This wasn't about being frustrated or angry, this was about giving consequences for someone's actions. People can't just do whatever they want, hurt whoever they want and not have to deal with it. [ Which is exactly what Maul was doing. ] I'd never do something like this unless I really had to. I know how terrible curses can be, too.
[ She's faced magical torture curses before, she knows. ]
It's not as if we left him vulnerable, he could fight monsters and creatures. It was just to stop him attacking other people. Until he learned to feel remorse for his actions. Then it would be broken. [ In terms of curses, it was quite fair. They could have just permanently cursed to forever feel pain, with no end to it. They could have made sure he would never be able to defend himself against any sentient creature, no matter what.
Perhaps it might be something they can never agree on. She understands that. But that's... how it is, what they've done. She knows plenty of people won't agree with the curse, and that there would be consequences for it. She, Willow and John understood that.
There's a long sigh, Luna rubs at her eyes. She's exhausted. From all of this. If Fern wants to belatedly punch him for that then she can't exactly stop him. But perhaps it might continue to add to the fact that Maul's friends are upset with him. ]
At the very least, Maul has... tried to correct things there. He realised he did the wrong thing there. [ She will give him that. There might not be an apology for her, but he's at least acknowledges to Paimon he messed up. ] He's decided he would like be... a protector of them both. I don't trust him, and certainly not now with publicly threating me on the network.
[Fern chews on his lower lip. That sounds a whole lot like anger and frustration over someone not facing the consequences of their actions coalescing into a curse, but he doesn't argue with her. Even though he'll never, ever agree with using a curse as a way to make someone change, he does understand where she's coming from. He doesn't even have a good idea for an alternative to a curse, since right now it feels like Maul is immune to learning anything at all.
Especially when Maul apparently had a way out. Not an easy way out, mind you, but a very clear, straightforward one. He mulls that over for a few moments quietly.] So he found a loophole, 'cause there's no way he's feeling anything close to remorse right now. [That makes all of this a hundred times worse?? What the fuck??]
It's total dirtballs he's claiming that. You're right not to trust him. [He makes an exasperated noise.] I thought he was getting better. It took me forever to be okay with him after what he did to me and Varian, and part of me is still mad at him for it, but I thought he was improving. But all he's doing now is threatening you and hurting Usagi and Varian, and putting a huge bull's eye on himself. That's gotta hurt his brother, too.
[Someone like Savage might not admit it, but Fern knows what it's like to be so incredibly loyal to your brother and hurt by them at the same time. It isn't pleasant.]
I'm gonna try and make sure he doesn't hurt you. And I'm gonna see whether he actually means that about Paimon. [Though really, Maul just staying away from Peter and Paimon seems like the best option....] If he doesn't listen to me then maybe he'll listen to Reaper. Or Savage.
[This is the sound of him dragging his hands down his face.]
Orrrr maybe we just chuck the guy into the ocean and hope he squids out forever.
I've been talking to Usagi and— yes. He cheated his way out of it, essentially. [ And immediately took straight to the network to start making threats. Wonderful. She's still trying to get her head around what Usagi's told her, but he's done something, some other kind of magic to split himself apart and then... for some reason the curse had been fulfilled to grant him its end. ]
I'm sorry, Fern. I know this must be a lot harder on you. [ They get on, don't they? Even with Maul hurting them, he'd made progress from that. It's just... really kind of awful for him, along with Varian and Usagi. ]
I honestly thought it was a step in the right direction, even if I didn't completely trust him. It was honestly better than him terrorizing Peter every chance he got. But then with Varian and Usagi putting themselves on the line — [ There's a soft sigh, she shakes her head. ] I thought he might have been getting better, too.
I don't really know. I'm worried that he's just... going to try and use Paimon, somehow. But I know I can't just... ban Paimon from interacting with him. [ It wouldn't be right to. She respects Paimon, and she can only leave the decision with him. ]
That would be quite ideal, wouldn't it? [ She sounds despondent. She honestly doesn't know what she's going to do about Maul. She's quiet for a long time, and then: ] If something does happen to me. Look out for Peter and Paimon for me, alright?
[He makes a noise of frustration at that. Cool, so not only did he not learn anything, he actively worked against learning anything, then turned around and made things worse. Fern isn't the most moral person but even he can see the ridiculousness of the situation.]
It's - I dunno. It's not as hard on me as Usagi and V. They're the ones who've tried so hard to help him. They're not as good at recognizing when some people just suck and aren't worth it.
[So that's who he's really worried about, here, on top of Luna and Peter and Savage and Reaper.
He makes a noise like a sigh, wishing the ocean dump was a viable option.]
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[ She's faced magical torture curses before, she knows. ]
It's not as if we left him vulnerable, he could fight monsters and creatures. It was just to stop him attacking other people. Until he learned to feel remorse for his actions. Then it would be broken. [ In terms of curses, it was quite fair. They could have just permanently cursed to forever feel pain, with no end to it. They could have made sure he would never be able to defend himself against any sentient creature, no matter what.
Perhaps it might be something they can never agree on. She understands that. But that's... how it is, what they've done. She knows plenty of people won't agree with the curse, and that there would be consequences for it. She, Willow and John understood that.
There's a long sigh, Luna rubs at her eyes. She's exhausted. From all of this. If Fern wants to belatedly punch him for that then she can't exactly stop him. But perhaps it might continue to add to the fact that Maul's friends are upset with him. ]
At the very least, Maul has... tried to correct things there. He realised he did the wrong thing there. [ She will give him that. There might not be an apology for her, but he's at least acknowledges to Paimon he messed up. ] He's decided he would like be... a protector of them both. I don't trust him, and certainly not now with publicly threating me on the network.
[ And certainly not for the first time. ]
But I have to let Paimon make his own decisions.
no subject
Especially when Maul apparently had a way out. Not an easy way out, mind you, but a very clear, straightforward one. He mulls that over for a few moments quietly.]
So he found a loophole, 'cause there's no way he's feeling anything close to remorse right now. [That makes all of this a hundred times worse?? What the fuck??]
It's total dirtballs he's claiming that. You're right not to trust him. [He makes an exasperated noise.] I thought he was getting better. It took me forever to be okay with him after what he did to me and Varian, and part of me is still mad at him for it, but I thought he was improving. But all he's doing now is threatening you and hurting Usagi and Varian, and putting a huge bull's eye on himself. That's gotta hurt his brother, too.
[Someone like Savage might not admit it, but Fern knows what it's like to be so incredibly loyal to your brother and hurt by them at the same time. It isn't pleasant.]
I'm gonna try and make sure he doesn't hurt you. And I'm gonna see whether he actually means that about Paimon. [Though really, Maul just staying away from Peter and Paimon seems like the best option....] If he doesn't listen to me then maybe he'll listen to Reaper. Or Savage.
[This is the sound of him dragging his hands down his face.]
Orrrr maybe we just chuck the guy into the ocean and hope he squids out forever.
no subject
I'm sorry, Fern. I know this must be a lot harder on you. [ They get on, don't they? Even with Maul hurting them, he'd made progress from that. It's just... really kind of awful for him, along with Varian and Usagi. ]
I honestly thought it was a step in the right direction, even if I didn't completely trust him. It was honestly better than him terrorizing Peter every chance he got. But then with Varian and Usagi putting themselves on the line — [ There's a soft sigh, she shakes her head. ] I thought he might have been getting better, too.
I don't really know. I'm worried that he's just... going to try and use Paimon, somehow. But I know I can't just... ban Paimon from interacting with him. [ It wouldn't be right to. She respects Paimon, and she can only leave the decision with him. ]
That would be quite ideal, wouldn't it? [ She sounds despondent. She honestly doesn't know what she's going to do about Maul. She's quiet for a long time, and then: ] If something does happen to me. Look out for Peter and Paimon for me, alright?
no subject
It's - I dunno. It's not as hard on me as Usagi and V. They're the ones who've tried so hard to help him. They're not as good at recognizing when some people just suck and aren't worth it.
[So that's who he's really worried about, here, on top of Luna and Peter and Savage and Reaper.
He makes a noise like a sigh, wishing the ocean dump was a viable option.]
I will, Luna. I promise.