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The roaring sound of a goat horn boomed over the server. Then, another one followed, as a reply. And another. Full of excitement, Jimmy grabbed his own horn and blew into it, producing another loud sound.
But he was only answered by silence.
The man stood at the edge of the ranch's farmland, eagerly awaiting any kind of response. His smile slowly faded. Oh yeah, he got 'banned' from the horn club. Which essentially meant that his calls would not be answered by anybody. Jimmy sighed and put the horn away, then went back to tending to the crops.
Tango, who was sitting inside of the ranch, looked at Jimmy through the window. Seeing his soulmate being left out again was truly disheartening. He bit his lip, his long tail nervously flickering from one side to another. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he left and joined his friend.
"Howdy, rancher" he said with a mock accent. His tail slid across Jimmy's back, its fluffy tip tracing across the man's spine. Jimmy shivered and smiled.
"Howdy!" the blond man smiled brightly. "The wheat is almost ready for harvest, wanna help me?"
"Gladly" the blazeborn replied with a cheeky grin. His tail fixed the cowboy hat on his head, when it slightly slid off on Tango's face. "But, uhhh... I heard the goat horns. Why do people not answer when you're the one callin'...?"
"Oh! Don't worry, it's normal" Jimmy shrugged and turned to grab a sickle. "That's like, our normal routine. They come up with something, have fun, then I wanna join, then... Well, then they start making fun of me. Or just exclude me."
"What? That's awful! Who does that?"
"Well, Joel and Grian, mostly... But others join them" Jimmy still didn't face his soulmate. The conviction in his voice was still present, well trained after a long time of getting used to this state of their friendship. If Tango could see his face now, he would see the peaceful melancholy in his friend's eyes. He was used to it, and he's lost faith that things could change.
"But that's... Mean! Why would these idiots do it?" Tango huffed. His hair, which usually resembled normal blond hair of a human, started flaming at the tips. Jimmy turned towards him, a bit startled.
"Hey, Tango, it's okay! It's okay, really" he reached out and gently grabbed Tango by his hand. The blazeborn calmed down right away. He usually struggled with keeping his emotions at bay, but Jimmy was great at helping him with that. His slim, gentle hands felt good against his skin. "I don't mind it, really... There's no need to get heated over that."
"I-I.." Tango sighed and gently squished his hand. "I don't want them to hurt you..."
"It's nothin', really... It happens" Jimmy said with a gentle smile and moved his other hand to Tango's cheek. "I know you wanna protect me, but... I can deal with it myself."
"Can you? Cuz it feels like you're dealing with that by not doing anything" he whispered, his head immediately leaning into the soft touch. "I can talk to them... I can burn down their bases for being meanies" he added with a devilish smirk. Flickers of mischief lit up in his eyes.
"Don't... We're on yellow already, we can't risk people taking their revenge and killing us" Jimmy smirked. "I know it's tempting, trust me..."
"It is... Going on a murderification spree with my rancher... Like a dream come true" the blazeborn added with a dreamy voice. His long tail wrapped around Jimmy's waist. Feeling that, Jimmy chuckled and playfully pushed Tango away - but not as if he actually wanted him to go away.
"You're so awful..."
"And you love it!" Tango giggled and reached even closer to him, their warm-colored eyes meeting each other. The canary rolled his eyes again and this time pushed away his rancher a bit more forcefully.
"Tangooo... I told you I need to harvest our wheat. You wanna distract me now and starve later?"
"Okay, okay, I know we can't burn down others' bases... Can we at least plunge their supplies?"
"Don't you dare" the canary chuckled, slowly stepping away from his soulmate and grabbing his iron sickle. "Don't forget that you're paired with me . It's a miracle we're not both dead yet."
"Oh, c'mon! You only died first twice! It's not that bad!"
Jimmy did not answer their playful banter this time. Tango's tail slowly dropped, his ears pinning back. He could only watch as his partner started cutting down the wheat and collecting it on the side of the farmland. The blazeborn took a few restless steps, his hooves trampling the grass. He hated feeling like this, he hated feeling powerless... But he had no choice. He was linked to Jimmy, so going against his will could end badly for both of them. The way Jimmy was treated by the other players made his blood boil. If he could, he would've just went to the others' bases and politely ask for an explanation... Suddenly, he felt a lightbulb light over his head.
"How about I get myself another horn? And I can call back whenever you do?"
"What? Tango, no, it doesn't work like that" Jimmy chuckled "You can't call back from the other side of the ranch, that is just silly..."
"Watch me!" Tango chuckled, then swiftly ran towards the gates of the ranch "I'll be back soon!"
***
Tango was stopped by an arrow hitting the ground right in front of his feet. He perked up his head, looking up at Red Velvet Keep.
"Hey, chill! I'm not here to fight" he raised his hands, to show he has no weapons on him. Grian lowered his crossbow.
"Tango? Why are you here?" the parrot asked and tilted his head.
"I know why he's here! You wanna see the Jellie sanctuary, don't you?" Tango felt Scar's arm right around his shoulders. He flinched, not even sure where the man came from.
"What the- No, Scar, I'm not here to see your pandas either! I... I'm here to make a deal. It's about my soulmate."
"Oh, Timmy sent you here?" Grian smirked and slowly approached Tango.
"Don't call him that, you jerk! You know he doesn't like that" Tango scoffed "And no, he didn't send me. I... I wanna buy one of your goat horns."
Scar and Grian looked at each other with confusion, then back at their friend.
"Why so?" Grian said, his wings slightly opening, as if to appear larger.
"You guys don't answer his calls... I wanna make him feel better. I'll pay with anything you want. Please..." Tango pleaded, his tail curling up and stopping midway through wagging from side to side.
Grian and Scar exchanged looks yet again, then Grian pulled out his own horn. Its greyish brown rigid texture was marked by some scratches. Tango's face lit up with anticipation.
"This is what you want?" the parrot smirked and reached out his hand, still holding the horn. Tango tried to grab it, but Grian playfully stepped back and started laughing. "No way! Sorry dude, this bit can't be over just yet. It's too good."
"Hey! You jerks!" Tango huffed, a bit of smoke escaping his lips. He jumped towards Grian, but it wasn't hard for the parrot to avoid him, despite Tango being taller and stronger. "Why do you hate him so much?!"
"We don't! It's just funny!"
"Maybe for you! You think this is funny for him?!" Tango growled, his ears pinning back. A flurry of black smoke escaped his mouth.
"Well, he never said anything about it, did he?"
The rancher was ready to pounce at Grian and tackle him to the ground. Before that could happen though, Scar stepped between them both. He was quick to put on his most appealing and charismatic voice.
"Guys, guys... There's no need to fight, okay? We can work this out... We are neighbors after all, right? Let's make a deal. We'll lend you the horn for the entire day. But in return, you'll go on a visit to the Jelly sanctuary with me?"
"What? Scar, are you out of your-"
Scar stood directly in front of Grian, facing Tango instead. Sneakily, so that the rancher wouldn't notice anything, he pulled out a stick of dynamite from out of his inventory. Then, he slid it into his own soulmate's hand. The gesture was clear, they needn't any words. Grian's eyes lit up, but he immediately groaned with pretend frustration, so that Tango would not figure them out.
" Two days" Tango started bargaining with Scar.
"Fine! You can have it for two days. But you go on a full trip with me! Deal?"
Scar reached out his hand towards Tango. Seeing the suspicion in the blazeborn's red eyes, he showed off his other hand, which he was hiding behind his back. It was empty, of course. And Grian managed to hide the dynamite by now. With seemingly nothing to worry about, Tango shook Scar's hand.
"Great! Now c'mon, you're gonna meet the Jellies!"
"Okay, fine, whatever..."
He was led inside an enclosure where Scar's pandas were living. The walls of their pen were really tall, making it hard to escape if there was ever a need to. Tango only half heartedly listened to his friend talk about his beloved animals, he didn't really even spare them a glance. He just wandered around him, faking interest or excitement when needed. In his thoughts, he was back with Jimmy. It had to work, and even if for a little while, it'd make him so happy... So even if he had to survive through Scar's yapping, then so be it.
At the same time, Grian sneaked on the top of the walls surrounding the sanctuary. Technically he couldn't kill Tango, as he was on his green life still... But Tango had iron armor, it wouldn't kill him. Most likely. It'd probably just scare him off. He, obviously, didn't intend to actually give or even lend him the horn. But if we got a chance to mess with him, he'd always take it. Especially if it meant messing with Jimmy by proxy.
Scar pretty quickly took notice of Tango's disinterest. As much as it made him feel awkward, their plan would work even better than expected. Tango was distracted, so it was just the matter of Grian's good aim. This prank would be so good... The man looked up, meeting the gaze of his soulmate. Everything was perfectly in place.
"Hey, Tango! Wanna see something cool?" he suggested, his tone not dropping in enthusiasm for even a second. Tango looked up at him, his pointy ears slightly twitching.
"Y-yeah? Wha?"
"Stand over there, under the wall! I'll show you my favorite Jellie here!" Scar smirked, showing Tango exactly where to stand. Oh, this made Grian's work so much easier... He quietly moved over, not even letting the rustle of his feathers give away his position. The blazeborn nodded and moved back a few steps, as Scar walked between the pandas.
Tango awaited him patiently, silently just hoping for this whole thing to be over already. Jimmy was probably getting bored, sitting at the ranch... He could feel some of the minor damage his soulmate received when he was gone - although it was only some minor scratching, nothing threatening. He'll probably be so happy to see him again, especially with a goat horn in his hands-
"TANGO! Watch out!"
Only then, the sounds of someone's quick footsteps reached Tango. Before he could even move, he was suddenly tackled to the ground by someone tall and lean. Then, an explosion went out over where he was just standing - a few meters away. The blast pushed both of them away, making them hit the sanctuary's wall. Tango let out a startled squeal, then looked up. First, his eyes were met with Jimmy's terrified stare. Then, he noticed Grian standing on the wall and giggling his little heart out.
"You stupid jerks!" Tango screamed towards the parrot, his hair going aflame from the emotions. "What was that for?! You can't do this, you're not red!"
"Oh, relax, Tango! It wasn't gonna kill you, we were just messing with you!"
The blazeborn barely listened to them. He was starting to see red, and not just because it was his natural eye color. His claws clutched on the grass, the very heat of his body starting to scorch some of the blades. Jimmy jumped back, so as to not get burned by his partner. Tango immediately got off the ground and started scratching the wall with all his fury and anger. The dry wood quickly caught fire.
"What the- Tango!" Grian jumped down from the wall, the mischief in his eyes suddenly replaced with fear.
"My sanctuary!" Scar yelled in panic and grabbed a bucket.
"C'mere, you're next!" Tango let out a low growl, his tail swaying from side to side with anger. His breathing was fast and rigid. His emotions did not seem to lessen even for a second - the heat he gave off grew so intense that the air around him started becoming wavy. His claws, his fangs and his strong hooves were ready for a fight. Like an animal, ready to attack the next prey it sees. And right now, his eyes were set on either Scar or Grian - whoever got too close to him first.
But neither of them did.
Tango suddenly felt Jimmy grab his boiling wrist and pull him away. The canary recoiled in pain, as the intense heat immediately burned his hand, making his skin red. He tried his best to shake off the pain, but it was not an easy task. Jim took a deep breath, then picked Tango up and ran way with him, towards the gate of the sanctuary.
"Hey! Come back here and help us!" Grian called out, aiding Scar in putting out the fire.
"You'll thank me later!" Jimmy yelled back, trying his best to hold back the pain. The intense heat started burning through his clothes, as he threw Tango over his shoulder. Despite his fragile build, he knew he was strong enough to hold his soulmate. But it was definitely harder, when he was not just like a sack of potatoes - more like a sack full of hot potatoes. But this one time, he did not want to drop them. If anyone had to hold on to them, it had to be him.
Tango only started calming down, when they finally reached the ranch. Both of them fell on the ground, some of the blades burning right under the blazeborn. Not wasting a second, Jimmy sat up and put his hands on his rancher's cheeks. He could feel the skin on his palms burning, but at this point, he couldn't care less.
"Tango! Please, calm down... We're safe now..." he huffed, trying his best to grab his soulmate's attention. The pain was making it hard for him to think, yet his priority was to help Tango calm down. He knew that the blazeborn was bad at doing it by himself. "Please, hon... Big breath in, and big breath out..."
The blazeborn ignored him at first, still too heated - literally and figuratively - to register what was happening. Only around the third breath, he looked at Jimmy's face. The strain of holding back the pain, as well as the heat Tango's body was giving off made him all sweaty. At that moment, Tango was hit with the realization of what he's done. And he felt disgusted by his actions. His breath hitched with worry.
"Jimmy, I-"
"It's okay, Tango. Breathe... Please..."
His anxiety did not make it easy, but ultimately Tango followed Jimmy on the breathing exercise. The smoke emitting from his mouth went from black to dark grey, to white, to dissipating completely. Only when his body temperature finally lowered to a managable level, he put his forehead against Jimmy's, marking them both in ash and soot.
"I-I'm sorry..." he whispered. "I was tryna get a horn from them... I didn't know they made it into a trap... A-and now..."
"It's... It's fine, really" Jimmy huffed, although his face seemed to show quite the opposite. The pain finally got to his brain, making it harder and harder for him to stand it. His eyes slightly teared up from the strain. Tango gently put his own hands on Jimmy's cheeks.
"No, it's not! Wait here for a moment, okay? I'll grab some water... Just stay here!"
Tango scrambled up from the ground and ran towards their nearest watersource. Jimmy followed his steps with his sight, trying his best to not break down over the pain. Suddenly, a pretty distracting thought occured to him. They were linked, which meant every amount of hurt done to one of them was reflected on the other's body as well. How did Tango not burn himself? Was he so good at masking it? Or was his skin fireproof to the point where there was no harm done to him? The canary really wanted to get up and follow him, but his legs refused to cooperate. He felt weak, exposed and fragile. But he was still alive... Somehow. And all he could do at that point was wait for Tango's assistance.
The blazeborn came back right after, holding a bucket of water and some cloth. He helped Jimmy take off his burning shirt, then started gently cleaning his wounds. The burns were covering his shouldder and the left side of his back, as well as on both of his palms. His skin was reddened and peeling off in some places. It looked pretty dire, and Jimmy struggled to keep a straight face. Tango remained silenct, clearly ashamed and upset over his outburst of anger. If he only knew a way to make up to Jimmy for it... But he couldn't think of anything. Potions were banned in this game, so he couldn't use them to heal his rancher. He dropped his head, as to not face his partner.
"You would've been better with anyone but me as your soulmate" he admitted after a while. Jimmy looked at him and shyly smiled.
"Well, at least I'm not paired with Grian, or Scar..."
"Yeah, but they wouldn't be a straight up danger to you! You know how angry I get, I-I can't control my own emotions, I- I burned you!"
"Like the sun" Jimmy answered in a dreamy tone. Tango looked at him dumbfounded and tilted his head.
"What...?"
Jimmy let out a small chuckle. His judgement was likely clouded by the pain, but he was holding up pretty well.
"I love that about you... Well, I don't like bein' burned to a crisp, but your fiery attitude... It makes me feel... Safe. Plus, I know you didn't do it on purpose. I know you struggle with your emotions... We'll figure it out."
"Bu-but..." Tango gasped, clearly confused by Jimmy. "I-I mean, of course I didn't do it on purpose! I'd never!"
The canary smiled and put his burned hand on Tango's cheek.
"And that's fine with me... Really. Just... I think I need to lie down. For the rest of the day, preferably."
"Yes. Of course! Right-o" Tango nodded. He looked at Jimmy's scorched clothes, then he took off his own sweatshirt and covered his rancher's bare shoulders with it. The blazeborn was only wearing a black tank top now, but the coldness of the late afternoon did not bother him one bit. Jimmy looked up at him, his big brown eyes lighting up. "Do you want me to carry you to the house? Or can you walk?"
"I can walk..." Jimmy smiled. The moment Tango reached out a hand to him, the canary took it immediately. The pain in his hand flared, but only for a moment. After getting up from the ground, the blazeborn hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, rancher..." he whispered, hiding his face in Jimmy's chest. "And I'm sorry, again..."
The canary smiled. He put a finger under Tango's chin and lifted it up. Then, he left a gentle, shy peck on his soulmate's lips. A strong blush immediately spread across the shorter man's cheeks and ears, and Jimmy's face too, soon after.
"We can... We can do that?" Tango chuckled nervously. Jim let out a soft chuckle.
"Yeah, why not? You liked it?"
"Hell yeah! That was awesome! Can we do it again? Please?"
"Fine... But after we get back inside. These burns still hurt like heck..."
Tango smiled and led his rancher back towards their house, supporting him on the side. He slowly started regaining his usual enthusiasm, his tail quickly wagging from side to side.
"I still wish I got the horn for you..." he pondered for a moment, although a devilish smile appeared on his face.
"Yeah, but it wasn't worth dealing with these idiot for it. We're fine without it."
"Yeah! Well, I may have not gotten myself a horn, but I got you hor -"
"Don't." Jimmy covered Tango's mouth with his hand. His expression got serious, but only for a second. He wanted to make it clear right away that he was just joking, but then he felt Tango's tongue against his hand. He immediately burst out in laughter. "Ewww! Tango! What are you doing?!"
"Lickin' you" Tango smiled in a mischevious way. "What? You want my tongue to go somewhere else?"
"No, stop! You're so awful!" Jimmy giggled and stepped away, then - as much as his body was letting him - ran towards their house. Tango started laughing and chasing him.
"Come here, rancher! I know you want it!"
"Oh, you!" Jimmy waited for him in the door. It actually turned out to be a mistake - Tango didn't stop in time and he tackled Jimmy on the floor. Again. The canary first winced in pain, but recovered pretty quickly. He zipped up the sweatshirt that Tango gave him, looking at him with a playful expression. "C'mon, rancher! If we're gonna be out first again, let's use this time well, ey?"
Tango smirked and followed him into the house. Maybe he was right. Maybe they were both doomed by the narrative... But there was nothing stopping them from embracing that fact. At least for tonight.
The_Writing_Carrot Thu 07 Nov 2024 04:54AM UTC
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smutny_technik Thu 07 Nov 2024 05:01AM UTC
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