[oh is that how it is? dabi notices that flicker of fire in maul's already-blaze-colored eyes. hit a nerve, huh. that'll be fun to pick at. something about this place influencing him. ignoring the fact it obvious does. dabi's experienced a transformation due to both corruption and some fucked-up "event" influence, so obviously it can and will change people, but he's not stupid enough to think that's what this is referring to. maul backs up that implication a second later.]
Uh-huh. Then why'd ya change? [the grin on his lips is smooth as a knife's edge, nudging at the old scar as if debating on whether to push in or leave it alone. but he is curious... blue eyes linger on maul's face as he answers, remaining as impassive as always. simply listening.] Is that so.... Ya sure it wasn't cause you realized ya weren't gonna succeed? That's called givin up, Maul.
[there's no malice in his voice or even mocking judgement. merely stating what it is. a man who lived for revenge doesn't "change" cause he realized revenge leads to the exact result he knows it's going to end up in. he changes cause he can't handle the burden of hatred's cost.] Ya sound like Shouto. That little brat didn't have the strength to keep goin either.
[it wasn't only dabi who suffered at the hands of his father. they all had. his entire family. shouto had hated endeavor too, to the point of living his life so consumed with spiting his father... ah, that's his brother's story to tell. but he gave up, influenced by some idiot. what a pathetic child. so naive. he really thinks their father can change. dabi scoffs silently at the notion as he leans back against the tree, not bothered by maul's ire. or his familiarity.]
Yeah. [not entirely a picture-perfect summary, but it'll work for now. the muttered words were more for the zabrak than for dabi, so he opts not to dig into them. calming down from that momentary murderous glee, the burned man's flames cool to a simmer rather than raging around in his tirade of hatred. man it'd felt good to say those things though. not many people here earned the right to hear dabi's ambitions. maul's one of the few he's voiced this too.
unfortunately, based on what they've already spoken about in the library and here, the villain's aware of what's coming next. someone who gave up on his revenge, changed his mind about his hateful ambitions, and spoke of protecting someone else while angered over the injustice experienced... ironic, but those little leaks of "heroism" in maul's words and ideals are enough for dabi to pin him with the same flag of preparation that he gets around other heroic types. there won't be encouragement from maul, there won't be much in the way of understanding. instead...
yeah. just some hypocritical damnation.
dabi arches his back and runs his fingers through his hair on either side of his head, dragging the spikes backwards as he stretches his spine and chest. one part to get comfortable, the other part to semi-literally brush maul's pitying gaze right off his flesh. not something he needs or cares for. it's far too late for pity.]
Fraid so. [and settles back on the trunk.] Nah, there ain't any other way. I don't do much on "feelins" anymore. Inside or out. [dabi reaches up and deliberately nudges his thumb against the stapled patch of purple scarring under his eye. a push harder and one of the metal pieces tugs against his skin, splitting the burn from the fresh and allowing the man to slide the tip of his thumb under his own burned flesh.] I'm burnin up, Maul. Just a charred corpse runnin on fumes. I didn't go into this thinkin I'd come out and live some happy life. Ain't that stupid. We're goin to hell together, him and me. And I'll drag anyone else I can or need to along with me to make sure that happens when I go.
[there was no other option. either he lives his pathetic life long enough to watch his existence amount to nothing more than a zero sum. or he goes out in a blaze, leaving his mark on the world and taken the man who killed him out with him. a man on borrowed time, running headlong towards his own death.
no subject
Uh-huh. Then why'd ya change? [the grin on his lips is smooth as a knife's edge, nudging at the old scar as if debating on whether to push in or leave it alone. but he is curious... blue eyes linger on maul's face as he answers, remaining as impassive as always. simply listening.] Is that so.... Ya sure it wasn't cause you realized ya weren't gonna succeed? That's called givin up, Maul.
[there's no malice in his voice or even mocking judgement. merely stating what it is. a man who lived for revenge doesn't "change" cause he realized revenge leads to the exact result he knows it's going to end up in. he changes cause he can't handle the burden of hatred's cost.] Ya sound like Shouto. That little brat didn't have the strength to keep goin either.
[it wasn't only dabi who suffered at the hands of his father. they all had. his entire family. shouto had hated endeavor too, to the point of living his life so consumed with spiting his father... ah, that's his brother's story to tell. but he gave up, influenced by some idiot. what a pathetic child. so naive. he really thinks their father can change. dabi scoffs silently at the notion as he leans back against the tree, not bothered by maul's ire. or his familiarity.]
Yeah. [not entirely a picture-perfect summary, but it'll work for now. the muttered words were more for the zabrak than for dabi, so he opts not to dig into them. calming down from that momentary murderous glee, the burned man's flames cool to a simmer rather than raging around in his tirade of hatred. man it'd felt good to say those things though. not many people here earned the right to hear dabi's ambitions. maul's one of the few he's voiced this too.
unfortunately, based on what they've already spoken about in the library and here, the villain's aware of what's coming next. someone who gave up on his revenge, changed his mind about his hateful ambitions, and spoke of protecting someone else while angered over the injustice experienced... ironic, but those little leaks of "heroism" in maul's words and ideals are enough for dabi to pin him with the same flag of preparation that he gets around other heroic types. there won't be encouragement from maul, there won't be much in the way of understanding. instead...
yeah. just some hypocritical damnation.
dabi arches his back and runs his fingers through his hair on either side of his head, dragging the spikes backwards as he stretches his spine and chest. one part to get comfortable, the other part to semi-literally brush maul's pitying gaze right off his flesh. not something he needs or cares for. it's far too late for pity.]
Fraid so. [and settles back on the trunk.] Nah, there ain't any other way. I don't do much on "feelins" anymore. Inside or out. [dabi reaches up and deliberately nudges his thumb against the stapled patch of purple scarring under his eye. a push harder and one of the metal pieces tugs against his skin, splitting the burn from the fresh and allowing the man to slide the tip of his thumb under his own burned flesh.] I'm burnin up, Maul. Just a charred corpse runnin on fumes. I didn't go into this thinkin I'd come out and live some happy life. Ain't that stupid. We're goin to hell together, him and me. And I'll drag anyone else I can or need to along with me to make sure that happens when I go.
[there was no other option. either he lives his pathetic life long enough to watch his existence amount to nothing more than a zero sum. or he goes out in a blaze, leaving his mark on the world and taken the man who killed him out with him. a man on borrowed time, running headlong towards his own death.
there's no "happiness" in that kind of life.]