[Set shortly after this debacle that gained him a bunch of painful and unwanted additions, Maul contacts Martin. You know how he usually has that soft-spoken voice? Not right now. He’s at top volume and boy does he sound pissed. His eyes are burning anger.]
“Destroy the book and that will reverse everything.” That’s what you said. Bah! I must have lost my mind to listen to such a FOOL AND IDIOT! [One wouldn’t think he could go any louder, but he manages with those last three words. Hopefully Martin didn't have his device too close to their ear.] The next time you have a bright idea like that, keep it to yourself!
[Martin's just going to hold the Fluid away from him because that's a lot.]
Call me in a few days and tell me if it's still a problem. Something strange happened when Jon and I destroyed another book. But it wore off by the next day. These things are bad. And they don't want to be destroyed. There's a reason I said to bring the books to Jon and me.
If you find any others, we'll destroy them and deal with the consequences. You don't have to.
I am fairly certain this is still going to be a problem in a few days and is not going to be wearing off!
[He abruptly switches to video. The immediate thing obvious about Maul is that there's rivulets of dried blood all over his body. The why becomes clear once the camera focuses and the new skeletal wings plus tail he's now sporting come into view. Between that plus the fangs and claws he's already sporting, it's been a painful time transforming. Though his anger is most prevalent on his face, there's also a sense when one looks at his eyes that he is hiding how much this hurts.]
I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you after this. I shall be keeping the rest of the books I have myself where I know they will be secure.
[.......Had he mentioned to Martin before he has other books? Well, too late to take it back now.]
[That's horrifying, but after the Flesh attack... Martin mostly just grimaces in sympathy for the pain the man must be in.]
It will wear off, Maul. Please take care of yourself until then or have someone else help take care of you. Please gets those wounds cleaned up properly and make sure you keep it clean to avoid infections.
[He's not saying anything about the books, but those are absolutely noted. No need to make Maul aware of the fact that he'll be taking steps to find and destroy those books now that he knows multiple might be stored in one place with this man.]
Wear off? So the wings and tail are just going to what exactly? Fall off? Is that what I have to look forward to?
[He sounds very skeptical about this. Plus, what if the effects reversing is just as painful as when they first showed up? He might as well just keep them at this point.]
Don't worry about that. I've been taking care of myself a long time now.
[He'll be in contact with one of the doctors he knows.]
I honestly don't know. But when a book we destroyed did something us, that effect went away after a day and nothing else happened. There were threads binding us to other people and they just disappeared.
And maybe taking care of yourself is why you keep getting hurt. Maybe think about letting someone else take care of you? And about not doing stupid things that might get you hurt?
That doesn't sound like anything physical happened. This could be entirely different.
[Now he's just arguing because he's a contrary bastard and wants to remain so. He huffs at Martin's next words and stubbornly shakes his head.]
Only the weak need someone to take care of them when they are injured. If you can't survive on your own, you don't deserve to.
[It doesn't sound like a rhetoric Maul himself believes, more like someone else's words are coming out of his mouth. Sidious did quite a number on his former apprentice.]
[Even if it would be a very good lesson for Maul not to read the books.]
There might be surgical options if they don't go away on their own. Or maybe someone with magic could help. This is why I told everyone not to read the books or even touch them if they could avoid it. [Actions have consequences.]
And last I checked, the basic evolution of at least the human race relied heavily on people forming groups and helping each other. I don't know if you're human, but you're a two-legged sapient person. I'm gonna guess something similar happened where you're from.
Dark energy is hard to resist sometimes, especially for one who is of the Dark themself.
[He sounds less angry now and more like a sulky child. He doesn't want admit yet this wouldn't have happened if he'd only just had enough restraint to resist the darkness that had called to him from the book. He'd barely touched it before he had the compulsion to read it.]
As you said, reliance on others is a human trait, which I am not. Zabraks are fiercely independent as a species trait, and even if we were not, I learned from an early age that no one was going to help me unless I did it myself.
[There's something a little sad there to be realized beneath the snarling, angry words. It meant whoever had raised him had shown him no kindness or basic empathy growing up.]
[It's something he can't say he doesn't understand. Most of Martin's life had been taking care of himself and his mother... and she'd more resented it than anything else. Now, it's Jon... and Sasha. His tone is sympathetic, but firm.]
That sounds like a really lonely way to grow up. I'm sorry you went through that. It can't be an excuse for hurting yourself or hurting others, though. Be better than that.
[It's one of Maul's greatest failings, that he'll never be able to rise above where he's sunk low in the darkness, and become a better person than he's been. Always, he ends up falling back into his old ways, for the Dark Side is easy to give into and hard to resist.]
Tell me, do you hold yourself to as high a standard as you do random acquaintances?
Oh, yes. The highest standard of not purposefully hurting myself and other random people because I'm sad and angry at myself for being stupid. It's a hard bar to clear.
[That riles Maul right back up again, his acid yellow eyes narrowing in anger. True, other people had been hurt, and that was his fault as much as it was Lindsey's. But he'd hardly be copping to that.]
What do you know? Not nearly as much as you think you do, you impertinent know-it-all.
[His opinion of Martin is rapidly evolving into one of someone who desperately needs to be Force Choked.]
[Martin sighs. He's getting frustrated and this conversation isn't going anywhere.]
I know that I told you to leave the books alone, that they could hurt you. That you didn't and they did. I know that the books are hard to resist and that you're upset right now because you're in a lot of pain and probably scared that this is never going to be fixed. I know you probably resent that I didn't tell you something like this might happen when you destroyed the book. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I honestly didn't know.
[Maul very much hates the fact that Martin is right. He's far too proud to admit he hit the nail on the head right there and the expression on his face shows it. Sometimes it's debatable if Maul has anything more than the stunted emotional reactions of a twelve year old with the way he approaches all situations.]
Almost everything except for two things. One, I don't feel fear.
[He does but not about much anymore. It takes very specific circumstances for Maul to get scared and even having horrific bone appendages rip through his skin isn't enough to invoke it in him.
His voice is still a snarl as he goes on.]
And two, I recommend you stay out of my way from now on, if you and your compatriot don't wish to get run through with a lightsaber the next time that I see you.
[doubt.jpg on the not feeling fear thing. Martin's not touching that with a 10-foot pole, but he's thinking it hard. He's also not especially inclined to respond to much of this. The machismo pouring off of that response is nauseating. Where Jon might feel inclined to bristle and threaten back, Martin just lets it roll off of him. It's not like there's much he could actually do, and there's no point in growling and hissing without anything to back it up.]
I hope the pain goes away soon. Goodbye, Maul.
[He has some things to discuss with Jon... specifically how they're going to find and destroy the books that Maul's apparently been collecting.]
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rosecarmine
Video; un: darkness (Shortly after his network post) cw: body horror
Date: 2020-06-06 06:39 am (UTC)“Destroy the book and that will reverse everything.” That’s what you said. Bah! I must have lost my mind to listen to such a FOOL AND IDIOT! [One wouldn’t think he could go any louder, but he manages with those last three words. Hopefully Martin didn't have his device too close to their ear.] The next time you have a bright idea like that, keep it to yourself!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-08 12:45 am (UTC)Call me in a few days and tell me if it's still a problem. Something strange happened when Jon and I destroyed another book. But it wore off by the next day. These things are bad. And they don't want to be destroyed. There's a reason I said to bring the books to Jon and me.
If you find any others, we'll destroy them and deal with the consequences. You don't have to.
Audio -> Video cw: body horror
Date: 2020-06-08 08:19 am (UTC)[He abruptly switches to video. The immediate thing obvious about Maul is that there's rivulets of dried blood all over his body. The why becomes clear once the camera focuses and the new skeletal wings plus tail he's now sporting come into view. Between that plus the fangs and claws he's already sporting, it's been a painful time transforming. Though his anger is most prevalent on his face, there's also a sense when one looks at his eyes that he is hiding how much this hurts.]
I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you after this. I shall be keeping the rest of the books I have myself where I know they will be secure.
[.......Had he mentioned to Martin before he has other books? Well, too late to take it back now.]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-09 05:28 am (UTC)It will wear off, Maul. Please take care of yourself until then or have someone else help take care of you. Please gets those wounds cleaned up properly and make sure you keep it clean to avoid infections.
[He's not saying anything about the books, but those are absolutely noted. No need to make Maul aware of the fact that he'll be taking steps to find and destroy those books now that he knows multiple might be stored in one place with this man.]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-10 12:57 am (UTC)[He sounds very skeptical about this. Plus, what if the effects reversing is just as painful as when they first showed up? He might as well just keep them at this point.]
Don't worry about that. I've been taking care of myself a long time now.
[He'll be in contact with one of the doctors he knows.]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-10 05:14 pm (UTC)And maybe taking care of yourself is why you keep getting hurt. Maybe think about letting someone else take care of you? And about not doing stupid things that might get you hurt?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-10 10:41 pm (UTC)[Now he's just arguing because he's a contrary bastard and wants to remain so. He huffs at Martin's next words and stubbornly shakes his head.]
Only the weak need someone to take care of them when they are injured. If you can't survive on your own, you don't deserve to.
[It doesn't sound like a rhetoric Maul himself believes, more like someone else's words are coming out of his mouth. Sidious did quite a number on his former apprentice.]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-10 11:17 pm (UTC)[Even if it would be a very good lesson for Maul not to read the books.]
There might be surgical options if they don't go away on their own. Or maybe someone with magic could help. This is why I told everyone not to read the books or even touch them if they could avoid it. [Actions have consequences.]
And last I checked, the basic evolution of at least the human race relied heavily on people forming groups and helping each other. I don't know if you're human, but you're a two-legged sapient person. I'm gonna guess something similar happened where you're from.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-11 12:05 am (UTC)[He sounds less angry now and more like a sulky child. He doesn't want admit yet this wouldn't have happened if he'd only just had enough restraint to resist the darkness that had called to him from the book. He'd barely touched it before he had the compulsion to read it.]
As you said, reliance on others is a human trait, which I am not. Zabraks are fiercely independent as a species trait, and even if we were not, I learned from an early age that no one was going to help me unless I did it myself.
[There's something a little sad there to be realized beneath the snarling, angry words. It meant whoever had raised him had shown him no kindness or basic empathy growing up.]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-16 03:52 pm (UTC)That sounds like a really lonely way to grow up. I'm sorry you went through that. It can't be an excuse for hurting yourself or hurting others, though. Be better than that.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-17 04:23 pm (UTC)[It's one of Maul's greatest failings, that he'll never be able to rise above where he's sunk low in the darkness, and become a better person than he's been. Always, he ends up falling back into his old ways, for the Dark Side is easy to give into and hard to resist.]
Tell me, do you hold yourself to as high a standard as you do random acquaintances?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-17 04:28 pm (UTC)Oh, yes. The highest standard of not purposefully hurting myself and other random people because I'm sad and angry at myself for being stupid. It's a hard bar to clear.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-17 05:29 pm (UTC)What do you know? Not nearly as much as you think you do, you impertinent know-it-all.
[His opinion of Martin is rapidly evolving into one of someone who desperately needs to be Force Choked.]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-17 05:42 pm (UTC)I know that I told you to leave the books alone, that they could hurt you. That you didn't and they did. I know that the books are hard to resist and that you're upset right now because you're in a lot of pain and probably scared that this is never going to be fixed. I know you probably resent that I didn't tell you something like this might happen when you destroyed the book. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I honestly didn't know.
Does that about cover it?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-18 04:05 am (UTC)Almost everything except for two things. One, I don't feel fear.
[He does but not about much anymore. It takes very specific circumstances for Maul to get scared and even having horrific bone appendages rip through his skin isn't enough to invoke it in him.
His voice is still a snarl as he goes on.]
And two, I recommend you stay out of my way from now on, if you and your compatriot don't wish to get run through with a lightsaber the next time that I see you.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-18 04:51 pm (UTC)I hope the pain goes away soon. Goodbye, Maul.
[He has some things to discuss with Jon... specifically how they're going to find and destroy the books that Maul's apparently been collecting.]