#C!Tangotek | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lunar-writes-things · 2 years

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Pairing: C! Tangotek x reader, C!Solidarity Gaming x Reader, C! Tangotek x C!Solidarity Gaming

Summary: In which you dive into a death game and find love within it (And how to make fire-resistant shirts)

Genre: Fluff, pure heart-melting tooth-rotting fluff

Words: 3.4k

Extra notes: This was based off of @lunarcrown's comic!!! Go check them out they are amazing and fuel my rancher duo needs <3 Also I looped 'Golden Hour' by JVKE while I wrote most of this so If you want ot listen to that while you read, feel free too!

Content warnings (If any): None

"Y/n!" Grian exclaimed. He was on his knees trying to beg you to join his new server and you sat declining

'Double Life' he called it

It was a death game, everyone knew that and even if your home server was FAR from nice, you at least had more than three lives to live.

"Grian, if I join, then the number will be uneven. Do you have another person to make it even?" You asked softly and brought Grian from off the ground

"Well yes, but they haven't answered yet." Grian said, "They should answer before it starts though!"

You let out a sigh and said "Fine. I'll Join."

"Yes!" Grian said under his breath "I promise you won't regret it! You'll love it! There are thrills, guts, and glory!"

"I'm sure it will be wonderful. Maybe I'll meet a life partner there. Who knows?" You entertained the avian but somewhere deep inside you actually hoped your words come true

=====

When the time came, you quickly walked out of your home server, it was mainly dead anyway but there were rumors that there would be an activity minimum for it, and into the new server. It was there where you were met with everyone else and you began to count

15...

There were 15 people on the server including you.

"Y/n!" Grian smiled and walked to you "You're the last one on!"

"You said there wouldn't be an uneven number!" Y/n said and grabbed the avian by his shoulders and shook him

"Mum- bo- could- n't- Jo- in-" Grian said as you shook him and soon escaped your grasps with a breath of relief

"It'll be fine, Y/n." Scott came up to you "All it means is that the code will match one of us to an already existing couple."

You lean into him with a pout and say "I hope I'm at least paired with you. I know literally no one else except for you and Grian."

"You need to meet some new people." Scott said, "I mean, I see a pretty canary staring straight at you."

When Scott said that he dragged your eyes from his to another man. One who flushed a bright red once he realized he was caught looking at you and you held back a coo. With beautiful chocolate brown eyes shining in the sun, golden hair and wings fluttering and being ruffled with the wind, and the gorgeous flush across his face, you murmured

"I wouldn't mind being paired with that cutie."

"Our resident canary in a coal mine." Scott murmured "Jimmy's got this weird thing where he's the first out every season. Maybe you can change that."

"I don't know. I think he's fine just the way he is. I mean I'm here for a good time not a long time." You winked at the cyan-haired male

Soon their attention was directed to grian who explained what was going on and what would be happening and the group split their separate ways.

Hours later, you were very grateful you came back to spawn to scope out some places to live because one minute you were walking under the spawn trees, and then next there was a sharp pain in your right side, ringing, and then it stopped.

<Tango> was blown up by a creeper

<Y/ndoesthings> died

<SolidarityGaming> died

When you opened your eyes, you were in a tree and there was a shrill voice going "WHAT HAPPENED TANGO?!" and a dull pain rushed into your ankle, someone must have jumped down from their tree

"Is Everyone okay?" You asked and saw both tango and Jimmy

"Oh! Hi! Hi- I'm so sorry!" He cried out and placed his face in his hands to hide

"Take me through it, What- What's happened there?" Jimmy asked

"There was some caving and then there might have been about seven zombies and a spider and- You're being butted!" Tango said, still atop one of the many trees at spawn.

Jimmy was the one that jumped down and was currently holding his stomach from being headbutted by a stay goat. Tango jumped down and You followed his lead. Once you were down from your tree you went up to each of the boys and asked

"Is everyone okay?"

The two nodded in response and you used both of your hands to cup one of their cheeks, which is a touch they melted into. Once you let go, they continued with their conversation and You went to grab your things, which were thankfully only like 10 feet away. Once you came back, tango was apologizing again and Jimmy is pacing around.

"All right, let's go meet up in a bit, I need to go grab my stuff before it despawns!" He said

"I don't even know where I was!" Tango realized "I just lost everything, yeah- I have no idea where I was."

"You two go and try to get your things back. If anything, come back here and I'll have extra supplies for you guys." Y/n spoke up and placed a gentle hand on both of their shoulders "I snagged a bunch of iron so don't worry for now. just try and grab your things."

But your words were barely heard as the boys panicked and laughed. After a minute, Jimmy and Tango decided to head up on a tree for a better leverage point to look. You followed the two boys as they talked and made what they needed for a hiding spot in case they die again.

Once they did that (and tango placed a stick in to claim it), Jimmy went his separate way and left Y/n and Tango together.

"How are you feeling?" You asked softly

"Guilty," Tango admitted and his shoulders slumped "this was the worst way to meet me- to meet us."

"Maybe," You hummed gently and picked a stray Daisy and gave it to the man, the piping hot blaze rods burning brighter as Tango took it and flushed a pink "But we didn't have to find each other by running around like headless chickens and while we might be yellows now, I don't think I'd rather be yellow with anyone else."

Tango made a flustered noise and You could help but find it so endearing. This man, who was at least a good two feet taller than you, was burning bright red, golden hair flickering as if it were going to burst into flames and smoke coming off his back.

Actually, now that you looked at him you noticed he wore a tight-fitting black crop top (that did wonders for his lean figure hubba hubba-) that had dipped down into a point to connect and clip onto his black cargo pants with cuffs around his wrists and the top of his bicep but the ones around his wrists were loose and had short chains dangling from them.

When you finally looked at his face, Ruby red eyes glittered with amusement and an open mouth smirked and showed off sharp canine teeth.

"Like what you see?" He grinned and you swatted at him

"Yeah, you look fine as hell," you winked and he laughed

=====

Hours later, Jimmy came back with nothing and a disappointed face only to find out you had a chest full of items for him ready and to see that you and Tango were suited up in Iron gear.

"What-" He said and You saw his shoulders sag "How-"

"Check the chest Jimmy," You said and watched as he opened it

Sunlight beamed onto his face, blinding him for a second.

"My bad, probably a bad idea to face the opening of the chest to face where the sun is shining. It was supposed to be for dramatic effect though." Tango said and turned the chest away from the sun and spilled all the goods inside. Iron armor, a diamond pickaxe and sword, food, and small trinkets the two had piled up for Jimmy fell from the chest.

"is- Is all this for me?" he asked softly and knelt to the ground and grabbed the sword with a shakey touch and his eyes shone with unshed tears "Why- You didn't have-"

"We wanted to. It's not much but we hope you enjoy it." You smiled and kneeled in front of him "Most of it I already had in my inventory so..."

"Y/n actually put the whole chest together," Tango pointed out with a satisfied smirk, and watched as a bashful flush spread across their cheeks and to their ears "They thought of the idea and organized everything. I just added in two things you might've liked."

"Would it be too early in our relationship to kiss you two?" Jimmy asked, eyes glittering like topaz with the sun shining its golden rays on his already sunkissed skin

"I wouldn't think so," You smiled and cupped his face with both of your hands to pull him into a gentle kiss, electricity burning through you when your lips brushed against his, Tango coming up beside you to steal Jimmy away for another soft kiss to his lips and to press a chaste one against yours.

Jimmy tasted like bubblegum and Tango tasted like cinnamon.

You just found your two new favorite flavors.

=====

A day or so later, the home you and Tango had been constructed and Jimmy had brought in cows and some other essential things needed.

The three of you deemed yourself, The Ranchers.

A silly nickname but you can't bring yourself to protest as Jimmy and Tango have their hearts set on making a monopoly on getting some farm animals and how can you say no to your Ruby and Topaz?

Your precious jewels... Oh how you love them so.

As the three of you took a break though, Jimmy asked about Tango's choice of shirt wear.

He wore crop tops like there weren't any left in the world

And there wasn't anything wrong with it, in fact, both Jimmy and You had admitted to the man that you loved the fact that he showed off his lean and slender frame and his tummy in general.

Although, there were multiple times where Jimmy has been extremely flustered at the sight of Tango.

Once, When tango was doing his redstone while you and Jimmy were watching, the blaze hybrid has asked for a comparator and while You were drooling over him, Jimmy grabbed a bucket and attempted to give it to the man.

"Jimmy," Tango said as he perched his red goggles on his head "That's a bucket."

With those words, The avian flushed a bright red and placed the bucket upside down on his head, and bolted having You and Tango run after him laughing and attempting to calm him down.

He was wearing his favorite shirt then, just like he was now.

"Powered by Redstone"

That had to be one of Tango's favorite phrases, especially when he's planning out his next masterpiece for his other dimension.

At least he thinks.

He doesn't quite remember, no one does. He says it's blurry and that he knows he was working on some huge build that needs a lot of redstone and attention but he can't quite remember what. He barely remembers friendships and relationships from people except those that are in this game right now.

The game was fun like that. it gives you an almost entirely blank slate, but it keeps important things and fears near your heart.

But you never would have thought you'd find love in a death game.

Sure it had only been a few days and it may be the red string of fate connecting you two but it felt so real and You know you would do this a thousand times over if you'd be able to feel like this again in your home server.

"yeah- Actually this shirt was once full length," Tango broke through your daze and you focus on him, He's gripping the bottom of his 'Powered by Redstone" crop, and a blaze rod is hovering over his shoulder when He says "But sometimes by blaze rods catch stuff and-"

And The shirt was up in flames before fluttering to the floor, a pile of ashes that was once his favorite shirt.

"AWWW MAN!" Tango whined as Jimmy looked away, face flushed the same shade as Tango's eyes and You oogled at the bare chest of Tango with a satisfied hum

But as much as you liked the show, You knew you'd have to talk with Jimmy later about this situation. Tango was already making a pout and sad noises escaped his lips. You couldn't bare to see the blaze hybrid like that.

=====

Hours later, in the dead of night, You whispered to the Avian in his ear "Jimmy? My Darling Topaz? Are you up?"

"Yes, my Love?" Jimmy groaned quietly and suddenly you were thankful, the both of them insisted you lay in the middle of your shared bed and that Tango sleeps like the dead "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Topaz, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to do something for our Ruby. I feel bad that he lost his favorite shirt." You whisper and pull him close enough so that your lips brush the shell of his ear. A shiver ran down his back and he nodded.

"We could recreate his shirt again," Jimmy said and began to press soft kisses to your face "This time with a more durable fabric?"

"That works," You hummed and cupped his face to press a soft kiss to his lips "We can talk more about it in the morning. I love you My amazing Topaz."

"And I love you, My precious diamond." He whispered into your mouth, never stopping his gentle kisses and you couldn't help but melt into his touch

The next day, You awoke to Jimmy and Tango holding you tightly and you sighed with contentment, how you wish you could stay here all day, but the gods of old had other plans.

So you squirmed out of their arms, both shifting to hold each other and the pillow between them as if you were still there. You smiled and went to the kitchen to make a simple breakfast. Snagging some eggs from the chickens you guys are hoarding and carving some bacon off the carcass of a pig you slaughtered this morning, you made some bacon and egg and cut up some day-old bread for toast.

Jimmy was the first one up of the boys and watched as Y/n plated the breakfast as he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his bare chest, a soft smile gracing his lips.

"Good morning Topaz," You hummed and smiled at him before placing his plate on the table "Go eat, I'll wake up our ruby."

"You are the best," he said and pressed a kiss to your cheek "We can talk more about the shirt after breakfast when Tango goes out?"

"Alright," You smiled and placed a gentle hand on his chest before pressing a kiss to his lips "Enjoy."

You walked past him after he kissed back and went to wake up Tango.

"My lovely Ruby," You whisper in his ear as you crawl on top of him to sit on his waist "Time to wake up Tango, I made breakfast."

Tango groaned softly as his eyes fluttered open. Twin red jewels stared back into your eyes as a smile graced Tango's lips and he pulled you down to smother you in kisses, laughs bubbled from your chest as you playfully fought from his grip.

After a few seconds when he calmed down to just kisses, you heard his stomach rumble and he laughed.

"I think that's my cue to eat the breakfast you made," He said and swung his legs over the edge of the bed to get off "Come, Topaz is waiting."

"He's only waiting because you pulled me in to smother me!" You playfully whine out and allow him to drag you off the bed you share

After breakfast, Tango cleaned up the kitchen and Jimmy lit the fireplace. Y/n pulled Jimmy to dance with her while Tango cleaned and listened to their hushed giggles, They swayed in the warmth of their home, Jimmy humming into your ear as the sun dawned upon their home and the rooster crowed. Out of the corner of your eyes, you saw Tango watching from the kitchen with a gentle smile as he dried his hands and you beckoned him over. He and Jimmy switched spots and you swayed with Tango who whispered sweet words into your ears and eventually dragged Jimmy into the swaying, The three of you holding each other and talking softly. At least until Tango had to leave the house and You and Jimmy were left to your own devices.

"Okay," Y/n murmured and caught Jimmy's attention, "I know where to find and how to get fire resistance clothing. Only thing is, I don't know how to sew words."

"I can do that part," Jimmy said "It should be just like weaving a nest. Plus, my mom taught me how before I left her home."

"Perfect," You grinned at him "You are so great Jimmy."

A wobbly smile spread across his face as he flushed and covered his face with his hands. "You're too nice to me." He groaned softly which elicited a laugh from you

"No such thing as ever too nice. Now, let's get Tango's present together." You smile and hold out your hand to him

=====

Hours later, Tango came home calling out to the two who sat in the living room that he was going to take a shower and then probably nap. You and Jimmy sat on a rocking chair, you on Jimmy's lap reading and Jimmy rocking the chair, humming and peacefully stretching the words 'Powered by Redstone' into the shirt.

"Hey, Jimmy!" Tango's voice called out but the two were in their own world "Do you know where-"

Tango trailed off as he peeked into the living room and almost melted at the sight of his two lovers sitting together, his gems...

His home

A soft gasp snapped Tango out of his stupor and bring his gaze back to his partners. You were clutching something to your chest and using your body to hide it while jimmy tried to cover you and himself with his wings while exclaiming "Wait no! Wait! Don't look! It's not done!"

"Aww," Tango cooed and stepped closer to you and Jimmy "What is it?"

With a deep sigh, Jimmy unfurled his wings and showed you. You held out the shirt with a bashful expression while Jimmy explained "You were so sad after your favorite shirt got destroyed. So we thought we'd make you a new one."

Tango looked taken aback and turned red and you and jimmy immediately panicked.

"Oh god, you hate it!" You frowned and fiddled with your hands "I'm sorry, this was my idea and it was such a bad-"

"I don't know why I thought-" Jimmy cut himself off as he pouted and began to cover himself with his wings, an embarrassed blush spreading across his cheeks "I'm not even that good-"

This time Taango cut off Jimmy by lifting you up and kissing you... hard. Hard enough that you were dazed and had to stumble to another couch. Tango pulled Jimmy up by the collar of his shirt and kissed him with the same passion he kissed you with. Now that you were less dazed, you saw smoke rising from Tango's back in curls that looked like hearts and his red flush was still there and Jimmy's wings were flapping like crazy once he realized what was happening.

When he pulled away from Jimmy, He kept the avian close, his left arm wrapping around Jimmy's waist. "Come here Y/n," Tango whispered and you obliged

When you came close enough, he pulled you closer and wrapped his free arm around your waist, and pressed another kiss to your lips. You melted into his touch and leaned your forehead into the crook of his neck while he whispered

"I love it. It means so much to me that you two did this." He pressed a gentle kiss to yours and Jimmy's foreheads before continuing "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

#C!Tangotek #C!SolidarityGaming #double life tango #double life jimmy #double life smp #traffic smp #life series #tangotek x reader #tango x reader #C!Tango x reader #jimmy solidarity #double life solidarity #Jimmy Solidarity x reader #jimmy x reader #C! Jimmy x reader #Luna Has Written #Solidarity x reader #Solidarity gaming x reader

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moriiartist · 2 years

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(CALL THE) NUMBER OF THE BEAST

Masterlist

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PAIRING: Demon!Tangotek x GN!Reader

SUMMARY: You thought it was a joke. A goof. A funny ‘ha-ha’ story to tell to your friends later- how you tried to summon a demon. However, things haven’t exactly gone to plan, and now you’re stuck trying to send a resident to hell back to where he belongs. Too bad that he’s decided that’s wherever you are.

WARNINGS: Language, body horror, demonic imagery, blood and injury, self-mutilation/self-harm (as part of a ritual), fire, implied/referenced murder

A/N: Hey there demon(s), it’s me, ya boi. I lowkey may have stayed up past midnight to get this out on time, but we’re not going to talk about that!!! I had a lot of fun with this fic, and I really think it shows. Enjoy!

The chalk slid smoothly over the kitchen tile, the soft, rasping sound that it elicited filling your ears. Dust as black as pitch already coated your palms, the pads of your fingers, your skin- smeared shapes like the handprints of an absent-minded artist.

An intricate pattern of concentric circles, squares, and lines spread like flowering nightshade from where you were, kneeling in the center. They, too, were as dark as if they had been burnt into the ceramic; the loose powder surrounding the thick, confident marks looked like ashes.

Sitting back on your heels, you inspected your work with a critical eye. A hundred bucks was a hundred bucks, and if you didn’t at least try one of the spells in the old, creepy grimoire you’d found in the attic, you weren’t getting a cent.

Actually, in that case, you’d be getting negative cents.

You’d like to think that you were a reasonable, well-adjusted person. You’d finished college and gotten your degree, you worked a six hour shift at the local bookstore, and you put in an effort to keep in touch with your friends.

Which is why summoning a demon was somewhat uncharacteristic for you.

Your college roommate had invited you to hang out at their house last weekend, and of course, you’d accepted. They, a couple of their buddies they’d brought along, and you started drinking. You got buzzed. Then, naturally, you all started talking about random shit.

Of course, that random shit included all the weird and probably-cursed cult paraphernalia that had been left behind in the house that you’d moved into.

Your roommate had dared you, words almost slurred beyond comprehension, to try out one of the spells you’d found. At this point, you were nearing the point where you were starting to black out; your brain was starting to shut down, but your body got all ‘eye of the tiger’ and soldiered on.

So, like a dumbass, you agreed.

And bet one hundred dollars on it.

(To be fair, you never said you were smart. Just reasonable.)

You honestly felt quite silly standing there in the middle of your kitchen, staring down at the dark symbols you’d copied with a painstaking hand. Although you’d fully committed to winning this stupid bet after five days of twiddling your thumbs, you’d underestimated the amount of time it’d taken to get through the ritual. You’d started at around seven thirty, and it was now almost one.

In your defense, the book wasn’t easy to read. Most of it was in some strange, latin-like script that hurt your eyes if you stared at it too long; words slithered across the paper like rattlesnakes if your gaze unfocused for even a moment.

Luckily for you, however, you had ignored the ominous thoughts in the back of your head that begged you to stop now before it was too late and managed to reach the final step in your handy dandy ‘how-to-summon-a-demon-for-dummies’ guide. Hooray!

All that was left was the sacrifice.

Stepping back, careful not the smudge the chalk lines that were already starting to flake from the combined force of the AC system and the vibrations of your footfalls, you crossed over the salt circle that enclosed the whole shabang.

Tea candles- those little ones that you buy in bulk to put in Jack O’ Lanterns- flickered ominously, crackling and spitting not dissimilarly from oil in a pan. You had dimmed all sources of light beyond those candles and the nightlights plugged into the wall, so the flames cast eerie, dancing shadows all over the room.

You grimaced, regarding the kitchen knife placed on the counter next to you. The blade gleamed red and gold, flashing as you delicately picked it up.

The sight of blood wasn’t new to you, nor did it freak you out, but drawing it from yourself was an entirely different matter from the times you’d fallen and scraped your knees as a kid. It was different when you were doing it- when you were drawing blood from yourself intentionally. It made something underneath your skin writhe with discomfort.

Steadying your grip as much as you could, and ignoring the slight tremor in your hand, you pressed the point of the knife to the meat of your thigh. You’d read somewhere that the fattier parts of the body the better regarding pain- and you weren’t about to stab yourself in the ass.

You gritted your teeth as you drew the blade across your skin. A part of you wanted to shut your eyes and look away, but the more logical side commanded you to pay attention despite the sharp, stinging pain.

Despite the shallowness of the cut, it was already bleeding profusely. Rivulets of thick, coppery liquid already ran down your leg, dripping down onto the flat of your bare foot. In the low light, your blood almost looked as black as the chalk still coating your palms. The air filled with the faint scent of metal and salt.

Hastily, you set the knife down with a clatter. Pressing your fingers to the wound, you hissed at the sparks of pain that erupted from the contact. Blood mixed with the powder on your hands, coagulating into a sludgey mess that clung to your skin.

You flicked some of the mixture off of your hands and into the circle, pursing your lips to soften your disgust. The book had never specified how much of your blood should be used, and although you really wanted to win the bet, you weren’t about to sacrifice a pint to a ritual that might not even work.

A mix between a groan and a gag tore itself from your throat as you pressed a palm flat to your wound, watching more blood begin to drip from the gaps in between your fingers. With your other hand, you reached blindly for the tape and gauze that you’d set aside specifically for this moment, tearing a thick wad of the stuff off with your teeth and messily taping it to your thigh.

It wasn’t really sanitary, but then again, it wasn’t as if anything else you were doing was.

Fumbling with the book, you winced as you smeared chalky blood over the pages- staining the fragile paper with black-grey-red fingerprints. You flipped through the pages somewhat frantically, muttering curses to yourself as pain once again twinged through your leg. After a tense moment, you exclaimed softly to yourself.

You’d highlighted the incantation to summon the demon, and the garish yellow-green pigment now glared up at you from the page. The book must’ve been made with parchment or something, because the color was soft and fragmented at the edges unlike the clean, hard cut of highlighter on printer paper.

Clearing your throat, you ignored the way the letters slipped in and out of focus, mirage-like, and began to read.

“Primo ad nonum daemones,” you incanted, nearly choking as the syllables ran like water from your mouth, “vocationem meam audite et attendite.”

Immediately, the guttering tea candles stilled. Every dancing flame went straight and tall, burning white-hot. The dimmed lights buzzed, and an electrical hum seemed to fill the air. Your stomach swooped- the same sensation that one would beget standing at a precipice.

“ Sanguis meus gratis inferis datus est, et mihi paciscor.”

When did it get so cold? Your skin was chilled and damp with sweat, breath stuttering in your lungs from the shiver that wracked your body. The low hum that filled the back of your mind seemed to intensify. Static was all you could hear.

The voices whispering in your ear shrieked soundlessly, then disappeared.

“Caro mea velamen tollit, ossa mea signaculum portant, et anima- et anima mea ligat.”

Each word that escaped from your mouth burned your tongue like a firebrand, each more painful than the last. You felt like you were choking on your own blood as you spat out the last syllable, shuddering uncontrollably.

At some point, you had dropped the book. It was burning, delicate paper and dark leather cover flaking into ashes.

You couldn’t move, could hardly breathe; With each passing moment the pressure inside your chest increased, like someone had gripped your heart and decided to squeeze. Distantly, you recognized that your limbs were trembling.

“Quod fit non recipi.”

The lights cut out, and, like a great exhale of breath, the candles extinguished.

Shit.

For a few heartbeats, the only sound was your ragged breathing. Then, something shuffled in front of you. Something hard and sharp slid across the tile, sounding an awful lot like the knife still resting on the countertop.

Freezing, you felt your heart began to beat faster, hammering at your ribcage. Even your chest stilled, and you swallowed thickly to suppress a whimper. It smelled like a nauseating mix of sulfur and your own blood.

“Well,” a masculine voice murmured, tone colored with a mixture of surprise and amusement. “It’s certainly been a long time since someone’s had the guts to summon me.”

In a blink, the lights were reignited. However, instead of the warm, yellow hues that you’d been familiar with your entire life, they were blue. The tall, still flames that rose from the candlewick looked like they’d been carved out of luminous blue ice, hardly seeming to move.

You’d be more awed by it if you weren’t distracted by the dark figure standing in the center of the ritual circle.

It wasn’t very big- only a few inches taller than you, if you had to guess, and shaped like a person; two legs, two arms, and a head attached to a torso. However, everything about it was off.

It’s arms were too long, fingers tipped with glossy claws brushing the sides of its knees. It’s legs were longer at the ankle, forcing it to balance on its toes. It’s proportions were too different- like a poorly made puppet.

Every movement, from the tilt of its head to the roll of its shoulders was too smooth, too easy. Like there was no muscles, no internal structure to add resistance. You couldn’t contain your gasp as it’s neck made a horrendous, wet crack, spinning well past the limits of the human body to survey the room.

A long, black tail snaked out from behind it, pooling to the floor. Shards of what looked like volcanic glass were embedded in its forehead in the mockery of a crown, dripping with black and red blood. Similar pieces were buried in its spine and shoulders, bristling like spines.

“Shit,” you murmured.

With another snap, its head spun back around.

The demon’s face was pale, almost bloodless, and you could see the spiderweb of blue-black veins that ran below the surface. Pitch black holes were nested where its eyes should be, white, cat-like pupils narrowed in on your trembling figure. It grinned as you made eye contact, running a blue tongue over- what the hell, how many teeth does this guy have?!

If you squinted, it would almost look human. A spiky, aggressively emo human- but a human nonetheless. However, since you had somewhat of a sense of self-preservation, you weren’t doing that. No- you were wide-eyed and gaping, glued to the floor as you stared at the monstrosity before you.

“Excuse me,” it chirped, looking far too smug for its friendly tone to be genuine. “You summoned me, didn’t you?”

You blinked down at what remained of the grimoire. “... I guess.”

It grinned brilliantly, still with too many needle-like teeth. “Excellent!”

Then, it stepped over the salt circle. You hardly had time to squawk before it had seized your chin in its hands, turning your face this way and that as it inspected you. You would’ve pulled away, but the brush of the demon’s talons against the delicate skin of your throat was enough to have you falling still.

Every piece of media about demons you’d ever seen were different, but one thing seemed to largely hold the same: they couldn’t cross salt circles. It was one of the only effective ways to trap them, besides silver mirrors and maybe not summoning them in the first place- at least, according to what you’ve seen.

And then this asshole goes and dropkicks that knowledge into the fucking sun.

“Oooh,” it hummed, gaze calculating. “You’re a looker, aren’t you.”

It glanced down towards the hasty bandage job you’d done, a sly smile playing on its lips. It reached down, either oblivious to or ambivalent to your protests, and ran a finger through the still-drying blood.

Licking its hand clean, it’s pupils flared, growing to the size of nickels. “Tasty, too.”

Regaining your nerve, you shoved it away, stumbling back. It watched you go with an almost disappointed (?) expression, folding its arms across its chest. You finally stopped when your back hit a wall, refusing to take your gaze off the creature in front of you.

“... What the hell,” you managed to croak out. Was this shock? Were you going into shock?

The demon smirked. You were really starting to hate it when it did that.

“Indeed.”

Picking up the knife you’d set on the counter, it toyed with blade, whetting it against its talons. It paused, looking at it contemplatively, before rolling its eyes back to you.

“You’re new to this, aren’t you?”

It wasn’t a question.

Hesitantly, you nodded. While you were seriously regretting your decision to summon a demon of all things instead of, like, one of the easier spells, you didn’t see a point in lying to it about that. As far as you knew, magic wasn’t real up until two minutes ago.

The demon sighed. “Alrighty then. I thought you would be- it makes more sense.

“So, this is how this thing works. You ask for something- I don’t know, you want some guy who crossed you to mysteriously disappear, endless riches, fame and beauty- and I make it happen!”

It’s eyes gleamed red. “For a price, of course.”

Despite your fear, you deadpanned. The last thing you were doing was signing a deal with the devil. “No, thank you.”

“You don’t have a choice,” it countered. “You summoned me. I can’t return back to my realm until our, ah… business is complete.”

You threw your hands up. “Well, I’m not selling my soul or whatever else a creature of darkness would want!”

The demon pouted, looking almost offended for a moment. You didn’t trust it. “Hey- rude. Depending on the boon, I would only ask for, like, your childhood memories. Maybe your firstborn?”

“This is not helping your argument,” you sighed, glaring at it hollowly. It stared at you, grin melting until its expression was blank and unreadable. It’s tail lashed, slashing bluntly at the floor.

“If you don’t make a deal, I’m stuck here with you,” it cautioned once more.

You bared your teeth at it. “Fuck. You.”

It blinked, and for a moment you thought that this was it, you were going to die. Your last moments would be spent with a creature that wanted your soul for nefarious purposes, you would never get those hundred dollars-

The demon laughed, nearly doubling in on itself from the force. After a few seconds it looked back up at you, wiping a tear from its eye that sizzed as it hit the floor. In a blink, it was in front of you, staring at you with blown pupils.

“You’re delightful,” it whispered, sounding awfully delighted itself. “This is going to be so much fun.”

You blanched as it took your hands in its own, flipping over one to press a sharp kiss to your inner wrist. The demon grinned up at you, sly.

“Good luck getting rid of me now, angel. I’ll have your soul whether you want me two or not.”

It stood up, lengthening the spine until it towered over you. Its pupils burned in the shadows cast across its face, exactly the same as the flames at its back.

“The name’s Tango, sweetheart. You won’t forget it.”

There’s no turning back now for you- you were his. Tango would make sure of it.