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[talkative]

Text | Call | Video | In-Person | Wildcard*



*Don't limit yourself, live your best life! Or unlife. As it be. The difference is mostly the breathing, you know? You don't have to smell really gross stuff as much anymore because you don't need to breathe in unless you talk. But then again some people can achieve a better sense of scent and then talking in smelly areas becomes really unpleasant and now if you don't think that's a problem then I don't know what your priorities are.

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Re: Action

[maximumcake]

"Huh?"

Max had psyched himself up so hard for this and now Jackie has thrown him for a loop with this question. He takes a moment to ponder it, hoping he won't lose his nerve now like he's done all the times before when he'd reported for 'snack' duty without confessing what he's been getting up to. But delaying it any longer will only mean Jackie gets more pissed.

"Oh. Mm. I'm not sure red is the right color for that. Some people might find it intimidating." Red being the color of blood and all. "You want people relaxed when they sit down for it, right?"

[talkative]

"That's true. Green is supposed to be soothing..." They eye the chairs critically, nod, and then give Max their full attention. "So, what did you come to tell me?"

[maximumcake]

Oh boy. His heart flutters in his chest. Here goes.

"Um. I'm really sorry. I know I should have told you abut this sooner. It's just... some things happened. And kept happening and I." His voice drops to barely audible, though for Jackie that won't stop him hearing it just fine. "I've let some other vampires drink from me recently...."

[talkative]

Jackie goes perfectly still at that - the kind of stillness that's perfectly inhuman, the lack of breathing and batting their eyelashes, but more important that lack of all the small things, all the miniscule movements that humans do every moment without thinking much about them.

"You what." And then they stop, abruptly turn their head as if they heard something and then swivel around and walk towards the stairs. "Come."

They're not having this conversation down here where someone might walk in at any moment, at least in theory. And, more importantly, where Max could just run away without any psychological hindrances in the way. Two flights of stairs might dissuade him without ever realistically trapping him.

[maximumcake]

Max's stomach does a flip-flop in terror. Yeah. He's definitely in trouble. Fuck.

Despite himself, he does glance back at the door. He's still only human. But then he hangs his head and obediently follows Jackie up the stairs. He'll stay quiet (except for the pounding of his pulse) the whole way up, and remain so when they get to the top. Until Jackie prompts him to speak again.

[talkative]

Once they've arrived on the top floor - which has gotten yet another new wallpaper since Max was here last, it's just so hard to decide - Jackie sits down in one of the chair but doesn't ask Max to sit as well. He's still perfectly still, only breathing enough to talk when he does so.

"Now tell me in more detail.

What did you do."

[maximumcake]

Max, for his part, is also keeping as still as a human can. And his own breathing has gone shallow, almost mimicking Jackie's, as well as a human ever can.

"I didn't tell any of them about you," he feels this is the most important thing to stress, right away. "All I've told any of them is that I have a master at home.

"The first one, Daia, was at the Halloween ball at the end of the night. I'd met him before, but I didn't know he was a vampire. He could eat cake and he wasn't cold. I completely missed it. But that night, I found him on the verge of collapsing from hunger. When he confessed what he was I... I couldn't let him die.

"But, he didn't bite me. Apparently, his venom turns you into a vampire at first bite. I cut my arm open and filled a glass for him. I saved his life. But he doesn't want anyone to know." Which should be good news for secrecy sake.

"The second one was... still an emergency but less dire. His name is Astarion. He says he's a vampire spawn. He told me he had a master who only ever let him eat from dead rats. And who... tortured him for disobedience. I felt bad for him. I offered to help but he turned me down at first. He said he'd keep hunting in the forest.

"Then I got a call from him. He told me he accidentally bit someone and almost killed him. He begged me to show him how to not accidentally do that again. He didn't know how to feed from humans. I didn't want him to hurt anybody else. So I let him feed from me. I think... I might want to keep doing that until he's really got a handle on it?" Max hazards a glance up at Jackie to see if there's a reaction to that.

"Then, well... the last one wasn't my fault, I swear. That feral vampire attacked me out of nowhere in the middle of the street. Edgar and...someone else I didn't recognize was there. They helped chase it off and got me to a healer. I'm fully recovered now."

That's all the vampires that have fed on him. But not exactly all the ones he's encountered yet.

"There's... one more thing. Lord Akeldama. He's new. He's... you might like him. I really like him. And I'd... I think I'd like to let him bite me too. If... you'd let me."

Max takes a big breath, finally, after spitting out all of that. Now, he stands in front of his Master, fidgeting nervously with his lower lip sucked between his teeth. How much trouble is he going to be in for all of that?

[talkative]

...that sure is a lot. Jackie just.

Isn't entirely sure how to respond for a moment. They need to process this first. So they buy a little bit of time. By leaning back in their chair, raising one hand so they can tap their chin with a finger, and raise one eyebrow. They make very sure that their face doesn't show any specific emotion.

"Is there anything else that you need to tell me or is that all, then?"

[maximumcake]

Max can't read anything in Jackie's expression and that's only making him more anxious. It bubbles out of him into nervous laughter. Which he immediately looks sorry for.

"Uh... I told you that I'm in an official relationship with Rowan and Lucas, right?"

[talkative]

They raise the other eyebrow, too.

"You did not."

Not that they mind, at all. It's more a was about time feeling that they get here. But they're not really in a mood to make Max less anxious right now.

Let other vampires bite him without asking first, indeed. The not even telling them that he has a master thing is seperate - an issue, but Jackie can see where the miscommunication has happened. Max really acted to the best of his judgement there and tried to obey his master. So that's fine.

But letting other vampires bite him...

One, Jackie is absolutely not certain that Max would be able to stop a vampire from taking too many, or even communicate before or after that it is too much. Even with Jackie themselves it took a fair amount of prompting and caution taking from their side for Max to communicate those things. And they absolutely don't believe that most other vampires would care.

Two, Jackie worries about what that communicates. Lets them bite him and seems to be without a master? They'd rather not have to correct misconceptions about if Max is up for grabs - that'd just be very unnecessary diplomatic issues right there.

[maximumcake]

"Oh." Oops. "Well. I am. Uh. We are. We... keep meaning to go get rings."

Max is floundering now. He wishes Jackie would just say something about it all. So he knows how badly he's fucked up. And where. Because... he was flying by night on half of this shit and he's not sure how Jackie would have preferred he handle any of it.

Well. The only thing to do is ask.

"I'm sorry, Master. I understand if you're angry with me?"

[talkative]

"Well..." They let the pause stretch on, and then release the tension by letting themselves fall back, collapsing back into the chair so their back hits the soft cushions behind them, and rub their temples as if attempting to repeal an, obviously non-existent, headache. "Let me put it like this.

I am not happy."

Their hands still and drop into their lap as they pull their legs up so their heels touch their bum.

"Except for that you finally are working on getting married, that was about time."

[maximumcake]

Max tries and fails to calm the muscles jumping in his jaw while he waits it out. Honestly, it's a relief to see any reaction from Jackie. He can almost believe he really has given the vampire a headache.

"I'll try to do better." Max goes to his knees in front of Jackie's chair like an obedient dog.

More words of apology might have followed if not for what Jackie said about Marriage. Max makes a strangled noise of surprise.

"It... is?"

He hadn't meant the rings for marriage. They were supposed to be promise rings. But then he remembers what Ren said (that being mates is the same as being married) and now he's back to wondering what it all means. And this is not the time to be panicking about that!

"I mean. I don't know. It's complicated. All of this is... complicated. And I feel... I feel a little bad that I haven't told them about... this? But, I know I can't. I haven't... I won't."

[talkative]

Jackie leans forward again - constantly in motion is just what they are, to a large degree - and soothingly card their fingers through Max's hair, gently pulling his head forward so that it rests on their knee.

They sound thoughtful when they finally speak, like they're currently going over the predicament themselves. Which is only half true, but it seems to be the correct approach to let Max believe that he's part of their thought process.

"We do need to talk about what to tell whom again. Because as much as I would prefer if you do not tell anyone about what I am, it is rather required if the other person is a vampire themselves, is it not? Because if you do not tell them that you have a master, situations may arise..." They tap their free hand against their lips. "Though I do not believe that it is necessary to name me. I believe it should be entirely sufficient to say that before anyone snacks on you, they need to contact your master."

[maximumcake]

He rests his head on Jackie's knees and closes his eyes as a shudders runs though him, taking the tension out of his body, at last. He's contented to wait for his Master to deliberate, and to enjoy the soothing fingers in his hair. He's happy, too, to let the decision of what to do fall to someone else.

"Is it?" Max opens his eyes again so he can stare questioningly at his Master. Situations? Jackie doesn't mean...? "I would never let anyone else claim me." Although, shamefully, he very briefly had the idea cross his mind with Lord Akeldama.

"But, I think I can see what you mean now. I should have let you have final say before offering my blood to anyone else..."

He fidgets with worry again. "But, how can I tell them to contact you without naming you?"

[talkative]

"Good." Their tone is sharp at that, a warning laced in with the approval. Pointing out that if Max tried to let someone else claim him, they would have a problem - they as in Max, that other vampire, and Jackie. And now, nobody would want that, right?

But as for the actual question that Max raises, which is a good point.... There's a lengthy pause this time as Jackie considers it. Eventually, they put forward: "First of all, you should speak to me and see if we are already in contact. Akeldama and Nelli, for example, know about me. Them, you could then easily tell to contact me." Now, if that isn't the case... "In either way, speak to me first. I would say that it will be easiest to figure out on a case by case basis."

[maximumcake]

Max's chin snaps up off Jackie's lap in reaction to that tone. That warning is received loud and clear. He won't even let himself consider it again. He is Jackie's. That's all there is to it.

In the lengthy pause that follows, Max fidgets again, his chin still hovering, undecided if he should let himself relax back onto his Master's lap. He doesn't. Not when he hears Jackie say they already know Akeldama. Oh. Maybe they do like each other already.

"Yes, Master. I will make sure and speak to you first from now on. I'm very sorry for being reckless."

[talkative]

"Good." This time, their tone is softer, the warning mostly, if not entirely, absent. Their fingers start moving, gently carding through Max's hair, careful to not upset the way in which it is laid, trying to settle him down again. "I wouldn't want you to get harmed by your own doing, after all. It would be such a terrible shame if your recklessness has any form of dire consequences for you and others ...you are, I fear, a bit prone to overdoing it for what you believe to be the best of others. But don't you think that if they hurt you by accident, in any context," because this, in a way, attaches to their earlier conversations about boundaries that Max has issues with setting himself, "that might hurt them in turn?

So me keeping a close eye on you not running too low on blood should be for the best of everyone."

[maximumcake]

A long slow breath sighs out, and he does settle his chin back on Jackie once more, though there's still an unhappy look on his face. "I... I don't want to hurt anyone like that. I can't stand the thought." His hand comes up to grip Jackie by the knee, needing something more grounding.

"You're right... I take it for granted that I'll heal it off too much. I'll be more careful, I promise."

[talkative]

"...just keep it in mind, and let me do the maths." Jackie's voice has fully gentled now, and for a little while they'll just run their fingers through Max's hair, calming him until he has settled down completely.

They want to reward him for coming clean about all of this, after all. There's nothing more helpful with keeping Max with them than making it feel good for him, after all. Not just physically - though they're sure that that helps -, but also, and much more importantly, emotionally. Be the master Max needs (...more than the master he wants, perhaps, but at times Max can be exceptionally self destructive. Which is also evidenced by how he threw himself at Jackie originally, but. shhhh.)

we could FTB on this if you want?

[maximumcake]

"Okay," he agrees to that almost cheerfully. It's so much easier to let the work fall to his Master. His chin nuzzles into Jackie, now that Max is finally reassured that he is forgiven.

In a quiet, hopeful voice he adds, "It's been long enough since the last time..."

[talkative]

Jackie laughs, softly and airily, and posits: "It has, and whose fault is that...?"

Done~

[maximumcake]

"Mine..." Max grumbles, but the tone is clearly amused now. "I guess I'll have to come help you make interior design choices more often."

And with that, his mood is already lifting. The promise of Jackie's orgasmic bite can't help but cheer him up.