Gabriel never paid attention to Hell, in the past he never really had to interact with it or it's denizens, but now... now he was the judge of it. He frequently made rounds of the upper layers, limbo was his favorite even if it's scenes of nature and bird songs weren't real. Screens and speakers playing the same looped sounds and day to night cycle over and over. The denizens there tormented with monotony. Boredom, nothing changing and nothing stimulating happening, but at least they say the sun. An imitation of it, but there none-the-less. Wrath never got that luxury.
He watched the churning seas, souls desperately climbing over each other trying to escape the turmoil. The perpetual rain blinding them with a torrent of water. There was no escape. No one ever made it to shore. The Ferryman sailed these waters transporting other souls to the various layers, it's holy shroud was a beacon in the night. A lighthouse for the lost, beckoning them so they might have refuge aboard the vessel. None ever could. It was a miserable sight, maybe that's what Lucifer meant by he couldn't stand the suffering.
The ground started to shake forcing the angel to steady himself.
"What the...?"
Gabriel watched a cascade of souls fall into the ocean, mammoth sized waves threatened to capsize the ship. Thousands, maybe millions of souls desperately clawing for refuge to give the Ferryman their coins for safe passage. It's hands couldn't hold that many and the waters continued to churn, it wasn't long before they knocked the Ferryman overboard.
With a flap of his wings, Gabriel dove beneath the waves grabbing the poor husk and lifting it up in his arms being the same guiding light the Ferryman was for others. He placed the husk back in the cathedral to dry off. It's holy shroud clung to it like it was suffocating, but it refused to remove it. It was the only shroud the council would give them. Maybe he should've let this one die so another Ferryman could claim it, it would be less bloody that way when another did come around, but he couldn't stand the thought.
"Be not afraid, sinner. Your devotion to God shows goodness in you. Plentiful indeed. The heart is willing, but the body must rest, lest you squander one of the Lord's creations."
Gabriel spoke plainly, wings folded behind him as he watched the Ferryman look at him like he were The Father himself gracing his presence. How could the council keep taunting them with the promise of a Heaven they'll never allow them into? It was senseless cruelty. Hadn't they tormented themselves enough? Thoughts swam in his mind he forced himself to dismiss, first he had to make sure this Ferryman was okay. Then he, unfortunately, had to return to his post. He'd be back, but... he had to make sure everything else was okay on the upper layers first.
wait, wait! I fucked up, do over! ᯓ✉️ + Birthright.
𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
"One of the biggest loads of shit I've ever heard and seen others claim right over."
Tarhos does everything in his power to not roll his eyes at the mere idea. Birthright. He scoffs.
"It's another excuse for people to justify the violence the revel in and hold over others like they own their soul. Birthright means nothing unless others give it one and those who claim it do not like it when those they hire don't care about what they're owed because they're born."
🐎(i lean heavily towards cat, but im curious huhu)
𝐈 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐀 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚 | 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
I can absolutely see cat and I would say thats an easy one BUT if you want something more unusual let me introduce you to:
Badger! You might be thinking "Spuk how the hell would Miyako being a badger" well let me tell you. Not only are these extremely resilient little animals, but they also have a pretty interesting symbiotic relationship.
Badgers and Coyotes often hunt together especially during dry seasons where most prey is hiding underground! The coyote can't dig them out and the badger can't sniff them out as well, so they team up.
🃏 — Wild card: A memory of being Overwhelmed - Mirage
𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒
Why her? Out of everything this hopeless scouting party could bring, why did it have to be her?
M1rage carried a bag of medical supplies over her shoulder and a pistol attached to her hip. Walking beside one of the last Guttermen and a few drones as they paved the way for the group of humans behind them, the machine wasn't even sure what to think. Hell's winding corridors of flesh felt unnatural. Humidity clinging to her chassis and sticking in her joints, she couldn't believe they'd actually scout something like this. Hell. Why did it have to exist? More importantly, whose brilliant fucking idea was it to explore it?
M1rage's heavy steps squelched against the ground making her hypothetical skin crawl. She just wanted to be out of there and be hosed off. Deep breaths. Keep a clear head— The door locked behind them. She turned her head back just to see the click of green to red. Why...? There was a shift in the mood, the humans seemed more panicked. The drones finally seemed to wake up from their mindless floating and scan the area...
Her lens narrowed, scanning a long shelf of flesh as she backed up behind the Gutterman. A single hand... pulling itself out of the wall. Peeled muscle and tendon breaking out through a thin membrane. Hollow sockets staring her down before it got obliterated by one of the drones. Her sensors were going wild. Everything was too much. Yet it was all over just as quickly as it started, the door opening and the ventilation kicking back in.
Her feet felt glued to the ground. M1rage felt like she couldn't breathe despite never being built to in the first place. Like somewhere in her complex simulations, some wires got crossed and she couldn't breathe. Like the blood running through her systems stopped altogether and all she could do was try to keep everything together. Why the fuck did they have to take her? A soft nudge by the Gutterman as it tucked her behind it's shield brought her back to the present.
"Miyako has lived a hard life. I can't imagine why she'd ever call upon someone like me, but... if she so decides, I will do my best to aid in whatever way she needs."
🃏 — Wild card: A memory of Panic for Gab or Bellum :)
𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒
Beaten. Bloody. Unsightly and unwelcome in Heaven's grace, Gabriel sat at the feet of the council with no words that eased anyone's worries about Hell. The Powers gathered to watch their beloved mentor, unable to help, just another face in the crowd. They stood at attention, waiting, watching. Just as confused as everyone else. Who could've done this? Did a prime soul break out? Did—
The council whispered among themselves, "Hell corrupts the best of us." "He's abandon the way of The Father." "He seeks to squander the holy light." "He doesn't deserve his light."
Each word was like a hot coal placed on Bellum's skin, how dare they say something like that about Gabriel of all angels? No one even knew what was going on. It was hard to stay at his post, so close to The Council and yet so far from his mentor. Watching the blood trickle off of his skin and onto the marble, the power's hands tensed so tightly he was afraid of breaking the handle of his blade. His eyes trailed over to the other Archangels that had gathered to watch. How could they remain so calm while this was happening?
Should he be calm?
"Holy council, my devotion to our creator is absolute." Gabriel spoke hurriedly trying to get a word in over the whispering, "I have never strayed from the will of the father, but a machine—"
"Impossible." "As if a child of humanity can shake the will of the father." The council spoke with venom in their voice. Disdain from the moment he appeared at their feet now made clear.
Bellum's eyes widened beneath his helm. A creation of humanity did this? No. No, that can't possibly be true. Must be an imitation of it Hell made, right? Humanity isn't strong than The Father. No one can beat Gabriel. No one—
"Heresy!" "Treason." "He must've lost on purpose." "Heretic."
The words that fell from each council member made Bellum's blood run cold. No, no— How could they think that? His head turned worriedly towards Gabriel, watching the way his fists tightened against his thighs. He hadn't done anything wrong! It wasn't a crime to lose a fight. The Father's word has nothing against losing. His breath started to pick up before it left him altogether when the council was quieted.
"Silence."
One of the council members lifted their hand before he read out the decree.
"Your failure will not be tolerated. As punishment, The Father's light will be severed from your body, you have twenty-four hours before the embers die out." "And you with them" "Prove your loyalty." "Unmake your mistakes."
Bellum felt himself move before he even registered the four arms holding him back,
"But he didn't do anything wrong! Let me go! Fuck! He didn't do anything wrong! Stop them—"
The Power's words fell on deaf ears, drowned under screams of agony and praise to a God that had abandoned them all. He kicked and thrashed and sobbed, being dragged away from the amphitheater clearly unfit for duty. Bellum threw his helmet off as soon as he was alone to try and get more air into his lungs. He paced back and forth, arms wrapped tightly around himself, he just had to calm down. Stop panicking.
Gabriel would never die. The council knows he'll be back in an hour and everything will be fine. No machine can do that to The Will of The Father. Still, one thing was certain in his mind. If The Council is willing to do that to Heaven's best, what was it willing to do to something like him?
What would you do if you got isekai'd into your favorite game / book / show? Do you think you'd survive or would you get obliterated in seconds?
𝐎𝐝𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
Favorite game? Oh god, I'd be fucking dead. Humanity died, I'd probably be chilling in lust I imagine bc of all the smut I write and then Gabriel's fuck ass comes down and kills Minos and oh look now its dangerous to live in lust now. That's fine I just gotta stay away from the sky scraped sized corpse destroying everything except scratch that, a fuck ass robot opened the doors to hell and now I'm dead no matter what. Either from that robot or the others that are pouring in. I'd survive maybe a few years at most, probably less than that. I could even be in wrath if I don't have coin for the ferryman idk!!
Book I'd survive, but not for long, because of the way the world works. Spoilers under the cut for basically the entire twist of "The H.ouse In The D.ark Of The W.oods".
Every Goodie will become Eliza with her red boy, every Eliza will become Captain Jane and every Captain Jane will become the crone that they kill to start the cycle anew. I may be a murderer, but the cycle is interesting enough for a bit I think.
