huorror

[huorror]

When that man had pleaded and cried while asking if Huohuo could help out, she should have said no. Before she could even finish saying "yes", she'd been dragged inside the building and set up behind a packed bar. The crowd of customers inside turn to look at the new arrival like a pack of hungry wolves.

Or perhaps thirsty wolves would be more apt? Thirsty wolves ready to pounce on some happy hour cocktail deals.

Huohuo looks at her kidnapper new employer in horror, tears in her eyes, "W-w-wait! I don't even know how to make drinks!"

"Nothing quite like learning on the job!" The man slaps Huohuo on the back before racing back out of the building, presumably to recruit more unfortunate souls. "I'll pay you later!"

And with that, she'd been left to fend for herself in this foreign bar, hand hanging pitifully in the air waiting for an explanation that will never come. She can press her back to the wall all she wants, but the wolves still descend, barking their orders all at once.

"One Barbatos' Boon with extra mint, Miss Bartender! Say, are you from Liyue? You don't see that style of clothing much around here."

"Get me a Brightcrown, but hold the milk!"

"An extra strong Caramel Pinecone!"

"B-Barbatos'...? Liyue...? Crown........?"

The biggest problem here is that she's never even heard of any of these drinks before! Whatever a Barbatos' Boon is, they don't have it back on Xianzhou! She could probably make an Immortal's Delight if pressed, but no one was asking for one of those.

Huohuo whispers, "Tail, you don't happen to know how to make these, do you...?"

"Obviously not!" Tail hisses back. "Ask one of the other bartenders, not me!"

"Oh! Right! Right." Huohuo's gaze scans the other bartenders until it lands on another girl with fluffy ears. "E-excuse me, do you know how to make these drinks?"

@phantomiaou save me catgirl save me

clover club

bloom: bartending

[huorror]

In her over thirty-eight years of working for the Ten-Lords Commission, Huohuo scant had opportunities to venture outside of Xianzhou. Rather, how could she, when whenever she managed to clear out the tiniest bit of work, an avalanche of more work took its place? And even if she did manage to clear carve out free time, it's not like she had the energy to go anywhere special.

This, however, did not mean she particularly wants to be aboard the Space Station at this very moment.

Maybe if she were here on her own free time, a tiny smile would have cracked on her lips. She isn't, though. As per usual, she has been sent out to deal with evil(?) spirits. At the very least, it's lower stakes than she's used to, with no actual lives on the line.

Ahhhh, but she still! Really! Doesn't want to do this...!!

"What are you trembling for now?" Tail grumbles, his flame flickering in irritation. "Those weak spirits can't even possess you when I'm around!"

Huohuo grips her banner tighter, "I-I know that! But they're still going to swarm me when they realize I'm here, right...? Even if they can't hurt me, w-when I imagine getting chased by so many of them, I..."

The heliobus grouses something about it being "her job to deal with those weaklings" but it falls on deaf ears. She doesn't have time to listen to Tail's complaints, not when she can hear another sound just past the next door. Not the signature sound of Wubbaboo "woo"ing either, but the clack of heels against the floor.

A person, then...?!

"H-hello...?" Huohuo calls, peeking her head around the corner. "Do you need help?"

@rosarots

wubba wubbaboo is that true? (ye)

bloom: wubbaboo hunting

[huorror]

wanted plots: may

(coughing up blood) hey,

Commission Board:

Wubbaboo Hunting: Did you know wubbaboos are closely related to heliobi and thus technically under Huohuo's jurisdiction to exorcise? How would you like to have a terrible time together chasing some (relatively harmless) ghosties? (rosaria)

Bartending [Teyvat req!]: nothing to make you appreciate the job you have now quite like working customer service! willing to approach this from whatever angle is funniest for the bit, whether that be coworkers for a night or bartender and customer (lynette)

Assorted:

something you'd like to pursue that you don't see listed here? lmk and we can work something out!

[huorror]

closed huohuo from honkai: star rail. affiliated with gnostic hymns. written by limit (they/them)

mobile links: talents / dossier / mun

[huorror]

interview

“...A visitor?”

It is not unusual to see visitors in the Parlor Car of the Astral Express. No, that’s not the unusual part. What is unusual is the morose young Foxian girl sitting on one of the couches, legs dangling off the side. Her dark eyebags hardly suit her otherwise youthful countenance and she seems to be mumbling to herself.

Ah, no use beating around the bush! The poor girl’s tail is on fire and she hardly seems to notice, much less care! It might not be burning the seat and there’s no smell of burning flesh, but surely it must hurt tremendously!

“Excuse me,” the hapless crew member can’t help but attempt to offer their assistance. “Do you perhaps need—”

The girl jolts out of her seat at the approach, ears and cowlick flopping as she bows deeply. The hat atop her head begins to slide off until she hurriedly puts it back in place.Standing up suddenly, her knees tremble like a newborn fawn. Her tail flicks (a sign of annoyance in Foxians, at odds with her timid demeanor), but the flame remains burning ever bright.

Her voice pitches upward, “I-I’m sorry, I’m in your way, aren’t I?! It’s just so relaxing here… b-but I can go back if you need me to!”

Oh dear.

The deep commanding voice of a man with no clear source resounds through the car, “Stand up for yourself, you spineless girl! You were here first! Don’t let a mere human push you around!”

“B-but Tail…” The girl mumbles, wringing her hands.

Oh… oh dear. She’s talking to her tail, which is on fire. A bona fide weirdo, this one. Whatever is going on here is far outside the scope of an average crew member, but they’ve already initiated the conversation. They’d never hear the end of it if they just left a visitor in trouble, especially when they can feel the Conductor glaring daggers.

An awkward customer service smile rises to the crew member’s face. For the sake of their paycheck, they must follow through…!

“Are you perhaps… having trouble relaxing in your daily life? Is there something you’re not content with, Miss…?”

“Oh!” The girl seems to realize she has neglected to give her name, tired eyes widening. “H-Huohuo! I’m Huohuo and this” —she gestures to her tail, who huffs in response— “is Tail. And um, to tell you the truth, I’ve actually… been trying to quit my job.” “Trying?” Tail scoffs. “Her resignation letter never gets anywhere even close to the desk! Can you even call that trying?”

“Your job? Where do you work?”

Looking so ragged for one so young, it definitely has to be retail.

“I—I’m a newbie judge of the Ten-Lords Commission. My job is subduing evil spirits.”

The crew member’s eyes nearly bulge out of their skull. She’s not just some weird kid with a talking tail, but one of the judges! A sudden rush of relief washes over them that they had not voiced their thoughts of her looking like a helpless child or that they found her tail quite unnerving.

 “Ten-Lords?! You must be very strong, Miss Huohuo!”

Huohuo waves her hands frantically, “N-No, not at all! I’m not cut out for the job at all! I’m afraid of evil spirits, but they still make me go out and catch heliobi anyway! I’m sure they just promoted me by accident! Besides, Madam Hanya and Madam Xueyi are always helping me out… I wish I was even half as brave as them…”

“Bah!” Tail spits. “Forget them, this wimp is always crying for my help! You should hear her, always crying, ‘Save me, save me!’ Without a powerful heliobus like me by her side, she would have been consumed by some weaker spirit long ago. I keep her out of trouble!”

“N-no, you’re the one who gets me into trouble! Every time I try to run away, you just send me right back towards the enemies!” Huohuo sighs and puts her head in her hands. “I’m probably going to spend the rest of my life as the Ten-Lords Commission’s resident scaredy-cat… There goes Huohuo, cursed one and chicken extraordinaire… None of the movies I’ve been watching have helped at all, either. I really should resign, after all.”

“Bahahaha! You really think those are gonna help you develop some guts?! Experience is what you need! And that means fighting!”

The host and parasite comedy duo continue bickering between themselves, crew member entirely forgotten. Taking advantage of the chance, they slip away quietly. Paycheck be damned, dealing with a Ten-Lords judge and her pet heliobus is way above their paygrade! If someone else wants to step in, by all means, be their guest!

By the time they’re several cars over, an anguished cry can be heard in the distance.

“Ahhh! My vacation time is over! I-I don’t wanna go back to work…”

[huorror]

h-hewwo is anybody thewe

pwease mr tail pwease save me i downt wanna die

h-hewwo mr tail awe you still thewe

ill do anything fow you mr tail pwease hewp

anything?

anything for you mr tail :3

then go fight.