#and ideal heaven! also. oh well. i didn't do it on purpose.......... | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

idol-emu-otori-official-archived · 7 months

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╰┈➤ SHUFFLE AU

DESTINATION POINT (DP)

the Leo/need adjacent unit, composed of Ichika Hoshino, Airi Momoi, Ena Shinonome, and Minori Hanasato. ☆ a girl who's lost her friendships, and three others searching for their worth.

about the group's name: ♡ originally, i had "from here to there" in mind, but someone from the Discord gave me the name "destination point" and i thought it was much better, so i went with that. ♪

about the SEKAI: ♡ the Train SEKAI. no one knows when it left, or where it's going - just that it never stops. it's the perfect place for those who feel like they're lagging behind. just close your eyes and let yourself be carried away, right? but maybe there's something you can do… starts with a Miku and a Rin. the former's hardworking and talented, but the latter struggles - Rin is somewhat influenced by Ena's (and, to a lesser extent, Airi's) jealousy towards others.

•

Ichika hasn't managed to rekindle her friendship with her friends, and she's not doing particularly well. At one point, she meets Airi - who just quit being an idol. The two start talking and become friends, at which point they end up forming a band together. Airi wants to try finding a place where she could finally be taken seriously.

Ena's invited by Airi, and Minori - who had failed auditions recently - ends up inspired by Ichika's kindness, Airi's drive and Ena's determination, which is how she joins. (Haruka completely gave up on being an idol; something Minori is saddened by.)

In my mind, Ichika plays the guitar; Airi, the drums; Minori, the keyboard and Ena, the bass.

IDEAL HEAVEN! (IH)

the MORE MORE JUMP! adjacent unit, composed of Mafuyu Asahina, Emu Otori, Mizuki Akiyama and Shizuku Hinomori. ☆ an up-and-coming idol group that combines cuteness and sophistication.

about the SEKAI: ♡ quite similar to the Empty SEKAI, but with some idol influences - a broken stage with no one in sight. there's no bright lights, no colorful props. nothing. that SEKAI both comforts and pains Mafuyu. home to a lone Miku. sweet, hopeful, but genuinely crushed by the pressure she's feeling.

•

Mafuyu's mother wants a perfect child. idols are very frequently represented as being perfect - so, she decides that her daughter should become one, too. Mafuyu's not keen on the idea, but that's her mother; she's obedient, so she goes along with it.

Shizuku still quit Cheerful * Days, but instead of stopping altogether she ends up with Mafuyu. Emu wants to make people smile, but no one ever came; Wonderlands × Showtime was never a thing. so she decides to become an idol instead, even if it means she'll never bring back the Wonder Stage to its former state.

Mizuki's half-dragged into IDEAL HEAVEN! by Emu, who saw them looking with interest at idol merch. after bringing them to meet Mafuyu and Shizuku, Mizuki ends up accepting - the idea of wearing cute clothes and being called cute doesn't seem too terrible.

READY MADE SUCCESS (RMS)

the Vivid BAD SQUAD adjacent unit, composed of Haruka Kiritani, An Shiraishi, Shiho Hinomori and Akito Shinonome. ☆ two street musicians chasing after their dream, and the two girls they brought with them.

about the SEKAI: ♡ the Street SEKAI. weirdly, it seems Haruka's idol background has somewhat influenced its appearance. its inhabitants are Miku, Meiko and Len. this Miku is levelheaded, but it seems like there's something holding her back from going all-in...

•

after quitting being an idol, Haruka is invited by An to join her.

An's never met Kohane, and she never found a partner. Haruka is hesitant for a moment before deciding to give it a shot, though she keeps struggling with singing. Shiho tries getting more experience, meets Akito. no one really knows how these two ended together, but they both have a similar drive and take music very seriously.

eventually, they all start working together. Haruka deals with her guilt and, while she doubts she'll become an idol again, she's mostly made peace with what happened.

STARLIGHT ☆ EVERMORE (S ☆ E)

the Wonderlands × Showtime adjacent unit, composed of Tsukasa Tenma, Saki Tenma, Kanade Yoisaki and Toya Aoyagi. ☆ a strange troupe of people who aim to help others through their performances.

about the SEKAI: ♡ still very much Tsukasa's, so it's the Wonderland SEKAI. [kanade goes there for the first time and dies. alas, they're still a shut-in and this place is simply too colorful for her poor eyes.] starts with a Miku and a Kaito, though this version of the former uses far less onomatopoeias.

Tsukasa figures he needs to show the world how much of a star he is himself, and he drags his siblings into it (with varying degrees of willingness).

a part of Saki still wishes she could be in a band with her friends; she's only somewhat managed to repair her friendship with Ichika. but she's still happy to do something fun and lighthearted after all her struggles. Toya's very excited to do something with Tsukasa and his siblings. he also gets to stick it to his dad, which, honestly - is a bonus.

out of the three, Kanade is obviously the most hesitant about the whole thing. but she sees Tsukasa's drive to make others happy, something she shares with him, so she ends up agreeing. Kanade is… slightly healthier physically on account of the stubborn people looking after her, as well as all the exercise she does she does as part of Starlight ☆ Evermore. mentally? eh… we'll get there. i need her traumatized to be interesting. <3

LONELY SYNDROME (LS)

the 25-ji, Nightcord de. adjacent unit, composed of Nene Kusanagi, Rui Kamishiro, Honami Mochizuki and Kohane Azusawa. ☆ hidden behind avatars, these citizens of the web tell stories online.

about the SEKAI: ♡ the arcade SEKAI. this Miku is shy and withdrawn, though she one day hopes she'll be able to break out of her shell, just like Nene. alongside her is Luka - she has a bit of a teasing attitude and a catlike personality, but she always does her best to boost Nene's confidence.

about the group's name: ♡ syndrome refers to a group of symptoms - i paired it with the word lonely because i felt like it represented the atmosphere of an arcade. you're connected with people who share your interests, but at the same time, you're sort of separate from them. surrounded by people, but utterly alone…

•

Nene's social anxiety hasn't gotten better over the years. since she never joins Wonderlands × Showtime, she doesn't learn how to fight her stage fright.

but, she finds an alternate solution; using an avatar online. it's less stress-inducing, and it lets her pursue acting, in a way - it's not what Nene wants, but it's close enough. she figures she could be satisfied with that. Rui ends up figuring out what she's doing, and asks if he can help. Nene doesn't really have any reason to say no, so they start working together.

as for Honami and Kohane, they ended up on Nene's channel by pure accident. but her performances quickly became a comfort to them, since they were struggling at the time (the former because she no longer had her friends, the latter because of her lack of confidence).

unfortunately, ignoring your problems only goes so far, and eventually, her feelings give birth to the arcade SEKAI.

#// ooc #shuffle au #didn't bother detailing every SEKAI - they're mostly staying the same #destination point is accidentally very similar to richie's unit 💔#and ideal heaven! also. oh well. i didn't do it on purpose..........#my favorite out of these five is lonely syndrome & starlight ☆ evermore :D #which is evident because a) i developed lonely syndrome's story the most and b) starlight ☆ evermore has all my favorite characters #pushing my tenma agenda <3 #lonely syndrome is like… dear to me because i struggle with very bad social anxiety and it's held me back so many times #so i relate to nene a bunch #i wish i could just - go out there and show people what i'm capable of doing. but i just freeze in place each time. it's easier to just…#give up. y'know? it hurts less.#and fun fact: lonely syndrome's luka is more or less based on rui? he's an important person in nene's life so you know -#i figured that it would influence one of the virtual singers. i love nene and rui's friendship ww #i put Kanade in the WxS-adjacent group because i wanted her to die <3 #also. the potential of others finding out that this pathetic wet cat? is in a theater troupe?? insane. i think it's hilarious.#ready made success is a name i settled with despite not being very satisfied of it - so changes might happen!#there's some angst potential in there. i put some for emu too :3c #anyway. enough rambling in tags. i feel bad 💔#i'm insanen over them. if you have any questions - feel free to ask. teehee <3

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verona2314 · 2 months

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Judgment of the Damned (translation) PART III

link Part II }

Summary:

In the realm of Limbo, where souls deemed too good for Hell but not virtuous enough for Heaven reside, Victoria finds herself thrust into an unprecedented mission. When a notorious sinner, Sir Pentious, achieves redemption and ascends to Heaven, it sends shockwaves through all realms. Tasked with unraveling this mystery, Victoria, a minor judge of souls, is sent to the infamous Hazbin Hotel in Hell. For the first time, an emissary from Limbo steps foot into the fiery depths, tasked with observing and judging the denizens of Hell for their potential for redemption. As Victoria navigates this unfamiliar territory, she captures the unrequired attention of the enigmatic Radio Demon, Alastor. Amidst the chaos of demonic antics and the pursuit of understanding redemption, Victoria must confront her own beliefs and judgments. As she delves deeper into the secrets of the Hazbin Hotel, Victoria uncovers hidden truths about sinners, redemption, and the ultimate fate of souls caught between damnation and salvation. With each soul she encounters, Victoria's journey becomes not only a quest for answers but a personal voyage of self-discovery in the heart of darkness.

Chapter 3: The meeting

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Charlie

She was sitting at her office desk, trying to smile. In front of her was the judge from the Limbo, who was staring at her with deep amber eyes. Vaggie was next to her, frowning at Alastor, who was smiling and leaning against the wall.

The judge seemed to be a strict but kind person. Charlie had no doubt that, with time, her cautious attitude could be replaced by a more open one. However, she was also aware that Victoria's first experience at the hotel had not been ideal. It was more than evident that a tense situation had developed between the judge and Alastor.

"Well," she said, breaking the silence and inviting Victoria to take a seat, "if you like, we can start the meeting.

The judge nodded and sat down gracefully. Charlie could tell that she didn't look like someone over 30, but she exuded a certain aura of wisdom that gave Charlie confidence. There was something strange about this woman, not necessarily bad, but something just wasn't quite right.

"Thank you, Miss Charlie," replied the judge, "However, I thought it would be just you and me having this meeting. It's just that we'll be discussing confidential matters and I wouldn't want the information to be compromised.

Charlie could see how the judge was looking sideways at Alastor, and from the look on Vaggie's face, her girlfriend had the same misgivings.

"Oh, don't mind me," Alastor said cheerfully, "I'm just doing my job. What kind of director would I be if I didn't know about such important matters, let alone jeopardize this project for lack of reserve.

“Well, Judge Victoria," said Charlie, "Vaggie is my partner. It is essential to me that she is aware of all information. As for Alastor...he has never done anything to endanger us or damage the hotel. He has even protected it on several occasions. His playful nature may make him unreliable, but I think we can trust him. Besides, if it is true that he is the director of my hotel" And it is thanks to him that we were not exterminated by Adam.

"All right," the judge replied, closing her eyes momentarily with a sigh. Then she looked at Alastor, "But if any information is leaked, you will be the first suspect.

"Is it because I'm not an angel like Vaggie," Alastor replied, pretending to be offended.

"No," Victoria replied, "It's because you have a certain reputation.

Again the atmosphere was getting tense. Charlie decided to interrupt the exchange between the two.

"It is decided! Let's start the meeting. So, Judge, my father told me that you were here for the purpose of better understanding redemption, by studying the sinners. But Vaggie and I do not understand why Limbo is now interested in this matter.

"Don't you know?" asked Victoria, raising her eyebrows, "Didn't heaven inform you?

"What?" interjected Vaggie, "We haven't received any news from heaven since Adam tried to liquidate us.

"Oh well, it's no surprise that heaven hides some things. They're good at withholding information, aren't they, Vaggie?," Alastor added, clearly trying to piss Vaggie off.

"Silence, please," said the judge in an authoritative but calm voice, "Charlie, do you really have no idea of the commotion in heaven and limbo?

Charlie just shook her head, and the judge sighed and looked her straight in the eye. The woman's gaze was very intense but warm. Again she felt that something was not right about this character. Was she really a celestial?

"A sinful soul made it to heaven. He achieved redemption," Victoria said directly.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Charlie. "How?" She looked at the others present. Vaggie was just as shocked as she was, her eyes wide open. Alastor also seemed surprised, but his gaze showed a certain... cunning? Malice?

"It's the truth. Sir Pentious made it to heaven. The problem is-"

"SIR PENTIOUS!" exclaimed Charlie, unable to contain her excitement. She felt great happiness in every fiber of her being. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Sir Pentious had achieved redemption. He was in heaven! This news also brought her relief, as she had never stopped feeling guilty for his death. "This is wonderful. You have no idea how happy I am about this news. I can't wait to tell the others. Oh! When this becomes public, the hotel will be filled with souls seeking redemption."

"Unfortunately, you cannot share this news," interrupted the judge. Charlie looked at her in complete confusion. "I hope you understand that everything I will say now cannot leave this room. Yes, a soul achieved redemption. The problem is that no one knows how or why. Not even the supreme judges. Now, imagine if you do make this news public. Your hotel, as you say, could receive a wave of sinners seeking to achieve that destiny but all they will find is a princess of hell who has no idea how to give them what they want. They will begin to question, 'Why him and not me?' and then, they will begin to question the entire system. 'Why did I try to be a good person when alive if I ended up in hell anyway and some trash that did wrong in life could earn heaven and I couldn't?'" Victoria looked at her intensely. "I am not against critical thinking, not at all. But I am not in favor of chaos. If we do not handle this matter carefully, we could cause a disaster. Usually, questioning the foundations of a society and system lead to disastrous results. Are you capable of dealing with the consequences of it? What it implies for sinners to question everything about the afterlife?"

"And I imagine the same warning goes for heaven," Vaggie interjected. "If it were known that a soul from hell ascended, without any idea of why, it could jeopardize everything they have believed in. But perhaps it should be that way. Perhaps the system needs to change."

"My personal beliefs on this matter are not relevant," the judge continued, "as I must maintain my objective judgment."

"It's impossible to completely abstract oneself, dear," Alastor interrupted, approaching the judge. "I'm sure you're also seeking something with this matter. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here."

"Alastor, please, don't bother the judge," Charlie interrupted. "Don't take him so seriously, Victoria. He likes to joke," she added, nervously laughing.

"Don't worry, Miss Charlie. I can't deny that your so-called 'director's' observation is valid. I'm here visiting hell because the supreme judges, heaven, and hell want to better understand the phenomenon of redemption due to what happened with Sir Pentious. Since it's such a novel occurrence, the starting point is to gather information. The supremes decided that someone should particularly study each sinner, understand their history, background, perspective, and more, in order to compile a report or dossier on that person indicating whether, in my judgment, they have any chance of redemption. Clearly, our biggest and only reference point is Sir Pentious. What they will do with that information after I finish my work, I assume will depend on the results of it. Now, I have my opinions about this system and I believe this is an opportunity to open up new ideas. However, that in no way can affect what I write in those dossiers."

"And why were you given that assignment? Why are you the right one to pass judgment on these sinners?" Alastor inquired. The judge smiled at him with a hint of malice.

"As for that question, I think I'll invoke my right to remain silent," Victoria replied jokingly.

"Ah, so you do have a sense of humor. And here I thought of you as a completely serious and boring person."

"How quickly you judge people, hotel director. Well, there must be a reason I'm the judge and you're not."

"Alright, that's enough," Vaggie intervened. "Could you two stop arguing at least for this meeting? With all due respect, Your Honor."

"Oh, we're not arguing, just exchanging ideas," Alastor replied, pinching Vaggie's cheek, who, clearly annoyed, swatted the demon's hand away.

"Fuck you, Alastor."

Surprisingly, Victoria began to laugh softly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand in a graceful movement. Charlie couldn't quite grasp the situation. She couldn't help but stare at this woman, searching for an answer.

"Excuse me, please. You're right, Vaggie, I shouldn't be joking when we're discussing such a serious matter. It's just that I can't help but have fun with the attempts of... Alastor, was it? Well, with his attempts to get information from me."Said the judge.

Charlie could see a hint of irritation on the radio demon's face. She was starting to doubt that these two could coexist under the same roof.

"I see," the princess of hell laughed nervously, walking over to Vaggie and placing a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "You certainly have an important job to do here, Judge Victoria. And I understand it will take you a long time. Is that why you'll be staying at the hotel?" The judge nodded. "Great!" Charlie added, trying to sound enthusiastic. "I think we've had enough for today. I'll show you to your room, Miss Victoria."

"Don't worry!" exclaimed Alastor, taking the judge's arm and causing her to rise from her chair. "I can show her around."

"Alastor," Charlie muttered under her breath, "I think it would be better for you to handle other matters now."

"What other matters?" Alastor grinned widely. The judge's amber eyes seemed to gleam with irritation, which only increased as Alastor dragged her out of the room like a ragdoll. "There's no one else in the hotel. Oh, darling, don't worry. I'll take very good care of our lovely judge."

"I'm going to kindly ask you to refrain from touching me," Victoria grumbled as she released herself from the demon's grip.

"Of course, of course. My apologies," Alastor said.

"Fine," the judge sighed, trying to regain her composure. "Show me to my room. Miss Charlie, thank you very much for your hospitality. We still have some pending matters to discuss. I hope that over time we can get to know each other better. Perhaps we have more in common than you think." With that said, and to Charlie's surprise, the judge followed Alastor out of the office. As soon as the door closed, she slumped exhausted into her seat.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Vaggie."

Alastor

They walked silently through the hotel corridors. Alastor glanced sideways at the judge, trying to read her expression, but as always, she seemed calm, relaxed, and with an elegant stride. He couldn't help but feel that this lady had come out very gracefully from their exchanges, and it deeply bothered him. He couldn't understand where such confidence came from. Only those with considerable power or influence could afford to act so arrogantly; the opposite would be foolish, and this woman clearly was not.

On the other hand, he had to admit that her ability to remain composed and dignified was admirable, and that at some level he respected the cleverness with which she responded to his subtle attacks. It was amusing. Perhaps it wasn't a bad idea to try to push her a little further and see if he could get some reaction out of her.

"So, Judge. I told you I would know your name anyway."

"One minute."

"Excuse me?"

"Just one minute of peace and quiet you were able to give me," she sighed. "Believe me. Whether you discovered my name or not was irrelevant. The important thing was my decision not to tell you and to be able to hold that decision."

"May I ask why?"

"For the statement it makes," the judge stopped walking and lifted her chin. "You won't get anything from me that I don't want to give you."

Alastor looked at her, somewhat containing his surprise. How was it possible that such a... tiny being could impose such presence? His smile widened. The judge was going to be a great challenge. "Could I know why there's so much hostility towards me? I don't think I've done anything to earn your enmity so far."

"First, I'm not being hostile, I'm being cautious. And second, I already told you. You have a reputation that precedes you."

"Oh yes! I remember you mentioned that. Should I feel flattered that a judge like you knows so much about me? Were you investigating me?"

Victoria chuckled subtly. Alastor felt a little uncomfortable as he thought the judge's laughter was quite melodious and pleasant. "Oh, don't flatter yourself," she replied. "Of course, before descending into hell, I was going to study a bit about the authorities of hell, and that includes Overlords like you. What can I say? I had to be prepared to live under the same roof as the infamous radio demon. I know you'll eventually try to gain something from me."

“Ah, now I understand your caution. But my dear judge, all my questions have been innocent, driven by the mere curiosity that your presence evokes," he replied, tilting his head slightly. He continued walking to guide the judge to her room, "After all, you are the first being from Limbo to visit Hell."

"Well, they say curiosity is a sign of intelligence, so for now I'll assume you are," she replied playfully, but always maintaining that aura of dignity and calm.

"I'll take that as a compliment, dear judge," he said, forcing a smile, but that comment had truly bothered him. It was time to show this judge what he was capable of. "However, there's something still on my mind," Alastor paused next to a door and nodded towards it, indicating to the judge that it was her room. Victoria nodded politely and approached the handle to grasp it, turning her back to Alastor. Grave mistake. In one fluid motion, the radio demon positioned himself behind her and caught the hand she had on the door handle, preventing her from opening it and seeking refuge in her room. She tried to free herself from his grip, but Alastor held her hand firmly in place. She turned slightly to face him, having to tilt her chin up. Alastor could see there was no fear in her eyes. They seemed indignant. He had her immobilized. "My dear judge, you still haven't answered one thing... why did the Supreme Judges send you?" She remained silent. Alastor couldn't help but laugh with a deep voice. "I think you're making a small mistake, my dear judge. Keeping silent doesn't mean you're not giving me information. Your unwillingness to tell me why they chose you could imply two things: either you're hiding a valuable secret for yourself or... you simply have no idea, which would be very unfortunate." Alastor leaned closer to Victoria, who backed away as far as possible until she was pressed against the door, bearing all her weight on the wood. "But in our brief interactions, I've noticed how cautious you are with everything you say, so I lean towards the first option... and I couldn't help but notice how firmly you're holding onto that briefcase in your free hand. You haven't let go of it for a single minute since you arrived at the hotel, you haven't even rested it on the ground, and now that you feel threatened by me, you cling to it even more, so much so that your knuckles are white. You must have valuable information in there, don't you?"

"Are you finished?" Victoria challenged him with her gaze. Alastor smiled maliciously.

"Don't look at me like that. I told you I was going to play the guessing game with you, didn't I? And it seems like I'm winning." Alastor turned the doorknob, causing it to swing open the door abruptly, making Victoria fall backward onto the floor of the room. Alastor walked away calmly, feeling satisfied to have finally won an argument. He wondered what expression the judge would have on her solemn face now. Temptation overcame pride, and he glanced over his shoulder. The dignified judge from Limbo was sitting on the floor, hugging her leather briefcase. Her amber-colored eyes sparkled with indignation and irritation. They were shining. But the most striking thing was to see her furrowed brow. So far, he had never seen her with such a genuine expression. He was more than satisfied to have managed to crack the judge's mask, to have caused a reaction. He paused for a moment, waiting for more. Any complaints? A rebuke? Even a scream of frustration. But nothing. Victoria simply sighed deeply and got up from the floor with her usual elegance.

"Thank you for showing me to my room," she said calmly without looking at him, before gently closing the door.

Alastor remained in place, slightly taken aback by how quickly Victoria had managed to regain her composure. He couldn't help but feel respect for the judge's attitude. Interacting with her was truly entertaining, and her wit kept him on his toes. It had been a long time since he had encountered someone who was so difficult to read. But he would never shy away from a challenge; in fact, he relished them.

He resumed his walk. He didn't have much time to dwell on the mysterious guest. He had a meeting with the other Overlords. Later, he could try to investigate more about the limbo and its judges. Although... today, because of the meeting, he would see Zestial. Being such an ancient being, he surely had some information on the matter. He had nothing to lose by simply asking

Victoria

After closing the door, she released the breath she had been holding. She could never be at ease when that demon was nearby. She knew Alastor would try to find a way to benefit from her if he learned the contents of her briefcase. She turned on her heels, rubbing her buttocks. That fall had hurt.

"Damn bag of sh.. dirt," she muttered under her breath. Finally, she paid attention to her room. It was quite spacious with a queen-sized bed, two bedside tables, a large window, and, most importantly, an area with a small table and two chairs. She decided to place the briefcase down on the table before lying back on the bed. She was exhausted. Hell was a chaotic place, as expected, but it wasn't as bad as she had imagined. She looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

" I can't fail in this task. I must do my best. This is the opportunity to make redemption something real, massive. It could even lead to the creation of an entire process for redeemable souls to end up in a special place from the start. This could lead to a change in criteria and show that not everything is black or white... and that perhaps souls in limbo also have the chance to ascend. If sinners can, why can't they? I must find in most cases any indication that allows me to point out that a specific soul is redeemable, even if I have to dig deep... inquire and inquire ."

Victoria knew that this data collection job would take a long time. Moreover, she had to socialize with sinners and get them to open up to her and tell her their stories. It was undoubtedly a very difficult mission. At that moment, she remembered Alastor's question. Why had they chosen her? The Supreme Judges had given their reasons. They seemed logical. She was the right one for the job. But that didn't make the task any simpler and certainly didn't alleviate the burden she carried on her shoulders.

On the other hand, and she hated to admit it, the radio demon had hit on something. She was hiding something… a small detail about her identity. It wasn't relevant to anyone in the hotel or hell itself, but it was to her. She glanced at the briefcase from the bed. She rolled her eyes for a moment and let out a small huff of frustration. Her conscience wouldn't let her rest. She got up from the bed and sat at the table, opening the black leather briefcase revealing its contents: a myriad of dossiers with confidential information about different sinners in hell, both from their actions in life and some background information that could be collected from their lives in hell. All of this was sensitive information that couldn't fall into the wrong hands. There were data so... delicate that extortion could be as easy as blinking. On the other hand, only some minor judges from limbo knew about the existence of files with information about the actions of souls already in hell or heaven. Most only knew about the existence of the “archive room” with the records of people's actions in life judged by the Supreme Judges at the time of death. She had only just learned about this after being selected for this task.

She respected the supremes, yes. But on the other hand, she couldn't help but feel there was something suspicious about them. She knew they were hiding things, but she didn't understand the reason. To her greater dismay, those doubts increased when she accidentally discovered that old and worn-out book hidden under a stack of files in the archive. The content of it was... shocking.

She shook her head. Now wasn't the time. No, she needed to focus on studying those files and selecting the first sinners to analyze and eventually get to know. This brought back some memories. It will be a long night.

LINK PART IV

#fanfic #alastor #alastor x oc #oc #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel fanfiction #hazbin hotel fanfic #alastor the radio demon #hazbin hotel 2024 #radio demon #vivziepop #charlie morningstar #hazbin angel dust #hazbin lucifer #hazbin hotel fandom #Judgmentofthedamned

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devintrinidad · 6 years

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Red Blood Cell, Sighted! Chapter 1

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13022702/1/Red-Blood-Cell-Sighted

Guys...I don’t know how to say this, but I think I made a reverse harem fic for Cells at Work/Hataraku Saibou. Partially based off @lunchtimerushin‘s beautiful fanart and my need for more neutrophil content.

U-2001 is too old for this.

If anyone were to ask him how the whole thing started, he would merely shrug, knock back a drink of barley tea, and sigh. He's not an old neutrophil, but he sure likes to stay away from the immature adventures his close colleagues like to embark on. Days for him, other than the occasional bacterium or a virus, pass by slowly while time seems to meander without much reason for worry. One would think that 2001 would have gone mad, or at the very least, bored without the lack of any activity.

That was simply not the case.

Most of the time.

"2001," U-1146 greeted casually. Like most neutrophils, 1146 was dressed in the standard uniform of a white blood cell, but he was covered head to toe in cytosol. The dark red shade contrasted starkly against the usual white color that it had 2001 recoiling in shock. Usually 1146 would have enough sense to clean himself up immediately after a mission before seeking out a friend.

2001 definitely was not expecting his colleague at all.

"1146," 2001 answered in kind. He raised a pale eyebrow, although it wasn't apparent due to his wearing of a hat. "What brings you to this marginating pool?"

Normally, 1146 would bring up a topic that could be easily answered, 2001 would offer some insight relative to the question, and they would sit in companionable silence. It was a habit that had originated back in their youth as myelocytes. Over the course of the maturation, they kept up with the tradition and it had benefited them both; for 2001, it offered a sense of companionship that he didn't always receive due to his aloof nature and as for 1146...well, 2001 hoped that his friend also received the same sense of security and friendship.

1146 seemed to frown under the visor of his hat before vaguely commenting on the state of affairs within the body.

2001, not sure how to take this unexpected turn of events, remarked that all systems within the body were doing well.

And, for a few minutes, that was that.

Until—

"The normal cells do a fine job of replicating copies of themselves," 1146 said casually. "I wonder what their lives must be like, to continuously make copies of themselves, train their copies their ways, and finally let them go. Wouldn't that make life seem so boring and fleeting?" 1146 paused before continuing. "But they also seem so close knit; they're always playing games with each other. It's admirable, honestly, given that they're usually the ones who are targeted under bacterial or viral infections."

1146 stopped. Clearly, it was the time for 2001 to say something—anything that could provide validation or add on to 1146's observation, but 2001 didn't know what to do with this information.

Normal cells? Replication? Having fun? What was his colleague insinuating?

Shrugging, 2001 murmured, "It's their job and their nature, regardless of how mundane or trivial it may seem. All cells serve purpose; you should know this. We protect and the others serve."

1146 hummed thoughtfully as he processed those words.

"And the red blood cells...carrying those packages of oxygen or carbon dioxide continuously with little to no breaks…"

Was it 2001, or was 1146 looking wistful?

"They're always running around, destination to destination with no end in sight. Do they ever truly stop? We white blood cells are permitted breaks here and there; bacterial invasions or infections are frequent, yes, but not to the point where we never stop."

"They're born to do that," 2001 shrugged as he relaxed against the vessel wall. "At the bone marrow, they're trained so that they could travel great distances without feeling tired." Really, what was 1146 getting at with this inane conversation? Truly, it was thought provoking to think about the occupations of other cells, but this was elementary. All myelocytes knew why certain progenitor cells differentiated to become monoblasts, erythroblasts, promegakaryocytes, and so on.

2001 happened to glance at 1146 at that moment.

His colleague appeared lost in thought; his eyes were furrowed and covered in shadow, his body was hunched over as he contemplated. His dead stare, which was typical of all neutrophils, seemed even more probing and blank than normal. Typical 1146 pose, atypical cause for it.

"Why are you so interested in the erythrocytes anyway?"

"Oh. I met one who kept getting lost recently. You probably saw her in that one abrasion incident."

"Hmm, yes. That incident was definitely scarring."

1146 stared deep into 2001's eyes and barked a short note of laughter. Gone was his look of contemplation; it was now replaced with his favorite companion of the neutrophil bunch.

Finally. A reaction that 2001 fully calculated and expected.

"Well, 1146, I think we should head back to work."

"Noted."

He was patrolling an area near the foot—probably the ankle if he remembered correctly—at a capillary. Here, the roads were thin and crowded with red blood cells busy delivering the oxygen to their designated recipients. As 2001 observed from a narrow passageway, he thought back to 1146's words from earlier.

From an objective standpoint, it made sense that immune cells were allowed to have breaks every once in a while. They expended incredible amounts of energy defeating bacteria; therefore, they needed time to regroup and refresh. On the other hand, red blood cells ran around all the time, but they were trained to endure. They could withstand resistance longer and were allowed to walk on their way back on the circuit back to the lungs. For practical reasons, it made sense; different jobs yielded different needs.

So deep in thought he was, that he was completely blindsided when he heard a sudden crash and several curses from a group of passing red blood cells. Even though this situation could have been handled by others, he casually strolled from his hiding spot to see if there was any trouble. It appeared that one red blood cell (one with brilliantly red hair befitting of her cell type) had mistakenly bumped into another red blood cell (this one not as ostentatiously colored or differentiated). The situation looked like the red blood cells could deal with affairs within their circle (the redhead was already apologizing and gathering up the boxes of oxygen) so 2001 merely shrugged and moved back.

For several minutes, 2001 contented himself with his thoughts while he passively observed the red blood cells and a few platelets walking or running to their destinations. One of those who were running was a red blood cell (the very same who was the inciting incident for that accidental crash) who walked past him. Nothing interesting.

Well that in itself wasn't interesting until he saw that the clumsy red blood cell had walked past him again.

And again.

And...again.

After seeing that the red haired erythrocyte had passed by his hiding spot twenty-two times in a span of fifteen minutes, 2001 decided to step in.

Literally.

On the twenty third attempt, the erythrocyte had neglected to tighten her shoelaces. The result was, and this should have been obvious, was halfway disheartening to any aspiring red blood cell.

The scene was halfway disheartening because 2001 didn't want any cells under his watch to end up getting hurt—even if it was her own undoing.

Due to his quick reflexes and ideal spot, 2001 managed to grab her by the back of her shoulders and righted her up in record timing. For a moment, her eyes were dazed and confused; her mouth gaped open in a shrill scream that had 2001 wincing because of the pitch and frequency. Heavens above, such a sound at such punishing decibels shouldn't have been possible. However, she quickly turned to him and began apologizing—all of which he managed to deflect with the proper "oh's" and "mm-hhms".

"—orry, Mr. Neutrophil! I didn't—I mean, I'm kind of clumsy and I'm still trying to learn all my routes and—"

2001 held up a hand, which immediately quieted the red blood cell.

"Turn left on the main road and go straight for 100 micrometers. There, you'll see a checkpoint that has a reliable map and plenty of red blood cells who could help you." After observing the package of carbon dioxide that the red blood cell was carrying in her arms, he immediately deduced that her next destination was for the lungs.

Gobsmacked, the erythrocyte looked from the main road to 2001 and back. Was she dreaming? Was another neutrophil helping her out? Were all immune cells this nice?

Gratefully, she bowed again and thanked him graciously. However, when there was no reply, she found that he was no longer there. A little confused, but still overly grateful, she saluted the deserted area and headed off the main road. For now, she was content that she was back on track.

She hoped that she would find that kind, aloof neutrophil again in the future.

U-2001 couldn't help but...soften at the sight of the red blood cell saluting and then leaving with a smile so bright, that it could rival that of Dendritic Cell's. It wasn't every day that 2001 managed to see such a happy smiling cell in person. It was rare that cells would approach him, rarer still to see one so willing to thank him for such a trivial action.

Was it a habit of red blood cells to be so emotional and helpful?

Or was it just a trait of this particular red blood cell?

Briefly entertained with this thought, 2001 idled away until he heard his transceiver inform him that help was needed elsewhere.

This time, it was 2001 who approached his friend 1146 in a marginating pool. After the usual greeting and pleasantries, they lapsed back into silence. Again, the atmosphere felt safe and companionable; a far cry from the heat of battle and the call of bloodlust. It was soothing and for once, 2001 relaxed and let his back touch the wall of the blood vessel, fully at ease and a micrometer away from taking a nap, germs be damned.

"Something good happened today," 1146 commented as he watched his colleague sag against the wall in uncharacteristic tiredness.

Not a question; it was an observation.

"Depends on perspective."

"Then let me rephrase, from your perspective, did something good happen?"

2001 could have said anything. He could have said that he had a quiet time patrolling the foot. He could have said that he spent his entire patrol philosophizing and that he came across some great discovery before it disappeared like plasma. He could have said that his day was relatively peaceful other than that allergen that happened to run amok. If this were any other day, he would have said any of the above, but for some odd reason, images of a sweet smiling red blood cell who looked so earnest and trusting made him want to-to—

"I stopped a red blood cell from tripping." 2001 stared resolutely forward—no, he wasn't avoiding his companion's eyes. "It was all in a good day's work, I suppose."

Even without looking at his right, 2001 knew that 1146 was staring disbelievingly at him. Looking back, 2001 knew that this was a weak way to explain the feelings that were circulating throughout his nucleus. But really, what could he say? It wasn't a particularly big achievement or anything worth remembering. Heck, the only reason he remembered the event was because it was jarring to be thanked so honestly and with such vigor.

"It's our job to help all cells, regardless of circumstances." 2001 tried to justify. " If it was a platelet, you would do the same. It's our job."

1146 hummed in assent.

2001 could hear an underlying current of sarcasm, but he didn't mind. After all, he technically wasn't lying.

After a while, they said their goodbyes and left the marginating pool together before going their separate ways. Like any other meeting with his fellow white blood cell, 2001 was left with a sense of...not exactly loneliness, but an awareness that once again, he was alone with only his thoughts to keep him company.

On most days he was quite all right with that.

Today...today, he felt too old, too tired to be alone.

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amwritingmeta · 6 years

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Hello, so I wached the last episode at last and there is something that I foud kinda odd. I don't know if it's because Dean went all 180 on his mood and I was more focused on it but I feel like Cas didn't change at all. Do you think that this is the final post Empty version of him or it might change? Thank you :)

Hello, my lovely Nonny!

Wonderful that you got a chance to watch 13x06 (did you watch 13x07 as well?) - so many good bits in it, I thought! And this is a great question.

When it comes to Dean doing a 180 in his mood this is, of course, tied in with the grieving period he’s just gone through because of losing Cas. The mood change helps underline in the boldest blackest marker ever that this grief and everything linked to this grief had to do with Cas - not losing Mary, Crowley or all the other people they’ve lost over the seasons somehow compiling to now bring on this period of deep grief - no, it was losing Cas that broke him and drained him of the ability to have faith. Yes? Yes.

So getting the source of hope and faith back should put a spring in his step. And boy did it! :)

We haven’t seen Cas mourn or miss Dean because we know, through dialogue with empty!Cas, that Cas is still focused on getting back to Dean (who he loves). What we see Cas go through - instead of being pulled into depression the way Dean is - is actually facing and letting go of depression. He needed a win for Dean and for himself in 12x19, and by confronting empty!Cas and annoying his way to freedom Cas secures that double win, because his freedom means clearing himself of his depression, and his returning to Dean means clearing Dean of his.

But how does Dean greet Cas? Cas hasn’t seen a single moment of Dean’s grief and Dean embraces him and calls him “pal” and it’s all so par for the course that the disappointment and frown-y face on Cas for most of the episode is so understandable.

He’s very much the S12 version of Cas, right? He knows he loves Dean and he’s becoming more and more sure that Dean will never be able to own up to feeling the same. (because I’m starting to come over to the camp who thinks that Cas must at least have some inkling that the longing he’s felt from Dean is more than just brotherly love) (and Cas knows not to push Dean) (so he’s just waiting for Dean to catch up) (but he’s been waiting a long damn time now)

So all of this said, I hope there will be one final change. See, Dean is changing, right? He’s facing himself, he’s ridding himself of his idealistic view on toxic masculinity by being confronted by versions of it - all of them wearing some sort of mask - over and over again in every single episode so far this season. So Dean is taking steps towards letting go of this ideal and facing himself, freeing himself and finally enabling himself to let go of his need for control, to trust and open himself up to happiness. He’s shedding his performance.

Does Cas have an equivalent? Is Cas performing? These characters are such perfect mirrors of each other and share so many core traits that, in all sensibility, Cas should be. And I believe he is. I’m pro human!Cas all the way and, to me, Cas’ grace has always been the equivalent of Dean’s walls, Dean’s mask, Dean’s way of making sense of the world and of himself.

The grace is what has given Cas meaning and direction and purpose, his powers are what has made him feel righteous and self-assured because they tied him to Heaven, to his roots and his family, to what makes him him. But his grace blinds out his true identity, makes him feel unsure of his feelings, makes him hesitate and second guess himself, makes him vulnerable to manipulation and has left him wide open to the depression that took hold in S11. Because what is Cas’ biggest fear?

I would say it’s to be completely powerless, unable to help.

(it’s why he made the choice to swallow Theo’s grace in S9)

Does Cas have to shed his grace to be with Dean? Does he have to be human to reach endgame? I would say, narratively, yes. (without meaning to upset anyone!)

Cas has opened Dean up to change because Dean is in love with Cas, and unless Dean changes, unless he dares to trust that Cas loves him back and they can have a future together, unless Dean loses his need for control (which is the core trait of his toxic masculinity) Dean cannot reach his endgame - self-liberation. And he will not get the reward, which is a long and happy life with the man he loves.

If these men are such perfect mirrors, it stands to reason that the exact same rules of reaching endgame apply to Cas. Right?

Dean has opened Cas up to change because Cas is in love with Dean and Dean loves Cas for who he is - not what he can do - and unless Cas can understand that his biggest fear is unfounded and he is powerful in himself, unless he can recall his stint as a human not for the failure of getting captured and tortured, but for the BAMF moment when he manipulated Theo into letting him go, unless he can move forward letting go of the fear and daring to be himself, the him he knows, deep down, he was always meant to be (with or without Dean, Dean is just the catalyst for Cas following through on this choice, as Cas is for Dean, because love story), if Cas fails to let go of that flag of Heaven he’s draped himself in, Cas cannot reach his endgame - self-liberation. And he will not get the reward, which is a long and happy life with the man he loves.

So with all this said my short answer to whether I think we’ll get another version of Cas after the Empty is both yes and no.

No because I think Cas is very much Cas at the moment, especially because he’s more humanised than even in S12. He’s been very emotive with Jack, he’s been smiling more (it makes me meeeelt) and we’ve been given some great insights into how Cas and Dean relate to each other in all those empty spaces in the narrative.

But I’d also say Yes, because I have a hope we’ll see not just a humanised version of Cas, but actual human!Cas, and human!Cas was sassy and sure of himself (by 9x09) and went for what he wanted, flirting up a storm with Dean and inserting himself into an investigation because, to my mind, he’d decided that’s the life he’d choose for himself and since the choice was his he wasn’t going to let Dean Winchester tell him that it wasn��t his fight anymore, that he should go live his life away from him and from danger. Because Cas would rather die a hundred times than live a whole lifetime away from Dean. Oh yes the romance of it all. :P

So Yes because we need this ^^^ final version and inner balanced Cas, just as we need a final version and inner balanced Dean, for them to have reached their mirrored endgames, which will move them into the reward portion.

But that’s how I read this narrative, my dudes, and I don’t know how they’ll deliver or what they want to give us and not give us or how they’ll build this slow burn towards the end. Hell, we don’t even know the timeline here, no matter how much I feel they’re totally going balls out all over!

And what these boys need first and foremost is honesty and open (goddamn) communication. I do believe it’s on the horizon…

Okay that was a lot of thoughts on that very simple question that could’ve taken a couple of paragraphs to answer, but I hope this clears up why I’d say yes and no. :D

Thanks for asking!!

#answered asks #cas #human!cas #dean winchester #the greatest love story ever told #for reals

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