[ video | un: keith ]

[tempredmental]

[The video started with an opening shot of what looked like a bag of coal. It zoomed in on the tag attached with its blocky lettering and signature...

MERRY CHRISTMAS
-DARTH MAUL

The camera shifted a little as Keith crouched down next to it, and then turned it so that both he and the bag of coal were in the picture.

He smirked.]

Thanks, man. It'll help keep the house warm during the cold weather. Best gift ever.

[And click - he was gone.]

Comments

[facultative]

[It's a good thing she jumped in when she did because Anakin was about to snap. However it doesn't mean he's happy to see someone bailing him out again.]

Are you going to make excuses for him now?

[lightthedarkness]

He shouldn't have left you a gift. He shouldn't have contacted you at all in any fashion. He was wrong to do it when you've told him to leave you alone completely. I know what he thought he was doing. It's still not acceptable.

[But if he's looking for Usagi to give up on Maul, he will never get that answer.]

[opheliac]

And not to mention a grreeeat workout!

[tempredmental]

Heh. I mean, if you have no consequences, I'd consider that lucky. Wouldn't you?

[Maybe not lucky in much else, but if you can get away with something and not have to pay for it later, it certainly feels lucky to him.]

[tempredmental]

[Yeah... Keith could understand that.]

That makes sense. I've been trying to do that. It can get pretty bad around here.

[He'd already seen that, too.]

[tempredmental]

Knives are pretty useful. I wouldn't mind have a few spares. Especially in a place like this.

[shiro2hero]

They both burn, right?

What's the worst that could happen?

(not here)

[shiro2hero]

[WHY ARE YOU COLLECTING MORE ALIEN SWEARS.]

[tempredmental]

Maybe? I haven't asked him directly, but I know he sees me and the other Paladins as meddlesome goodie two shoes or something like that. But, I don't think he outright hates us.

So, yeah... I think it's just a prank.

[Keith shrugged.

Honestly, he never antagonized Maul. If anything, Maul had antagonized him once by following him. And it had taken a bit for Keith to get the hint on who he was because it was during the shedding ceremony last year. Maul had looked human at the time. But, that said, Keith hadn't even really met him before that except when Maul had seen one of his memories through the Winter Mournings.]

It's weird, but... I think... I think we kind of have an understanding. I feel like, if things had been different for either of us, we could have probably ended up a lot more alike.

[In either direction, really.]

[opheliac]

It's hard to tell these days. But hey, maybe so...

[tempredmental]

[Keith nodded. He'd certainly been exposed to his share of 'strange' people in his life over the last few years. He was getting used to it.]

Yeah... better a prank than something else. Like I said to some people, I'll take it. I'm not worried or anything.

[tempredmental]

Shiro... toast burns. But that's not good for use in a grill.

[Keith frowned.]

Maybe we should try looking it up, yeah? Before we use it to cook?

Re: (not here)

[tempredmental]

[BECAUSE THEY'RE COOL. LET HIM SAY FUCK, SHIRO.]

[shiro2hero]

[ ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT. ]

[shiro2hero]

Adam said it'd be fine.

[... and Adam also fully thought Shiro was talking about charcoal. The kind that comes specifically for grilling.]

He'd know better than me.

[tempredmental]

[THEN MORE ALIEN CURSE WORDS IT'LL HAVE TO BE.]

[tempredmental]

Adam did? [Yes. Keith was surprised.] Well... I mean... He'd probably know better than me, too...

[in_loveless_memory]

Who do you trust to make one? [Ritsuka's list of "trusted people" is on one hand so he'll leave it to Keith for something like that.]

[survivalthroughhate]

That must be why you're able to lift that gun of yours.

[The thing looked about as big as she was most of the time!]

[facultative]

Yeah well I don't need a weapon, let alone one from him.

[facultative]

He's made it very clear he only cares about doing what he wants.

[frogfear]

Yeah. I didn't find out about it 'til way later, but yeah, he was in our house last year. At least he decided not to go that route this year?

[She's not sure that it's a cultural difference exactly, or just a result of Maul's poor upbringing that's led him to not be able to recognize certain actions to be as upsetting to the general population as they are, but she gets what Keith is getting at.]

There's, uh, definitely differences, and I do think sometimes - given he's surprised by how people react to him sometimes - he really just doesn't get why some people have problems with him.

Still, I think it'd be pretty common sense that if you broke into a house where people that you've threatened to kill live, they might be... not okay with that?

[lightthedarkness]

So I saw.

But I am not going to apologize for someone else's actions, and I am not going to insist he apologizes to you for his, considering you accused me of doing that last time and how that apparently went. [How does Maul suck THAT MUCH at apologizing.]

The best I can do is remind him to leave you alone, Anakin. I do not control people, but I also don't give up on them.

[shiro2hero]

That's what he said.

[... and heard "charcoal". Because let's be real, if he knew what these two were really talking about, he'd be in here telling them NO.]

[miyagimagic]

[ Yeah, that 'meddlesome goodie two shoes' thing sounds about accurate, in Daniel's opinion. It sure takes some kind of person to get annoyed at people judging you over doing objectively crappy things, and then get annoyed at other people for being 'too good'...

He's keeping all snippy remarks to himself though. Daniel is being good here. It's not like he's going to burden some kid, after all. ]

Well, I'm glad to hear that. Not the part about ending up alike, obviously. [ Daniel feels like no one should be like Maul. It'd be better for the world if no one was like Maul. ] But the part about having an understanding. He's not the sort of guy I want anyone to have on their bad side.

[ Even if Daniel is kind of keeping Maul on his bad side.

But look, that's different. He has good reasons, clearly. Obviously. ]

It's too dangerous.