Demon who's going to need a much bigger sacrifice if you want to get their attention.
Jamdaggu, Earl of Bugs, slouches in. Creepy-crawlies always sounded like a good career move, but with hell's increasing move to the gig economy, it's feeling less competitive than ever. So many of his leads these days are misdirected programmers that he tried an introductory Python course, with a vague notion of retraining; it made him cry.
"I brought beer," he says glumly.
"Cheer up, Bugsy," says Bernadette, round the toothpick she's chewing, shuffling a deck of cards. "Take a seat and get dealt in."
"What are the stakes?"
"One of your fingers."
"Oh, man," he whines. "Do you see these hands? Do you? Three fingers each. I'm at a serious disadvantage, it's not fair. We've moved onto body parts already? It's still early."
"We cleaned Golnaarth out of chocolate and ate it all in front of her," Bernie says, grinning. "You want in on the low-stakes games, turn up on time, chump."
"Fine." He cracks open a can of Coors and sits at the table with Bernie and Golnaarth and one of the imps from Poorly-Written Instructions, pouting. "Deal me in."
Bernie deals; everyone looks at their cards.
"Two fingers," Golnaarth says, face perpetually and inscrutably cheerful.
"I'll see your two fingers," Bernie agrees.
"I hate you," Jamdaggu says. "Why are we betting fingers anyway, wouldn't it be fairer if we bet our nipples or something we all have the same number of—"
"I took all the candy from the baby," Bernie says, "and later on I'm going to take all of her fingers," and she pokes the tip of her tongue out as she looks across the table at Golnaarth.
Jamdaggu looks from one to the other, then deliberately throws his cards in the air like confetti. "You sods," he says bitterly. "It's game night! You can't keep your pants on and stop flirting for a game of cards? This is supposed to be poker!"
"Aw, Jamdaggu," Golnaarth says sympathetically, and leans over to pat his shoulder, waiting until his pout turns a little mollified before adding, "Poke 'er? I hardly—"
