You gotta know when to hold em (Angel and Husk)

[loser_baby]

The evening had started so well.

Sure, things had been a little rough with Val lately but that was understandable, it happened, they'd been working really hard and Val was stressed out and Angel just didn't think sometimes, that was all, they'd been through these rough patches before and Val always made up for it, he'd shower Angel with affection and things would be good again for a while. So when Val told him to dress up pretty because they were going out, he'd been delighted, assuming the storm had passed.

He should have fucking known.

For most of the night, he's able to bask in the illusion that everything is fine again, Val is charming and warm and complimentary, showing him off to everyone. When he gets invited to the high stakes game, he takes Angel with him and Angel hangs on his arm and keeps his glass full and watches him play.

He's doing okay, but Angel gets the feeling he's just being toyed with, he's really not that good and Angel's noticed half a dozen tells in Val's fellow players that the moth demon has completely missed (because he can't see for shit), but he knows that Val would just get pissed if Angel tried to tell him, so he lets him get on with it.

He just hopes Val will quit while he's ahead, and not lose big and take it out on Angel when they get home. It doesn't even cross his mind that there's another possible outcome, not until Val's chips are dwindling and he gets a semi-decent hand. He's already all in but Angel can see the greed flashing in his eyes, he doesn't want a split pot if he wins this, he wants the pile of chips from everybody else's bets, so he's going to need to add in something else, something special...

"I want to bet a soul." Val says smoothly, and sure Angel's surprised but it's not like he's the only-

"Angel Dust."

Comments

[bartenderbitch]

There was no surprise about who was at the head of this entire establishment, everyone had a place and type that they were into. And anyone that kept up with the Overlords was more than aware of Husk's existence and just how much of a mistake it was to get in a game with him if you couldn't cheat your way to a win. Everyone knew he was a cheat when it came down to it, even if he'd been playing mostly straight this time around as chips hadn't meant anything when you were the house.

But the rest of the table had paused when Val spoke and looked towards the pretty thing on his arm before turning their attention towards Husk, knowing full well that that bet would only be allowed if he said it was fine.

With a soft snort the cat-demon lays his cards face down on the table for a moment, a brow raising as he watches Angel for a brief moment, noticing the surprise that just spelled he had no idea that this was going to happen. But Val was a horrible gambler, in his experience, so this kid must be new.

"One of these damn days you really should let them know the possibility when you come in here, Valentino." He starts, voice irritated but he merely shrugs and picks his hand back up. "But if you want to do that, I'll allow it. And raise the stakes accordingly with one of my dealers, you already know which one." A pretty little thing that could pass as a succubus if no one knew any better, but she certainly was more of a cardshark than anything else. "Anyone else want to match or raise?"

[loser_baby]

Angel feels like he's frozen, like the world is continuing on but somebody's put him on pause. He's dimly aware of the gambling overlord saying something that implies Val's done this before, but he doesn't care about that, what Val does with his other souls doesn't matter to Angel, none of them are him. He's supposed to be special.

He thinks, he hopes, that Val is doing this just to fuck with him, just another twist of the knife to punish whatever he's mad about right now, that all his sweetness and affection was just a cover for the fact that the rough patch isn't over at all and Val's just changed his tactics. It's fucked up, but he could handle it... if Val was actually going to win this hand, and Angel really isn't sure that he is. Fuck. He feels like he's about to start hyperventilating, but too many eyes are on him right now and he's got to hold it the fuck together.

"Val, are you..." He starts, unable to stop himself.

"Don't worry baby, I know what I'm doing." Val purrs at him, glancing back just long enough for Angel to catch the steely look in his eyes that said he'd be in trouble later for questioning him in public. Or maybe he wouldn't, if this didn't go to Val's plan.

At least half the others at the table find a way to match the bet, and then Angel is holding his breath as Val lays his hand down with a smug expression.

He has a flush, it's not a bad hand, in fact it beats the others at the table, but Angel knows there's still plenty of other hands that could beat it, and he lifts a nervous gaze to Husk, waiting to see his cards.

[bartenderbitch]

And it's always the same shit again and again, claiming that he's got this and he totally isn't about to blow this hand. Even though Val should know better by this point in time. The other bets are scarcely paid attention to as his attention remains on Val and, by extension, Angel. Does he need another soul? Not really, no, but it would be an upgrade to some of the dealers he has in the more... private areas or would make a pretty enough piece for the public section to draw people in. He knows better than most that sex sells, both in the human world and in Hell.

Once the hand is set down, his expression shifts to something far more predatory with those sharp teeth as he sets his own set of cards down, a full house. "It seems that you lost that one," he muses, tapping his claws against the soft material of the table to dull the sound it makes.

Of course he cheated, not that Val could ever notice with his terrible vision and the fact that he absolutely honed his sleight-of-hand even before ending up here. "Seems I have another soul in my collection, huh?"

[loser_baby]

Angel breathes out a shaky "..fuck..." as the cards are laid down. This can't be happening, this can't be fucking real.

It takes Val a second longer before it sinks in and his expression becomes angry. He shoves himself to his feet so he can loom over the table.

"You fucking cheated." He accuses - he didn't notice, doesn't even think it's true, but he's grasping whatever straw he can, never mind the fact that accusing Husk of cheating in his own establishment isn't going to get him anywhere.

"This is bullshit. Angel, we're leaving." He adds in a snarl. Angel nods automatically, so used to doing everything Val tells him to, desperately wanting to believe that he can leave, but the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach says otherwise. Val made a bet and he lost, he isn't going to be allowed to just take that back and Angel knows it.

[bartenderbitch]

The grin never once leaves Husk's face as Val throws his little tantrum, merely tilting his head in a way that is very clearly taunting the moth. Nor does he have to do anything as there's already some very pissed looking sharks getting between them and the door, looking ready to throw down if Val decides to get any worse than he already is.

"Cheating? Now ain't that a hell of a thing to accuse me of," Husk mocks, slowly moving to stand, one card in his hand slowly moving between his fingers almost as if it's some sort of twitch than anything else. Of course that's not what it means, but he'll let it seem that way.

Nor is he at all oblivious to the fact that he's way shorter than Val and most of the others in here. "Back down, I have this," he merely states to the sharks that quickly move to each side instead as Husk shifts his way to get between Val and the door properly now, the playing card held in front of his face and seeming charged with some kind of energy.

"Now, it ain't nice to be accusing the proprietor of this establishment of cheating. Nor is it in your best interest to be trying to swindle me out of what's rightfully mine. Now you got two options here, Valentino: you can either let him go and get the fuck out of my establishment or you can keep causin' a scene and you'll get your ass handed to you, thrown out, and banned. What's it gonna be?"

[loser_baby]

Angel holds his breath again, unsure if there's about to be one hell of a fucking fight or if Val will actually back down. After a long, tense moment, the moth demon apparently decides to save his own skin and just sneers at Husk, relaxing his aggressive stance.

"Fine," he growls "keep the little whore, I was getting bored of him anyway."

Some part of Angel knows he's trying to save face, that he's worth a lot of money to Valentino if nothing else, but that doesn't make the words any less of a slap. Doesn't stop him wanting to run after Val and beg... but what good would that do either of them? He doesn't belong to Val anymore, there's nothing either of them can do to change this.

Angel shouldn't feel like his heart is breaking as he watches Val walk away without looking back, not when the fucker just bet his goddamn soul like he was just another possession, like throwing your watch in when the money runs out, but he can't help it. He feels like crying. How the fuck did this happen?

[bartenderbitch]

All talk and no bite, that sounds about right to him when Husk isn't about to bow to his childish whims. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, or so the saying goes. But once he decides to actually let up, Husk moves to the side and mock bows and motions for him to get the fuck out. And once he does, he gets an entourage of sharks following close behind as well as the rest of the people that had been in the high rollers table.

Leaving just the open door, Husk, Angel, and the dealer who is looking pretty... confused and just watching her boss with a confused stare.

"Go take a break, we're closed for at least the next hour," he grumbles, the woman immediately scurrying out through a different door before Husk turns his attention to Angel, hands finding his pockets.

"You aren't the first soul he's put on the line like that, nor will you be the last." Straight, simple, to the point. "Trust me, you're better off here than with that fucker to begin with, has a nasty reputation even among the Overlords." Not that that's probably very comforting, but at least he's moving to sit down and motion to any of the other chairs. "Go ahead and sit, you look like you need to process what the hell just happened, kid."

[loser_baby]

Angel just stands there as everybody leaves, still in a state of shock but just, just holding it together because people are around. He wants to keep it up even when it's just him and Husk, but all his strength seems to abandon him in that moment and his shoulders sag. He wraps both sets of arms around himself and listens numbly to Husk's blasé explanation of why he should be.. what, glad? That the man he loved, the man he had naively convinced himself was his partner, could just... throw him away like that?

"It ain't fuckin' like that. I ain't just some soul." He manages to choke out, stumbling over to the chairs and sinking into one.

"What I need is a fuckin' drink." Or something stronger, but he'll take whatever is to hand right now. He lifts one hand to run through his hair, staring straight ahead with the disbelief written plain across his face. "This can't be happening."

[bartenderbitch]

Unfortunate that he's convinced himself that that's what the whole situation was, if it were then he didn't need to be some soul that he just held onto and had to have a contract for. Not that Husk is much better in this particular moment, but he knows that any concept of love around here is bullshit and just something to get someone to eat out of your hand. Which is precisely why he isn't surprised that he's breaking down like this and just lets him, for the most part. Even as he lets out a slow sigh through his nose and finishes the glass of whatever dark liquid that is in one quick gulp.

"That's what they all say when it comes to him, that's his whole damn thing," he responds, trying to keep every bit of emotion out of his tone other than just boredom, like this is something he's seen time and time again.

"Lucky for you I got a damn bar in here, what do you want?" It's mostly hidden behind something else in the room, fake panels and the like, but it doesn't stop him from producing a bottle of whiskey from underneath the card table to refill his own glass first while Angel tries to piece it together. "Unfortunately, it's happening. Might as well get used to the shitshow that is soul bartering around here."

[loser_baby]

It takes every bit of Angel's self control not to snap that Husk doesn't know what he's fucking talking about, because he he is just aware enough to realise how bad of an idea it would be to start yelling at the person who owns his soul now. How would he know? Just because he's seen Val do shit like this before, just because some other suckers have been taken in by his charm, Angel's different.

(He needs to hold on to that, to tell himself that's true, because if he lets himself admit how much of a fucking idiot he's been he might scream)

"Whatever you got that's strongest." He finally says, slumping down a little further in his chair. How the fuck is he supposed to process any of this?

[bartenderbitch]

Angel wouldn't be the first soul to yell at him, either, given probably at least half of the people in this place are souls he picked off of other Overlords or from idiots that had bet their own soul against him and found out the hard way that no one won against him. Especially not in his own house.

"Whiskey's the closest I have right now, but it's the strongest you can get in this place." Usually he wouldn't offer his own stash to someone else, but this is... well, it's less trouble this way and not at all because he feels sort of bad for this new one having fallen so far into that pit.

Without waiting for him to confirm that's fine, he fishes out another glass, adding a bit of ice before pouring the drink and offering it out towards him. "Take your time." Whether that means drinking or to process all of this, he's not even quite sure.

[loser_baby]

"It'll do." Angel confirms even as Husk is already pouring him a glass. He takes it when offered and has already downed half of it before Husk even finishes saying take your time.

He isn't sure which he meant either, but he does pause, glance down at his glass for a moment before taking another, much smaller sip.

"Why you bein' so nice to me?" He asks, not looking up at Husk. It's a pretty low definition of nice, sure, but sitting with him, giving him a drink, it kind of is what passes for nice in hell, especially for Overlords. He could have just as easily told Angel to get over it and put him to work right away, this all feels like he's trying to soften the blow...

Oh. The obvious (to him) hits like a bucket of ice. He resists the urge to sigh and finally looks up with a smirk.

"Oh, I get it.... you know, you don't gotta convince me Val's such a bad guy an' get me drunk first, baby," he says, voice sliding into seductive amusement as he uncurls himself a little and leans forward on the table towards Husk "you could just tell me you wanna sample the merchandise."

[bartenderbitch]

A low bar for nice is pretty standard for Hell, sure. And he absolutely had an idea or two for what to do with Angel once he'd gotten over all of... this. But it still wouldn't do him any good to treat him poorly, especially when being hit with the reality that all of what he'd talked himself into was false and he was nothing but a pawn to be used and cast off when not needed or as collateral.

It's not until he's looking up at him like that and saying those words that he thinks he needs to do anything. But he's probably not used to someone actually leaning back from such advances, a clear wrinkle of his nose, and wings going from lazily folded behind him to straight up showing just how much that was not where he was going with all of this.

"The fuck are you on about?" Clear, simple, to the point.

[loser_baby]

The reaction throws him, sure, because he'd been so certain that he'd figured it all out and now it seems like maybe he got it all wrong, which only makes the niceness even more mystifying. The rejection stings after the evening he's had, the frustration of getting everything wrong tonight nearly overwhelming, but he swallows it down and just leans back in his chair, picking up the whiskey glass to take a sip as he crosses his legs.

"Ain't it obvious? I mean, look at me," he waves a hand at himself "everybody wants a piece of this. Didn't you see those other players? How jealous they were that I'm yours now?"

He's trying to remind himself as much as Husk. People want him, a lot of people want him, Val... Val is just an idiot. He'll regret throwing this away.

"Or is the problem that I ruined the set up? You want somethin' a little more..." he tilts his head down shyly, looks up at Husk through his lashes "how can I ever thank you for your kindness?"

[bartenderbitch]

Husk won't lie that he is attractive, he's not blind after all. But there's just something... that doesn't sit quite right with him about all of this. It's not just because he's seen and heard it all just like everyone else has, but more that... well, he can't quite put his finger on it just yet.

"Everyone knows your name that has any business in any kind of transaction in this city, that's not what I mean." Besides, he has a ton of other attractive people in this casino if Angel had bothered to notice any of the other dealers and hosts and hostesses from the night.

Slowly he goes back to a more neutral stance, leaning back in his seat with a snort and roll of his eyes as soon as that switch turns. "Unlike Val, I'm not some kind of ravenous animal that's just going to pin you to the ground and wreck you or something." He could and it wouldn't be the first time he'd done that to someone, but it gets a bit played out when it's always the same thing time and time again or just something you have to do. "There's gotta be something further in that skull than just being some kind of stereotypical porn actor set-up, unless you really are just that far gone." Facts are facts, sometimes.

[loser_baby]

But what if he wants you to pin him to the ground and wreck him

"You know what? Fuck you." The act drops instantly as Angel snarls at him, slamming the glass down on the table so hard the ice rattles "Yea Val is a fuckin' asshole for betting my soul, but you fuckin' took the bet so what does that make you? You don't need to pretend you're so high and mighty, you own my soul and there ain't shit I can do about it, so why try and be nice?"

He wants to leave, to storm out and escape from this whole situation, but where the fuck is he going to go? There's no escape, not when Husk can just drag him back any time he likes.

"Just tell me what you're gonna want from me and let me get on with it." He says, anger slipping into sullen resentment as he slumps down in his chair again.

[bartenderbitch]

He's going to have to earn that privilege.

Oh, did he hit a nerve? For all of his neutrality and posturing, that actually does earn a smirk. Amusement, interest, whatever is behind it is probably not going to be something he cares about right now. But instead of getting mad about the outburst or the words, he merely leans forward to place his elbows on the game table and get a better look at him from this position.

"A gambler never turns down a bet if he knows he's going to win, first rule." His tone has also shifted to sounding amused and a bit more full of life than it had been previously. "And that is exactly what I wanted to see from you, that you do got some emotion and attitude under that bullshit mask." Nor does it stop him from nudging the bottle closer to him if he wants it.

"I don't want anything from you. The only reason there's the dealers and hosts out there is 'cause that's what they wanted to do. I don't micromanage shit like that and just forcing people into doing shit they don't wanna do doesn't get you anything other than anger and that's not exactly good for business." He moves to sit up properly again, tail visibly flicking behind him.

"You got the whole option of this place open to you or if you wanna do something else, I can make that happen, too. Valentino might not share, but I don't give a shit if someone's working with someone else because they want to."

[loser_baby]

Angel just stares at him, because what the fuck is he supposed to do with that? He wanted Angel to yell at him? An outburst like that would have earned a backhand across the face from Val, not to mention the blame for 'making' him cause bruises that had to be covered up before he could go on camera, but Husk is just... amused?

He hates this already. The ground has been shifting beneath his feet since the second Val placed that bet and it doesn't seem like it's going to stop any time soon. Angel swipes the bottle from the table and takes a swig, he doesn't care if it's some fancy expensive shit, right now it's alcohol and he needs it.

"So you seriously gonna let me do whatever job I want?" He asks, suspicion tinging his tone, like he's trying to work out what the fucking catch is.

[bartenderbitch]

It's not as if he makes an imposing figure or anything, given the majority of everyone is taller than him or more buff or... anything, really. But he does have something going for him at bare minimum. Nor is this the first time he's taken someone from someone else and just let them do whatever, there were plenty of stories he could get from just about anyone he asked on the floor.

Expensive shit or not, he doesn't seem particularly fussed other than making a mental note that he needs to order more of that. Not like he doesn't have connections in other places to get it for cheap or free, for that matter.

"As long as you don't cause people to come find me because you're causing trouble, I really could not care less about what you do or don't do. Which, you know, is also an option if you really wanted to just be a freeloading moocher." Not that anyone ever stays long like that since things tend to get boring without some kind of job or activity to occupy someone's time. "I never asked for any of this collecting souls or having people under my control shit, you know. We all got our reasons for doing what we're doing."

[loser_baby]

Any job or even no job... fuck is this guy for real?

"What about a place to stay? I gotta fend for myself or you got somewhere I can crash?" He used to have a shitty apartment, once upon a time, but he's been staying at Vee tower ever since he signed with Val and he really doesn't want to have to go find a place again - unsurprisingly rent in hell is depressingly high - but there's got to be a limit here somewhere, right? Is Husk seriously going to let Angel yell at him, swipe his booze, do whatever the fuck he wants and live somewhere rent free?

Is this some kind of weird-ass prank show that Vox has set up? Is Val going to come bursting through the door and yell 'gotcha'? Is he fucking dreaming?

[bartenderbitch]

Sometimes Hell isn't that bad, hopefully. 'Fend for himself' earns a snort and him hitting a button on the back wall that moves that fake panel to a fully stocked arrangement of alcohol and he just grabs another bottle of the stuff on the table to take a swig straight from the bottle, himself.

"How much money you think a casino makes?" It's an entirely rhetorical question as he only gives him a moment if he had wanted to respond. "Nah, I got an entire apartment block for the people that work for me, if they want it. It's not the Ritz or anything, but it's nicer than most of the hellholes around here." He's really selling it short, but sometimes he prefers to pretend to be more humble than he really is.

"You still want to go by that name or pick something else, by the way? Since we both know that sure the hell isn't your government name."

[loser_baby]

Okay seriously, Angel is pretty sure Husk should just start advertising all of this shit because he'll have sinners queued around the block to give him their souls for such a good deal. Has Val actually done him a favour?

Wait, no, that thought stings more than it should. A few niceties and he's ready to roll over and just take it? Forget Val altogether? The guilt threatens to overwhelm him for a second and he takes another long drag from the bottle in his hand.

The question gives him pause and he looks away for a second, shrugging.

"I dunno, I got kinda attached to it." He says awkwardly, before rallying slightly and flashing Husk a cocky grin "'sides, if I do end up workin' for you it'll be a draw, right? Might even get you some more business, fans wantin' to come see me in person."

Ten years later because of course RL ate my face

[bartenderbitch]

While that's absolutely true, there's something about it that would bother him if he ended up having people wanting to offer up their souls for something that's considered a good deal. Especially since he's absolutely certain that it'd draw the attention and ire of many of the other Overlords running around and find him as someone that'd be easy to manipulate. Or infiltrate from the inside. It's just bad business all around if he advertised it.

His words actually get a snort of a laugh out of him from behind the bottle before he sets it down properly, seeming to at least be more loose about things than he was before. "And who would I be to stop you if you really wanted that?" A draw in business for something other than gambling is certainly an interesting proposition, he'll give him that. And if it pissed Valentino off... then more the better for him to rub it in the moth's face later. "You got any kind of experience from before you ended up here that relates to a casino? Card countin', dealin', that kind of shit."

and then my email tag didn't send. sobs. WB!!

[loser_baby]

He feels a little smug to get a laugh out of him, glad he hasn't ruined everything completely with his flirtation earlier. The emphasis on the really throws him off for a second, though, because surely everything about him should suggest that's what he wants?

(Is it, though? The attention can be fun, and he's good at it, but how much is because he likes it and how much is because it's just anything other than what his family wanted? Would he have chosen differently if he had other options? There was a time he really did love his work, maybe he has a chance to recapture some of that... or maybe it's time for a change)

Luckily the other question gives him something to focus on, he's got too much going on in his head to untangle those kind of complicated thoughts right now. He shrugs.

"Not really. I got some other talents but they ain't that kinda thing." The only gambling anybody in his family was involved in had been horse racing, and he'd never really been part of that himself.

lmfao, you're good. RL proceeded to eat me again.

[bartenderbitch]

If he knew how much he was throwing him off his game, he'd be far more entertained by this situation than he already was. It might be something of a pastime for him, just to see what he can do to shake people up a little, it usually made games a little more fun at the bare minimum. It's not any fun when someone can actually keep up a poker face, just serious and... boring.

His claws click on the glass of the bottle for a moment as he thinks over those words, slowly nodding. Other talents, huh? Well, maybe it's time to spice things up a little... It's not as if there's really any other threats out there to his establishment to begin with. "Other talents? Go on, maybe I got a reason or two to change up business around here a bit."

no worries! RL do be like that

[loser_baby]

"Well I am an actor, even if it's all porn, but I can do other performin' too. I do drag, I sing, I dance, I can put on a real good show." He starts first, focusing on the talents he enjoys before moving on to the ones that might be useful "I'm also a pretty good fighter, I'm great with guns. Oh, and I'm a half decent cook too."

Okay so the last one was mostly just a joke, he doesn't imagine Husk'll put him to work in the kitchens, and he'll be disappointed if he does since he can only make like three dishes and definitely couldn't do them at any kind of scale. He sort of hopes Husk doesn't want violence from him, too, since he walked away from the family business almost as soon as he arrived in hell, he doesn't want to be dragged back into doing basically the same thing for someone else (even if it was fun every now and then).

"Plus I'm pretty good with people, especially if they're fans, I could probably work the floor and get a lot of people spendin' a lot of money."

It do be like that, sometimes wish it'd quit

[bartenderbitch]

Not just porn? He would hope not, that'd be pretty useless to him in most situations. Though the rest of it... rather interesting. Luckily the kitchens thing he's already wiping off the board since he has people specifically for that that have a passion in it and bouncers that are more intimidating. He might be able to fight proficiently, but sometimes just looking intimidating usually keeps the urge for people to cause a problem at a minimum.

"Actually, I might have an idea you'd be more interested in than working the floor. It's not really secret that I was a Vegas guy when I was alive and there's one thing in particular that is missing to get that feeling down here." He pauses for a moment, a grin returning to his features, though far less predatory than it more actual amusement behind it all.

"Most places got some kind of entertainment that they go with. If you really can sing and dance and considerin' you say you're good with people..." He trails off, letting that hang in the air for a moment, pretty sure that he's picking up on what he's going with. "Helps that you can hold your own if someone tries to cause a problem with you, too, actually. While we got bouncers and shit for all of that, if it comes from the actual performer it tends to get people to back off real quick without needing to go any further in their bullshit."

This is by far already a good situation for him to have done instead of rolling his eyes and humoring Valentino's absolutely shitty gambling problems. "And when I say performing, I don't mean the kind of shit he had you doing. A little skin is fine, a little seduction, a little tease, but it's the latter that brings 'em back. Hell, even the cabarets would get down to underwear and pasties just for that reason." There's a whole lot of different kind of entertainment in the world and given what he's heard of this kid in particular, there's a lot he could run with. "I know what lies Valentino tends to tell people to get them into a deal and the running thread seems to be promising to make them a star. How 'bout we actually fulfill that little promise and reach a wider audience? On top of that, you get the freedom to pick whatever you want for said shows, long as you ain't turning the place into a strip club or worse."

Re: It do be like that, sometimes wish it'd quit

[loser_baby]

Angel stares at him for a long moment. He knows he suggested performing, but he hadn't actually thought that was an option, and here Husk was handing him the perfect job on a silver platter. Sure he'd been in sex work practically since he arrived in hell, but that was just because he liked it a fuckton better than going back to the family business for the rest of eternity, it wasn't necessarily what he'd always wanted.

Performing on a stage? Being the one that got to call the shots about what the performance actually was? He could sing, he could dance, he could really do a proper floor show and it would be his show. Sure it might take some finetuning to get out of the habit of the 'sex sells' mindset, but he could do all that and still make it classy, he's sure he could. Hell, he died in the 40s, all he needs to do is reset his expectation of acceptable smut to like... USO show levels and he'd be on to a winner he's sure.

"That..." he starts slowly, then clears his throat and tries again, trying to bring back that cockiness and confidence he's so used to projecting "That sounds like somethin' I could do, and somethin' I could do well, too."