Signs of Approval

Hell: Miyamoto Musashi

POP…

As a sudden flash of white temporarily blinded my eyes, I arrived back at my office in Gateway City. Once again, teleportation has made quick work of an otherwise unnecessary commute: before this teleport, I was just in my home closet, changing into professional attire. I couldn't show up to work wearing shorts, flip flops, a baggy tee, and a baseball cap. I never considered driving into work, this was far too important to waste time in one of those magic carts. Oh, I had motor drawn carriages in the garage, I am not that far removed from the timeline of mortality to know what was going on during my time in Hell. The new souls spoke of wishing for their four wheeled steel chariots; automobiles, is what Tene called them. Fast, but dangerous. I much preferred to teleport to my objective, but kept several autos in the garage as perks of my position. Tene for some reason enjoyed the ability of flight, although I cannot reason as to why. He could appear himself in any spot in Hell if he so chose, whereas I would have to had been there previously. Perhaps he had already been, being one of the original "Fallen". He had an enormous head start on me, after all. For any matter, that is not the situation I need to be pondering about. My status as the Deputy Director of Archives is finally proving useful to Tene, and if it's useful to Tene I must oblige...for my sake at least. There is not a chance I could let him, one of the original Fallen, succumb to any temptation the Other Side has for him. His department need him here. Hell needs him here. I need him here. If the Big Boss finds out it was me that let him cross over, I'd be thrown in the pits of dispair. Plus, eternity would be rather boring if someone I thought of as a friend would be gone forever. 

"Oh, you're back again, Deputy Director?" The Director's secretary, Enriqueta, was unusually surprised by my return visit. It's true; usually once out of the office I rarely do make a return before the next work shift. A very serious woman, Enri was always on top of her duties, and very rarely thrown off by a sudden distraction. "Yes, Enriqueta. I'm going to be submitting some emergency request for approval paperwork. Is she in?" I motion towards the opposite end of my side of the office, towards the heavy oak doors marked "Director of Archives". "Yes, her shift started about an hour ago. Do you want me to let her know you are here?" Enri, with phone in hand and fingers dialing, was ready to alert the Director of my sudden appearance. As expected of the Secretary for the Director's office. "Yes, please do Enri, let her know i'll be sending over some documents shortly. I'll be in my office." The moment the words escaped my lips, Enri was hitting send, and by the time my office door had closed, I could hear her passing along the info to the Director. Getting the documents written up and stamped with my seal would be quick, it would be the waiting game that would be agonizing. Getting the Director's approval for such a request would obviously stir up some noise with Lucifer, as he personally oversees the Mortal Plane Contracts Oversight Department. Basically, the ultimate deal maker. The way Tene explained it, Lucifer (The Big Boss) has authorization to overrule and or integrate other departments into his if they aren't performing well and no suitable replacement leadership roles are filled. He did control the Police department for a while, keeping the uppity souls in check, until Khann came along. At which point, he delegated him Chief of the Punishment Police, Horseback Division. Khan apparently signed up for it on that title alone, as he did always enjoy his horses. Tene's Department of  Registration management works hand in hand with the Department of Archives (every department has to work with us, otherwise we wouldn't be very efficient), which is the department I practically run. The director does what a director does to appear the part, but for several generations now I have been delegated more and more of her duties. She has been considering retirement after a very successful run, even upped our own very high efficiency stats to near perfect levels. However, now that I've worked my way up to Deputy Director, I think she sees me as a suitable successor. 

"Okay, just fill that part there, check mark that box…will I be requiring additional resources such as Hell weapons or UnHoly protection armor...no, I don't think we'll be needing that, this is a reconnaissance mission, not a counter operation...initial here...and now just my seal." After checking that the carbon copies below were inked as well, I place my palm on the cover page, and a thin glowing circle burns an inscription into the paper: This seal is placed under the authority of the deputy director Musashi Miyamoto. After placing it in the presentation booklet, I make my way back to the office lobby. "Deputy Director Miyamoto, the Director is eagerly waiting for your inquiry. She says to go in whenever you are ready." Enriqueta motions towards the door, and I proceed to enter. Stepping into the director's office, any director's office really, isn't stepping into normal Hell space. You are entering a cavern, a massive structure that does not fit into the confines of any reality, be it on the mortal plan or even in Hell. Walls that go up forever, with no light to be seen, an endless expanse of windows that are obviously not tied to the physical representation of the building's architecture. A massive chair and desk that would normally fit in a dining hall, with several seats surrounding it. In the center, next to a display monitor and a keyboard, sits Director of Archives Lavinia Fisher. With a step and a quick jump, I am at the base of the alter to her desk. "Please, for the love of all that is UnHoly, please don't tell me you are transferring to the Department of Registration Management." Lavinia, as always, has been fearful of some kind of departure from me to be with my friend Tene. "Tene can run that department with a team of trained monkeys and wouldn't change his efficiency rating. He's not taking my prodigy out from under my wing, no way no how. I..I'll take this up to The Big Boss if I need to!" Desperation is not a good look for her. "Relax, Director. Your prodigy is not about to leave a perfectly good position with a Director's title being baited in front of him. I'm not here to submit authorization for transfer documents, it's actually a request for Mortal Plane activities." Gracefully, I present her the booklet with the relevant documents. "Mortal Plane activities? What would Archives want there? We've already got a team up there documenting the archives of humans." I see her confusion turn into geniune puzzlement. "Reconnaissance? Why can't we just have a member of the documentation team do this?" She slides back the booklet with the documents; and here I was thinking I would have to console a crying woman thinking I was abandoning her. Unfortunately, she hadn't flipped the page over yet. "Well, Director, as you can see here, it isn't ordinary reconnaissance-" I motion towards the second page, "Deputy Director Tenevorius Reikusu personally requested this, and has also shoehorned me into accompanying him. I'm afraid I can't exactly say no to a direct order from a Director, a "Fallen" at that." I knew that last part stuck. There is a bit more to the hierarchy of Hell than seen with the naked eye, as even once-mortal Directors did not say no to the Fallen, just like they wouldn't say no to The Devil Himself. If she wanted to put up a fuss, it would be to deaf ears. "Tsch. What is he trying to do, make sure I never retire? It doesn't even say what the duration of this entire endeavor will be! I can't authorize "Not applicable"! I need dates! Era, at least!" Frustration begins to show, and again, it's not a good look for her. But now is my chance, a bit of some clever suggestion might do the trick. "Well, the reason it's not applicable is because he says he doesn't know the date or the era on the mortal plane. It's apparently very far back, shortly after they were cast out. He requested me to keep this discreet, Director. Surely by obliging him, a Fallen, would make retirement all the more sweeter, no? That lakeside retirement home needed some additional work done, right?" I'm hoping my powers of suggestion outweighed her ability to outwit. Her eyes lit up like diamonds. "You're saying he would do that? For letting you go on this...excursion?" Subtlety was also not her strong suit, as the grin on her face gave away any notion of her trying to hide her hand. "Well, it wouldn't be directly from the payroll department, for obvious reasons. We wouldn't want internal affairs to get wind of this, but he said he'd be able to work something out. In exchange for approving this request, he would see to it that you got the additional fixes, before your retirement even begins." Diamonds were now covered by the most glee worthy smile one could have in Hell. Her palm was already glowing as she planted the approved seal, overwriting my own and turning it opaque. "Well, we wouldn't want to keep the Director of Registration Management waiting, now would we?" Run along dear Miyamoto, and be a dear; say hello to the kind Director for me." And just like that, we had approval. The seal of approval from The Big Boss himself would be rather simple if I already had a seal from not one, but two directors. Now all I needed was Tene's seal, and we would certainly obtain the seal from Lucifer. "Thank you, Director. I will personally see to it that Director Tenevorius completes the excursion to the mortal plane with efficiency and haste." I take my leave from her office, as she gleefully began looking at product pages for home construction sites on the Hell's internet. It's a small sacrifice, but Tene has been around long enough to provide not only for himself, but others around him as well, including me at one point early in my time here in Hell. A simple one time payment to a fellow director would not put that big of a dent in his savings account. "Were you able to get the forms authorized?" As I make my way through the office lobby, Enri stared politely from her desk, starting some small talk with me. It's okay, I know what she really wants, but I oblige her anyway. "Yes, fortunately she approved them without too much worry. It looks like I will be accompanying Director Tenevorius on a reconnaissance mission to the mortal plane." She looked slightly downtrodden after hearing that; Enri is a woman who seems to have had a thing for me; although I can't quite place why. Procreation is impossible in Hell, but people still have family. After looking at her file it said that she was married on the mortal plane. Yet she never requested to be reunited with her husband upon his death, so he must be floating around Hell, wondering why he hadn't been summoned. Perhaps it was a loveless marriage? Regardless, I hold my professional standards in high regard, and refuse to comply with her advances, as subtle as she attempts to make them. I choose not to bring up the subject with her husband because she obviously has her reasons, but it would be highly inappropriate to bring it up during work hours. But I am not technically clocked in… "But don't worry Enri. I will be back quickly, I don't think Director Tenevorius has plans to stay on the mortal plane for too long. Say, Enri, were you by chance married while you were still alive?" I motion to the wedding ring tan on her finger, yet another red flag as to why I do not inquire. She quickly hides her hand under the other with a sharp intake of breath. "Yes, at one point I was. But what makes you think I'm still married now? I don't wear a wedding band anymore, deputy director. Why do you ask?" some innocent charm still in me, I force a blush. "Oh, i've wondered for a while now why I never see gifts or letters pile up on your desk. A beautiful woman such as yourself should be up to her eyeballs in gifts and praise, but the ring tan makes me question if you want people to know you are or were married at one point." A real blush flushes red on her face now. "Deputy Director! I didn't think of you to be the charmer type? Me, a beautiful woman, thank you for the compliment. However," She leans in, adding her own charm into the mix. I was beginning to think instead of snarling her in mine, she has me wrapped in hers. "You know better than to ask me about this while on duty. It doesn't look good, naughty boy." She taps my nose, and turns away, most likely to hide the fact she was still beet red. I knew she always had a thing for me, but I stayed away because of professional statuses and what not. But what was I doing? I know I can't suddenly get into a relationship right before embarking on this excursion, and she was right, I shouldn't have done this while she was still clocked in. "You're right, Enri. My apologies. Maybe some other time, then?" Let's see if she still decides to chase. I start up the teleportation magic, and begin to glow a faint blue. A low hum increases to a deep buzz. "Maybe, deputy director. Enjoy your time on the mortal plane." she cordially waves goodbye, probably wishing I would have stayed and weaved more pointless chatter some more. I wave goodbye back, and with a smile, the buzz turns into a rapid crack and a pop, and I was gone.

POP...and I had arrived back in front of Tene's abode. He was already out on his balcony, staring out into the vast reaches of Hell. "I got the approval!" I shouted cheerfully. Back into my boyish charm, well, anyone would feel like a child in the presence of Tene. I could not call him a man, because he wasn't. Not anymore. But, he was a spectacle of a specimen, were he to be one. I cannot say for certain if this was his form when he roamed the mortal plane after his eviction from Up There, or if this was a manifestation of what his form appeared as while he was still an angel. Either way, it would leave anyone enthralled by his appearance. "Great, come on in and I can put my seal on as well." As he disappeared back into his living space, I entered, approved documents in hand. Heading upstairs, I await for Tene. "Did she give you any trouble?" I hear from his closet. "Not really, however, you are going to have to pay for something she needs. Part of her deal, I suppose." He steps out, wearing the same professional attire as me: black suit, white business shirt, black tie, black shoes. Of course, being an actual tree, everything had to be made custom for him, as mass produced hell products don't exactly fit him. "What kind of deal?" This was the part that I knew he wasn't going to like, Tene doesn't like owing anyone any favors, he only hands out one or two: after that, you better hope you don't ask again. "Well, you know she is planning on retiring soon, right? She has a property out by a lake...and it needs some work done." He narrowed his gaze. The slightest bit of annoyance escaped from his scrunched brow. "And let me guess, It's coming out of my pocket, is that it?" I shrugged; there was no point in trying to hide it. "Yes, unfortunately it appears so. But I did tell her once this excursion to the mortal plane is over, you could pull some strings and make it work out. I didn't give her a time table, because I myself don't even know what it is or when it is we will be arriving at." The annoyance faded from his face. "At least it wasn't an up front sort of deal. Okay. Ready?" I nodded in affirmance. Once he placed his seal, we would be teleported to The Big Boss. His private office, located nobody knows where. I don't think Tene even knows. I know I've never had the opportunity to appear in front of His Dark Lord, Satan, so this would be my first time. Rumor is it's in another dimension, seperate from Hell. "Alright, let's go." Tene's fingers glowed an astonishing white for a split moment, and his seal was overlaid on top of the Director of Archive's. And shortly after that, everything went dark. "give it a moment, there's always a delay when getting to his office." Tene whispered, his voice still echoing and reverberating through the darkness like glass breaking. A white oval appeared beneath our feet, growing in size. "it's not growing, we are being pulled into it" I murmured aloud, my voice also shaking like an avalanche pounding down the side of a mountain. Suddenly, the whiet oval completely surrounded our vision, and the vast pit of blackness was reduced to a dark oval far above our heads. Further down below, I see rows upon rows of desks, filing cabinets, and a slightly larger desk at the front. Damned souls manning each desk, going over piles of paperwork covering up entire workstation computer screens. We finally touch down at the back, and start making our way forward. "This is the Mortal Plane's Contract Oversight Department. Any deal made on the mortal plane on The Big Boss's behalf is filed and documented here. It supersedes the archive department, registration, any and all departments. It was the first one he made upon creating Hell." His voice was back to being a calm ripple on an ocean of honey. We make our way to the front, to what I suppose is the secretary's desk. A pretty woman sat behind this desk, busy typing away on a keyboard. "Sign the entry log; name, place of origin, occupation, reason for visit. He will be with you sho-Oh! My apologies, Director Tenevorius. Let me buzz you in." She reached over and pressed a button on her desk. "Thank you, Amelia, as always." responded Tene in kind. The secretary seemed to know Tene, which is strange, because I've never seen her before. A massive door appeared behind her, suitable for Tene's height and then some. "Shin, follow me, and try not to speak up." Tene's voice dripped with seriousness; the bees that make the honey are suddenly very alert. We enter the door, into another pit of blackness. Our footsteps echo and reverberate, until Tene's stops and I almost run into his kidneys. A massive gust of slow rolling wind boils around us in a pulsing manner, before being sucked away in front of us. Then, light, but light from a desk lamp, not above, shone onto a tiny desk. A name plate sat at the front; "THE DEVIL HIMSELF" inscribed upon it. A hooded figure with skin as pale as Tene's sat, with fingers folded over each other around his mouth. But what spoke was not from this figure. It was from the entire room, echoing and reverberating to the point I felt it in my bones. "Tenevorius. I see you have a request for me." The figure outstretched his hand. "give it to me." Tene passes over the documents, and The Devil proceeded to go over each page with solid thuds of his fingers crossing over the text. "Reconnaissance. I see. And the reason for this being?" That last questioning tone made the small of my back tremble, hitting every resonant note to make bone turn to dust if it was spoken at a decibel higher. It wasn't just me; I could see Tene's back tense up as well. "I am looking for an angel, My Dark Lord.". Tene pushed back with his own warm reverberations, a gentle warmth washing over the empty space that replaced the probing and nerve wrenching tones of The Devil's voice. But it was only for a moment. "Oh? I notice you didn't say a specific one of our brothers or sisters. Does this "an" just mean an Angel in general?" 

"Yes, My Dark Prince, Lord of the Shadows. I need to conduct an investigation into something I heard a fresh soul say during registration. It may benefit our fight against the armies of Heav...Excuse me, His Armies if I could report back with results." I guess the H-word is not to be spoken here. A few moments pause. A rattling of fingers against the documents. "And If I let you go; the soul you appear with. He is to accompany you as well?" A chance! Finally to make an impression. I give a solemn bow, instincts from my mortal life were suddenly taking over when dealing with figures of high regard. "Yes, Your Dark Highness, I will be acco-"

The air escaped my lips. I could not utter a sound; my body frozen solid. "Hmm..This one has a bit of what the mortals call 'a spine'...but also...cowardice." Fear I haven't felt since my dying breath hits me deep in my stomach. The Devil rises from his seat, the simple wooden chair scraping what I can only assume to be black marble. He steps around the two of us, his black hooded face penetrating me deeper than any wound I had ever received or inflicted. I could feel the surface of my skin boiling red hot as he orbited around me. "Ah..I see now. Cowardice...but with good reason. Heh. Your travels will be weary, poor soul of the orient. That much I know will be true. Tenevorius, you have my permission. Keep this one close. Here." He sticks out a pinky finger...and drills it through my forehead. Like a reed through calm waters, piercing the inside of my skull. I feel nerve endings I've never felt become activated. I try to scream. The pain...there is no pain, but this doesn't feel right either. "Lucifer?" Tene ponders aloud, as the finger is yanked out of my head, dripping with blood I thought I couldn't bleed even in death. "You can feel Our own kind, but feeling other damned souls is difficult unless in direct proximity" The devil murmurs, I feel his echoes staining the wound, dripping from the blood that was pouring through...that was pouring through, but no longer. In fact, there was no more blood. I could move again. I stand up and feel for the gaping hole that should have been, but was no longer. Some kind of Hell magic? I thought to myself. I turn my gaze just in time to witness The Devil, His Dark Lord, The Big Boss, reach up and give Tene a Wet Willy. With the pinky that was just in my brain. "What the...Are you serious? You could have just banged our skulls together and snapped your fingers, you know." Tene furiously rubbed my blood out of his ear. The Devil giggled. "Yes, but the soul was making a noise I didn't want to hear, and his suffering was a delectable bit of desert. Sometimes one must indulge oneself, no?" He laughed again, rubbing clean his wet pinky on his robe. "Now go, and report back your findings, Tenevorius. I don't care how long it takes, if you think it will help, go forth and raise Hell." With that being said, suddenly we were pulled back through the big doors and into the white expanse of the Contracts Department. "I told you to keep quiet, Shin." Tene's voice reverberated throughout the room. Which was strange, because it didn't do that on the way over. "I'm sorry, i thought.." Wait. Tene wasn't even next to me anymore, he was talking to the secretary. I am confused, how did he do that? The doors disappeared behind me. As I walked over to Tene, who was saying goodbye to Amelia, I heard it again. "He gave us a Hell bond. Now we can find each other easily on the mortal plane, no matter where we are. I can hear your thoughts, and you can hear mine when we have our channels open. And when we concentrate, we can pinpoint our exact locations." Without even moving his mouth, he was speaking, as if he was everywhere and nowhere. He was in my head? I was in his? I had to try this for myself. So I thought. "I am sorry I spoke. I guess he doesn't like people who were once mortals?" A pause. Did it really work? We headed through the rows of desks, back to the area we originally touched down at. "He hates His creations. He doesn't want to be down here in Hell, he'd much rather take over heaven or take over the mortal plane. But he won't say it out loud." We begin to float, zipping back up into that black abyss. The white expanse of the Department of Contracts turned into a tiny pinprick of light, and then with a sudden whoosh of air, we were back in Tene's condo. 

"Also, do not speak of this bond to anyone. It isn't a method we use often, especially between the Fallen and former mortals." This time he spoke out loud. I nodded in affirmation. "Get some rest. When you wake, meet me at the Gates. We cross back into the mortal plane."

And so we shall, I thought. And so we shall.