Deer Country Network

[Maul's posts as of late had been a bit more lighthearted as he tried to set up his brother on a date and spoke of a memetastic grumpy batcat. But he'd been waiting for this day to come and so his face was as grim as if he was at a funeral during this post. His followers had been on the alert, watching for the signs, and had come to tell him that what he'd feared most had come to pass: Sidious was back at full strength and starting to possess people again in Trench. He couldn't put it off any longer. He had to warn people of what was coming.]

I come to you with the gravest of news. My former master, Darth Sidious, also known as Emperor Sheev Palpatine to some, has arrived in Trench. Many of you already know what that means, either through viewing my memories or listening to me talk about him. For those who do not, he was the man who raised me and turned me into....this. [The one word encompasses all of Maul, his psychopathic personality, the anger and pain he'd held onto for so long, his life being completely ruined by his master, getting turned from a person into a weapon and now spending the rest of his life trying to heal from that.] If you think I am dangerous, he is ten times as worse. He is pure evil. There is no reasoning with him, no way to appeal to any goodness that might reside within him, for he has none. All he has ever wanted in life is to gain power and he doesn't care how many people he must hurt or kill in order to do that. He's destroyed entire planets and every living thing that resided on them in order to do so. A city full of people is nothing to him if he wants to ascend to ultimate power.

Only his spirit has arrived rather than his physical body, so he is currently traveling from one body to the next as he tries to find a form he can take over for good. I have yet to discover a permanent way to banish him but I am open to suggestions. In the meantime, take whatever precautions you must in order to protect yourself and others. Trust me when I say if death is the only option, we must take it. You cannot afford to give him a chance, for he will brutally kill you if you give him one. Better to kill someone then allow him to remain and tear Trench apart at his whim.

His eyes look like this. [Maul closed his for a moment and channeled all the old anger he felt towards his master. When he reopened them, they had changed from the grey-brown color they had been holding steady as for the past three months and were back to the Sith yellow color they had remained for so many years.] They remain that color no matter who or what he is possessing, so it is a way to track whose form he is in. Please let me know if you spot a person or monster that has those eyes and I will deal with it.

[That euphemism of course meant that he would kill Sidious if he had to. Maul had gone over a year without killing anyone in Trench but he knew he couldn't afford to use kid gloves on his master. He'd need to be brutal and swift. He went to turn off the Omni and then paused, remembering one last thing he wanted to say.]

Oh, and Anakin? --The annoying whiny older one that is, not the annoying weird younger one-- if you try to interfere with this? I will stop you. That's not up for negotiation or debate. I'll kill you if I have to and keep you as a squid in the ocean to keep your idiotic devotion to this man from causing this situation to get worse. That is all.

[Then he does go and turn off the Omni for good this time.]

[OOC: This is the kickoff post for the Palpatine in Trench player plot! Feel free to interact with Maul, threadjack others to talk with them, or just head straight over to the log post to get started. As a reminder, Maul doesn't necessarily need to be involved in exorcising an NPC or character if you just want to do to something among two of you.]

[Lexi's in the bookstore, her batcats frolicking at the ends of their leashes and Mewdemic on her lap.

Lexi and Mewdemic may be wearing matching crocheted hats.

and she looks eager]

Okay, everybody! I've been talking about doing this for ages, so I figure that this might be a good time to go ahead and do it!

That's right, I'm talking Bad Movie Night! The only problem is that there are so many bad movies that I didn't want to make it only my decision about which bad movie reigns supreme. So that's where everyone else comes in.

What's the worst movie you've ever seen in your entire life? Preferably PG-13, I want this to be a Trench-wide event and I know we've got kids. Also, that disqualifies The Room, a truly shitty movie, but no one needs to have Tommy Wiseau's...anything inflicted upon them.

So, go go go! Let's hear about these shitty movies and why you think it deserves center stage on Bad Movie Night!

((OOC: Bad Movie Night log will go up on the 14th))

[The first month Ezra arrived in Trench, Madam Generosity gifted him with a crisp white and bronze Jedi style outfit. He’s never felt like there’s been the right occasion for it.

Until today.

His Omni is set down for a wide view, the Sanctuary grounds in the background, and Anakin Solo, in his own robes, at his side.]

Some of you may have heard me talk about, or seen a memory of my master, my first teacher, as a Jedi, Kanan Jarrus. Or even met him, because he was here, briefly.

[Ezra flashes a smile, bittersweet.]

Before he left these shores, we did an impromptu ceremony here at the guardian tree of the Sanctuary. A knighting. [His smile turns sheepish; he’s not here entirely to toot his own horn, honest.]

Back in the galaxy I’m from, Jedi Knights have taken a lot of different variations of oaths, over thousands of years of history. I’ve been thinking for a while about how to express my commitment to being a Jedi of Trench– believing that, for a lot of reasons, something closer to traditional wasn’t in the cards. So, with Knight Solo’s help, I wrote an oath that I think fits...here.

And accountability is important, at least to me, so- [He takes a deep breath, and raises his right hand, palm out.]

Here goes:

I, Ezra Bridger, Jedi Knight, vow to use all my skill and abilities to serve others rather than ruling over them.
To not seek personal power, but knowledge and enlightenment,
To act not out of aggression, but to defend and to protect,
To preserve what grows and lives well in its own way,
To support betterment and ease pain,
To guard justice and peace,
To put ever aside fear for courage, hatred for compassion,
And when it is fitting to do so, death for life
— looking always towards the Force, in which all are one,
Until my final death, or I return to the sea.

[Anakin nods, very solemn for a 17-year-old.]

Oath witnessed and acknowledged, Knight Bridger.

[Then Ezra and Anakin beam at each other with excitement, like the very young men they are, and Anakin claps a hand on Ezra’s shoulder. ]

And now the part I’m sure more of you will care about-

[Anakin rolls his eyes and talks over Ezra.]

We’re having a celebration tonight- [Ezra mouths ‘party’.] at the Sanctuary. Contact me or Sansa if you want to be more involved than showing up.

[Ezra has to get the last word before signing off.]

Everyone’s welcome!

(OOC: Ezra in blue, Anakin in green, obv. Link to party log here)

[ the feed turns on to show you a small child in white robes, looking like he got out of bed with tousled hair and sharp blue eyes. he seems to be looking around warily, his jaw tight. ]

So this is a kidnapping right? By one of those slavers?

[ he lets out a quiet breath like he was taught. gehren. he hoped she was safe. ]

Fine, whatever. Where is the closest space port?

[ The feed opens on a young man seated cross-legged on an expanse of black scales, framed between two spiralling white horns against a backdrop of more black scales interspersed with charcoal dark feathers. His Hunter's armour is nearly of a shade to match, covering all of him but his vaguely familiar face.

He smiles warmly as he runs a soft cloth over a plain knife to clean it of the black blood all over its flat metal grey. ]

Good evening, fellow Sleepers.

( throne-speech )

[She’s been here for over a week now. Time to get the lay of the land. The video opens up to a particularly tall blonde woman with a golden skeletal arm and a smirk. She's here to cause problems on purpose.]

Greetings, hello, salutations. My name is Ianthe Naberius. I’m new in town, twenty two, a princess of Ida, unfortunately single and dreadfully bored!

Now, I come to you today, not only to introduce myself, but to ask something of all of you.

Who do you hate most in Trench and why? I’m trying to meet people, network, but it’s so hard and overwhelmingly positive! So consider this an open invitation. Warn me about that dangerous scoundrel who kicked your puppy, seethe about how much you despise me for whatever reason, tell me about your parasocial hateful fixation on one of the local divinity. It can be a minor slight you want to complain about, a friend of yours who owes you two perfectly intact human skulls, or it can be an actual danger to this lovely little community of ours.

Now, before you try to say “this is childish and stupid!” You’re absolutely right, but it is a necessary part of self care to allow oneself to be an absolute cunt once in a while. [Or all the time, if your name is Ianthe.] So let’s not make any grand claims to being above something like this, mm?

Feel free to use the anonymity feature. Or the privacy feature, I guess, if you’re shy or worried about being fileted like a fish.

[The device that lets him communicate with people over long distances is interesting, but Trevor's seen magic achieve something similar before.

No, what holds his attention is the several different vessels of water available in houses. He's standing in a bathroom where the shower, sink and bath all have the water running.]

...I feel like an idiot talking to myself, but if this really works.

[He looks directly at the camera and then attempts to straighten it out (it isn't) before he clears his throat.]

So citizens of this fine shithole, what do we need this much running water inside for?

The well I get-- [He points at the toilet.] But this all seems a bit much.

 ( cut for male presenting nipples  )

[ The world around Tuck and Billie is dark, gloomy, and full of dust. The bar they are in, Colonel Dan's, has seen better days. Tables have been overturned, something's been in here making a mess despite the magic that was imbued into the door. Guess it didn't hold. ]

So, who wants to help Billie n' me clean out our bar? That we, ah, never used.

[ Tuck does his best to make it sound like the most riveting fucking thing a person could volunteer for. ]

We'll pay you in... uh...

[ He looks down at Billie who is currently out of camera view. Hard to put both a two foot child in the same frame with a seven foot man. ]

Friendship? Oh, booze!

Either, or. Whichever turns out to be of equal or lesser value.

[ From the dark, something falls off the bar counter and breaks. Then skittering claws scuttle across the floor. ]

There's someone else in here.

... ..... So, who wants to help Billie n' me chase a mystery creature out of our bar? Ehhh? Could be fun—Oh fuuuck! It touched my leg!

CW: Drug and Alcohol use, including with a minor. Insensitive Language

( Post is BEHIND the cut. )

(OOC: Vira-Lorr is purple and Minako is blue)

[The Video feed started with Vira-Lorr and Minako Aino in Vira-Lorr's living room. It was small, just a bit cozy and currently the three-eyed seer was draped up close to her fiance, positively beaming as she started the post off.

Below, at the bottom of the screen? The words appeared in a text format. Vira-Lorr had suggested it, in case any of the palebloods they knew might have lost their hearing.]

Hello everyone. After a few things we noticed, Minako and I decided to nudge up the date of our wedding just a teensy bit. We just can't trust Trench to behave itself, so we dare not risk October and ... well, I think a few of you might have noticed some problems with some of your senses. So we wanted to make sure nothing else happened beforehand. Just in case. Minako, do you want to tell them?

[Minako currently was showing like she hadn't had any sense missing whatsoever, but that was far from the fact. It just helped with the other being close to her to know where she was and where to turn to. Doesn't mean she knows which way she is meant to be facing though. She could take a guess based on body position though. So currently she was looking over to her fiancee briefly.]

I thought we were going to announce together? Though if you want me to say it I will be more than happy to. You know I love a good announcement after all.

[The fact that she was in this state worried Vira-Lorr a little. She'd been without senses in the past, so she could only imagine what Minako was dealing with right then. Still, it made her feel a lot better that she was able to smile like this. Grinning over at her, she rested her forehead against the other to help guide her facing when she turned it a little with a gentle nudge towards the camera.]

You tell them the big news, and I'll tell them the date and place. That way we're sharing the fun.

[Minako felt like she had said something about it a couple months back, but then again even if she had she just enjoys being able to say it honestly. Mostly because it had never been something she had ever expected.

Bright and bubbly as ever Minako through a couple of misses managed to clap her hands together finally.]

Okay~! As I might have mentioned a while back there is a super special romantic day that isn't Valentine's Day happening. A wedding~ Vira's and mine to be exact.

[She did her part at least and the smile honestly wasn't going to be leaving her face anytime soon.]

That's right. And, well thanks to some recent wiggles? We decided to give it a week and not chance waiting longer. October's October, and we're not sure what the rest of the month may bring. So, we're setting the date for the Ninth of Never Mind's month. So, the ninth of this month!

[She reached back and coughed, her cheeks coloring a little as she smiled in a very self-aware sort of way. She knew that she'd wanted a little more time for folks like Usagi and Makoto to fuss, but this month was already shaping up... safe, but odd and they were hoping that Minako's eyesight would clear up by next week.]

We know it's a little last minute. But here in Trench, you never know what could come. At least none of us have to travel abroad, so we have all week right? And of course, you're all invited! Am I forgetting anything, dear?

[Uh... location, Vira-Lorr? You might want to tell them WHERE this is going to be? Minako chuckled slightly.]

You forgot the most important thing that needs to be mentioned. Venue. Where it will be taking place, which is at your place because my place is too small.

[Which was pretty much everything that she was aware of.]

I hope to be able to see everyone in such a special moment.

Oh yes, of course! We'll be hosting it out back, weather permitting. We hope to see all of you there!

(OOC: Replies can come from both Minako and/or Vira-Lorr! Minako will be blind during this post, so expect Audio replies. We'll post the Log of the event up on Sept 9th!)

((ooc: CW for a brief mention of recreational drugs.))

[For two months, more or less, she's been in mourning. She hasn't shown her face much. And there's been a lot of crying.

But sentimental though Ariadne can be, she's also practical. Which means she recognizes when it's time to try moving forward.

So behold. Not Padmé, not Jane. Just a sad Ariadne, her hair in a loose braid, with a few tendrils curling around her face.]

I've decided it's time to clean through the rubble that was the Winchester cottage. The ground needs to be cleared so someone else can build there. And I'm sure a few things survived the fire which need to be sorted and placed.

I guess...I mean, I'll do it myself. But if anyone would like to help I would...appreciate it. I can pay you in fruit or herbs from the orchard.

[Her face is like porcelain. She's not letting a single crack show, even though it still hurts.]

I'll be there for the next week or so. Please let me know if you'd be willing to join me. At the very least, I think some of his--some of Dean's--marijuana plants survived. I'd like to try to replant them in my garden.

I can pay you with that, if you like.

[ Rey looks awkward in front of the camera, this is not her natural element. She doesn't enjoy calling attention to herself, and this feels very self-indulgent, but save walking around and polling anyone she comes across this seems like the most efficient way to ask her questions. ]

Hello. For those of you who don't know me which is- probably a lot of you, my name is Rey.

[ She pauses, chewing on the inside of her bottom lip briefly as she tries to think of how to proceed. ]

I'm wondering how those of you who are used to running for your lives, or fighting every day to survive have settled here. How you found things to be useful to the community.

I was a pilot and a scavenger back home, there doesn't seem to be much call for either of those things here.

So I was just wondering how others adjusted.

Thanks.

[ There may be five, ten, fifteen- more... little ice saucers around Bail, all in various levels of melting. He has had the wherewithal to at least attempt this outside, whatever this may be. Some do look a little more wonky in design than others. Perhaps it is the melting or perhaps he is just getting a little better as he progresses...

The current one is still in his hand, slightly thicker and a bit more circular in its shape. About plate sized, and thicker. One may still be hard pressed to figure out what he is doing. In all honesty, Bail hasn't the foggiest either. Melting cup holders? Ice pucks? ]

I am to assume that this is one of those things were practice does eventually makes perfect.

Is this thing on?

[ The camera opens on a man, but there is something horribly inhuman about his eyes: they are black from edge to edge, the iris burning with a ring of white light. He is flanked by two skeletons which stand at attention, each with a speck of glowing red in their shadowed eye sockets. ]

Been a while since I had to do this. Hey, hello, kia ora. You face the King Undying, the Necrolord Prime.

( cw: mild body horror (corruption); religious themes; topics of mass death, violent imperialism, human sacrifice likely )

[ Anakin woke up this morning and, compelled by his Warmblood nature, decided to give a short lecture. The video opens on Anakin, who is sitting a rug in his living room. His Omen snoozes peacefully behind him. He's even wearing the closest approximation to traditional Jedi robes as he can find.

He looks calm, but there's a trace of warmth in his expression. ]

I noticed that a lot of people here don't know much about the Force or the Jedi. I have some spare time this morning, so I thought I could explain a little bit.

The Force is an energy field that is generated by living things and binds them together. On one level, it's not much different from how anything with mass produces gravity. It's not something you do consciously, and it's not something you have control over. There are people who have a stronger connection to it than others do. We call them Force-sensitives. Someone who's Force-sensitive can tap into the Force and call on its power in various ways-- telepathy, empathy, precognition and prophecy, and telekinesis. For example-- [ He holds out one of his hands and a cup of water floats from off-screen. It hovers for a moment before he uses telekinesis to set it down next to him. ] You can't learn Force sensitivity-- you're born with it or you aren't. But even if you can't feel it, you're still connected to the Force and, through it, every other living thing.

[ He flashes a brief, small smile. ]

The Jedi-- and many others-- believe that the Force is much more than that. It can offer strength and wisdom to those who tap into it. But it has both a light and a dark side to it, just like every living thing.

[ He summons the water glass to him again and passes it from hand to hand using telekinesis. It never touches his palms, instead hovering a few centimeters above them. ]

As Jedi, we consciously choose to draw our power from the light-- compassion, hope, selflessness. We preserve life as much as we can. [ His expression flickers to something sad for a moment. ] Even though sometimes we're forced to fight one person to protect another.

[ He feels the weight of the lives he's taken. Choices he's made. But he shakes that thought away, though the gravity of it lingers in his expression for a moment. ]

It sounds cut-and-dry, but it's not. When you're angry or scared or grieving, it's easy to draw on the dark side-- rage, greed, selfishness. It's easier and faster, but...

[ He brings the glass to hover in front of himself. For a moment, his expression changes slightly and the glass shatters violently. Pieces fly across the room and his Omen snaps awake for a moment to assess the danger. It then gives him a Look and goes back to sleep. The pieces start to float up again, slowly fitting themselves back together as he continues. ]

... there are always consequences.

[ The glass is reassembled, but is still very much broken. He holds it together for a moment before letting it fall apart again. The tinkling of glass falling to the floor breaks the silence. ]

That's why the Jedi focus so much on self-control. Once something is done, it can't really ever be undone.

[ Anakin shrugs. ]

That’s just what we believe. I’m not trying to give a lecture about morality. Our way isn’t the only way-- the Jedi know this and aren’t conceited enough to assume it’s even the only good way.

Anyway, I hope that helped. I’ll try to answer questions, if you have them.

Otherwise. [ He smiles. ] May the Force be with you.

[CW: None for first memory]

( A choice and new beginnings )

[CW: Mentions of war, war trauma, fire, parental figure death, grief]



( Another choice and an end )

[The Omni's screen jumps to Ezra, here in Trench. Ezra sucks in a shuddering breath, on the edge of tears.]

The name he chose was Kanan Jarrus. He was a Jedi Knight. He gave me a family again. We had four years together. It- [It wasn't enough, he wants to say. But that's not quite right. Kanan had given him everything.]

I wish we'd had more time. [He cuts the feed.]

[ CW: Character death. ]

( The Death Star shook... )

[ The dark fades away, leaving Luke standing in front of the omni in stunned silence. Tears were falling from his eyes, though he didn't seem completely aware of them as his mouth moved, struggling to say something, anything, about the deeply personal memory that was just broadcasted for all of Trench to see. ]

[ Finally, he clicked his mouth shut, quietly reaching over and deactivating the omni without saying anything. ]

[CW: There is canon-style violence in the clips linked, which include a fight which ends in an implied beheading (not shown directly on-screen) and a character being impaled on a lightsaber.]

[The memory begins as Savage, Maul, and a purple-eyed man walk into a throne room. Maul, in all his dramatic glory, challenges the leader of Death Watch to a fight to the death, something he knows Pre Vizsla can't refuse. Maul is given his lightsaber, gives out an inhuman roar like a big cat would, and the fight begins.

For a while, it seems like Maul has bitten off more than he can chew. Vizsla is giving him a challenge and he's on the defense for a good portion of the fight. But Maul isn't stupid and this has all been planned out. He refrains from using his Force powers and even switches to his right hand, his non-dominant one several times in the fight, to make it a more even playing field. He's deliberately holding himself back. When the Death Watch leader shoots off tiny blades at hi, he laughs and it's clear Maul is enjoying himself. This fight is a lot of fun for him, and while Pre Vizsla may be a tough opponent, he's no match for the Sith Lord.

When Maul decides enough is enough, he grabs hold of the man's arm and brutally breaks it, making him drop his weapon. Then the Sith Lord brutally beats him down, kicking him so hard at one point that a tooth goes flying, until it's clear Maul is the winner. He calls the Darksaber to him. Vizsla, surprisingly, takes his impending death well. "Like you said, only the strongest shall rule," he says just before Maul slices his head cleanly off. He looks up and sees Savage smiling proudly at him, a rare expression to see from the younger Zabrak.

Half of Death Watch is quick to follow but the other half, lead by Vizsla's second-in-command Bo-Katan refuse. Maul orders them executed and the two sides begin to fight. As for Maul himself, he sits back on the throne. He is in command of Mandalore now, and by extension, his power in the galaxy has grown.

As the memory fades out, Maul's voice in the present can be heard as he talks to his Omen.]

Venge, what is that? What are you doi--

[And then it cuts out again as the second memory starts. Maul's in the same throne room but now it's night. He seems a little distracted. "Hmmm, I sense a presence. A presence I haven't felt since--" Then his eyes grow wide as he realizes who has arrived. "--Master!" There's more fear expressed in that one word than two years of living in Pthumerian-run towns could ever produce in Maul.

Then Darth Sidious strolls on in like he owns the place, casually strangling two Mandalorian guards as he does so. It's tempting for anyone who's heard about Sidious to be a little confused. This is the man who inspires such fear in Maul? This little old man wearing a dark robe who isn't even as tall as his adopted son? Maul immediately starts in about having done everything to make his way back to his master's side, hoping to buy time. Unfortunately, Sidious knows Maul far too well and can tell he's lying.

He starts in by using the Force to pin Maul and Savage to the windows before letting them go. Maul glances at Savage. This is going to be their toughest fight ever and they'll need to do their best if they want to have a hope of surviving it. When the three start dueling, it becomes apparent that Sidious has outclassed Maul and Savage just as much as Maul had outclassed Pre Vizsla in the last clip. He's enjoying this fight, smiling and laughing as he toys around with the brothers like they're a pair of novices.

At one point, Maul gets knocked out of the fight and he loses consciousness for about twenty seconds, the screen going dark before he staggers to his feet, his sight blurry and not quick to come back. Unfortunately, this costs him everything he holds dear. Sidious quickly gains the upper hand and impales Savage through the chest. Maul's face is one of devastation. "Brother...." He ignores Sidious and leaps to his brother's side.

Savage gasps out his last words. "Brother...I am an unworthy apprentice....I'm not like you....I never was...." Some people think Maul is a heartless bastard but that is proven incorrect as he looks like his hearts are breaking when his brother dies. All he can do is hold onto him as he slips away, knowing there's nothing he can do to stop it. He can't even bring himself to say how much his brother means to him, struck dumb by grief.

There's no time to mourn, however, for Sidious start taunting him. Maul turns back to his brother's killer and he's shaking with rage. This time when he goes after Sidious, the old man isn't smiling anymore. He's not just toying around as Maul fights him, he's actually having to put forth effort. He's pushed his former apprentice over the edge and this time Maul's determined to make him hurt. Those who know lightsaber forms will realize Maul's style of Jar'Kai, using two lightsabers at once, mirrors of that of Sidious' exactly. It was where he learned it, after all.

But his advantage doesn't last for long as Sidious overwhelms him once again. "Have mercy! Please! Please!" For those who know Maul, they might find it odd he's begging for mercy, his tone like that of a scared child. It's unlike the Sith Lord to ask an opponent to spare him. But that's not what he's asking. The mercy he wants is for Sidious to kill him, for he knows that anything the Sith Lord has planned for him is far worse than the sweet release of death would be. But he doesn't get it as Sidious tells him there is no mercy and continues to torture him with Force Lightning. The memory ends with Maul screaming in terror and pain.

Once again, Maul's voice in the present speaks up. This time, he's more aware of what has happened.]

What. Was. That?! Venge, how did that even happen? What did you do? Turn it off! Turn it--!

[And finally the feed cuts out.]

[OOC: An opening post to get the ball rolling for the player plot going on right now!]

[ posted in the early hours of sunday 8 may aka mother's day.

it's not on brand for wanda maximoff if she doesn't make a post every blue moon about something sad.

today, it's one that she knows she has no business making. but today's a day that she wishes she was spending in westview with billy and tommy, and after seeing them in a portal only a few weeks ago…

the wounds are a little fresh. so is her loneliness. ]

Can you still celebrate Mother's Day even when your children are not with you?

[ her voice is low and her accent is thick and shaky. wanda's trying to keep her composure. this isn't meant to be as upsetting as it sounds. wanda had her script perfected, her inflection decided upon in her rehearsals in front of the mirror. but the star of wandavision's final cut isn't as clean and perfect as she wishes it to be. ]