 07:54 pm (UTC)"If that's what she meant to do then... it worked." He feels bad the minute he says that, and hunches in on himself.
"I didn't realize she was still so upset about it. I though it would be like last time, where she yelled at me and then that was that..." the fact that it seems to happen so often between them is worrying. He never means for things to go that way. How does he keep fucking up like this?
"I should go apologize to her. I know. I just..." he huffs. He really should, especially if she is still upset. Only, he's still upset too. She did hurt him, whether she meant to or not.
"I guess she was expecting me to be rational about it. I mean, sure, if you look at it from a purely logical perspective: If Lucas died here, he might come back whole. But... fuck. That's the kind of shit Erik would say. Perfectly, coldly practical."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-11 08:16 pm (UTC)"Even logically it ain't useful. Wiping one trauma with another? How the fuck does that help anyone? Lucas'll get there when he's ready, and in the meanwhile he's got us both to keep an eye on him. He ain't in no danger here, if he ain't a hundred percent for a bit it ain't going to be a problem. And even without all of that - might come back whole means you're doing all of that with a questionable chance of success. No, it sounds to me--"
They pause, scratching at their cheek. How do they explain this without breaking Lilith's cover. It sounds to them like it's a choice that she might have considered back home, perhaps. Which maybe explains why it hit home so hard for her. They need to try and think over all the things they told her about her home world sometime when they're calmer. "Maybe it's the kind of decision she's had to face before. If you think about it, sometimes medical decisions are like that, aren't they? Switching off machines and stuff. I wonder if it struck too close to home?"
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-11 08:41 pm (UTC)"I know Lucas will be okay. And however long it takes, we'll be there for him while he works it out. I know Lilith cares about him, too, and was just trying to help in her own way. Maybe you're right that it's something she's had to do before. But that's just it... I was afraid maybe she'd take it on herself to try and help him when he doesn't want it. You know? Sometimes she acts like we don't know what's for our own good." If he thought Lilith might kill Lucas, it's because he thought she'd think it was to save him, paradoxical as that sounds.
"I think magic is great and healing is great but some wounds need to heal the natural way. That scar means something to Lucas. We don't have to know what to know that much. Maybe healing it when he's not ready would cause more harm. It's like how I won't get rid of my brand yet. Jackie already offered to do it, but I don't feel ready. I think that's where Lucas is at right now. He's still coming to terms with whatever caused that scar. So, how is he going to feel if the physical representation is gone but the mental wound is still too fresh?"
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-11 08:58 pm (UTC)They glance up at Max again and offer him a small smile. "And so'll you be, one day. And in the meanwhile I'm here for both of you."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-11 09:07 pm (UTC)As for himself. Well, maybe it's the same problem. He's been trying to lean on them more when he needs it. To recognize that he needs it in the first place is still sometimes a challenge.
The smile he offers back is wan, but grateful. "Thank you Rowan. You help more than you could possibly know."
He chews his lips a little, thinking about this next request. He hates to make them a go-between but... "Could you talk to Lilith for me? Not to make apologies for me but just to find out if she'll talk to me? I need to make this right if I can."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-13 12:02 am (UTC)Max paid close attention as Astarion spoke of the fae. It did sound very much like he knew what he was talking about. And what he said matched perfectly with everything Max had experienced so far here.
"Thank you. I will do exactly what you say and look at it from every angle. Maybe even talk it out with others before I go through with it."
It was not so bad of an idea to ask someone else, either. Someone who seemed a little more inclined to play nicely. Rowan's patron was the Green Man, so maybe. But also, Peony spoke highly of Titania.
"I really appreciate the word of advice. This is too important for me to fuck up if I can help it."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-13 09:27 pm (UTC)"And yeah, I was going to suggest not going back to her for a little while anyway. She was real upset when I talked with her. Give me a week or so and I'll talk to her, okay? Like I said, she owes you an apology too, and I ain't sending you into a situation where you're going to apologise and she's going to act like she did nothing wrong."