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[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.

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Comments

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[wiseoldbartender]

[ Husk... was not expecting that question. He stills, staring at the words for a moment. He does, at least, give it proper thought. Would he have done it? Would it have made a difference to his life at all? Would he have found his freedom early? Instead of losing all of his prime to that hateful organisation? Or would they have just hunted him down anyway? Their precious little bait on an end of a line to try and snag a much bigger, nastier prize? Would that have just meant running? Forever?

And if he had... then he wouldn't have been able to be there for the kids foisted upon his care. Husk doesn't think much of himself at all, but he likes to think he at least made some sort of difference in the lives of the kids he mentored. That, even in the smallest way, he stopped the Order from completely hardening all their edges. Taught them that it was okay to be... fucking people. With flaws and wants and emotions, instead of just whatever weapons the Order wanted to aim at the world. What would have happened to them if he hadn't had been there? ]

Maybe if you'd asked me when I was still fresh, I might've been tempted. Before that place wore me down. And that would have put you all in a hell of a lot of fucking danger. I think, even in my idiot twenties, I would've realised that. I wouldn't have put you through that.

And after that? I had other people who needed me more. I ain't done a lot of good in this life, but I sure as shit hope Lapis and Anby's lives are at least... a little fucking better for having me in them. If nothing else, I wanna think I made a difference there. One I wouldn't have been able to make if I ran. Not with how the Order wanted to treat them.

The Order fucked me over real bad. 'Cause of them I got two lifetimes in fucking chains, being ordered about by the people on the other ends of them. But I still don't reckon I would've changed that. It is what it is and I am what I am. Think the best now is try to live what I got in the rubble of all of this much as I can. It ended better than I expected, so I'll take it.

[lanternae]

[This Jusis sounds like a good one. If Husk is praising him in such a way and showing respect, he knows that's no small achievement. He'll put optimism in the young man then, if Husk is.

So far, the new Black Order had shown promise.

Husk's answer to his question is exactly what he expected and wanted to hear. It was not a decision that could be yes or no. It had layers, nuance. Had Husk escaped, he would've been free, but the thought of leaving Flins to the next collector was something to worry about. Flins himself wasn't afraid, he would've fought like he always had. But it certainly wouldn't have been as easy.

After enough time, Husk had to teach others, to be a mentor and a safe harbor himself. Both their tasks were ones they couldn't move from.]

A good answer. I like to think we were partners in our own way.

If you would like an outside perspective...Lapis and Anby are truly gentle and loving girls. They care about others, and they have a bright outlook on life. The light has not left their eyes.

That is your influence there, Husk. You kept that light alive for them. In a sense, you are their hero.

[wiseoldbartender]

[He's a very good egg. Husk doesn't trust many people. Outside of his found family, he can probably count on one hand the number of people he genuinely trusts. And he's only got four fingers.

It was a complicated, messy answer. The price of his own freedom would have like have been Flins, and Husk wouldn't have made a barter like that for anything in the world. That wasn't a fair bargain through any stretch of the imagination. And then not being there for the kids who he ultimately helped? No. Things in the Order had been hard, at times desperately miserable, but the slivers of good made the suffering not for nothing. ]

...I guess we were. When you look at it like that.

[ Even then. Jesus Christ, he really was oblivious, wasn't he? The rest of Flins comments gives him reason to pause. He's done his best to do right by those girls. He knows he hasn't been perfect. He's too rough around the edges to be some picture-perfect smiley holiday card dad. And they didn't need that anyway. The Order was cruel. They needed to be able to roll with that. They needed thick skin with those good hearts.

But it had meant... just about everything to him that they didn't lose that light. That the Order didn't have the ability to just... snuff it out. It took so much from them, but he didn't want it to take that. Unseen, his ears pin back, trying to sort through the emotions going on in his head. There was no small amount of pride to know someone else had seen that in those girls. That the light was blatantly there. There was comfort, too. Knowing he'd managed to do one thing right for them, if nothing else. ]

...Don't know so much about a hero. I was just doing right by them, best I could. They deserved that much. Still do.

But yeah. They're great kids. Tenacious with not letting... fuckin' everything the Order was take them down. I'm real proud of them.

[lanternae]

We were a great team, despite being on opposite sides. And if you stuck around for my safety...

[No, he doesn't really want to think on that. That delves into some feelings he can't properly articulate over text. He does know he's in deep trouble if true. This cat...thought about him just as much, didn't he.

He'll move on to the girls. Yes. They were the real focus.]

That is the very definition of a hero, Husk. To them, you were their savior. Their protection. Their mentor. And now their father. What more could you want in a hero?

I have nothing short of admiration for their strength. To come out of such a situation with bright outlooks on life. I'm truly happy for them.

[wiseoldbartender]

If someone else had replaced me, they wouldn't have stopped at just knocking. You and everyone you tried to protect would've been dragged back to the Order in chains. I never would've let that happen if I could help it.

[ Husk will just confirm it for him. That, yes, he really had thought about him plenty. That if the option was between staying or risking innocent people... risking Flins being captured. Well. He would have chosen staying every time. And that's a fact Flins can let sit with him for a while. ]

I... don't know. I never really thought about it like that. I was just doing what needed to be done. What those kids needed.

...Yeah, me too. I know Anby's still there, and I worry about her with that. But she and Lapis still got a better chance at a life than they ever had before. I'm real proud to see them doing that - can't wait to see what they make of their lives now they got control of them.

[lanternae]

I would've resorted to more...persuasive methods, for sure. I quite like my freedom, as it turns out. But alas, having you there made it feel safer. You were no doubt integral for my success.

[The fact that Husk stayed in the precarious position he was in to make sure he was safe...that was a dangerous line of thought he wasn't sure about chasing. It made his heart spiral out of control. Best to focus on the children.]

No doubt Anby will continue to be Anby. I'm still getting to know her, but she has a unique way of thinking. I'm glad she still has it in her to just be herself.

As for Lapis...you must be excited for her and Jinwoo.

[wiseoldbartender]

And that would have ended up messy. ...Yeah? I'm glad it did that.

[ It's fine, they don't need to think about it. It's fine! ]

That's pretty much how it goes with her. If nothing else, I can always rely on Anby to be Anby. She's... quirky, but it's the good kind. She loves burgers, if you ever wanna get onto her good side.

I am. I wasn't keen on him at first, thought he was a fuckin' loser. But he's proven himself to be perfect for her. And she's perfect for him. I think they're real good for each other- makes me feel comfortable knowing they get to live the rest of their lives together. That I don't gotta worry about her so much, y'know?

[lanternae]

[He's making a mental note on those burgers as we speak. Thankfully, she seemed pretty chill with him all things considered.]

Look at you, sounding like a protective father ready to give his daughter away after years of disapproval.

I agree. I saw the way they spoke to each other at Thanksgiving, and the affection between them was as bright and honest as the Northern Lights. You won't have to worry about them, in my experience.

Be proud, you helped her reach that point.

[wiseoldbartender]

[ It's really hard to get on Anby's bad side in Husk's experience. You have to work on it - be absolutely rancid in every possible way. Otherwise, she's pretty easy going. ]

Yeah, well. Lapis means a lot to me, and it ain't like she's my property or anything. I trust her judgement in her partner and... whatever.

But I also wanted her to be with someone who made her happy. Someone who wouldn't fuckin' hurt her. Jinwoo's that. I think he'd go through anything to stop her from ever being hurt again. He's... a good guy. I know they'll be fine, whatever happens.

...Maybe. I think she probably deserves the most credit. She was brave enough to let someone in after how much shit the Order put her through. That's ain't ever easy.