Off Topic
This continues directly from here and is waiting for a mod note from Peg. 
He shut off the wells and the ship gradually just slowed until it was drifting of its own recognizance. "Wat now?" He asked, looking to the Mer for advice.
"Now, you go and shout into the void and we find out if Sotong is hungry." Her words were not cruel, she was trying to lighten the mood. As land-dwelling meddlers went, this one was OK and it would be a shame to loose the only person that understood the Holo-coms they had only recently been given. But also, there was no small boon for her people hanging on the ferret's success totrial.
"Right-oh..." He said, plainly, and launched off with a splutter of water and a whoosh through the air.
Flying out ahead of the ship, he stopped, hovering above the water, using gentle puffs of water to keep himself steady in the breeze.
"OH! GREAT SOTONG!" He began, at the top of his lungs, quite unclear on what the correct protocol was for addressing a Leviathan. He had been told the creature was very proud and highly intelligent, so 'respect' was going to be his main approach. "ME 'AVE BOUGHT YUH A GIFT!" He continued, gesturing to the ship behind him as the seas around him continued to remain unchanged.
Winston waited for a moment for something to happen, but there was nothing. "DIS SHEP ES DE FIRST AF ETS KIND! SURPASSED BY NONE ODDA. FAST! QUIET! POWAD BY MAGICS NAT BEFAR SEEN."
He gestured to the Mer still standing aboard Boaty to activate the holographic device.
With a little concentration, the one ship became four. All floating on the sea. All identical in appearance.
He waited again... This time there was a rumbling sound... No, a 'sensation'... At first he thought the world was shaking, but came to realise as the voice echoed in his mind, that it was him that was shaking as the telepathic voice struck him.
"YOU NEED NOT SHOUT. SOTONG HEAR'S ALL."
Winston steadied himself against the voice in his head. Unable to focus on his suit, he began to drift towards the water.
He didn't know if he even needed to speak, but speak he did as he replied. "Af cars. Af dis me 'ave no doubt." He was not sure how, but he knew the voice was satisfied with this response.
"You bring a gift. This is wise."
The voice was less oppressive now, thought still, he suspected deliberately, more than was comfortable for the ferret to deal with. "Yes. Please, et es yars. Ef yuh cun. Please feel free tuh read my tharts. Et 'as taken a great effart tu build an' me 'ope dat yuh tink et makes a fittin' tribute tuh yuh greatness." He was not assuming anything and if Sotong had the ability to do so, the open book that was the ferret would sense his desire to become 'friends' and to defeat the pirates, of course. But it would also be clear, that he had no intention of leaving here with that ship... It was his now, whatever the great creature of the deep did next.
The great leviathan was more than a little please with the gesture. It let one giant tentacle creep up the side of the ship and flop over the edge, onto the deck. The stench of the sea wrecked off the thing as all four of the ships appeared to suffer the same fate simultaneously as they rocked from side to side.
Like an immused adult, a little shy of enjoying a child's new bath toy to much, it discreetly played with the ship and watched as its three complete mirages mirrored its movements.
"Most pleasing it is that you recognise my superiority with this tribute. I accept this 'gift'."
Winston beamed, forcing he joy through the discomfort of communicating with the great and intimidating creature.
"I should like more 'gifts' such as this." Sotong proclaimed, running flush on the back of the offering. "Until then, you deserve a reward."
No sooner had it made this claim, did the sea erupt in a swell the size of a small island. The ship(s) bucked and rocked on the waves and water poured from atop the gargantuan Leviathan like great waterfalls from rainforest floods. The scene could be seen even by the crew of Floaty, from afar they sucked in air and counted their lucky start to be so far from whatever was occuring as they continued to make range in the mistaken belief this made then safer.
The towering mody of the unbelievably large creature loomed over the tiny and insignificant ferret. "This is YOUR gift. You may tell those you meet that you cast eyes upon the great Leviathan Sotong and LIVED."
The ferret looked up at the slick, towering monstrosity, frozen by its presence. It was several moment before he recovered and with every single inch of his body proclient with an awe so deep it hurt. "Wooooow, mun. Yuh es magnificent... Chep will neva believe dis one...."
Sotong looked down at the tiny Creature. He had already heard of its endeavours. Of the good it had done for the Mer, whom he considered part of his collection no less than the piles of ships beneath the waters under them right now. He had asked nothing in return for returning their Children either. The great creature's hate and malice towards the Pirate Lords and of Chrien swelled inside it. That Chrien was imposing such sway over its actions and choices stung its pride deeply and with mortal intent.
"You came seeking an audience. You came seeking aid. Perhaps for a god of the sea to take down the Pirate Lords!" The voice was hurting his head again now and Winston was sloshing around in the water, saved only by the fact
his suit allows him to breath under water
. He squinted and held his head, trying to resist the pain and emotion that washed over him. The great creature was not pleased. Not happy, but with him?"Yus. Et 'ad been me 'ope... *cough-splutter* ...Dat we cud become friends. De peepl as Scalvaris an' yuhself." He tried to shoot water out of his thrusters to get out of the water, but only managed to thrash about in the violent waves.
The giant began to topple to one side. It was an inevitable movement, that felt like it was happening in slow motion as it pushed aside the waters into which it fell. As if realising it was harming it's newly found play-thing, its mind calmed.
"I AM friends with Scalvaris. The island provides good waters and a rich supply of trophies." It replied as it continued to lumbar back into the sea. "Things AND people I like."
Winston focused on the conversation at the cost of his buoyancy to try any hold the great Sotong's interest, his nerves becoming a little fried in the process. "Dem Pirate Lords show yuh non af de respect yuh deserve." His words were very careful. He wanted to engender a sympathetic response, not an aggravated one. Sotong was clearly prideful and he didn't want to harm its pride, instead perhaps he could share a sympathetic ear. After all, how often does a creature such as this simply get a gift and a friendly chat?
"Dey duh nat appriciate de 'onar yuh bestow upon dem. Me wud like very moch tuh bring yuh dem's ships as trophies far 'ow mean dem 'ave been." He was skating on thin ice now, he was sure. Careful to be clear he wanted to help, but not that the Leviathan was so weak as to need it and incur his wrath.
"The Pirates are INSIGNIFICANT..! But Chrien favours the chaos they cause. Her hatred for Scalvoris knows know end." Now completely submerged again, the only reason Boaty was still above water was thanks only to the tentacular support it received from the Leviathan itself.
Was it Chrien pushing Sotong's buttons after all, not the pirates? "Me don't like dat Chrien..." He was likely going to get into trouble for that, but if Chrien didn't already dislike him, he'd be very surprised. "She es tuh bug far 'er boots."
The Leviathan was reminded of the most recent of current affairs that amused him greatly. Taking direct action itself against Chrien would incur him her wrath, but... This tiny little land 'thing', so small to even be small amongst it's own people, had convinced the Mer to stop offering their Chosen children to her. This little jibe at Chrien, even though not by his own hand, had caused the great creature joy. The one known as Winston, so his informants in the Mer informed him, had given several gifts recently that has pleased Sotong.
As if only just realising that the poor insect-like thing was struggling, Sotong move it's body and the ferret found itself sprawled out across the expanse of the Leviathan's large tentacle.
Winston froze...
The Devil on My Shoulder
Curiosity: OMG! I'm RIDING a Leviathan!
Winston: Eeeeeeeee.....
Curiosity: OMG! I'm RIDING a Leviathan!
Winston: Eeeeeeeee.....
Exhausted from the effort of staying in one piece, he lifted himself up onto his feet with a giggle, the fact he was almost weightless going a long way toward making that possible.
The surface under his feet vibrated as the creature spoke once more. "Continuing to be a thorn in Chrien's side will earn you a painful existence... But a Leviathan's thanks."
And with that, the great creature began to sink back into the depths of the waves from whence it came.
Winston didn't quite know how he knew, but that this was a 'farewell' seemed obvious. With a little hop and some thrust from his boosters, he shot up into the air, clear of the sea. "While she plays her games, I cannot. But you can borrow my boat and my many, many eyes... FOR NOW!"
And with that and a greate sequence of 'sssslllllock' sounds that rang out as it released Boaty, sank into the depths. Marks were left across its surface where the gargantuan tentacles had held it in place, marking it forever more as Sotong's Ship.
Returning to the ship, Winston called out to the other ship using his Hol--com and began the negotiation process involved in getting then to come in to get him, from the doorstep of a Leviathan.
| ! | Message from: Peg |
| Content approved. This ferret is a mad ferret! |
All template credit, love and admiration goes to Kisaik
