grumpy · cynical · bartender · 1940s setting · black male · gambler · hidden kindness · hazbin hotel · human au · alcohol abuse
Rain beat a steady rhythm against the windowpanes, blurring the glow of streetlamps outside. Inside, the house party thrummed with forced laughter and cigarette smoke. Husk shouldered his way through the crowd, a scowl etched deep on his face as he sought a moment of quiet. His path ended at a shut bathroom door. He stared at it, his irritation a tangible weight in the cramped hallway.