deernet | [VOICE] UN: [username not set]

[Ariadne hasn't been able to show her face on the network--or in person, really--since her meltdown in July. But she's starting to come back, as it were. Only on voice because she can't quite bring herself to share all of her feelings.

Feelings that are very strong right now.]

I don't believe in revenge. It's a messy business that doesn't ultimately fix anything. You can't always undo a wrong.

You can, however, be better.

I say this for two reasons now. The first is that I urge all of you not to take revenge against the user who goes by the name "NoMercy" on the Omni network. I don't know who they are and I don't know how they've suffered. But hurting them isn't going to un-murder Ezra or Oscar or any of the others.

The second reason why I'm talking about revenge is that...I need to know what happened to Dean Winchester. I need to know who burned down his house, who killed him. And...I want to reassure you--anyone who's listening--that if you know something or if you were, in some way, responsible...I'm not going to hurt you.

I...I don't believe in revenge.

And that's...that's all, I guess.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Be better. That's what I keep hearing, over and over again. [Maul laughs but there is no humor in the brief sound.] Sometimes, taking mere revenge upon people is doing better instead of a full-blown massacre. Not that most "good people" ever see it as such. All they see is a monster or a rabid animal that needs to be put down for the sake of everyone else.

I don't believe for one minute that anyone should be "put down."

[A pause.]

And you should know that by now, Maul. I would like to think that you know me, at this point.

You I do know. Others here? Not so well.

[He pauses.]

I took revenge only upon one person this time. The one responsible for everything. Anything else that happened was purely the result of their own choices.

[She suppresses a bit of a sigh.]

What was the shape of the revenge?

Torture. Cutting off his fingers, ripping out his eyes, things of that nature.

[He says this all in a very casual manner.]

It did little to satisfy me, given he's far more powerful than I thought.

[This time, she doesn't bother to repress that sigh.]

Maul. I appreciate your need for revenge. But doing permanent damage is just going to make life harder for you.

[Not to mention the person losing body parts.]

What happens when he comes after you and decides to gouge out your eyes?

He already did.

[There's a small pause.]

It was not pleasant.

Maybe it could have been avoided.

[But she forgets how little limbs and eyes seem to mean to the people in that world. Everyone's missing a couple, it seems.

The violence just feels...casual.

She hates it.

As much as Ariadne is capable of hating anything.]

No. This time, it could not have. He was responsible for Savage's death. Anyone who does that deserves my wrath.

[Ariadne knows just how devoted the Zabrak brothers are to one another and how codependent they are.]

[She knows. And she knows better to argue. There are certain areas where Maul will never show mercy.

On some level, she can almost understand.

Almost.]

Savage is lucky to have a brother who loves him so much.

[Because, yeah, she'll go there.]

[Maul knows he's lucky to have friends who can understand there are certain aspects of himself he simply cannot change no matter how hard he tries. One is that when someone he loves is hurt or killed, Maul can't sit back. His need for revenge overrides everything else in his mind and he has to give in or risk going crazy again.

Hearing those words from Ariadne, he feels his face heat up. It's easy to tell given he's a Vileblood, so that green-tinged blush stands out distinctly on his skin. He tries to think of what he can say and all that can come out is:]

Well......yes. I'd do anything for him. I just want him to be happy.

Me too.

I mean, I'd like him to be happy.

[A pause.]

And you also, Maul.

You already do. Being friends with you makes me happy.

[He could never have made that admission even a year ago. But he's done a lot of growing. Now he knows it's not always bad to show emotions, especially when he knows someone well like he does with Ariadne, who he knows for certain will not use his vulnerabilities against him.]

[Ariadne flashes an enormous grin that makes its way all the way through audio.

She's glad he can't see her.

It would embarrass them both.]

Me too, Maul. Me too.

[Even saying that much is hard for Maul. He feels a little embarrassed to be showing so much blatant sentiment in a public forum but part of him also likes he's gotten to the point where he can do this at all.]

I shall leave you to the rest of your day then. Take care, Ariadne.

[VOICE] UN: [username not set]

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cw: explicit mention of bodily torture

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