#hermitcraftau

Tango is a Blazekin... Though one of soulfire is practically unheard of- People wouldn't even know how to do that to a Blazekin.

Peoples gut assumption of course is just that he's such a magical genius it must have changed him to this "more powerful" type of flame. Understandable really, soulfire is deeply tied to magic.

However it'd be an incorrect answer. Tango's flame is soulfire because he's from an ancient city. Not even he knows the details there. He woke up one day, young teen, in complete darkness aside from his own hair and the few remaining lit torches along ruined walls giving off just enough light to see.

Part of this is pulled from some blazekin species thoughts I started playing with in my head a bit and wanted to incorporate here. I think I want them to work similarly to phoenixes. So while fairly irrelevant to the au at large, the story in my head here is Tangos previous iteration had died while exploring an ancient city, and while the body recovered for its cycle, the soulfire in the area was absorbed into his body. I think of Blazekin as fairly malluable and adaptable to environments, so going this route for Why Tango Looks Like This just felt like the right choice. Even if it doesnt really mean anything in the long run.

Anyway. In this ancient city is where Tango finds his wardens. The three of them had been guarding it since its fall ect ect. Very likely, they even are the cause of Tango being here like this in the first place.

Due to Tango now having Technically Originated from the city, the Wardens aren't hostile. This is why they seem tamed to everyone else later on. Wardens are ment to guard the city and the people within, when a new one appears (by technicality) millenia after the cities crumbled- Really only the Wardens would know why they're docile, and it's not like people could ask them to explain. They're Animals.

When Tango is going around recruiting for his dungeon and getting materials and the like, he uses this general lack of knowledge to his advantage. People seem to be terrified of these things. He doesnt get it, they're the sweetest things in the world to him- But he is NOT complaining! He just got all the blackstone he could ever dream of for NOTHING!

Tango, of course, sees his Wardens more like family than anything. As alluded to in the artwork post, Tango likes them more than he even likes Scar. Obviously different kinds of affection are here, but the point is if Tango had to choose, it'd be Mitzy and the other girls Every Single Time. There is not a single time Tango would choose Scar- or anything else for that matter- over the wardens.

Obviously he sucks but can you really blame him? He's been around these three since he came to exist. Of course he's attached.

This ALSO means though- Tango has never layed a hand on his wardens. And he wouldnt dream of ever doing so. If someone were to suggest it he'd kill them on the spot just for THINKING he'd do it.

Tango is even extra protective of them once the dungeon is built. The vexes who work down in floors 3 and 4 of the dungeon are hand picked by Tango. They are a lot of the Vexes Tango has mild respect for. He has to make sure his girls are being cared for properly! And that they like these stupid little bugs in the first place!!

Being permited to work in the lower two floors of the Dungeon is seen as a blessing and a curse however. Yes, it means the dungeon master respects and trusts you more than the average vex, but it also means you are Far More Likely to piss him off. You better treat those Wardens like they are faberge eggs with the threat of Tango killing you just for putting poor little Mitzy in a bad mood that day.

Tango loves his Wardens. I have made him so so so toothrotting sweet with his wardens. He WILL crawl all over them like theyre a playground and squish their big "scary" faces and coo at them like a rich woman does her purse dog. This is a 40+ year old man. (equivalent. Floaty ambiguous timeline meets pseudo immortality. Dont think about it too hard.)

This is also kinda why the other Vexes think Scar is crazy when he talks about how sweet Tango can be. Tango can be babytalking a warden one moment, only to turn around and deathstare a Vex the next second. And they don't know if Scar's figured this out yet- But Scar isnt a warden. Scar isnt MITZY. He must not be right in the head if he thinks Tango is treating him like a warden. Poor thing. The dungeon master should just put him out of his delusional misery now, really.

Now obviously Scar is not being treated like a warden. Tango has different levels of Sweet. And most of his sweetness to Scar is an act to make Scar feel special. But the Vexes often think Scar gushing about how Adorable Tango Is when he's nodding off at a work station in the castle- They THINK He's saying hes being treated so so so well. Like the Wardens. Which is Not Possible. As far as theyre concerned.

OKAY. Away from the Wardens, Tango is also a redstone and magic genius. To an extent these seemed to be natural gifts to him, he tried them out when he first left the ancient city and was quite the natural! So he dived into them very deep, Tango dedicated his whole life to these skills. And now in present time- If he weren't being such a hermit in his giant fuckoff castle- He'd likely be known as one of if not THE greatest redstone engineer and mage.

But thats really the thing- He dived so deep into his craft, that once the citadel was completed- He never really..... Left. He's been locked away in his citadel for so long that the world around him has changed Drastically. A kingdom rose relatively nearby that he's never spoken to. And now all these fucking intruders think his castle is abandoned and rife for looting! He still lives here damnit!!!

Maybe they'd figure that out and leave him alone if he were to let one intruder Go Back with that knowledge. But Tango also doesnt really care enough. Its like catching a fly in your kitchen to him.

Now he DOES leave the castle sometimes. He's still aware of the passage of time and figures its worthwhile to check things out. But its rare. And he does it alone. And he hates talking to people bugs so much that any information he could get out about his citadel never leaves his mouth.

There isnt anything special there, I just need to say he goes outside once in a blue moon because he has a coffee maker. Please find humor in that. This guy has been alive for Too Long, locked away in his giant castle, went outside one time and got a coffee maker. He genuinely thinks its the best invention of the modern age. It gives him hope that humanity isnt full of bumbling idiots quite yet.

There was a time when Tango did interact with the world, talk to people, was known fairly well. And that was in the decade or two he was building the citadel. He HAD socializing under his belt. He didnt care for it much but he did it anyway- But once the Castle was finished- He locked himself away in private study... For a Century or Two-

And when you go from regularly touching grass, socializing, having meals with people you pretend are your friends, to solitary life in the castle, only talking to the Vexes you've recruited because you have to- Tango kinda stopped taking care of himself properly! He got so into his work he'd forget to eat, sleep, do basic hygiene. Classic hyperfocus behaviors. And that builds up over so long! With nobody seeing he does this and thus nobody to tell him to stop!

So by the time he brings Scar up into the castle- Tango is boney. He is weak. He is barely held together with coffee and whatever food he grabs from his cabinets first. He honestly had no clue about it- His self care had gone over his head. He wasnt dead so what was there to worry about.

He never really figures out how badly he had deteriorated, even the weakest Vex in the dungeon could've overpowered him if they wanted to. Unknowingly, the only reason he still has the vexes under his thumb is through decades of threats, manipulation, and some Very Showy Magic.

But he does find himself feeling quite a bit better day to day now that Scar is taking care of his day to day body maintenance. He supposes he likely should have had a vex come up for this task earlier- Its so much easier to focus now- But Eugh. The others are truly all just unbearable to be around. So whatever, he won't worry about it.