dreamcrystals | A Day in the After Life (Part 1)

Entry tags:

alastor,
satan

A Day in the After Life (Part 1)

Sender: Alastor
To: Everyone
Subject: Passive dream recording
Warnings: It takes place in Hell, and Hell is not a nice place. Also, this upcoming series of periodic dreams is based on the official Alastor comic with this post covering the first two pages. The viewer is taking Alastor's place, directly seeing what he sees, feeling what he feels, and thinking what he thinks, so unless you want to potentially traumatize your character with experiencing the after life in Hell as a cannibalistic serial killer deer demon, you might wanna pass.

[It starts with music.]

[It sounds like it's coming from an old speaker, but it's coming from you. You willed it to play. You always did like Glenn Miller and his jazz orchestra. Such class and style that cuts through the throbbing pulses of "techno" that is the latest craze down here.]

[You walk the streets. The beings here are far, far taller than in the living world. Someone being six feet? That's short for a male or about average for a female. You catch a glimpse of yourself in a shop window. You look the same and are still the same height as you've always been, but periodically reality glitches and suddenly there's a seven-foot red-and-black deer demon mirroring your movements. Then reality glitches again and it's just you. It's always been you.]

[And the others around you are terrified of you.]

[Muggings, murders, and all other manner of streetside debauchery and violence come to an abrupt halt as you leisurely stroll the sidewalk. You're smiling, humming along with the music. It soothes no one. Instead, the other demons around you -- the twisted inhumanity that your fellow sinners concealed in life on full display -- cower at your presence. They flee; they hide; they watch you with wide eyes and tense muscles.]

[You keep walking, eyes focused forward but listening to the whispers in your head from the shadow creatures that lurk everywhere. You're not actively hunting for prey today, but you wouldn't be disappointed to sink your teeth into a proper meal.]

[You step calmly over the last remains of some other demon, just a few bits of viscera and bone left. It seems Lucifer decided to force at least some cleaning of the city beneath the glowing red pentagram. It wouldn't do for the capitol city of his fallen kingdom to look too much like a slum. You find the King of Hell's stubborn, useless pride quite amusing since you can already see that the effort to clean the place is futile.]

[There's no sound on the street, even the cars stopping as you pass. It's like you're a lion on the Serengeti even though this isn't your territory. Not that it matters. Even the local overlords think twice before engaging you. You remain alert to potential threats -- you'd be a fool not to -- but you're confident that no demon would dare approach you. And you're right.]

[No one catches your eye, so you keep walking, humming along to Glenn Miller and his orchestra. Sooner or later, you might stop into a cafe for some coffee and a snack before continuing your constitutional. For now, you'll follow your feet and just keep walking as the rest of Hell clears your path.]

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[ Satan needs a moment to digest the experience. Perhaps multiple moments if he's being honest. Seeing Alastor's version of Hell as a participant was a completely different experience compared to what he just witnessed now, through Alastor's eyes.

Alastor is definitely sure of himself, of that much Satan is certain. At the very least, he was pretty self-assured in that dream and Satan has no reason to doubt that Alastor has always felt in complete control in his own Hell... and here... anywhere, probably. Satan supposes that in order to thrive in that Hell, one has to maintain true, genuine confidence.

After he's given himself some time to process this small glimpse into Alastor's life, Satan writes a note to Alastor in a messy, cursive script. ]

I can't believe I just witnessed someone turn mid-20th century music into a warning alarm.

[ At least he... thinks it's mid-20th century music. If he's wrong, he's positive Alastor will correct him. Then he adds: ]

My understanding is that Lucifer is in control of the Pride Ring, but even so I somehow get the feeling that you're the one in charge.

"Moonlight Serenade". 1938. Glenn Miller's signature piece. A little after my time, admittedly, but it's such a lovely song.

[He chuckles even though the gentler demon can't see it.]

Oh no no. Lucifer is most definitely the ruler of the Pride Ring and all of Hell. He'd have a fit if he heard anyone else try to claim either title! I wouldn't want to rule anyway. The everyday tedium would drive me insane.

[ Satan is equal parts appreciative and irritated over being corrected. Earlier than he suspected, then. At least now he knows the date and title of that tune, so new knowledge to tuck away. ]

Let me ask you this: when Lucifer struts down the street, do people actually speak with him or do they dive out of the way?

[ Also, "would drive me insane?" Truly?! Satan is pretty sure Alastor is already there... or at least partway there. ]

Given he's a fallen angel, people tend to be very respectful towards him. He does have power over all of us, after all.

[Doesn't entirely answer the question, of course.]

[And, oh yes, Alastor is at least partially mad already. Ninety years in Hell will warp your mind.]

Honestly, Lucifer isn't too fond of me. He's still quite sore about the slaughter I perpetrated when I first arrived. I understand some of those overlords were his personal favorites.

[ While unsatisfied with Alastor's half-answer, Satan doubts he'll get a straight answer out of Alastor even if he pushes him. He'll just take it to mean that yes, people actually do talk to Lucifer and maintain a respectable distance without steering absolutely clear of him. ]

Imagine that.

[ He tries to imagine his own Lucifer's reaction to a bunch of demons being slaughtered. Granted, even Satan has to admit that Lucifer would be angry if any of his brothers were slaughtered, but maybe some lesser demons would only make him mildly annoyed. ]

Did you just show up and unceremoniously off half the rulers of your Hell without even realizing it? Even if that's not what happened, leaders tend to not like it when you pop in to kill their subjects and/or co-rulers.

[ He knows Alastor knows this and that Alastor most likely doesn't care, but that doesn't stop him from writing it anyway. ]

Fairly accurate assessment. But I was well aware of what I was doing at the time.

Really, it was such fun! Ah, the good old days of mass slaughter and broadcasting it across all of Hell! Back when it was such a fresh and new pastime!

Edited 2022-01-29 05:47 (UTC)

[ Oh, good. As long as Alastor was purposeful in his actions... he guesses.... ]

Broadcasting the sounds of their terrified screaming and final breaths rather than the visuals of the carnage, I presume?

[ Get this man an invitation to the Anti-Lucifer League. Not that Alastor would ever take Satan up on such an invitation, especially when Alastor clearly has his own motives, but still. ]

Television is the opiate of the masses.

[So, yes, all radio.]

[And his motives weren't because he hated Lucifer...though it did amuse him to see the fallen angel struggle and fail to understand Alastor's motives.]

[ Satan knows better than to directly disagree with him. While he thinks he understands where Alastor is coming from, television has too many benefits to just completely disregard it himself. In a way, Alastor's strong opinion of technology beyond the radio reminds Satan of Leviathan, the Avatar of Envy, who absolutely cannot move past technology for... different reasons... only it's in the opposite direction. ]

If you only broadcast the audio, then it does leave a lot up to the imagination, which tends to run wild when given the opportunity to do so. I'm sure even the purest and frailest of demons would become desensitized if they were exposed to it via television on a regular basis. If it's just audio, their imagination can cook up all kinds of frightening scenarios.

Although I'm sure that in your Hell, they're already surrounded with plenty of atrocities to desensitize them quickly. And I doubt that's why you have such a strong aversion to television.

[ He doesn't understand it, but he's trying. ]

[Television might have some very tiny benefits, and the internet might be reigniting people's interest in radio-like programming, but Alastor despised the technology regardless. Particularly the overlord who ruled over the industry. ~~Obnoxious, piece of shit televsion!~~]

Oh, absolutely! And I take great pains to ensure that my listeners get the best quality audio possible! I'd hate for them to miss a moment!

[Just to make sure their imaginations had enough fodder to completely terrorize everyone who listens.]

Television is a thief, and I don't mean simply in audience.

[The ink becomes a bit darker, accompanied by extra drips of ink as Alastor's anger surges. However, after the words are written, a few lines are hastily drawn through them as Alastor recognizes his lapse and attempts to cover it.]

Coming in and acting like it's so superior. Well, what do its signals rely on? Radio waves! Pompous box of wires thought he could just highjack my signal and pretend he's some grand innovator or such nonsense when in reality he's just a leech!

[ Does Satan need to step aside for the birth of another Avatar of Wrath? ]

Okay.

[ Look, he needs another moment here. Alastor is so difficult for Satan to read no matter if it's in person, through text -- it doesn't matter. ]

So if we removed the whole thievery aspect of television in general, would you still hate it? What I mean to say is that if you took the concept of television at its face value for what it is, would you still want to go back in time and murder the inventor of television?

[ Satan assumes yes, Alastor would very much like to go and murder the inventor of television. Although that's just Satan getting a feeling that Alastor may not be able to separate his feelings about television from whatever hangups he has with... whatever Alastor has going on about television. ]

[At the very least, recognize that discussing the television and a certain media overlord around Alastor is a Bad Idea.]

[Alastor takes a deep breath to calm himself, the writing no longer as angry with none of the careless splotches from his previous response.]

At its face value, I'd be annoyed but have no issue with it. Honestly, I see the merits of picture shows in general: We did have news reels and the like when I was alive, after all. It's useful to see photographic or video evidence of current events. Having that be available as easily as a radio broadcast is a useful tool. I may not like the internet either, but I do see it isn't entirely without merit. Unfortunately, the past few decades they've been used to dumb down the masses to the least common denominator rather than provide anything to inform the public or spark more engaging entertainment. And my proverbial hat goes off to those I've heard about on the internet who are trying to replicate the standards of my time.

[ Satan is quite surprised at Alastor's response. It's well thought out, which is a given for Alastor, but somehow Satan had been expecting more... cold anger? ]

I wonder, is that just in Hell or is it the same up on the surface as well where technology like television and the internet are being used to "dumb down the masses to the least common denominator?"

I'm sure your version of the human world (the realm of the living, in your case?) is very different from the human world I'm more familiar with, but in general humans and demons alike use technology for equal parts information gathering and equal parts entertainment, which I find to be reasonable.

Of course, podcasts are also popular for both information and entertainment, but strictly radio-only use isn't as popular.

My Hell is only a few years at most behind the living world. There are thousands of people dying every day up there who indulge in their sins with fewer and fewer believing there's an ultimate consequence for doing so, bringing down knowledge of newer technologies.

As you've likely noticed, my Hell is arranged much like Carlo Collodi's Toyland from his Adventures of Pinocchio series: It's a wonderland of vice and sin but there are hidden costs to unlimited indulgences. Television and the internet flourish down there because they provide even easier access to further forbidden delights. Why bother shooting for Heaven if you can indulge all of your perverse desires in Hell? Even if Charlie's silly little redemption hotel gains any traction, she's working against the system her father set up to deliberately keep humans in Hell.

[Alastor thinks for a moment before continuing.]

But is audio-only truly dying or is it that visual aspects are starting to languish? Even if you have a fascinating podcast with interesting visuals to periodically spice up the presentation, is your audience watching or are they simply listening while attending to other matters?

[ Satan takes a bit of time to mull over what Alastor wrote. One of the key differences between their Hells is that those who live in Alastor's Hell are apparently dead. Plus there's the annual purges and the "hope" of going to heaven... but like Alastor said, what's the point of going to heaven if you have all your vices within arm's length? ]

You have a point. I know it's commonplace to put on a podcast, or even a video, and just listen to it for background noise. Although I tend to give whatever it is I'm doing my full attention, be it listening to a podcast or reading a book, I know most people are far more likely to multi-task.

[ And Satan is guilty of it, too. The only thing that's guaranteed to have his full attention is a book. ]

And while I agree that Charlie is going to have an uphill battle, I fully support her endeavor. Based on what little you've told me about her, she's got gumption. Maybe she can make your Hell a better place and radio will become the dominant form of news/entertainment.

Oh don't bother trying to butter me up. I'm not popcorn!

[Please. You totally didn't mean that last part.]

And I'm certain the charming demon belle will do everything in her power to make her hotel a success. Bring a little Heaven to Hell, if you will. However, she's doomed to fail. Centuries of Cleanses didn't convince such loathsome sinners to try and get their afterlives in order. Why would her dreams of cotton candy and puppies do otherwise?

It's not that I don't believe there's no means of achieving redemption. It's that human beings are too weak to accomplish it.

That wasn't really my intention. I'm just writing my thoughts and I suppose for once some of them align with yours.

[ Besides, even if he wanted to charm Alastor, Satan's not so sure he could. Whether with words or through magic. Definitely not worth the effort. ]

I think we both enjoy a little chaos, but sometimes the underdog really does win. How will you feel if she really does turn your Hell into a better place? I know your immediate response is going to be "she won't," but humor me.

Quite honestly? If she actually succeeds in redeeming sinners, it might be even more entertaining than if she'd failed!

[Yeah. You read that right: He doesn't think she'll succeed but he's totally on board if she does.]

[ Satan is surprised Alastor bothered answering. Glad, but... very surprised. ]

What's so entertaining about it?

[ Because he's under the impression that Alastor finds it entertaining that the sinners have to deal with the cleanses to begin with. If Charlie were to solve what he imagines is one of the main problems in Hell, he'd have thought Alastor would find that boring. ]

[Alastor clicks his tongue.]

Oh my good fellow, think before you ask such obvious questions! You've seen glimpses of my Hell, the unending despair of eternal torment only eased by angelic steel and the void. The commonplace evils magnified a millionfold.

I've lived day-in and day-out with that for ninety years. I've lacked inspiration for decades!

But now imagine that in that cesspool, just one sinner escapes not through erasure but through ascending into Heaven. What sort of ripples might that cause in a pool that's been stagnant for literal millennia?

[ On one hand, he got an answer that was direct. A miracle, considering it's Alastor! On the other hand, there is a brief moment where he considers setting the journal on fire in hopes of setting Alastor on fire on the other side. He doubts it would work, and he knows he shouldn't be that angry, but the implication if that first line...!! ]

Kiddo, you're going to hate hitting the 1,000 year mark if you're that bored already.

Anyway, in all fairness, I suppose it would be a success if Charlie saved just one sinner, but I was thinking more along the lines of saving around half or more. Something to permanently cut back on the overcrowding of Hell.

I do concede that I can understand why it would be exciting.

Ah, but therein lies the problem: Even if she does manage to achieve equilibrium between sinners redeeming themselves and the newly dead, it's all dependent on the ever-weak human heart.

There are plenty who believe that it's better to rule in Hell than kneel in Heaven. They become ancient evil powers that are entrenched into the system, pressing down on the newly-fallen and breaking them before Charlie can extend a hand to help lift them up. Demonic Darwinism in action.

So even if she does succeed, there will always be a need for someone to...let's call it "clear the slate", shall we?

I can't really blame them. While our Hells may be vastly different, I honestly don't think your Heaven and my Celestial Realm are all that different.

[ At least, that's how it felt to him. An entire civil war waged because an angel had a different definition of "good" than her father, after all. It certainly wasn't the Celestial Realm that suffered after the end of the war with the Devildom, either. ]

So where would that put you? You're highly ranked, aren't you? And powerful, surely. Is your plan to be the one who clears the slate?

Ah, that's right. You still don't know what happened to the old overlords during my big debut.

And, honestly, I wear that title by technicality nowadays. Hellish politics are so droll.

Well if you're going to put it like that, I've got a feeling I know what happened.

[ Satan imagines Alastor said it that way for a reason, after all. ]

Is there anything or anyone you don't find boring? You know, besides the incredibly slim chance that Charlie might succeed.

Maybe you do, maybe you don't. Perhaps if someone else from my Hell shows up here, they'll tell you the tale as far as they know it. I like to talk but boring others with details they don't want to hear isn't in the least bit amusing for anyone.

[Now dropping tidbits and teasing information? That's always fun.]

I find you and your brother quite entertaining! I think Reverein is a fascinating little slice of false reality!

But if you mean back in Hell, I do have my favorites. Unfortunately, how often I get to see them isn't always my choice.

[ He wants to argue that he's made it clear that he's interested in Alastor's backstory, but he also doesn't have the drive to actually argue that point. If Alastor won't divulge anything to him, he'll just find other ways to satiate his curiosity. He can be patient, even if it is the contrasting heavenly virtue to his sin. ]

We're not your playthings, you know.

[ Not that Mammon... entirely helps in that regard. ]

Dare I ask for a follow-up on that last part?

[ He wants to add, "Or are you just going to withhold information?" but he's positive that would just encourage Alastor to, you know, withhold information. ]

[Stick with Alastor long enough, and you might get more of the answers you seek. But where's the fun in simply telling you everything? ~~If nothing else, it'll keep you coming back for more.~~]

Oh, yes, you are. And I'm technically yours as well. Why seek one another out if not for mutual entertainment? At least I take care of my toys.

[As much as he can, that is.]

Oh, the answer should be obvious enough on its own, but I'll indulge you: eternal punishment.

My illustrious career in radio wasn't my only self-chosen profession: I was quite the serial killer, too! Never caught. Honestly, sometimes I wish I could visit the living world to check up on my old victims' cases. I hear about technology solving crimes thought unsolvable for decades, and it makes me wonder if I left anything behind that could be traced by such things.

As you can imagine, when there's a rash of disappearances, the only one who sleeps comfortably in their own bed is the one responsible. Everyone else huddles frightened in their own homes, the illusion of safety stripped from them. Doors and windows are checked, checked again, and then a third time to ensure no one can get in. People try to avoid strangers...especially difficult in a town like New Orleans! Then their guard will slip, another disappearance will happen, and the cycle begins anew.

So what better form of punishment than to ensure that the serial killer in question can never know that level of safety again? I might stay in one place for months, maybe a year or two, but eventually I have to move on. I've circled the Pride Ring more times than I can count.

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A Day in the After Life (Part 1)

Sender: Satan

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