A Lesson in Remorse

from /hhg/ - Hazbin Hotel General Thread #237
---
Remember how a couple of threads ago, we talked about the nature of imps and the like?
Well...

>during their many visits to the Hotel, they couldn't help but notice how some of the anons seemed... just out of it, on some days
>there was a general air of listlessness that lingered heavily in the Hotel
>they knew it had to do something with the New Moon - Acedia was probably the weakest among them, yet, it strangely affected the puzzling sinners the most
>Stretch - despite his rather vocal misgivings about Blitzo's behavior - was one of the more amicable ones, and easily approachable, even on days like this
>so, they asked him

"Why the long face? Well... It's different for all of us. For me, though?"
>and he chuckled, sadly
"I'd say it's weltschmerz."
>"What's that?" Blizto asked
>the anon stared back at them, before sighing
"I'll show you."

>he came back with an album, and his reel-to-reel player
>pressing start, he sat back down among them, and opened the album on a random page
>they gasped

>beautiful, rolling hills, green forests, bustling cities, happy people all around
"Earth."
>he said, simply, before softly adding:
"My home."

>it was then that they took notice of the song - while originally made of the gentle strums of the guitar, it now gained an ominous, oppressive drone
>and that's when the lyrics came

"Ooooo-ooooo-oooooo-oooooo-ooooo..."

>Loona bit back the urge to howl - something bad was coming, she could feel it

"Ooooo-ooooo-oooooo-oooooo-ooooo..."

>the guitar plinked on
>Stretch turned the page
>...and the breath got caught in their throats

"Did-did-did-did you see the frightened ones?
Did-did-did-did you hear the falling bombs?
Did-did-did-did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave-new-world unfurled beneath the clear blue sky?"

>the landscape was unrecognizable
>trenches, holes, craters
>burned and broken trees
>dead horses and cattle
>corpses
>destroyed cities, fires

>"Wuh-What have you done?"
-
>Blitzo clutched at his chest, his face warped with an unplaceable expression
>"I-It's like there's a weight on my chest." he murmured, his voice croaking
>"S-Same here..." Millie whispered, her tail wrapping around Moxxie's torso, while his did the same "It feels like..."
"Like something horrible has happened somewhere."
>Stretch finished, nodding
>the imps didn't reply
>the guitar played quietly
"You know little of it, only pictures remain, but you've heard the pain of those who been there, trough writing or song..."

"Ooooo-ooooo-oooooo-oooooo-ooooo..."

>Loona whined
>the anon just sighed again
"Worst part is, you weren't even there to pick up the pieces..."

"Ooooo-ooooo-oooooo-oooooo-ooooo..."

>he turned the page

"Did-did-did-did you see the frightened ones?
Did-did-did-did you hear the falling bombs?
The flames are all long gone, but the pain lingers on."

>the fields were green again - but now looked alien, undulating unevenly from the shell craters
>ruined buildings stood preserved as monuments
>pictures of people's photographs, black and white, surrounded by wreaths
>modern cities with only a few, old, war-scarred buildings remaining - in a state of disrepair, as if the war had never left

"Goooood-byyye, bluuuee skyyy!
Good-bye, bluuueee skyyyy!
Goodbye..."

"Goodbye..."
>Stretch whispered to the song, closing the album, as the song's last few strums faded into silence

>the imps looked back at him with an expression all to familiar to him - a sensation of pain, loss, with a sprinkling of guilt and bitterness, blanketed by a layer of hurt disappointment

"This is what it feels to be human."

>he explained

"To feel remorse - that dull ache for something you've never know you've had, that is now lost forever. For me..."
>and he paused
"It's all the lives that have been lost. Though, I'm not sure if that would strum a cord with you."
>he sighed again
"Tough, I'm sure most of your targets may have been sinners themselves..."
-
>that "may have been" twisted Blitzo's stomach into a knot - he felt ill. Disgusted
>Loona heeled beside him, whining mournfully
>Millie was tearing up, gripped by a new pain she didn't know existed
>she wouldn't care, usually - people die down here, all the time, but...

>"...like something horrible has happened somewhere..."

>she'd seen these people, and the world they came from - and saw where they ended up
>dying in mud and blood, and leaving behind pain
>she leaned onto Moxxie for support, as the marksman remained the last to keep his back straight - almost... too straight
>like a spring pulled too tense, Moxxie sat, trying not to think of... Anything
>this new sensation had overwhelmed him - he was hoping, desperately hoping, that it'll pass
>but it didn't

"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man."
>Stretch droned
"It works in reverse, though - the more you know, the more you hurt, but the more you know, the more you're afraid of not knowing enough."

>he gave yet another deep sigh

"It doesn't matter how much you know, though - no amount of knowledge would change this from being a tragedy, or just a big number of deaths. That's a matter of the heart."

>he stood up, and began to walk away

"And heart is something we hadn't trained for a very long time."
>he mused
"We were too busy trying to know enough that won't be deceived by the Devil again, that we shut ourselves away from all things good. You've seen the results."
>and he motioned across the Hall, where the other anons were


>he smiled, suddenly - a soft, sad, but warm smile

"Though, if you can feel pained by remorse, that means there's hope for you yet."

>and he left, leaving three imps and Hellhound to their devices
>he needed rest - and they needed time to understand