Afterparty Buffet

[superstylishsquid]

[So, that trial sure happened, didn't it? And on nearly empty stomachs, no less. That's why people might catch Alastor headed for the kitchen as soon as they're out of the theater, obviously intent on making food. He's in there a while, actually, and the hallway outside of it smells strongly of some rather tasty food.

What he's up to will become clear when he goes around to tell people to visit the mess hall. There, he's set up a varied buffet on one of the tables, all of various foods easy to serve in small portions. This includes small slices of beef only very lightly seared on the outside, but also more fully cooked fare, and even a few fruit and vegetable dishes. Plus the requisite spread of alcohol, because it sure has been A Day, huh?

...Also, while Hermes obviously doesn't eat, he still gets the instructions to go to the mess hall. Huh.]

Comments

[superstylishsquid]

[Alastor jumps, from where he's apparently contemplating what else he wants to eat.]

He wha- Of course, I should have figured. If their souls are still intact, this sort of thing is Charon's specialty!

[Running over to see what the letter says! Give it! Give it!]

[exequte]

Yes, here-

Just... um. Don't... don't tear it up, okay? Even if he says you can.

[superstylishsquid]

Of course not, I just want to-

[As his eyes (presumably) scan over the letter, his eyebrows go up...and then he scowls.]

What the hell?! I'm already a Devil Arm! Why did I need to have my original powers replaced like this!

[exequte]

Maybe... maybe it's to prevent you from being able to use any power powerfully enough to break the seal? If that is what's going on. Keeping you with something else seems like it might leave you handicapped.

[superstylishsquid]

This is ridiculous...it's not even like suppressing my powers makes me not a Devil Arm anymore, just locks me out of my weapon form.

And I guess we know the dead aren't getting updates, since we already figured out the rest of that.

[exequte]

Maybe.

We don't know when this got sent, though. It could have been almost a week ago.

[superstylishsquid]

I doubt it was that long, considering the stubborn old man had time to change his mind about his bluff.

[exequte]

I guess. But it's not like there's a date.

And, regardless, it's nice to have confirmation, right?

[superstylishsquid]

Not to mention proof that their souls are alright. I was worried they might've been eaten, too.

[exequte]

Y-yes....

[There is a long pause. Then....]

Do you... think this means we might be able to get them back?

[superstylishsquid]

It's entirely possible, yeah. He said there's an exit, and...if he's right, none of you are fully human, anymore. Devils shouldn't have to worry about their bodies being dead.

[exequte]

We're what???

[onychomance]

I figured I wasn't human when parts of me turned into wheels.

Are you saying we're immortal in a sense?

[yesorwoof]

[Makima ghosts her palm with a giggle over the back of the letter. She looks brighter than anyone has ever seen her.]

Why would Charon wait that long? I've seen him before back on Monday. This mark is based on Moriarty-kun's conversation with me.

[superstylishsquid]

Yeah, I saw him a couple times last week. Doubt he's running on a delay timer.

[yesorwoof]

About your weapon form, though. Do you believe that we are all devil arms and we all have at least one weapon form? If you couldn't take your first weapon form, is that proof we're all too weak to take any kind of one?

[It's actually pretty similar to the weapon human hybrids who all transform with some trigger like a ripcord...]

[superstylishsquid]

If we really are Devil Arms...and I know some of those powers listed match some I know personally...we should. A Devil Arm at its most basic is a soul with demonic power that's been transformed into or bound to a weapon.

I'm a longsword, for example, and I can normally turn into one and back at will. Aoi's a pretty distinctive set, and should have the power of a pair of twin scimitars.

Of course, that raises the question of what happened to the souls inside the weapons. Aoi's are incessant chatterboxes.

[voidseeing]

... mine would normally be a rifle.

[He sounds... surprisingly certain of this, for some reason.]

[autonomousthought]

I was already a weapon, too... I guess being heavy artillery isn't allowed?

[She might be pouting a little.]

[yesorwoof]

Wasn't Aoi-kun a receiver who said he would never have a body swapping vision as some others did? [She remembers vaguely.] Since Zero was bent on keeping that "niece" alive for power, it made it sound like psychic potential ran in families. But Akane-chan's vision wasn't necessarily more powerful than the others..

[This is relevant to why Alastor was modified. There'd be a close analogy if Akane had in fact been modified in her own way, with her similar close connection to past games.]

[exequte]

I... um....

That vision....

It wasn't like anything I'd done before.

[pegasinister]

[after everyone has discussed the letter for a bit:]

Alastor... what can you tell me about this... Charon? Are they a demon?

... ironic that they share a name with one of the Ten Elites.

[exequte]

[Well, she's not Alastor, but she sure does Know Things.]

Charon was the ferryman of the dead in Greek Mythology. He took payment from dead souls in order to take them across the River Styx into the underworld.

... you also have heard of someone by that name, though? Interesting.

[pegasinister]

I have, though they have been long dead. The Ten Elites are the founding members of most of the Fodlan nobility- though in Adrestia specifically our lines are blessed by the Four Saints as well. Excluding House Vestra, of course.

[His tone is... condescending, but Akane knows him well enough now to guess it's not aimed at her. More these 'Blessings' Hubert speaks of are something he finds detestable]

[superstylishsquid]

He is where I'm from, but I don't think this is the Charon I'm familiar with.

Some is familiar... [He pulls a coin out of his boot and flips it.] So there might be other consistencies. Mortals paid them to safely guide their souls after death, so they wouldn't get lost and end up snagged by some hungry devil, and had a specific design for the coins they used.

He's also the only guide like that I know from ancient Greece who had a fondness for boats.