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The casino was always busy with demons gambling their souls. It was idiotic as far as Alastor was concerned. Whatever they would be getting out of it couldn't be worth it. They had no idea where their soul may end up.
Although maybe Alastor shouldn't judge; the recklessness of other sinners only made his job easier.
Alastor looked around from where he was currently, at the bar, drinking, thinking, waiting, watching others drink and throwing their afterlives away. The more entertaining reactions were from the ones sober enough to notice and recognizing him where he sat, and left the area screaming in terror. Exactly what he was hoping for.
The quicker word spread that he was here, the quicker he could get this over with.
He knocked back the whiskey he ordered just as the seat next to him made a creak. Right on time.
"What're you doin here, Alastor?" Husk asked, sounding genuinely curious rather than hostile.
Alastor didn't even spare him a glance, just focusing on his glass.
"Can't a demon visit an old friend?"
He could almost feel Husk's glare at him.
They weren't friends, and he knew that. Drinking buddies? sometimes. But friends? There was a certain level of trust that came with friends that neither Overlord would dare be caught double dead extending to the other.
"Cut the shit, man. You don't do social visits. What do you want?"
Well he had a point there.
"Another whiskey, for starters," Alastor responded, looking at the working bartender rather than the cat demon beside him.
He felt rather than heard Husk sigh as he deflated beside him while his glass was being refilled. This wasn't the first and probably wouldn't be the last time Alastor had shown up for a drink like this, but the starting conversation was also always the same.
"Well your freaky ass is scaring the other patrons away."
"Verily," Alastor said, shrugging and starting to bring his glass up to his mouth again.
"And you're still talkin like a 30s radio host, so. What? This one of your business calls? One of your minions start trouble here or somethin?" Husk asked.
Alastor stopped just before he could drink and for the first time looked over at husk, glaring. Husk smirked at him.
The man was much too smug for his own good. He might as well get to the point.
"I am a 30s radio host, Husker," he corrected and looked away again. "But... you got me there. I'm here to make a deal."
"Oh really? With who?"
"With you."
That got him to stop asking questions. To stop talking entirely actually. The silence made Alastor check to make sure he hadn't just left immediately. It wouldn't have been like him, but given what he'd just said it would've been the smart and sensible thing to do.
Alastor would've understood that. No, Husk was staring at him like he'd grown a second head, but not like he was about to flee.
"You can't be serious..."
Alastor finished his drink, and turned his stool so he was entirely facing his... coworker.
"Think of it like a gamble if that makes it easier," Alastor tilted his head. "At least hear me out first? If you don't like the terms, I'll leave for the night."
He could see the conflict immediately. The part that knew better than to even entertain making a deal with him, and the curiosity were clear on Husk's face.
He could also see the moment the curiosity edged over the smarter part of him.
"What kind of gamble?" Husk finally asked.
Alastor's smile grew wider and he relaxed.
"Carry on as usual. Grow your power, gamble your souls, do whatever your little winged heart desires. And when it all crashes and burns around you and you lose it all, I'll make sure you keep what was yours. Your casino, your power, I'll make sure it all stays with you... but your soul, now that will be mine."
Husk's eyes squinted a glare at him halfway through his offer, and he barely reacted to the last part about his soul. The look of a man whose pride had just been tested. It almost made Alastor smile wider.
"What makes you so sure I'll lose it all, Deer Man? I pull all the strings 'round here."
Alastor shrugged. "Given your current business practices, it's an inevitability."
Even if Husk thought otherwise, it would only be a matter of time before he flew too close to the sun.
"You little sh-"
"If," Alastor cut him off. "You never lose it all then you never have to worry about it. It'll be like this little talk never happened. No catch, no strings, no nothing. That'll be it."
Husk went quiet again. From his perspective the deal Alastor was suggesting was probably too good to be true.
"I won't lose," Husk asserted again as if it were a foregone conclusion that he wanted Alastor to understand.
"Sure enough to bet your soul on it?" Alastor teased, holding out his now glowing hand.
A quick flash of defiant rage crossed Husk's features as he looked between the hand and Alastor's face and this time he couldn't help but grin more.
At this point he knew he'd got him.
"Yeah, alright. Fine. Have fun with your pointless deal," Husk said, trying to sound unbothered despite the anger Alastor had just seen.
Husk grabbed his hand to seal the deal, and power erupted from the contact, leaching into the room around them in a way that looked similar to slowly breaking glass.
"It was far from pointless, my dear Husker," Alastor retorted.
Alastor stood from his stool, and brushing himself off when the deal was complete.
"Whatever, Alastor," Husk rolled his eyes. "You know the House always wins. I dunno why you think this is any different."
Alastor summoned his staff, folded his arms behind his back, and turned away from the other man.
"Yes of course," Alastor said over his shoulder, and started walking away. "The House always wins, Husker. And you ain't the house."