Fic: More than Most Get
Title: More than Most Get
Author/Artist: megkips
Character(s) or Pairing(s): Gilbert, Maya
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Hell
Summary: Maya is given options due to a certain friend. Set in the far cuture.
“Well,” Maya said, observing her body. “That hurt.”
“About time!” a familiar voice said from behind Maya, “You’re late.”
“Late for--” Maya began, turning around to meet the voice. “I probably should have expected you.”
Gilbert gave a short, sharp laugh. “Wouldn’t let a friend face the big D all alone.”
Maya glances back to her body and sighs. “So, what happens next?”
“Well usually, it’s a bit more up in the air,” Gilbert says, “You just had the misfortune to be what you were that kinda negated anything particularly Hindu about you.”
“That’s stupid.”
Gilbert shrugs. “I don’t make the rules. C’mon, grab my hand.”
“Knowing you’re taking me to Hell?” Maya asks, glaring at him.
“You’ll find it a little bit better than you expected,” Gilbert replies. “Let’s move, I don’t have all day.”
Maya hesitates for a few moments, but then grabs the demon’s hand with some level of reluctance. His body is freezing for once, and that amongst all things scares her.
Gilbert begins to walk away from the scene of Hunters inspecting the vampire’s corpse, decapitating it and stuffing the head with garlic. It’s an image that he’s witnessed plenty of times, and it holds no more value to him than any other sort of death. With each step his takes, the world darkens around them, until the demon and vampire are walking through pitch blackness. Gilbert’s tail drags on the ground behind him and he uses his scythe as a kind of walking stick, as if informing the darkness around him of who he is and what will happen if it dares attack him.
“Word to the wise,” he says. “Keep looking ahead. The darkness is worse than you think.”
Maya says nothing and keeps her head held high. She doesn’t ask what waits in the darkness, she simply wonders how long this walk is going to take. It seems that they have been in the same place forever, with the scenery moving around them.
Eventually, Gilbert stops. There is a glint in the darkness - a door knob. He says something to it in a language that cannot hope to be spoken by human tongues, and as he speaks his voice - deep and bellowing - reverberates throughout the entire dark chamber. A voice on the other side replies, all hisses and high squeaks, and then the door opens.
They enter a small office - it is neither large nor impressive. There are blank grey walls on all sides, a desk that looks like it may fall apart at any second and two shabby chairs. Behind the desk sits what Maya can recognize as a demon - the horns are the give away - but he looks so old and tired that it’s hard to believe this is Hell. He has none of Gilbert’s vitality.
“This the one, Pruflas?”
Maya looks back at Gilbert and smirks. “Pruflas?”
Gilbert clap a palm to his head, “It’s an old name, I don’t use it unless I have to. And yeah, it is.”
The demon behind the desk nods and pulls a folder out from mid air. He opens it and begins to shuffle through the documents. “Maya Desai, originally belonging to the Hindu afterlife, claim negated once turned into a vampire by Arthur Kirkland....is this accurate?”
“Yes,” Gilbert and Maya chorus.
“Claim put on her soul in 5770 by Duke Pruflas of Pride for the purposes of entering her into one of our demonic ranks, approved by Pride in 5771 after a careful review, signed and dated by both in the same year,” the demon continues.
Maya stares back at Gilbert. “Claim?”
Gilbert shrugs. “You’re a friend. Being a demon’s far better than the alternative.”
“Do I get a say in this?” she asks, hissing. “Because this is the kind of thing you warn people about and--”
“You do get a say in the decision,” the demon behind the desk says. “Demon or one of the damned.”
Maya stares. “What kind of choice is that?!”
“More than most people get,” Gilbert says quietly.
“Fine, let’s say I don’t become a demon,” Maya snaps. “What then?”
The desk demon clears his throat, “The damned are typically tortured for a certain amount of time and then consumed, either fermented as alcoholic beverages or cooked to the desire of various demons.”
Gilbert shrugs when Maya gives him the look that demands to know what she’s got into this time. “Think of it like this,” he offers. “As a demon, you’re giving people the karma they deserve.”
“You consider this karma?” she repeats. “Doing that isn’t karma it’s--”
“Eat or be eaten,” Gilbert replies. “You’re in a whole new world now.”
Maya throws her hands up in the air. “And what if I don’t make the decision?”
“Then you’re damned,” the desk demon says. “As I’ve no patience for this indecision.”
“Fine!” Maya declares, throwing her hands in the air. “Demon it is!”
“Very well then,” the desk demon says. He hands her a sheet of paper. “Read this aloud and either sign or spit upon it.”
“Spit?” Maya wrinkles her nose.
“Piss, blood, spit, mucus,” Gilbert explains, “They’re all old magic. The strongest, even.”
Maya shakes her head and then read the document to herself first, and then aloud. “As a demon, I, Maya, Desai, swear on my existence to uphold the expectations Hell places upon me regardless of rank and position and accept all consequences of my actions should I not meet what is required of me.” She spits on the paper, then hands it back.
The desk demon puts it into the file folder he pulled out of mid air and then looks to Gilbert. “That’s it. Pruflas, I’m sure that your boss will have words with you both tomorrow on how to proceed.”
“Got it,” Gilbert says, giving the demon a mock salute. He walks back towards the door he and Maya came in through and motions for her to follow. “Might as well stay with me till you get your own place.”
With that Gilbert opens the door again and exits. Maya trails after him, unsure what to expect.
She blinks at the suffering pit before her and stares. Gilbert says nothing - he simply wraps his tail around her waist and starts walking home. She’ll get used to it soon enough.
FIN.
Author/Artist: megkips
Character(s) or Pairing(s): Gilbert, Maya
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Hell
Summary: Maya is given options due to a certain friend. Set in the far cuture.
“Well,” Maya said, observing her body. “That hurt.”
“About time!” a familiar voice said from behind Maya, “You’re late.”
“Late for--” Maya began, turning around to meet the voice. “I probably should have expected you.”
Gilbert gave a short, sharp laugh. “Wouldn’t let a friend face the big D all alone.”
Maya glances back to her body and sighs. “So, what happens next?”
“Well usually, it’s a bit more up in the air,” Gilbert says, “You just had the misfortune to be what you were that kinda negated anything particularly Hindu about you.”
“That’s stupid.”
Gilbert shrugs. “I don’t make the rules. C’mon, grab my hand.”
“Knowing you’re taking me to Hell?” Maya asks, glaring at him.
“You’ll find it a little bit better than you expected,” Gilbert replies. “Let’s move, I don’t have all day.”
Maya hesitates for a few moments, but then grabs the demon’s hand with some level of reluctance. His body is freezing for once, and that amongst all things scares her.
Gilbert begins to walk away from the scene of Hunters inspecting the vampire’s corpse, decapitating it and stuffing the head with garlic. It’s an image that he’s witnessed plenty of times, and it holds no more value to him than any other sort of death. With each step his takes, the world darkens around them, until the demon and vampire are walking through pitch blackness. Gilbert’s tail drags on the ground behind him and he uses his scythe as a kind of walking stick, as if informing the darkness around him of who he is and what will happen if it dares attack him.
“Word to the wise,” he says. “Keep looking ahead. The darkness is worse than you think.”
Maya says nothing and keeps her head held high. She doesn’t ask what waits in the darkness, she simply wonders how long this walk is going to take. It seems that they have been in the same place forever, with the scenery moving around them.
Eventually, Gilbert stops. There is a glint in the darkness - a door knob. He says something to it in a language that cannot hope to be spoken by human tongues, and as he speaks his voice - deep and bellowing - reverberates throughout the entire dark chamber. A voice on the other side replies, all hisses and high squeaks, and then the door opens.
They enter a small office - it is neither large nor impressive. There are blank grey walls on all sides, a desk that looks like it may fall apart at any second and two shabby chairs. Behind the desk sits what Maya can recognize as a demon - the horns are the give away - but he looks so old and tired that it’s hard to believe this is Hell. He has none of Gilbert’s vitality.
“This the one, Pruflas?”
Maya looks back at Gilbert and smirks. “Pruflas?”
Gilbert clap a palm to his head, “It’s an old name, I don’t use it unless I have to. And yeah, it is.”
The demon behind the desk nods and pulls a folder out from mid air. He opens it and begins to shuffle through the documents. “Maya Desai, originally belonging to the Hindu afterlife, claim negated once turned into a vampire by Arthur Kirkland....is this accurate?”
“Yes,” Gilbert and Maya chorus.
“Claim put on her soul in 5770 by Duke Pruflas of Pride for the purposes of entering her into one of our demonic ranks, approved by Pride in 5771 after a careful review, signed and dated by both in the same year,” the demon continues.
Maya stares back at Gilbert. “Claim?”
Gilbert shrugs. “You’re a friend. Being a demon’s far better than the alternative.”
“Do I get a say in this?” she asks, hissing. “Because this is the kind of thing you warn people about and--”
“You do get a say in the decision,” the demon behind the desk says. “Demon or one of the damned.”
Maya stares. “What kind of choice is that?!”
“More than most people get,” Gilbert says quietly.
“Fine, let’s say I don’t become a demon,” Maya snaps. “What then?”
The desk demon clears his throat, “The damned are typically tortured for a certain amount of time and then consumed, either fermented as alcoholic beverages or cooked to the desire of various demons.”
Gilbert shrugs when Maya gives him the look that demands to know what she’s got into this time. “Think of it like this,” he offers. “As a demon, you’re giving people the karma they deserve.”
“You consider this karma?” she repeats. “Doing that isn’t karma it’s--”
“Eat or be eaten,” Gilbert replies. “You’re in a whole new world now.”
Maya throws her hands up in the air. “And what if I don’t make the decision?”
“Then you’re damned,” the desk demon says. “As I’ve no patience for this indecision.”
“Fine!” Maya declares, throwing her hands in the air. “Demon it is!”
“Very well then,” the desk demon says. He hands her a sheet of paper. “Read this aloud and either sign or spit upon it.”
“Spit?” Maya wrinkles her nose.
“Piss, blood, spit, mucus,” Gilbert explains, “They’re all old magic. The strongest, even.”
Maya shakes her head and then read the document to herself first, and then aloud. “As a demon, I, Maya, Desai, swear on my existence to uphold the expectations Hell places upon me regardless of rank and position and accept all consequences of my actions should I not meet what is required of me.” She spits on the paper, then hands it back.
The desk demon puts it into the file folder he pulled out of mid air and then looks to Gilbert. “That’s it. Pruflas, I’m sure that your boss will have words with you both tomorrow on how to proceed.”
“Got it,” Gilbert says, giving the demon a mock salute. He walks back towards the door he and Maya came in through and motions for her to follow. “Might as well stay with me till you get your own place.”
With that Gilbert opens the door again and exits. Maya trails after him, unsure what to expect.
She blinks at the suffering pit before her and stares. Gilbert says nothing - he simply wraps his tail around her waist and starts walking home. She’ll get used to it soon enough.
FIN.