FINAL WEEK

[strangerpeople]

FINAL WEEK

[Well. What else can be said? The Little Courtesy is over. You have all survived. You are now going to your final destination-with invitations to boot. And Charlotte will be getting that private audience, as promised.

But it's not over. Everyone knows it. Confrontation is inevitable. The question is what, exactly, will happen when that confrontation happens-or if anyone will in fact be able to go with Charlotte when it happens. But you've gone this far. There's no turning back. There has to be a way.

Nothing has been certain, or simple. Whatever happens will be no different from the horrors of the Little Courtesy. Perhaps the saying might still hold. Will all be well? Will it?

It must. God help everyone if it isn't.

Seven is the Number, but there are nine strangers left in this place.]

Comments

[biddentodance]

[He blinks. His stomach growls. He is hungry, it's just that....every time he tries...]

Haven't...been able to eat more than a bite or two....

[katzenpfote]

Fortunately for you, soup is more sipping than anything else.

[biddentodance]

....

[He...still feels so guilty... But he lifts the bowl. He'll try. He gets about two and a half mouthfuls, before guilt rises to choke him, leaving him coughing.]

[katzenpfote]

[He quickly helps Minato lower the bowl, putting an arm around him to steady him.]

I am here. I only want to help you to survive.

[biddentodance]

[It helps, and fortunately he stops coughing pretty quickly.]

I-I know. Thank you. [He's....still trying to get used to the idea of people actually actively wanting him to be alive, and not just because he's useful.]

...Ironic, that his name was Orpheus...

[katzenpfote]

... Is it? Why is that?

[biddentodance]

....Power I have, in my own world. Called Persona. Most don't have it at all, most of those who do only have one... Power to summon figures of legend, history, and folklore that resonate well with your personality. Mine's a bit different, but...

My first Persona was Orpheus. Master of Strings.

[katzenpfote]

... I see. Well... that must have made it harder for you...

[biddentodance]

Sorry...forgetting how much I explained to who.

Orpheus - the legend - was a master bard. Greatest in the world, learned to play lyre from Apollo himself - god of art and the sun. Bet-known story is when his lover Eurydice died, Orpheus went into Hades - land of the dead, ruled by a god of the same name - after her. Played his lyre so well he charmed Hades the god into allowing him to bring Eurydice back out, to live again, on the condition that until they were out of the underworld he couldn't look back at her. Almost made it out, but he was anxious and looked back to make sure she was following - but she hadn't made it out yet, so she was lost to the underworld forever.

Not...sure what that says about me. Futilely fighting against death, I guess.

[katzenpfote]

... I do not know. I think that is something most of us do...

[Carefully, he lifts the soup bowl again.]

This one is... half family recipe, half of Cadeuceus' recipe. I was not sure if there was anyone opposed to eating meat, so I used some heartier mushrooms. He doesn't eat meat... I suppose it might be a Wildmother thing. Or perhaps a firbolg thing...

[biddentodance]

Usually less literally, but...guess you're right.

...Eat just about anything. [Yes, Minato, probably everyone has noticed. Odd Morsels. Why.] Wildmother....firbolg?

[katzenpfote]

The Wildmother... Melora. She is the goddess of wilderness, the sea, the harvest... all things wild and natural. Sailors pray to her for safety from storms if they're not praying to the Stormlord, farmers pray to her for good harvests... that sort of thing. Caduceus is a cleric of hers. Her worship is banned in the Empire, but it happens anyway.

Firbolgs are a somewhat rare race... very tall, somewhat greyish skin with light fuzz on their bodies. Wide, flat noses that look a bit like a large cat, and long ears that are not pointed. They keep to themselves a lot... they tend to be very connected to nature, from what I have seen and read. Apparently they're somewhat reluctant to leave their tribes...

[biddentodance]

Don't know if there's any similar goddess, in my world.... Maybe in a culture I'm less familiar with. Good harvest, though, that'd be Demeter, at least in Greece...

Other races. [Mithos had mentioned this, too.] Must be interesting. Only humans, where I come from. Lots and lots of us.

[katzenpfote]

There's seven of us that travel together and only Beauregard and I are human. Two humans, a half orc, a tiefling, a firbolg, an aasimar, and a goblin. And there are many more intelligent races.

[biddentodance]

SEES.....ten of us, used to be. Six now. Eight of ten - five of six - human. One of our lost is a robot who resembles and can operate almost identically to a human. Other one....best dog in the world.

Orcs I know of, and goblins. But...tiefling? Aasimar?

[katzenpfote]

Better than your very large dog, then?

... Tieflings are bloodlines that have been touched by a devil's power. Either the offspring of cursed humans, of devils and humans or tieflings, or other tieflings. It doesn't mean they're bad, really.

Aasimar are almost the opposite... usually. I don't think Yasha realizes fully what she is, but it's a bit obvious to me. They're from bloodlines that have been touched by a celestial presence... though based on her abilities I suspect her bloodline might be a bit darker than the standard aasimar.

[biddentodance]

Ooh, tough call.....but Koro-chan did save the entire squad, when we were betrayed. So there's that.

[So....half-demons, kind of, and not-quite-demigods, by the sounds of them. Huh. And common enough they don't seem to be terribly foreign.]

Angels and demons just....mingle with people, in your world?

[katzenpfote]

Not normally, but some do dabble with those powers. And the bloodlines persist and sometimes disappear for a time before re-emerging.