IC contact

[wiseoldbartender]

Husk

Fuck off.

VOICE | TEXT | VIDEO | ACTION

🔥

FROM: SUBJECT: FAMILY CHAT So we got a pig now. LAPIS I know you don't want a big fuss... EDWARD If you want to talk about it or... DIARMUID I heard what happened. CEREZA Knock knock, my little Sourpuss~ CAMILLA Say, Husk, you wouldn't happen to have any recommendations... LAPIS Father's Day SAMPO/LAPIS/JINWOO Husker Agapov. On the next night in... LAPIS Are you at your place right now? EUNIE how's this month's mission mildred

TO: SUBJECT: FAM CHAT What does it mean when you dream DIARMUID So. Are we gonna talk about the thing. FAM CHAT Weird request. One of you needs to come... BLADE Got a sword from that sketchy shopkeeper. ELLIOT Hey, Elliot. Think shit's calmed down enough... DIARMUID Order came. At Jinwoo's place. LAPIS That FUCKING son of a BITCH HUA CHENG Shit's getting bad. LAPIS One of those flying boxes gave me a new phone EUNIE You might wanna stay away from your regular place for a while.

code by cawaii

Comments

3/2 text; un: fortuneclovers

[medicgunner]

how's this month's mission mildred

[wiseoldbartender]

[She can't hear it, but he's screaming. ]

WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU?!!!

[medicgunner]

i'm not telling

voice | un: laluna (after Teresagate II)

[crisantemo]

[ Lapis heard what Teresa said about her. About Marlon. And she heard just how upset Husk got in response.

She knew better than to step in during that confrontation, not when her name was mentioned. But she's still worried. ]

Are you at your place right now?

[wiseoldbartender]

[He kind of figured this was coming. He'd hoped he could be significantly drunker before having to deal with this, but here they are. ]

Sure am. Here all fuckin' night.

[crisantemo]

[ Too bad Old Man, she's not letting you get any drunker. ]

Good, I'll be there soon.

[ And thanks to the power of shapeshifting + flying, she's there in a few minutes. Knock, knock, Dad! Though there's deliberately a small rhythm to her knocks, so he knows it's not Teresa. ]

Around the date of may 20th

[anyprice]

[ some magical items are better off tested and seen before trusted.

this notebook he'd gotten today came with some PRETTY INTERESTING instructions, huh? Aha was vividly giggling in his head as Sampo considers it, nods his head. and starts writing.

thanks to sampo's constant dealings with the man over the last 15 years of outrunning and dodging one Husker Agapov, his name was the easy part--but the prank...?

Well.
it says nothing impossible, or deadly, but.
A lot of soap and shampoo companies also have factories that produce things like dye, too, don't they.

Which means... ]

Husker Agapov. On the next night in which Husk purchases and cleans himself with a bottle of bodywash, he will find there was a factory mix-up and some yellow dye got combined in with a small batch of the product. The issue was not caught until the bottling process, which most of the bottles got pulled but a few made it past inspection--which Husk realises only after having himself a nice relaxing bath.

[wiseoldbartender]

[Bathing is always a pretty consistent pain in the ass for Husk. When your body is largely either hair or feathers, washing is a long and laborious process. It's got even worse since he got the stupid mermaid curse- because it means there's a delicate balance between trying to get his legs clean before they turn into one solid tail and he suddenly becomes part of a whole other world.

But still, he managed to navigate that mess, and have himself a nice, relaxing bath. Sure. he's still in Lapis and Jinwoo's place, unwilling to leave while things were so fraught after Douman, it's been a traumatising time and having a moment where he can just chill out is rare and welcome.

...You know, right up until he's drying himself off and realises that he's fucking yellow anyway.]

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK?!!!!!

action!!

[crisantemo]

[ It's a very particular day today, and so Lapis is a little bit nervous. Most recent Father's Days she's been on missions or travelling, so all she could really do is call Husk when she had a moment to spare and timezones aligned.

But this time she can put in a little more effort - especially since this year, it's official. She's now an Agapov, so she wants to do a little extra for Husk. It took some hours at the forge and some assistance from her brother, but she managed to make something...

So Husk is at Jinwoo and hers place today - after her insistence that he come over - and at one point during the day, Lapis will be cornering her dad with a gift. ]

Ah, here you go. [ It's a small-ish, slim box neatly wrapped in red paper. Once he tears through that, he'll find it's a metallic playing card - with the Ace of Spades design on the front. It's not just a card though, as he'll find he'll be able to actually open it; inside are two photos, one on the inner panel and one right in the centre, of them both. Back from a few years ago, when she was young, and something more recent.

And inside the trinket is an engraving: "Thank you for being my dad. I love you."

Meanwhile Lapis absently twists her fingers together, giving him a soft smile; quietly anxious for his reaction. ]

Happy Father's Day.

[wiseoldbartender]

[ Father's Days really aren't something that Husk has seen a lot of. It's always been nice to get a call from Lapis, of course, but he's never really expected more than that. Everything had always been so tricky, especially when they weren't even on the same continent.

But it's different this year. He was honestly already a little sus given how insistent Lapis was that he stayed in her place today. So when she corners him with a present, he really should have seen it coming. He takes it with a soft grumble with no real venom to it at all. ]

Didn't have to go through so much trouble.

[He's just saying it for show though, really. Typically adding to the grouchiness they both know is more front than it is anything genuine. He opens the gift, eyebrows rising in surprise because this is... actually really fucking nice. He turns the card in his fingers, letting it slide between them in that old, practised sleight-of-hand. And then he opens it and... oh.

The pictures were wonderful, they tugged at his old, grumpy heartstrings. But that engraving? That was a fatal shot. He stares at it for a moment. Jesus, fuck, he really did luck out and get the only decent thing in his whole fucking life with her, didn't he? Something in his chest aches- before he clears his throat- trying to mask the emotion welling up in there, even if it's not as well hidden from his voice as he'd like to think. ]

That's - [ he sniffs- allergies - rubbing a knuckle over his eye ] that's a really fuckin' nice gift, Lapis. Thanks.

Gemini Text | UN: generous_rarity; 30 minutes before the raid

[noblerise]

[Approximately half an hour before the raid is set to begin on their homes, Jusis gets a vision. All he sees is a hail of gunfire and explosions, along with a very familiar symbol. The dots connect rapidly and he immediately informs Elliot before sending out a mass text to certain people (Husk, Leon, Ardyn, and Blade) while his husband grabs everything of value. Things can be replaced, but people can't and he has no desire to get innocent civilians involved.]

I've just received a vision of danger. Be prepared for an attack from The Order and proceed as if it's imminent. Rendezvous at the Crystal Tower before dawn, but be extremely cautious. Use the Gemini app only.

sometime late July; non-app text

[nohrianrose]

Say, Husk, you wouldn't happen to have any recommendations for hotels up in Kaisou, would you?

[wiseoldbartender]

[Ardyn's already ruined his day so sure, why not at this point. ]

I mean, my idea of "hotels" ain't usually your idea of hotels. Not unless you wanna fight rats for your bed I guess.

Taking it you're part of the cavalry too then, huh? Didn't realise how far word had got how deep in the shit we are.

voice, post-meropide and direct line

[umbranwatch]

Knock knock, my little Sourpuss~

I do hope your grumpycat self hasn't decided to kick the bucket yet, I'd be terribly disappointed in you. Especially since you've been residing in an interesting time in Kaisou- or so I've heard.

[HI HUSK, DID YOU MISS CEREZA? SHE MISSED YOU. :D]

[wiseoldbartender]

[ No.

Not this. He picks it up with a long-suffering groan. He's just a tired old man. What has he done to deserve this? ]

Not my fuckin' name, Cereza. And no, I ain't dead. Worse, all the demonic immortality bullshit from my past life kicked in while I was living here so now I'm stuck on this mortal coil. It's some kinda bullshit because I was hoping at least death could free me from dealing with you chucklefucks, but no. And look at you, not dead yet, neither.

[He did not miss her one little bit :| ]

Not surprised word is getting to everyone else about that. The whole place is a fuckin' trashfire. Ardyn said you guys were on the way because... I don't fuckin' know. Because you're batshit and wanna suffer, I guess.

action!

[crisantemo]

[ It's been a... strange few weeks, since the fight at Asgard. Since they finally cut ties with the Order. It eventually dawned on Lapis that now she has an entire life ahead of her, a future that she can make entirely her own - no longer a weapon on a leash.

So she's been thinking more about the future, about what she wants, and there has been one thought sticking at the corner of her mind. Jinwoo and her have been together for a while now, have been through a lot, so maybe...

But there's also the worries about "what ifs" or she's thinking too far ahead or there's no way he would ever want anything more - And she knows she's just going to put herself into a doom spiral eventually. And there's always one person she can always talk to, to help her get out of her head and give her a few shakes.

So it's a quiet afternoon where it's just her and Husk in the house, and while he's relaxing in his chair a daughter will approach. ]

Can I... talk to you about something, Dad?

[ The fact she's asking is already an obvious sign that it's something she's Worrying about. ]

[wiseoldbartender]

[Husk had been taking a minute in his Dad Chair, reading some book on... fuck if he knew. He thought it was some sort of murder mystery, but it seemed to be about a bunch of old weirdos in a book club so far. He's so glad he got his gig with Hua Cheng, he doesn't think he could handle full retirement. This is bullshit.

He glances up from his (nonsense) book, peering over his reading glasses to see Lapis looking... worried. And then she actually asks to talk to him about something, and worry starts to crawl unsettling up his spine. He closes his book, puts it to one side and sets the glasses on top of them. He pushes out the footstool for her to sit on.]

'Course. Is this something I should be worried about? Feels like something I should be worried about. Do I gotta punch a fucker in the face?

shortly before midmonth. text; un: goldenrose

[twofoldfury]

[Diarmuid gave this longer than he would've liked, but some individuals needed a more patient hand lest they lash out instead of listening. But it's been long enough.]

I heard what happened.

I won't ask if you're alright, I'm certain I know the answer to that already. I will ask this instead: What can I do to help you?

[wiseoldbartender]

[Husk isn't the best at accepting help. He's stubborn and mistrustful and tends to expect people are working some kind of angle if they reach out a hand to him. But Diarmuid has been nothing but obnoxiously decent to him. After a while, he just had to accept the guy was just a Good Person and he wasn't looking to exploit a weakness. He was just... fucking sincere in his desire to do good. Fucker.

Which is honestly the only reason Husk peers out of his bed, surrounded by empty bottles to grab his phone and respond. ]

Not unless you can break a soul contract, no.

[ Husk pointedly does not talk about Alastor, but it's clear not doing that fucked him over on the ship. He can still feel the collar heavy around his neck, and he makes him want to curl into a ball and stop existing for a while. Logically, he knows Alastor wasn't real. He knows that. But it felt too real and it's left him on edge. What WOULD he do if Alastor showed up here? Fucking nothing? Just be back to being at his beck and call?

He's reaching around at the foot of his bed- he has to pick up a few empty bottles before he finds one that still has some whiskey in it. Downing it.]

That was some real bullshit.

text; un: captainkenway | three days post-Horrors

[jackdawvision]

If you want to talk about it or just punch someone who killed you in the face, come meet me at this bar.

[And he sends the name and address of a seedy dive bar somewhere downtown.]

[wiseoldbartender]

I ain't gonna punch you, Dipshit. You killed me, I killed you back. It's even.

[Husk that's not how this works at all you psycho. Still, the offer for a drink is a little too loud to ignore. He doesn't WANT to talk about it, but now it's happened and he guesses if he tries to not talk about it, someone's gonna be obnoxious and bother him anyway.

And... well, he guesses being quiet about it for the past 40 years didn't really do shit for him. Might as well give talking a try.]

...Fine. I'll be there.

[He drags himself out of his home, headed to the seedy bar. He looks like a man who hasn't been sleeping and have been actively drinking for three days... which is exactly what's been happening. He takes a seat next to Edward at the bar once he gets there. ]

Hey.

Action (Backdated to Oct 28th)

[crisantemo]

[ After the actual hell Husk has been through, Lapis has done her best to be there for her dad - gently urging him from his blanket nest so he actually eats and does something else besides sleep and drink. And making sure that he isn't spending time alone; he has her and Jinwoo now, and he's never going to be alone in dealing with this. Husk was there for her when she was at her lowest, so she can at least do this much for him - days have passed and things have gradually become easier, but this will still take time to work through.

And today, on this particular day, Lapis is insistent that Husk comes to the kitchen. She will carry him there if she must!

Once he's there, he'll see why she wanted him there; atop the kitchen island is a small cake sitting next to a box wrapped neatly in silver paper. And there's even a couple of balloons, black with the words "Birthday Bastard" printed across it - only the best and most appropriate for her family of course. ]

I know you don't want a big fuss, but I still wanted to do something for you. [ To make sure he knows he's loved, no matter what. ]

Happy birthday, Dad.

[wiseoldbartender]

[If left to his own devices, Husk absolutely would have just wrapped himself up in bed and drunk himself into oblivion until the horrors of the Event Horizon had faded into the back of his mind with the rest of his trauma. It's what he's been doing his whole life at this point- it worked just fine.

But he hasn't had the chance to indulge in this extremely unhealthy coping mechanism this time. Lapis has dragged him out and reminded him over and over again that he doesn't have to deal with it alone. He's... not good at relying on other people to help him with his bullshit. This is... new.

He does come to the kitchen on his own steam, blinking at the setup. The balloons pull a rough, low laugh out of him. ]

Holy shit, where did you even get those? [He doesn't like much of a fuss when it comes to this, but he knows it means a lot to his daughter. And honestly? It's... kinda nice. He manages a tired smile.] ...Thanks, Kiddo. This... ain't actually all that bad.

action!!

[crisantemo]

[ Another Father's Day falls upon them, and unlike last year Lapis has more... adapted, to their retirement. Gotten used to a more normal, domestic life where her main concern is her family and their day-to-day shenanigans. And she's been glad that she could share this new period of her life with her Dad nearby.

It also means she's far less nervous this time, and that morning as she preps some things for breakfast - need to eat before they go to this masquerade - there will be a gift waiting for him as well. It's larger than last year, thicker too, and wrapped in black and red paper with a little bow to neaten it all up. She did have to be a bit sneaker in getting this together, but she's pleased with the results. She just hopes he likes it too...

... Okay, maybe she's still a little nervous. But when he makes his way into the kitchen, she brightens up. Cup of coffee is already prepared, but she'll be handing him the gift first. ]

Before you do anything, open this.

[ The gift is held to him, and once he opens it up he'll find it's a book - on the front is an Ace of Hearts engraving, similar to the gift she gave him last year. And when he opens the book, he'll find it's an album - with an assortment of pictures of not just her and him, but also with the other residents of the house too. Including Tank - and she's even managed to add some newer pictures with Nuggets. A family album, with some space at the back to spare. And within the inside of the front cover, is something written in Russian:

To the patriarch of the house, and the best Dad (and grandpa) there is. Love you.

And Lapis waits quietly, giving him another soft smile once it seems he's done looking over the gift. ]

Happy Father's Day.

[wiseoldbartender]

[It's been a bitch of a month for Husk, really. Losing his name was an irritation he did not expect. Who the fuck loses a name? Well, him, apparently! At least they have the means to deal with it now, even if it means having to go to a fancy-ass ball.

He'd almost forgotten the day when he steps into the kitchen to the smell of breakfast and coffee, Angel's obnoxious little pig trotting behind him. He pauses as he steps into the kitchen, blinking down at the gift, before carefully taking it from her. A rare, soft smile crosses his grizzled features as he turns it in his hands. ]

Holy shit, I forgot.

[ He carefully opens the gift, his eyes widening as he realises exactly what his daughter has given him. He turns the pages, eyes pouring over each image- of the home, the family he's built for himself here. Something that's all his own. Not Alastor's. Not the Order's. His. And there's not a single fucker in this or any other world who can take this away from him. He sniffs lightly, rubbing a clawed hand by his eye. He's not tearing up. He is not. ]

This is beautiful. [ Okay, fuck, he might be tearing up a little bit. He pulls her into a hug. ] I love it. Thank you, dochen'ka. That means the fuckin' world to me.