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Husk had been winning sinners of Hell’s money and souls for years. Tonight was supposed to be no different. The cat was well known for never losing a gamble, no matter what game it was. Sinners who watched Husk’s games rumored that it looked like he’d put little to no effort in them, like he bored of winning so much. When people played in his casinos, the smart ones only played with money. If they were foolish and cocky, and probably drunk, they’d gamble their souls away for a jackpot no one has ever been able to win. When he was an overlord, he controlled all casinos across the Pride ring. His home base was “A Gambler’s Jackpot”, right in the middle of the pentagram. He had everything he wanted as an overlord: money, a good reputation, and a nice bottle of alcohol whenever he requested.
After a particularly brutal extermination by heaven a few years ago, Husk’s casino was packed with unknowing sinners that Husk planned to exploit. Sinners gambled from twilight to dawn, celebrating another extermination survived. Most of the sinners there were just thankful to be alive. Husk always thought it was stupid to waste money like that, especially after surviving a ring-wide attack like the extermination, but it’s not his business how his customers handle their stress.
As a result of heaven’s massacre, business was booming. Every slot machine, poker table roulette tables, and even bar stool was filled. Most people were too drunk to care about how much they were gambling away to try to cash out, making Husk pleased with his profits. These drunks made Husk’s soul contract almost double in the span of a night. He alone cashed in 20, but that’s not including what he made from his worker’s tables and other bars. He was absolutely beaming about this. It felt like nothing could take away this away from him, not even Lucifer himself.
As the last few rowdy and drunk customers were escorted out, there was one who just wouldn’t budge. After security politely tried to escort him out, they gave up and resorted to violence. After only one security guard was alive, they gave in and told their boss about what was happening. Once Husk had a description of the “poor sinner who wanted to play a game with him”, a small smirk crept on his face, and he told the security to not worry about him. Husk would deal with it himself. And he was going to have a fun time doing so.
When Husk made his way to the sinner, he kept his stone-cold poker face on, like he did with every other customer. When the challenger tried to speak, he was faced with a pointed finger to his face. “Don’t try to act innocent. I know who you are,” he states, beginning to stroll around him and stops right next to his ear behind him. “I’ve been hoping for you to show your face here for quite some time now, Alastor.” Husk lets out a small laugh, analyzing the sinner in front of him. The old timey sinner put his hand out for a handshake, which Husk quickly refused, looking quite unamused. “Don’t even try it, fawn. So, what are you here for exactly? I don’t want to assume.”
Alastor let out a hearty laugh, taking a minute to regain his composure. “You’re not that bright for an overlord. You know exactly what I want, Husker. I want you soul under my name, but I’m sure you already knew that.”
Husk was already sick of this guy’s attitude. He should’ve turned him away, but he didn’t. He sat down at his regular table, motioning for the deer to sit with him for a game. Once settled, Husk ordered a security guard to close all doors and a server to act as dealer.
“Normally, I’d kick you out for harassing my security and coming in as we are in the middle of closing. But I’d rather have your soul now instead of later.” Husk chuckled, taking a sip of whiskey as the dealer set up Casino hold’em.
Both men knew who they were going up against. Husk was one of the strongest people on this layer of Hell. The gambling overlord knew his way around the deck much better than Alastor did. He knew every strategy for any game people could think of. He could play fast and meticulously, every move with pure precision for it to be the best thing he could do. It was just how he played, but it also doubled to intimidate sinners who didn’t know what they were going up against.
While there was a lot of information about Husk due to his reputation and fame, not much was known about Alastor. The deer demon was a complete mystery, much to the cat’s annoyance. Of course he’s dealt with those kinds of people before, but his guts were telling him something was off about his opponent. He knew about Alastor’s obsession with overlord hunting, but he knew no one could beat him at his own game.
As the game went on, Husk could tell Alastor didn’t know what he was doing. He had a straight flush in his hand, there was no way he could lose. A small grin appeared on his face, thinking that the Radio Demon’s soul was his for the taking.
As Husk called all in while sliding the chips to the center of the table, Alastor couldn’t help but laugh. “My my, Husker,” he mockingly said, looking at Husk’s confident face. “You really are a stupid feline. Don’t you know to never underestimate the luck of the draw?” Husk didn’t think anything of it, assuming the deer was just trying to intimidate him. But when Alastor laid down his hand, Husk’s face lost all its color, and he could feel his soul moving out of his body.
“I believe I’ve won. Royal flush, Husker. You’re MINE.”
Alastor’s laugh echoed the empty casino, and Husk is still in disbelief. How the fuck did this guy beat him? He’s been an overlord since he landed down here in hell almost 10 years ago! As Husk tries to refuse his loss, Alastor already has his hand out for a life-binding handshake.
He couldn’t let Alastor have his souls so easily. He didn’t want to give up his whole life over a stupid card game. As the scared cat tried to back away from the table, a black tentacle pinned him to the ground, while another one forced his hand into Alastor’s. The deer cackled sinisterly, now having Husk’s soul as well as all the souls he had won.
The laughing dies down, and Alastor’s tentacle drops him to the ground like an unwanted toy. Alastor walks up to him, kneeling to whisper in the disheveled ex-overlord. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of these souls. They’ll be stars on my broadcast.” As Husk tries to get up and refuse, Alastor uses his cane to make his head on the ground.
Husk sat up abruptly, surrounded in sheer darkness. He could feel sweat dripping from the sides of his forehead and his body was begging for air. He grasped his chest with one hand and dragged the other in the fur on his head. He’s looking around for anything to get out of the darkness, his mind going faster than his body can handle. He can’t see a thing, and the room is dead silent with nothing but constant ticking. Husk wanted- no- needed that damn noise to just shut up!
After sitting in the tormenting darkness for an unknown amount of time, he couldn’t take the pounding of the ticking. He felt around and threw the first thing he grabbed to where it was coming from. Once the ticking subsided, Husk was alone with his thoughts in the dark room.
He shouldn’t have fucking gone all in. He *knew* better than to go all in, it was the first rule he made himself when he started gambling as much as he did. Husk knew it was stupid at the time, but he had the second-best hand in the game. It was slim to fucking none of Alastor having that soul crusher of a hand. He knew going into that game what Alastor could do. Hell, Husk saw what he could do.
As the bartender sat there in the dark with nothing but his mistakes haunting him, he sat there with no sense of the time passing. As he sat at his thoughts continued to eat him up, his paranoia was going through the roof. He couldn’t get a hold of himself, and all Husk could manage to do in this state was hide himself in his covers.
As he tried to hide himself from his thoughts, he could hear a quiet knock. He didn’t dare move a muscle, as he assumed it was Alastor needing a “favor” from him. He couldn’t handle seeing that deer’s off-putting smile right now, and all he really wanted was to get drunk to numb this pain.
Husk assumed Alastor went away when he didn’t hear the door open or close, but he heard a similar clicking of boots. Quite frankly, the steps were just making his thoughts worse, and they were very overstimulating for the already perturbed cat.
He felt a poke on his shoulder and quickly moved away from what he thought was Alastor’s cane. He let out a hiss and tried to kick out the demon luring over him. “Fuck off Al!” He snarled, his fur sticking straight up. “I ain’t done shit!”
It’s dead quiet for a few seconds, and a voice the anxious cat wasn’t expecting to hear begins to whisper. “Whiskers? The fuck you callin’ me Al for? How sober are ya?” Angel sounded so confused and worried, never seeing this side of Husk before.
Husk doesn’t say anything, just confused at what was happening. It’s not supposed to be Angel wasn’t supposed to be here. How was he here anyways? He didn’t know but he hissed again at the spider. “Just get out!” He demanded, not in a good headspace to talk.
Angel moves, but only to turn on the light. Once Husk’s eye readjusts from sitting in the dark for so long, he finally begins to understand what was happening.
“I think someone had a nasty dream.” Angel jokes, but when he saw how much it messed up Husk, he dropped the smile and sat down at the end of his bed. “Do you want me to stay? We don’t gotta talk about it if you don’t want to.”
Husk thinks about it for a few seconds, his mind still tricking him into thinking it’s one of his boss’ manipulative mind tricks. Angel notices and carefully takes the cover off Husk’s body, stroking the drunk’s cheek. Angel saw the alarm wash off from Husk cheeks as he nuzzled into his hands more. Angel felt Husk climb into his lap, allowing the porn star to stay for a bit.
Angel had a huge smile on his face, knowing that Husk wouldn’t even think of doing this with anyone else. He gently rubbed Husk’s back, staying as silent as he could. He didn’t want to say anything that could scare Husk back into that horrible state he was in before.
After a few moments and when Husk had calmed down, he mumbled something in Angel’s ear. “I need a fuckin’ drink.” Angel couldn’t help but let out a small laugh and picked up the cat on his lap with ease. As Husk tried to argue about being man-handled like that, Angel shushes him. “Relax. I won’t drop ya. Not too hard at least.”
He brought Husk down to the empty bar in the front of the hotel. He doesn’t even look at what he’s drinking before downing the bottle in seconds. Angel looked heavily concerned and blurted out “Damn, whiskers, how bad was that dream?” Husk just flipped him off as he grabbed a second bottle.
Once Angel realized that he was going to drink himself to pass out and forget the dream, Angel stopped him. He’d never seen Husk drink that much in so little time before. He grabbed the bottle, and once again effortlessly picked up his alcoholic boyfriend.
“Okay, no. That’s hypocritical as shit, Husk. If I can’t drink my emotions away, neither can you. Let’s talk.” Before Husk could protest any of this, Angel sits him down on one of the barstools, kneeling down to his level. “Come on, baby” Angel coos gently, “talk to me.”
Husk seemed very hesitant at first and sighed defeatedly. Husk begins to tell Angel about that horrid night for him. He talks about his popularity in hell before Alastor came, reminiscing in the calm before the storm. When he got to the game itself, Husk looked more angry, more hurt at his own actions.
“I lost... everything that I ever loved down here. Over a stupid fucking card game. I knew not to go all in, but hell! I had a straight flush! How the fuck was I supposed to know he had a royal?” Husk let out a pained breath, knowing that he couldn’t do anything about that night now. “Al’s a fuckin’ ass. I hate him. I hate his guts. I hate how he made me lose everything. I’m nothing but a washed-up unlucky loser who drinks bottles of cheap booze all day to fuckin’ feel something because of him!”
Before Husk could go on, Angel sits down and pulls him into a much-needed hug. He thought about what he wanted to say carefully, knowing that what he said next could change their whole night.
“You can’t just look at the bad. I get what losing your souls like, I have fuckin’ Valentino for a boss.” Angel laughs, knowing that conversation was a shit show for another time. “But there’s some goods to it, and I think you know that.” Husk grew quiet, knowing it was true. He wanted to agree, but his mind just couldn’t.
“Husk, listen. You got to meet a lot of people you care about. You wouldn’t have done that if you were in that old casino all day. I know he took everything from you, but you’ve gained a lot from him too.” Angel kisses his cat, rubbing the back of his neck. “And even losers have luck. I’m a loser, but I have you. I think I got the royal flush of the game of the afterlife.” Angel paused for a second, not sure what that expression on Husk face was saying. “Did I mess up the gamblin’ analogy that bad?” Husk doesn’t say anything but pulls himself more into Angel.
They sit like that together for a bit in a comfortable silence. Once Husk got up, he looked at Angel with a thankful and starstruck look. “I love you. But when the fuck did you get so wise? You tryin’ to take my job?” Angel laughed a bit and shrugged, happy to hear Husk cracking some jokes. “Dunno, I had a pretty good bartender to talk to.” Husk let out a raspy chuckle before standing up to check the time.
“Fuck me, is it really almost morning?” Husk said in disbelief. To him, this whole thing felt like this was 10 minutes, but two hours had passed since he woke up. “I’m gonna go try to go sleep for a bit longer.” With how Husk acted earlier, he didn’t think Husk would be able to go back to sleep alone. “Come to my room.” He suggests, wanting to be there for the cat. Husk looked back at him and couldn’t resist Angels pleading face. He extended out his arm, which Angel quickly took Husk’s hand, and they walked up to Angel’s room.
Once they got there, Husk was greeted by a happy Fat Nuggets. He couldn’t help but smile and the pig demon wagging his whole body because of excitement. “Hey there, little guy.” He chuckled, picking him up. The pig squealed in his arms, joyed to see him. After holding Fat Nuggets for a bit, he put him down back in his bed and joined Angel on his.
“I’ve never seen him like this with other people. He really seems to like ya.” Angel laughs, pulling Husk closer to his chest. Husk purred, his tail swinging gently as he felt content in the spider’s arms. One set of hands was gently rubbing his back and tail, while the other pet his head and played with his ears.
“Thanks, legs. I love you. More than I say.” Husk can hear Angel holding back an ‘aww’ and laughs a bit. “You can say it.” “AWWWWWWWW! Husky! That’s so sweet. I love you too. And I’m here for ya. I may not be able to do much about Al- you know who, but I can try.” Husk thanks him again, feeling much better than before.
The two lay in bed with Fat Nuggets making his way up between them. They let out a small laugh together and let the pig join the cuddle pile. Husk gave Angel a quick kiss, before realizing something. “How did you know I was up?” Angel gives him a bit of a confused look as to why he’s asking. “You threw a half full bottle of booze to your clock, and I heard. Nifty already cleaned it up, I saw her walkin’ out ya room.” Husk, even more confused as to why he heard it. “Val wouldn’t leave me alone. Any more questions?” Husk shook his head, wrapping his leg on Angel’s.
“Good night, Whiskers” Angel whispered in Husks ear. He didn’t get a response, only small and content snores from the smaller man. Angel took a sigh of relief, feeling good about helping Husk back to sleep.
Angel really was lucky to have a loser like Husk. Sure, they both may have been dealt a shit hand for the afterlife, but together? They could go all in and win every time.