Max nods in fervent agreement. He can't risk agreeing verbally because the way Capochin says the word personal is about to put him into stitches.
Good thing Capochin's fluster works as a cover, so he can get himself under control before he actually has to talk. "Oh yeah~?"
Max leans down closer, grinning like a love-sick fool. Ships are his favorite, so don't mind him jumping to the end of the line with this next one. "If that's the case, then maybe when the time comes to ask the Big Question, you can give me a head's up and I'll make a special cake for the occasion."
It isn't the first time she's come to Max looking for help with reading a letter. However, this is the first time she's brought him a letter from one Lord Osborne.
Her gasp brings a flush of triumphant lust into his chest that warms him through and through. He grins at the laughter sparkling in her eyes, his heart heavy and full with the knowledge that few have ever won her trust and love this way. Few will ever get to cherish her as he does. That's the real gift beneath it all, not that the corset isn't deeply, deeply appreciated too.
"You make several excellent points," he says as he playfully flicks open another stay, "But I'd argue that unwrapping this gift is only half the fun." He grips her possessively by the hips, fingers bunched into the fabric, as he leans down to press his teeth into her shoulder on the other side. He wants to drag more of those delicious noises out of her.
While his teeth scrape her shoulder, his fingers slip between them, opening the last two hooks that keep the corset in place. Only the press of his chest against hers is holding it there now. He breaks away so he can whisper into her ear, "Undoing you will be the other half."
Max invites her in and offers tea as is his custom, happy for the visit no matter the reason. But, when she hands the note over to him and he notices the author is Lord Erik Osborne he nearly chokes on his own tea biscuit.
"U-uh..." he starts shakily, "I feel like I should probably warn you that I know your penpal pretty well. He um. He actually says it himself in his letter. I... here, I'll just read it." And he does, carefully controlling his tone through it all as a flood of different emotions rise up in him. He's happy for Erik, it sounds like he's really taking these changes to heart. God, he hopes he won't ruin that now but he should probably be the one to break the news about their past before something like what happened with Edgar happens again.
"The thing is, I knew Erik from home already because I used to live with him--as his human servant."
Drelasa does not immediately respond, trying to measure her words before speaking.
“Perhaps Lord Osborne is different, but… We have vampires back in Morrowind. They are the spawn of Molag Bal, god of domination and slavery. They draw the unwilling living into their lightless haunts to be their livestock, and those unfortunate enough to fall ill from their bite lose their souls and their selves to the affliction of vampirism, arising as unholy monsters. I… I do not know where to begin with interacting with such an individual.”
"He is," Max answers earnestly. "Vampires in my world don't work that way. I swear to you, they are different." He's starting to get the idea that vampire might be one of those words that means something different in every universe.
"For starters, he still has his soul, and just being bitten by one like him won't turn you or else I'd be a vampire many times over by now. I've been fed on a lot. Erik wouldn't turn anyone into a vampire without their consent, either. He'd rather die first. He's not a monster, he's my friend."
“Do you… do you think you might help me draft a reply, Max? I wish to be pleasant to your friend, but I fear that my old fears and habits will get in the way.”
"Of course I will. It's no problem at all. But, before I do, I think I should probably tell you the whole story of what happened between me and Erik. Because you deserve the truth, but I also want to make sure you have the full context. You'll... understand soon."
"Okay," he says with a softly resigned exhale as he settles into his seat. Eventually, telling this story will get easier, won't it? "For starters, my name wasn't always Max. Erik is the one who gave me this name after he... enslaved me." The tone of his voice begs her patience, he knows this sounds bad but like he said, context.
"I was barely twenty-one and I went to a party near my school's campus one night. A woman--actually, she was Erik's twin sister-- invited me to the basement for sex. I didn't know who she was and I'd never met a vampire before so I didn't notice anything wrong until she started to bite me. Vampires in my world aren't supposed to hurt humans; it's against the law, but I guess she didn't care. I fought her off and got really lucky. I killed her." He used to feel so much guilt about it, but now it just makes him sad.
"It all happened so fast. Erik found out and he came right away because other vampires also heard and they wanted revenge. Erik's sister had really powerful allies. Vampires have their own version of a law system, and they said that for killing an Elder I should die, but Erik stopped them. He used an ancient right of first blood to claim me as his human Pet and said that no one else was allowed to touch me without his permission. He promised me that as long as I was his Pet, he'd keep me safe. I didn't want to die, but part of me did that night. Erik started a house fire to cover up my disappearance. He made me fake my death and change my name. That's how I became Max. I lived with him for seven years like that. It wasn't... horrible. I wasn't happy living there, not really, but Erik tried to make things as good for me as he could. We were close, and I still think of him as part of my family even now. We both know that what he did to me wasn't right... but he did what he did to save my life and I've forgiven him for it. He doesn't treat me like that anymore. We're equals now."
He goes quiet now, fidgeting in his chair while he waits for her to digest that, and waits for whatever reaction she's going to have. This is always the scariest part. What if she can't understand?
“The both of you did your best given the constraints of your situation.” Her tone is conspicuously neutral, the sort of thing that suggests concerted emotional control.
“The alternative would have meant your death, then?”
He knows exactly what that kind of tone means. It's not unlike how Erik sometimes sounds.
"Yes. It would have. I've had several people confirm that for me since. It wasn't a lie. And he's apologized, too. Now that we're both here, he's taken complete accountability for it all. He's really trying to be better, just like he says in the letter. He's turning over a new leaf. So, I hope you can give him a chance."
“I… I would be willing. But I would still very much appreciate a critique of my reply, before I send it. I do not wish to come across as overly harsh.”
"Of course. I'm here to help no matter what. Erik values when people are honest to him, so try to just write it from the heart and I think you'll be okay."
She’s having far too much fun with this play acting, releasing a laugh as he continues to tease. Despite her expecting it, a tiny, sharp gasp escapes her lips when he bites her again. His weight holding her down feels comforting, her trust in him so complete that she carries no fear over what he says or does.
"I'm happy to help. I really am. It's a nice excuse to spend time together." He's utterly sincere about that. She's good company and he enjoys their shared time.
"I'm ready when you are, but I understand if you need a bit to think on it."
Her laughter fills him with bright joy, and it encourages him to be bolder.
"I know I can," he murmurs darkly into her ear as his hand slips down between her legs all while he somehow manages to keep his weight steady on her. For now. It might be harder if she squirms. He's hoping to make her squirm. His touch to her lips is exploratory but not exactly light. He only waits long enough for her to ready herself before his finger penetrates deeper. You'd think it was his dick the way he groans in pleasure. Every part of her is a treasure to him, and he's digging deep.
Oh, she shivers slightly against him at his words and as his hand slips between her legs, his fingers bushing against her. She lets out a long breath, relaxing to let his finger slide in easily. Her heart jumps at his groan and the sensation of his exploration. She knows he wants to take it slow, to tease her as she teased him but she also knows there's only so long he can resist with how hard she had managed to make him in her foreplay.
She releases her own groan, parting her legs more to give him better access.
He thought he could last longer than this, winding her up, but her purring in his ear makes him throb so hard it aches. He closes his eyes because he'll be doomed too soon if he can both hear and see how sexy she is while she shivers around him.
"Fuuuck," he groans again, trying to keep his concentration enough to curl his fingers up at just the right angle. "It really does. I don't know how long I can...wait."
He's supposed to be teasing her, how did she get him again?! She's a fiend. A sexy, stunning, smart, amazing fiend! And he loves her with all that he is.
Leon shows up at Max's door sometime after the opera with a satchel full of a variety of colorful herbs - some whole and fresh, some dried, and some powdered, all very strong-smelling in various notes of floral and earthy and sweet. Leon's gotten pretty used to smelling like a combination flower shop-apothecary in the last couple of months, though, and pays it no mind as he knocks politely, stepping back to wait at the threshold for a response.
Max's nose catches that from through the door. Whew, was someone out cutting grass or something? He politely does not actually ask that when he opens the door and gets a punch in the nose about it, even if his eyes are watering slightly.
"Hello, uh... Leon, right? Sorry, Valdis isn't in right now but you're welcome to come in and wait if you want." Max assumes this is for Valdis since she's head of the enforcers and he knows Leon also works there.
"Huh?" It only takes a second for Leon to catch up with the assumption Max is making, but it's enough time for him to look confused before it clicks. "Oh! Nah, I'm actually here to bring you something I'm hoping you'll be interested in."
He hefts the bag on his shoulder for emphasis, his usual serious expression flickering into a small, friendly smile. "You got a moment? I can come back later if it's a bad time."
Her purr becomes a sultry laugh, even as his fingers curl and hit that sweet spot he knows so well. He never grows bored of her, and every time feels like the first time, something she loves so much about him. Even knowing that they both belong wholly to each other, there is never a time she feels taken for granted.
"I want all of you."
He may be desperate for her, but every part of her is ready and wanting for him too, already loose and pulsing, he could easily slide in and satisfy them both.
A tall but rather sickly-looking man slouches into Max's bakery, his body hidden under an unseasonably heavy black coat draped across both shoulders. He doesn't seem interested in food or drink; he simply finds a place to sit somewhere out of the way and then stays there, watching Max worked with his chin propped up on one hand.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2025-03-18 07:26 pm (UTC)Good thing Capochin's fluster works as a cover, so he can get himself under control before he actually has to talk. "Oh yeah~?"
Max leans down closer, grinning like a love-sick fool. Ships are his favorite, so don't mind him jumping to the end of the line with this next one. "If that's the case, then maybe when the time comes to ask the Big Question, you can give me a head's up and I'll make a special cake for the occasion."
Early Februrary
Date: 2025-03-30 12:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-03-31 08:14 pm (UTC)"You make several excellent points," he says as he playfully flicks open another stay, "But I'd argue that unwrapping this gift is only half the fun." He grips her possessively by the hips, fingers bunched into the fabric, as he leans down to press his teeth into her shoulder on the other side. He wants to drag more of those delicious noises out of her.
While his teeth scrape her shoulder, his fingers slip between them, opening the last two hooks that keep the corset in place. Only the press of his chest against hers is holding it there now. He breaks away so he can whisper into her ear, "Undoing you will be the other half."
Early Februrary
Date: 2025-03-31 09:15 pm (UTC)"U-uh..." he starts shakily, "I feel like I should probably warn you that I know your penpal pretty well. He um. He actually says it himself in his letter. I... here, I'll just read it." And he does, carefully controlling his tone through it all as a flood of different emotions rise up in him. He's happy for Erik, it sounds like he's really taking these changes to heart. God, he hopes he won't ruin that now but he should probably be the one to break the news about their past before something like what happened with Edgar happens again.
"The thing is, I knew Erik from home already because I used to live with him--as his human servant."
cw: allusion to slavery
Date: 2025-04-01 03:32 am (UTC)“Perhaps Lord Osborne is different, but… We have vampires back in Morrowind. They are the spawn of Molag Bal, god of domination and slavery. They draw the unwilling living into their lightless haunts to be their livestock, and those unfortunate enough to fall ill from their bite lose their souls and their selves to the affliction of vampirism, arising as unholy monsters. I… I do not know where to begin with interacting with such an individual.”
(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-10 02:36 am (UTC)"For starters, he still has his soul, and just being bitten by one like him won't turn you or else I'd be a vampire many times over by now. I've been fed on a lot. Erik wouldn't turn anyone into a vampire without their consent, either. He'd rather die first. He's not a monster, he's my friend."
(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-10 03:15 am (UTC)“Do you… do you think you might help me draft a reply, Max? I wish to be pleasant to your friend, but I fear that my old fears and habits will get in the way.”
(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-10 03:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-10 08:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-10 09:28 pm (UTC)"I was barely twenty-one and I went to a party near my school's campus one night. A woman--actually, she was Erik's twin sister-- invited me to the basement for sex. I didn't know who she was and I'd never met a vampire before so I didn't notice anything wrong until she started to bite me. Vampires in my world aren't supposed to hurt humans; it's against the law, but I guess she didn't care. I fought her off and got really lucky. I killed her." He used to feel so much guilt about it, but now it just makes him sad.
"It all happened so fast. Erik found out and he came right away because other vampires also heard and they wanted revenge. Erik's sister had really powerful allies. Vampires have their own version of a law system, and they said that for killing an Elder I should die, but Erik stopped them. He used an ancient right of first blood to claim me as his human Pet and said that no one else was allowed to touch me without his permission. He promised me that as long as I was his Pet, he'd keep me safe. I didn't want to die, but part of me did that night. Erik started a house fire to cover up my disappearance. He made me fake my death and change my name. That's how I became Max. I lived with him for seven years like that. It wasn't... horrible. I wasn't happy living there, not really, but Erik tried to make things as good for me as he could. We were close, and I still think of him as part of my family even now. We both know that what he did to me wasn't right... but he did what he did to save my life and I've forgiven him for it. He doesn't treat me like that anymore. We're equals now."
He goes quiet now, fidgeting in his chair while he waits for her to digest that, and waits for whatever reaction she's going to have. This is always the scariest part. What if she can't understand?
(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-11 03:19 am (UTC)“The alternative would have meant your death, then?”
(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-14 02:48 am (UTC)"Yes. It would have. I've had several people confirm that for me since. It wasn't a lie. And he's apologized, too. Now that we're both here, he's taken complete accountability for it all. He's really trying to be better, just like he says in the letter. He's turning over a new leaf. So, I hope you can give him a chance."
(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-15 04:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-15 07:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-15 10:12 pm (UTC)“I look forward to it, If you can”
(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-17 04:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-17 08:44 pm (UTC)"I'm ready when you are, but I understand if you need a bit to think on it."
(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-24 05:47 pm (UTC)"I know I can," he murmurs darkly into her ear as his hand slips down between her legs all while he somehow manages to keep his weight steady on her. For now. It might be harder if she squirms. He's hoping to make her squirm. His touch to her lips is exploratory but not exactly light. He only waits long enough for her to ready herself before his finger penetrates deeper. You'd think it was his dick the way he groans in pleasure. Every part of her is a treasure to him, and he's digging deep.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-04-27 06:09 pm (UTC)She releases her own groan, parting her legs more to give him better access.
"That feels nice," she purrs.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-02 07:52 pm (UTC)"Fuuuck," he groans again, trying to keep his concentration enough to curl his fingers up at just the right angle. "It really does. I don't know how long I can...wait."
He's supposed to be teasing her, how did she get him again?! She's a fiend. A sexy, stunning, smart, amazing fiend! And he loves her with all that he is.
"I really need all of you. R-right now."
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-11 03:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-27 09:21 pm (UTC)"Hello, uh... Leon, right? Sorry, Valdis isn't in right now but you're welcome to come in and wait if you want." Max assumes this is for Valdis since she's head of the enforcers and he knows Leon also works there.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-27 09:27 pm (UTC)He hefts the bag on his shoulder for emphasis, his usual serious expression flickering into a small, friendly smile. "You got a moment? I can come back later if it's a bad time."
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-31 07:16 pm (UTC)"I want all of you."
He may be desperate for her, but every part of her is ready and wanting for him too, already loose and pulsing, he could easily slide in and satisfy them both.
Post-fight with Erik & zombie event
Date: 2025-06-02 10:47 pm (UTC)