"Yeah. He does." Max isn't so blind to how things were that he couldn't see how tightly Erik held on to control.
"With vampires, your image and honor are a kind of currency. He was only thirty years into being an Elder and still had a lot to prove. I didn't, um... I didn't ask about his sister ever because..." He swallows hard, and licks his lips before trying again. "...because I killed her. But I know she caused a lot of trouble for him. He had to adopt a lot of her uh... newly turned vampires."
"Mm, yeah. Don't think knowing a bit about their relationship before they fell out was what bothered him most, but sure it was in there." She brushes her hair behind her ear, and scratches her neck. "I can't— he made me promise not to tell you. And much as I kind of want to throttle him right now," she won't, of course, "I'm a woman of my word. And, y'know, I don't want to piss him off."
If he wasn't here, it might be different now—she wasn't entirely bluffing when she said the amount of respect keeping her mouth shut was wearing thinner—but he's here, and, ironically, she wouldn't have felt that wearing happening if he hadn't been.
"I won't ask you to break your word." Vampires take that very seriously and now so does Max. Even if it stings like sweat in a fresh cut.
"I... I went with Valdis and Siffleur to confront him. I told him I'm happy and safe here and I don't need him to protect me anymore. And I told him I needed some time to think before I want to talk to him again." His belly still flutters nervously even admitting that. He still doesn't know how he managed to be so brave.
"...good." She's damn near certain that the only reason Erik would agree to any such terms is because he knows damn well the only thing keeping people from making his life a living hell is Max, but at least that means it's having the desired effect. "That was brave of you, Max. You keep setting the lines you're comfortable with."
Daisy gives him a Look, but it's a Look born of affection. "Not stupid. This is big, messy stuff. Feeling sick after that sounds pretty understandable to me."
His shoulder relax as she says that. He's been so mixed up since it all happened, not knowing how to feel. It's nice to hear he's not doing it wrong somehow.
"Messy sounds right. I hope one day it won't all feel so confusing. I know that cutting him off is what everyone says to do but it's not easy. I didn't... I don't... hate him." No matter how many people say that he should.
"I know. And no one can ask you to. If Basira turned up, nothing Erin said would actually stop me from talking to her. Trying to work... something out." One of the many reasons she's a hypocrite for not telling him about Erik right off, but, well. Too late. At least they're talking about it. "I'd feel... weird, wouldn't be sure where I stood, but I'd do it. Erik's a different kind of complicated, confusing, but you'll get there."
She'd be more worried if he hadn't been able to set that initial boundary, but now he has... she thinks he can get there, work it out, for whatever measure that's possible.
"Yeah. That's it, exactly." It's awkward and uncomfortable, like two separate lives colliding head-on, but he still wants to work something out. He needs to do this. He needs to do it for himself. He took the first step and didn't fumble, and for that he wants to feel proud.
"I'm not going to let him be the boss of me ever again. I promise. But I don't want to shun him forever, either. If people can change, so can he. But if everyone keeps attacking him, he'll never want to."
"Yeah," Daisy breathes. She knows more than enough about how easy it is to keep justifying being a piece of shit if the world keeps feeding you convenient excuses. "Can't make promises for anyone else, but I won't poke the bear. Promise."
"Thank you," he says with complete sincerity. "I mean, obviously if he starts it I'm not going to blame you, but he's usually smarter than that. He doesn't like to fight." If he can talk himself out of it instead.
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hadnoright) wrote2022-11-01 01:56 am
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"With vampires, your image and honor are a kind of currency. He was only thirty years into being an Elder and still had a lot to prove. I didn't, um... I didn't ask about his sister ever because..." He swallows hard, and licks his lips before trying again. "...because I killed her. But I know she caused a lot of trouble for him. He had to adopt a lot of her uh... newly turned vampires."
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"Mm, yeah. Don't think knowing a bit about their relationship before they fell out was what bothered him most, but sure it was in there." She brushes her hair behind her ear, and scratches her neck. "I can't— he made me promise not to tell you. And much as I kind of want to throttle him right now," she won't, of course, "I'm a woman of my word. And, y'know, I don't want to piss him off."
If he wasn't here, it might be different now—she wasn't entirely bluffing when she said the amount of respect keeping her mouth shut was wearing thinner—but he's here, and, ironically, she wouldn't have felt that wearing happening if he hadn't been.
"...what happened, when you talked to him?"
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"I... I went with Valdis and Siffleur to confront him. I told him I'm happy and safe here and I don't need him to protect me anymore. And I told him I needed some time to think before I want to talk to him again." His belly still flutters nervously even admitting that. He still doesn't know how he managed to be so brave.
"He didn't like it but... he agreed."
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"...good." She's damn near certain that the only reason Erik would agree to any such terms is because he knows damn well the only thing keeping people from making his life a living hell is Max, but at least that means it's having the desired effect. "That was brave of you, Max. You keep setting the lines you're comfortable with."
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Daisy gives him a Look, but it's a Look born of affection. "Not stupid. This is big, messy stuff. Feeling sick after that sounds pretty understandable to me."
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"Messy sounds right. I hope one day it won't all feel so confusing. I know that cutting him off is what everyone says to do but it's not easy. I didn't... I don't... hate him." No matter how many people say that he should.
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"I know. And no one can ask you to. If Basira turned up, nothing Erin said would actually stop me from talking to her. Trying to work... something out." One of the many reasons she's a hypocrite for not telling him about Erik right off, but, well. Too late. At least they're talking about it. "I'd feel... weird, wouldn't be sure where I stood, but I'd do it. Erik's a different kind of complicated, confusing, but you'll get there."
She'd be more worried if he hadn't been able to set that initial boundary, but now he has... she thinks he can get there, work it out, for whatever measure that's possible.
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"I'm not going to let him be the boss of me ever again. I promise. But I don't want to shun him forever, either. If people can change, so can he. But if everyone keeps attacking him, he'll never want to."
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"Yeah," Daisy breathes. She knows more than enough about how easy it is to keep justifying being a piece of shit if the world keeps feeding you convenient excuses. "Can't make promises for anyone else, but I won't poke the bear. Promise."
Or maybe it should be poke the hawk...
good place to wrap?
"I really appreciate you understanding."
yes!
He's far too smart to let himself be provoked to starting it a second time, she's sure of that. She'll have to behave. Ugh.
"'Course." She reaches to give his arm a light pat. "Least I can do."