Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

[survivalthroughhate]

Who: survivalthroughhate and you!
What: November, December, and January prompts
When: Starting the first week of November
Where: All over Trench!

Content Warnings: Child abuse physical and mental mentions, grooming, torture, suicidal ideation, madness, dissociation from reality, hallucinations, impaling, decapitation (implied but not directly shown), body horror, violent removal of prosthetic limb

Comments

A) Palpatine Comes to Trench - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

It was his worst nightmare come to life. Palpatine was here, in Trench, and worse than that he'd possessed one of Maul's dearest friends. Maul knew he couldn't face his master again, not after everything he'd gone through at the hands of the man both as a child and as an adult. He'd kill himself before he'd let that monster torture him again, this time just for fun and without end. He'd rather end up in the ocean as a squid again than be forced to endure that.

He fled to the one place he knew might be his only refuge of safety: Usagi's home. He knew very well the senshi was one of those who possessed powers that dwarfed those of Sidious' the way Sidious' had dwarfed his own. If Sidious tried to get at him there, he was going to be in for a very painful lesson. Still, Maul couldn't sleep and barely ate, his terror too great for him to stop stressing out. Just having his master this close kept bringing up

Anyone who looked for Maul at his home, either for lessons or just as a social call, would find his house deserted and the pets left to fend for themselves for the time being. Attempts to reach him on his Omni or by Omen would take some time to get through but eventually he would answer. "Do you know what has happened?" He would ask in a hushed voice full of pure terror. That in itself was unusual. There was only a few things that Maul was truly afraid of. But those who knew him well would be able to make an educated guess if they talked to him for a while.

[thunderingcourage]

The thing about the Pink Monstocity was that it had plenty of room, so having another guest wasn't much of a problem. But when Makoto had returned home to find Maul skulking about it had caught her off guard, and she immediately found herself checking on Usagi to ensure that she was alright. A house with three Senshi was the safest place in Trench, and Makoto would be just as vigilant in helping Maul.

She didn't know who Sideous was, but she knew that both Maul and Savage seemed to fear the man. as well as electricity. So she figured it might be best to keep a close eye on things, since Jupiter could shock the nightmare away.

She brought him a tray to the room he was staying in, a sandwich much like what he'd had her make before on it.

"So who's this guy again?"

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul had barely eaten or slept since he'd arrived at the Pink Monstrosity. The only thing that kept him calm at all is that one of the senshi was there near constantly and he knew the two others besides Usagi will very powerful in their own right. Makoto had electrical powers and Maul knew Sidious' old standby of using Force Lightning on his victims to turn a battle in his favor weren't going to do much against Sailor Jupiter if he dared to try.

He accepted the sandwich, nibbling at it half-heartedly. He knew he needed to keep up his strength but it was still hard to do so knowing Sidious was out there somewhere in Trench possessing Luke and wreaking havoc on the populace. "My old master. Darth Sidious or Emperor Sheev Palpatine to the public. He was the one who raised me from the time I was a small child, who spent half my life breaking me down and turning me into nothing more than an unfeeling weapon to use at his disposal. He turned me into...this." Maul gestured around him, trying to encompass just how mentally screwed-up he still was from all of that. "I spent years trying to gain his love and then respect when I realized he was incapable of loving anyone. Then he abandoned me the moment I was no longer useful to him."

[no_reload]

Reaper could find Maul wherever Maul tried to hide, thanks to his bond but also knowing the Zabrak for so long. The bond that they shared was clogged with the kind of terror that immediately alerted him to the extent of the problem, but despite his best efforts, he hadn't been able to track that source down. He was, of course, looking for an old man who matched Sidious' description, but that wasn't to be.

Frustrated and worried for his husband, he finally made the trek to Usagi's disgustingly pink home and snuck in a window to locate Maul. He made his movements slow but loud, making the kinds of noises of growls that would indicate to even a terrified mind that it was Reaper who had come and not the object of Maul's fear.

He clenched his left hand to feel the warmth of the ring around his finger even in his glove as he approached his husband. "I need more information," he murmured softly, far more loving to hide his concern. "I've searched high and low in Trench, but I haven't located him, so I'm going to need your help in describing what happened and how he washed up."

He moved closer, intent on being physically close to Maul and opening up his end of the bond so protective sensations would flow to Maul. He would do everything in his power to never let Maul experience Sidious' power again.

[survivalthroughhate]

Terrified as Maul was, he knew for certain that there was a number of people in Trench who were both extremely powerful and would defend him to their last breath. It was the reason he'd fled to Usagi's in the first place, for the senshi could have obliterated the old Sith if he set so much as a toe onto the premise of the Pink Monstrosity. He also knew Reaper was another who wouldn't ever let anything happen to him. All of Palpatine's immense powers and near omniscient state still didn't count for much against a man who was nearly unkillable that he knew nothing about. Reaper could be the wildcard Maul needed right now.

Restless and still scared out of his mind, Maul immediately sought comfort in Reaper when his husband arrived. He hadn't been able to clamp down on the end of their bond, so Reaper would have been getting the full force of Maul's terror at being faced with his old master once again. He immediately wrapped his arms around Reaper and pulled him close, needing the physical closeness right now to calm some of the fear in his mind. He whispered 'Gabriel...' along their link as he did so.

Then he started to talk, trying to sort out everything in his own mind which had happened. "Luke told me that he thought there was a chance he was still alive even after most certainly being killed in his time.. We tried to view a memory to know for certain. But something....something went wrong. He should never have been able to know we were there, let alone interact with us. But somehow he did. His spirit latched onto our life force and used it to pull himself into Trench. He's been possessing Luke and doing who knows what. I didn't stay to find out his intentions for me, I fled here immediately."

[azurestar]

Lance doesn't have any desire to ever check in with Maul of his own free will, so the only way he knows there's anything wrong is when he catches sight of him running to Usagi's. Normally, he'd probably just assume he was late to an evil convention or something, but the guy look so utterly terrified that it gives him pause as he comes within range of him.

"Dude, what happened?" He is not necessarily concerned for Maul, more like what the fuck makes Darth Maul look like that?

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul had finally stopped his mad dash to get as much distance between himself and Sidious as possible. He now had an actual destination in mind. Usagi could protect him, he knew Sailor Moon's power dwarfed that of Sidious as much as Sidious dwarfed his own. Yes, there would be a fortress of safety. He hoped his stark terror might abate a little once he was within the Pink Monstrosity.

"He is here," Maul said in a tone that radiated sheer terror in it. Everything about Maul looked really wretched right now as if he was going through the worst day of his life. Well, it was definitely one of them, a top ten contender if ever there was one.

[drawsghosts]

Talwyn meant to show Maul the holocron he'd gotten a few months back, thinking that he might find it interesting. That Maul wasn't answering him on the Omni troubled him. One missed comm was nothing, two was irksome, but three and it became troubling.

It's a relief when he finally gets through to Maul, though it quickly turns to concern. He swears he can sense Maul's fear over the Omni, it's so strong.

"I'm guessing it's something not good?"

[survivalthroughhate]

It took Maul a few seconds to regain anything of his normal composure, the kind filled with courage, determination, and a little bit of arrogance that he always possessed. Right now he was a wreck instead. Once he could speak, he said in hushed words, "My master, Darth Sidious, --or rather his spirit-- has ended up here in Trench."

Talwyn knew enough about the sadistic Sith Lord to know how very bad this was. Sidious could have left a trail of bodies through the city and no one would have been able to stop him.

[creidim]

Luna herself has seen better days. Understandable, given her current situation with Peter and his demon — and rather the lack thereof of Peter himself. That particular emotional wound has been draining, but then there's been the whole issue of dealing with a very broken and distressed demon. Some days Paimon won't even look at her, others he literally clings to her. Plenty of the time, he can't even look after Peter's body himself. It has... been a very trying time for her.

But there are moments of lucidity, where Paimon is more like himself. And he reaches out to others, or simply slips out in the middle of the night. The demon doesn't always report back to Luna on these trips, but he's troubled one morning. Troubled being the... simpler explanation. And it's what brings Luna to Usagi's door. There are few things that cause Maul this much trouble, and it's only when Luna sees it for herself that she can feel the weight of the seriousness of it.

She hovers in the doorway, her expression grim as she looks in. Maul does not frighten easily, she knows that. And she would sooner likely see him angry rather than afraid. She's never seen him like this before.

"Whatever it is, it's enough to have Paimon concerned." she says gently, stepping into the room. Yes, she's come on the demon's behalf — but not without care or concern of her own. She looks at him carefully for a moment. "He wasn't able to explain it, though."

Even with lucidity, he slips into places where he's just unable to really describe things to her.

"What's going on?"

Winter Mourning Memory - Duel of the Fates - For Obi-Wan

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul's mind blurs when he enters the memory, and when it stops, he finds himself standing on the other side of a pair of doors that will lead to the Naboo hangar. He blinks for a moment, confused, and trying to remember what he's supposed to be doing there. His master...something to do with his master...that's right, his master's will. He's supposed to kill the Jedi and kidnap the young queen.

The doors open and Maul looks up with hatred in his eyes. He ignores everyone except the two Jedi at the back of the crowd. When he meets their eyes, again his mind grows hazy, and the hatred gives way to confusion. They look so familiar yet he knows he's never met the padawan before and only met the master briefly in combat on Tatooine. So why does it feel like he somehow knows so much about them?

He gives a brisk shake of his head. His master has given his orders and Maul must obey. Maul is his master's faithful weapon and will not fail him. He ignites his saberstaff, ready to begin a fight to the death.]

[jedies]

[ the saber hilt slips into his hand like it belongs there. what is compelling him? what brought him here? his memories are once more a blur, years melting together. he was a padawan once. he is a padawan again. but none of that matters except for the battle and he is a blade. ]

Will You Be A Friend of Mine? (Mid-November) - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul didn't trust the Pthumerians and never would. Normally, he wouldn't have bothered to help one no matter how much they begged. But considering he'd heard rumors the Tower was supposed to somehow be the city of Trench itself, it might not have been a bad idea to stabilize him. Maul had experienced the collapse of Deerington into dust and didn't want to have to go through anything like that again during his time here.

So while he wasn't the most enthusiastic participant in this quest, he also wasn't going to turn back at any point. Since this was bound to be a long endeavor and possibly take even days, he'd come prepared with the "Doggie Bag" of supplies he'd once been granted in Deerington for a somewhat similar situation. The supplies in it had come in handy then and were sure to do so again in this new situation. He also brought the compass he had acquired a month back, knowing such a thing might be what they needed to not prolong this quest.

Maul rolled his shoulders back, adjusted the straps of the pack digging into his shoulders, and said, "Shall we set off then?"

Winter Mourning Memories - Introduction

[survivalthroughhate]

[Of course Maul was going to put up some antler decorations. After living in Deerington and now Trench for a year, he well knew the advantages that could come with having such decor about the house. So he decorated his home with the antler couple of winter-themed creations he'd made last year, all very festive for the occasion. Touching any of these and one would end up in one of his memories. Or maybe he ended up in the other person's and found out something new. Either way, what a cheery winter tradition this turned out to be!

(OOC: Maul's memories can be interacted with or just observed depending on character preference. Mind the trigger warnings at the top, any prompt featuring Sidious automatically might feature child abuse both mental and physical.)]

Winter Mourning Memories - Childhood Part Uno - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

Three Years Old

[This first one was one of Maul's oldest happy memories. It was filtered through the eyes of a very young child, fuzzy around the edges and with everything around him seeming to be very large.

He was three or four years old at the most, small for his age, playing quietly in the front room of a home that was on the smaller side. Talzin called him over. Maul's mother was always a very tall woman but to Maul at this age she seemed even more enormous. There was adoration in his eyes as he looked up at his beloved mother. 'Maul, I have something to tell you.'

'What?' asked the young Zabrak.

Talzin smiled down at him, her hand resting on her stomach, which had already grown in size. 'I'm going to have a baby. You're going to be a big brother.'

Maul absorbed this news for a moment, thinking it over carefully before a big smile crossed his face. 'Wow! I'm gonna be a big brother! Is it gonna be a girl or a boy?'

Talzin's smile became a little more mysterious. 'I think it will be a boy.'

Maul stared up at his mother with clear love on his face. 'How much longer till I get to meet him?'

She laughed a little, stroking the front horns on his head with clear fondness. 'It will be months before that happens.'

Maul pouted a little. For such a young child, five months might as well have been an entire lifetime. 'Awww, I want to meet him now.'

Talzin smiled. Patience, young one. You'll get to spend the rest of your lives together soon enough. Do you want to feel him kick? Maul nodded, so she guided his hand to her stomach and held it there.

He waited and his eyes grew wide when he could feel the unborn child kicking. A soft 'Oh!' escaped his lips. He looked back up at his mother. 'What is his name gonna be?'

The memory began to fade out as Talzin answered. 'I think I will call him.....Savage.'

The last thing heard was Maul softly repeating what he said before. 'I'm gonna be a big brother...']

Five Years Old

['C'mon, Savage! C'mon!' Maul was about five years old in the memory and playing with his little brother Savage, who was almost three at this point. Savage lacked some of the tattoos he'd have later in life but Maul had the shiny look of freshly inked ones done on his skin, for Talzin had finally finished with the Nightbrother tattoos he'd wear for the rest of his life. Savage giggled and ran after his elder brother on his much shorter legs, breathing heavily like a child who weak lungs due to asthma or some other ailment.

He tossed a ball to Savage, who caught it with a surprising amount of dexterity for such a little boy. Then he tossed it back and with his enthusiasm the ball overshot Maul entirely. It rolled away and Maul ran after it. 'Oh! Sorry!' He said absently as he bumped into someone, almost stumbling and falling down but regaining his balance before he did. When he looked up, he saw a pale man in his early thirties there in a black robe. He had golden eyes, a color many would recognize as Sith yellow after knowing Maul. It was Sidious. This was the first time he'd ever met the man. The young boy knew his mother had been entertaining an outsider, curious for the fact most of those that visit Dathomir were either killed outright or rarely stayed longer than a day.

There was a momentary expression of anger on Palpatine's face but it soon smoothed out to a kindly expression. He knelt and picked up the ball, handing it back to Maul. 'That's alright, my boy.' He turned to Talzin, who was coming up beside him. 'One of yours?'

'Yes.' Even as a young woman, Talzin still had that deep echoing voice and serene manner. 'Maul. My eldest and heir.' She waves a hand toward Savage and her voice lost some of the warmth held in it. 'That one is Savage, my second and....my spare.' There was no secret that Talzin loved her eldest son much more than her second-born, keeping Savage around rather than sending him to the Nightbrother village purely because she knew he made Maul happy. Some of the Nightsisters whispered about why their leader hadn't sent Maul to the village either when he was well past the age where sons normally were sent away, wondering what her reasons might be. None of them guess mainly it was because she loved him so much she just couldn't bear to follow tradition and be parted from her son.

Maul didn't care. He was happy here with his family on his home planet in a way he'd never have again in his life. He followed the conversation going on between his mother and the kindly-looking human with only a little interest, much more focused on playing with his little brother. 'Do you wanna play?' He asked, looking at Sidious with the curiosity and fearlessness of one who didn't often see strangers.

'Perhaps later,' Sidious said. For a moment, there was something in the Force that made the young boy shiver, an instinct he couldn't properly understand but that was trying to warn him of danger. Then Maul brushed it off with a shrug and ran off to play with Savage, tossing the ball to him again. He just barely heard more of the conversation between Talzin and Sidious. 'That boy is strong with the Dark Side. You can sense it too I am sure...' But Maul didn't care to listen to more. He was having too much fun with his little brother, who kept staring up at him with adoring eyes.]

Eight Years Old

[The memory showed Maul, a few years older now, sitting not on a bed but on a mere pallet on the ground. There were no sheets or pillow, only a ragged blanket. He was crying softly, holding his right wrist close to him. The unnatural angle at which it limply hanged showed it was clearly broken.

Sidious entered and Maul immediately stops crying, scrubbing at his eyes to hide the tear tracks. He knew if his master saw him sobbing like that, he'd give him something worth crying about. He braced himself, waiting for Sidious' cruelty. But this time he' was not the monster. No, in this case it was almost worse, because Sidious had put on the persona of the kindly master who only wanted the best for his charge.

"Oh, my poor boy. Let me take a look at your wrist," he said sympathetically. Maul tentatively held it out, unable to keep from shaking a little, again waiting for the other shoe to drop. But Sidious was smart enough to know when to punish his ward and when to string him along with false hope. Right now was the latter. Sidious looked at it with false sympathy, clucking his tongue like he honestly cared about Maul's welfare. "Do you understand why I had to do this?"

Maul thought very carefully for a moment. The wrong answer could have made Sidious switch back to his usual monstrous ways, so he had to get it right on the first try. He made an educated guess. "Because I wasn't strong enough?"

"Yes. If you were able to do as you were told, I wouldn't have to punish you so." Maul shrunk in on himself at the words. This was his fault. If he was stronger, faster, smarter, just better in general, his master might finally love him the way he yearned for. Sidious rested a hand on top of his head between the crown of horns, a gesture both paternal and demeaning at the same time. "It's alright. You are strong and you will survive." He didn't say the words with kindness, more like a tone that this was just something that was a fact, like the sky was blue or water was wet. From the shining look on Maul's face, he'd taken them to heart just as his master wanted him to. "Come on now. We'll fix up that wrist with bacta and then you'll feel much better." Maul struggled to his feet and followed Sidious out of the room, staring at his master with undisguised adoration. Sidious couldn't help the satisfied smile that crossed his face. The Sith Lord had him hook, line, and sinker.

The memory faded out there as Sidious lead him to the med bay.]

Ten Years Old

[Maul was about ten years old and training with Sidious using lightsabers. Not a practice one as the Jedi might do for a boy his age but actual ones. Despite his youth, Maul was clearly experienced with the weapon, and while Sidious was going hard against him he was holding his own. Eventually, his master called an end to the session. 'Do you think you have learned the value of endurance and obedience?'

Maul nodded, speaking very quietly, not quite meeting his adoptive father's eyes. 'Yes, my master.' Maul always strove to learn his lessons quickly, for when he didn't it meant pain, oftentimes going hungry and cold as well.

'Good. But I know of a way to make the lesson stick in your mind for good. Pain is a better teacher than I. Now listen closely.' A knife appeared in Sidious' hands and flashed out towards Maul without warning. Not expecting the sudden attack, he staggered back, shocked at the fact his master stabbed him right below the ribs. One hand pressed against his left side as he began to bleed and he nearly collapsed, barely staying up because he knew that his master will punish him harder if he showed any signs of weakness.

'There is some bacta patches over there,' Sidious said, gesturing towards some shelves on the edge of the room. Maul started to make the slow, painful journey over to them when Sidious suddenly called out. 'Stop.'

Maul did as he was told even if every fiber within him was telling him to move towards the patches which could heal his wound. He stopped, obediently waiting for further directions from his master. 'Sit down. I want you to meditate until you lose yourself in the Dark Side so that your injury no longer matters. Only then can you get up and get the bacta. If you move before then, you will be punished. Do you understand?'

'Yes, master,' Maul said softly. He gave one last longing look at where the healing bandages were sitting on top of one of the shelves before he sat down in a cross-legged position and closed his eyes, trying to meditate despite the fact he was still bleeding from the injury to his side. The blood flowed slowly and oozed out, staining his dark tunic and dripping onto the floor as he attempted to obey his master's command. Desperate as he was to heal himself, Maul would have rather passed out from blood loss or just died before disobeying his master and risking further punishment.]

Eleven Years Old

[The memory started off with Maul, maybe eleven or twelve years old, with Sidious in the middle of a snowy landscape, one that might have be familiar to a Jedi. It's Ilum. Traditionally, Sith were meant to gain their crystals from killing a Jedi, but Maul was far from ready for that step. But he still needed to get a kyber crystal if he was to bleed it and wield a lightsaber.

Sidious turned to his young apprentice. 'Go in and find your crystal.'

'How will I know which is the right one?' Maul asked tentatively. Questions were usually met with cruelty on Sidious' end, so he tried not to ask too many.

'You'll just know. Trust in the Dark Side and it will guide you,' Sidious said, for once not sounding too impatient with Maul's questions. 'You have an hour. Be back by then.' 'Or else' went without saying.

Maul was quick to set off into the cave. He wandered around for a bit, trying to find the crystal that were destined to be his. He found it in about fifteen minutes, high up on a cliff wall that Maul had to jump up and land on a small outcropping of rock to get to. He grabbed it, feeling that this was right. Yes, this was meant to be his crystal.

Well, that was easy....maybe a little too easy. Maul stared at the green crystal in his hand, examining it like maybe it was trying to fool him somehow. But he could feel the Force radiating through it, something that made him feel warm and balanced inside in a way his master had never taught him. No, this was his crystal sure enough. So he turned to leave the cave. That hadn't take too long and so his master couldn't be mad at him.

But as he started back to the main path, he felt something else tugging him towards another small cave off to the side. Strange. He stared back towards where he knows the entrance was but the tug of the Force couldn't be denied. He went into the cave, and there shining in the dim light was another crystal. Maul was confused. Two crystals? Why would he need two? But maybe he was meant to wield two lightsabers the way his master did. He plucked up the other crystal and went back. He still had plenty of time.

But it happened again. And then again. What in the Dark Side was going on here? He examined the four crystals closely in his palm, wondering if he'd made a mistake somehow. This wasn't supposed to happen. One, maybe two crystals at most for a lightsaber, but not four. Maybe he was a defective Sith apprentice. But this also felt right somehow, the crystals somehow letting him know this was the way things were meant to be.

At this point, he'd gotten close to the hour mark and knew he was going to go over it with how long it would take him to get back out of the cave. Oh, Master was not going to like this...

By the time he got back out, it was fifteen minutes past the hour. Sidious looked decidedly angry with the boy and Maul braced himself for punishment. 'Stupid boy, I should have known this task was beyond you. What kept you in there so long?' Before his master could strike him across the face, wordlessly Maul held out his gloved palm, the four crystals glittering there in the dim light of the sun. Even Sidious seemed surprised by this turn of events and his anger lessened. Apparently, this wasn't an outcome he was expecting either. He held a hand out over the crystals, sensing their intent. Yes, they'd decided they belonged with Maul, that much was clear.

'What an interesting turn of events,' Sidious said, more to himself than to Maul. 'Perhaps you are meant for greater heights than I thought.' For his own part, Maul was just relieved he wasn't going to be punished. He held the crystals close to him, feeling the Force flowing through them, listening to what they told him. Over and over, they whispered the message that they belonged with him, that they were here for him, that they were his. It made a warmth grow inside of him, a small bit of happiness that he so rarely got to experience.]

Winter Mourning Memories - Childhood Part Dos - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

Twelve Years Old

[As the memory started off, it showed Maul as a young preteen, all scrawny and growing slowly. He was maybe about twelve years old but so short it was easy to mistake him for a much younger child. The Nautolan girl talking with him was definitely taller than him by a good three or four inches. She was very pretty, teal skin and dark eyes with a constant smile on her lips. 'Wanna go swimming?' She asked.

Maul froze up like a deer in headlights for a good thirty seconds and just stared off into space. Kilindi started to frown, thinking he wasn't interested before he just blurted out 'Okay!' with absolutely no attempt at grace or manners. It wasn't like his master ever prepared him for what to do in a situation where his crush asked him to go swimming. She smiled at him when he agreed to come.

The memory stopped there, freezing for a moment, and when it started back up again they were at the watering hole Kilindi has taken him to. She'd already stripped down to her swimming clothes while Maul was much more reluctant. When he tool his shirt off a small surprised 'Oh wow!' escaped her lips.

Maul paused. 'What?' He asked.

'It's your tattoos,' the young girl said.

Maul self-consciously folded his arms across his skinny chest and he scowled. 'What about them?'

Kilindi shook her head, head tentacles swishing back and forth. 'Nothing. It's just that they're really pretty.'

Heat rose to Maul's face and he thanked the Force the red skin made it hard to tell when he was blushing. He waved off the compliment with a hand. 'Uh-huh, whatever.' It was only then that he remembered Nautolans could detect pheromones and that meant Kilindi would know exactly how he felt.

But she didn't bring attention to how he feelt, merely laughing as she dove into the water gracefully. Maul cautiously peered down into the depths and she rose up, splashing him as she encouraged him to come in. Finally, he did so, with a lot more caution than his young companion. The memory faded as Kilindi encouraged him to come out further into the depths while Maul was reluctant to leave the shallows.]

Fifteen Years Old

[Maul was older now in this memory, a teenager maybe fourteen or fifteen years old, but it appeared puberty hadn't quite caught up to him yet, for he was on the small side for a humanoid alien and rather awkward-looking. It looked like he was a bit of a late bloomer in that respect. There was two girls talking with him, both exceptionally pretty, even if one happens to be a teal-skinned Nautolan with shiny eyes that were pure black and tentacles where hair would be on a human being. 'Do you know how long you'll be gone for?' She asked.

'No. My master didn't say. I think he's taking me out for some personal training,' Maul said. 'But I hope I'll be back soon,' he quickly added on, the longing in his voice clear. He far preferred to stay here at the academy instead of with Sidious.

The other one, a human with long brown hair, deliberately sauntered up to Maul, close enough for him to inhale the perfume she was wearing, and Maul wore an expression like someone hit him over the head with a mallet when she got that close. She was clearly very experienced at flirting despite her youth, having a breathy 'little girl' style voice. 'Come back soon, Maul. We'll have a surprise waiting for you when you get back.'

'What is it?' Maul asked excitedly, voice breaking the way young teenage boys would when they were going through the changes of life.

The Nautolan girl smiled, an enigmatic one that also seems to tease him a little. She went up and caressed one of his cheeks, causing him to blush furiously, not that it was so easy to tell with his red skin. 'Now, now, that would spoil it. Just hurry back, okay?'

Sidious' voice could be heard from down a hallway. 'Maul, come.'

Maul reluctantly tore himself away from his two female friends, calling to his master. 'Uh-huh. Coming.' He gave one last look to the two. 'I can't wait to see it,' he said before he dashed off, unaware this would be some of the last moments of innocence he would have in his young life.]

Winter Mourning Memories - Adulthood - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

[The ones from Maul as an adult ranged in a period of time that lasted over a decade and a half. It started off with dueling and killing his first Jedi, Eldra Kastis, something that he seemed to find little real pleasure in and only found more rage after the act was done. Then came the duel which would change his life forever where he fought Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, a figure some who had been in Deerington might have recognized, and his Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. The silent, deadly assassin the video more resembled the brainwashed figure who went on the deadly rampage in Deerington more than how Maul was now, showing just how far he'd come. But it didn't help poor Qui-Gon, who met his demise at Maul's hands, merciless and vicious as he currently was. Too arrogant now to see the threat which was still active, he wordlessly taunted Obi-Wan instead of finishing him off once he gained the upper hand, which lead to Maul getting sliced in half and falling down an endless reactor shaft.

The next memory came from years later when he met his brother Savage again for the first time since they were children. Maul's body and mind were both greatly damaged and he disassociated from the reality of the scene greatly, talking sometimes as if Sidious was present and generally in a state of great madness after so many years of being left alone. But throughout it all, one thing kept him together: the thought of revenge on Obi-Wan Kenobi. He got his chance later on after being made whole, slaughtering an entire village to draw the Jedi to him. Once he'd there, he started but doesn't finish his revenge, Obi-Wan being saved by Asajj Ventress, a Nightsister. To finish things would come later. Maul had waited a long time for this. He could wait a little longer

He got his chance when he took over Mandalore in a duel to the death with Pre Vizsla, the leader of an extremist sect that had taken over the planet with Maul's help. Maul decapitated him and took over the group, securing his position as the ruler of Mandalore. Things finally started to go right for the Zabrak Sith Lord Once that had happened, he used the previous ruler Duchess Satine Kryze (who also happens to be the love of Obi-Wan's life) to draw the Jedi back to him. Once he was there, Maul killed Satine in cold blood, a cruel merciless act designed to make Obi-Wan fall to the Dark Side as Maul gained his revenge upon the Jedi he blamed for the ruination of his life. It didn't happen despite the Jedi's anger and grief. This would be the last time Maul would feel any sort of satisfaction for a long, long time, for Sidious showed up and began to duel both he and Savage, having decided Maul had grown too powerful as a threat and had to be eliminated.

Anyone who had not seen any of the other memories or seen the man in other visions Deerington and Trench have provided might at first hav been skeptical. This was the source of Maul's eternal terror, the reason he was turned into such a psychopath after growing up at his hands? This kindly-looking old man who was shorter than his adoptive son? But then Sidious began to fight the Zabrak and it became clear why he was such a menace. He killed Savage purely to hurt Maul and Maul finally got a taste of what he's put Obi-Wan through in killing his master and greatest love. He was so angry when this happened that he even briefly puts Sidious on his back foot, the confident sneer fading from Sidious' features. He resorted to using the Force to win the duel and Maul reverted back to a terrified, shivering wreck reminiscent of his younger childhood self, begging for mercy. It may have seemed odd that someone as proud as Maul would beg for mercy until one realized the mercy he was asking for is for Sidious to kill him instead of prolonging his torture any longer. But he refused and Maul was left screaming.

There were a few last memories of his time during the Clone Wars. Another painful one was ahead for him: it was death of his mother, a loss just as painful and heartbreaking as that of his brother had been. After that, he was forced to go on, even through the intense pain he now felt from losing the last of his family. He ended up fighting Ahsoka Tano on Mandalore, a duel he ended up losing. Much later, he was let loose to cause a rampage on the ship that was supposed to carry him back to Coruscant when Order 66 was initiated, meant to eliminate all the Jedi in the galaxy. That was one of the last memories he'd held before he'd come to Trench.]

Winter Mourning Memories - The Future - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

[In the future, there were a few memories Maul saw. The first ten years after the Clone Wars. Maul was now in his forties and was talking with a subordinate, for while he'd diminished from the time he ruled Mandalore, Maul still ran a powerful criminal syndicate in the form of Black Sun. But years down the line, he crashed on a dead planet that he had old ties too and was left there for years until a group of Force-users came calling. He met a young teenage Force-sensitive named Ezra Bridger and as Maul was warranted to do used the boy for his own ends. He helped several others on the side of the Rebellion including the Togruta Ahsoka Tano that he has a former history with. They end up dueling members of the Dark Side group called the Inquisitors made up of fallen Jedi. But then he turned on them and blinded Ezra's master before losing to the man in a duel.

Then came the end for Maul. With nothing left in his life, he decided to go to Tatooine after discovering Obi-Wan was still alive. Either he'd die or Obi-Wan would and frankly Maul didn't care which would happen. He was just so full of pain that he couldn't go on existing anymore, knowing his entire life was one long struggle that came all to naught. It turned out that for the last time he overestimated Obi-Wan Kenobi and Maul died in the arms of his old foe, finally at peace as he learned of the existence of Luke Skywalker, the one that would bring balance to the Force and avenge all the sufferings of both Maul and Obi-Wan's lives.]

Run Rabbit Run + Fight Or Flight + It Comes - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul was a Vileblood and therefore one of those that the undead animals and traps of the Huntress got set out for. But Maul was not an easy being to catch given his own set of Force powers, especially with his natural stealth and agility. He quickly outwitted traps early in the month, but as the month and everything else going on it kept wearing him down, it appeared the traps were getting more intricate and deadly to try and contain him. If someone came across him caught in one, he'd greatly appreciate help in loosening himself from it.

If he grew desperate enough after being caught there for long enough, one could come across him freeing himself from a trap that his prosthetic leg was caught in by severing the limb completely off with one of his lightsabers or crushing part of it using the Force. He might even have ended up having to rip off both of them and that would definitely leave him at a disadvantage, though anyone who tried to get near him will find he was still dangerous even down half a body. It didn't hurt him to lose his legs but it was still a disturbing sight and it would be inconvenient to the Sith Lord until he could find someone he trusted to repair the torn-off limbs for him. One could offer to help him now that he was down a leg but don't expect he would take anyone up on it given how the month's sporadic feelings were affecting his blood type.

With how paranoid he became, it wasn't hard for him to finally grow tired of just passively freeing himself from the traps. So someone wanted to try and catch him? Fine. Let's see how they liked it when the tables were turned on them. The traps he made are intricate and designed to deliberately hurt, a callback to his own youth and the things Sidious used to put him through to test his survival. One could escape from his traps but it usually involved breaking bones or severing part of a limb off, for Maul wasn't one to let his prize go without them having to pay a price in return. If he went after someone hunting them, it was best to just run until he grew tired of the chase or got caught in another trap himself. Only then, when he was incapacitated and unable go after his intended target could he be reasoned with.

By the time Maul felt something was following him about, he was shot through with paranoia. Mental effects always hit him harder than the physical ones, so it just felt all the worse being hunted down and feeling like something else that was completely unnatural was following him. He kept trying to find it and having no luck, getting to the point where he doubted his own sanity, wondering if this was all in his head or if Trench was playing a cruel joke on him.]

Lockjoint - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul, unlucky as he was this month, started to experience lockjoint in the later part of the month. He knew something was wrong when it even started to affect the prosthetics on his lower half, for nothing should be able to touch them, and yet here he was unable to move without feeling pain on the joint portions of his legs. He knew he needed to seek out help and do something before this got so bad he couldn't move any longer. However, his paranoia did make it hard for him to ask for help.

By the time Maul ended up giving in, he was going to be moving like a stiff old man if he was even mobile at all. If someone approached him to help, they'd find a snarling, suspicious Sith Lord who would stop them in their tracks with the Force, since it was the only weapon he readily had left available to him. Wielding a lightsaber required the use of his hands and that was just something he was unable to do at this moment.]

Not one step closer.

[He warned, yellow eyes glaring at his unfortunate victim. He'd have to be talked down into a state of compliance, but given that Maul didn't want to be in pain, it would be less of a fight to coax him into bloodletting or the nearest hot spring than it normally would be otherwise.]

Now You See Me - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul turned around when he heard an ominous sounding "Ho ho ho!" There he was, Santa Claus himself. Oh, Maul had been waiting for this opportunity for so long! Santa strode towards him, a grim expression on the old man's usual jolly face. "I made a list and checked it twice. And you, Darth Maul, have been naughty this year!" He sounded almost gleeful as he said that. "Now it is time for you to be punished."

Without missing a beat, Maul pulled out his lightsaber. "Alright, Santa. Let us see what kind of a fight a Pthumerian such as yourself can put up!" With that, Maul started to fight Santa Claus. Really, he hoped someone was watching this or would join in the fun. They could tell others later on of what he was doing. This was going to be an awesome fight, one for the ages!

After killing Santa, Maul thought that was the end of it. He was going to brag to people about this battle. But he would continue to be assaulted by Christmas myths and legends throughout the month thanks to watching a number of movies at the Entertainment Feed. After getting assaulted one too many times, he wisely stopped going to the movies anymore as he realized the correlation between seeing them and then getting attacked by the figures from legend afterwards.

Too Much Of A Bad Thing - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul just blinked when he opened up the door and saw that it was completely snowed in with only a small tunnel to make his way through. Well, much as he wanted to just stay cozy inside, he couldn't. He had things to do and food to get. It wasn't going to be a pretty sight for anyone in Trench if either of the Zabrak brothers started to get hungry. He put on his warmest coats, layered up, and braved the ice caves.

If anyone found him, he wouldn't have been doing so well, leaning up against one of the ice walls and shivering slightly. He'd never lived on ice planets for a reason and this was why. The icy cold was sapping him of his strength. He was horribly turned around and couldn't find the way out of the tunnels to somewhere, anywhere that was warmer than this. His eyes were closed until he heard someone coming his way. Then they snapped open with ferocious intensity. Just because he wasn't at his best didn't mean he still couldn't fight.

The Misdirected (Early January) - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

After the December Maul had with being hunted, fighting back, and feeling something stalking him, dealing with more paranoia and the feeling of someone watching him was definitely not what he needed at the moment. It was beginning to feel like that sensation was never going to end at this rate.

He'd always been susceptible to the mental effects of Trench than the physical ones. When all his attempts to fend off the creature had failed, he began to succumb to the feelings of disorientation it had created. He tried his best to get to his destination, but after only a few steps, he couldn't quite remember where he had planned on going. Was it....was it his home? The Disaster House? Maybe one of the shops to go pick up more food? Maybe if he kept walking it would come to him.

It wasn't long before Maul had completely lost his way and started to wander further out. Hopefully, someone who knew him would be able to grab him before he got any further out into the edges of town and the wilderness. By now, Maul's mind was in a haze and he'd started to lose sense of himself. He wasn't sure what he was doing or where he was going but felt the answer lay just a few more steps....and a few more steps after that.

Frostquake (Throughout January) - OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul attempted to leap out of the hole but this sinkhole was too tall even for his prodigious athletic skills, aided as they were with the Force. He tried three times once he ended up on the bottom but couldn't get up to the lip of the hole. Every time he failed, the dirt that had been shaken up by the quake becomes looser and harder for him to use as a firm landing surface. Climbing was going to take a long while.

The third time he fell into the bottom, before he could start to make another attempt that was slower and more careful than the last, he noticed the twitching going on around him. Once he saw it was the undead, the Sith Lord immediately pulled out his lightsaber and began to slash all around him. He wasn't going to let a bunch of zombies get the better of him! Still, this was bound to be hard work, so he wouldn't have minded if anyone who was around tossed him down a rope or something to help him get out of this predicament.

Until then, he and his Omen Venge would be fighting for their lives against the frostquake zombies.

[xiaoxiuya]

Help, when it arrives, comes not in the form of a rope but a silvery sword with a green tassel hung from its hilt, which appears over the lip of the hole and, seemingly of its own accord, skewers one of the zombies through its eye.

Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to have a big impact on the zombie's ability to attack, for better or worse.

The sword pauses for a moment, as if in reflection, before dislodging itself from the zombie's head with a sickening sound and cutting the it off at the knees. Its torso falls into the churned-up mud at the bottom of the hole with a satisfying plop, and its flailing poses little impediment to the sword cutting off its arms as well. Satisfied, the sword takes on a defensive role, keeping the remaining zombies off Maul's back and herding them into the line of his lightsaber until at last they all lay on the ground in pieces. Only then does the sword's Sleeper -- for else could this be but the unimitable Xiu Ya? -- speak up.

"Lord Maul?" Shen Yuan calls out, still out of sight as he stays well back from the unstable lip of the hole. "Are you well? Any injuries?" His voice sounds strained, as though he's carrying something heavy. No doubt this has something to do with the way his spirit sword continues to hover in mid-air, as if by magic.