February Catch-All; "We can deeply love our poison."

[survivalthroughhate]

Who: survivalthroughhate and open!
What: Maul comes back from a canon update with a brand-new attitude
When: All of February
Where: At his home and around Trench.

Content Warnings: Gross canon update cocoon, will update as necessary



Open prompts below!

A. Canon-Updated

After Maul peeled out of his cocoon and had reoriented himself with where he was, it was time to make some house calls. By his point-of-view, he'd been gone for three years. Though he had learned thankfully that time had passed for everyone else over the course of a week, he still wanted to check up and make sure that the people he cared about were still present, accounted for, and had all their limbs attached. The fact that the month appeared to once again be messing with his blood type just exacerbated matters.

So off he went. His first priority was to check up on those he was blood-bonded to. Fortunately, he could feel they were all still intact, but they were the ones he cared about most in Trench, so they were checked on first. Then came everyone else. If anyone had even a somewhat positive relationship with the Zabrak Sith Lord, they were going to find themselves with Maul on their doorstep to check up on them, his eyes no longer golden but now instead a grey-brown color. Close friends and family could even expect to possibly be hugged, a sure sign that Maul had changed in his time away from Trench.

B. Lessons

January had been a wash as far as all student-related activities were concerned given Maul had either been a kid or wrapped up in the membrane where he'd experienced life in his own galaxy for the entire month. Well, it was time to get back on track with his students. To that matter, after he got on the network to inform everyone of his changed state, he made sure to make time for anyone who wanted to stop by in February.

He kept to his regular hours as much as possible, not including any of the usual shenanigans that made each month go topsy-turvy, and made sure to make the lessons a little longer to make up for the fact he hadn't been able to train anyone for the past month or so. "It's been a while. I hope you haven't forgotten everything I taught you," he would say upon seeing any of his regulars show up.

C. At The Archives

After the intriguing conversation with Sharon regarding his former ability to shapeshift, Maul knew it was time to do some research into the ability of being able to turn into mystical deer that those Sleepers who had been in Deerington had once possessed. He hadn't tried to turn into that form since arriving, assuming with the corruption of Ramona into a permanent beast that such a thing could no longer occur.

But he remembered that the Ramona seen when passing through the dimension which would allow them to change into deer had seemed to be beyond time itself in a way. If that was true, than part of her was always going to be waiting there, uncorrupted and never-changing. It was time to figure out if that was truly the case. To that end, he was in the Archives, looking through ancient books and scrolls filled with text that would lead him to the answers he sought.

If he saw someone he knew, he would gesture them over. "Come, take a seat!" After they'd sat down, he would plunk down a huge mass of scrolls, a bottle filled with caffeinated tea, and a bag of beef jerky in front of them. "Tell me if you can find any mention of Ramona Derwin in these." There was something in his bossy tone that made it clear he wasn't allowing anyone to leave until they had helped him out at least a little bit, though judging by the supplies he possessed, he was certain to try to keep anyone there for the long haul.

D. Chocolatier

[After the disastrous experience Maul had the previous year that had led to the death of Willow, he was avoiding the chocolatier at all costs. He also wasn't letting anyone make the same mistake he had and to that end he was warning everyone away from the giant monster at all costs.]

Don't you dare accept anything from him!

[He'd state emphatically.]

Some of them are harmless but others will dead to disastrous, even dangerous consequences!

[If anyone asked, he would detail what some of those chocolates could do to a person.]

E. Wait For Me

[Maul had always had a little trouble with the anticipation of waiting for people. It wasn't like he didn't already have a ton of abandonment issues that stretched through the entirety of his life that made him very conscious of those that he had left. The anxiety that gnawed at him grew greater and greater until he found himself suddenly unable to move another muscle.

Then he was stuck there, a pit of fear and energy in his body that was unable to go anywhere. All he could do was stand or sit there, waiting for someone to come along and help him out, trying to reach out with his own mind to anyone he knew who could come save him from this plight.

Alternatively, he could be that person for someone else who was afflicted, coming along their frozen body and noticing almost immediately that something was wrong. He'd come up to them and inspect their form for a few moments before taking a step back.]

Well, this certainly is a situation.

[Maul observed. He wasn't certain on how to fix this problem but he also just wasn't going to leave the person afflicted all on their lonesome. He'd come far enough in his journey of becoming a better person to know he had to stay and help.]

F. You Take My Breath Away

[Maul wasn't big on being touchy-feely even with people he was close to, let alone people he might not have been fond of. As he went about minding his own business, he'd pass by someone and suddenly it would hit. He gasped suddenly, unable to take another breath. He'd reach out blindly, trying to grab whoever was close by to bring attention to his plight.

He could see the other person nearby who was also choking. Was this affecting everyone in the city all at once?! But as soon as he touched them, he could feel himself able to breathe again. He took deep breaths in, grateful for the oxygen he could access once again.]

What--What was that?

[He gasped out as soon as he had enough air in his lungs to speak with.]

G. Speed Dating!

Maul wasn't all that enthused about being forced to go through another 'getting to know you' session in Trench. But it wasn't really like he had any other options here. So he sat there, glowering a little, not exactly appearing to be the most friendly of partners to be seated across from.

On the plus side, his profile was indeed a thing of beauty. He'd been mortified for about five minutes after seeing what it had put up for him but then he began to see the funny side of it. Rather than letting it get to him at all, he decided to just have a sense of humor about the whole thing.

He glanced at whoever sat down across from him and went back to picking at his claws, which were looking a trifle long right now. "Shall we get this over with already?" He asked. "Do you want to go first or should I?"

Comments

[no_reload]

"I had to pick up the slack with you wrapped up and away, since we are probably the most dramatic people in this place. And you're more dramatic than even I am," he remarked as he lifted his hand and dragged his blackened nails down the back of Maul's head, giving light scritches. Their need for dramatics was just another of many reasons they worked so well together as a couple.

He made a noise of acknowledgement, and the skeptic in him was more of the 'wait and see' opinion on people saying they were going to change. Maul had the benefit of three years away, of course, and Reaper had the benefit of being able to snoop in on his husband with their blood bond. His thumb moved to stroke under Maul's eye, staring at the changed look. "It's a good thing that your reputation has been established then, though I still feel like some will try to poke the bear, as it were." He leaned in to kiss the tip of Maul's nose, his tone shifting to delighted. "Besides, you said you're going to change, but I never said that. I'm all edge, and if you want, I can step on some throats at random to make up for your new-leaf changes."

Reaper snorted in amusement as Maul described his failures, figuring that would be the case. Clearly some lessons had still be learned anyway, just after the fact. "So now that this Dark Side has shown you a different way, you've found your zen. You know I'm going to pick at you to see where the limits of your temperament goes, right?" Which always led to less anger and more sexy times. He wasn't called a troll for no reason, even with Maul.

[survivalthroughhate]

"But of course. Nothing I do is worth doing if I can't be dramatic about it." Maul's purring increased in volume a little as Reaper scratched his head. This was something he'd never experienced in his own galaxy and would never get the chance to, having an emotional and physical intimacy with someone like this. Knowing he'd remain so lonely was just another reason he wanted to stay here instead, being with someone he felt so deeply for that he'd been willing to let their minds be bonded for the rest of their lives.

"I'm sure a few will. There's a few that have already done so over the last couple of months." But Jinx and Dabi were both assholes to various degrees and had done so in a completely deliberate manner because they wanted to see how Maul would react. He chuckled softly as his eyes returned to their grey-brown color. "Now there's an idea. I'll just threaten anyone who tries to get under my skin with you coming after them instead." Not that he really would. Maul preferred to do his own dirty work unless an opponent like his master or the Emperor here were vastly more powerful than he was.

He leaned inwards and kissed Reaper softly for a moment. "Yes, something like that. I've finally found a way forward that doesn't involve a path where my own self-destruction lies at the end of it. Now that I've stopped lashing out at others because of my own pain, I can focus on healing my old wounds and continuing to move forward." He smirked at Reaper and poked him gently in the shoulder with one of his claws. "You can try and see what happens. I'm sure you'll find the limitations sooner rather than later."

[no_reload]

"And now we know why I love you so much," he said with an amused huff as his fingers continued their scritching. It felt good to hear Maul purr like that, a reminder that what they had was real and even the machinations of Trench couldn't steal Maul away from him for too long. He had missed their physical closeness. "I see that your eyes have returned to the colour you were born with. Is that a permanent change or will they fluctuate depending on your mood?"

He knew that some people in this place were all about staging a reaction, and he could very much get on board with them as he was like that with some. There was something exciting about searching for and pushing buttons, though the reverse was a dangerous prospect on him. "Threaten? The moment the words are uttered from your lips, I'll be there with my boots for stomping." There were advantages to the bond he was more than willing to take advantage of when it suited him.

Reaper made a noise into the kiss, returning it even as he hugged Maul's body closer to himself. "This place definitely needs a therapist, but they won't be paid enough to make it worth their time," he remarked with amusement. "If you keep being good, you're going to force me to make minor personal changes perhaps." It was doubtful; he had already begun in his own way thanks to the changes that his blood made to him. "I do like knowing the limitations."

[survivalthroughhate]

At the mention of his eyes, back to the grey-brown they should have been all along, Maul explained what had happened. "A Sith's eyes only turn yellow when they are angry. Since I was angry all the time, they never changed colors. Now that I've been able to let some of that go, they've finally gone back to their original color." His face grew pensive. "It had been so long since they were this color I actually forgot what it was until I looked in the mirror." Maul had been constantly angry a very long time indeed. In fact, Reaper was one of the few who could get him to a state where he wasn't for brief moments before he'd finally found a center of calm.

"I'll never say never to that. I'm sure at some point I'll just have to see you go on a murderous rampage against someone or something that's tormenting me." Watching Reaper go completely crazy against an opponent always got Maul feeling a little riled up. There was just something incredibly sexy about the act of carnage his husband was capable of producing.

His hands moved down to Reaper's shirt and then slipped underneath it. He smirked in a flirtatious manner. "You know, three years is a long time to go without having sex. I think I need a reminder..."

[no_reload]

"So your pretty gold eyes are a result of you being furious all the time. They certainly did suit you, and this change is going to take some getting used to." His thumb continued to lightly rub under Maul's eye, stroking lightly as he continued to examine the change. He was so used to Maul's gold with red eyes after all. "Maybe it will take everyone who knows you, including yourself, time to come to terms with the change. I imagine if you get into a temper that they will change back?" He had seen this colour appear rarely, usually when Maul was a child.

Oh, it had been quite some time since he did a murderous rampage, but he had no doubt that it would be a good time for him and Maul at least. Out of the two of them, his temper was harder to stoke, but he was a long-term vengeful kind of person. "For you, I'll definitely let you watch it happen. Nothing gets you quite so hot and bothered." That went both ways actually. Few went to his defense after all.

Sometimes all it took was a kiss, he thought. He shivered as he felt Maul's warm hands slipping under his compression shirt, pressing into the touch. His own hand gripped Maul tighter in response. "What's this? You were loyal to me even three years away and no memory of being here?"

[survivalthroughhate]

"A good change, I hope, since it represents being able to let go of some of the past for me." So much of his anger had always been tied up in what Sidious had put him through and how miserable his life had always been while under the control of the Sith Lord. Now that he was finally able to let that go, his eyes could resume their natural color. "But you are right. When someone makes me angry around here--" And inevitably that would happen. "--They will return."

"We'll have to make some time for such an occasion," Maul said with an evil glint in his eyes. No doubt at some point, someone would foolishly try to mess with Maul. Then he'd let Reaper have at them as much as he wanted to.

Maul nuzzled against Reaper with clear affection. "I've told you before. I don't fall in love easily or often. You've always been special that way." It was a rare person who could capture Maul's hearts in a romantic fashion and there had been no one in his galaxy who had been able to do so since he'd been a teenager.

[no_reload]

"If it makes you happy to see this change, it makes me happy to see you have it," he replied in a soft growly voice. He was so used to Maul being the angry cunning man who lashed out frequently that he knew it would take him time to get used to the change. After all, he had been seeing Maul settle down thanks to repeated exposures to 'nice' people and having a mostly stable relationship with him and family. "Temporarily. Because you've reconciled much of your past."

He snorted in amusement, leaning in to kiss Maul on the mouth. "I will definitely make every effort for a capture then, so that you can enjoy the kind of punishment that I have and will continue to deal for you." Some had fallen victim to his version of punishment in the past and once they had learned, he let them go back to their small little lives.

He dragged his blackened nails down the length of Maul's back, smirk tugging at his lips. "You just required a certain first impression. A dramatic entrance and some saving apparently," he remarked with amusement in his voice. "Violence and mystery... and maybe some sedatives for you." He actually laughed as he remembered their very first meeting. It had been by chance, but what a moment.

[survivalthroughhate]

"Well, I don't know if someone like me can ever be truly be happy," Maul said in a thoughtful tone. He still was wary of the emotion, afraid that if he tried to indulge in it too much that source of happiness would be taken away from him in a swift, brutal fashion. "But.....I'm more at peace with myself now. Calmer and less in turmoil than I have always been." That was good enough for Maul.

Maul felt a thrill run up the organic half of his spine at the idea of seeing Reaper doing what he did best. He ran his hand through Reaper's hair, stroking the long locks over and over again in a contented fashion. "That would be amazing to see."

"The start of a true rescue romance," Maul said with a grin, purring happily at the memory of their first meeting. "I never had the slightest idea we'd end up here today from where we started out as at that point." But truly he'd been a little smitten with Reaper right from the start, enjoying the light flirting that the two had engaged in at the time.

[no_reload]

"That's like me. I can accept being content and have bouts of happiness, but there will always be the darkness that tugs at me." He and Maul were creatures that bore too many scars from their pasts, and it was amazing that either of them had the capacity for the love that they had for each other. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best love he had been able to live with another. "It's interesting to see you more content with yourself and what you've been put through."

Never would he claim to be a good man. His particular skill set made him too flawed for anything 'good', and he had no issue employing such skills in situations that he deemed worthy of them. He leaned in to kiss Maul lightly on the lips. "I'll even let you participate if you want to. Taking someone apart is a unique thrill."

He made a noise of agreement in his throat. It had been a fun introduction and a little flirting, but otherwise, he hadn't thought it would go anywhere. He was very mistaken. If he had known what he knew now then, he might not have rescued Maul. Being in love was frightening to someone that believed they didn't deserve it. "What's the saying? You'll find love when you're least looking for it. That's us."

[survivalthroughhate]

"Some pain is created from self-loathing, hating things about myself which could not be changed. By learning to accept that pain as a part of myself but not letting it rule me, I have finally reached a place of serenity and calm." Now that Maul was back, he was going to see if he couldn't find some self-help books or the like on how to continue healing his trauma. Short of an actual therapist showing up on the shores of Trench (which could still happen, all things considered), he felt that was the best way to continue his journey.

"Keep saying such sweet things to me and you'll only get what's coming to you," Maul said happily, the purr still in his voice. It was such a good feeling to be back where he belonged and in the arms of the man whom he loved so much.


Maul wasn't sure he'd ever heard that saying before but he certainly agreed with it. "Very much so. I'd given up on any form of love by the time I'd come to Deerington." Romantic, platonic, friendships. All of those had seemed out of Maul's reach with the life he'd led and the death of his family. He just resigned himself to being alone. Then he'd met Reaper and the others who had wormed their way into his hearts and forced him to open up, to be protective of them, to care. That had been the start of it all.

[no_reload]

"You also realize that you were a child when many of the terrible things happened to you, right? The one that shaped who you became was mostly out of your control, and I can imagine that you've been plagued with the what-ifs of your life if you had not been stolen away from your planet." It was good that Maul had found acceptance and peace about aspects of that old life, and he had no doubt that the Zabrak was stubborn enough to push for more self-improvement.

"Please, you're in my house, and there's not sex dungeon here to get creative with. I will never explain that to the kids," he replied dryly and with a shake of his head. Of course, there were plenty of other things to do with each other. "Blood play is one of my old kinks."

Reaper had also given up any sort of romantic ideations in Deerington after far too many failed attempts. It wasn't worth the effort, so his and Maul's relationship was surprising to say the least. He too had let a few others slip in, but Maul went the deepest, had seen the most of him without the usual masks (literally and figuratively). "I do find it ironic that brutalized us physically and emotionally was where so many found love."

[survivalthroughhate]

“I know. It’s been hard to accept that the sole blame with which everything lies is my master. For so many years, I kept blaming myself.” Which was just how Sidious had wanted it, for Maul to keep thinking that the only thing that kept him in such misery was his own failings instead of his master being evil incarnate. He closed his eyes, pressing into Reaper’s solid form, and nuzzling him softly. “Those thoughts have kept me up late at night more often than I care to think about.”

Thinking about how much he’d missed out with his culture and people by not being raised as a proper Nightbrother, how he felt so often as if he’d brought doom down upon the whole clan indirectly by putting them in the crosshairs of his master’s wrath. But he knew that wasn’t his fault either. He’d always just been a pawn.

Then he brushed the thoughts away as Reaper spoke. “Good. They don’t need to know what goes on behind closed doors. If they do ask, just distract them with the fathiers and Crouton…..how is that rather large nuisance these days?” So big he couldn’t fit in the house any longer, Maul knew that much with how long his husband had been taking care of his pet.

At the mention of blood play, Maul smiled happily. “You know I’d be happy to indulge,” he said, biting Reaper softly on the shoulder with all his sharp teeth.

“Very ironic. But the Force gives and the Force takes. For all the pain and suffering we have been through, all of us were due for something good to happen in our lives.” Maul had found more happiness in the past three years than he’d had in the previous thirty-five years of his entire life. All the pain he’d been through was still miles better than what he’d had in his own galaxy when it was measured against all the happiness and sheer joy he’d also experienced.