IC contact

[wiseoldbartender]

Husk

Fuck off.

VOICE | TEXT | VIDEO | ACTION

🔥 | NSFW

FROM: SUBJECT: FLINS Husk. I'm not sure I know how... FLINS Lottery Number, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth... ZEVRAN Were you, by chance, aware that your beloved... FLINS It is January 17th, 2025 CE FLINS January 10, 2026 CE FLINS January 3, 2026 CE FLINS December 27, 2025 CE FLINS December 20, 2025 CE ALASTOR Good day, old friend! FLINS December 13, 2025 CE FLINS December 06, 2025 CE SHROUD/HARU I was told you had a pest problem. FLINS November 29, 2025 CE ZEVRAN My dearest of furred friends! FLINS For the sake of convenience... 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: FLINS Y'know how you think shit can't possibly... ZEVRAN WEE WOO WEE WOO FLINS Okay Baby, I'm gonna need you to do me a solid... JUN Flins asked me to message you... JINWOO Jinwoo, get your ass here... SHROUD Whatever higher power is in control... 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

[wiseoldbartender]

[Husk deeply hates talking about this particular subject. He's managed to keep it on the down-low for decades - but he guesses learning what he did about the Order, what the absolute idiots were trying to do... it would be smart to have a safeguard in place. It's clear his original plan of getting the fuck out of dodge isn't going to stick, so-

He pulls his cards of out his pocket, shuffling them to try and displace some of the anxious energy that always comes from talking about Alastor. Shroud can probably hear the sound of the card moving. ]

Sure. So no big shock to you by now that I'm a demon. [ There's no way Shroud hasn't pick up on that, not a fuckin' chance. ] In my past life, I was in Hell- I was an Overlord, had a lotta power there. Due to... some real fuckin' stupid errors on my part, I ended up gambling my soul away to another demon.

[ Shuffle, close, repeat. ]

His name's Alastor. Big, nasty fucker. Made it a game to catch Overlords and tear their souls apart on the radio so Hell could hear their screams. Always looking for an angle to get more power. A real tricky sociopath. Like, the level of fucked up where demons in Hell give him a wide berth.

[The level of evil someone has to be to make Hell go "yo that's fucked up". ]

Anyway, he's the problem. You remember the Order rebellion? Where we had all those records about what they were planning? Well, turns out Al's been on their radar for a long fucking time. They kept me alive so they could see if they could bait him into awakening in some poor fuck. Come collect his property, I guess.

I made my choice and I'm just gonna have to fuckin' live with that if he shows up here. But the problem is this place is so fulla magical energy and fuckin' gods and whatever, there's no way he won't try and do a power grab. It'll be too tempting for him. I don't 'specially want to see him raze this place to the ground. I like it here.

[whiteshroud]

[Shroud is silent as he listens to Husk's words, taking them all in. He doesn't know much about what goes on in Hell itself. That was a realm that Shroud has every intention of avoiding if possible, but he can't say he's shocked this kind of depravity goes on down there as Husk describes the things that Alastor gets up to.

The mention of the Order though, it does make him suck in his breath a little- making a slight distorted sound on his modulator. Demon or not, it was twisted for the Order to use Husk as bait like that. ]

I recall the records, yes. [He regrets a little letting his brother listen in on this call, but nothing to be done about it. It wasn't like he expected the Order's past sins to be brought up.] Clawing for power from both Heaven and Hell at the same time... truly a reckless idea.

[No wonder the Lord was so willing to take part in the rebellion, but he won't voice that. He does pause that Husk's less concerned about his own safety than the safety of the city. Though, he's met plenty of noble demons in his time, so he won't comment on the irony of it]

A demonic power grab would be undesirable. So what you're saying is... should Alastor arrive, you would like me to use my power to eliminate him.

[life_ethereal]

[Harumasa will remember this.]

[wiseoldbartender]

[Sorry to Jun and Harumasa for the horrible reminder that the Order were consistently the worst. Husk catches the sucked in breath, makes a mental note of it. But Shroud is doing him a favour here, he's not about to pry. Especially when the guy might be the only person in the city with half a chance against the Radio Demon. ]

Yeah, well. The Order weren't exactly known for being reasonable in what they did. They're lucky they didn't manage it. Alastor would have gutted them like they were fish.

[ He appreciates it not being pointed out. Husk has people he loves a great deal in this city. Hell, even the people he only tolerates don't deserve Alastor in their lives. Husk's self-worth is shaky at the best of times, and he did make this particular bed for himself, even if it was in a different life. He'll get what he gets.]

Hmmm. Only thing that can kill us for good is angelic steel or something blessed with holy abilities. Otherwise, we just come back, even if you completely destroy us. Part of that whole... eternal damnation deal. [ He sits back in the chair, exhaling softly. ] The only time I ever saw Alastor on the back foot was when he tried to fight an archangel. I reckon you're about the closest thing to that we got here.

[whiteshroud]

[Yeah Shroud is just going to push that sense of sudden foreboding danger to the back of his mind. He'll deal with his brother once he's off the phone. ]

Mm. He doesn't sound like one that'd comply with the Order's rule.

[In other words, he agrees that the Order was real lucky that that little gambit didn't actually pay off in the end. Those who crave power can really be so blind sometimes to the reality of the situation.]

I see. [He considers for a moment]My power is not on the level of an archangel, my flesh is too mortal to withstand that. So I cannot promise that I'd be able to kill him outright.

However, even if I can't kill him, I can seal him away. It's a technique Seal Knights developed to deal with demons beyond our power. Once the demon has been weaken, we use the spell to trap the demon in a tome.

He won't be dead, so he wouldn't be able to revive.

[wiseoldbartender]

The only rules Alastor complies with are his own. And even those, he can change whenever he feels like it.

[They are stupidly lucky. Even their strongest Zealot would have been turned into paste. They really should not have tried to reach so far. ]

The fact you're willing to try is enough, Kid. It ain't an easy ask for anyone, no matter how much power you've got.

[ Husk pauses in his card shuffling to ponder that. Aside from one person (who WAS it? he can't remember) no one has ever tried to bind Alastor. It would be different from a soul contract, it would be locking him up and throwing away the key. His tail flicks, uneasy. ]

...He won't be able to communicate from it, right? The tome? Like... there'd be no way for him to talk to anyone? He's all about deals, and if he has a chance to talk his way outta something like that, he can make his promises real fuckin' tempting.

[whiteshroud]

No matter the difficulty, I don't want this city to be harmed by a demon overlord. So of course I'll try.

[There was no question about that. Even if Husk didn't come to him, if Alastor had shown up, Jun would've involved himself eventually. It was part of his duties after all]

No, he wouldn't be able to communicate. The only way I know of the seal breaking is if it falls into the hands of being capable of altering reality itself.

Fortunately, beings with those capabilities tend to be rare. Most likely, I'd hand it off to Zhongli for safe keeping.

[wiseoldbartender]

I don't think anyone wants that, no.

[That would be a bad time for everyone involved. At least this one is largely deposed and doesn't really have any murderous nature in him anymore regardless.

Unless his phone doesn't update properly. Then he's a little murderous, but that's more because he's a boomer than because he's a demon Overlord.]

That's good. If he had any wiggle room, he'd find a way to make a deal with some dipshit and get himself out. That's better than nothing, give him real low chances of getting out.

[Because, oh boy, does Husk not want him to get out. If he got out after that was done to him? He'd raze the entire city to the ground for the humilation. ]

Zhongli's a good call. I trust him, I've known him since I was your age. If anyone can guard it, it'd be that crusty old dragon.

[whiteshroud]

[Shroud will nod to all this. Good. Sounds like Husk is on the same page]

Then it's settled. Should Alastor arrive in Kaisou, alert me as soon as possible to be dealt with. We'll initially attempt to eliminate him, and if that proves impossible, we'll resort to sealing him away and handing his tome to the god of contracts.

Should the job turn into one that requires payment, it will be in the form of cash. I may also call upon people to assist me, if that is required to do what must be done.

Are you in agreement?

[wiseoldbartender]

Yeah, that works. I won't be able to help you with this one. Because, again, he literally owns my soul - he can command me to do whatever the fuck he wants. I've already been talking to Blade - we'll have ways to keep me outta the way so you don't have to deal with me on top of it.

[Because Husk doesn't particularly want to be turned against the city because Alastor commanded it. That would... suck.]

That's fine, wouldn't have expected you to do it for free - that'd be batshit. And yeah, I'd honestly feel better knowing you weren't dealing with the fucker alone. Just in case, y'know?

I am. Hopefully it'll never have to happen, but better to be ready for it.

[whiteshroud]

I understand. The continue to work with Blade so you'll be able to avoid this fight entirely. Your children love you, so it'd do well to make sure you survive.

[Because... yeah. He can't deny that if Husk turned o them thanks to Alastor, there'd be a chance Shroud would be forced to cut Husk down too. But he's not going to spell that out]

Then we have an agreement. I'll take some time to figure out a price and let you know. Until then, you can have reassurance that you have an ace up your sleeve should he ever come.

May it be an ace that'll never needs to be played.

[he'll then cut the feed abruptly. As Shroud does]