*** = listener speaking

Can be monetised, just please link back to either this post or my YouTube!

Gender(s) can be changed if wanted!

~~~

Hello there, love.

You seem a little out of place here – everything alright?

***

Oh, you lost your friend?

Horrible thing to do in the Underworld. Judging by your nervous glances, I’m assuming today is your first time here.

The friend who brought you must have been the one to guide you here. Hard to go back home if you don’t have a guide – nearly impossible to escape.

Why don’t you come with me?

You can come back to the staff room and relax there while I get a member of security to look for your friend.

If you know your friend’s gambling code, then we can search it up and see what machine or table they were playing on last.

That alright with you, love?

***

Right this way then.

[listener and speaker walk to the staff room]

[speaker locks the door]

Alright, you might want to take a seat.

***

Now that you’re in a place you can’t run from, I’ll be honest with you, love.

You didn’t lose your friend – well, you’ll probably feel like you lost a friend, but you didn’t get lost.

Did you know your friend is a regular here?

***

Kind of?

Your friend usually comes here every day, if their schedule allows it.

Mhm. That often.

They reeeeeally like betting. I don’t know how they manage to afford it, whether they have a high paying job, a sugar daddy or mommy or they’re some kind of trust fund kid, but they would be betting from the second the Underworld’s door was open to moment it closed. Sometimes they would even make bets to keep it open longer.

Actually… I suppose I should phrase it as ‘did’ manage to afford it.

You see, love, a couple days ago, your friend made a stupid mistake.

They ran out of the money they’d brought with them that day, but it was only halfway through the evening, so to say they were… upset, is an understatement.

Judging by the look on your pretty face, you know what I mean.

In order to keep playing, they made a bet with the owner of this establishment – Hades, you may have heard of him – for some of his riches. If they lost the bet… their soul was forfeit.

And lose they did.

Hades is usually pretty uptight about these kinds of things, but since your friend was such a loyal patron, he told your friend that if he was able to find a soul of the same or higher value, he would allow them to keep theirs.

Which is where you come in, love.

***

Yep. That ‘friend’ of yours brought you here to take their place.

Honestly, it still amazes me how fickle humans can be.

I’m not surprised they chose you, though.

From the moment you walked in the door… it’s hard to describe to a human, but your soul is tasty.

I guess your friend took one look at your pretty face and alluring body of yours and thought that your soul was good enough to replace theirs – and they were right.

So sorry, love, but you won’t be leaving the Underworld. Not with your friend, not by yourself… never.

***

Look, love, I wish there was… actually, no, I don’t wish there was something I could do.

But even if I did, there really isn’t anything I can do.

Even if I hadn’t claimed you for myself, my hands are tied.

***

Oops. Didn’t mean to let that slip so soon.

Sorry, love.

I’m the one who has been granted ownership of you.

Since you’re not dead, you can’t technically be a member of the Underworld… but humans who have their souls tied to demons and spend plenty of time with the demon their soul is tied to, they will slowly morph into a demon themselves.

[speaker touches listener’s arm]

[seductive voice]

That’s how you’ll be able to stay safe in the Underworld, so make sure to stay veryyyy close to me, okay love?

[chair screeching; listener slaps speaker away]

No?

Love, you can’t say no.

You’re staying by my side, and within the Underworld, for the rest of your human and following demonic life.

It’s been written down in the contract-

***

I’d prefer it if you didn’t shout, love. I have sensitive ears.

And I understand that you weren’t involved in the initial wager, but Hades won’t care about that. He just wants his soul… my soul, now. And I don’t want to give you up either.

I had to sacrifice my pride and beg quite a lot to make you mine, you know.

***

…You want to gamble against Hades?

[speaker chuckles]

Love, you have nothing that he’d want. Your soul is already bound to me – and I doubt you brought much money with you.

You need to start cutting your loses and try to look on the bright side of things.

Eternal demonic life! Once you settle down, I’m sure you can even go back to the human realm for the occasional trip.

***

Me?

Yes, I like to take part in the occasional gamble… I mainly work the bar.

Why do you ask?

***

[speaker chuckles]

You want to gamble against me?

As the owner of your soul, I guess I do have rights over it… if I wanted to send you back up to the human world, as long as our souls were kept bound, Hades wouldn’t have my head for it.

I suppose I could entertain this idea for a little bit.

Alright – what can you offer me in exchange for your soul?

***

A gamble only works if each side offers something of value.

What do you have that would entice me to risk losing you?

***

A kiss?

That’s very bold of you, love… I like the idea.

I want more than just one, though.

When I win our bet, you have to give me three kisses each day for the rest of your life – one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one at night.

And immediately after me winning this bet, I get to kiss you for as long as I like to make up for the years we haven’t been around each other.

Does that sound fair? Do I have your consent for that?

***

I have your consent ‘if’ I win. Sorry, sorry, love.

Alright then – you have a deal.

[magic/demonic deal noises]

What’s wrong?

You make a bet with a demon.

This is the way we make a contract – the same as you humans do with paper.

Is the demonic spell making things too real for you?

You can still back out now.

I’ll be a little sad that I’ll miss out on kissing you, but your soul is still mine, so I can live.

[listener grabs speaker’s hand]

Oh- your grip is rather strong.

[speaker chuckles; following line echoes/demonic undertones/etc]

By the power vested in me by Hades, I wager this human’s freedom, and they wager their kisses.

[spell explosion noise; cards being flipped]

Alright, love – what game shall we play?

Can’t do a game like Old Maid, but I probably do a round of Blackjack with me as the dealer…

***

That works for you?

Blackjack it is then. We’ll do a best of three to keep this short and sweet – sweet like you.

I’m sure you already know the rules, but I’ll state them even so.

The goal here is to beat me, the dealer, by getting an amount that is close to, or exactly, a total of 21 from the total sum of your cards, and that is also higher than the sum of my cards. If you go over 21, however, you go bust and I automatically win that round.

A 2 of hearts and a 5 of spades makes 7, a 9 of clubs and a 10 of diamonds makes 19, and so on.

The face cards – Jack, Queen, and King – are also worth 10.

Would you rather the Ace be worth 1 or 11?

***

11 – that’s a little risky. But good choice, love.

At the start of each round, I’ll give you two cards and myself two cards. I will reveal one of my cards, and then you can decide whether you want another card added to your pile or if you want to keep your hand as is.

You can ask for as many cards as you’d like, but personally I would recommend asking for too many – the more you ask for, the more likely you’ll go bust, after all.

Oh, and you don’t have to worry about doing any of the fancy hand signals, love. It’s just the two of us here – and I’d prefer to hear your voice, as skilful as I’m sure your hands are.

Anything else you’re confused about?

***

Let’s begin, then.

[card noises; shuffling and placing down]

Turning my card over, I have…

[flipping card over]

…A 6. Not too bad, not too good either.

What about you, love? What are you thinking – hit or stay?

***

Hit? Here’s your card.

[hands listener another card]

What now? Hit or stay?

***

You want to stay?

Okay, then, please reveal your cards.

[listener turns over cards]

An ace of hearts, a 2 of diamonds, and a 6 of spades… 19 total.

And now to see what I got.

I had my 6…

[flip card over]

…and a 5.

11 total – you win the first round. Congratulation, love.

I hope lady luck comes to my side these next two turns. I’ve started fantasising about our kisses.

[speaker shuffles and distributes cards]

My spare card this time is… a 9.

Pretty high this time – thank you, lady luck.

Hit or stay, love?

***

Hit it is.

[hands listener a card]

…That look on your face isn’t too good.

***

Another hit? Are you sure?

***

Here you go, love.

[hands listener another card]

…Oh dear. That face you’re pulling now is even worse.

Have you gone bust?

[reveals cards]

Oh dear. 23 total.

And I had…

[flips cards]

…11 total! A 9 and a 2 – I don’t think you even needed a hit from your first two cards.

Such a shame… for you.

Looks like we’re on an even playing field now, love.

Is the pressure setting in for the final round?

Don’t worry, love. I promise I’ll be gentle with my kisses, and I’ll take good care of you here in the Underworld.

***

[speaker chuckles]

I’m dealing, love. Don’t get so angry – your pretty face will get wrinkles. Don’t want to have to deal with those for the rest of your demonic life.

[hands out cards]

And for my final round, I have…

A queen. The first face card of the game.

Lady luck is so sweet with me.

Though you have a rather confident look on your face as well.

Hit or stay?

***

Stay right away? You must be very confident in your hand.

Show me what you’ve got, love.

[flip cards]

A king and a jack! That rounds out the faces cards.

And that means you’re scoring a very comfortable 20. Hard to beat.

It’s down to lady luck for me…

[flips card]

…The ace of hearts.

And a queen and an ace make 21. The one last move that could beat you.

Looks like I win.

[magic noises; cards disappear]

Don’t look so distraught, love.

I won’t treat you badly – I’d never do that to you.

Look at me.

[speaker holds listener’s face]

[kiss]

Are you crying?

It’s okay – the Underworld is hot enough that when you cry, your tears will dry up instantly.

And when you’re a demon, you won’t have any tears to cry.

Smile, love.

You may have lost this bet… but we’ve both won in the long run.

[kisses]