I realized that the Dinner Crew doesn’t have any sort of seal or crest to represent them, so me and @random-dragon-jtk got to thinking!
We wanted something simple, something that members could easily embroider into the inside of a jacket or the back of a watch to signal to others while keeping discreet. Or something.
At first we considered Hank’s zodiac (the moon/button) as their crest, but decided that the dinner crew would mostly not know that Hank had any real relation to Alcor, or that it was his zodiac sign. So we turned our attention to the “dinner” part.
Basically it’s a plate and silverware.
The design would change over the years, most often based on the mentality of the current crew. - The original crest created by Hank was a plate in front of a fork and spoon, the plate resembling a shield to represent their peaceful intentions, and the fork and spoon to symbolize their priority of care but a willingness to defend themselves.
A crew with a more violent leader like Henry Travers, the Cenacolo or that one Mizar may have the plate moved behind the silverware, or a knife in place of a spoon to represent that they focus more on attacking than defending .
In the case of Darceus, the plate moved to the back to show that they were on alert after the persecution from the Chancellor Administration , but kept the spoon to show that they were peaceful and prioritized the safety of their members over attacks against humans. The plate is also much more intricate than the ones before it, as a way to go directly against the pro-nat idea that preters are animals/less than humans by deliberately displaying artistry in their crest. The choice of flowers was meant to symbolize growing past the violence of the past, and being able to flourish freely without fear.
Considering that the Cenacelo were so deep in the mafia aspect that they lost the Dinner crew name, it’s likely that their version of the crest has actual weapons on it.
The most common items are the fork, spoon, and knife, but any sort of dining utensil can work! I imagine that for a while the crest sticks closer to the original, but over time begins to branch out with different arrangements and utensils. The resemblance to the original would also be based on the ideals of the leader and the message that they’re trying to send. Do they admire the past leaders and want to pay tribute to them? Or are they trying to distinguish themselves from the past and make a name for themself? Maybe they have entirely different ideals but want to use the past leaders as an excuse to hide behind? Stuff like that. Details on the plates would likely come to represent the species of the current leader, like a cervitaur would have antlers, an elf would have plants, ect. (Though I hc that Darceus was the one to start the detailed plates, and it eventually gained new meanings)
Plus in some variations the crest resembles a button, which is how many people interpret Hank’s zodiac!
!!These are all technically headcannons btw!! If someone wants to make a crest of their own please go ahead!
