Let's Make A Deal

@guildoffarah

Fandomless demon OC

669 posts

It was a time of renaissance for the warband. The ship bustled with life and lustmord, fresh serfs and crew. Better still, the ranks of his warriors were replenished and expanded. There was an invigorating warmth in the atmosphere that made him feel hopeful in the most unwholesome ways that any being, mortal or otherwise, could be, as their success would mean the creation of only more horrors. Splendid nightmarish horrors for all those that would not bask in pleasure and pain alongside them.

But any that assumed Lucius could ever truly be satisfied... would find themselves gravely mistaken, and poorly read. For it was that diabolical ambition of his that had gotten him this far. It had now made him the affair of yet another daemon. To what extent? That was being arranged.

"Just one. For now." Lucius added curtly, his back to the imposing form of Malphas.

In truth, he was not even certain that it was a daemon in his midst. He would have presumed khornate in origin, were it not for the salacious element of his personality. But it was the manner of how he came to be on board that convinced him of other, presently nebulous answers. It had been entirely asymptomatic and unannounced. That bothered him. He would not let it be known, but this contract felt almost obligatory.

With the decision made, he returned to Malphas briskly. He'd been pacing the secluded corridor as they formulated an agreement, restless as the voices of caution and doubt made debate in his head. He shook it, dismissing them with a growl, and addressed his uninvited guest once more. "And then, if I am pleased, I may request another soul?"

The stink of the Warp permeated the entire ship. Despite what many would assume of Malphas' nature, he was not of the realm that the daemons of this place were. Gellar fields were not an issue for him though loyalties were a different matter. He could feel the influence of various deities all vying for control in just about every aspect of this place- one bright and noble, several much less so. He didn't judge how gods preferred to conduct themselves. He had his own ways after all- the correct ones as far as he was concerned.

But these Chaos adjacent warbands were always so eager to do business. How could he not encroach on these various gods' territory? Besides this wasn't their realm either so they couldn't exactly complain.

"If?" he said as if amused by the thought. "I am always open to further dealings."

Souls were a tricky matter. But when they were so freely wrenched from their owners and unspoken for as they were in this realm it was a trifle for somebody of Malphas' capabilities. Not that he would fully reveal something like that. "If you believe yourself able to make an offer worthy of a second soul then I am sure we can come to some sort of arrangement."

Malphas loomed over the Chaos Marine. "Just what exactly is it you would like to be done with this soul?"

For the most part Malphas honors his contracts by the spirit of the arrangement rather than the letter. Meaning if you make a deal for your cat to speak then he'll have it speak your language rather than something you can't understand.

But if you really rub him the wrong way then he will absolutely play all sorts of games with you.

For example, if you decide to have a lawyer work out the details of the contract and aren't present for it yourself:

He might add a clause to the contract that allows the wordage to be altered and expanded on in pepetuity. Meaning that when you have a disagreement over the terms of your deal with him, he'll tell you to review the contract only for it to have expanded to 7,000 pages with multiple cross references and spanning several different languages. Your deal hasn't changed but it is now impossible to prove what exactly you agreed to and there's nothing stopping him from simply lying about terms that you didn't agree to. He'll still honor the original agreement but he'll also claim you agreed to many different things.

Malphas, Belost legs or Wulkir legs? : D

"On my shoulders? Wulkir's. I have the feeling he doesn't bottom often enough. On the grill? Wulkir's got a little more meat but Belost's are a little more lean. I suppose even I need to watch my figure. So Belost legs there."

😳(whoever you think would be fun!)

( Had to roll wheel of names to decide on this and weeeellp...)

It was after the gig the adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, especially because he gave the fans a rare treat of preforming his own guitar solo. Something that the rest of the band kept pressing him on to do mainly because of his insane speed.

Still, back inside the tour bus the young man was more than happy to get rid of the sweaty shirt that stuck to his body, maybe he should take a shower...at that though he would sniff his arm. And just as he was about to unbutton his pants, Robert froze when he saw their new manager just lounging there....a blush crept on his cheek and out of instinct he did press the sweaty shirt against his chest.

"Uhm...do you need something?" he would ask carefully, blue eyes cautiously peeking behind the thick honey blond bangs.

Malphas gave Robert a creeping grin from his lounge spot. "Oh by all means don't stop on my account, Robert."

He sat up some. "I was merely coming by to tell you how good you looked on stage during your big solo. I hear it's a rare occurrence for you. It would be harder for me to believe were I not already familiar with the band. After all you clearly have the talent for it. Not that I'd wish to spoil something by making it too common but I'd love to see more of you."

His eyes glanced downwards to the shirt covering the guitarist's chest. "A lot more~" he added, voice practically dripping with suggestion.

Oookay this was a bit too much, sure he was used to having crowds of people stare at him and cheer on. However, he was not alone the stage, he had his bandmates to interact with and not have the spotlight solely focus on him alone. Which tonight was that one rare occurrence...yet having one specific eyes so heavily focused on him, really made his usual anxiety gnaw on the back of his mind.

"Oh? Yeah uhm...thanks for that I just....want to play with others dont really need the attention..." he mutters quietly now reaching for a nearby hoodie. He quickly threw away the sweaty shirt , letting the new manager briefly look at his lean form, and his left arm had a sleeve tattoo. Whoever that hoodie was...most likely Petar's coz it was huge, he would put it on and just look away awkwardly.

"Is that all you wanted ?"

Malphas savored the view he was given, brief as it was, and smirked as the slender man tried to hide himself within a massive hoodie. Then he put on a somewhat hurt expression at Robert's question. "Have I really been such a poor manager that you want to get rid of me this quickly?"

He sat up from his spot and stood, nearly maxing out the height of the trailer. "I thought if there was only one member of the band that I could get along well with then it would have been you, Robert." He walked in a bit closer, having to duck his head in beneath the top of the doorframe. "If I have offended you somehow then please tell me."

Ah shit, he thought to himself as he would take a step back out of instinct, how he wished he could hide in the hoodie right now. He hated to feel like a prey, especially by someone who didnt know that well just yet. "No...no no...you've been great to us and all we are grateful its just...." he was trying to find anything to use an excuse.

Which, he barely does he manages walk backwards where the mini fridge was and take out bottle of water to calm himself. "You havent offended me ...yet " he adds carefully while peering up once again as small sigh escapes his lips.

"I just like to have my space thats all really "

Malphas was practically giddy on the inside seeing Robert's reaction. He felt a special way around the timid little thing. The kind of inner frustration in seeing something so cute that the urge to pamper it clashed violently with the urge to take it apart. Maybe that was just a him thing. Regardless it was a sensation that he did not feel often. The want to care for something. He hated it in a way that he almost loved. It was different and rare in a long, long life where so much was the same.

"And how much space would you like? A lot? A little less? I would hate to have you unhappy." He smiled down at him, not seeming to move until he had his answer.

#pro tip #a crucifix would dissuade prying eyes

Nikola was still inspecting the guitar like an archaeologist examining a sacred relic. Filip had somehow ended up shoulder-to-shoulder with Petar, both staring at the bus upgrades while arguing over which game they'd install first. Robert continued reading through the shelter donations, occasionally shaking his head in disbelief.

The factory had devolved into chaos.

Which meant nobody else seemed to notice the conversation quietly unfolding between Vanya and Malphas.

Vanya watched him for a few moments after he finished speaking. Every part of his body language was clear to her for reading. Most people hid when they were being scrutinized, but Malphas on the other hand seemed to thrive on it! That alone was enough to keep her interested, a slow smile crept on her face.

"Oh, I definitely agree with their suspicions." she would fold her arms under her chest. Her gaze flicks over to Nikola. " "I don't actually think you're trying to start a cult." From somewhere behind her Nikola immediately shouted. "THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT A CULT LEADER WANTS YOU TO THINK."

Vanya, of course ignored his warning, well most of it. Still, a little laugh escapes her lips as she looks back at Malphas, amusement clear in her gaze. "But you're hiding something." she wasnt accusing him just yet, but she was simply making an observation point. It was as if she was commenting about the weather outside.

"Normal managers don't show up looking like they walked out of a luxury magazine." she lifts a single finger. "They don't know obscure details about every member of a band." that was followed with another lifted finger. "They don't casually hand out gifts worth more than some people's yearly salaries." and finally a third finger.

"And they definitely don't talk like every sentence is secretly a challenge." the grin on her lips became wider as if she was a lioness ready to bite. "So yeah, I think you are hiding something " she adds with head tilted to the side.

Her gaze lingered on him, she didnt look away at all there was no hostility in her eyes but t here was still that interest. But then she would shrug her shoulders. "Honestly thoug? I dont really give a fuck about any of that!" she added with a laugh.

That single statement got the reaction from rest of the band members.

Filip looked over with mouth wide open. " "Wait what? "

Nikola, despite still holding on the guitar, yelled at her in disbelief. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T CARE?"

Vanya, still unbothered would point at Malphas and simply shrugged her shoulders. "If he starts sacrificing goats, we'll deal with it then."

Nikola still insistent to be somewhat a voice of reason tried to pull her back to sanity. "THATS TOO LATE!!"

Then a tiny voice came from Petar. "Well that depends...."

Exhausted not sure if he wanted to know Nikola asked. "Depends on what man...? "

To which with all the naive in his big head Petar responds with. "On how many goats!"

Filip nearly collapsed laughing. Robert pinched the bridge of his nose. Meanwhile Vanya continued as if none of them had spoken. "The thing is..." her expression softened just a bit. "People usually bore me " That got the band's attention far faster than the goat discussion. Because that was true about their frontwoman, Vanya liked people but in her eyes most of them were predictable. Especially the manager typle like, those who only spoke about statistics, numbers, profits and all that boring jazz. Malphas was different he was the exact opposite of all that boring shit that she hated. All the interesting ideas he was mentioning, it was slowly getting under her skin.

"You know what I think? " she stepped closer to him once more, just enough where she wouldnt have to raise her voice."I think you're exactly the kind of person Boris would've warned us about ten years ago." her grinned sharpened even more. "And exactly the kind of person The Diabolical Sun would've signed with anyway."

Nikola groaned rubbing his face in defeat. "Unfortunately she's right."

Then Vanya's eyes gleamed. Because another thought had occurred to her. One related to their earlier conversation. To the massive event waiting for them and to the rival band they'd spent years hating.

"Actually, forget the mystery." The grin on her face became downright mischievous. "Tell me something useful."

Nikola immediately looked interested. Filip abandoned the bus photos. Even Robert glanced up. The entire band knew that look. It usually meant trouble.

"The huge festival....thats happening next week, you said we are getting opportunities right? " she spoke again with a mischief clear in her eyes. "Please tell me our favorite idiots are still playing after us."

Nikola immediately started laughing.Filip naturally joined in on this little hate sesh. "Oh, please."

Poor Robert let out a tired sigh the moment he realized who they were talking about. "They're talking about Black Viper again." To which Nikola almost instantly whipped out. "They fucking started it!" Filip would chime in nodding along "They absolutely started it." Petar nodded as well, despite having no idea what had originally happened."They seem annoying."

Once again Vanya looked back at Malphas a wicked little predatory grin bloomed across her lips. "If we're sharing interests…" She jabbed a thumb toward the rest of the band. "We like winning." to which her eyes narrowed playfully. "And since we're opening that show before those arrogant bastards take the stage…" The redhead's smile became wolfish. "I want details."

The fact that he was the sort of person Boris would have steered them away from just tickled him a little extra. He really had negotiated around the worn down manager, hadn't he? It just endeared him to the man further to the point where he decided to check in on the man and update him of the progress with the band- elsewhere in his true form.

While that conversation was happening he watched Vanya break things down and sway the band to his favor. The gifts had done their part it seemed, but nothing united people more than a common enemy. And Malphas thrived on conflict.

"I've seen to it. The announcement of schedule restructures will come through tomorrow afternoon. Of course I also advised that your final song might go a little over your time slot and have had it okay'd by management. So if you arrange your song order well enough then I doubt the event organizers would extend their time slot to compensate. Maybe for a band with a little more talent..."

Whoever started their initial clash wasn't important to Malphas. Truthfully he almost hoped it was Diabolical Sun. But, whatever the case, it was a way to endear himself to the band which was all that mattered.

"And if their guitars just so happened to be out of tune before..." He chuckled to himself. There were so many ways to ruin a performance. Malphas still remembered the Rolling Stones incident where he got the Hells Angels booked for security- a little on the nose given the name but it was a good time nonetheless.

"Of course I am open to requests, I aim to please my band after all~"

#You can always count on Malphas for chaos

Watching Wishmaster 2 is giving me some real Malphas vibes. A more openly sinister Malphas but Malphas nonetheless!

😳(whoever you think would be fun!)

( Had to roll wheel of names to decide on this and weeeellp...)

It was after the gig the adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, especially because he gave the fans a rare treat of preforming his own guitar solo. Something that the rest of the band kept pressing him on to do mainly because of his insane speed.

Still, back inside the tour bus the young man was more than happy to get rid of the sweaty shirt that stuck to his body, maybe he should take a shower...at that though he would sniff his arm. And just as he was about to unbutton his pants, Robert froze when he saw their new manager just lounging there....a blush crept on his cheek and out of instinct he did press the sweaty shirt against his chest.

"Uhm...do you need something?" he would ask carefully, blue eyes cautiously peeking behind the thick honey blond bangs.

Malphas gave Robert a creeping grin from his lounge spot. "Oh by all means don't stop on my account, Robert."

He sat up some. "I was merely coming by to tell you how good you looked on stage during your big solo. I hear it's a rare occurrence for you. It would be harder for me to believe were I not already familiar with the band. After all you clearly have the talent for it. Not that I'd wish to spoil something by making it too common but I'd love to see more of you."

His eyes glanced downwards to the shirt covering the guitarist's chest. "A lot more~" he added, voice practically dripping with suggestion.

Oookay this was a bit too much, sure he was used to having crowds of people stare at him and cheer on. However, he was not alone the stage, he had his bandmates to interact with and not have the spotlight solely focus on him alone. Which tonight was that one rare occurrence...yet having one specific eyes so heavily focused on him, really made his usual anxiety gnaw on the back of his mind.

"Oh? Yeah uhm...thanks for that I just....want to play with others dont really need the attention..." he mutters quietly now reaching for a nearby hoodie. He quickly threw away the sweaty shirt , letting the new manager briefly look at his lean form, and his left arm had a sleeve tattoo. Whoever that hoodie was...most likely Petar's coz it was huge, he would put it on and just look away awkwardly.

"Is that all you wanted ?"

Malphas savored the view he was given, brief as it was, and smirked as the slender man tried to hide himself within a massive hoodie. Then he put on a somewhat hurt expression at Robert's question. "Have I really been such a poor manager that you want to get rid of me this quickly?"

He sat up from his spot and stood, nearly maxing out the height of the trailer. "I thought if there was only one member of the band that I could get along well with then it would have been you, Robert." He walked in a bit closer, having to duck his head in beneath the top of the doorframe. "If I have offended you somehow then please tell me."

#no leaving him alone #Malphas knows prime pet material when he sees it!

😳(whoever you think would be fun!)

( Had to roll wheel of names to decide on this and weeeellp...)

It was after the gig the adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, especially because he gave the fans a rare treat of preforming his own guitar solo. Something that the rest of the band kept pressing him on to do mainly because of his insane speed.

Still, back inside the tour bus the young man was more than happy to get rid of the sweaty shirt that stuck to his body, maybe he should take a shower...at that though he would sniff his arm. And just as he was about to unbutton his pants, Robert froze when he saw their new manager just lounging there....a blush crept on his cheek and out of instinct he did press the sweaty shirt against his chest.

"Uhm...do you need something?" he would ask carefully, blue eyes cautiously peeking behind the thick honey blond bangs.

Malphas gave Robert a creeping grin from his lounge spot. "Oh by all means don't stop on my account, Robert."

He sat up some. "I was merely coming by to tell you how good you looked on stage during your big solo. I hear it's a rare occurrence for you. It would be harder for me to believe were I not already familiar with the band. After all you clearly have the talent for it. Not that I'd wish to spoil something by making it too common but I'd love to see more of you."

His eyes glanced downwards to the shirt covering the guitarist's chest. "A lot more~" he added, voice practically dripping with suggestion.

#Poor Robert #Already becoming a target!

The factory was still pretty quiet, not because anyone in the room was impressed, mostly because everyone was trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with this guy.

Filip, the bass player, was first to break the silence. He eaned forward in the nearest folding chair, platinum hair falling into his eyes as he stared openly at Malphas. "…Did he just say Lord Malphas?" he was quiet for a moment, but then he pointed a finger at the guy. "Oh he's definitely a cult leader."

Petar, the drummer, immediately nodded in agreement. "Yeah..." everyone stared at him in surprise. He would just blink in response to the reaction. "What? Rich people don't talk like that."

Nikola finally barked out a laughter. "Thank you!" the guitarist once again turned to face the new second manager and their vocalist while she was still sipping the glass of champagne. "No seriously, Vanya. He drove up in a car worth more than this entire building, introduced himself like a fantasy novel villain, knows all our names before meeting us, and then says he'll help us become our true selves." okay maybe he knew their names from Boris, but he knew how their manager was protective at times...then again maybe??

Then Nikola would point a finger directly at Malphas. "You are either a billionaire, a cult leader, or a demon." his green eyes would narrow at him. "…Possibly all three."

Robert the second guitarist, who had been quietly feeding scraps of sandwich to a stray cat that had somehow wandered into the factory again, looked up. "To be fair…" everyone turned when he actually spoke louder than a whisper. The usually quiet young man simply shrug his shoulders and added. "If he's a demon, he's a very polite demon."

"ROBERT!" the other 3 guys yelled to which he actually yelled back. "What?!"

Vanya couldn't help laughing at this whole situation. She was still swirling the nearly empty glass in her hand. The champagne still lingered pleasantly in her system and, if she was being honest, so did the excitement. Something felt wrong about Malphas, not dangerous but interesting wrong. Like seeing lightning strike close enough to smell the ozone. Her brown eyes settled on him. "You know, most people try not to sound suspicious when they first meet a band." a wide grin spread across her lips. "You've somehow managed to make Nikola sound like the reasonable one."

That earned chorus of agreement among the bandmates. Nikola immediately pointed finger-guns at her. "THANK YOU."

Vanya rolled her eyes before looking back at Malphas. Because he knew a bit too much about them and she too doubted that Boris shared everything. And why did it feel like he was looking at all of them the way a gambler looked at a particularly interesting hand of cards?

Still Vanya remained smiling. She was still curious about few more things. "Alright, Lord Malphas."The title came out dripping with playful mockery. "You said you brought gifts.... show us then!" She spread her arms toward the rest of the band.

Nikola immediately raised a finger. "If the gift is matching robes, I'm leaving."

"And if it's a blood pact?" Filip asked. Petar looked extremely concerned when he posed his own question. "…Do we get snacks?"

Somewhere far away as if he had a sixth sense for the band bullshit Boris made a noise between a groan and a prayer.

Malphas laughed at the accusations. Technically all true, too. "Thank you, Robert. Although I should remind you all that lords do still very much exist, especially among families with some pedigree. Perhaps they might not typically be the type to take interest in a band like yours but I do pride myself on recognizing interesting people of all kinds. Though would you really hate it so much if I were all that?"

He turned back towards the car and briefly walked out of the warehouse for a few moments- the sound of the trunk opening and shutting followed by him appearing back inside with an assortment of items in tow.

"Sorry to disappoint you but I was fresh out of robes in your sizes."

Passing by Vanya he pressed a high-end, sharply angled electric guitar up against Nikola's chest, it had a few signs of long term use. "For our suspicious second in command..." As nicely made of a guitar as it was the real part of the gift came in the form of a signature on the body that read 'Dimebag Darrell'.

Moving over to Robert he handed him a small stack of papers. "As for you- I thought you might appreciate something a little more sentimental. So I took the liberty of making a few donations to some local animal shelters in your name. I imagine none of them would object to allowing their newest patron spending some time with the animals as well." The papers were filled with donation items from toys to food and various enrichment items. "Of course if you feel cheated then please do come to me," he added quietly.

Turning away to Filip he pulled out his phone as he approached. "Now assuming your suspicions aren't turning you away from my offerings, detective..." he turned the phone and showed an interior shot of their bus. It had been upgraded with a massive screen, speakers, and each new console. "Somewhat of a gift for the entire band but I imagine you might get some special enjoyment from it." He gave Filip a lingering smile before turning towards Petar.

"And as for you..." he said dropping a box of protein bars into his hand. Then swiped over on the phone to show another upgrade to the bus. A compact wall-mounted weight system. "I expect somebody like you might be able to appreciate something that allows you to isolate those back muscles. Among other things of course."

He turned away from them and took his place back beside Vanya and in front of Nikola. "I should point out that my aim is not to bribe you all with expensive gifts. Rather, I am just making things even- as Boris and I should not be the only ones to benefit from this arrangement."

Once again, for a few seconds nobody said anything, nobody dared just yet all of the young men were dumbfounded and stunned. This silence in the warehouse that usually echoed with sounds of their music, felt unnaturally quiet.

Then Nikola looked down at the guitar.....then back at Malphas....then back at the guitar.....then back at Malphas. "No..." Nikola pointed at the signature. "No. Absolutely not." His fingers tightened around the neck anyway. "You don't just casually hand someone a guitar signed by Dimebag Darrell." he stared at the signature in disbelief as if he was handed some sort of holy relic. Then he immediately hugged it protectively to his chest. "…It's evidence."

Filip snorted , entertained by the crash out from usually cool and collected lead guitarist. "Evidence of what?"

Nikola's eyes never left the guitar, as if he was scared it might vanish from his grasp if he does. "That he's trying to buy my trust." he pauses for a moment. "It's not working." another brief pause settles. "I'm keeping the guitar though."

"Of course you are~" Filip adds his little snide comment from the side. To which Nikola barks back at him " Shut up!"

Meanwhile Robert had quietly begun looking through the donation papers.The longer he read, the quieter he became. Unlike Nikola, he wasn't joking, these weren't random donations. The shelters listed were places he actually knew. Places he'd volunteered at. Places he'd mentioned only in passing during interviews years ago. One shelter he'd never even publicly discussed. His brows furrowed in suspicion.

"How…" Robert looked up from the papers to the new manager. Then down at the papers. Then up again. "…That's a lot of dog food."

Nobody expected that to be his first comment.

Naturally Filip was first to react with his dramatic groan. "Robert, that's your takeaway?" In respond the young guitarist would shrug his shoulders. "A lot of dogs are going to be happy." to that thought his expression does soften slightly. "Thank you..." then he would narrow his eyes. "…But it's still weird that you knew." For perhaps the first time since meeting him, Robert looked genuinely suspicious.

Petar meanwhile had already opened the protein bars, without the ounce of hesitation.

One wrapper hit the floor.

Then another.

Then another.

Vanya watched this unravel in amazement. "Petar...". He would turn to face her, his cheeks slightly stuffed like a giant hamster. "Yeah? ". She tries to hold back a laugh, takes a deep breath and asks him. "How many have you eaten?" . Petar looks down on the fallen wrappers and actually counts. "Four....". That actually lures a quiet chuckle from her "You got those ten seconds ago you big goof...." Innocently he would simply add to that. "They're really good."

But then, the drummers eyes were drawn to the phone image. The mounted weight system. The extra training equipment. His eyes lit up like Christmas morning. "Oh man..." a small grin tugs at his lips. "Oh, that's actually awesome."

In the background Nikola groaned, still hugging the guitar. "We lost him!". To which Petar simply nodded in agreement. "You lost me. "

Filip grabbed the phone from Malphas without permission. Of course he had to be bit of a diva and do things his way. He zoomed in on the upgraded bus. The giant screen.....The consoles.....The entertainment setup. His expression remained perfectly serious......for three whole seconds. Then he looked up, desperately trying to not like what he just saw. "…Okay, I hate how much I like this."

Nikola pointed dramatically already seeing the downfall of his bandmate incoming. "Stay strong!"

"I'm trying!"

"Think about the cult!"

"I AM THINKING ABOUT THE CULT!"

Filip looked back at the picture, a heavy sigh left his lips as he puts a hand across his eyes trying to block away the images.

"...The cult has excellent taste."

Vanya nearly choked laughing ,her band was hopeless. Truly and absolutely hopeless.One expensive guitar, some happy animals, video games, protein bars, and they'd folded faster than a cheap lawn chair. Well most of them. The redhead's attention drifted back to Malphas, while everyone else was distracted by gifts now. However, she wasnt well not entirely.

Because there was still one thing bothering her. He knew too much. Not in the way managers usually did. Things likes statistics, sales, schedules, music. This man knew people, the little details that they wouldnt let just anyone know. The things buried under years of interviews and offhand comments. The things most strangers forgot. Her brown eyes studied him carefully.

"You know…" she turns to face Malphas once again properly a wide smirk present upon her lips. "That speech about not wanting to bribe us would be a lot more convincing if you hadn't shown up carrying enough gifts to make Christmas jealous." she raises a singer fingertip to make a point before continuing. "But that's not what interests me."

She would gesture to each of the bandmates and the respectable gifts they have received. "How'd you know?"For once there was no teasing in her voice, just simple curiosity. "Gifts are easy." her gaze would lock with his without flinching. "Knowing people isn't." For the first time since arriving, Vanya wasn't looking at him like a rich eccentric.

She was looking at him like a puzzle.....and puzzles were one of her favorite things.

It all seemed to be going well. Suspicious as they might be they were all accepting his gifts and they all seemed to be a hit. He'd been at this sort of thing for a long, long time but it was still satisfying to see he was, in his opinion, a true master of knowing others. Somewhere inside of the true him his love for himself grew just a little bit more.

He turned his gaze towards Vanya as the others looked over their gifts and bickered among one each other. "Well, knowing people is one of my specialities. You could say I am far more interested in people than I am in... well... just about anything else. That sort of thing also just so happens to further my other ventures. Money and power are easy to come by- but people can have so much more to them. So call it a special interest of mine."

Malphas saw her interest and stared back, a somewhat smug grin on his face before he spoke a little more quietly. "You probably understand it better than the others. You don't seem to disagree with their suspicions but you also seem to have only become more interested once they started voicing all their theories. Of course I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter."

The factory was still pretty quiet, not because anyone in the room was impressed, mostly because everyone was trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with this guy.

Filip, the bass player, was first to break the silence. He eaned forward in the nearest folding chair, platinum hair falling into his eyes as he stared openly at Malphas. "…Did he just say Lord Malphas?" he was quiet for a moment, but then he pointed a finger at the guy. "Oh he's definitely a cult leader."

Petar, the drummer, immediately nodded in agreement. "Yeah..." everyone stared at him in surprise. He would just blink in response to the reaction. "What? Rich people don't talk like that."

Nikola finally barked out a laughter. "Thank you!" the guitarist once again turned to face the new second manager and their vocalist while she was still sipping the glass of champagne. "No seriously, Vanya. He drove up in a car worth more than this entire building, introduced himself like a fantasy novel villain, knows all our names before meeting us, and then says he'll help us become our true selves." okay maybe he knew their names from Boris, but he knew how their manager was protective at times...then again maybe??

Then Nikola would point a finger directly at Malphas. "You are either a billionaire, a cult leader, or a demon." his green eyes would narrow at him. "…Possibly all three."

Robert the second guitarist, who had been quietly feeding scraps of sandwich to a stray cat that had somehow wandered into the factory again, looked up. "To be fair…" everyone turned when he actually spoke louder than a whisper. The usually quiet young man simply shrug his shoulders and added. "If he's a demon, he's a very polite demon."

"ROBERT!" the other 3 guys yelled to which he actually yelled back. "What?!"

Vanya couldn't help laughing at this whole situation. She was still swirling the nearly empty glass in her hand. The champagne still lingered pleasantly in her system and, if she was being honest, so did the excitement. Something felt wrong about Malphas, not dangerous but interesting wrong. Like seeing lightning strike close enough to smell the ozone. Her brown eyes settled on him. "You know, most people try not to sound suspicious when they first meet a band." a wide grin spread across her lips. "You've somehow managed to make Nikola sound like the reasonable one."

That earned chorus of agreement among the bandmates. Nikola immediately pointed finger-guns at her. "THANK YOU."

Vanya rolled her eyes before looking back at Malphas. Because he knew a bit too much about them and she too doubted that Boris shared everything. And why did it feel like he was looking at all of them the way a gambler looked at a particularly interesting hand of cards?

Still Vanya remained smiling. She was still curious about few more things. "Alright, Lord Malphas."The title came out dripping with playful mockery. "You said you brought gifts.... show us then!" She spread her arms toward the rest of the band.

Nikola immediately raised a finger. "If the gift is matching robes, I'm leaving."

"And if it's a blood pact?" Filip asked. Petar looked extremely concerned when he posed his own question. "…Do we get snacks?"

Somewhere far away as if he had a sixth sense for the band bullshit Boris made a noise between a groan and a prayer.

Malphas laughed at the accusations. Technically all true, too. "Thank you, Robert. Although I should remind you all that lords do still very much exist, especially among families with some pedigree. Perhaps they might not typically be the type to take interest in a band like yours but I do pride myself on recognizing interesting people of all kinds. Though would you really hate it so much if I were all that?"

He turned back towards the car and briefly walked out of the warehouse for a few moments- the sound of the trunk opening and shutting followed by him appearing back inside with an assortment of items in tow.

"Sorry to disappoint you but I was fresh out of robes in your sizes."

Passing by Vanya he pressed a high-end, sharply angled electric guitar up against Nikola's chest, it had a few signs of long term use. "For our suspicious second in command..." As nicely made of a guitar as it was the real part of the gift came in the form of a signature on the body that read 'Dimebag Darrell'.

Moving over to Robert he handed him a small stack of papers. "As for you- I thought you might appreciate something a little more sentimental. So I took the liberty of making a few donations to some local animal shelters in your name. I imagine none of them would object to allowing their newest patron spending some time with the animals as well." The papers were filled with donation items from toys to food and various enrichment items. "Of course if you feel cheated then please do come to me," he added quietly.

Turning away to Filip he pulled out his phone as he approached. "Now assuming your suspicions aren't turning you away from my offerings, detective..." he turned the phone and showed an interior shot of their bus. It had been upgraded with a massive screen, speakers, and each new console. "Somewhat of a gift for the entire band but I imagine you might get some special enjoyment from it." He gave Filip a lingering smile before turning towards Petar.

"And as for you..." he said dropping a box of protein bars into his hand. Then swiped over on the phone to show another upgrade to the bus. A compact wall-mounted weight system. "I expect somebody like you might be able to appreciate something that allows you to isolate those back muscles. Among other things of course."

He turned away from them and took his place back beside Vanya and in front of Nikola. "I should point out that my aim is not to bribe you all with expensive gifts. Rather, I am just making things even- as Boris and I should not be the only ones to benefit from this arrangement."

Associates right, it meant he had money and connections. She would rose a brow at him smirking a bit, something was telling her that he was going to treat them as a fun little project. Maybe it will be a short term thing, maybe they will last longer but in the mean time well...she and the guys will reap the benefits he is offering so generously.

Just as he was mentioning what he had in store, she already sniffed out the mini fridge and did not hold back onto grabbing a bottle of champagne, going as far as to pour a glass for him as well. "I aint that shy dont worry, not gonna say no to a lil bit of spoiling " with that she does dramatically flick her red hair and takes a big sip from the glass.

Fuck this shit was fancy......she better make sure guys dont drink all of it in a day.

The car sled through the streets and Vanya was honestly enjoying herself a bit too much. It wasnt too long when they finally arrived to the old factory they were using as a temporary rehearsal place. "Welp, you got me on your side mister Manager, hope you still got enough swag for the guys too " with a wink she would step out of the car and already there was an echo of drums, guitars and base coming from the concrete box of a building, the band was already deep in practice even without their vocalist.

Vanya would lead him inside while humming the tune already familiar with the song they were playing by heart. In one of the larger rooms that had some old machinery and improvise old furniture for them to relax there were 4 guys....all of them were the typical image of a metal band. Long haired, ripped second hand clothing, passion in eyes and sweat rolling off the foreheads.

When they did notice Vanya and the new manager they all stopped all cautiously staring. The first to speak was naturally the lead guitarist Nikola, his long brown hair was tied in half bun, green slightly sleep depraved eyes narrowed at the guy next to Vanya. "Is that the suit who wants to tame us? " he asked bluntly while taking off his guitar carefully letting it rest on the nearby wooden chair as she take a step closer.

"Hm, why do I get the feeling you want our souls or something like that? " he asked with arms crossed, while other 3 like skittish cats still remained on the side for now.

Malphas accepted the glass of champagne and swallowed it down with little hesitation, there was plenty more where it came from. Besides which, alcohol was one of the first vices that ran its course with him a long time ago. It did little for him now though he was more than happy to enjoy its effects on others.

Pulling up to the factory the car eventually slowed to a stop and the doors opened, Malphas casually tossing his glass out the door before stepping out. Once inside he looked across the rest of the band with a grin- especially enjoying Nikola's suspicion. He looked down at him and let him get his looks in before responding, "Oh, well if you're offering them I certainly wouldn't refuse~ Of course that might put my gifts for you to shame. But first if you will allow me to introduce myself: I am your new co-manager, Malphas. Lord or President Malphas if you are feeling particularly formal."

The disguised demon glanced to the others in the back. "And of course I have no intention of forcing you to change. Rather I am here to ensure you will not have to restrict yourselves for Boris' sake- or for anybody else's for that matter. Think of me as the means to be more yourselves than ever before." He glanced between them and settled his eyes back on Vanya. "Any taming will be strictly voluntary."

Once more he looked to the guitarist, eyes narrowing at him slyly, "As I mentioned, Nikola, I brought something for you all. Would you like to see?" He didn't wait for introductions to mention the man's name, he knew them all. Whether from Boris or from his own research who could say?

Vanya remained smug, going as far as to shrug her shoulders at his scoff, faking offense. He was a bit dramatic wasnt it? Well damn, that only meant he would fit in their little group like a missing piece of the puzzle they did not realize they were missing until it showed itself from hidden spot on the table.

So when he did open the door for her, she did strut outside like a true diva she was. The moment her eyes laid upon the sleek black car, it dawned upon her that this shit was real, more real than she would bet her voice on. He really was selling his services here, she already bought them of course, it just needed time to settle down. For a fraction of second she does hesitate, but the dare devil in her pushed her forward to step in the Charon and make herself at home.

"Shiiiitt.....alright this is fancier than most tour buses we rode in....and smashed in " a small grin tugs at her lips remembering how many bus roofs she dented in. Good times truly.

"Guys gonna raid your mini fridge if you got one in here, a fair warning~"

Malphas had to admit he thought she was going a different direction at mentioning 'smashing in' a bus. Only slightly disappointing but at least it meant she liked his car.

"It's a custom model I had built by one of my... associates... in the industry. I always did enjoy things that are truly unique. It's part of what drew me to your band after all."

He crossed his leg and leaned back in his seat, spread out wide as if on the roomiest throne on the planet. "Well it's there to be used, isn't it? I won't tell on you~" he said with a small grin.

The car made its way through the streets and around the town towards the abandoned factory. "Help yourself if you wish. It's mostly champagne but I do have some beer in stock for my more down to earth guests. Of course you five will need to let me know your preferences so I can have you each taken care of."

Vanya maybe reckless and prone to choosing dangerous routes, she did felt the unusual heat from his hand. There was small nagging voice of reason in the back of her head, telling her to be careful. However, she rarely listened to it fully, sure she will do her best to be cautious and ready to throw hands, but why not enjoy the ride while still breathing?

The grin never left her lips, she was already thrilled about this little deal.

"Nah that aint happening anytime soon big guy " she flips her red hair like a true diva she was. "But hey you are lucky we actually have a rehearsal today at our usual spot~" which was an abandoned old brick factory that they were using for great acoustics!

"So you get a ride for us or do I need to call a cab?"

He chuffed as if the idea were almost a joke. "That would be quite the show of my ability, wouldn't it? Making all these promises then having you call us a taxi," he said amused. "I have it taken care of, I assure you. Follow me."

Malphas started towards the door and opened it, waiting for Vanya to go out first. It wasn't much of a walk to the front of the hotel- and waiting in front of the door was a sleek, waxed black car with its rear doors open and waiting. A shiny stylized emblem that said 'Charon' was mounted on the side.

He offered for Vanya to enter before getting into the back himself, the door closing shut once he was inside. Without any prompting the car began to drive itself seemingly in the direction of their rehearsal spot. "I suppose it is somewhat of a cab per se. But far better to own one yourself than to have to share it."

She couldnt resist but grin, it was almost animalistic she loved music with all her heart, but also she did live for the adrenaline rush. So, music mixed with fighting always had her blood pumping, reckless as some would call, but Vanya always thought to herself that life was not worth living if not fully!

Why did it feel like they were gonna make a deal that might bite her in the ass in future? Was the price that she did not know just yet....worth for going in all blazes? Her dark brown eyes narrowed at him, but he could see the spark in them.

"Fuck it...." she mutters with a small chuckle escaping her lips. The redhead would suddenly stand up and offer him her palm as to shake hands. "You got yourself a hell of a band to deal with then, hope you wont be having any regrets Mister Fan Manager~"

Sealing an agreement was always a special thrill for Malphas, no matter how many times he'd managed to do it. He stood up off the chair, took her hand in his and gave it a shake- the intense heat of his body seeping through into her skin on contact. There were some aspects of these projections that were just too much effort to deal with controlling and body heat was one of them. Besides, he did enjoy leaving some subtle hints about his true self behind when he was in disguise.

"Fantastic. My only regrets will be if you all decide to go straight after all this. I should like to meet with the others at some point as well- though I imagine you might want to have a meeting of your own beforehand. I can meet you all at once or individually- as you prefer. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other regardless."

Fuck, she was slowly getting excited herself, maybe it was his grin or how he was in a way taunting her to bet on the chaos. Aaaahh damn it, she thought to herself. "Heh, a big ass festival, we are an opening act for another much bigger band but the thing is....one of our rivals are there, fuckers keep trying to spread rumors we are stealin shit from em' which aint true" she points her finger at him, going as far to poke his chest with her sharp nail.

A wide grin of her crosses her lips at the thought of the upcoming festival, they have been preparing for it for the last 3 months! "Last time we got to meet those fuckers, things were ugly.....Boris did handle it but echh....you could say we lost more money then we actually earned " she would scoff in annoyance, since it did slow down on the process of making their upcoming album.

"We did promise him we are going to try and be....reasonable buuut......it depends on em' if they push too far well fuck in that case I cant say if we can keep our word "

There it was. A connection at last. His smile grew a touch wider as she poked his chest and mentioned them being primed for something to happen.

"Ooooh," he said teasingly. "Well you could hardly be blamed if... they were the ones to start something. It would only make sense that they might, too, considering your history."

He crossed a leg casually and leaned into his hand on the armrest. "If you... say.... wanted... something to happen..." he grinned a little more wickedly. "Well let's just say that fortune is on your side now."

His mind was already working with possibilities. Ones that enabled plenty of the chaos that he and the band so enjoyed as well as allowed him to reel Boris in closer to him as well despite all of it. The opportunities that drew him to them in particular were already beginning to reveal themselves.

He really was trying to stir her up, no no bad idea , she took a slow deep breath regaining her composure. Tho she too grinned back at him, just not in amusement but rather pissed off and annoyed, because of promise she made she really was doing her best to hold back as much as possible.

A small snort does escape her when he does mention Boris being protective of them, despite all the bullshit they put him through oftentimes. Again, even if he was making a very strong offer, hell he was not even going to stand in their way but instead clear it.....things were all to perfect, and that fact alone was nagging here.

You cant have something, for nothing. "Alright mister fan manager, how bout we see if you actually fill your end of the deal by end of the month. Boris probably told ya we are having a gig next week, shit will go down most likely. I wanna see you there... " she leans forward to him as she bares her teeth at him in a wide grin.

" Lets see just how well you fit with out chaos, guys wont hold back, neither will I "

"Oh? And just what exactly will go down next week?" he asked, eyes narrowing and his smile creeping a little wider. "Don't tell poor Boris but I admit I do love a bit of chaos. As I said, I'm here to amplify the band. Both in your musical abilities and in your... off-stage life."

Of course their antics were a main draw of why he enjoyed them so much. Their reckless behavior that, with a little guidance, could become something truly wonderful. He was almost giddy with the excitement of what they could get up to when they didn't have to worry so much about things like consequences.

The fact that it would make him all the more necessary for Boris was a nice bonus.

He nodded enthusiastically as he crouched down to be at a better level for conversation, his servos resting on his knees as his pupils were wide with curiosity. It gave him an almost puppy-like expression when coupled with how his helm tilted to the side.

"Captain? Nah, he works at, uh.. What's it called.. Kidnergarden? Something like that! He's good with kids. They love hearin' his stories!" He gave a few nods again to emphasize his statement. How interesting it is for a fearsome pirate to work with kids as a glorified babysitter..

...did he just say his pirate captain works at a kindergarten?

Of all the pathetic things he's encountered in his eons of life...

"...so I see," he responded. He looked across at the strangely cute looking robot who was now roughly at eye level with him. "So. What is a handsome machine such as yourself doing here- allegedly away from any food delivery routes. Surely there's more to you than meets the eye."

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