WHALE WATCH (ACTION; OPEN TO ALL)

[oneandmikleonly]

I. WHALE FUNERAL - KELP FOREST

Early in the day, before she's seen anyone leave the base, Merrill tries to use the telepathy for a call.

"Hello? One, two, three-- Counting in your head is normal but it's strange when everyone can hear you. But... I thought, the ocean looks very calm and clear today, it would be nice to go pay respects to that Reefback. I can perform funeral rites. So... so! That's all I wanted to say. I'll be going, maybe I'll see people? So, yes, that's all! Have a nice day!"

For anyone who does come to the Reefback funeral, they'll see something very curious. The coral that makes up the 'reef' in its name has started to consume the body of its host, spilling out over the damaged parts and sprouting out through wounds.

Someday soon, this spot will no doubt be a beautiful reef. There could be no better honour.

-

II. WHALE HOSPITAL - GRASSY PLATEAU

Later that same day (perhaps right after the funeral!), an intrepid group of crew members will head out to find the rest of the Reefback pod and help fix them up, or just observe and bond with them. The pod's slower and smaller than it was when they saw it last, more than just the one adult lost to Reaper injuries, and the young are sticking to the safety of the group rather than venturing out on their own.

Many of the survivors have extensive injuries and could certainly use the help. The crew is welcomed and musically greeted by the huge creatures when they come into sight, though the Reefbacks don't quite understand what they're there for at first . . . best to be patient, and to try not to get booped too hard by confused tentacles.

Comments

Re: II.

[oneandmikleonly]

[On the one hand, Loki's magic feels a bit...unexpectedly odd. On the other, it's hard to care about that when it looks like he just got KO'd. Mikleo drifts downward to see if that's the case, paddling gently next to him on the seafloor and...

Poking him in the shoulder. Yes.]

You all right there?

[mythbuster]

...

.....

........

[ He slowly raises a hand to shoo away the offending poke even though it's already long gone. Urgh. ]

Yeah... It just surprised me.

[ He pushes himself up to a sit, holding his face around the goggles and breathing apparatus. ]

Dammit... This is gonna leave a ridiculous bruise later.

[oneandmikleonly]

You can tell people you got it bravely assisting an injured friend...sure you don't feel dizzy or anything?

[mythbuster]

I'll walk it off.

[ Except who walks anything off in the ocean...?

Loki's expression brightens as the Reefback slowly drifts back over. He picks himself up and takes up his staff. ]

Oh, it came back. I thought it might've been scared.

[ Who's a good reefback? You're a good reefback!! ]

[oneandmikleonly]

As long as you're sure.

[Mikleo half-huffs, half-laughs behind his mask, but with Loki upright and clearly lucid he can turn some attention to their new friend, patting one of its tentacles.]

I think it noticed you helped it feel better.

[mythbuster]

They're pretty smart, huh? I'm glad.

[ Animals always amaze him... Even if they slap him in the face, they're just so forgivable. He gives the Reefback a couple pats. ]

It's hard to believe such gentle creatures can be so fierce. I wonder what compelled them to defend us against those Leviathans.

[oneandmikleonly]

They've been very kind to us on the whole.

[He falls silent for a moment, musing. Then, slowly:]

When we -- that is, the first batch of crew at the base, anyone who didn't show up inside the ship like you -- arrived here a few months ago, a lot of us found ourselves out in the open ocean and didn't know up from down. If the Reefbacks hadn't shown up to let us hitch a ride, and carried us toward the base, I don't know what would have happened. Some of us didn't even know how to swim back then, and there's not much land around here.

[mythbuster]

Really? They're more amazing than I thought.

[ It's a little touching... What good souls these Reefbacks are. He'd like to help the rest of them if he can. He glances up at the ones drifting above. ]

I want to give the other Reefbacks a boost, but they're out of reach. Any ideas on how to get them to come closer?

[oneandmikleonly]

Oh! They listen to telepathy; you need to make it really simple though, and it takes them a bit to get it. Just sort of...let them know you want them nearer so you can help; think 'down.'

[mythbuster]

[ Gasp... they get more impressive by the second. Okay!! ]

It feels silly, but I'll go for it. Down... down... down...

[ ...

Oh!! One of them is actually coming down. He halfway wasn't expecting it to work. ]

I've never met any other animal so suited to people. And people aren't even native to this planet.

[oneandmikleonly]

[He beckons the Reefback down with his arms as well (he's not even sure it can see it, but the physical gesture helps in the middle of all this mindspeaking.)]

Mm, I guess they're just...particularly friendly? We're something new, and we haven't tried to hurt them. There we go...

[The Reefback settles next to them, tentacles bobbling.]

Oh, that wound looks nasty. Those Reapers must've been pretty mad.

[mythbuster]

[ He gives the Reefback a sad pat. ]

Poor thing. You're gentle, but you're still a warrior, aren't you?

[ Loki tends to it with his staff. The wound doesn't close as it might have with other healing spells, but the Reefback seems to respond positively, wiggling gently in place. ]

Were those serpents always so territorial? When I arrived, the area around the ship seemed seemed peaceful for hours before the Leviathans came charging in. Since then, they almost never seem to leave.

[oneandmikleonly]

[His eyebrows go up when Loki uses his staff again; he sounds a little distracted, trying to make heads or tails of what's going on with that magic.]

We'd never seen them before coming to get you off the Aurora. You've been keeping an eye on them since?

[mythbuster]

[ The spell seems connected to the symbol appearing between the points of the crescent, but aside from that, it isn't very showy magic. It's neutral in nature, even if the staff itself seems to house some evil... ]

I don't go out of my way to watch them, but my eyesight is pretty keen above water.

[ And if that seems a bit vague, then it's not just your imagination. ]

That's a bit curious, though. I wonder if they could be attracted to something on the Aurora, or if they could be guarding something...

[oneandmikleonly]

It might be what the Aurora is made of...? The Stalkers keep shrapnel from the ship in their nests too. They'll bring it to you for food sometimes, though, so it's not like it compels them to hang on to it or anything.

[Okay, he might as well ask.]

...um. I have a weird question about your staff. I hope you don't mind.

[mythbuster]

[ Reaper Leviathans: magpie dragons of the sea? ]

Hm? Go ahead.

[ He's given up on keeping his magic entirely secret by now. Kinda. ]

[oneandmikleonly]

[Huge, murderous magpies...]

Is it...cursed, I suppose? I keep sensing something funny from it, but not from your actual spells.

[mythbuster]

... You can sense it? Interesting.

[ He's come across people who were spiritually sensitive, but being able to see spirits isn't quite the same as seeing the dormant evil in his staff. He has to wonder exactly who Mikleo is. ]

Well, there's no harm in letting you know. This staff can store demonic energy. Think of it as a piggy bank of evil spirits.

[oneandmikleonly]

And you use the negative energy to power more positive spells? Interesting. We have a lot of that sort of energy floating around at home, but nothing that can convert it like that.

[That he knows of. Man, he wishes they did have a converter. They could probably take care of any energy problems on the continent in one fell swoop.]

[mythbuster]

[ wow maybe Loki should visit Mikleo’s world after this?? What kind of demonic underworld is he from, it sounds delicious and ripe with evil. ]

Oh, no, no. The staff channels magic just fine on its own. The evil is for me, personally. It's good for my soul.

[ He smiles winningly. Sorry, he isn't using the evil for any positive influence... but it was nice of Mikleo to think he could be so good. ]

[oneandmikleonly]

[...

...

...squints at him, not quite sure if he's joking or not...settles on a noncommittal-sounding reply.]

I'm not seeing it. Maybe it doesn't translate very well across worlds.

[mythbuster]

I see. You can't believe such a pure and selfless person would have anything to do with dark forces. You can be forgiven for thinking so.

[ Sweet, sweet Mikleo. Always such a good guy. ]

More importantly, I'm interested in your ability to sense what's inside my staff.

[oneandmikleonly]

[He shrugs a little; he sees no reason not to be honest. Though he also makes a tiny bit of a face at 'pure and selfless.' He knows when he's being ribbed.]

It's not much. I know a spell when I see one, and I have the ability to sense spiritual impurity. It's not nearly as much use here as it is at home, but if you weren't aware of what was there a heads up is always nice to have.

[mythbuster]

[ mikleo what's with that face. are you saying you don't think Loki is pure and selfless ]

It sounds like an ability you put to good practice. Were you a priest or exorcist, perhaps?

[ Mikleo has a certain quality to him that Loki can't quite put a finger on. If Mikleo is very spiritually attuned, then maybe... ]

[oneandmikleonly]

[Look, people who call themselves pure and selfless out loud have not usually been those things, in his experience.]

Ha! Not in those terms. You could say helping purify things is my job, though, so exorcist really isn't far off.