Oh. If, uh, your instincts are telling you you would do more harm than good by doing something, you're doing the right thing by stopping.
[Especially since Maul's instincts so rarely ever seem to tell him to stop. Or maybe they do, and he just doesn't listen out of... what? Stubbornness? Probably stubbornness.
The news of his cult is also unwelcome.]
Followers? You have followers? How long has this been a thing for?
[Does she even want to know? She suspects probably not, but then again, if it's been going on for awhile, at least he hasn't sent them after any of them as far as she's aware.
At his last thought, she pauses. She doesn't really want him owing her anything, but she'll keep the offer for help in the back of her head. There are no doubt still people in Trench who will stand with him - there always have been, what's one more incident? Surely they all knew this was coming, and she doubts all of his support will cut themselves off from him. It's not like any of them have any loyalty to her, and she's well aware many of them probably don't agree with the choice to curse him as a means of stopping his destructive behaviour.
She has to remind herself it is not her responsibility to offer comfort to her killer.]
Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. I know you're looking to change, and it's up to you to decide what it is you're good for now, if you really mean to follow through on it.
I don't toy with people's minds easily or lightly. It is far easier to break someone down physically than mentally.
[Given Maul's experience with his master, he knew the horror that could come with changing someone's mind forcibly, whether through psychic actions or just plain old brainwashing. His mental powers through the Force weren't something he used in a cavalier fashion.
He does grin at the mention of his cult. He's very proud of those that have chosen to follow him.]
Since I arrived. I was first suspicious of them given the way the Deerington townsfolk acted the first month I came to the town, first being kind and sweet before they drugged me, sewed me to a deer, and tried to burn me alive. I thought the natives here would be the same but after months of their persistence, I saw their desire to have me as their leader and guide them was sincere.
[Disconcerting as the thought of Maul having followers was, he certainly has been taking his duties as their leader seriously. He's not going to use them frivolously or for personal vendettas. The power he gained here is something that he's been seeking for some time and he's not going to throw it away in just a few months.
Maul can tell Willow is a good person despite the anger he's carried against her for months now due to cursing him. Some in this city have written him off for far less than what he's done to her but it seems she is willing to give him one last chance. And he is painfully aware that it is his last chance.]
I am sure many will not believe that I want to. I've said I will too many times in the past before. But sometimes you must reach a breaking point in your life where you can either continue down the path that has been set for you or turn onto a new one and that can only occur through reaching a low point. It's not easy, especially given where my life has gone before but I know I must either start to pilot my own ship right or end up flying into a supernova.
["Sink or swim" is essentially the metaphor he's going for here.]
[From what she's seen, Maul has his own take on playing mind games with the people he's targeting. He doesn't really need to use his powers for that, he's manipulative enough all on his own.
She raises her eyebrows silently as he tells the tale about how he was suspicious at first until they managed to convince him their motivations were pure. That's a terrifying thought - he has followers that he could very well choose to send after any of them at any time should the desire to do so strike. She doubts he will - he does have a tendency to want to do his own dirty work in that regard, at least, but the possibility of him having people throughout Trench who are loyal to him is still a concern. Besides, it does seem like at the moment, he does genuinely want to change.
It's probably fine.]
You're probably not wrong about people not believing you at this point, honestly. You're going to have a long, hard road ahead of you, trying to convince them too. But that doesn't mean it's not worth doing, and I think we had that talk before. You seem... I dunno... particularly sincere this time, I guess, and like you already said, there's not much you can't get done when you're determined to do it.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2022-03-02 07:21 pm (UTC)[Especially since Maul's instincts so rarely ever seem to tell him to stop. Or maybe they do, and he just doesn't listen out of... what? Stubbornness? Probably stubbornness.
The news of his cult is also unwelcome.]
Followers? You have followers? How long has this been a thing for?
[Does she even want to know? She suspects probably not, but then again, if it's been going on for awhile, at least he hasn't sent them after any of them as far as she's aware.
At his last thought, she pauses. She doesn't really want him owing her anything, but she'll keep the offer for help in the back of her head. There are no doubt still people in Trench who will stand with him - there always have been, what's one more incident? Surely they all knew this was coming, and she doubts all of his support will cut themselves off from him. It's not like any of them have any loyalty to her, and she's well aware many of them probably don't agree with the choice to curse him as a means of stopping his destructive behaviour.
She has to remind herself it is not her responsibility to offer comfort to her killer.]
Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. I know you're looking to change, and it's up to you to decide what it is you're good for now, if you really mean to follow through on it.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-03 09:08 am (UTC)[Given Maul's experience with his master, he knew the horror that could come with changing someone's mind forcibly, whether through psychic actions or just plain old brainwashing. His mental powers through the Force weren't something he used in a cavalier fashion.
He does grin at the mention of his cult. He's very proud of those that have chosen to follow him.]
Since I arrived. I was first suspicious of them given the way the Deerington townsfolk acted the first month I came to the town, first being kind and sweet before they drugged me, sewed me to a deer, and tried to burn me alive. I thought the natives here would be the same but after months of their persistence, I saw their desire to have me as their leader and guide them was sincere.
[Disconcerting as the thought of Maul having followers was, he certainly has been taking his duties as their leader seriously. He's not going to use them frivolously or for personal vendettas. The power he gained here is something that he's been seeking for some time and he's not going to throw it away in just a few months.
Maul can tell Willow is a good person despite the anger he's carried against her for months now due to cursing him. Some in this city have written him off for far less than what he's done to her but it seems she is willing to give him one last chance. And he is painfully aware that it is his last chance.]
I am sure many will not believe that I want to. I've said I will too many times in the past before. But sometimes you must reach a breaking point in your life where you can either continue down the path that has been set for you or turn onto a new one and that can only occur through reaching a low point. It's not easy, especially given where my life has gone before but I know I must either start to pilot my own ship right or end up flying into a supernova.
["Sink or swim" is essentially the metaphor he's going for here.]
no subject
Date: 2022-03-04 05:35 am (UTC)[From what she's seen, Maul has his own take on playing mind games with the people he's targeting. He doesn't really need to use his powers for that, he's manipulative enough all on his own.
She raises her eyebrows silently as he tells the tale about how he was suspicious at first until they managed to convince him their motivations were pure. That's a terrifying thought - he has followers that he could very well choose to send after any of them at any time should the desire to do so strike. She doubts he will - he does have a tendency to want to do his own dirty work in that regard, at least, but the possibility of him having people throughout Trench who are loyal to him is still a concern. Besides, it does seem like at the moment, he does genuinely want to change.
It's probably fine.]
You're probably not wrong about people not believing you at this point, honestly. You're going to have a long, hard road ahead of you, trying to convince them too. But that doesn't mean it's not worth doing, and I think we had that talk before. You seem... I dunno... particularly sincere this time, I guess, and like you already said, there's not much you can't get done when you're determined to do it.
[Including murder, apparently.]
I just hope it sticks this time.