video; un: ushiromiya (cw: mentions of house fires, arson, murder)

[entreats]

So for those not in the know, our house burned down last month.

[ What a way to open a post, right. And yet Ange manages to say it with something very close to a pokerface. Those who know her well may see something at its edges though. An annoyance that starts to bleed more and more into the girl's tone as she speaks on. ]

And not in the 'dumb accident' sense. No, it's because apparently it's socially acceptable in this place to come to someone's house and set it on fire, before bringing your friends inside to start murdering its inhabitants. [ Okay, yes. At this point it's not thiny veiled annoyance anymore. This is obvious annoyance that she doesn't bother to hide. ] And before anyone asks me if I'm alright— I'm fine. Totally fine. I mean, I half-turned into a beast back there, but it's clearly cool. It's fine.

[ It's clearly not fine. The sarcasm is thick.

Though Ange seems to realise that's not why she was supposed to make this message, and manages to snap herself out of passive-aggressive-ville for just long enough to sigh and sound a little bit more neutral as she speaks on. ]

Anyway, we want to rebuild the house, but that's obviously something we need help with. None of us are exactly architects.. I think. I've learned to not question weird Remnant hobbies. [ You never know what those Remnant people are capable of. ] Not to mention we'd need help with the actual physical rebuilding itself too.

We could use help from a lot of people, so if anyone would be willing to help, that'd be great.

Comments

[justoscar]

....I've read a lot of fairy tales, too. I worry about that kid, but I'm not sure if there's anything anyone can do to change things for them.

Or anyone that they'd listen to.

[Oscar was tired-- but Maul had brought up other points that needed follow up.]

You're probably right. Willow was out at sea with that weird guy when everything started. My friends were all telling me different things-- I think he asked them to kill people after they had been captured and disarmed? Like, I don't generally approve of killing, but that must've been like shooting fish in a barrel.

What point did it serve?

Anyway. Are you okay now? That jerk started something that did a number on all of us.

[survivalthroughhate]

I tried but you are right. They will do what they want even to the point of their own destruction. As I know very well, sometimes you must reach the lowest point you can go before you are willing to listen to others.


Okay? No, not by any means. But what is done is done. I won't seek active revenge on Willow, that was done for me, but I shall not forgive her for killing Savage. Revenge on myself is one thing, I have earned it from many Sleepers here, but the next time someone goes after my brother I'm going to hold them still and let Savage pull their head off.

[Something the younger Zabrak could most certainly do with his prodigious strength.]

I have had two people take revenge on that strange self-proclaimed god on my behalf and they both did a most effective job. I have learned a lesson in my galaxy and here: anyone calling themselves an emperor is not to be trusted. There's something about that particular title which brings out the worst in people.

[justoscar]

Anyone who claims God or Emperor, or the both of them, as titles has a lot that they need to sort through. I just didn't want that guy hurting my friends or to mess up this town some of us are trying to make into a home.

...Thanks for being as understanding as you are. I honestly didn't expect this much leeway from you, given everything that's happened. You have your reasons for being so severe.

I just hope Willow understands. I'm not going to go out of my way on this if you're not going to. So... I guess this is thank you?

But, please don't pester Ange too much about this. She wasn't involved in starting any of the fighting, but that is still her home that was burned down. She's just trying to get her life back in order.

[survivalthroughhate]

I don't doubt this will be the last time he tries to pull something. He'll just try to be smarter next time and use more subtlety so people will not realize what he is doing.

[Look, Maul was raised by a master manipulator, he knows how these fellows tend to operate.]

Well, something I have learned is that you cannot always blame the person who directly hurts you. Sometimes, you must look for the one that starts and then manipulates everything behind the scenes. They are the ones who deserve to be punished.

[A surprisingly thoughtful and more mature response than Maul is usually willing to make. But he is learning. Slowly but he does continue to do so every day he spends here.

He brightens up a little when Oscar thanks him. Look, he knows a lot of people aren't going to give him a cookie for doing what most people instinctively know to do. But Maul's not built that way and has a bad case of arrested development that turned him into a psychopath. So he does appreciate when his efforts are acknowledged.]

You're welcome. I am trying even if those efforts still aren't at the level most people here think is appropriate. It takes small steps, none of this just changes overnight.

......I shall attempt not to antagonize her.

[At least not too much in any case. They were having an interesting conversation currently.]

[justoscar]

I don't care what people say about you, Maul. You really are a lot wiser than anyone gives you credit for.

[The growth Maul had made since Oscar first started paying attention to his mistakes and attempts to do better was impressive, and helped Oscar hold onto his hope. Most people treated Maul as if he were a lost cause, but moments like this only served to prove to Oscar that putting out the effort even when you can't see the light was always worth while.]

I'll see if I can smooth things out with Ange if she gets upset. She has her reasons... and, honestly, in this case I'd say she's allowed to have her feelings.

She just had the bad luck of living with us.

[survivalthroughhate]

[Hearing that from Oscar gets a genuine, happy smile out of Oscar. He doesn't expect everyone around him to praise his efforts and doing what many people would consider to be the bare minimum he could be. But Oscar is one of them. He gets it. So Maul will take what he can get.]

Yes, I think she doesn't quite understand my point-of-view and doesn't care to. But I shall not budge on them. Reaper went there because he was angry at Willow because she killed me, so I cannot condemn the entire affair.

[justoscar]

[He nodded. It was the best he could ask for.]

And Chara killing me was what triggered Willow's corruption to reach that point in the first place-- so it all goes back to an awful chain reaction that ultimately points to that Emperor.

Honestly? I'm more mad that Ange is upset and that my gardens are a wreck than anything else. Death isn't permanent unless we give up and go back to the sea, and houses can always be rebuilt.

Staying mad and blaming people just makes everyone involved look dumb.

[survivalthroughhate]

He is a horrible person and deserves everything he's gotten. I have had to learn the hard lesson that actions have consequences but it appears he still hasn't. It makes me wonder if tossing him down an endless exhaust shaft would do any good....

[Look, Luke showed him the memory of the demise of his master in his own galaxy, this is a valid way to deal with emperors in Maul's mind.]

I am afraid I am the wrong person to tell that to, my young friend. We both know I can hold a grudge against people for years at a time.