oddsandends | 2nd ♫ | come on let go of the remote

Arcana - The Chariot
When it's healthy, the Chariot stands for self-confidence and self-assertion. It's not bad to look out for your own interests and to get what you want. Competing against others and coming out on top, too, can be a perfectly healthy and natural thing.

Of course, this being Satanick, the Chariot comes out in all the worst ways. His ego is overblown and he loves controlling others and kicking them around.

Dungeon
The dungeon resembles Satanick's own castle, with one notable difference (aside from the Shadows around, obviously). The walls are covered in portraits: big ones, small ones, recognizable ones and ones of people long dead. Some of them are faded, but all of them are still clear enough to make out the features on.

None of them are of Satanick himself.

Shadow
Satanick's Shadow is dressed more modestly than his usual self: no capes, no bows, just a regular black suit. He speaks much more calmly and seriously than his regular self does, none of that whining or sing-song tones that Satanick does purposefully to annoy.

In short, what Satanick would absolutely hate to admit the most is that he cares about people. For a lot of reasons. The fact that it goes against his image and projected personality is one of them, but a more pressing reason is that devils are extremely long-lived and extremely difficult to off. Demons, humans, everyone else... not so much, especially in a violent world like the one he rules over. Satanick will likely outlive both his wife and his child by a great deal, as well as most other demons he's become attached to. And humans? Don't even mention how tiny their lifespans are.

There could be another war with the local God and angels at any time. Satanick's relationship with Fumus isn't that bad at this moment, but that's comparatively speaking. If war does break out, Satanick's well aware that any demon he knows could be killed. He'll do his best to minimize casualties, of course, but wouldn't it be easier just to not care?

Except he can't. It's impossible. It's only possible to put up a show of not caring, of being a simple-minded person who only is interested in sex and other games. He's very good at that mask, he's fooled his son. In a way, he's almost fooled himself.

The berserk Shadow Satanick resembles a giant red-and-shadowy Devil that looks stereotypical, maybe even a bit cartoonish. It also hits like a freight train.

Persona - Nirrta
This being a Devil, his Persona is suitably powerful and imposing - Nirrta, the male aspect of the Hindu goddess Nirrti. Gods of destruction, death, and decay. Very nasty.

He's still not a nice person. He just happens to care about a few people now and then.

Edited 2015-05-01 21:49 (UTC)

[ He's been here before.

- Of course he's been here before, what a stupid thought. It's the demon's castle. He's been here more times than he can count, none of them by choice, so he shouldn't be at all surprised, really, to find himself here again.

It's just that it hadn't had all those portraits on the walls before.

He can't say he's ever paid particular attention to the demon's choice of decor, but he would have at least noticed if last time these had been covering the walls of every single hallway, or at least every one he's poked his head into. Far be it from him to judge the demon for deciding to redecorate - he judges him for quite enough already, no point adding even more to the list - but why portraits? Who are these people?

There doesn't seem to be much of a common thread, either, he notes as he makes his way down the hallway, peering at each portrait with vague interest. All sorts of species and genders are represented, including several he doesn't have names for, and while many of the subjects are reasonably attractive, just as many are nothing much to look at. Really, the only thing they all have in common is that none of them is the demon himself - which is odd, really, because that's what Valmont would have expected him to have plastered his walls with. Speaking of whom, where is he? He usually at least does Valmont the courtesy of actually being there when he summons...

That is a portrait of him.

He stops dead in his tracks, staring up at, well, himself. He doesn't recall ever posing for this portrait, which probably made it a lot harder to paint, but the likeness is undeniably his. And the artist has captured him quite flatteringly too, although, he notes, tilting his head critically, they have rather made his nose a bit too big.

The artistry does not, however, make the fact that the demon has a portrait of him, created without his knowledge, hanging in this absurd art gallery any less insanely creepy.

Tearing his eyes away and mentally marking the portrait's location, just in case, he makes off down the hallway at a much brisker pace. He's going to find the demon, and he's going to figure out what the hell is going on with his interior decorating. ]

[Valmont has seen Satanick's throne room before - no better place for a Devil to feel grandiose and self-important - but it has never yet had two Satanicks in it. At least, not to his knowledge.

Both Satanicks snap their attention to him when he enters. The one dressed more plainly is the first to speak:] Oh, good, you seem like you're fine. I hope nothing out there gave you any trouble.

[While normally Satanick would have delivered that as sarcastic at best, he sounds entirely genuine.

The Satanick in his usual cape and bows actually looks annoyed, for once.] Would you get out?

[ Well. There's two of him now.

Valmont takes a long moment to look from one to the other and back again. Two Satanicks, and one of them's even going so far as to attempt to butter him up. It doesn't take a genius to figure out where this is going. ]

We are not having a threesome -

[ Wait, what did the other one just say? ]

Excuse me? You're the one who brought me here!

[The normal-ish Satanick looks at him like he's an idiot.]

Why would I want to be near this guy any longer than I had to? He's good-looking, but that's it. Anyway, I didn't bring you here.

[The golden-eyed other Satanick, meanwhile, shakes his head.] I wasn't responsible for it, either. I wouldn't expose you to that kind of danger on purpose, I like you too much for that.

[ Well, he is an idiot, but it's not an unreasonable conclusion to have drawn. Satanick = sex, so more Satanick = more sex, right? Except not, apparently, which is weird. He's pretty sure this is his first interaction with the demon that hasn't involved trying (and usually succeeding) to get into his pants. What's his (their?) game this time?

At their mutual denial of his accusation, he merely scoffs. ]

Well, I certainly didn't sprout wings and fly here, did I? One of you must have done it, and that one is going to send me back right now, or -

[ Wait. He stares at the yellow-eyed Satanick, not quite sure he's heard that last bit correctly. Sure, he knows the demon likes sleeping with him - it would be a bit difficult not to know that by now - but he can't remember him ever expressing any kind of genuine fondness toward him, personally. It's kind of freaking him out. ]

I'm sorry, you what?

I like you. As genuinely and really as I can like someone, I really do.

[Satanick is glaring fiercely at his double now, but the Shadow ignores him for the moment.]

I like people who are stubborn and don't just let me walk all over them. I like people who have indomitable spirits no matter what happens to them. I like you, Valmont.

But of course I'll never admit it, because that would be a weakness, wouldn't it?

[ ...This has officially crossed over into REALLY WEIRD territory. ]

Y- you - like -

[ It makes sense, actually, in an impossibly stupid kind of way. Obnoxious and terrible as the demon is, Valmont's sure he could find someone who was actually willing to sleep with him. Why keep coming back to Valmont, if not out of some twisted sense of affection? It might even be oddly touching, if he cared, which he doesn't.

So he chooses not to acknowledge it directly. Instead, he turns his confused glare on the other Satanick, who seems to be talking a bit more sense right now, at least. ]

What is he on about? What was that about weakness? And for that matter, do you want to tell me how there came to be two of you in the first place? I would have thought one was bad enough!

Ignore him, he's talking nonsense. I mean, me, care about anyone? That's ridiculous, totally impossible~ He's just a-

[The other Satanick is the one to explain.] I am a Shadow, the true self. The parts of him that he won't accept exist. Neither him nor I know exactly how he got here, in this world, but I assure you, we didn't choose to be here or to bring you here.

[ A Shadow? The true self?

This is some sort of stupid demon thing, isn't it. Some life cycle thing they go through, like molting, except instead of shedding your skin you shed a slightly less obnoxious version of yourself. Well, whatever the hell it is, he's wound up right in the middle of it. Because of course he has. ]

I assume that last bit means you won't be able to send me back, then, either.

[ He's not sure which of the two to direct that question at, so he just kind of addresses the empty space between them. ]

Which would mean I'm trapped here. With you. Both of you.

[ He's trying to keep calm, but he can't stop his voice rising a bit at the end there. Being trapped with one Satanick would have been bad enough. This is not okay. ]

I'm sorry.

[Again, genuinely contrite, and this time Satanick sends an even sharper glare his way.]

It's not my fault, I don't know what you want from me. You have nothing worth complaining about, see, you're all in one piece.

[ Satanick's apologizing. To him. He might need to sit down. Can he maybe forget about the original and just keep this one?

- No, what the hell, where did that come from? He doesn't want to keep any version of the demon, even if it is a version that actually treats him with some respect for a change. And even if he did want to, it doesn't look like he has any sort of say in which one sticks around. ]

I'd consider having to spend any significant length of time around you something worth complaining about - what do you mean, in one piece? Is that supposed to be a threat?

[ He's definitely getting worried now. As previous experience has shown, his odds against one four-armed demon, let alone two, are not incredibly good. ]

No, no, just an observation. You're completely fine, and I'm magnificent, so you should be happy~

You know he won't be in one piece for very long. He'll die and leave you. Everyone will die and leave you, humans and demons, your wife an your child, everyone. That's why you try never to get attached.

...Quiet.

Satanick | Mogeko

did you order an unnecessarily long tag

Valmont I hate to break it to you about your nose also I don't have a good icon set for this

don't you start with him ok also do you want more icons

it would be a waste he's not in a game :<

(puts down wallet sadly)

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/internal screaming

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