What I Mean When I Say, "I Ship Huskerdust"
When I say, "I ship Huskerdust," I don't mean that I think it would be a perfect example of a healthy relationship. Because it wouldn't be.
They've both got issues that they would need to work through if they wanted their relationship to succeed.
On Angel's side, there's the fact that his prior interactions with Husk basically consisted of him flirting with Husk, and Husk making it clear that he wasn't interested, and Angel ignoring that and doing it again. That's harassment.
Yes, Angel stops doing it after Episode 4, but he never explicitly apologises for it. That was a missed opportunity, in my opinion. It was a change for the show to say loudly and clearly, "Hey, trauma sucks, we get that, but it's not an excuse to treat people badly yourself. You grow by owning up to your mistakes and trying to be better than the person who hurt you."
Speaking of trauma...
Angel is being abused by Valentino and exploited in the porn industry. That's not a personal failing. It's not Angel's fault. But it has affected him deeply, and it's something that he and Husk would need to work through.
It's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows. Angel will cry, Angel will get angry, Angel will lash out. He will behave inappropriately, and he will keep being hypersexual because he knows how to do it and sometimes it feels like the safest option. And he will have no idea how to just rest with a loved one and trust them. So Husk will need to be the bigger person and take all the ups and downs and keep loving Angel through the dark days.
But I don't know if Husk has what it takes to do that.
That leads me nicely onto the issues on Husk's side. For starters, there's his judgemental attitude. He's a gambler, and therefore believes he can read people and know everything about them. Angel's "It's not an act!" outburst shakes Husk and makes him realise that he didn't really know what was going on.
But even after that, Husk is still judging Angel. It happens in Episode 6, when Angel is offered drugs by Cherri Bomb and Husk says, "Look, you wanna fuck up all your progress, be my guest. I just ... I just thought you were better than that."
Addicts can relapse if they go back to their old environments and old relationships. It happens. And it's probably not a good idea to be so condemnatory about it.
Can you imagine what Husk's reaction would be if Angel really did relapse? Would Angel feel safe opening up to Husk again if he knew how badly Husk could take it?
Sometimes, it seems as though Husk puts Angel on a pedestal. In Episode 8, when he tells Angel, "I guess you have changed," Angel doesn't look convinced, instead changing the subject. Husk sees Angel as better than Angel thinks he is.
And that goes hand-in-hand with when he was judging Angel more harshly in earlier episodes. Husk applies higher standards to Angel.
I think part of the reason why Husk is so hard on Angel is because Husk sees something in Angel that he doesn't see in himself - youth and potential. Husk has made it clear that he isn't trying to get into Heaven. He probably doesn't think he deserves it. That's why he told Angel not to look for answers to problems at the bottom of a bottle, but continued to drink himself.
My theory is that Husk is working on Angel because he finds it easier than working on himself.
It's much easier to judge and boss around others than to acknowledge and rectify your own flaws. To borrow a metaphor from Jesus Christ himself, Husk is trying to take specks of sawdust out of Angel's eye while he's still got plenty of planks in his own eye.
One of those planks being his complicity in the Overlord system.
Yes, I should probably mention that Husk used to be an Overlord. He used to participate in the very system that is now trapping and torturing Angel.
And he gambled with the souls that he owned! He put their afterlives at stake! Can you imagine being owned by Husk, thinking you knew where you stood, and then waking up one day to be told that you were now owned by someone else? Potentially someone as bad as Valentino?
(Now, I don't think Husk ever actually played a game with Valentino, given that he can't seem to remember Val's name in Episode 6, but still, the implications are horrifying.)
Angel didn't have too big a reaction when Husk opened up about his past. But that's probably because he was still reeling a bit from his own outburst. Once it had sunk in, how did he feel?
How can Angel feel safe and loved around someone who used to own souls and gamble with them carelessly? Someone who apparently still has his Overlord powers? Someone who could turn into yet another Valentino in the wrong circumstances?
How can a romance work?
Can a romance work?
Despite all of that?!
No, when I say, "I ship Huskerdust," I don't mean, "I think they're fluffy and adorable and 100% unproblematic." I mean, "Huskerdust contains interesting dynamics that are fun to explore." There's something about their interactions that I enjoy.
And Huskerdust could be a good way for the cartoon to dive into its themes of redemption and second changes.
Husk could change Angel for the better. We can see that, after Episode 4, Angel is willing to be more honest about what he's going through. He actually tells Niffty about the gruelling 16-hour shift Valentino put him through, instead of trying to pretend he's been all right.
If they became an official couple, Husk could show Angel what it's like to have someone genuinely care for him and his wellbeing, not just use him for money-making or self-gratification. Since Husk isn't interested in Angel's hypersexual porn star persona, it would be a chance for Angel to take the time to figure out who he (Anthony?) really is.
Angel could change Husk for the better, too. Other Tumblr bloggers have pointed out that Husk seemed to be drinking a little less after Episode 4. Perhaps watching Angel attempting self-improvement encouraged Husk to give it a go as well, albeit in a more low-key way.
And if Husk was the one who got Angel out of his contract with Valentino, that would be a great culmination of his character arc. It would be his own personal redemption for participating in the cruel Overlord system, because he'd be freeing someone from an Overlord's control. He'd be correcting his past mistakes. I for one would love to see that in a future season.
That is what I mean when I say "I ship Huskerdust."
TL;DR Angel and Husk are not perfect people, not by a long shot - but they could be perfect for each other.
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I sleep throughout most of the day
I have no desire to go out & socialize
I get bored with drawing so easily now (unless it's a certain subject–)
I'll rewatch the same YouTube video like 5 times because I zoned out halfway through each time.
I used to like going outside. But now that my feet hurt after 10 minutes of walking, not anymore.
I don't get out of bed unless I absolutely have to (Use the bathroom, Eat or drink)
... A lot of pain, physically & mentally. I'm not sure where this sudden FUNK came from but like—
I need to settle down. Stop being so angry & upset with myself if I can't find a job. Or disappointed if I don't get up to clean my space.
... I need to rest. More.
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My Take on a Husk Redesign!
I LOVE how this came out, tbh c:
Grey fur color: "Husk" basically means the "shell" of something. Metaphorically speaking, emptiness. Grey seemed like an appropriate indicator of neutrality. Also for his morally grey type status.
No wings + bushy brows: I wanted to keep with the Magician motif, giving him a cape instead. His cape functions much like wings. Also wanted him to appear more cat-like.
As for the brows, I felt like that was just a bit "extra" in terms of the design.
Heart over eye: The "Heart" suit. Alastor, in my mind, imprinted this on him, along with giving him a "Dealer" chip to put in his hat (Based on THIS post, which I loved!) As a daily reminder that he lost and it sort of taunts him.
Whiskers: ... Quite simply, he's a cat. I wanted him to have more cat like features!
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