abraxaslogs | [closed]

[The morning has passed by the time they exit the water, the sun's position in the sky indicating it's now around midday. Michael declares the venture a success: all of his limbs are accounted for, and not once did Nanaue turn around and take a bite out of him.

They did also manage to take down the leviathan that was harassing fishing boats out by the Tertiary Settlement, of course. That was the whole reason for heading out in the first place. The creatures are supposed to be chasing off Thornean warships, not making life difficult for the local fishermen.

Each of them holding one of the leviathan's fins, they drag what's left of it out of the water and onto the beach. On Michael's side, the beast's hide is dotted with ragged, approximately human head-sized holes, as if an overeager god took a cookie cutter to it. He's sure there are more substantial chunks missing from Nanaue's side. There's still plenty of meat left on it though. More than they can eat—especially now that it's dead. Only living flesh and warm blood interest the leviathan hunger he's been cursed with.

Michael drops the fin he's holding and then snaps his fingers to dry his clothes. He makes his way around the creature's head to address Nanaue before the manshark forgets he's here and wanders off.]

There's more than even you can eat here. Do you want to keep any of the rest?

[Given how much of Nanaue's work incorporates bones, he figures there's a good ton of arts and crafts supplies for the shark in there even after they strip the meat for local consumption.]

[ Michael is correct to guess there's chunks missing on Nanaue's side. With the bulk of the leviathan blocking his view as they drag it to shore, he can't see how the manshark continues to snack as they go. It's the only sort of multitasking Nanaue excels at.

He's shoving a fistful of slimy flesh into his mouth when Michael approaches him, and he stops eating for a second to appraise the carcass. ]

BIG SKULL. GOOD FOR BEE-EN-BEE. GUEST KNOW YOU STRONG!

[ It would make guests feel even MORE safe staying there!

He rips another chunk of meat off the body and swallows it. ]

[Michael pauses to consider the monster's head while Nanaue keeps snacking. Most of the flesh is still on it, but he can picture well enough what the skull beneath looks like. The notion of keeping a trophy from the hunt appeals to his ego.

But, again, most of the flesh is still on it. Michael shakes his head.]

No, too many crevices. Too hard to clean. Neither of us would be able to get all of the meat out.

[Then all it would do is ward guests away with the smell of rotting fish. It's exactly the sort of thing that would appeal to Carl's scavenging nature, probably, but then Michael would have to carry the lazy bird to it and hold his arm up as a perch while he slowly picks at it and no. It's not happening.

Michael approaches the leviathan's mouth. He crouches, lifting the upper jaw with his shoulder and getting his hands on one of the large triangle-shaped teeth. It grinds within the bone as he twists, but after a moment it comes free with a snap.

He offers it to Nanaue.]

For your next necklace.

[ Nanaue pauses in his snacking, and stares at the carcass again - as though dubious about Michael's assertion that they would not be able to remove all the flesh. Nanaue is usually very thorough, and Michael has MANY mouths to tear at it with...

But, Michael easily distracts him again. He chortles at the violence with which Michael removes the large tooth, and then takes it gingerly in one large, web-fingered hand. ]

THANK YOUUU.

[ As usual, his thanks is entirely genuine. He tries to shove the overlarge tooth into his kilt pouch, shifting it around multiple times like its a puzzle game before finally giving up, the tooth dangerously sticking out halfway. ]

BIRD EAT? [ Michael's bird. ] FISH EAT?

[ Maybe he should start making more feety fish with teeth! ]

[That tooth is absolutely going to fall out and be lost along the way home, but it doesn't matter. Nanaue will forget about it. What's important is that he's joyful in the moment. No creature that Michael has met is as good at living in the moment as the manshark.

Michael nods slowly. Neither the bird nor the fish will eat enough to make a dent in this carcass, but he supposes he may as well bring some scraps to the inn for them.]

Carl will eat some. If I cut it into small pieces, the fish will eat some.

[Should he be naming them? He figured they'd wander off or be eaten by the local wildlife, but they've been thriving in the lawn outside the bed and breakfast. Perhaps they deserve names.

He'd be less supportive of Nanaue giving his walking fish sharp teeth, but since he doesn't voice the thought, Michael looks to the task before them. They may as well start cutting.]

Let's get to work, then.

[The hush of wings beating the air sees him disappearing from the shore and reappearing on top of the leviathan's head. He pulls out a knife and digs it in, slicing flaps into the hide so they can start peeling it away from the bone and cartilage beneath.]

[ Nanaue bobs his head in a nod, blinking at the empty space where Michael disappears from and craning his neck to watch for a moment as his friend starts cutting up leviathan sashimi.

The manshark never carries a knife because he has no need of one, usually.

Hmmmmmmmm....

Nanaue peers down at the long tooth not-quite-inside his pouch, and removes it again. ]

KNIFE... ?

[ It turns out that leviathan teeth are useful enough for cutting into leviathan flesh. He chortles to himself, pleased with his own ingenuity as he cuts haphazard shapes out of the beasts carcass, slapping them wetly into a pile on the grass.

Every third slice of meat he consumes for himself. ]

HOW CARRY BACK? [ he asks after he's made a pile half as tall as himself, staring up at Michael. ]

[He figured he didn't need to give Nanaue any specific instructions on how to strip flesh from a carcass. Good job, brother.

Michael flits back down to the ground, considering the pile of meat the shark has made and then the one he's put together (his is cleaner, nice square corners).]

You could carry it.

[But the meat is still wet and slippery, hard to keep hold of when stacked one slab on top of the other like this. It's impractical. Michael looks back to what's left of the body, bones and stray ligaments hanging down.]

How would you like a sled?

[He doubts it'll take much to convince Nanaue that that's the better way. It sounds like play—especially when Michael moves back to the carcass and starts cracking a rib free the same way he pulled a tooth from the leviathan's jaw earlier.]

[ He COULD carry an pile of meat, however, even he knows that he would likely drop most of the pieces. ]

SLED... ?

[ From where? He looks around, trying to find where a sled might be - then thinks maybe Michael will use magic to make a sled. Only, now he watches his brother-friend snapping bones from the dead beast.

He stares, curious to see what he will do with the pieces. ]

[closed]

Closed - Nanaue

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