video: un: bar_cat75

[wiseoldbartender]

WHO: Husk and you!
WHERE: Network: Gemini. Action in Ghost City
WHEN: December 7th
WHAT: Redemption and sudden powers
WARNINGS: Vague S2 Hazbin Hotel spoilers, nothing plot wise we as the audience weren't aware of after S1.

[It's rare that Husk deigns to actively post an entry to the network- because it means actively talking to people, and he'd rather not do that 80% of the time. But this is important, so here he is. He's working the bar at Ghost City, but it's a quiet night - Fat Nuggets is sat on the table next to him, chowing down on a bowl of bar nuts.]

You ever get your abilities from your past life when you awaken and nothing else for four fucking decades so you think that's it, then suddenly you get a pile of other shit all at once? Shit you didn't even remember you could do. I mean, probably not, most of you are fuckin' infants, but my point still stands. I got a plethora of new shit that really would have been useful in the Order rebellion, so thanks for that, Universe.

[ That's not what he's doing this post for, though, not really. That's definitely a new thing he needs to unpack, but he has a bigger, more important thing to unpack, instead. He pulls out a little matchbox, fiddling with it between his fingers - opening and closing it, it's decidedly empty. ]

Anyway, been getting new memories, too. I haven't had any of those for years, neither. Some of you know 'bout the Hotel I worked at in my past life. It was in Hell - owner had these big fuckin' dreams of reforming sinners down there so they could go up to Heaven instead. It was a whole thing, and I've spent a goddamn lifetime wondering if it worked or not. [He opens the box again and there's a little cardboard cutout of a cute cobra in there - it has black and yellow markings on it. ] One of the last things I remembered from my past life was this... friend of mine, Sir Pentious. He was a... fuckin' loser Victorian dipshit who cried at the drop of a hat, but he was a good guy. He got his stupid ass vaporised, trying to save our lives, and for fuckin' decades, I thought that was it. Bleeding heart moron got himself killed doing a selfless act.

[He snaps the matchbox closed, opens it again, the little snake has vanished. Husk had mourned Pen in this life. It was a sad, miserable little wound, but he'd healed from it. Time is good at that. He snaps the matchbox closed again, opens it. The snake is back, but this time his colours are in pastel instead. ]

Turns out the crazy sunnova bitch did it. He got his stupid, weepy ass redeemed and got into Heaven. I never really got involved in the redemption business a lot. I was just there to run the bar and be an occasional therapist. But... I dunno. Feels different, knowing the impossible goal you were working for turns out to be fully possible. [It felt a lot less weird when he was just doing as Alastor told him and indulging in Charlie's insane fantasy. It stopped being just that for him pretty quickly, and he knows it, but pretend distance is still distance. He heaves out a tired sigh, leaning on the bar a little.]

So... I dunno. Something for you people to think of. Even in the worst place there can be, you can still find a way to make your life less of a trashfire. Or some shit. I dunno, I'm not good at the motivational speeches. Felt important to mention, though.

Comments

video | un: BruhMoment

[guardianreaper]

[Did someone say trashfire?]

[Randy is right here. Right in front of his pickle burger?]

[Anyway, Husk's post does make Randy think. Not only because he missed the guy. But there are a lot of things Randy has told himself--both in his past life and in this one--that he's not quite ready to face yet.]

Redemption, huh? Dunno how I feel about all that, but it sounds like it worked out well for your friend. Glad to hear it.

[wiseoldbartender]

[Oh look who it is! The Lord of Trashfires!

Husk heaves out a sigh, fixing himself a glass of orange juice, taking a swig of it before answering.]

Me either. Charlie believes it can happen for anyone. I dunno. Still coming around to that, myself. [Because accepting it can happen to anyone means accepting it can happen for him, and he doesn't want to do that.]

...Yeah. He was a good guy, if anyone deserved it, it was him.

[guardianreaper]

[The king, the jungle VIP of trashfire himself.]

Anyone, huh? [A memory flashes in his mind of a certain redhead, and he squats it down.] Sounds like she's got a lotta spunk, at least.

[Translation: He doesn't believe it, but he can appreciate the effort.]

Speaking of good guys, glad to see you're still around. How's post-Order life treating you?

[wiseoldbartender]

[That pulls a laugh out of him, shaking his head.]

Randy, you've got no fucking idea. That girl was like a fuckin' Disney Princess. She believed in everyone, relentlessly - no matter what the universe showed her otherwise.

[Husk has come around to believing it... just not for himself. Twisted as that logic is. He pulls a face at that "good guy" comment. ]

'Course. My family's here, it's about as good a place to settle down as any. [ Things are actually really good for him right now. Better than it's ever been - and that makes him so deeply suspicious. He's not used to things going his way so well. So he shrugs idly. ] Can't complain. Thing ain't so bad for a damn change. Sure that means eventually something will go to shit, so hold onto your butt for the whole city being on fire in a month or something.

Video; un: lightkeeper

[lanternae]

Look at you, being an inspiration to us all.

[Flins opens the feed to show himself outside on watch, the cold and overcast sky above and the endless ocean behind him. Casimir sits on the railing, slowly turning his head in extreme disgust.

Must you, Sir Flins.]

So that's what your previous life was. A hotel for redemption...and you were its barkeep! No wonder you're so good at listening to others.

Congratulations on the return of your powers. I hope this does well for your self-confidence and comfort.

As it so happens, I also received some of my own recently.

[wiseoldbartender]

Uh uh, don't even fuckin' start, Kyryll. I ain't doing this to be an inspiration. Just... passing on information, is all.

[He sees you, Casimir. He sees you. He casually flips the cat off through the video feed, before going back to focusing on Flins. ]

Yeah...well. When people are going through it and opening up all the old wounds that made them so fucked up in the first place, they start yapping when they're deep in their cups. And it's not like I could go anywhere, so-

[That's a half-truth. Husk had been ordered to work at the hotel, but he didn't have to get as involved in the process as he did. His orders were to work the bar, he did the rest of his own damn accord.]

I dunno about all that. I can go inside my hat now, so if nothing else I can really avoid people if I don't wanna deal with their bullshit anymore.

[Some people would find "I can access a pocket dimension" as a very useful task for all kinds of things- Husk sees it as a perfect out to conversations he doesn't want to be a part of. His ears perk forward, curious. ]

No shit? What you got?

[lanternae]

Haha! Of course, of course. We wouldn't want you to be seen as a softie, would we.

[Casimir's tail flicks, before moving to walk along the rail and climb on Flins' shoulders like a very lifelike fur scarf. Yeah, asshole. He sees you.]

Casimir...please. There's no need to be that way. [With a roll of his eyes, he reaches back to pat the cat's back, letting the tail flow through his palm.] That said, you must have been decent at your job if you were able to help those with their problems. I often provide my lighthouse for the same reason, although I'm not much for giving advice.

[He puts a finger to his lips in thought, his eyes only straying just to make sure what was out at sea was in fact the boat he'd been tracking.]

I've regained my mastery over the shadows, as well as been granted the original power I had over lightning. I was also gifted my polearm and Moon Wheel, so I feel much more confident in any battles in the future. [If Husk looks just behind the feed, he will likely see a spear with his lantern dangling from it propped against the lighthouse door. As for the Moon Wheel, Flins holds it up in his hand.] It gifts me the power of lightning as well. I didn't really need it in my old life as the fae have their own methods, but it looks rather interesting, doesn't it?

[With that out of the way, he can focus on Husk's.]

So you have the ability to condense yourself into your hat? [He tries to stifle a chuckle.] Casimir also likes to fit himself into a box smaller than himself.

[wiseoldbartender]

That's because I ain't a softie.

[ Flins, out of everyone here, knows how much of a big stinking lie that is. He squints as the fuckass cat gets on his partner's shoulders and just curls up there like he belongs there. Fucking bitch please?? Husk's tail flicks in irritation behind him. ]

Ignore him, he's just jealous. [ Says Husk, who is absolutely not ignoring him. ] I mean... I guess. I managed to help a couple people out when they were too stupid to see stuff anyone else could see from space. And I dunno. Maybe you'll get better at it once you talk to more people. That or you'll just disarm them with your fae nonsense, either way.

[ Husk listens to what Flins has to say, peering behind him at that polearm, letting out a low whistle. ]

That's a fancy fuckin' polearm. And that thing gives you power over lightning, you say? Looks real nice- and I reckon it can't hurt to have that to help you out in battle. Can probably hit something from a distance with lightning, right? [And...well, he's curious because Flin's already got very interesting skills with his shadow powers so... ] What else can you do with your shadow abilities now?

[ Hey no?? That's fucking rude?? His ears pin back in annoyance. ]

It ain't a cat thing, it's a magician thing. It's a big difference.

[IS it Husk? Is it really? ]

Can attack from it too, so I guess it's somewhere I can go if I still wanna fuck someone up without fucking myself up for a bit.

video, un: greyhunt

[faenthras]

[ the backdrop behind Vex is notably trees, dense and green and serene with the general nature of it all. is she in Hyrule? is she the woods outside of the city? who knows! tis a mystery. ]

Oh darling. It sounds like you need to blow off some steam, want to come shooting with me? I've got some empty bottles and Trinket would love to see you.

[wiseoldbartender]

[ ...You know what? That does sound nice. This has disturbed decades worth of memories, and it's making him worried about what might come next. Has this opened some kind of floodgate? Is he going to remember something he really doesn't want to? The sword of Damocles has started swinging again, and he does not care for it. ]

...Y'know what, my shift's ending in fifteen. Guess it wouldn't hurt. I got all this new shit I've got to try and get practise in using. Probably makes sense to get a jump start on that.

[ He snorts at the Trinket comment. ]

I bet he would. I ain't letting him in my bed afterwards. He better not get fresh.

[faenthras]

[ she can see that the flood gates have opened, knows full well how terrible that can be. the offer isn't going to make what will follow any easier but she can at least help lessen the stress of it all for the moment. ]

I'll swing by in fifteen then. Have I shown you my broom? It's a magic broom, naturally, that Percy modified to make it easier and safer for me to shoot from the back of it.

[ while she doesn't have wings like some people, she can still fly!! ]

His bed climbing days are behind him, I assure you. Besides a little birdy told me you're spoken for now.

[wiseoldbartender]

[ He appreciates her so damn much for this, even if he'll show is in his usual Husk-brand way. She understands him at this point, she knows what he's about. ]

Sure thing, Vex. And no, I haven't. So, like... a witch broom? Did you get yourself a pointy black hat to go with it?

[Sometimes friendship is just talking shit at each other. Sometimes, it's just that.

He hums softly, a lot of people are very aware of that, so it's not like he can deny it. Besides, he doesn't want to deny it. Flins makes him genuinely happy, against all odds/ ]

Little birdy told you right. I'll tell you about him on the way there.

[ And after his shift ends, he does turn out to be a demon of his word, waiting for her outside Ghost City with Fat Nuggets held in the crook of his arm.]

video | un: lagenaria

[pharmacologic]

It worked.

[Baizhu is visibly delighted, lighting up with a soft smile. He remembers Husk telling him about the hotel, about the girl there who deserved to see her faith rewarded. And in the end, it had been.]

Even if the end to that story was so long delayed...I'm very glad to hear that there was a good outcome for it.

[wiseoldbartender]

It worked. I don't remember all the ins and outs yet... somethin' about going against whatever sin got you put down there in the first place, I think? But still... definitely works. We all got to see him with our own eyes.

[ Still, Baizhu's delight for the news does make him feel better - brings a little more brightness to his usual dour appearance. This IS a good thing. Sure, it's disturbed a lot of memories and old feelings like silt at the bottom of a riverbed, but it's a good memory.

They weren't putting their all into a pipe dream. It was real and possible. ]

Me too. I thought he was just... fuckin' gone, y'know? That he was just this... horrible sacrifice for everything we were trying to do. And now I know he actually got his scaly ass up there. [His smile softens a little. ] And he looked good. Happy, y'know?

[pharmacologic]

[The rest of it's complicated. It's always complicated and messy, especially when past and present lives are involved. But good news is still good news. The patient was cured, against all odds. It's always important to celebrate those victories.]

That's wonderful. Even if you didn't have any understanding of why - and it sounds like you at least had some ideas that could be tried and expanded on - bringing the impossible within reach is the most important first step. I'm glad that young woman you told me about got to see her work bear fruit.

[wiseoldbartender]

[It's so very complicated and messy - but this is a victory, and they can relish it. It's rare that he gets to enjoy this, so he's gonna. Because the patience was cured - and that opened the door for so many others to follow him.]

Exactly. And because pretty much all of Hell saw it, it means more sinners came to the hotel, to give redemption a real chance. Turned out a lotta folks wanted to see if they could turn their afterlives around.

[ Oh Charlie. Bless her and her everything. ]

Me too. It took a month before we realised he'd made it there - she was freaking out a lot about it in that time. Felt like she'd failed him, y'know? When it turned out, she'd done the opposite.

UN: hikari-vi | Video

[whiteshroud]

[Jun listens to the story and honestly? It puts him at ease about some things he's thought about with the whole system of heaven and hell.]

Thank you, Husk. That was nice to hear. It certainly puts my mind at ease as well.

[wiseoldbartender]

[ He supposes it makes sense that Jun is here. He always thought the kid had a pretty strong hold on his beliefs (you have to be, he reckons, to have the abilities Jun does) but even people with the strongest hold can feel better with solid evidence. ]

You're welcome, Kid. Turns out that God of yours really is as into forgiveness and second chances as advertised.

[whiteshroud]

Well, He is the god of Salvation. It'd go against His nature if He choose to permanently forsake souls just based on some arbitrary time-limit of a single lifespan.

[In other words, it was never God's intention that he questioned. He had faith that his Lord and friend had a good nature. No, rather his bigger concern was how much actual say his forgiving God had over the matter. Even the gods had their limits, after all.

Not that it's an idea he's willing to voice.]

Still, as a mortal in the realm of the living, it's not often I get to peek behind the curtains to how things work out there. So it's reassuring to get confirmation those who preach "eternal damnation" are wrong.

[Assholes, all of them]

voice; un: antiva

[mmmleather]

You have the most fascinating of adventures, my dearest, furriest of friends.

[Hi Husk. Did you think you were going to get away from this guy?]

Redemption is such a... this is a loaded word. It always seems to involve so much guilt and obsession over things. How does one get anything done when they are feeling guilty and wishing for this change? You would be too wrapped up in these thoughts to function!

[wiseoldbartender]

That's sure one way to call being a demon in Hell, sure.

[ He has accepted his life just includes Zevran now. It's fine.

And wow, that sure is a way to look at it. Husk frowns, reaching out to absently pat Fat Nuggets on his little piggy head, a memory drifting in, sat by a bar (HIS bar???) trying to muddle thought something sad and painful, but healing all the same. I've accepted that redemption's not really for people like me. ]

...I don't think that's completely true.

[ He's not sure if he's talking to Zevran or the memory of Angel here. Maybe he should have said something at the time. Maybe then - he hits a wall with his memories. There's something beyond there. Something that's the bad kind of painful. He decides not to press more into that. Maybe there are some things he doesn't want to know. ]

I mean. Sure, there's some guilt and shit, that's unavoidable. You gotta face up to what fucked you up in the first place. But after that? It's real important to let go of the guilt. To say "this thing happened, and I'm gonna make an active choice to learn from it". It's supposed to be about growing, about picking up all that bad shit and not letting it control you.

[mmmleather]

No? Which part? That guilt is so time-consuming, one becomes... unable, shall we say, to see anything else?

[And there it is, the flippant tone. That tone when he's absolutely brushing off anything but surface level conversation, because it's teetering dangerously close to something like a nerve.]

Saying these things... it is simple enough for many people. The doing? Now that is another thing entirely. Many do not have the capacity for it.

voice; un: ginkgo

[lapislazily]

It happened to me when I regained my divinity, but I knew what was coming. Your situation seems... inconvenient.

[To put it mildly.]

... Hm. I see. I'm relieved to hear that your friend went to a better place. [Is it better? He's not sure, but he won't comment on someone else's Celestia.]

People are complicated, made of shades of gray. Assigning them black and white labels like 'redeemable' and 'not redeemable' is simplifying things too much for my taste. One must consider their past choices, present circumstances, and any other intervening factors in the current situation. Only then can a fitting punishment be meted out. It's as complicated as divination. This is the natural development of law, why courts were developed, and why justice should be tempered by mercy.

But, if you were to ask me the deciding factor, it comes down to one question. Are they willing to change for the better?

Ultimately, it seems you found yourself on a different path than the one that was destined for you as a resident of Hell. If it wasn't already clear to you, then let me state the obvious: you have already been redeemed.

[wiseoldbartender]

No kidding? I mean... I always knew I was an Overlord, that ain't nothing new. But I forgot I kept my damn powers in my deal. They ain't so bad, though. Just... gonna take some getting used to. Really could have used most of these in the last forty fuckin' years, though.

[ Thanks for that universe, seriously! You give them to him now he's retired and largely wants to chill out? That's fucking rude. ]

...Yeah. Heaven's... well, obviously I ain't been there, but from what I've heard it's very... soft. Outta touch. But he deserved to get outta Hell.

[ Because Hell was... a fucking mess. And Pen was so soft and gentle. He didn't belong down there. Husk listens to what Zhongli has to say, eventually huffing out a sad, tired laugh. ]

Tell me about it. Even Heaven's still not wholly sure what gets us down there. I don't... remember what got me down to Hell, myself. But from what we've gathered, we're still sorta... bumbling our way around it. It's largely therapy? People talking about the shit that hurt them so bad, trying to find a way to heal from it. It's just got a more solid end destination than most therapy does. But it is complicated. And messy. Least Heaven's realised the old way was fucked. They're trying to make shit better. Time'll tell if they hold to that or not.

[ Because Heaven also decided to actively genocide demon kind one a year for seven damn years, so Husk isn't holding his breath.

And then Zhongli just drops that last line on him like it's nothing. Husk stills, staring at the bartop for a moment. It's come up, in his past life. Of course, it has. But Husk was always extremely firm on his stance on that. ]

I was never there for my redemption, I was there to work. Alastor ordered me to. [But it wasn't just that. That's how is started, but then he ended up loving the nutjobs in that hotel. To the point where he was willing to go back to them. Stay with them. But redemption for him? No. That's not what he was seeking. ] ...Became more than that, but I still wasn't there for me. I was there to help other people get into Heaven. That's not... for me.

[ And this life? God, he doesn't fucking know. He doesn't think he's much worth it in this life, neither, truth be told. ]

It's... fine. I made my peace with that a long time ago. It is what it is.

[lapislazily]

If you had been too powerful to contain with typical means, the Black Order we knew might have resorted to... more drastic measures. Perhaps it is a disguised blessing that you were overlooked.

[If they wanted a bigger fish, that would make sense. But even Zhongli knows that without Husk's intervention, Lapis would have had an even worse time.]

That sounds far more constructive than one would expect, given the usual depictions of Hell. I will say this: healing is not linear, and it isn't meant to be pretty. Sometimes you have to reopen a wound to clean the infection. It is worth it to be well again.

[Says the guy who's never been to a therapist in his life. That's Zhongli for you.]

... Let us set aside the matter of your biased judgment for the moment, since neither of us man the pearly gates. What is the difference between one sinner earning his way into Heaven and another? If you have diligently worked toward rehabilitating others, is that not also worthy of acknowledgment? The light that you see in others also exists in you.

[A pause, and then with a little levity:]

Of course, there is also the matter of replacing you should they give you a promotion. It is fully possible that in your past life you became... too good at your job.