"She'll be furious," Astarion agreed with a heavy sigh. "You may need to recruit help, if it comes to it--Lucas, perhaps. She'll listen to the two of you. And I...apologize for asking you to do this. No doubt she'd be angry if she so much as knew that I'd asked. That I'd put you in such a position. But I can't..."
He swallowed, drew in and released a breath he didn't need and tipped his gaze up at the ceiling. "If I slept, Max, my every moment spent dreaming would be full of nothing but the nightmare of such a circumstance. Of...him, hurting her, because she cares for me. It can't happen."
Max reached out to pat Astarion on the arm. "At least once a week, I have nightmares about that. It's always in the back of my mind. What would happen if Erik showed up here?" Max's master may not be as cruel, thank god, but he would still upend everything if he showed up. It would still be a nightmare like none other.
"There's nothing that's more important than keeping the ones we love safe. Whatever the cost, I understand."
"It goes both ways, darling," Astarion remarked, laying his hand lightly over Max's to give it a quick squeeze. "If such a circumstances should arise--whatever you need from me, whatever you need me to do, to protect you and those you care for--I would do it without hesitation."
"Thank you." Max put a lot of weight into those two words. "It's a comfort to know you'll have my back."
As for what Max's plan is for if that does happen...? He's less sure of what to do.
"Erik doesn't torture, he manipulates. He's a master with words. I can't hide Lucas and Rowan away from him. I know they'd never go for that and sooner or later, he'll hear about it. But... I don't ever want him to get either of them alone. The things he might say I... I think somehow they could hurt worse than a knife."
Ah yes. The other sharpest tool in a vampire's arsenal. Manipulation, lies, verbal torments. Cazador had always enjoyed playing with his food as well.
"Mm, I could always take his head a few times," Astarion mused, only half joking. "That would certainly buy you some time." He patted Max's hand again before easing back. "If it helps. Our odd little...community, here in the castle, seems to be rather good about sticking together, taking care of our own. Get the word out, and they'd be shunned, and left vulnerable, unable to fulfill their obligations to our captors and regain their strength. That's at least one tactic I've considered."
Max winced at the thought. He knew it was absurd, but he still couldn't bring himself to hate Erik enough to want to see him hurt, or dead. Even the mental image of his master's head emancipated from his body was enough to make Max flinch. It wouldn't kill Erik, either. But it would hurt.
He could tell Astarion the real way to kill the vampire... but the moment the thought crossed his mind, Max's jaw locked up. He only managed a strangled, "Urk."
No. No, if Erik came, he'd have to find some better way to live with it.
"Ostracising them would make it harder but I know Erik would find his way around it." Maybe hurting some people in the process.
"It would be less painful for all of us if... If I talked to him and cut a deal. He can be reasoned with. The threat of turning him into a public enemy would be enough to convince him to play by the rules. If I sweeten the pot by agreeing to keep feeding him, it could be doable." Lucas and Rowan would have a fit about that, but that would be Max's burden to bear.
Even if it wouldn't kill him, it would much harder to fuck with someone with his head in one place and his body in another.
Astarion's lips pursed into a frown, but that was all the outward disapproval he was willing to display. "I shall have to trust your judgement on that, darling," he replied, lifting and dropping a shoulder. "Though he sounds like the type who, if given an inch, will take a mile, so to speak. You've enough people here who care about you to make his life a living hell. For once, you would have the power. Remember that. Use that."
Max sighed at those words. "Well, that's just it. Maybe my judgment when it comes to him is... flawed. I don't know. I hope I never have to test the theory."
The idea of Max having power over Erik still feels so foreign. Like putting his shoe on the wrong foot.
"Maybe what I should really ask is you remind me of that if the time ever comes."
"I'm more than happy to remind you, darling," Astarion assured him with another sympathetic shoulder pat. "But whatever decision you make is still yours. I'll try, very hard, not to sway you because of my own...experiences."
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(no subject)
Date: 2021-06-19 02:52 am (UTC)He swallowed, drew in and released a breath he didn't need and tipped his gaze up at the ceiling. "If I slept, Max, my every moment spent dreaming would be full of nothing but the nightmare of such a circumstance. Of...him, hurting her, because she cares for me. It can't happen."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-06-27 08:02 pm (UTC)"There's nothing that's more important than keeping the ones we love safe. Whatever the cost, I understand."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-05 02:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-11 05:50 pm (UTC)As for what Max's plan is for if that does happen...? He's less sure of what to do.
"Erik doesn't torture, he manipulates. He's a master with words. I can't hide Lucas and Rowan away from him. I know they'd never go for that and sooner or later, he'll hear about it. But... I don't ever want him to get either of them alone. The things he might say I... I think somehow they could hurt worse than a knife."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-08-13 10:16 pm (UTC)"Mm, I could always take his head a few times," Astarion mused, only half joking. "That would certainly buy you some time." He patted Max's hand again before easing back. "If it helps. Our odd little...community, here in the castle, seems to be rather good about sticking together, taking care of our own. Get the word out, and they'd be shunned, and left vulnerable, unable to fulfill their obligations to our captors and regain their strength. That's at least one tactic I've considered."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-08-18 04:16 pm (UTC)He could tell Astarion the real way to kill the vampire... but the moment the thought crossed his mind, Max's jaw locked up. He only managed a strangled, "Urk."
No. No, if Erik came, he'd have to find some better way to live with it.
"Ostracising them would make it harder but I know Erik would find his way around it." Maybe hurting some people in the process.
"It would be less painful for all of us if... If I talked to him and cut a deal. He can be reasoned with. The threat of turning him into a public enemy would be enough to convince him to play by the rules. If I sweeten the pot by agreeing to keep feeding him, it could be doable." Lucas and Rowan would have a fit about that, but that would be Max's burden to bear.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-08-28 04:49 am (UTC)Astarion's lips pursed into a frown, but that was all the outward disapproval he was willing to display. "I shall have to trust your judgement on that, darling," he replied, lifting and dropping a shoulder. "Though he sounds like the type who, if given an inch, will take a mile, so to speak. You've enough people here who care about you to make his life a living hell. For once, you would have the power. Remember that. Use that."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-09-02 12:46 am (UTC)The idea of Max having power over Erik still feels so foreign. Like putting his shoe on the wrong foot.
"Maybe what I should really ask is you remind me of that if the time ever comes."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-09-13 08:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-09-14 06:01 pm (UTC)He heaved one last heavy sigh and shook the tension from his shoulders.
"Whatever comes, it's good to know we've got each other's back."