Sept. Catch-All; I was dead when I woke up this morning/And I'll be dead before the day is done...

[survivalthroughhate]

Who: survivalthroughhate and YOU!
What: September catch-all
When: All throughout September and possibly October
Where: All over Trench

Content Warnings: TDM and event warnings, mentions of food deprivation of both as a child and as an adult, cannibalism

Prompts in the comments!

Comments

Event Prompts

[survivalthroughhate]

I. Knowledge Is Power

While Maul is a surly, grumpy, and altogether hard to be around, he honestly isn't all that bad when it comes to talking to people when it comes to the particular subject of getting them to talk about deep stuff. He's got a way of talking bluntly to a person even when they don't want to discuss heavy things and just wearing them down until they just give up trying to dance around the subject and start telling him what he's curious to know about them. (Just ask Obi-Wan how well this works.)

He waits for people to approach him instead of the other way around, not wanting to seem like a predatory animal on the hunt the way he so often does. He'll gesture for them to sit down at a nearby table. Once they do, he leans forward, staring at them intently with eyes that never seem to need to blink. "Let us get started, shall we? There's no other way around this but to begin." Then he leans back and waits for the other person to talk.

II. The Great Hunt

When Maul heard about the hunt for the monster known as the Bugge, he was very insistent about the beast being killed. Though he rarely told anyone about his past, he'd been deprived of food on a regular basis as a very young child as a punishment when under the control of his Nightbrother caretaker. It was a pattern that would continue for the rest of his life, first with Sidious as a way to control him and then later on when he tried to eke out a living on Lotho Minor, half-mad and never able to find enough to eat save when there was a person around he could kill so he could eat them.

"There's nothing left to do but kill it," he told whoever had come on the hunt with him. Sometimes he went out with other Hunters and sometimes on his own with just one or two other Sleepers with him. "I'm not going to budge on this. I won't see this place end up with all the people in it starving simply because a bunch of bleeding hearts don't have the strength to do what needs to be done. So if you're going to be squeamish about this, turn around and go home. I'll do this myself if I have to." Maul's face was full of resolve. He was going to kill this beast whether or not he had help.

Though help would definitely be most appreciated going after something as big and mean as this monster.

Knoweldge is power

[strikefirster]

Johnny hadn't come for one of the dumb bracelets. He also wasn't a huge fan of nerd shit like libraries but it had what he needed. His hood was up and he was ready to make a break for it, but then he sees Maul sitting there and there is moment where he just looks absolutely dumbfounded.

he takes a few steps forward and lowers his sun glasses to make sure his eyes aren't deceiving him, but then he realizes that he's been noticed and he decides to sit down. His copy of "Mending relationships with teenager for dummies" gets set down on the table between them.

"Seriously? I didn't figure you were the type to do all this getting to know you
shit."

[survivalthroughhate]

"I do when there is ultimately a reward for me at the end of it all," Maul says. He's not one to hide the fact that, much like a young child, he ultimately does things because they will benefit him in some fashion. Sometimes growing up, the reward was as simple as avoiding punishment from his master, and sometimes as an adult it's just the satisfaction of getting what he wants.

Maul glances at the title of the book and smirks. "I didn't know someone wrote a book specifically with you in mind."

( i )

[jedies]

[ obi-wan blinks. ]

And hello to you too. What's this all about?

[survivalthroughhate]

A reward is being offered to those who open up to one another.

[He gives Obi-Wan the once over, checking him out up and down.]

And where have you been? I would have thought you had gone back to the sea but I could still sense you here in the city.

[jedies]

[ obi-wan raises an eyebrow. ]

It must be quite the reward. And as you can see, I'm quite all right.

[ albeit, ten years older. ]

II. The Great Hunt

[xiaoxiuya]

"No, I agree with you," Shen Yuan says quickly. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't." He'd seen the video of Deku's attempt at healing one of the creatures, and even if he'd agreed with the kid that kind of social fallout was way more trouble than it was worth. On the other hand, being known as a Bugge hunter would surely only do good things for his reputionation...Not to mention that his Omen had been chomping at the bit to go on a proper night hunt for weeks now, ever since he'd started seriously working on his cultivation.

But mostly, on a level of honesty so cringey that he could barely admit to it to himself let alone anyone else, he just really wanted to see Darth Maul in action. He was the best part of the prequels, okay?? Who cared that he was a lot more talkative in real life than he'd been in the movies, Shen Yuan just really wanted to see him fight something. He'd hold up his own part of the fight as well, of course! But he couldn't pass up the chance to see Darth Maul do his thing.

"How do you want to do this?" he asks, tucking his hands into his wide sleeves. "I'm a decent close-range fighter, but I can also use magic to throw debris at the creature to distract and blind it."

[survivalthroughhate]

It's a good thing Shen Yuan hadn't revealed the real reason he'd come along with Maul. The Sith Lord's ego was already large enough as it was and he didn't need it to grow any further from people thinking he was a certifiable badass. (Even if that was the honest truth.)

Maul pauses a moment. He looks a tree where there are large claw marks slashed across the trunk and a bit of long rust-colored fur snagged in some of the branches. "We're getting close." Then he answers the question. "My lightsaber is a weapon I'll need to get up close to use." Unless he wanted to throw it but that is always a risky move if he didn't know exactly what the outcome was supposed to be. "Long-range attacks from you will provide the distraction I'll need."

[xiaoxiuya]

Oh man, he still had his lightsaber?? This was going to be so cool. So cool!!!

Fixing his face into what's probably a normal level of excitement for a night hunt, he nods and pulls his hands back out of his sleeves, one of them now holding a painted silk fan. It had languished in his backpack for weeks, but he'd discovered recently that it was useful for focusing his qi while he performed this sort of spell, so out it came.

As he and Maul move deeper into the woods, following the trail of slashed trunks and broken branches, Shen Yuan begins collecting little bits of debris, broken twigs, fallen leaves and the like, infusing them with his qi and making them float after him like a small, pointy halo. It might look odd and a little corny, but it means that when he and Maul hear something large and clumsy crashing its way through the trees towards them, he's ready.

Not all his makeshift projectiles hit their intended target. A few lodge themselves in nearby trees -- or, more embarrassingly, the ground -- but enough hit the creature, the bugge, in the tender skin around its eyes and snout to make it shriek and change directions, veering towards Shen Yuan with an angry roar.

It actually sounds just like the pig demon from Princess Mononoke, despite looking nothing like a pig at all. Weird.

i

[strongroots]

In life, there's people you can look at and know you shouldn't engage. Appearances are one thing, and then there's the aura, how they hold themselves that can tell you, this is above your pay grade.

Or maybe, really, Robby is really judging a book by its cover. He's not going to blame himself for it -- look at that guy(???), sitting there at that table, where Robby notices them while coming to the end of an aisle. In his world, that's a person designed to look like trouble, and he isn't unresponsive to such influences. But it's also their sitting at that table in the Archives, without a book, which is exactly what makes him pause and think. He's done it himself - even had something written so people would bother him, when he was reading. A meaningless get to know you for a mutual desired reward. End of, and that's that.

Robby makes his decision after a few seconds, where he's figuring the worst that can be done is that he'll be told to buzz off. Stopping at the end of the table, asking first, "The bracelet?", and he'll accept the direction to sit.

And he's not not unnerved by what he's met with. Meeting that intensity, blinking himself; but Robby holds something neutral, not forced, yet an expression that can't mask that he's thinking, assessing this. Evaluating. Cautious.

Let's get this started. He's aware who has to do that, and so:

"Robby Keene," he offers first. "I got here this month. Don't come from a world where everyone's carrying weapons, magic's make-believe, and the only beasts you've got to worry about are the ones going through the trash. You're more likely to be killed by another person than a crab. I wanted to be a pro skater as a kid. Today, my dream's not dying getting stuck in some alternate hallway dimension. Or anywhere else."

He speaks plainly, even for the parts that may be humorous. Throwing out something, and now seeing what he gets back, reaction and all.

[survivalthroughhate]

While it is true one cannot completely judged a book by their cover, in this case there is a very good reason Maul looks the way he does. It is as if the galaxy had a sense of humor, making sure that the Sith Lord had an appearance which screamed out 'I'm a bad guy and am here to hurt you.' Even after two and a half years of improvement, that's still something that hasn't changed in Maul at his core.

He starts in with the cliffnotes version of himself. "My name is Darth Maul. I am from a galaxy far, far away where no one has ever heard of the planet Earth and one travels to different planets as easily as one can make their way from one part of this city to another. I am not a demon despite appearances. My species are called Zabrak, the horns and coloration are just coincidental. There, life is dangerous and there is usually fighting going on no matter where you go in the galaxy. I am a Sith Lord, a practitioner of the Dark Side of the Force." And because he knows what the usual follow-up question is by now, he goes on. "The Force is an energy field present through all living things. Those sensitive to it can manipulate for their own purposes. Usually, they follow either the Light Side of the Force as a Jedi or the Dark Side as a Sith."

[strongroots]

A practitioner of the 'Dark Side of the Force'? The galaxy does have a sense of humour with this guy.

But things are going well, so far. The cliffnotes, indeed, and appreciated. It's all out there, but Robby's been getting used to it, and appearances do help with figuring what you're getting into. And one point leading to the obvious question, though the last of what Darth Maul says does lead into another for Robby.

"What's different between the Dark and the Light Side?"

Weird name scheme, but he is interested - not for the naming, but surely, the different styles of use.

Event Prompts: 2021 Re-run Edition

[survivalthroughhate]

I. Growing Pains

Maul doesn't usually check in on the rose that represents his personal growth here in Trench, but seeing as how he's been here a year, he feels it's time to. It's growing at the edge of his property He's pleasantly surprised to find that that it is in much improved. Last year, it had been withered to the point of nearly being dead.

This year, it looks much, much better. It's still wrinkled, somewhat wilted, and a little sickly-looking, with the idea it needs a lot more TLC to really start thriving but it's no longer black and almost rotting. One can find Maul kneeling down next to it, touching the petals gently with his clawed fingers, a thoughtful expression on his face. Eventually, he pulls out a dagger, pricks his finger, and lets a few drops of blood fall on it. "Another year to grow on," Maul says softly, though his voice will carry on the breeze if there's anyone nearby to witness the event.

II. River of Regret

Maul looks around him with a resigned expression on his face when he's once again sucked up into a whirlwind of feathers and then deposited on the river. "Well, this was all sorts of fun last years, so I suppose our gracious hosts decided to put us through this again."

He looks over at the other person there with him in the boat with undisguised impatience, surliness, and anger in his eyes. "Let's get this over with as quickly as possible. I have many other places I'd rather be here than this." Maul trails his fingers in the water and looks towards the other person, pointedly avoiding the whole horde of corpses on the shore that represent the regrets Maul has. "Do you want to start or should I?"

III. Bloodsport

Maul was all too eager to start fighting again once the Bloodsport effects came upon him again. This year, he tried his best not to take out too much aggression against his fellow Sleepers. Still, that didn't mean he was going to be completely passive. If anyone stepped a foot onto his property during this month, they'd find themselves with Maul leaping out at them, ready with one of his weapons. There was an eager look in his eye that made it clear he was ready for battle. "Defend yourself," he said, gesturing to one of those nearby he'd deliberately left out if they didn't already possess ones themselves.

Otherwise, he could be found at the Gate, having far too much fun as he fought opponent after opponent. Being dramatic and flashy in his movements, the crowd loved watching Maul give a performance. That was essentially what it was too, for Maul found few opponents that could measure up to snuff for him. Most of the time, he simply toyed with a person until he was ready to take them out for good, but occasionally he'd find someone worth his while. Smiling with sharp teeth and gesturing to the crowd, he would say: "Let's give them what they want, shall we?"

III

[faithfulson]

Luke had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to get back at Maul (not get revenge! Jedi don't do that!) for his comments earlier in the month. He had tried to be patient, tried to take his time and plan, but the urge to just fight became harder and harder to ignore, until he finally couldn't anymore. Even walking the whole way to Maul's place from where he was currently at did little to satiate that desire, only taking the edge off. It was to the point that by the time he could sense Maul hanging around the front gate to his home, also eager for a fight, every bit of him was tingling, anxious for what was about to come.

He took his own lightsaber in hand, but he kept his pace, if only out of hopes that it would frustrate Maul, taking his sweet time for the inevitable. And he meant business too, the fact that Vader's lightsaber was also on his belt, instead of tucked away in its usual hiding spot, spoke volumes to that. He didn't even ignite the saber he was carrying until he was just in sight of the gate, his arm feeling like it became an extension of the weapon, tingling with the same energy as the blade.

Luke was there for a fight, and Maul had better be ready for what was coming to him.

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul was smiling in a gleeful fashion when he saw that Luke had come prepared for a good bout of fighting. He knew the needling he'd given the young man earlier in the month had gotten under his skin good and proper. This was the first time he'd seen a bit of Anakin's temper in Luke and he was rather happy about it.

He pulled out his saberstaff and lit up both ends, ready for a good fight between the two of them. Luke had raw talent and a knack for improvising when he got into tight spots while Maul had experience and a better knowledge of the various lightsaber forms on his side. As soon as Luke got near, Maul immediately launched an attack, swinging his blade at the Jedi's midsection before reversing direction at the last moment and attempting to slice upwards towards his chest.

[faithfulson]

Luke felt, more than saw, the trick that Maul was going to pull and stopped just short of where he wanted to be, the blade that would have sliced his chest open sweeping up mere centimeters away from its intended target. He blasted back with his own blade immediately, bringing it down like he was wielding a broadsword instead putting all his strength behind it with the intention of catching Maul off guard with the strength of the hit.

I. Growing Pains

[possessum]

It's been a while since Peter's drifted to this part of the city. But walks become more and more frequent this month — to give Luna some space throughout the days, as the blood effects have her feeling a bit stormy (literally; there are storm clouds hovering over the witch's head most days.) Some of it is also for his own mental state, for Peter finds a certain calm in taking little walks around the city. Within him, the demon is also satiated in a way; Paimon gets so bored and enjoys getting to explore here and there.

It's easy to lose track of where exactly he is. It isn't until he hears a voice carrying close that Peter looks up, eyes shifting into a certain focus — finding a familiar figure kneeled up ahead.

The instinctive kneejerk is a staggering little painful jolt of his heart, but Peter doesn't turn and run the way he might once have. No, he just... hesitates for a few long moments before he slowly moves a little closer, because he can see what Maul's doing and he recognises the gesture.

"It looks good," he offers, once he's closer. Peter still looks nervous, eyes a little wide and body language noticeably stiff, but he's here. There's a soft exhale, something that's almost, but not quite, a laugh. "Better than mine's doing."

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul looks up when he hears someone talking to him, fast as always with that instinctive urge to pull out a weapon, but he tampers that back down when he sees who it is. He can feel that sense of brightness within Peter that represents Paimon, sharp and beautiful but also restrained within the human's form. The demon has grown powerful and strong, now coming more into his own, able to more easily access the powers that once set him scurrying away back into the depths of the shared mind.

Now, more than he cared to sense before, he can also feel that presence inside which is Peter. It feels like running feet, going round and round in a circle until a pattern had been formed into the ground beneath and still running even after that. There's also that sensation of nervousness, that feeling of flinching from sparks, from a lit match, from something going too fast for him to keep up with. But now, perhaps for the first time because he's actually looking for it, he can feel that highly-developed sense of empathy within Peter, a mirror that reflects back whatever is directed towards it.

He straightens up and faces Peter, demeanor relaxed and not at all hostile or aggressive towards the boy. "I've been able to let go of some which has weighed me down." Being able to face the past of his childhood and call it abuse instead of trying to justify what was done to him, being able to mourn the loss of his family properly, and start looking towards the future instead of being mired in the past has all helped his rose to grow better.

"It has been some time since I have seen you both. Are you well?" This is the first time Maul has really acknowledged both the presence of Peter and Paimon both together and as individuals. He sounds warmer than he's ever been towards Peter, though Paimon has experienced this side of Maul before.

TDM Prompts

[survivalthroughhate]

I. Crabs

When Maul hears that there's giant crabs down on the shore, he decides to go off and fight them so he could get some meat. He and his brother can eat it, plus his Nightmare Steed is very fond of eating the meat from the crabs as well. It's been a while since he went up against the crabs but this time he's prepared. He grabs his two lightsabers and heads on down to the shore.

If there's anyone he thinks would like to participate in the fight as well, he'll call them up with an offer. "Would you like to go kill some monsters down by the seaside?" He'll ask as an offer, not even bothering to disguise the glee and eagerness in his voice.

II. Absolute Immersion Memshare

As for Maul, he was a bookworm at at heart, and reading was something he did on a regular basis. He grew curious about the books being offered from the Archaic Archives and went off to see what sort of texts were being offered. He would sit down with the books and start to read, never aware that he was reading someone's actual memories until it was far too late to stop and he got sucked into the books. He would do his best to seek out whoever the memory belonged to in order to talk to them later on about what he'd seen.

If someone came across one of his own memories, it wouldn't be hard to tell that this belonged to Maul. He'd been put into so many dangerous situations in his life that threatened life and limb that it was small wonder there was a myriad for people to read about and get sucked into.

He wouldn't be happy about this turn of events but neither would he take out any anger on those who had seen them so long as they neither mocked or threatened to use the memories against him. Maul was well-aware of Trench's tendency to force people to interact with one another and be vulnerable to them. After the initial anger, he would calm down and be ready to talk more with whoever about what they had seen.

[OOC: If you'd like a personal prompt for Maul's memories or him to view a specific one of your character's, let me know at Light_shade or Lightshade#4738 on Discord so we can work something out!]

ii text un: vi

[faceblocks]

[reading is a thing that vi longed to be able to when she was behind bars. a luxury she'd ignored and taken for granted. she'd never been a bookworm, but she'd been a little bit of a talespinner, and her imagination was always the better for hearing someone else's tale - it had been an escape. in stillwater there had been the escape of shitty sleep and nightmares, of unconsciousness and the momentary bliss/terror of pain. now that she's in trench, vi has been reading nearly everything and anything recommended to her. and though reading had taken a backseat to watching things (holy shit: movies! shows! funny videos!), the proffered books were like a siren's call. the first two had been bad, the third a bit funny, and she'd had no business rolling the dice beyond that but she'd gambled and lost and come out with corruption and a series of memories she couldn't shake.

because they'd been her sister's. can't unring that bell, though - and she'd thought to try again - after the shadow hands had pulled her down and they'd fought their way back, after blood had been spilled and her sister had walled herself up inside a cavern of ice and isolation, vi had thought - maybe another book would help? to banish the one that had come before it. it's absurd. it's the height of idiocy, but she touches the book and bears witness to something that does - in a way - purge her of what she'd seen before. it brings with it a whole host of new feelings, a fresh flood of tears, and a sense that she's seen something too personal. a terrible private moment - and one that she feels she should ultimately remark on. (thanks, blood effects.)

maybe she could spin it into a compliment? maybe she should leave it alone? she doesn't leave it alone, though. because she'd want to know if it had been her. she decides to be straight with it rather than dance around it.]

private text
i saw something of yours in one of those books. im sorry.

[survivalthroughhate]

[It's a good thing Maul already had something similar to this happen to him some months ago when a memory-sharing virus infected his Omni and Omen both or he'd be completely enraged. As it is, he's more resigned than anything else.]

What did you see?

[Whether or not he decides to break three of her fingers in alphabetical order will entirely depend on what Vi has witnessed.]

Personal Prompts

[survivalthroughhate]

I. Spiky Cat

Maul was feeling a lot more cuddly than he was normally warranted to be thanks to the blood effects going on with Vilebloods this month. Most of the time, he was like an aloof spiky cat, only willing to have physical contact with a few select people and swiping his claws at anyone else who got close. But right now? He was willing to shower anyone he liked even a little bit with lots of affection both physical and mental. Honestly, it wasn't one of the worst things Trench had ever done to him, and it was nice to have his walls come down a bit for once.

For those he didn't like at all, he'd hang about most reluctantly, but still unwilling to leave them until his urge for companionship had been satisfied. With these people, he'd be more standoffish but still willing to shower a person with affection until they either left of their own accord or he finally got tired of doing so himself. On the plus side, at least everyone he was hanging around with felt much better mentally afterwards.

II. Taming The Mankey

Maul is out in the middle of his rather large yard with one of his Pokémon: Cranky the Mankey. He's got his Omni out and is looking through the Trench wiki version of "Bulbapedia". He's been meaning to get to know his little critter better for some time now. He's carefully going through all the attacks he might now. "Alright, let's start from low to high. Can you do Scratch?" Cranky obediently goes over to a tree and starts swiping at the bark, leaving several long gouges in it. "Very good. Have a banana." Maul tosses him half of one and lets Cranky start gnawing on it.

He runs through several more attacks, Cranky demonstrating each one for him willingly. Then they get past the level one attacks. "What about Fury Swipes?" Cranky thinks about this for a moment, looking confused as he screeches at him and bounces all around, now looking quite annoyed. "Well, excuse me, it's not like I'm an expert on this. Shouldn't you be able to figure this all out by instinct anyway?"

It's not really clear if Maul actually understands the screeching little Pokémon or if he just ascribes his own thoughts to the beast. Whoever comes up will find Maul still talking to the pig-monkey. When he sees someone coming near, he waves them on over. "Cranky, would you like to show off to our new guest?" Since the Mankey pretty much is Maul in Pokémon form, it's definitely not above showing off flashy moves to impress people.

( after library meeting; hope this is ok! )

[strongroots]

It's the next day from when they first met that Robby goes to Maul's address.

Because why wait? He's been given a time and the place to go, and the purpose is for him to find a weapon he's comfortable with and learn it, all to protect himself. The address had been jotted down in his notebook after they separated, and he hasn't got an appointed time to arrive by except for "late morning, early afternoon" -- so Robby sets out at around ten, and finds the place by some time before eleven.

He'll knock on a door, a duffel bag hanging from one shoulder, and dressed like he's ready to go to a gym in modern day Earth (knee-length shorts, compression pants and a t-shirt, as you do), but with a varsity jacket on for the cold.

hello hello, new student waiting.

It's good!

[survivalthroughhate]

The first one to meet Robby isn't Maul himself. Instead, it looks like a ghost coming straight through the door. But it's....strangely adorable (kind of) with big eyes and a little horn on top of its head. "Shup Shuppet?" It says in a questioning tone. There doesn't seem to be any malice in the creature whatsoever and it just stares at Robby with its big eyes.

Maul comes to the door when he hears his Shuppet calling out, dressed as usual in all black. He looks pleased when he sees Robby standing there. "Good morning," he says in a soft tone. "Ignore Shuppet, they're just curious about everyone who comes here." He waves a hand at the Pokémon. "Off with you, you can eat later." The Shuppet winks at Maul with one big eye before disappearing through a wall back into the house.

"Let is begin then." Maul closes the door behind him and leads Robby into the front yard. Maul's house sits on a large piece of land that stretches out for a good amount in each direction. "How familiar are you with meditation?" He asks. Maul doesn't precisely look like the kind of alien who practices meditation often but it's an essential part of connecting to the Dark Side.

[strongroots]

Is that an omen??

Pokémon exist in Robby's universe, but does this guy every single one (because you have to be the very best)? Absolutely not. Instead he takes a quick step back when the creature appears, brow furrowed in confusion, not sure what to do or say for a moment until a delayed, "Uh...hey?" cautiously comes out.

He might think it's an omen, but it doesn't mean he gets omens, yet.

Fortunately(?), the door actually opens and pulls his attentions away from the creature. He watches the exchange without saying a word - and honestly, he's okay with that -, even quietly following Maul's lead into the front yard; places the duffel bag somewhere that seems out of the way that allows them room, but stands a respectable distance from the zabrak after.

"Pretty well," he answers the question. "We learned it to help focus in a fight. The less you're distracted, the easier you respond."