#edit: completely forgot to edit the title thats embarrassing F

[therizino-ao3]

Hermit Horror Week 2023

Day four: Taken Over

Summary: Tango knows being possessed by a bloodthirsty dungeon isn’t an ideal experience, but there’s not much he can do about it now.

Read on ao3

Contains: possession, controlling relationship, sapient Decked Out, murderous thoughts, cannibalistic thoughts, bad life decisions (tell your friends about your problems Tango!!!), temporary character death

Etho is talking to Tango about… something. Probably the new changes to treasure drops on floor one. Tango should be paying attention. He isn’t.

The thing is, it’s easy to forget when he’s on his own. The dungeon is merciful that way. It needs his human mind to maintain the dungeon and gives him free reign as long as he does as he’s told, sometimes he even gets rest. But here? Around others?

Etho’s heart is beating and his blood is rushing through his body and he’s breathing and Tango can feel all of it. Etho is right there and Hypno is to his left sitting on the leaderboard, swinging his legs and Gem is up above hiding in an alcove. And they’re all so relaxed and happy and his prey are so defenceless around him. Tango wants to tear his teeth into them and feel them die.

It’s maddening. The only times Tango can stand to be around others is if they’re actually running Decked Out, getting the same rush he imagines a wolf gets when it chases a rabbit. The rage and begrudging respect when Etho exploits parkour spots where there shouldn’t be or when Hypno escapes alive where anyone else would’ve died, and the sadistic satisfaction when Gem can’t find keys or when the vex descend on greedy players. And, the best part is, no matter how good they do, they’ll always fall victim to the dungeon, massacred in the survivor’s room. Tango gets to taste blood every time.

And, look, he knows this isn’t healthy. He should have clued into it when Zed started playtesting and he began to crave something he had never known before. But, it’s fine. Tango can manage. He nods along to what Etho is saying and does everything but look at his eyes. The alternative is telling his friends, which would be so awkward and uncomfortable and, worst scenario, they stop playing. And Tango can’t have that. Even just the week of vacation he took (mandated by Zed) was enough to leave him starving, shaking, barely able to think, an inch away from death. If Decked Out doesn’t get more sacrifices, Tango will- Well, he doesn’t know what will happen, but it won’t be good for him or his friends. So, he has no choice.

And as he watches, simultaneously, the dungeon that is an extension of himself, and sees Cub die to Willie’s trident. He feels warm and fed and satisfied. He wants more. He thinks - one of those thoughts he knows normal Tango would hate - maybe if it were a choice, he’d still choose this.