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.
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."
"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."
"That sounds lovely. Thank you. I'll bring some fresh lemon curd to have on it, too." Fresh bread with some of that is a slice of heaven. "Before I go, though, is there anything else you wanted to know or ask?"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Early Februrary
Date: 2025-03-30 12:13 am (UTC)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: 2025-04-17 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: 2025-06-27 12:26 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-07-01 09:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-07-14 05:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-07-29 12:00 am (UTC)(Wrap?
Date: 2025-07-29 04:08 pm (UTC)And oh, what a next time it will be.