Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul was sitting outside on his roof, the snow softly coming down around him, hood up so they didn't land on his head. There was a soft, contemplative look on his face that he didn't often wear. For those that knew Maul, they'd realize there was one big change. His eyes, which had constantly been a golden color before, were now instead a grey-brown.

Next to him, looking perfectly fine with this cold weather due to the fur that made him little more than a ball of fluff, was his Mankey, named rather fittingly Cranky. Though Maul seemed unaware of it, the Pokémon was imitating his master in body language perfectly right now, sitting down with his arms folded and staring off into the distance. Mankey see, Mankey do and all that.

There was a long pause before he began the video. He was woolgathering and trying to put everything together, saying it in just the right way.]

For anyone I teach, classes will commence again now that I am back. [There was a pause.] In case you were unaware, I made a long journey to my home galaxy for about three years, though I understand I was only gone for about a week here. I had....quite the experience just before I came back with the Dark Side of the Force. I had to face a great many things about myself and learn some hard truths. But while I could not accept what it had to offer me then, I think I am ready to now. To let go of the past, to put some of my pain behind me, to gain more power than I ever thought I could.

[Always with the search of power. He couldn't help it, such a thing was ingrained into him by now.]

It taught me to let go of fear and pain and instead learn to care about others, to keep anger close, but never to let it turn self-destructive. Things many of you have told me here but which I did not want to listen to. But who am I to deny it when the Force itself tells me such things? [There was a soft laugh.] Well, I have returned and don't plan to go anywhere, much to the misfortune of some of you.....But this has proven an interesting experience, one I shall take heed of going forward.

Comments

[survivalthroughhate]

No, running away from your problems never solved anything. When you are in pain, sometimes you want to cause others to be in pain as well, thinking that will help to make it abate. But that's not what happens. You just continue to still hurt inside. You have to be willing to let what happened in your past to cause it go and look towards the future.

[wannasmash]

I did say some terrible things when I ran away.
I keep thinking about the awful things that happened. It just keeps coming back. Does that happen to you? Does it make it harder to let go?

[survivalthroughhate]

That's exactly what makes pain so hard to let go. Because it's connected to all the horrible things in our past. Sometimes, it feels like we're no longer giving validation to those bad things if we start to let go but that's not true. All that means is that we reach a point of being able to become stronger. Because it takes strength to be able to say you're willing to let things go, to let go of the pain you've held onto for so long.

[wannasmash]

And to say it out loud.

[ He thinks of Bakugou, who kept his insecurities bottled in until he couldn't anymore. ]

Thank you, Darth Maul-san.

[survivalthroughhate]

You're welcome. Occasionally, the life I've led has allowed me to learn wisdom, even if I don't always follow my own good advice. If you need any help with removing corruption, as I know can often happen when we are in pain here, feel free to come by my home.

[wannasmash]

[ He's not quite ready to reach out his hand that far for help, but he has to ask, ]

No one else would mind?

[ He doesn't know who Maul lives with, if anyone, but he knows he has a... partner? He might live with him, maybe. ]

[survivalthroughhate]

No, it’s only my brother and a whole host of animals here. He doesn’t mind if I have others over and the animals will be fine with you so long as I tell them you’re a friend and not a foe.

[Otherwise, they’d turn anyone who dared to come onto the property of the Zabrak brothers into a fine bloody paste on the ground. Maul did so love his fearsome beasts.]

[wannasmash]

Oh like Snow White-san. I remember the first time I met her animal friends. They were there all at once.

[ If he were feeling more cheerful, he'd wax on about a friend of his, but all he can add right now is, ]

Thank you.

[survivalthroughhate]

Ha! A bit like her, yes, though she is far better when it comes to dealing with a bunch of animals than I am. I just seem to have a hoarding problem.

[There. He'd finally admitted it was a problem and that was the first step to not gathering in anymore.]

You're welcome I look forward to seeing you.