[PQ] just a haze on the water

it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name

Remi couldn't hear Ronin anymore, and the things he was saying were going unanswered. That wasn't necessarily a reason to panic, it just meant that the Dark Star wasn't close enough to hear him. It certainly didn't imply that anything had happened to Ronin.

Completely coincidentally then, Remi doubled down on his efforts to tear the fucking whale open with a silent snarl. Shifting from manticore to octopus to take a breath, Remi became human again. Debris materialized around him, falling down against the curved ribcage prison he found himself in. He thought of mountains, thought of stones too heavy to lift. He made himself dizzy with effort as he created sand and boulders, trying to create earth as hard as bedrock that it might finally tear through the faux skin and bones of this cage. Using both telekinesis and earth to keep everything from flattening out, Remi created a sharpened point against the whale, hoping the weight against the pseudo-blade would cut through.

---

Remi creates more and more earth to pierce his way through the whale.

it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay

DELPHIA

It still resisted. It still fought. It cloaked itself to hide it's soul. The zombie-esque demigoddess's eyes seemed to glow as her fury grew. "When Mort calls for you, you will come!" she shouted bony fingers curling as if to grasp Whale 1's soul in a vice grip. She would not allow this creature to go on without the consequences it had brought unto itself with its resistance.

As the soul of Sailor 1 flew to Delphia, Tishy quickly jumped and caught it, holding onto the shiny, pretty thing, while her companion focused on doing away with the ghost whale.

---

Delphia continues to try and syphon the soul of the ghost whale and Tishy holds onto the Soul of Sailor 1 for her.

Here in the forest dark and deep

I offer you

Eternal Sleep

MAEA

It had been a gamble, but Maea felt her strength fade, the magic slipping from her grasp. She growled in frustration, and pain as the jostling of the whale sent her careening around inside it again, knocking her half senseless. Battered and bruised, with no apparent way out, all she could do was wait, pray, hope that the whale would open its mouth again. If only a sliver of light would shine down into its inside, she was prepared to zip into a shadow as soon as it appeared, and hope that she would be able to reach another shadow outside the whale. She was small, and the creature was large, and Shii sent images of flashing lights; there should be one big enough for her to slip out of, somewhere. If only she could reach far enough. To better her odds, Maea struggled to get as close to the mouth of the whale as she could.

Meanwhile, a small will-o-wisp was sharing the panic. It left the whale and zipped up to the man on the cloud, to try and gain his attention by darting towards his face, as pesky and annoying as a small orb of light could be. And once it thought it had Ronin's attention, it zoomed back towards the whale that so rudely swallowed its companion, circling over it in frantic loops.

----------

Maea tries to get as close to the mouth of the Whale #2 as possible, ready to try and shadow teleport out if it opens its mouth and lets some light in.

Shii tries to catch Ronin's attention and direct it to the Whale #2

Light is easy to love
Show me your darkness

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

dont know where the lights are taking us
but something in the night is dangerous

Well that’s a wrench in her plans. She can feel the vibrations, the movement in the water as the whale attacking the ship crashes beneath the surface, diving deeper and turning her head to see what’s going on - finds that it’s right on her heels. Oh hell fucking no, she isn’t about to be swallowed by the wrong whale. And then have to waste a perfectly good teleport getting out? Nope.

With her eyes back on her target, Wessex tries to waste as little time as possible by shooting a biopulse towards Whale 2 and then immediately teleporting to somewhere hopefully right in front of Whale 1. “Remi!” she screams into the water, trying to let him know she’s out there. Does water transfer sound like that? She doesn’t know, but it’s worth a try. His name isn’t as panicked as the exclamation point makes it sound - just more of a hey, you ok in there? I’m coming in kind of thing. And if he’s not okay, if he could hold on a little longer, that would be grand.
-------------

Wessex biopulses Whale 2, then teleports to in front of the mouth of Whale 1 and calls out to Remi as a heads up.

please just don't forget me Astral!Ronin might not be able to speak to Remi any longer, or affect the world around him, but he was still hopefully able to create some light within the shadowy shroud of Whale 1. And as Wessex, of all people, suddenly appeared beneath the water with him, he gave her a brief nod  of greeting but nothing else. Best to stick with her though, until she zapped away again. Meanwhile, the real Dark Star surveyed the situation from a small distance above the ship. A bead of sweat rolled down his face; the exertion of sustained magic was beginning to show, and he took a deep breath to steady himself. The ship was beginning to turn and it looked as though the whale he'd ram-headbutted was occupied elsewhere. Before he could make a decision, a sudden fluttering of light appeared, catching his attention and bringing it to Whale 2. "Well, alright then," he said, and the nimbus sped across the waves to the gargantuan creature (it didn't take long). Digging deep, Ronin summoned another two shooting stars, launching them towards the beast's skull. Astral!Ronin says hi to Wessex in front of Whale 1. Real Ronin follows Shii's instructions and unleashes another barrage of starbolts at Whale 2.

The weight within Whale 2 grows and grows. With no air within to aid with buoyancy, the great creature begins to sink. Infuriated by this as well as the discomfort in its system, it writhes about, shaking Remi within his bone-jail. The sharpened point against its skin indeed begins to wear through the magical layer of flesh.

As Delphia continues to tug at its soul, Whale 2's will to live, quite literally, begins to sap away. Dark inky smoke blisters from its skin, coating Wessex as she appears before it, burbling something incomprehensible into the water. Angry at the entire situation, Whale 2 happily snaps up the demi-goddess. Wessex tumbles down, colliding with ribs and other bones on her way towards its stomach.

Meanwhile, Wessex 's bio pulse renders Whale 1 immobile for a few moments, which is both good and bad for Maea. Since the whale isn't moving, she isn't taking additional damage. But the radius of the pulse reaches Maea as well, stiffening her body and making her feel dizzy and disoriented.

Ronin 's starbolts sizzle against the water where Whale 1 is taking refuge. The sea lights up with star lit electricity, crackling against the bones of the great whale and, sadly, against Maea as well. The damage isn't much, but it is enough to lull away the pale-skinned girl wrapped in rags of grey to an eternal slumber. Her soul will rise, visible to Delphia.

---

No posting order.

Whale 1: 48% HP
Whale 2: 25% HP
Whale 3: 0% HP - Spirit taken by Delphia

Ship: 85%

Sinking Sailor 1: 0% - Spirit taken by Delphia
Sinking Sailor 2: 0% - Spirit in whale 2
Sinking Sailor 3: 0% - Spirit taken by Delphia

Ronin: 182 HP
Remi: 180 HP - Inside Whale 1
Maea: -21 HP - Inside Whale 2
Delphia: 44 HP
Wessex: 85 HP

it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name

Remi can't hear Wessex, nor can he see that well as she descends down towards him. For all of his husband's emotional light-support, light disperses far too quickly this far down to be of much use. So as the whale struggles and grows even darker, the alchemist takes this as a sign his efforts are working and continues to conjure and create heavier and heavier minerals. His magical abilities too are being sapped—especially since he has to switch between forms to hold his breath, and switch back—but dying with Ronin shining above him seems like such a ridiculous notion.

Then again, it does seem like exactly the sort of thing that might happen to them.

Ronin? The alchemist called out mentally, not sure how far he was from his actual husband at this point. If this all goes sideways, know that I whale always love you.

it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay

DELPHIA

As Delphia continued to fight the whale, tugging and pulling at its soul, the pulse of another death reaches her senses. "Maea..." she breathed, looking over where the girl's soul rose into the sky. It was a shame - she had such promise as one of Ludo's chosen - her life cut far too short. But this was the way of the world, and now she could go to Mort and rest in peace.

She extended her other hand, calling to the pale girl's soul to give her refuge before her flight home to Mort. "Come, Maea. Rest at ease, you will see my father soon and tell him of all your adventures." she said.

---

Delphia continues to try and siphon the whale's soul away and calls Maea's soul to her as well.

Here in the forest dark and deep

I offer you

Eternal Sleep

please just don't forget me The sea lit up with with the force of his starbolts, but the whale he had been attacking did not seem to be resurfacing. Ronin took a deep breath, trying to decide whether or not to continue the assault (the little bobbing wisp had disappeared, as far as he could see) when the sudden, faint sound of his husband's voice reached him. R.. ...whale ... .. love ... A frown creased the Dark Star's brow. "You fucking what?" he asked. It was enough, strange (and funny) as it might be, to trigger a pang of anxiety in the hunter. Was Remi thinking clearly? Was he delirious? Drowning? Ronin needed no further motivation to fly in the direction of Whale 1, fully intending to throw his efforts into helping. Aware of Wessex and Remi's location in a way that he tragically had not been for Maea, the Dark Star opted for his axe again. He waited for an opportune moment, and flung the weapon down at the creature's head. His astral projection winked out, too, finding little way to assist any further. Hearing Remi's faint calls, Ronin redirects his attention to Whale 1. He throws his axe at the whale's skull, and dismisses his astral projection.

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

In the end, there was nothing she could do. The darkness surrounding her was solid, and no matter how she reached and tugged on the magic in her soul, her reserves had been depleted.  Still, Maea kept struggling to reach the mouth of the Ghost Whale until the very end. Until a wave of energy passed through her and rendered her immobile, stunned and dizzy.

Her body ached. Hurt, from too many blows, too many impacts with bone and undead tissue. Broken ribs, damaged organs, too many bumps to the head. And when the light she had been waiting for finally arrived... it finally broke her last frail tethers to the frail shell of a body she always struggled to keep alive. It blinded her, chased away the darkness of her prison, and all of a sudden, all the pain fell away.

Feeling strangely light, oddly free from the fear that had choked her only moments before, she rose out of the churning waters. All around her, the battle was still raging, but none of it reached her. In detatched sorrow, she saw Shii struck by the second starbolt. The light of the wisp flickered and went out... only to appear again beside her. Their minds tangled comfortably, at ease in this new state of being.

"Oh dear. That did not go as planned, did it?" Turning, Maea gazed towards Delphia, now clearly visible to her. She smiled at her friend, a little rueful. "I really thought I would get out of there. " A ghostly pale hand reached up to drag through moonlight hair, her fingers restless and impatient even in death.

"Could you... tell him I'm sorry, that I have to leave him?" Maea knew Delphia would know whom she meant. Mort's Daughter was well aware of to whom her heart belonged, who would be in her thoughts at a time like this.

"Tell him, I really did try to come back. That I love him, and... ah, well. I guess it doesn't matter. He already knows the rest."  

The figure of the girl shimmered, and changed. Shrunk, from a small, frail looking young woman into the sleek, spotted form of a leopard. With golden, almond-shaped eyes she turned to look towards the distant shore, in a long, lingering stare. Wished that somehow, her gaze might reach Sunjata. Somehow, somewhere, through whatever workings of time... in a final moment of goodbye.

Then, with a soft sigh, she turned and went willingly towards Delphia, with the spirit of her companion drifting by her side. Eagerly awaiting the final blessing, as she prepared to go where she had always longed to be. To Mort's embrace, where her family already waited.

Time to go home.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

dont know where the lights are taking us
but something in the night is dangerous

Goddamn refractory period. Is this what men feel like? Unable to do the thing they want to do, but just… can’t make it work.

She tumbles down, swallowed whole, collecting bumps and bruises along the way. There’s something pulling at her energy, too, and she hopes that the nanites kick in to start the automatic healing thing.

The belly is full of… minerals? Earth. Something. “Remi?” she calls again. “Remi, over here.” Trying to listen, find the sounds of a living thing in there, she moves ‘inward’ in a fucked up game of Marco Polo, calling repeatedly until she can hopefully find the alchemist or bring him to her. If she does manage to connect, The Wraith begins to copy his magic to make more and more heavy things, biding time until she can teleport again. “Give me a postminute and we can teleport out of here.”

If she can’t connect with Remi for whatever reason, Wessex tries to lock herself in place by stabbing her talons into the undead flesh on either side of a rib and holding on till she can teleport again.
----------------
Wessex tries to find Remi by calling for him in the belly. If she finds him, she tells him it’ll just be a sec and then copies his magic to help make earth and things. If she can’t find him, she tries to hug a rib and stay in place with her talons until her next post she can gtfo.

Remi 's efforts now combined with Wessex create a jagged opening in the belly of Whale 1, but not before Delphia is able to tear its soul right from its ghostly body. Now just a strange skeleton, the whale begins to sink down, and down, and down.

Ronin 's axe falls into the water, losing most of its speed almost immediately. It's recalled into his hand.

Whale 2, furious to have its meal snatched away by Delphia, turns in the water eyeing the ghoulish-girl balanced on the sinking ship. With a deft flick of its tail, it shoots towards her aiming to collide with both she and the wreckage and to destroy both.

The NPC crew, having received no other orders, continue to steer the ship away from all of this.

---

No posting order.

Whale 1: 0% HP - Spirit taken by Delphia
Whale 2: 48% HP
Whale 3: 0% HP - Spirit taken by Delphia

Ship: 85%

Sinking Sailor 1: 0% - Spirit taken by Delphia
Sinking Sailor 2: 0% - Spirit in whale 2
Sinking Sailor 3: 0% - Spirit taken by Delphia

Ronin: 182 HP
Remi: 180 HP - Inside Whale 1
Maea: -21 HP - Spirit taken by Delphia
Delphia: 44 HP
Wessex: 85 HP

dont know where the lights are taking us
but something in the night is dangerous

All that work to get in and of course, the alchemist would have been fine all along. Silly Wessex.

The insides are breached and the whale sinks - an opening made for all the gunk and bodies and earth to leak out of (or not). Not sure whether to be relieved that they did it and maybe just a teeeeensy bit bummed that she didn’t actually get to play the hero to the hero-est of them all, the Wraith reaches out for the Remi and takes the two of them back to the deck of the ship they started on.

It’s just easier and quicker that way.

And fuck the ocean. "Why are there giant, man-eating whale-things everywhere Ghost Whales here, Land Sharks in the Ground..." Caido, you sick fucker. Muttering to herself, Wessex separates from Remi and looks for Loki, who calls out an elated greeting.

-------------

Wessex does a teleport with Remi back to their ship.

please just don't forget me The whale sank and plunged downwards, and Ronin had to swallow his panic and fumble to catch his axe as it returned to him. Wessex and Remi could both breathe underwater, he told himself, and were more than capable of getting themselves out of danger. So the Dark Star gave his attention back to the remaining Ghost Whale, tracking its progress right across to the sinking wreck... and the figure standing upon it. "For fuck's sake," he whispered under his breath, urging the nimbus onwards in an attempt to reach Delphia before the whale breached. "Grab hold!" he shouted, holding a hand out for the demi-goddess that he might pull her up and onto the cloud as he flew by. Ronin tries to rescue Delphia before the whale can nom her!