Job Class Sel. Zeldris. - Tumblr Posts

➤ ` MELIODAS. (  rathfel  )

     a  long  awaited  greeting,  words  ran  across  the  space  between  them  like  a  newly  sharpened  blade.  except  the  tip  was  pointed  directly  into  his  chest,  and  meliodas  pressed  further  into  it.  teasing  to  break  the  skin,  to  break  the  tension  that  accumulated  to  allow  for  an  easier  movement.  not  expecting  anything  less  from  him,  his  voice  dripped  with  disappointment.  a  feeling  he’d  grown  used  to.

     a  traitor  he  was  hailed  as,  in  another  time,  a  hero.  brow  pinched  near  the  bridge  of  his  nose,  blonde  hair  falling  before  his  eyes.  a  brief  pause  as  he  brought  arms  up,  hands  smoothing  behind  his  head  and  fingers  interlocking.  a  foot  casually  kicked  at  a  rock,   ❝  well,  don’t  speak  then.  just  listen,  i’ve  not  come  to  beg  for  forgiveness.  ❞

         How far one had fallen, a pale shade of what once was, a waning moon. The dichotomy rendered this demon that held the title of brother once long ago barely recognizable. A portrait bearing the same frame, but painted over again and again, an obscure artwork left in it’s wake. Had it not been for the uncountable number of years spent in his company, the undeniable twinge inside signalling the arrival of one formerly admired so, he would've thought this being before him as some imposter.

         ❝ So you've crawled out of hiding for that. ❞ Daring to show his face, careless of heeded warnings others may have given him, for a worthless endeavor. That much, at least, aligned with the past. A speck of familiarity on that foreign painting.

         Zeldris hesitated to give him even that much. How many opportunities for that very act had been granted to Meliodas, only for them to be trod upon without a second thought ? Years later now he expected his words to be heard ? Surely an elaborate vile joke, being weaved with such lackadaisical confidence. A ploy to incite violence – if not to serve to dig into old ( fresh ) wounds he himself inflicted. Teeth grind, eyes narrowed further. ❝ You made your intentions clear a long time ago. ❞ He's deserving of scorn, nothing more, nothing less. ❝ There's nothing left to discuss. ❞

THE  FIRST  TIME

Zeldris hates his brother.

There's a special kind of loathing reserved just for him. One that easily survives a 3000 year time span. It taints any remaining fond memories of someone he had, at one point, cherished more than anything. It pushes him to stand by and watch while each of Meliodas' hearts be pierced by the dagger of their shared brother.

But yes, while these may have been the feelings Zeldris held onto after the betrayal / joining Stigma, his brother’s first death was still an event that shook what little was left of his crumbling foundation.

He was present, saw the entire affair unfold. Could barely breathe or stand when it was over but somehow he managed it. After allowing him to fully take in the sight of Meliodas' corpse, the Demon King then proceeded to simultaneously mock Zeldris about his failure to fully commit to getting rid of the vampires and to remind him that, even if he was his son, he wouldn't hesitate to ❛ put him in his place ❜ like he did to his ❛ miserable older brother ❜ Meliodas.

When he was ordered to carry out his duties as executioner ( annihilate Gelda along with the Vampire Clan ) he felt an all consuming anguish. He didn’t think he could ever feel that level of hopelessness again but when the Demon King and the Supreme Deity effortlessly wiped out his brother's defiance, a different kind of despair took hold but it was one just as potent.

The prince hated his father for all the suffering he's inflicted and reminding him how helpless he was in taking any meaningful action against him. He hated Meliodas for abandoning him for a goddess and putting him through this alone.

Most of all he HATED himself for not being strong enough to stop any of it.

@sinxatoned asked: “ and the saddest part of all? you’ll cling to the good memories, as if there were any. ” // Demon King @ Zeldris. Bring on the pain.

►  ❪   POETRY  //  accepting  ❫  

         What was this supposed to be ? Some backhanded lecture meant for his convenience ? The subject matter briefly drew Zeldris up short, cutting through the middle of his own sentence with frightening ease. It's not as if far worse hadn't been said / done before but Father must have been in a particular mood. It's the sole time he saw him these days when they were alone, an occurrence that happened all too often with the castle far more quiet, lacking Meliodas' presence.

         It's almost systematic, how his body language shuts down. What little expression held in the king's presence sputtered, waning, furrowed brows smoothing out. The slightly questioning curve in downturned lips neutralized until a tense face was rendered bare of emotion. Everything perfectly measured, constantly aware of every little motion made, constantly weighing the possible repercussions of every single word spoken.

         (  it's a struggle not to suffocate  )

         When memories were but a shackle to contend with for the remainder of a life, it made sense to cling to the good ones right ? But for his own reasons Father seemed determined to poison that well. To layer each recollection (  regardless of past connotations  ) with corrupted spikes / reshaped into a warped simulacrum intent to twist and tear and harm the beholder, threatening to blur the increasingly thinning line between good and bad.

         A terrible thought / a hard pill to swallow. One so difficult that the king preferred to shove it down his throat; an effort to insist the verity of his biting intonation. The worst part ? It’s true. Doubt held no place here when faced with facts. That’s what made that silent hand gripping his hearts tighten, as though ready to rip them out of his chest. He should know better (  he DID know better  ) than to let whatever was said get to him. It still hurt, sincerely, to hear such words be delivered from on high. But after years of hurting, it barely registered beyond a dull sting anymore. It's barely a bother, only acknowledged a slight by the flicker of an abyssal, vacant gaze.

         (  a blade sharpened to perfection, lovingly crafted with utmost CARE to dig under his skin, another blood ridden, jagged wound to add to the assemblage  )

         He doesn't think he'll ever be able to reply to his father's standards.

         Zeldris' answer had a known clarity in his hands. Plenty of  ❛ good memories ❜ existed to cling to. Debating whether they fit the conventional standard of good or not seemed questionable at best, if not conscientious. Most (  if not all  ) of them involving him and his brother. He grew up in violence, watching his brother reap the lives of goddesses, crush skulls and take souls without an iota of mercy or regret. Nothing beyond the threadbare hints of mild boredom. Yet, Meliodas was there. The one enduring source of what he'd come to quantify as ❛ good ❜ in his life, however brief that flicker of a moment appeared in retrospect. He’d do anything to protect that. Anything it took.

         But he also knew that answer won't satiate the Demon King. All he cared about was the power, about the idea of being infallible and above such basic notions. Revealing the true thoughts under the surface was akin to wrapping a weighty noose forged from his own naivety around his own neck, begging for judgemental punishment. An intimately familiar infliction he's already fallen victim to beforehand. So, he needed a different answer.

         ❝ Memories are just memories, Father. ❞ They both knew that wasn't the case, not for him, a memory likened to permanent snapshot forever etched into the annals of his mind. ❝ There... isn't a need to assign overly sentimental value to them, to the point where they're labeled in such a irrelevant manner. No use fretting over them when they eventually fade. ❞

@rathfel​​ asked: “ you think i don’t want to run to you. “ / @ zeldris!

►  ❪   SHOWMAN  //  accepting  ❫

         The  ❛ of course ❜  goes unspoken, settling into a heavy silence that hangs between them / like a porous bone threatening fracture under a slowly – increasing pressure – and wasn’t that an apt comparison to make ?

         Meliodas always did have a knack for inciting undue amounts of hatred, a particular skill of his finely interwoven with the expert use of his past Commandment, often to devastating effects for the opposing parties. Yet that sliver of the king's power remained absent, long since striped bare, leaving one half of the equation to function. He's far from fond of this new resulting persona Meliodas crafted for himself from cracked shards. Some facsimile pieced together from the fragments of the old (  a poor substitute if a replacement at all  ) though remnants occasionally rose to the surface of that desolate sea, such as said ability of stirring hatred, though he leaned into a propensity towards annoying taunts / jokes now.

               (  do you suffer still / was your agony worth it ?  )

         But Zeldris was nothing if a good student, surrounded all his life by such great exemplars to draw inspiration from. Already boiling emotions were tapering down, disconnecting even as arms crossed and a poignant / blank stare was leveled. His own scathing remarks, rooted in truth, soon cut the tense air as smoothly as he would draw his own blade. Simple, understated, yet effective.

         ❝ You left. ❞

         A moment’s allowed to let the two little words to settle home, to dredge up crystalline reminders of what fate the blonde had chosen to inflict upon him. This sense of brotherhood, a desire for closeness had only ever been one sided. A whimsical fantasy of his own concoction. That well of shed blood / tears long since dried up, abandoned. Just as he’d been.

         Father had been correct all along. He didn’t know who to curse more.

         ❝ The only thing you've ever done is run the opposite direction. ❞ A white lie, the sole rebuttal to this newfound truth itched at the back of his mind, budding voracity in the manner it attempted to claw free.

         (  he remembers oh so vividly, vision seared into half mast coronas, pallid skies, fields caked with scars, rivers upon rivers of bleeding gold and crimson intertwined. a never before seen sight to behold, his brother steeped in crippling black FURY / devoid of hatred, a walking contradiction  )

         A wry smile formed, an effervescent wisp vacant / hollow. His real brother died a long time ago. This shell would be put out of its misery before long. ❝ Keep it up, Meliodas. Run back to your goddess. ❞

@suhndrie​​​​​ asked: “ don’t walk away when i’m talking to you ” / @ zeldris!

►  ❪  THREE HOUSES  //  accepting  ❫  

         Feet carried him forward, never daring to waver from their set path, heedless of the warning fastened to a low tone.  ❝ You forget yourself, Meliodas. ❞  A rebuttal equal in severity.  ❝ I agreed to help you for one reason. That reason alone. ❞

         Zeldris didn't do it for him—- never again. What else could prompt his rescinding of his own authentic right to the throne, except the sole motivation of his desire for the cursed position in the first place ?  Desperation / despair hidden within never dulled it's sharp edge thus their affliction perpetuates — and from the onslaught his hearts throb and ache. They beat only for one, the part of himself gone gone gone from the world, unbeknownst, beyond reach.

         ❝ So don't even bother with playing at being my elder brother now. ❞  The new king awaiting his ascension needed to rip out whatever ideas Zeldris' newfound  ( paper thin )  tolerance happened to plant in his head before they took full root; reduce them to ashes and toss them to the wayside. One should not misinterpret ill gotten collaboration for camaraderie.  ❝ You just do your part... And I'll do mine. ❞

         Not so much as a glance was cast back. The faded, iron wrought door slammed shut on the heels of his exit, silencing any further beckons.

information on the demon clan [abilities & physiology] ↳ part 1 (you’re here), part 2, part 3, part 4

the most diverse of the major clans, and the only one where a being can be converted into a member of the clan despite originating from a different one. due to the sheer variety inherent to them, demons are typically only identified by shared traits rather than notable physical features like the goddesses, fairies, giants, and humans.

multiple hearts. a demon has anywhere from two to seven, an indicator of lower class demons and higher level demons. all hearts need to be destroyed in order to kill a demon.

extended lifespan. what different clans see as an old age varies from person to person. it's unclear how long demons generally live for, especially given the variety of species the demon clan encompasses, but it's estimated to generally be about 1000 years. whether it's due to old age or their harsh living conditions is up in the air, seeing as many are killed long before that benchmark. reaching a 1000 years could even be considered a badge of honor amongst demons. there have been demons that have lived beyond 6000, like cusack and chandler, and the demon king far outliving that timespan.

enhanced strength and magic. the lowest of demons are often far more powerful than a normal human being. a demon's power is at least twice as strong during the night, according to chandler.

demon blood. known to have a lot of nutriments. may give non-demons enhanced strength and magical power, or even turn them into a demon themselves. if incompatible, the lesser life form will almost instantly die. the stronger the demon, the stronger their effect of their blood.

flight. achieved either through use of darkness, physical wings, or levitation.

purgatory fire. a powerful, inextinguishable dark flame that burns all living things. can be invoked in the form of an enchantment, hellblaze.

power of darkness. likely an expression of a demon’s shadow, their true nature. can be utilized for offensive, defensive and regenerative capabilities, such as making weapons, defending against attacks, and mending physical wounds. can also be manipulated to create physical forms and shapes. many demons are often in a state of constant usage of darkness, their bodies and weapons cloaked in it to varying degrees. this use affects the color of a demon's eyes, usually making them black  ( possibly to protect their eyes from harsh light ). a demon mark is often present alongside a demon using their darkness, though this isn't always the case.

power over souls. demons are the most in touch with their own souls, and this sensitivity allows them power over the souls of other living creatures. through various methods  ( most commonly touch or invoking a spell )  a demon can force the soul of another being out of their body, either to consume it as a food source and replenish their energy, or for another purpose. the souls are absorbed into their essence and become a part of them, ceasing to exist. this also gives the demon access to the person's memories. in some cases, this ability can be resisted. certain demons, like meliodas, also display the ability to communicate with another’s spirit in a form of mental contact different from telepathy or gowther’s invasion skill.

high ranked demons

control over lesser demons. are shown to be able to easily command lower ranked demons into doing their bidding.

curses / seals. can create and place curses  (  the exact effects can be nearly anything the user desires, ranging from minor annoyances and misfortune to tortuously extended death  )  or seal things  (  like living beings, spells, tools and/or weapons, and so on within another thing  )  and release them when needed. the more powerful the user is, the more difficult to break the seal or curse. the most notable curses among many are that of the ten commandments.

possession. can take human bodies as vessels and use them as their own either through consensus or force. depending on how well the vessel can host the demon, the body may undergo transformations or a remnant of some of the demon’s abilities may be left behind after the demon exits the body. if there’s difficulty and / or resistance from the host body, the demon is usually unable to use their own authentic power through the vessel, and must use the vessel’s instead.

miasma. certain demons such as melascula and meliodas can exude a poisonous miasma, willingly or unwillingly. it’s unknown if this extends to other demons beyond them, but it could stem from the environment of the demon realm, a land covered in miasma in which no other race can survive in as they are prone to rot and decay physically and psychologically in it. the miasma could be the basis of the extreme corrosion some high level demons are known to imbue into their weapons and attacks, like meliodas, melascula, and bellion.

indura transformation. a secret taboo skill, restricted to all but the highest ranking demons. an indura is a monstrous legendary beast, feared even within the demon realm. the user makes a contract with their inner darkness by sacrificing six of their seven hearts, their original form, and ability to reason in exchange for incredible power. can only be done if the demon has a base power of at least 50,000 in order to simply survive the strain of the transformation. the demon then becomes a horrific beast that follows their basic instincts to rampage and destroy everything around them until its life force has been used up and it dies from exhaustion.

by any other name

Some beings have Other names.

These are more along the lines of the "true name" trope and can only bestowed by godly figure inhabiting the world like the Demon King and Supreme Deity, or equivalents of them. It differs though, as knowing it doesn't give you any power over the individual.

Rather than being an entirely separate name, it's more accurate to say it's still the same one but expressed completely differently. For example, the first son of the Demon King. His everyday use name is as stated, "Meliodas". If you know him, chances are you’ll only ever hear him refer to himself by this. It’s what he’s used to and he prefers it. His Other name though is mostly unpronounceable to humans, much like Merlin's. It must be spoken in the demon language which is impossible for human vocal cords to handle, but it roughly translates to a mixture of pride, darkness, and power.

Zeldris' own Other name roughly translates to honor, shadow, and strength. The Original Demon, Demon King and Supreme Deity also have these  ( with the latter two naming themselves ), although it's been so long since anyone has referred to them by it that it's all but considered lost knowledge and are known only to a few.

Even though residents of the demon realm are aware of their princes' Other names, they refrain from saying them. They are wary of those that do too. It's far safer to use Meliodas and Zeldris’ regular names or pseudonyms, and it's not recommended to test your luck. To try is a very bad idea for several reasons.

These Other names are powerful. Most are considered unworthy of using it in the first place. To do so is seen as blasphemous. It's believed saying their names aloud outside of certain narrations is a sign of severe disrespect and, therefore, must be avoided at all costs. To speak it to their face is a good as an invitation to incur their ire. This restriction can be lifted if one is especially familiar with them, like a family member or a close friend.

Second, and most importantly, it grabs their attention. Distance doesn't matter. If you utter the Other name, they will hear you. Sometimes your next few words as well.

This is due to the fact mentioning them generates a brief, tenuous connection through the soul. They don't have to take an interest every time anyone mentions them, but... they do notice it. The speaker's exact identity isn't always known as they go off what they hear, plus the use of context and tone of voice, but even without that a vague, general sense of your location is indicated. If nearby, they tend to soon come to seek you out.

Because of this, it's possible to summon them straight to you outside of rituals. Essentially, speak of the devil and he will appear. However, simply trying to call them out with this method often causes a magic reaction in the air. It has been known to inadvertently injure or kill weaker individuals in the immediate area if the backlash is strong enough.

It’s best to circumvent this by using their regular names within the confines of a prayer, though it has a far dimmer effect and it’s liable to be ignored altogether.

soulmates

Given how souls are an actual Thing within the universe of Nanatsu no Taizai, I'll be tackling the concept of soulmates itself within this post.

Now, all of the clans have some notion of a soulmate in one form or another and what it means. This post will start with how the humans in general view the idea of soulmates as a comparison point before I examine it through the lens of the demon clan.

When you ask humans what a soulmate is, most will have an answer along the lines of them being that single lifelong, romantic love fated for you. A soulmate is the One™. That Special Someone that ideally "completes" you.

You know what that means ?  It means  ( for them )  soulmates as an established concept are inherently amatonormative. It's "the assumption that a central, exclusive, amorous relationship is normal for humans, in that it is a universally shared goal, and that such a relationship is normative, in the sense that it should be aimed at in preference to other relationship types." Aka the romance aspect takes precedence over everything. It reigns above all other relationships in your life on the basis of simply having romantic feelings, and you're supposed to strive for that since it's the norm. And if you don't fall in line with this way of thinking you're usually either perceived to have / made to feel like something wrong with you. There's no real way of getting around it, considering how baked into society it is.

Moving on, I'll now redefine it through demons. In another headcanon I mention how of everyone, it's them who are the most in touch with their souls, it’s them who are most literal with matters revolving around it, and how that consequently in turn shaped various aspects of their culture. This isn't any different.

Transcribing the original demon concept from their language, it can be roughly translated to a Welsh word: dwfnwym. Derived from dwfn and rwym, the word literally means 'deep bond' and can be loosely interpreted as such in English but it’s more nebulous than that and the bond itself is either natural or formed . The term  'soulmate'  is actually more or less britannian slang they coined that other clans picked up and adopted.

Dwfnwym or a soulmate is simply someone that your soul recognizes or resonates with. More so a measure of affinity or compatibility that allows for an incredibly strong connection. It's not limited to one person so a person can have multiple soulmates. They don't really have anything to do with fate. It can be applied to all sorts of relationships, but there are cases of soulmates going sour. Additionally, there's nothing wrong with not having a soulmate at all. It's not a requirement in life or anything and many are perfectly fine with never having one.

Natural soulmates just happen and the connection exists passively. You can't really predict these, but you also don't need to do anything with it if you don't want to and it will remain as is. When you do invest in it, it gets stronger and stronger. However, it's rare finding even one. The odds of running into a natural soulmate in a lifetime are astronomically low, much less multiple.

Formed soulmates are demons who emulate natural soulmates by sharing a part of their soul with a partner. They need to go out of their way to make this connection. It's considered a pure expression of trust and it's not unheard of to hear bonds like this between family, lovers, and close friends. It's a lot to commit though, since if the person dies they actually take that piece of you with them and sometimes people can't cope with the loss. A person who has a natural soulmate can still engage in this and share a part of their soul with who they have that connection with.

There's no such thing as an end all and be all soulmate with demons. There's no penultimate other half that's completely on your level and they're your ideal, perfect match, destined to meet and overcome all odds. There's no fated, inescapable chain binding you, possibly against your will. It doesn't work like that.

When demons actually hear this they actually get a little worried because it's not great???  to hinge a concept like soulmates on missing parts of yourself  ( halves of a whole )  and leaving it up to an "inevitability", rather than the intricacy of being whole in the first place and willingly sharing in it on your own terms, as the multiplication of two wholes and becoming something greater than the sum of your parts.

A relationship is a choice, and a soulmate is there to allow something to be built on top of that connection. A person and their partner(s) must work together to be good for each other.

Chances

Zeldris loved his brother. More than anything. He gave him so many chances. Far more than what any other demon would have dared to consider.

With life in the Demon Realm, he and Meliodas may have had too much weight and pressure put upon their shoulders, but at least it was a burden they bore together. Zeldris nearly collapsed under the weight of it all after Meliodas gallivanted off with a goddess of all things.

Despite of what he assumed were murmurs of baseless criticism against Meliodas, he still maintained his trust and advocated for the elder prince in his absence, harshly defending him against the notion of his brother being willingly seen in the presence of a goddess, their sword enemy.

Soon after his exit, but before it was revealed he was a part of Stigma, he tried a final time to make Meliodas see reason. Tried convincing him that blatantly running off with the Supreme Deity's daughter was not worth bringing their father's ire upon him ( and he feared for his brother's life ), but Meliodas wouldn't capitulate.

But it was back when Meliodas tried to convince him to leave with Gelda, things truly changed. It was at that point Zeldris wondered if the level of care was one sided, if Meliodas was so blinded by the goddess that he could only view problems on a surface level, that his concern was skin deep / superficial at best. He didn't care think about Gelda's position in all this. Was she to endure the sunlight that bore down on the earth for as long as his brother dared to run ? Would she never know a moment of safety and security again in order to shoulder the burden Meliodas would toss on her shoulders ? His beloved was being used against him, a subtle manipulation to steer him to Meliodas' side, but a manipulation all the same to achieve what his brother wanted. Meliodas didn't care beyond any brother obligations that weren't already torn to shreds. He didn't think about the ramifications of what he himself had already done, what he was about to bring upon himself and sheer damage he was going to leave in his wake. It showed him how little thought he put into any of this.

But for a moment he considered. When Meliodas dangled hope on a string before it was cruelly ripped away, he wondered if he too could be strong like him, strong enough to take his brother's hand and fight against the storm to come. But he wasn't. He isn't. The realization of one time Meliodas tried reaching out, and it wasn't even sincere for the reasons he wished it were.