For one reason or another, as it had started as an unintended side-effect of his insectification machines, the ones he has turned are obedient to him more than anything else! It’s funny, really, that the people transformed entirely into insects are more coherent, and adore him in a more overt way, huh? His working theory is that during a partial transformation, people are perhaps still struggling against it mentally. In one form or another. It’s difficult to check, really, since they can’t exactly tell him! They’re all twitchy, hardly capable of functioning, except to follow his commands.

For you, he tries to find a sweet spot in between the two. When something or, in this case, someone, catches Maxime’s eye, he has a tendency to throw himself into it head-first. Never doing anything less than perfect, never accepting less than defeat. So, when you deny his romantic advances so directly… Not only does it leave a dent in his pride, it leaves him with a bit of a grudge, as well. If there anything he doesn’t handle well, it’s grudges. Now that he’s got a handheld-sized way of turning anyone into insects, it’d be silly of him not to use it!

(And if you are hoping for Valentina to interfere, you are fresh out of luck. The both of them have come to an agreement long ago that interests in other people are fine, as long as they are discussed. To add to that, it’d be hard for her to be a ‘femme fatale’ if she couldn’t seduce anyone, right? They’ve been together long enough to know that they will always return to each other’s side. So, no, Valentina will not get jealous and try to interfere in… Whatever her boyfriend has going on with you. She’d be more likely to watch, egging him on in amusement and turning away once she’s lost interest.)

“It’s just a pair of antennae sprouting from your head! That’s not so bad, is it, huh? Look at you! They look so cute on you! Little things.” Maxime tells you, patting your head, tone and expression both dripping with condescension. Whereas a minute ago you would have ran for the hills at this, your mind has become sluggish and, without even fully realising what he’s saying, you find yourself nodding along to his words. He smells good, familiar. You would be able to pick him out of a crowd with ease. Unbeknownst to you, your pupils are blown wide now, too. Anyone who say them would think you were high out of your mind. You shudder as he pinches and rubs one of your newly-sprouted appendages in between fingers. The antennae are incredibly sensitive. The sensation can only be compared to someone running their hands up over the bare skin of your sides, and you tense up, eyelids fluttering. It doesn’t exactly feel good, but it doesn’t feel… Bad, either. A noise leaves your throat, one you can only describe as a chirp, and weren’t capable of making before. All of a sudden, revulsion hits you like a tidal wave. It must show on your face, because Maxime squeezes down, and it hurts. “Non, non! None of that! Just look at me. Or do you want to grow another pair of arms also? …No, I didn’t think so.”