Shwick sighed in frustration as he watched the two janitors went off with the police officers to give their statements, shaking his head and rubbing his temples as he walked over to where Husk was sitting with the others over at the bar on the far end of the casino. "So now what are we going to do?" Shwick groaned, "I think it's safe to say that we can't hold the party in there." "So… I guess we're fucked," Husk groaned, gulping down a shot of whiskey, "Gimme another one, Chuck. I'm gonna need it." The old bartender nodded, grabbing the whiskey and refilling Husk's shot glass.
"Might want to take it easy there, Husker." Alastor mused, "Wouldn't want to break your sobriety, would you?" "Oh, fuck you, Al." Husk grunted, tossing back his shot and almost slamming the glass down, "One more, Chuck; then you can wash up and head home."
Chuck nodded and gave Husk one last shot, snatching the glass after Husk gulped down the whiskey with a depressed groan before heading off to start shutting down the bar. "Ugh, thanks, Chuck." "No problem, boss. Take care of yourself, man." The old devil-like sinner waved as he headed into the back behind the bar with a tray of dirty glasses, "G'night, all."
"Night, Chuck." Shwick said as he took a seat next to Husk, "So, what's the plan now, boss?" "I j-ugh... I don't know, Shwick." Husk groaned, shaking his head, "You're right, we can't have the party in the theatre. But then, where are we going to have it? My suite ain't big enough for all of us to fit, all the conference halls are booked up, and the casino's not exactly the best place to host something like this. I just… I feel so lost. What am I gonna do?"
"Well, you could always have the party at the Hazbin Hotel," Lucifer proposed, patting Husk hard on the back, "We've got the room, food… plenty of alcohol. Not to mention… well," "What?" Husk asked. "Well, no offense, Husker, but… I'm not exactly crazy about the décor here." Husk and Shwick both eyed the fallen angel in disgust as Lucifer chuckled and continued, saying, "I guess the whole Vegas thing works in the casino, but, the hotel… and the theatre… why the theatre? Wouldn't a more, I don't know, circus theme work better?"
"Excuse me?" Husk growled, "This isn't your fucking circus! This is my casino! My theatre, my home!" Lucifer backed up a bit as Husk glared at him in anger; Shwick reached over and held onto Husk's shoulders to try to keep him calm and in his seat, but Husk shrugged him off fast. "Look, I'll admit that maybe it wouldn't hurt to make a few upgrades… mostly we just need to get new headlamps and replace some of the old wiring above the stage. That's what we were doing before those two… freaks wrecked the place! This place… this whole establishment practically has a soul of its own. I want that soul to stay intact, and I need you to respect that."
Lucifer arched a brow and looked into Husk's eyes; they had a look that seemed despondent and broken, almost like he was barely keeping himself from falling apart. Angel reached over and took Husk's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Husk sighed, looking down solemnly and returned Angel's gesture in gratitude. "So, the question remains," Angel piped, "What're we going to do?" "Well, we still have the cake, and all the food is still intact," Vaggie hummed, "I guess we could have it at the Hazbin Hotel."
"Hey, yeah," Charlie gasped, "We've got more than enough room; we could probably fit everything into one of our conference halls. I know it's not what you were hoping for, Husk, and we were all really looking forward to the party here. But… it might very well be our only hope for salvaging this thing." Husk groaned, resting his face in his one hand and choked back a sob; Angel reached over, pulling Husk closer and gently rubbing his shoulders until he calmed down enough to feel safe trying to talk again.
"Husk?" Charlie asked, "It's totally your choice. I'm just offering… you don't have to accept." "No," Husk sighed, "I think you're right. I really wanted this party to happen in the theatre… kind of like a soft reopening for my family and the staff before the final touches were finished. But, what matters most is that Hazel has a good time. It is supposed to be her party, after all. So… thank you, Charlie. I-I think I'll take you up on that."
"Yay!" Charlie squealed, "Quick, dad, open a portal to the hotel so we can get things set up." "Slow your roll, kid," Husk chuckled, "Alastor, do me a huge favor and go call Bucky and the girls. Angel, Niffty, see if you can figure out what happened to the cake and the rest of the food. Shwick… ugh, better let the rest of the guests know the venue's been relocated. Charlie, Vaggie, see if you can get ahold of Rosie; I want her to know about the venue change, too, just in case she plans on coming tonight."
"Can do, boss." Shwick said with a quick salute. "Shouldn't be a problem." Alastor smiled. "You can count on us, Husk." Vaggie agreed, clapping her hands and cheering, "Alright, people, let's move it! Vámonos!" Husk watched as Angel, Vaggie and the others dashed off to take care of their assigned tasks. As Alastor led the others through the utility door, Lucifer let out a heavy sigh and sat down next to Husk at the bar.
"So… I'm guessing you're not hip to the idea of letting me magically repair your theater, eh, Husker?" Lucifer asked. Husk looked at the fallen angel in annoyance, scoffing and said, "If you only had the slightest idea of just how much the place means to me, you wouldn't even think of asking me that question."
"Oh, come on, man," Lucifer sighed, watching as Husk pulled out his flask and took a quick swig, "I get it, you want to make sure justice is served, or… whatever. But if I fix everything up for you, you could have your grand reopening on time without having to blow more money on even more repairs. It'll all be fixed up, just like that." Lucifer snapped his fingers and laughed, groaning as Husk rolled his eyes and groaned. "Okay, so… maybe think it over for a couple of days. The police should have all the evidence they need by then and you'll want to start repairing the theatre."
"Ugh… you… you just don't get it," Husk sighed, "It's not the idea of you fixing the place up. It's the idea of you turning it into just another fucking circus tent. You have no idea how much of my own soul I'd poured into every phase of the theatre's construction, of its existence… it's more than just a stage… it's a shrine. A memorial." "I… what? I don't understand." Husk looked at Lucifer with a tired expression, tucking his flask away before hopping down from his barstool and said, "Then I'll show you. Follow me."
