A surprise attack! The lighting advance of raging beast beneath her made Tanya's breath catch in her throat, and she was forced to abort her careful preparations. This thing was just too goddamn fast, and it was charging straight at her! It took a fraction of a second to process the sparks hitting the floor, the crash of it's unblinded rage. This was one of the most fight or flight situations she'd ever encountered, and it looked like it was time for flight.

It was too much of a risk to try getting above it, in its path, anywhere near it with anything less than the set up for a killing blow. For all she knew this monster could snatch her out of the air, tear her completely to shreds as soon as she moved-- since it moved with all the unpredictability of a raging bull, now was the time to take some aggressive precautions. This wasn't something she wanted to do, but she was desperate. It would be easy. It would be done at the speed of thought. And it had to be done. Tanya was used to making deals. Yet.

She felt her sins crawling on her back.

As one demon charged, she beckoned another one into this world. It was in her mind, slithering among her worst thoughts, her fears and grudges hiding it like tall grass. It spoke to her, asked her what she wanted. She told it that she wanted the same thing she did every time. She told it she wanted power. It rattled its laughter, and offered the apple. She stepped forward in her soul, and forged her side of the pact.

Tanya's mind returned to the moment, her senses overloaded but still functioning. She slammed her hand onto the chest hard, inking a Binding Contract into her skin, no time to make a second layer of the Feather of Innocence like she intended. The monster was all but upon her; she'd have to let the creature attacking her dangerously close, and she could only hope that the paralysis of the Binding Contract would give her the opening she needed to let the Rules Snake take its bite...