#the shadowfiend; the hanged man: daniel thalis

[lcgerdemain]

Daniel The Shadow Fiend/ Daniel the Hanged Man

There’s frankly two different versions of Daniel Thalis. With Daniel the Hanged Man being part of @automaton-otto‘s Otto!verse as the Hanged Man of the Court of Tarot, and Daniel the Shadow Fiend being the original version (revamp) that mostly sticks to the universe that the same mun also runs in @godfrey-industries, which would also be my Canon Timeline for my storyline. Though with the Shadow Fiend, he isn’t necessarily tied to anything with Edward anymore, Hanged Man still has the connection through the Bloom infestation. The Shadow Fiend could still be considered evil, but more of the anti-hero “I’m not here to save anyone I’m here on my own agenda” sorta thing. It’s not the right thing he’s doing, its whatever he wants to do. 

Hanged man of course is a very different thing with him being saved, given help, sanctuary and retaught important life lessons, He has a much more apparent moral compass, though it tends to be drowned out by the more obvious rude and combatant complex he tends to keep due to past trauma.

Hanged man’s story actually begins where the Shadow Fiend’s story hit it’s apex. Where he confronts his father, however instead of killing him, Daniel found out he has a little sister that his father mistreats as well and by his unbelievable sheer willpower he sacrificed himself rather than let the bloom controlling him kill his father, and the card of the Hanged Man saved him. Though at a cost. A burst of light and a voice called to him to take the card, and in bonding to it, the bloom was ripped from him though in his fighting back he’d consumed part of it, keeping his shadow powers. The bloom found refuge in his father as he escaped with his little sister, becoming runaways on top of him wanted for kidnapping. It’s only months later when he’s taken in by the court and given to Bonnie and Imelda (wheel of Fortune and Strength respectively) of whom adopted them both while Daniel came under Bonnie’s tutelage.

The Hanged Man also has a team he leads, and most of the time many on the outside looking in see him and his team as a bunch of misfits slapped together by King (The World) leader of the court of Tarot in order to combat the Bloom infestation.

[lcgerdemain]

Origins: The Shadow Fiend

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Messing with Voodoo magic stuff really likely won't fix my issue, Nia..." Daniel murmurs sitting sickly within his college apartment, hugging a blanket around his shoulders as he was freezing and shivering. It'd come back after several years of being sick free. His throat felt dry no matter the amount of liquid he drank, his Lungs ached with every breath he took. Daniel should've just ignored his eccentric roommate. When he gets like this, it's only a uphill battle to stay alive, a lethal attempt without high end medical aid in a hospital. He would watch his swahili friend mixing herbs in her mortar and pestle, eyeing it's increasingly goopy texture nervously. "Don't you worry Daniel, I called my father for help. You have somethin' real bad inside you. But once that friend of his gets here from New Orleans, we should be able to help you get through life freer." She reassures him. Though she didn't know much on this man, her father swore by him, trained under him as well. Nia fully understood as well that this may be his last chance of getting help from this sickness.

Daniel coughed, hacking and shaking as he did, feeling frail and wheezing as he felt his ribcage ache as well now from the coughing. his dulled blue eyes with pinkish film over them dragged themselves up to look to Nia. "I should really be going to a hospital instead of waiting for the inevitable..." sweat beaded on his forehead causing his pale white hair to stick to it. "He'll be here any minute, you'll see Danny, we can make you better than ever before." She would reply with her back still turned to him. He would look down at his phone beside him, it was vibrating and showing the name "Uncle Al" on the screen. Then it would end again to show four missed calls and a variety of texts from the same number and a few related numbers. If he waited too much longer they might come bust the door down to the apartment to check in on him. All the way from New York even. Another wrenching cough came to his lips and he covered his mouth again. His thoughts lingered towards the concept of death. The thing he'd been running from for so long. How he could name a few people who wouldn't mind seeing him just stop breathing. Give up. He'd come way too far... fought for every heartbeat and breath he could take each day to get to where he was... he wouldn't give up.

He refused to.

Nia would turn back to him with a wood bowl that she'd poured what he'd deemed to be something along the lines of what some women would use for "facials". "Drink up. It will clear your lungs and throat." She said bringing it forward. Daniel shivered. He could recall many a time when he'd been told to take something with a variety of colors between each substance. Yet, something so... vomit colored he would consider to be among the odder things he'd been made to consume. "If this kills me because you put something in it... I'll haunt you." He grumbles lowly before shakily taking it and knocking it back the best he could, trying to press his tongue down against his bottom jaw to prevent tasting too much of it. It tasted about as well as it looked. Bitter, sour, minty, slightly sweet, spicy, he almost felt like someone stuffed a handful of evergreen bristles into his mouth. His stomach liked it even less. It churned and bubbled, threatening to send it right back up on him. 'No, no keep it down...' Daniel thought willing himself to suppress the urge to heave. After several minutes, it did subside, and some of the ache and horrible tightness did ease some within him. "See? You should do better to listen to me. I know what I'm doing." She beamed at him, while Daniel return her remark with a bit of a glare. He hated her bubbly personality, She was so certain of herself, of the idea she could change the world, change his rather pessimistic views on it all, admirable sure.... but unrealistic. He'd been through too much to believe her now.

Augustin walked with a grin, his hat's brim just covering his gaze as he strode down the street heading towards the complex address his dear acolyte had give him. Such a giving little being to offer up someone else as tribute for more power. A giggle passed through his lips. If the little human was as dilapidated as explained, then it should be simple to take his soul... His acolyte didn't seem to mind the idea of the girl who asked for help being up for grabs either. He pondered this colder northern city. So full and bustling. Yet the soul to it was much different from the warmer southern cities he was used to. His cane clicked the concrete as he pressed forward with each step and each swing of that cane. He could already sense the sickness... third floor... second window over. His green slitted eyes looked up towards it in thought. Best to keep appearances for now and simply take the stairs. Coming to the entrance of the complex, he would reach up one black gloved hand and press the buzzer for apartment 3H. Over the comes his deep thick accented voice would reach Nia who answered from the other end. "Bonjou cheri, I've come to see the ti gason malad~" With a moment's pause, a ring would sound and the door would click unlocked. His grin grew just a little bit wider at the invitation.

Mr. Theriot took only an hour or two of what sounded like conversing with Nia in their native tongue for things to be "set up." Ruined a perfected good living room set up really is all that Daniel felt about it. This was starting to feel more and more like some kinda satanic cult type stuff and his lungs only felt worse in the time it took for them to finish. "This doesn't look safe." He'd comment, being brushed off by Nia for one with her shrug and bouncy hop following after the man as she had been like an absolute golden retriever the entire time. She was too trusting, perhaps too sheltered he felt. "Thank you so much for helping Monsieur Theriot. I admit, I wasn't too sure about this since I don't know my father very well. But you've been so cordial in this matter." Ah, and there it is. Daniel's scowl drew longer. From the first day he'd met her he knew there had to be something, she was entirely too trusting and bubbly and everything to have a really good home life. Sometimes people just are genuinely upbeat people. But other times... you just get this feeling that it isn't real. He hadn't felt it'd been genuine the entire time he'd known her. "Of course cher, now, lets get him on this table here 'n we can begin getting move bagay yo outta him." Mr Theriot replied. That was another thing he didn't like. Not a hello, not a single word in his direction, Nia had spoken his name several times... yet he made no acknowledgment of him as a person. Daniel would press his back further into the seat wincing in pain somewhat as he was still no better than before... He understood he was dying, constantly in fact. Doctors all over New York advising his parents that he wasn't worth the treatment all the time. To just... let go. But he kept fighting back because he wanted to live. Finish college, get a job, live a life he wanted to live. Death will take a back seat no matter how hard it tried to tear him down.

However even he had his limits on what he'd do to combat his sickness.

Augustin would come for him, move to take Daniel by the arm and lift him, only to find him stiff and glaring. "Is there something wrong?" He would ask lightly. "Now you decide it's worth talking to me?" The boy before him growled. Seems he's a little more stubborn than he appeared. "You didn't seem to want to speak, I wouldn't push things I didn't think would be worth the venture." He would reply simply, offering again to help him up, the response of Daniel yanking his arm back proving amusing for the moment to him. "Danny, what's wrong? He's only trying to help." Nia would intervene with a huff, that sweet demeanor of hers, that sweet ignorant demeanor. "You're investing too much trust in someone you don't know." He replied lowly, having about had it with the manners and cordial behavior and seemingly unprovoked helpfulness or at least minimally provoked help. He'd never met a man that was willing to just do something from the bottom of his heart.

While this was all going on, Augustin's patience was beginning to wear thin. The moon's light was almost in the perfect position to reflect onto the circle he'd drawn onto the floor of this disgusting living space of theirs. While thoroughly amused someone here seemed even a little bit tuned into the situation, more so than the level of attentiveness he normally gave most northerners, he couldn't remain amused for long. "Look child, I didn't come up here to simply back out now." He would tell him calmly, finally clasping a hand around his wrist once he caught the nimble thin thing and began to pull him up. But he felt like he was dragging up a very young alligator up from it's freshly made nest with how the boy thrashed in his grip, hissing and demanding his freedom. It didn't matter really the level of defiance this one had. He wanted this soul, these souls. and he was by far the simpler one he could obtain it from he figured. So frail, just the right sort of jostling and he was coughing all over again. It was all too easy too to convince this little lady that he was there to help, to invoke greater powers to help the boy.

It was at this point Nia began to question what was going on. Why was Mr. Theriot getting agitated about his hesitancy. Daniel all the time seemed to be the cause of fights or heated arguments, though after she managed to get him talking, who could blame him? He'd never had anyone talk to, even with the people that did genuinely care. Not to mention here at college he didn't have any of them to fall back on anyway. She'd resolved to be his friend, to help him no matter how angry or verbally rude he got. It was like a scared cornered cat in her school apartment. You just had to give him time. However, he'd never seen him react this violently to someone else like this. Verbal was one thing, but at this moment he was all but clawing at the other's hand on him, panic in his eyes as he was brought to their dinner table that'd been shoved to the center of the living area. She moved to come forward, to intervene, but fear stole over her as Mr. Theriot's eyes darted up to her, as if in warning for her to stay. Those were not the kind eyes she'd looked into before. "Wait, aren't we helping Daniel...?" She'd ask, still trying to steel herself enough to step towards them as the man now nearly through the frailer one onto the table. "Helping is but one word for it, cher." He would reply, snapping his hand back as he'd mistakenly allowed his grip to loosen for just a moment and within it, Daniel wrenching his hand up and biting down ferociously onto it.

In his moment of freedom Daniel attempted to roll off the table and scramble away. Nothing about this was ok. It infuriated him that only now was Nia actually speaking out, that realized something was off. For all her good will and bright personality how stupid could this girl be in "Helping him"? A cackle erupted from the other man as he swung with his other hand and gripped Daniel's shoulder, shoving him back down onto the table flat on his back. His lungs felt squeeze from the rush, a hard cough erupting from him again as he tried to shove the bigger man off, kicking and flailing under his weight. "Now now, there's no need to fight." Mr.Theriot would say as the visage of a reasonable man fell away, with pointed ears and equally pointed teeth. this sharp eyed man was no human to be sure. "Get off me! Get the fuck off!" Daniel wailed kicking again, noting the hand he bit being raised, drops of darker color blood dripping down onto the floor making the circle glow in equal measure to the moonlight that enveloped it. The shadows around the room seemingly growing darker, eyes upon them now as they closed in. Nia, fearful to being touched by one now stepped within the glowing circle. "Reye kalm ti trete mwen an... They hurt much more when you fight." Mr. Theriot replied, holding him firmly in his grasp as a blade was drawn from a pocket within his vest. A bejeweled dagger that eerily felt as dark as the shadows enclosing around them.

Daniel watched in horror as the dagger was raised above him, the man speaking some kind of gibberish that he couldn't understand but it made those shadows dance and begin intruding into the circle, it's light being encompassed by the dark. Giggles and hyena like laughter being heard now around them. "No, No I don't want to die! Stop!" He shrieked giving another hard kick trying to thrash out of his grip. Nia looked to them only now realizing how much she'd messed up in allowing this to happen. This was no ritual to help Daniel. This would kill him! Rushing forward she cried out grabbing onto the man's other arm as it came down, dragging it away from it's intended mark of Daniel's heart, but thrust it forward too far and sliced right through Daniel's neck. "No, no!" She gasped, watching Daniel's eyes go wide and mouth agape in a silent scream, neither able to process what had happened. "Tsk, tsk, if you had just let me do what was intended cher... this wouldn't have been so messy and painful." Mr. Theriot would say, watching now as the opening allowed the shadows to surge forward and inward, Nia scrambling back in horror to the sight. So much darkness digging into him, curling around him like some writhing hungry beast with it's caught prey. "W-What have we done? What have I done?" Nia murmured shaking. This has gone so horribly wrong. She asked for help, why would her father send someone here to hurt him? "It will be the same thing you will find yourself in as soon as I take the soul from the remains. Se jis bisnis li apre tout." He chuckled watching the sight unfold.... But as it went, he noticed something... something wrong about this. This he'd done so many times now, the spirits he calls would devour the shadow first, as they had done here, then the body to leave the soul. It was happening... he could see the glints of the soul peeking through as they went, but in a manner of speaking, they couldn't seem to unravel again from it.

Everything went black, from the moment he felt that slice across his throat the darkness rolling over his sight as he tried to process what occurred. It felt like something wriggled and squeezed around his numbing form, like a snake curled around him and eating at him bit by bit. Is this how it would happen? Is this really how he was going to go? After all the pain and misery and beatings and belittlement... After fighting and screaming and thrashing for every minute of life he could afford? Daniel felt cold, So very cold, and his consciousness lingered on that as he considered it. Letting go. Letting whatever was done to him drag him down finally so he could just sleep. Giggling little voices swirled around him, egging him on. For what? It was obvious he was dead. The voices echoed, "dead, yes dead very dead, hehehe~" His soul quivered within him... or what remained of him. This was terrifying. He can't be dead. Daniel didn't want to die yet. The darkness suddenly felt tense around his form... was it still there? He couldn't tell anymore. It didn't matter. He didn't want to die yet. He refused to die yet. He fought too long and too hard to just sit there and DIE. His lungs didn't hurt anymore but he could feel as if he were taking a deep breath and forced out the loudest angriest scream he'd ever let loose, feeling beginning to return to him vaguely, the ability to move. The voices changed, merged as they squealed but couldn't escape him. They ate him, he knew it now. So he would EAT THEM. They became his voice, echoing in unison with him as he wailed, jerking and writhing on the table. All that darkness, it finally began to clear and give him vision again, the drowning feeling he had from it receding as he grasped at it and dragged it inward with a crazed thought of amusement. Laughter he could hear erupting from his throat as he found the ability to sit up and look to the other two presences beside him. "You tricked us." Daniel's voice growled out, echoing with the shadows that still were dissolving against his reforming body, glowing red eyes staring dead at Mr. Theriot. He grinned at the shocked expression on his face.

Nia stared in horror at this scene. This was her fault. She killed her friend. Her sickly, depressed, pessimistic friend who just needed someone he could genuinely trust. Now look at him. A mass of darkness had all but eaten him up, with the intention of leaving nothing behind. Then it became even worse. The mass squirmed, and shifted, fluctuating as if thrashing upon the table before the visage of the man she knew lurched up against the darkness, letting out a twisted, echoing, maddened scream that sounded nothing of her friend from before. "Bon Gras, kisa ou ban mwen? What is this man?" Mr. Theriot hissed out having come and grabbed her up by her wrist, wrenching her up to force her gaze to him, Nia unable to respond before the sickening echoed voice of Daniel came through to both of them, his body could almost be picked out now within the mass of shadows that slowly seemed to be compressing against him, no... withdrawing would be the better concept. Something unholy occurred within this apartment. Something against that of very creation. Nia felt sick to her stomach watching this monster swing his legs off the table and begin to stand, the lights of the apartment flickering around them as the table cracked while his hands left it.

…… Three Years later….

Daniel Thalis has since been declared dead. But his body had disappeared from the morgue, the mortician speaking madly stating he woke up with all his blood drained and walked out, disappearing… like a shadow.

[lcgerdemain]

...

???: So now it comes to this, together now in one space.

Edward: What’s goin’ on here? This isn’t mine ‘n Luther’s space.

Luther: Edward... *Keeping close to him noticing the others here as well.*

Daniel: Hey I was at fuckin’ home, what the hell Danton?!

Edward: Hey I didn’t do this!

???: All will be made clear in time... For now, this was just a momentary opportunity to reveal the new space of where this tale is spun.

Edward: Who are you!? *He growls becoming defensive as he hears the foreign voice.

???:You knew of me once, but like so many... I was forgotten. And now... I will write your stories.

Luther: Edward- Edward?! *He calls to him before disappearing from his brother’s sight, only to reappear home, confused and instantly forgetting what just happened.* What... what was I doing again?

Daniel: This- This isn’t ok. Where am I- *He begins to panic before fading away as well returning home and breathing harshly, startling his sister who was asleep beside him.* W-What the fuck-... it... must’ve been a nightmare... it’s ok kiddo, go back to sleep... *He murmured before lying back down trying to recall what had set him off.

Edward: *As he feels himself pulled away, tries to see who is doing this, but can only spot the vague visage of someone, long silver hair, gold eyes, and a dead stare. but couldn’t see the person fully before he found himself home again, in his office. His eyes closed at once as he struggled to keep it from disappearing from his memories, repeating the same details he saw over and over, until even if the instance was stripped from his thoughts, the same three details remained ingrained into his memory of someone who he felt as if he knew once. 

???: Ever stubborn... ever fruitless in your endeavors...

(The ask box is open, feel free to come in and rp with all my muses. Be sure to read the rule and profiles and liking the pinned post so I know you’ve read through it before starting something. Thank you. :) )

[lcgerdemain]

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