open to all investigators. (3rd day of Maiden)

[creatic]

[ okay so he's pretty well known to just drive you people up a wall in telepathic conversation but in rare instances he can be serious.

And one thing the veterans, at least, know? He never starts open conversations unless he's serious and with something worth hearing. And he only says things worth hearing when he finds it dangerous. ]

Right, so, I think we might suddenly have a really big problem. Like, really big.

[ yeah he means it literally concerning it physically as much as simply metaphorically. ]

Has anyone heard of anyone around the ships talking about something called "the Grasper"?

Comments

[unabatedly]

[He's not the only one listening in. But she finally speaks.]

How so? What is the Leviathan?

[creatic]

[ YEAH WHAT'S A LEVIATHAN... he'll just let neria ask the questions here instead of repeat them. ]

da Vinci-san?

[ you have his full attention. ]

[howexciting]

... you can call me Leonardo, you know. Da Vinci only means "from Vinci", the city where I was born--

[Right. The Leviathan.]

Mi dispiace. What is it that the mermaids have said about it?

[creatic]

Well, I won't object if you say so, it is certainly way easier to pronounce.

She said it was the Empress's beast—their Empress's beast?—significantly larger than the ships and devours anything and everything because it's insatiable. She suggested taking the ship into shallow waters, so I'm guessing she's not exaggerating and it must be really damn big if it can't go there.

[howexciting]

Yes, mermaids are a matriarchal society, it makes sense they have an Empress. The mermaid you spoke to is correct on those fronts, at least from the stories. She suggests we move to shallow waters because the Leviathan is supposed to be very large and formidable. It also lives in deep waters and only arises when awakened or, in this case it seems, summoned.

The Leviathan is supposed to resemble a squid, although other stories say it is a mix of squid and whale. It is rumored in some stories to have hard scales on its back that nothing can pierce through, and can breathe fire though it lives in water. One story even says it can boil the sea water around it and possibly breathe fire. It is also called the Kraken by some, though others seem to think the Leviathan and the Kraken are two different creatures.

Then there are the whirlpools it can create.

[creatic]

...I see this little Empress of theirs just has to have the pet that does pretty much everything, doesn't she? [ because that is kind of insane. ]

....Possibly different? [ still a problem regardless of which it could be. There's a small hum from him as he considers. ] so I guess they're somewhat similar to Akkorokamui, but with a real thirst for death and destruction.

[ Akkorokamui is just fickle and has some 'off' moments. ] ...Akkorokamui is considered unkillable. Leviathan and Kraken are...?

[ please finish this sentence with good news... ]

[howexciting]

Akkorokamui is considered a mostly benevolent creature, is it not? I may be wrong on that...

... but the Leviathan is certainly not benevolent. And it is much larger than the Akkorokamui. I know in my culture, it... it is believed to be a servant of Satan, also possibly the Hellmouth itself. The Hellmouth is a monstrous creature who eats the damned at the Last Judgment. Though this is clearly not the same beast, since it is being summoned by the Empress herself... but it is still a troubling sign.

[He pauses his train of thought for a moment, before finally adding:]

It supposedly is very strong against conventional weapons - it says in the Bible that "iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood". I have no doubt it would be a difficult battle, even if it were able to be killed. I would very much not like to find out.

[creatic]

Oh ho, Leonardo has knowledge on Akkorokamui, too? It is, but it is considered terribly fickle and has its moment where it will attack boats and sailors for no reason.

[ he wants to hear more about your culture sometime, it sounds terribly morbid and fear-mongering. ]

I'm not really into sticking my sword through slimy sea monster skin and guts, that's for sure. [ he's always eager to be proactive and use force more than most of the others, but he's not stupid. something of that size versus their own just makes it a challenge on the fact of size difference alone, nevermind it actually being considered strong against typical weaponry. ]

What do you suggest, then?

[ he hates making decisions and he knows a person worth getting an opinion from when he sees one. ]

[unabatedly]

If I might interject.

[He didn't ask for her opinion, per se, but Neria's been listening intently and doesn't like what Leonardo is describing. A great deal of what he says goes over her head - Satan, the Last Judgment - but she knows full well what he's implying. This creature is a danger to them and everyone else, but specifically for the merpeople.

They don't know them. They don't know if they're trustworthy. But they're their people. They need to be protected.]

We need to start preparing for it coming towards us head on. If the mermaids - merpeople - have any inkling of what it is, perhaps they will know of its weaknesses too, or how we might be able to trap it.

[howexciting]

Well... yes. In Dolorosa, I accompanied many of the Illuminated to the Summit, and that is where I found all of this knowledge on magical creatures... but it is good to fill in parts that are missing.

[He mentally notes that to himself, and tucks it away. There are more important things to discuss. He listens to Neria's words, agreeing with them for the most part.]

What I would like to do may be impossible, but... perhaps we may solve two problems at once? We are being chased by a vessel with red sails - I am sure it has been pointed out to you by now - and we are dealing with perhaps a very dangerous creature. Why not put them in the paths of each other? I say we follow the schools of sea creatures and steer the vessel into the path of the Leviathan. Then we will only have to deal with one threat.

[unabatedly]

[...Actually.]

That's a fantastic idea.

[Kill two birds with one stone. Hopefully, both will destroy each other in the process. She finds it very unlikely a sea mammoth will want to team up with an errant ship.]

The question is how we'll be able to keep the Leviathan focused on the ship rather than on the mermaids that are with us.

[howexciting]

It may be difficult for us to do much except convince the crews to help out the mermaids, but... given this other ship might not know il Leviatano is coming, they might attack it, if it moves too close. And if not, they will either decide we are not worth the trouble, or focus at least part of their attention upon it instead. The Leviathan may still come for us, but the ship will be less of a threat, then.

[unabatedly]

Or if we can manage, even briefly, to divert the Leviathan into the path of the other ship. Hopefully, it will feel so threatened that it will be too preoccupied with destroying the beast to do much else.

[It's not a guaranteed plan, though.]

We'll need to get the Leviathan's attention focused on that ship as well. Otherwise, it will make a beeline for us simply because we have the mermaids among us.

[creatic]

Direct its attention to something else? How do you even get something bigger than one of these ships to notice you and then get it to go away and play with the other one once you're done? I can't even train Hijikata-san to do that.

[ BUT UH BACK ON TOPIC... THIS COULD BE INTERESTING, SPEAK TO HIM ABOUT THE CRAZY PLAN YOU'RE BOTH ABOUT TO COME UP WITH FOR THAT ONE... because he'll probably go along with it. ]

[hakodate]

Don't make me come over there.

[howexciting]

We will need to keep a close eye on the waters, regardless. It is a bottom-dweller, in most stories, so it may stay in the deep for a time.

[creatic]

That would be really terrible of me.

I only have one tinsel ball to keep Hijikata-san's attention because Hime ate the others. [ kiyohime please, these cat toys are rare expensive artifacts... ]

[hakodate]

One what the fuck now?

[creatic]

That shiny stuff I decorated your room with back on Belljar.

[ and by decorate he means pretty much trashed with that shit everywhere like there was a war that happened. to this day he has yet to give hijikata that full and true version of exactly what happened in his room while he was gone. ]

[hakodate]

I'll scratch you behind the ears for half an hour straight if you eat the last one before he does anything with it, Kiyohime.

[She's part of Souji, she should be able to hear this shit somehow, right?]

[unabatedly]

We make the other ship more enticing.

[creatic]

That's such a vague word when you use it, I have found. [ so they need to basically find monster candy to tie to the navy vessel. ]

[unabatedly]

If the Grasper is after the mermaids, then perhaps we can fake having a mermaid on their ship. Or give them the scent until it becomes too distracted by the Navy ship firing on it to worry about its mission.

[creatic]

...Fish people smell different, huh.

[ oh god, he didn't even consider this. ] And what he hell is that Navy ship's problem with these guys, again?

[unabatedly]

Possibly.

[She sighs, shrugging loftily...not that Souji can see it.]

Exiles from court, pirates, and former soldiers? I imagine they're on the run from the gallows. They might not all have committed any crime, but all of them fleeing down the same channel is bound to cause them further trouble.