Game On!

Part Sixteen: Uncomfortable Truths

"So... You speak to Valentino yet?" Husk asked casually as he put two cards face down in front of him. Both he and Angel had been playing poker for most of the afternoon and into the evening and had even changed the game from Five Draw to Two Draw and altered the rules slightly as they were getting bored of the first game. The bar had been quiet as usual with the other hotel inhabitants popping in every so often.

"No... Not yet." The spider demon exhaled with a slight sag of his shoulders as he looked at the three cards in his hand. "Been avoidin' it.."

"You can't avoid him forever." Husk responded as he waited for the spider to make his choice.

"Hit me..." Angel stated tapping the bar top and the demon cat slapped down a six of clubs. "Which is what Val will do when I finally go back." The spider demon then fluffed his fringe of head fluff and hummed thoughtfully at the card face up in front of him, pondering if it was worth the risk of another card.

"So he actually does that, huh? Can't say I'm surprised.." Husk retorted taking a swig out of his bottle that was hidden under the bar top. "But your still in debt to the guy, you'll have to face him sooner or later.."

"I know, I know..." Angel rolled his eyes with the expression of a moody teenager being told what to do as he deflated somewhat. "Just hit me.." He exhaled heavily and the winged cat demon slapped down another card. The nine of hearts.

"Dammit! Bust..." Angel snapped and threw this cards down and folded his bottom set of arms as the top right picked up his whiskey mixer. "I hate this game!" He rolled his odd sclera pink eyes and sulked.

"You don't count cards do you?" Husk kinked a brow and the effect the question had was immediate as the spider demon gave a despondent groan and deflated further.

"Erh.. My papi tried to teach me once but his system was too complicated t'follow so he gave up and moved onto Niss.." Angel uttered taking a sip of his strong mixer.

"I could teach you if you want. The system I use is easy enough to follow. Learnt it from one of the cigar girls in my dad's casino when I was around eight or nine.."

"Damn. Didn't your Ma have somethin' t'say about that?" The spider's eyes had bulged in shock at that information as he had been about fourteen and his mother had still been raising objections about it but his father had just ignored them by that point.

"My mom didn't give a crap about anything I did. She was a lush, she was only happy when she had booze in one hand and a smoke in the other." Husk tutted looking somewhat unhappy about the memory.

"Oh! So that's where ya get your winnin' personality from then?" The spider teased with a playful smile, leaning his upper two fists against both cheeks and the elbows on the bar.

"Get fucked!" The demon cat uttered with a furious glare. It hit a nerve being compared to his own mother. He could still remember the arguments his parents got into and the fights that could have echoed it in his later failed marriage. The demon spider had tapped into that fear that he was actually just like her and he didn't want to be..

"Only if it's by you.." Came Angel's predictable response with a flirty wink and Husk gnashed his sharp yellow teeth in annoyance. He was so not in the mood for his shitty sex jokes.

"Fat fucking chance.." He spat before his attention was caught by the arrival of Alastor who just seemed to appear grinning in the doorway, his red glowing eyes looking curiously at the two demons in the lobby/lounge.

"Husker my dear friend, I'll be needing you to accompany me later. I'm in need of your services.." The Radio Demon uttered in a hinted tone and narrowing his eyes making the detached smile look more manic. Husk spit up the mouthful of booze he had taken in and looked shock.