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Video; UN: Cuddlebunny UN: Darkness UN: Trienemybest

[The video turns on and it’s Usagi, Varian, and… Maul? Yes, Maul, all in her living room. Usagi is sitting on her couch.

She waves to everyone with a bright and cheery smile.]

Hey everyone! Usagi Tsukino here! It’s October! And it actually hasn’t been awful! Isn’t that AWESOME?! [Both Usagi and her Omen, a margay cat seem excited, the cat letting out a happy chirp of a meow while Usagi pumps her fist in the air.]

Anyway! Even though we’re not all dead from starvation, insanity, or literally drowning in corpses, I know some of you are still struggling to get a good night’s sleep! Well!

May I present to you a really great solution to that problem!

[Usagi uses both hands to gesture to Maul.]

You all know him as… well I’m sure by many names, but this is Maul for those of you who don’t know him and for those of you who don’t call him nice things. Maul will be able to help you sleep!

And not by killing you! I should emphasize!

Maul, why don’t you explain!

[Maul looks rather grumpy and like he’d rather be anywhere but here. But he starts to talk in that whisper-soft voice of his slowly, sounding a bit reluctant as he does so.]

The Dark Side of the Force can be used in many ways. It’s not magic but spiritual energy, something many of you here fail to grasp. It’s not always dramatic like moving things around without touching them or breaking someone’s leg in two just by thinking about it. I can go into someone’s mind and use the Force to help quiet it down, making it pliable to the suggestion of needing sleep. Think of it as using deep meditation to allow your body and mind to rest. It is not painful and takes very little time in the grand scheme of things. Should you need me, I am at your disposal.

[Then he gets a familiar glint of anger in his eyes and his voice hardens.]

But if any of you want to take this opportunity just to tell me how it’ll be a cold day in hell before you take up my offer for help, you can save your breath. I won’t sit here and listen to your judgment--

[It’s at this point that Varian interrupts to keep Maul from digging himself into a hole. The boy himself looks marginally better than he did in his last network post. He’s still looking a little haggard and his skin’s still not a super colour - but there is a tiny improvement. He clears his throat, doing his best to save Maul from himself. ]

Uhhhh, what Maul is trying to say that as a sign of good faith that he’s trying to steer away from the...literally murdering people thing and that he wants to work on being a...uh functioning member of society here- he’s willing to help people out with their sleep problems.

[He knows this is a hard sell, rubbing the back of his neck.]

He helped me out? I mean… I know I still don’t look great, but at least I’ve managed to get some sleep? Which I haven’t really since I got here because...being a coldblood is just that fun. Yay. And I get a lot of you don’t trust him, heck, I didn’t- I’m one of the people he literally killed once.

[He pauses, clears his throat. This is going great.]

Um! But what I mean is, everyone should have a chance to prove themselves if they want to change- and no one’s gonna be able to do that if you don’t give them the chance to do that. Sooo, yeah, we’re willing to vouch for him- in the whole...sleep helping process. And that he really is trying to… well, make good here?

[Usagi is staring at the both of them in disbelief, having had to resist covering Maul’s mouth several times with the way he keeps insulting people. She lets out a sigh at Varian’s "recommendation" and wonders how both of them are THIS BAD at convincing people of anything.]

The both of you are terrible at this. [She clears her throat.]

In any case! Yes, that is… basically the idea here, and! Maul helped me out too! I was having a really hard time sleeping last month but he was very kind in helping me, using the method he just explained, to get some real sleep, oh! And I’m a Paleblood so this DOES work on other blood types since… it’s a mind thing, not a blood thing.

And… yes, we are also working on Maul not insulting people in every other breath but this seemed like the more important matter… so… ya know, baby steps, we’re getting there.

So please don’t hesitate to ask if you need help!

((OOC: Usagi is pink Maul is red and Varian is blue. All three are available for response))

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[ Luke treated Maul to a bright smile at that. He was confident he could handle his father and Obi-Wan if they made a big deal about it. He just... wasn't going to go out of his way to tell them either. It would be fine! ]

At your convenience, I'll be happy to learn.

[Nope, there's no way this will possibly go wrong for either of them!]

You're unusual for a Jedi. Most would consider learning from a Sith to be close to blasphemy.

[But Luke doesn't seem like most Jedi Maul has come in contact with. He gives him the location of the rundown large house he and Savage share in the Prufrock district of the city.]

If you see a large yellow-and-black Zabrak approximately the same size as a small reek on the property, don't be alarmed. That's just my brother Savage. I'll let him know you're coming so he doesn't try to kill you on sight.

[ Luke fell quiet at that, a faint, sad smile coming to his face. ]

There isn't anyone left that would willingly call themselves a Jedi that I know of, outside of myself. I know myself well enough not to be afraid of learning from whatever source I can.

[ The description of Savage got him to let out a vaguely worried noise -- why did everyone in the galaxy have to be so much taller than him? But he took the information down, promising to stop in by the time Maul got home from Usagi's place, before hanging up. It did not take him long to get ready, though he took some time debating if he should bring his lightsaber with him. He was going there peacefully to learn, not expect a fight, but at the same time he got the impression Maul might be insulted if he didn't bring it. ]

[ In the end, he clipped the weapon to his belt before leaving. Worst came to worst, he could surrender it if they wanted him unarmed; it wasn't like he was helpless without it. ]

[ He took his time as he went, giving Maul the time to return home as he explored the area, before heading to the location indicated. ]

[A sympathetic expression cane over Maul's face.]

I was there when the purge happened. You could feel it in the Force, a mighty shift as thousands of Force users all had their light snuffed out at once.

[Then he shook his head a little, ridding himself of the memory like a dog shaking water out of its coat.]

But that is a tale left best for another time. I'll see you later on.

[Maul spent his time corraling the various pets that he had, making sure they'd all be elsewhere when Luke arrived. Some were dangerous and it wouldn't to have a guest have their arm taken off on the first visit.

Maul's home was large, an attic, two stories, and a basement, but it was rundown like no one lived in it for a long time before he claimed it as his own. There was obvious signs of repair everywhere, with a speeder from his galaxy parked in the garage and a small spaceship in the front yard.

Maul appeared, clad in black as usual, two unusual lightsaber hilts clipped to his waist. One was much longer than any Luke would have seen before and the other had a curious angular design made all from black parts.]

Welcome. I must say I've trained many people but never a Jedi before. But you're quite a different sort of Jedi than I'm used to.

[ Luke shrugged a bit sheepishly at Maul's statement, a bit of pink coming to his face. For a moment, he was hesitant to explain just what a wreck his training was, partially because of his own recklessness. He finally let out a sigh, waving his hands vaguely. ]

As I said, I think I'm the only Jedi left. Ben -- Obi-Wan -- only had time to show me the basics. Master Yoda taught me more, but I was only with him for a few days. Neither of them told me much about how the Jedi used to operate.

[ He... kind of had to figure out a lot of it on his own. ]

[Maul stares in disbelief. Force alive, it's worse than he thought.]

He was on Tatooine with you for how long and he only trained you on the basics?!

[He rubs at his temple horns like he's already getting a headache. Obi-Wan, he needs a word with you on your training methods. Then a thought occurs to him.]

Well, my opinion of the Jedi has always been they are corrupt and arrogant, too caught up in old stogy rituals to even remember why they started doing them in the first place. Perhaps they deliberately decided to train you in a new, different way.

[He's greatly trying to think charitably of the way the last Jedi had been operating and failing.]

[ Luke chuckled softly at his reaction. ]

To Ben's credit, my uncle kept chasing him off the farm any time he tried to visit. We only had a few hours together before he... well.

[ Luke trailed off, remembering the mess his father was at the moment. He folded his hands before him, putting his feelings on it to the back of his mind; he would work through them later, but not now. ]

You may be right; I know I need to start a new Order eventually, one hopefully free of the mistakes of the last. I just wish I had more to work with, but the Empire destroyed so much.

[ He shook his head. ]

But that doesn't matter at the moment. I think... the more new skills I can pick up on right now, the better.

Had I known he was just sitting around doing nothing for sixteen years, I might not have sought my death from him on that Force-forsaken planet.

[Really, he missed an opportunity in being able to train Luke if Obi-Wan was just going to stay out there in the desert and mull over his past mistakes for a couple of decades. Maul was now realizing Luke was the secret Obi-Wan had killed him to protect, which would make him the true Chosen One, at least according to what he and Obi-Wan believed there at the end. Looked like the Jedi had been a generation early in trying to interpret the prophecy.]

There have been a number of people here who have asked me why there are only two such stark sides to the Force in the Jedi and the Sith. That it leaves no room for growth or change, for the nuance found in people. Perhaps you'll be the one to change all that. When they said the Chosen One was to bring balance to the Force, it may never have meant wiping out one side or the other. Maybe it meant forming something entirely new.

[Maul liked that idea quite a bit. It appealed to him to both train a Jedi, which would no doubt piss off Anakin and give Obi-Wan a headache, plus likely make his old master roll over in his grave.]

You said you came to learn. So let's begin outside.

[Maul had always found it easiest to connect to the Force when amongst nature. The Force flowed through everything that had life and he could feel it more easily.]

[ Luke stared in lost wonderment for a moment. Chosen One? Balancing the Force? He had no idea what that even meant, though he had suspected that there was more to the Force than just light and dark. If there was a way for him to find out more... ]

[ Maul kept him from dwelling on it, and his let out a breath, shoving it to the side for now. He stepped aside, letting Maul head out before him, following behind him. ]

What do you need me to do?

Let's start at the beginning. Sit.

[Maul sat crossed-legged down in the front year, close by where the immortal flower he'd grown last month was at.]

Jedi fear the Dark Side because they fear it will corrupt them. Sith fear the Light Side for a similar reason. But neither side can exist without the other. At its core, the Dark Side is not evil. At its core, the Dark Side seeks to destroy everything, but the Light Side seeks to keep everything the same forever. Both extremes are equally incompatible with life. On some planets, they use controlled wildfires to help keep the terrain healthy, to encourage new life after the old choking foliage has been taken care of. Now, reach out and feel what you can sense in the Dark Side coming from me.

[Maul tended to keep his shields up most of the time out of habit, making his Force signature seem quiet and unobtrusive, just a dim spark. Now he let his full power come forth and it was like a howling storm in comparison, energy that is full of vitality. There's anger and rage there, so much of it that has sustained Maul for so long and the kind that could poison even the most stoic Jedi, but also grim determination, courage, and undying loyalty on the positive side. Maul's emotions have been his downfall many times but they've also saved him just as many times. He's a rare Sith, able to know love even if it's on a limited level.]

Tell me what you sense.

[ Luke followed suit, sparing a glance at the flower, and he couldn't help but find it pretty. He had run into a lot of varying plant life since getting off Tatooine, some of which tried to eat him, but nothing like that. ]

[ He put it out of his mind, listening attentively to what Maul had to say, and couldn't help but realize that it made a certain amount of sense. If "light" and "dark" existed naturally in nature, than those that used the Force should have been able to do the same. Maybe if he could find a way for "Jedi" and "Sith" to coexist without going to the current extremes... ]

[ Though Maul had told him to reach out, he wasn't quite expecting the torrent of rage that unfolded from him the moment he let his shields down. Luke sucked in a breath, squeezing his eyes closed in an attempt to focus. Once he was able to, he could sense what was underneath -- the good under all the bad. ]

Your rage, clearly. [ He opened his eyes, smiling faintly. ] But also your courage and determination, and how loyal you are to those who've earned it.

[Maul nodded approvingly, reining in all the emotions outpouring from him, and putting his shields back into place. His Force signature quieted back down to that mere disconcerting feeling, the small bits of the dark that might feel a bit icy cold or burning hot when one brushed up against them.]

You see? Do not shy away from the Darkness the way other Jedi have done. Use it. One can stay in the Light and peer into the Dark just as a man can move into shadows and be surrounded by sunlight.

[He was planting ideas in the young Jedi's head, letting him take a step beyond just what the Jedi dogma would have shown him.]

But now we will get to the heart of what you asked. How to enter a person's mind. It all comes down to control no matter which side of the Force you are using. If you don't have that, you will just as easily do as much harm to both yourself and the person you are trying to help. First, we meditate. Use whatever pattern feels comfortable to you for right now.

[He closed his eyes and let his breathing even out. The Dark Side began to flow through him. Meditation came easy to him, a habit he'd indulged in ever since he was a small child. Maul never felt more powerful than when he was more of a conduit for the Force than bending it to his will. When he was young, he used meditation as a way to escape his master, to be reminded that Sidious wasn't the end all and be all of the Dark Side of the Force. That the Force was much bigger than any one Sith, that it filled up the entire galaxy with its presence.

He could feel it all around him in everything that has life. The flower nearby, the trees on the property, the people moving close by in the district, even Luke beside him contained traces of the Dark.

Once Maul was properly centered, he spoke with his eyes still closed.]

Now relax your mind. Simply stay calm and continue meditating. First, I will enter yours and then withdraw once we are fully connected. Then you will attempt to do the same to me.

[ Luke nodded, unsure, but contemplative. If there was a way to use the dark without going to an extreme... well, he wouldn't now. His father falling in front of him, completely losing himself to the Dark Side, and knowing how badly it would go... he wasn't about to try anything potentially stupid now. ]

[ But he would think and meditate on it. ]

[ He closed his eyes as well; meditation had been hard for him when he first started -- he could never quiet his mind, too focused on what was going on around him and what could happen in the future. After Bespin, after finding out the truth of where he came from, he had struggled for the calm needed to focus and properly clear his mind, finally finding that peace when he accepted everything. He easily slipped into that calm now, letting himself sink into the Force as he always did, but this time around felt... different. He quickly let his mind drift, to the point he could feel everything around him, feel how different it was from what he was used to. ]

[ Including himself. ]

[ He frowned faintly, wondering why he felt different, but he set it aside for now, instead focusing on what Maul was saying. After a moment, he let out a soft breath, nodding to indicate he was ready. ]

[Maul was centered in the Force and so he reached out towards Luke's mind. A year or two ago, he would have recoiled from the Light he felt inside a Jedi, but no longer. He had learned Light was nothing to fear. After all, the moon and stars were of the light and existed peacefully in the darkness of the night sky and space itself.

So he cautiously went into Luke's mind, slowly and gently rather than the harsh method that he'd always used before in their own galaxy when he'd tortured people for information. He took a moment to let himself adjust to the mental landscape and allow Luke to become adjusted to his own mental signature. It was one thing to briefly Sith's anger, rage, and hatred, but entirely another thing to have it inside one's mind and be able to sense it there.

He was struck, not just by the amount of the Light Side within the Jedi, but by the amount of optimism, love, and hope. It felt very pure like Luke had never been permanently tainted by anything that had been thrown at him during his life. Maul himself had never felt anything like that within himself, barely able to care for people on any level after all the damage done in his youth thanks to Sidious.

Still, he could also feel something there, a part of the man's mind that hungered for something more, a temptation towards the Dark Side. It was very familiar to Maul after spending an unfortunate large amount of time around Anakin. Yet unlike his father, Luke hadn't given in. It was clear to Maul which one of them was the stronger of the Skywalker pair.

He let himself slowly adjust to the cadence and rhythm of Luke's thoughts, just going with the flow of them, allowing himself to become more enmeshed in the young man's mind. His heartbeats in the physical world had slowed down significantly along with his breathing. His entire intent was focused in the Force on the mental plane and the connection between them.]

[ Luke stirred slightly at Maul slipping into his mind, but... it wasn't as unpleasant as he thought it would be after sensing how filled with rage the man was; it was different from his connection to his father, dark, but not all consuming possessiveness. And it we certainly different from the mental touch of-- ]

[ The moment he even thought of the Emperor, a flash of memory bubbled to the surface, of a throne room still so vividly detailed in his mind. It was dark, lit up only by the light of the reactor below and the stars and forest moon outside the viewport, but the darkness of the room was nothing compared to the blot of darkness sitting on the throne room he was heading towards... ]

[ "Welcome, Young Skywalker. I have been expecting yo--" ]

[ He stubbornly shoved the memory to the back of his mind before the Emperor could finish, sending the feeling of an apology Maul's way. He was better than that, he promised. ]

[Maul could sense a memory from Luke coming up to the surface unbidden. He saw the glimpse of what looked like a throne room and an old, wizened figure sitting there. Even in the memory, Maul could sense the darkness radiating off of the man, the sheer evil nature is the figure. But it was the eyes that held Maul transfixed like a snake, the same shade of yellow as his own eyes, the one trait he and his adoptive father had shared. No. It couldn't be. But then the figure spoke and it was confirmed. His old master, now emperor as he always wanted to be.

The amount of fear that sprang up in Maul's mind was instinctive and bone-deep, as much ingrained into him as the black tattoos of his skin. There was the fear of a child scared that he would upset his abusive father for no reason and be punished mixed in with the adult terror of knowing his master could still take away any little bit of hope or happiness he had ever possessed. He nearly panicked, mentally flinching away from the man that had made his life a living nightmare for so many years. Tearing himself away from Luke's mind so abruptly would have been painful for both of them and he only stopped it with a great deal of effort.

He'd nearly stopped breathing in the real world and only managed to restart with some effort. He used that to center himself once again. He reminded himself that his master wasn't here. He was dead. All that remained was a phantom that lived in his mind and Maul's old memories couldn't hurt him here in the present.

Soothed by that and the feeling of Luke's apology he could feel through their shared connection, he let himself calm down, still present in Luke's mind scape.]

[ Luke mentally flinched when he felt Maul's fear, when he felt his desire to withdraw. He reached for him through the Force, an apology accompanying him once again as he invited him to a more comfortable place of his mind, where horrible memories that were still too fresh couldn't dwell. ]

[ In that part of himself, it was warm and full of light -- vast as the desert world he came from and knew he would always be apart of, despite how much he had despised it. Twin suns danced overhead, yet even if they sank below the sands, twin moons would take their place; the fact that he was one half of a whole always present now in his mind. ]

[The vastness of Luke’s mental landscape, warm and full of light, calmed Maul down. The fear was back where it usually was, tamped down in his subconscious, and he no longer was worried about losing control anymore.

There was power there within Luke. He could feel it all around him within his mind. He was strong with the Force just like Anakin was. Well, like father, like son. It did seem the Force tends to run through some families, Maul’s own proved that well enough with his mother, brother, and himself all being able to use it.

There was a nudge to Luke’s current thoughts, a sense of ’Pay attention’ as Maul showed him how to use the same method he did to make one fall asleep. It was easy given Luke’s thoughts were already in a fairly orderly train since the Jedi was used to meditation. Maul just gently shooed the last few into that nebulous space where thoughts floated in and out of the subconscious without letting them linger. Then he brought forth the Dark Side of the Force. As he wasn’t actually trying to get Luke to sleep, he just held it there in Luke’s mental landscape, a nebulous cloud that wasn’t firm but more like fog, fuzzy and not easily seen through, showing it was meant to be filtered through the mindscape. In such a state, the Dark Side wasn’t overwhelming or cloying. It was just a presence meant to put some space between one and their thoughts, a way to get some distance from all the things that kept them awake.

With all that shown, Maul slowly backed out of Luke’s mind until they were disconnected. That was an important step too, for going too fast would make it feel abrupt, like a rope snapping and causing the person to wake back up. Maul opened his eyes back up.]

You see? That’s how it is done. The only last step I include is a gentle suggestion to sleep once the person’s mind is in a pliable state. Mind tricks only work on the weak-minded but if a person is already looking for help, their mind will more easily accept a suggestion made through the Force.

[ Luke couldn't help but quietly marvel at the Dark that Maul summoned in his mind, part of him wanting to reach out and touch it. He'd never seen it just... there before. Usually it was overwhelming and oppressive, trying to swallow him whole and leave him lost. Like this, it was almost... tame, nestled almost comfortably in his mind and not at all intrusive. ]

[ He let out a breath as Maul withdrew, blinking his eyes open and taking a moment to reorient himself to the real world, only to give the other man his undivided attention as he started speaking. Luke fell silent once he was done, contemplating the information, before he tilted his head thoughtfully. ]

I wonder if we can use that on ourselves if we have n-- trouble sleeping.

[ He paused a moment, a vaguely sheepish look on his face. ]

I'm confident I can do this for another person. It really isn't all that different from a mind trick.

I wouldn’t know. I have always had trouble sleeping my entire life.

[He’d been raised by Sidious. ‘Nuff said there in regards to what his sleeping habits might have been like. The Nightbrothers of Dathomir were very social with each other if not with outsiders and isolation was the worst sort of punishment for them, even when it came to how they slept. Maul had spent many nights thrashing about, tossing and turning before abruptly waking up and trying to struggle back to sleep all night long.

It had gotten better since he had come to Deerington and Trench but there were still many nights where he couldn’t quite manage any level of peaceful energy to his sleeping hours.

He looked at Luke with an appraising eye now that the two of them had gotten a measure of one another.]

You’re the only one here who really knows what he’s like besides Savage and I. Your father only knows the mask he wears of being a kindly old man. I believe some others think I exaggerate what he was like or that it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. [He snorted in an indignant manner.] They have no idea what is what like to be raised by that-- thing.

[ The mention of being raised by the Emperor drew a sharp jerk of a shudder out of Luke, and he looked up at Maul with wide eyes. In that moment, he let his feelings on the matter slip, the reality of how close he came to death, even knowing surrendering to his father was more likely to lead to it than not, looking like it finally hit him in that moment. Really, it was the way it nearly happened that was bothering him more, and the thought of having to live with that... ]

[ He shuddered again, the bare fingers of his left hand curling slightly. ]

...does it go away? Eventually?

[ His voice was soft as he asked, realizing in the next moment how much of a loaded question that was. He hesitated, part of him wanting to leave it at that and accept whatever snappish response he probably deserved for asking, but finally he shifted, pulling away the glove on his right hand to reveal melted synth skin, looking more like molded plastic, parts of it completely slopped away from the metal frame of his prosthetic. Pushing back the sleeve revealed an angry red ring around the connection port grafted to the stub of his arm, branching up into a small forest of scars that disappeared beneath his clothes. ]

[ He finally found the voice to clarify, though he still spoke softly as he explained. ]

I... promise I'm not a vain man. But what happened is something I'm certain I will never forget. I don't need that memory permanently showing to everyone else.

[ And he definitely didn't want to run the risk of his father seeing this. ]

[Maul had a horrible, sinking feeling he knew what Luke was probably asking him. A look of great sympathy crossed the Zabrak's face when he saw the horrible scars that crossed Luke's skin. He peeled off one of his own gloves, the claws currently trimmed short. Underneath, the skin had the same sort of scars on them that dotted Luke's arm, but layered, as if the scar tissue had built up over a long period of time.]

There's a great difference when someone tries to kill you with Force Lightning instead of just trying to torture you with it. Agonizing as the latter is, when it stops, the marks usually fade. When my master used it on me growing up, I'd often put up my hands first instinctively out of fear. It left many scars and not all of them faded but that was from the repetitive nature of what I went through.

[He paused. Maul hadn't let himself think of his first death in Deerington in a long time because of how traumatic it had been for him, left chained up, blind, and terrified as Sidious slowly tortured him to death with Force Lightning.]

A vision of him appeared when I was in Deerington, the town many of us were in before this one. He electrocuted me to death as I always feared he would. When I was brought back from the dead, the new ones on my hands left permanent reminders of how my death had come about.

[He gave Luke's scars another hard look.]

Give it time. If they don't heal, there are those that have the ability to heal. I have heard word that even Kenobi has been slowly learning the art of how to do it with the Force.

[ A difference between the intent to torture and the intent to kill... Palpatine had both intentions at that moment, determined to make sure he suffered as much as possible. More than his words, Luke remembered the searing, biting darkness, the utter rage over his audacity at defying him, and the biting cold of the old man's sick satisfaction as he writhed in agony, over his pleas of Father please help me! He had been so certain that his begging would go unanswered, he hadn't realized it wasn't Vader at his side any longer until it was too late. ]

[ Even with being saved, however, the calm, almost casual way he announced his death still stung at his ears when he thought too hard on it. And now, young Skywalker, you will die. ]

[ Luke took a breath and held it, feeling his and Maul's own pain at the terrible memories and bundling them into a ball, before letting go, letting the Force take them and allow his head to clear. It was that moment he felt a wetness on his face, and he reached up to swipe the tears that had fallen away, not sure when they had started and not really wanting to dwell on it. ]

Thank you... for telling me.

[ He managed a weak smile after a moment. ]

I'm sorry if this sounds terrible, but I'm glad there's someone here I can talk to about this. I can't tell my father, and I don't think Ben would understand.

Edited 2022-01-04 12:34 (UTC)

[Maul shifted around a little on the ground when he saw that Luke had started to cry. He really should have been expecting this, it wasn't like the talk of Palpatine was likely to make one smile or start laughing. But this was really out of the realm of what Maul was used to dealing with.

Great, was he another weeper like his father? Maul really couldn't handle two Jedi crying at the drop of a hat in this town, he definitely did not possess the patience for it. Fortunately, Luke already had a lot more goodwill built up than Anakin in that respect, so Maul did his best to at least attempt to be comforting. He reached out a hand and patted him gently on the shoulder, keeping mindful of his claws.]

There is reason to turn towards the Dark just as there is to turn towards the Light. Some things can only be understood by someone who has lived in the Dark as long as I have.

[ Luke quickly proved he wasn't like his father in that respect; a few deep breaths and a swipe at his face to make sure it wasn't wet anymore, and he seemed fine even if it was clear he had things on his mind. He would process the rest of his feelings when he was alone, when he had the chance to go over what happened and actually take the time to mourn. Now wasn't that time yet, not in front of people he basically just met, even if they were from the same universe. ]

[ Luke offered him a faint smile after a moment. ]

I've... touched it, come close to letting it take me, but... it's not for me, I'm certain of that now. Understanding why some choose it, though; that I would like to know someday.

[ He shook his head. ]

But that can come later, and I think I've taken up enough of your time. I should find a place I can stay, among other things.

Video; UN: Cuddlebunny UN: Darkness UN: Trienemybest

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