would you still love me again?
As a shipper and a writer, I pride myself on finding the meat in shipping material, and despite how little official content for it is available, Hazbin Hotelâs juiciest pairing (by my observation, and not counting Charlie x Vaggie cuz thatâs already canon) is Huskerdust or Angelhusk, the main mlm pairing in Hazbin Hotel between Angel Dust and Husker. While Iâm a big fan of any mlm pairing no matter how small the serving size, this one is an absolute feast, and I want to explain why I think that is, because Angel flirts with multiple men in the first episode, namely Sir Pentious, Alastor, and Husker. So he just comes across as a relentless flirt, but I believe his destiny truly lies with the grumpy sourpuss bartender.
Given what weâve learned about Angel Dust from the Addict music video and the prequel comic, itâs becoming clear that Angel doesnât exactly love his situation. He pretends itâs fun and glamourous for his image, but itâs all an act. In the very last pannel for the comic, we can even see a box of dildos in his room with the words âfor funâ crossed out, and the box being relabled as âwork stuffâ. I believe that Angelâs arc and character growth will be strengthened by having a love interest who cares about Angel as something beyond a sex object. Travis and Valentino clearly only see Angel as a piece of meat. Even Tom Trench one of the⊠less horrible denizens of Hell weâve met, only recognizes Angel as a porn star, implying that he too only values Angel for his body. The creators have even verified that Angel will have a love interest in the series. So, thatâs the easy part. Angelâs very clearly a gay man, and him having a love interest will help put the romance back in relationships with men for Angel. No surprises there. So why will/should it be Husker who fulfills that role as Angelâs redeeming lover?
In the simplest terms, itâs because their needs fit together perfectly. Angel needs someone to care about him romantically that also values his emotions, mind, and autonomy instead of just his body. Husk has likewise pretty much spelled out the flaw he needs to fix. He lost the ability to love years ago. Whether he just shuts out his emotions, someone broke his heart and now heâs jaded and bitter, or he freezes out his feelings so he wonât get hurt again, Husk has rejected love and his feelings. Learning to love and open up to Angel helps Husk to overcome those toxic coping mechanisms. Especially because his other vices such as drinking, are an extension of his core issue. His hang-ups with love. He drinks to forget and suppress. Overcoming his issues with his emotions will help Husk free himself of other sins in the process. Now the important issue though, does Husker even like boys? Yes, he does. Husker was confirmed by members of the crew to be pansexual, so he is capable of finding Angel attractive. Also, on a related note, Alastor is both Asexual and Aromantic, so heâs very unlikely to give Angel the core thing he needs, the tender appreciation of his romantic partner. Thatâs not to say Asexuals and Aromantics canât date, itâs just less probable. And all the other males are either villains, or objectify Angel already. Which kind of leaves Husker as the best candidate for Angelâs love interest, at least currently. In fairness we know very little about Baxter, but thatâs the thing. Without knowing anything about him, we canât really weigh him against the other options.
Character design is very important, as it can provide visual cues about a character. Looking at these two, they share a lot of similarities. Starting from the top, while not visible here, there is a heart-shaped spot on the back of Angelâs head, and this heart appears as well on Huskerâs forehead, palms, and wings. More importantly, I may be wrong, but I believe the only characters with hearts in their design are all connected to Angel. Only Travis and Val share this heart motif, two men Angel has had sex with, though in Valentinoâs case, itâs not always willingly. They share their wearing of a bow tie, but to be fair, Charlie wears one too, as does Sir Pentious, so itâs a weak connection. Color theory also matters. Firstly, they are Yin and Yang. Angel is mostly white with a few dark accents, while Husker is mostly dark gray/black with white accents. Angelâs left eye, bow tie, and shorts/skirt are also the same color (or pretty close) as Huskerâs darker fur patches on his forearsms, ankles, ear tips, and whiskers. The stripes on Angelâs top also repeat in Huskerâs ears. Finally, while not repeating on Angelâs design, Huskerâs fur on his ankles resembles spats, a fashion trend from the early 1900s. Although this trend was pretty dead in widespread use by the 1940s, it remained popular with gangsters and mafia, so much so that itâs almost a streotype of mafia. Angelâs family was an Italian crime family involved with mafia dealings. So while it makes little sense for a man who died in the 1970s to be wearing spats, it connects him to Angelâs ballpark of time as well as drawing connections to Angelâs past and his family.
Hazbin Hotel has Instagram accounts for the characters, and using Husker (bar_cat75) Angel Dust (angie_fluffy_bootz) and Niffty (babyfeathrdustr), we can put together further developments in their relationship off-screen. Starting with one of Huskerâs posts, we see Angel leaning on the bar offering him a ticket to his âpeep showâ. The next post shows Husker still at the bar, but now thereâs drool on the counter, and we can see the back of one of Angelâs legs and the red smoke from the Addict video trailing behind him with the line âFuck, I passed out. Did I miss something?â Next, thereâs a post from Niffty of Angel leaning on the railing smoking as he does in the post-credits sequence of the Addict video. Granted, I canât tell how much of Addict is prequel and how much is happening in real time following the pilot, but we know at least the ending is canonically after the pilot episode. Seems like Angel wanted Husker there (we donât know if he offered tickets to anyone else) and he seems bummed that he didnât go, with a later message from Husker (that I can only seem to find in Tumblr posts) with Husker realizing that he missed Angelâs show and feels bad about it. As âowingâ Angel a favor for missing his show, Angel leaves his beloved pet pig Fat Nuggets in Huskerâs care, who proceeds to eat all of Huskerâs limes and cherries. Now it is very important to point out that Fat Nuggets seems to fill the dual role of âpurse dogâ and emotional support animal for Angel, so leaving him in Huskerâs care shows a lot of trust because this animal means a LOT to him. Thereâs also apparently rumors that Alastor keeps trying to eat Fat Nuggets which⊠I havenât found a credible source for. But if Angel is worried about Fat Nuggetsâ safety, him trusting Husker to protect his pig only further demonstrates his trust in the grumpy old booze cat. Upset about all the fruit Fat Nuggets ate (because itâs not easy to get in Hell) Husker wants Angel to pay to replace what the pig ate, but Angel argues that because Husker owed him a favor itâs not his responsibility. Angel says heâll pay him if Husker agrees to come to his next show, and they compromise to get milkshakes instead. The creators said Husker was a Tsundere, and it shows. Someone called their outing a date, and Husker was QUICK to shout that it wasnât a date, just settling up on a favor. This almost plays out like an episode 2, turning the Addict Video into the jumping off point for a second story in the hotel. I donât know how many full narratives will come out of the Instagram accounts like this, but itâs really cool how theyâre approaching this almost like a multi-media story, and Iâm curious to see if this will continue when the show starts airing on television. One last thing of note is that in Angelâs latest post, thereâs pictures of Fat Nuggets, Cherri Bomb, and Husker on his bedroom wall, much to Huskerâs annoyance. In all of these Instagram posts, Angel seems to now be training ALL of his attention on flirting with Husk, to the point that unless another character sweeps Angel off his feet or causes Angel to start flirting with them instead of Husker, I think this pairing is sailing quickly and unopposed toward the canon zone.
I hope Iâve provided sufficient proof to back up my wild accusations, but I sincerely believe all of the building blocks have already been assembled to create a compelling romance between these characters. The flaws they need to overcome interlock with each other perfectly, their designs draw connections between them, and their Instagram accounts weave together a narrative for a soft Episode 1.5. I believe all of this together points that these two are meant to become a romantic couple, and if they arenât, then maybe the showrunners should consider it.
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TenĂa que hacerlo HOY- xD
Thanks for the idea @faith_w_official_23 âĄ
We all have our preferences I guess. Happy (belated) hearts day everyone uwu
Okay full disclosure Hazbin Hotel is an adult cartoon has dark touchy subject matter so please tread carefully. This goes into shipper territory and I donât want to get attack in my inbox about this or attacking each other too much shipping wars plus Iâm a multi-shipper⊠But for the sake of this post itâs going to be all fuel Angelhusk (or Huskerdust), yes okay great thank you. This is a continuation of my previous post which was just a prequel to this one. I ended the post saying Husker will be the one to reach out to Angel and helping him.Â
First Iâll be breaking down Huskerâs first appearance and how his character is. When Alastor first summons him, heâs very pissed off when heâs pulled from the poker game. And heâs very quick show his anger, without fear despite Alastor being âone of the most powerful demons in Hellâ, and does not care. Though this is a very short interaction we know that Husker does not put up with BS, heâs a drinker, and a poker player. How is this important to Angel Dust? Well Angel Dust, often hypes himself up but also tears himself down in the process, emphasizing that during the limo ride after being scolded by Vaggie that âhis body is flawless, everybody wants a pieceâ⊠and thinks thatâs all anybody wants from him. This is Angelâs way of protecting himself; he flirts with them first before they can hurt him, itâs just hidden with his confidence.
In reality he thinks everyone looks down on him, which is why he doesnât accept help or confine in Charlie (like when he flipped her off )he isnât taking a pity party. Angel hides his pain with vibrato and at the same time is too prideful to ask for help⊠he wonât admit when heâs in trouble. I explained this a little more in detail in my previous post why he thinks Charlie and Vaggie look down on him. But with Husker he in the same boat; using his addictions (gambling & drinking) to cope with his problems. Angel will be more incline to gravitate towards Husker and telling him his problems. I say this because itâs the same reason why Angel confines in Cherri, and is close with her. And unlike Charlie who can be naive at time ( donât get me wrong I still love her), Husker will know when heâs over stepping his boundaries, and when to helping him since heâs going through something similar.
(Charlie wanting to help Angel but doesnât know howâŠ)
So all of you maybe wondering, how is Husker gonna help Angel dust then if he hides his problems like that. Vivziepop made Husker a poker-player for a reason, he knows how to tell if someoneâs bluffing. And itâs already been established that Angel has a terrible poker face⊠so Angel canât lie to Husker. This is why he was angry at Angelâs flirting when they first meet because he already sees through his facade, (plus heâs shy about it). He knows that he doesnât really meant and heâs hiding something. His sense and observation skills are very necessary cause he can spot when Angelâs actually in trouble.
links to official instagrams below to follow the narrative:Â
Angelâs instagram/Huskerâs instagram/Niftyâs instagram/Sir Pentiousâ instagram
This post starts the saga where Angel is waiting to be picked up at the studio. Saying âWaiting at the studio toâŠBe picked up for some fuckingâŠFood.â, Val is quick comment on this saying âForgot to pick you,lol.â and takes the chance to make him like an after thought and after Angel asks to be picked up again Val answer back âyeah but we are filming, I already ate.â just to rub it in. But thatâs where Huskers intervenes and get Angel something to eat , and thereâs a key detail here that itâs only Husker that comes to his aid. Now most of the main cast has an Instagram so youâd think theyâd help him but they donât⊠They all probably think heâs just being cute and sassy totally unaware of the Angelâs situation with Valentino, but we the audience knowâŠÂ (Iâll bring this point back later)
This one post is enough for Husker to be able see that Angel was really in trouble, which is why he goes out of his way to get him something to eat. And I would also like to point out after this post Husker starts following Angelâs instagram liking all his instagram posts. Thereâs more to this⊠keep in mind he starts following Angel after his posts about being tired and hungry. Heâs not following him just because he has a âlittle crushâ on Angel⊠heâs doing this because he wants to make sure Angelâs doing okay. He cares about Angel Dust well being and follows him to make sure doesnât go hungry again. But during this time Angel isnât aware of this⊠that Husker doing this out of worrying for Angel. I say this because right after Angel gets Husker tickets to his strip show, as âthank youâ for the food. Showing that he trusts Husker but not entirelyâŠ
At this point Angel I donât believe that he sees Huskerâs actions as a gustier of genuine kindness towards him. No, he sees Husker as someone who just wants his body and this is just his way of getting towards that goal. Offering his services (or being flirty) is Angel way of not getting attach to someone (like Iâve said before): think of it as âripping the band-aid quick off before it hurts moreâŠâ itâs so he doesnât get hurt again like with Valentino. I believe Val also managed manipulated Angel by doing nice things for him at first, like saying nice words or buying him nice gifts as means to just use him for his body (this is a real thing pimps do). And Angel thinks Husk is no different from the other guys who used him, that what everybody wants from him⊠he might as well give him what he wants.Â
Night of the show rolls around and Husker misses it, kitty got too drunk⊠which we know takes place during the music video of Addict. In which we get another post about backs my statement the cast doesnât know about Angelâs abuse. Niftyâs posts a pic, of Angel Dust looking sad after his show⊠saying âSaw Angel earlier, i hope he doesnât leave the butts there đ â Nifty wouldnât have posted this if she knew what was going on. But Husker knows, that Angelâs depressed and feels bad about missing the show commenting âOh fuck is that what I missed. Aw shit.â Feeling very guilty about missing Angels, usually Husk tends to hide his feelings but in this moment is very honest. Meaning he really did want to go to the show, not only that but realizes that Angel is actually upset. And he didnât have to post this comment on Angelâs instagram but he had to he wanted to show that he was remorseful for not coming showing he is attracted to Angel Dust.Â
This picks up to with a post with Husker saying âUgh⊠Since I missed the show, @angie_fluffy_bootz is sayin I owe him one and is making me watch his fuckin pig⊠I ainât a fuckin babysitter!â in which babysits Fat Nuggets, which means he went out of his way to say â what can I do to make it up to youâ, and the conversation after it is a major turning point in the relationship for them. In the comment section Husker complains that Fat Nuggets ate all the food at the bar and says he wants to be payed back. Angelâs offer to pay him pay with a âprivate showâ, in the only way thing he thinks Husker wants (I mean that all anybody ever wants from him). He does this with his usually flirty response, but itâs very different (this is a cut version of the convo.):
Angel: âtell ya what Iâll pay ya back with another private showâ
Husker: ââŠIâm not doing that.
Angel: that or nothing babe. I think itâs a good deal.
Husker:âJesus fucking ChristâŠâÂ
Angel: Ugh. Fine Iâll quit it. Only if you join me for shakes.
Husker: Yeah okay I think I can do that.Â
This is major turning point in their relationship; this conversation is very important. Like I said before this is just his way of ripping the band-aid but thereâs a reason why heâs really pushing it this time. Itâs because Angel knows that heâs starting to catching feelings for Husker. And heâs not sure if Husker wants his body or if really means it. And the matter of the situation is Huskerâs feeling the same way. When Husker says âJesus fucking ChristâŠâ itâs his way of saying âFor the last time I donât want your body, Iâm not playing this gameâ⊠Hereâs the thing Husker believes heâs proven enough that he doesnât see Angel as a sex object, heâs more tried of the facade than he is annoyed. He doesnât want Angel Dust to be a âfuck buddyâ to himâŠ
And this is a major turning point in their relationship, Angel finally understands that Husker just wants to be there for him. This is why he offers to go out with shakes with him, and of course Husker denies it and says âitâs not a dateâŠâ, but we know Husker is happy, because heâs willing accept this as being payed back for the food fat nuggets are, to him this was enough. Needless to say to say it was very cute and I loved it. Not only that but Husker becomes more active on Instagram and low-key tries to flirt back to Angel in his own grumpy cat way.Â
Try and tell me they arenât flirting with each other!
A week after their date Angel Dust does a instagram post showing off his new outfit he got and Husker is quick to ask âwhy so many zippersâ, heâs still too nervous to flirt directly Angel Dust responses with âMore to pull down, respondâŠâ Huskers clueless and responses with a âehâ still likes it anyway (the feelings are mutual now). And within the same week Husker posts his own selfieâ Wanted to wear a tie for once. đ„â, posting one because of Angel. And this isnât for nothing the pics clearly mirror each other (no pun intended). Just-wanted-to-wear-a-tie-for-once-my-foot ..he clearly did this to impress Angel with him asking âIf he needs help with that tieâŠâ, with Husker still being oblivious with the sexual reference but kittyâs still trying.Â
This to me highlights why Angel is good for Husker (and vice-versa)⊠During his first appearance he comments âI lost the ability to love years agoâŠâ and drinks down his booze. Which alludes to why he drinks because he feels lonely. Angel makes him active thus eliminating his reason to drink, as we can see through Husk trying things he hasnât done before like wearing nice clothes. Now he didnât have to but Husker pushed himself to be better. As for Angel it gives him a genuine romantic relationship that is centered by an emotional connection and not physically. Husker prioritizes Angels feelings and well-being first.
And for those of you that are confused with Huskers grumpy tendencies. In an interview Viviziepop has said about him is that he is a tsundere. Now a tsundere, it is a character the initially appearing as cold and hostile only to hide their true feelings. This is a troupe used many times in animes (but if you are not familiar with the term or need an example of one Helga from Hey Arnold is a prime example of one). His actions disregard his attitude towards Angel⊠Most of his grumpy responses to Angel are to hide his feelings for him and never used to cut down or degrade Angel Dust (like Val does). I will even argue that Husker is the total opposite of Valentino; Val uses flashiness and with sweet words to hide his heinous and vile intentions. While Husker seems hotheaded and temperamental initially his actions show heâs actually a very kind and caring individual and Angel defiantly sees thatâŠ
HUSKER MADE THE WALL!
Angel is special to Husker and he feels the same way⊠Now and is upper there with Fat Nuggets and Cherri Bomb. And of course Husker is embarrassed, realizing his pics there too saying âwhat the fuck!â but we know heâs happy. At this post we can assume that Husker is just as important to him as Cherri & Fat Nuggets is to him⊠and vice-versa. Which is why I believe that Husker will be the one Angel reaches out to first for help within the Hazbin Hotel. And I know some of you may not be convinced, that itâs just platonic or think that Husker just sees him as a friend, but as we know Husker is not a man of words⊠but a man of action!Â
There is a key detail in this story that Iâve been keeping under-warps up until now, (and the reason why it took me so long to because once I found it piece of info; I had to change my original plans for this post).Â
Remember how I said that the rest of the cast doesnât know whatâs going on with Val⊠and that Huskerâs observation skills were going to be integral in helping save Angel. Well around the same time as the PJ pic⊠on Sir Pentiousâ instagram he posts a pic of himself trying to make his minions look like Valentino and Vox: I wasnât even trying to find this but low and behold guess who pops up in the comment sectionâŠ
Now what does this post say to you. (Husker also liked the post too)
Now repeat after meâŠâYou donât hear shit about people unless you go looking for it.â ⊠HUSKER KNOWS! My theory is that heâs been suspecting that there was something up with Val, ever since the pick-up post, so heâs been keep tabs on instagram Angel to make sure he was safe. And as time went on Angel became more precious to him and became more worried about him. And Husker not wanting to overstep his bounds by asking Angel directly, (because itâs none of his business but still super worried) so he goes around digging info on Valentino. SO then he probably knows that he abuses his workers. Â
(Or Angel told him whats happening⊠Iâm leaning towards that Husker did his own digging because narratively it would be too soon and we wouldnât have a story to tell and would have told Charlie and the rest of the crew too already⊠Either way..)
Val sent him this, scumbag! And it only takes Husker seconds to defend him and makes sure Angel knows heâs not fat. (most recent post)
Husker has knows, heâs actively been looking into Valentino and the shit heâs done, because he wants to protect Angel Dust! And itâs evident now, he has been defending him on Instagram as well, now being in the know, Husker defending his boy! He is not afraid of Valentino and is not putting up with his BS for putting down Angel anymore⊠our boy Husker is watching you rat-man.
He maybe the only one who knows that Valentino is abusing Angel (or catching on to it). Which will lead Angel coming clean about how Valentino raped himâŠÂ And at this point Angel trusts Husker so much that he maybe willing to listen to him when he says âHey you need to tell someoneâ or âyou need helpâ and Husker already knows Angel well enough to know how to help him without having Angel push him away.Â
AND THAT is why I believe he will be the major driving force in saving Angel from the RAT-MAN (Val)⊠And we know Husker isnât afraid of overlords; heâs gonna protect his boy. He is proven time and time again that he loves and cares for Angel Dust so much⊠and oh Iâm gushing now.
AND LOOK HOW CUTE THEY ARE! I just want them to be happy, I want the best for our bois!
Thank you and I hope you all enjoyed the post (and please no shipping war in the comment section I donât condone it whether you support it or not! Not fighting in the fandom)