FINAL INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

FINAL INVESTIGATION


[Fifteen X-Passes. Six weeks. Freedom at last.



But it's not the end. Of course it's not. There are questions to answer, and souls to save. And now that the group is outside, they can see where they are.

They are inside a massive cavern, illuminated in an eerie green light, standing on a stone path. On one side is the ship-or rather, a massive, ship-shaped tangle of bloody branches, the trunk-like roots snaking out and into the river its buoyed on, as well as into the ceiling of stalactites. Said river is wine dark, but it's clearly not water. No-it is blood.

And on the other side of their little pathway? A root-encrusted palace. It sits over a labyrinthine city, bathed in emerald, and all is eerily silent save for some sounds coming from within the castle. It's clear the infestation somehow started here. And it is here that answers are likely to be found.

The doors are right in front of the group-and they are already open, covered in branches. From the outside, it seems little more than a ruin. Once everyone goes in, though?




It's even worse. The tree has taken over. Whatever lives here is no longer in charge. There's no easy way to disentangle the Qilphoth from this place. But there is life here, somehow. You can see figures entangled within the roots as you explore. And-they are still, somehow, alive. More than alive. They are beings that bleed ichor instead of blood-beings of incredible divinity and power. They are gods. And they are hostage to the tree, forever and ever, trapped in induced ennui, unless something is done.


So welcome, Strangers, to the House of Hades.]







[Once you enter, the investigation shall begin.


Good luck.]



((OoC: And here are team assignments!))

Comments

[superstylishsquid]

[He turns his head to look at Vergil, arms crossed.]

I had heard Red Grave City was destroyed by the Qliphoth. Not who cultivated it, though. Guess you're lucky Sparda doesn't seem to be conscious inside that sword of his, huh? Can't imagine he'd approve.

[And THAT blow dealt, he looks back at Dante.]

As for you...what, afraid he'd have taken control of me too, and made extra work for you? Guess I'm flattered you think I'm dangerous enough to at least be a nuisance.

[devilmehcry]

.........


Or he'd have destroyed you like Rebellion because you weren't...useful to him, and then I'd never have gotten to have this lovely heartwarming Hallmark moment with you.

[Yes, he gets it. The irony that Alastor was somehow deemed useless, in Alastor's mind at least, by Dante, and then comparing it to Vergil-destroying what he can't use, using what he deems worthy. Worthy of hurting Dante. It's just been how they've been for most of their lives.

Even a closet is better than utter oblivion. At least a closet's cozy.]

[superstylishsquid]

Please, this is more like anti-Hallmark. [His tail swishes.] Don't try to pretend it would've made a difference to you if he had destroyed me, at least, not until what I know helps us get to the bottom of all of this.

Can't imagine losing a weapon you never even use anymore would be a huge inconvenience, after all.

[devilmehcry]

...Why the hell would you think I wouldn't care if I saw you die or found you dead?! Look, I messed up, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be upset if someone waltzed in and killed you!

Am I that much of a heartless bastard now, or do you think so little of yourself that you believe no one would mourn you?!

[superstylishsquid]

I think I'm not willing to be human enough that you could forget I'm a devil!

Why would I expect to be mourned by someone who doesn't think I can do the same?!

[somuchshipping]

[There was a time where Hermes [Rarely Meddles] in the affairs of other people. That was before everyone wanted him to make decisions and have agency and he caved in.]

Alastor, if Roland doesn't care at all about you being a devil, even though he's a fucking PRIEST, then I don't see how Dante's forbidden to mourn or care about you.

[superstylishsquid]

Not forbidden, just unlikely. He's the one who believes only a human would shed tears of grief or regret.

[devilmehcry]

........................


That's what this is about? You really think that I'd think that little of you? Do you really not know the meaning of Devil May Cry? You wanna know why I said only humans shed genuine tears?

Because even devils can wake up to justice. Because even devils can know what it feels like to be human. A devil can be kind, have loved ones, can do right by the world, care for the world and those who live in it. They can shed tears because they know love-and there's a light deep in their souls, even if they don't realize it at first. They're just like humans in that regard. And because of that, even a devil may cry.

Its the people trying to do what's right-the people who can shed tears, human and demon-that I fight for. Yeah, I...probably could have worded it better. Hell, there's a lot of things I could have said or done better, honestly.

But...that's the truth. In the end it's always been the truth I've fought for-whether I even knew it or not.

[superstylishsquid]

Figured it was something along the lines of a threat, that even a devil would be scared to tears with you on their trail.

...Demons can love, even love humans. But I'm still not a human myself, and I don't want to be seen as one. If what you meant was that only people who are...good at heart can shed tears? Then yeah, you botched that wording, big time.

'Devils never cry' sends a pretty specific message, after all.

[devilmehcry]

...Yeah. I might have.


Not gonna lie, I was angry. Angry at Mundus, angry at the demons that killed my mom. But...I never meant to hurt you, Alastor.

[superstylishsquid]

I was angry at Mundus too, you know. He's the one who destroyed my original body, and then his cronies destroyed my empire of lightning. I wanted to fight alongside you, against demons like that. Monsters who preyed on the innocent, who would happily kill on a whim of their appetites.

But then you said that, and... [Something in his posture just...droops, despite him still looking tense.] I thought you considered me no different from any of them. So yeah, it hurt. There aren't many places anymore for a devil like me, not with what Mundus' idiotic war did to relations between humans and devils.