SEVENTY FIRST

𝘠𝘖𝘜𝘙       𝘖𝘉𝘑𝘌𝘊𝘛       𝘖𝘍       𝘋𝘌𝘚𝘐𝘙𝘌

[dantahlian]

# DANTAHLIAN.   a roleplay blog for a demon / fallen angel oc.  semi-active,  multi-verse,  multi-ship,  18+ only.   warnings for:  nsfw,  violence / gore / abuse,  manipulation.  written by xeno.

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[dantahlian]

guildoffarah.

Yes. Missed his songs. Malphas glanced to the foot dipped into the water. That small connection even going as far as to help him feel closer. He took a deep breath and lay back against the stone- he rolled his head up and over to look up at Dantalian as he settled in with the harp. There was a sort of comfort to being able to even allude to their early days even if it still carried the sting of betrayal.

“I’ll be surprised if you still remember how to play those ones,” he said alluding to the fact that his favourites were all the ones Dantalian had written for him. Just remembering that made him almost regret summoning the fallen angel. Mulling over how bad things had gotten between them. They were better now though. Not fixed by any stretch. But better.

“Play what you wish,” he said and rolled his head back to stare up to the illustration painted across the ceiling of the supported dome that covered the outdoor bath. Eyes picked out a portion of the dome that illustrated his own rise to power- the one that saw him become the second most powerful demon in the realm. Yet his arm reached out and curled around Dantalian in the way it used to. Loose but meant to keep them connected as he listened.

They were songs that he hadn’t played in an era,  but Dantalian recalled every note.  He hadn’t dared play them out loud,  as if wary that the notes would summon Malphas to his front door,  but they had resonated within his mind more than one time.  More than ten,   more than a hundred.  Sometimes he would strum the air to remember them.  Not that Malphas knew.  The implication of his words wasn’t lost on him,  after all.

Dantalian did not respond verbally,  but cast a contemplative look at his harp as his fingers readied.  For now,  he would start with one of his simpler tunes — not yet a specific song so much as it was a melody he had played often to flex out his skill.

“Hmm..  You might be surprised,”  he spoke after repeating the motion with his fingers a few more times. There was a lapse in his playing,  a brief pause as Malphas looped an arm around him.  Gentle.  He let himself scoot back slightly,  further into Malphas’ hold,  and dipped their foot a little deeper in the water,  draping it across the Lord’s lap. Eyes watched him a moment longer before they closed,  hands moving without looking.  “...Do you remember this one?”  Hands reset position,  then played a full song this time.  Short,  only a minute and a quarter,  but a unique one nonetheless — one of the very first Dantalian had played and created for both himself and for Malphas.  One of the first explorations he’d taken into personal creation for his own desire and sake of discovery — that process that had been encouraged by Malphas.  “I played this so often back then,  I would be surprised if you were not sick of it at the time.”

[dantahlian]

doctorvail​.

As if emphasizing Dantalian’s words, Vail’s eyes fixated upon the demon’s wings the instant they moved. Now that their mind was clear, they could afford to study and appreciate the demon’s visual traits. Even as the wing stretched out, their gaze did not falter and followed along.

“Curious fascination. I enjoy learning about otherworldly forms of life; how different they are from myself, how they work and think, what makes them unique both inside and outside…”

Vail finally manages to break their stare away from the hypnotic wings, peering over at the jar containing the alien heart they’d been studying for the past few days. Thinking about how nothing resembled it on Earth, how structurally different it had to be to accommodate a much larger creature with more than one pair of organs, and how adaptable his body is to be able to function without a primary heart.

“I wouldn’t be able to understand them if I was afraid of them. An open mind goes a long way, and this here between us is proof. You’re trying to understand me — so I’m sure you can relate, hm?”

“A philia for the otherworldly,  is that it?  A love for the unknown — how brave of your heart to feel that way.  So many ward themselves off and mistake that cowardice of the heart as strength to protect.  But it takes strength to remain so... curious and fascinated.”  As they mirror Vail’s wording,  they follow their gaze to the jar.  A heart — very literal,  though they spoke heavily of the metaphorical.  “Especially with what has happened.  You have much to learn in the way of having strength to prove yourself a threat,  but it takes remarkable fortitude not to let fear overcome your.. philia.”

They nodded,  then looked back to the human.

“Yes.  I can understand.. How you’re feeling.  Literally,  yes,  of course,  but...  Personally.  The experience is different,  given my abilities,  but there is much I have given up before for the sake of...  Understanding the context behind what I was feeling.  Knowing one feels something,  and knowing why they feel it are two different things.”

[dantahlian]

guildoffarah​.

Laying back in a bowl carved into a black stone floor the demon lord had been relaxing in a pool of near boiling water. There was so much going on across the universe that had his hand in it, plenty that should have kept him occupied. But unfortunately sometimes Malphas was almost too good at multitasking. No matter what he had his projections doing his true form was almost entirely idle.

Why his mind had drifted to Dantalian at the time he had no idea. It often did when he was alone. It was not the spiteful thoughts or theory crafting how to avoid a future scenario like the one that took him away though. Instead his mind drifted to more pleasant times from so long ago.

He remembered the flower he’d been gifted. He’d considered destroying it many times since then and never used it. But for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Thoughts of the consideration Dantalian must have put into making it a gift perhaps. The fallen angel had been making all sorts of efforts to positively interact with the demon lord recently. And Malphas had been much more receptive to them than usual.

On an impulse he plucked a petal and tossed it away resigning himself to using a piece of the gift.

He looked nice.

“I would hardly summon you for something important, Dantalian.” It sounded harsher than he’d intended. But maybe harsh words for the angel were too well conditioned by this point. “If I summon you then it is merely from a want to see you.” He drug a claw along the stone slowly. “Truthfully I remembered your harp playing and I suppose it made me sentimental.”

“No business,  then..?”  That much was true — Malphas did not involve him in any personal matters of importance.  That much was a given,  deserved and unsurprising.  Business was off the table,  but even then — even moments beyond that could be... strained.  It was nice to hear that Malphas only wished to see him — even if it did make him feel the slightest bit guilty for making the demon have to use such a gift for the price of their company.

Malphas’ words did remind him of a calmer,  closer time between them.  Dantalian could practically hear the strumming of a harp in his mind — more specifically one of the many ballads he had written for Malphas and Malphas alone — ones he hadn’t played in thousands of years.

“So you miss my songs,  is that it?”  He approached closer,  not entering the pool but sitting just at the edge,  one leg tucked under his body and the other extending out to dip his foot in the water.  “I suppose your ears are long overdue for my music.”

Dantalian sat back some,  creating more space just in front of him as hands clasped together then spread apart,  summoning his harp between his palms.  Far from a simple handheld instrument,  this harp was much larger,  half his size.  Dantalian balanced it on the pool’s edge,  one hand on either side.  It was an ornate thing — made out of a wood so clean and white it resembled ivory,  and its strings practically shining and shimmering,  emanating a celestial aura.  It was far,  far from demonic — such a thing that could only belong to an angel.  Dantalian turned his head to look down at Malphas with a genuine albeit small smile,  the glow of his harp illuminating his features in soft white.  “You’re free to request,  but I do recall your favorites.”

[dantahlian]

@guildoffarah​

It would be a lie to say Dantalian was not waiting attentively for one of Malphas’ summons.  Responding to such was different when it was given on their terms,  when it was limited — surely,  Malphas would not waste the opportunity to have the angel at his whims.  So whatever they were to answer,  it was sure to be of importance.

As soon as the petal that Malphas plucks from the flower falls to the ground,  it disintegrates into particles of light that rise as soon as they fall,  multiplying in number and clustering together to fill out the form of their master.  The light fades once a horned silhouette is formed,  and there stands the summoned before Malphas,  clad not in armor but in silken blank robes that covered half or less of their body.

“Lord Malphas.  You summoned me?  About time.”  Eyes flick to the side,  glancing about the familiar room and then down to the demon who seemed to be doing little more than lounging.  “What could be so important,  I wonder?”

[dantahlian]

why bother writing when i can just do that apparently

[dantahlian]

a nsfw ref?  granted is it ever really official if the character is a prolific shape-changer?

[dantahlian]

dandelion’s turn

[dantahlian]

what if .... nsfw ref... humanoid version plus monster version

[dantahlian]

doctorvail​.

Just as Dantalian lounges, so does Vail — the doctor leaning back in their chair, one leg crossed over the other. For what was perhaps the first time, the demon was getting to see their actual self that was not plagued by exhaustion or anxiety.

“You’d be right; I adore this particular face of yours. As adorable as your other forms are, this feels… More natural. More personal. More you,” Vail responds with a tilt of their head and a smile, “Although, it’s not your true vessel, is it? I’m curious about what you actually look like, as I am about many things regarding your nature. It’s not every day you get to befriend a demon, and we’re long due to learning about the other.”

“Adore can be a strong word,  Doctor,”  they speak in a low croon,  but not in a tone that indicates any displeasure.  Adore was one of their favorite words,  after all. 

Their wings curl a little more around their body,  and Dantalian idly strokes their hand along their slightly more fluffed feathers. 

“You’d be right,  though.  It is more me — close as it gets these days.  My form has changed throughout time.  Especially with exposure to your kind.  Mortalkind.”  That wing stretches back out.  “I suppose you could call this vessel a reflection of that.  Give or take some things.  A true vessel would appear far... Far less humanoid.”  The smile is heard in their voice again.  “It would unsettle most.  Not you,  I’d wager.  You like the different,  the alien.  Perhaps the monstrous.  Is it the thrill of having it on your side?  Or something else?”

[dantahlian]

doctorvail​.

Although Vail had been rather pre-occupied the past few days, they had noticed the demon’s silence and wondered where they’ve been. Figuring they had matters of their own to tend to, Vail had opted to not bother them. Of course, right after that other demon played a song in their head, they couldn’t help but think about them again. As if right on cue, Dantalian’s familiar voice would echo in their mind and their eyes snapped wide open before turning to lock eyes with the silhouette lurking in the shadows. They had to temper it, but they were beaming with excitement — oh, this is the perfect time to talk while everyone else is busy!

“Ah, Dantalian! It’s been a while. I’m actually doing fantastic, despite having nothing to do. It’s been a nice change of pace to not worry or scramble for a plan…”

A pause as they wonder what became of Kjoll. Last they remember, someone had been in the process of tearing him asunder — although, by the way Xaallo and Okaal have been acting, it was safe to assume he wasn’t dead. They’ll have to follow up with Okaal on that, but it would explain the relative silence as opposed to frenetic chaos.

“Doesn’t mean my guard’s fully down, but… I’ll enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Perhaps this time we’ll actually be able to talk without something happening, hm? I was starting to miss your presence,” Vail grinned as they turned around in their chair to face the demon’s silhouette, “I’m surprised you’re showing yourself in this form.”

“Indeed; a mere week without speaking and it feels a lifetime.” 

They were pleased not to be questioned regarding their silence — like Vail had assumed,  they’d been busy with matters of their own. Internal affairs were more important with their currently dwindling influence — they had to manage resources carefully.

Vail was but another curiosity — one they enjoyed,  but a low priority in regards to their other business nonetheless.  That didn’t mean they weren’t equally as pleased to hear of their well-being.  Doing fantastic was almost a surprise,  but mortals did move on from matters quickly — something to do with their pitifully short life cycles.

Behind their helm,  Dantalian offered a smile,  one that didn’t show beyond the slightest narrowing of their eyes.

“Wouldn’t that be nice?  Your life has been oh so chaotic lately — it’s practically been troublesome to catch your attention.”  They lounged in the air like usual,  as if lounging upon an invisible couch. “I figured you were due for a visit from a truer me.  Speaking feels a little more genuine that way,  doesn’t it? ”  Dantalian commented casually,  leaning their head against a hand.  “Something tells me you like this face of mine,  anyway.”

[dantahlian]

@doctorvail​​

Dantalian hasn’t been entirely absent — the same grey cat and ghoulish Pokemon continue to prowl about the TRIAD.  The only difference being was the silence Vail would feel,  almost as if the demonic presence was truly absent.  They’d deigned to keep some distance from Vail this week,  but as things began to slow and settle down again,  a familiar silhouette lingered in the shadows of Vail’s room.  And soon,  a familiar voice would follow,  echoing in their mind.  Not a creature of any other,  this time a more natural form.

“How are you faring tonight,  Doctor?  I sense your waters have calmed.  For now.”

[dantahlian]

Distracts themselves with going about the Triad,  abducting the children moving the children to a safe location some place away from the ship.  For now.

In fact,  they’re going to lay out a nice blanket for the children and create a crystal barrier to act as a little play-pen and protection from any potential gunmen.  Perfect.

[dantahlian]

Que grumpy fawn huffing and throwing a bit of a fit because their nap time was disturbed. And they were just walking around for another place to nap that wasn't so noisy.

“...”

Dantalian picks up the fawn in one set of arms,  allowing them to settle comfortably within their hold. Another pair forms just below them, shadowy and black, and within the palms they materialize... what appears to be a set of headphones. Just before putting them over the fawn's head and ears, they mutter;

“Do ignore the screaming and mayhem, dear. Go back to sleep.”

[dantahlian]

“Mortals hardly ever shut up about demons and how terrible they are but cannot keep themselves from committing an act of mass violence every two days.  Honestly...”

[outofcontextdiscord]

[writingsforwinter]

“If I love you, is that a fact or a weapon?”

— Margaret Atwood