An Ocean

[CyMage]

After making his way to the deck again, Bolt looked for the whale.   "It definitely is a big one.  Are you going to take the shot, captain?  Or did you want one of us to do it?"

[Arakawa]

Ika was busy barking (well, not the right word, her voice was too thin for it) orders to give chase to the White Whale and ready the boats. Since this was a strange game in search of a ribbon, she was beginning to get a hunch as to what the appearance of a White Whale might mean... this was most likely going to be complicated and unpleasant.

"Oh, you'll get your shot if you're so eager for it." Ika finally answered the navigator, "Now if we could figure out what happened to our harpoons... and then I have a rousing speech to give.... and then we go down in the boats and..." sigh "... hunt the whale."

[CyMage]

Taking over the harpoon gun, Bolt pointed out.  "You might want to hurry up with the speech, captain.  We are heading towards it."  Making a quick check of the gun, he started loading it with one of the harpoons available on deck.

[Arakawa]

Calling the attention of the crew, Ika gives her speech.

Um... how exactly do you give a speech again? Ika decides to just start with the obvious.

"THIS IS A ROUSING SPEECH!"

That should clear up any confusion, shouldn't it?

"... how do you hunt a whale, men? You do not sit in the ship and wait for it to come to you. You have to go out and chase it! That's how life works! You chase stuff, you have to go out and try things, whether you're looking for some whale or for some silly ribbon!"

Whatever. Anyone thinks that speech is bad? They should try making their own speech.

"That said, anyone who is afraid of being left behind! Or of sitting complacently and failing to get the rich rewards of action! -- who will come with me, in my boat?"

[Dracos]

OOC: *handwaves*
IC:
The ship shook as the storm raged around them, the sailors staying on feet mainly, but it was a struggle.  "But captain, where are the harpoons?  The whole place has been ransacked!"

The sailors were looking at each other suspiciously.  "What kind of coward takes the harpoons?"  None seemed to be brave enough to get into the boat unarmed.  Especially with the lightning crackling overhead.

The harpoon gun at least was now armed, but it'd be a hard shot in these waves unless they got right up alongside it.

"Ahem,"  The first mate stumbled up, "You lillywitted slackers!  Check the armory.  Grab a harpoon per man and get into the drop ships!  Dammit!  This is the one, isn't it captain?  It's dangerous to chase in this storm though."

[CyMage]

Wiping more water off his glasses, Bolt calmly waited for his shot.

[Dracos]

OOC: Rolled a hit
IC:

The storm raged heavily, making the shot quite difficult, the boat bouncing up and down as Bolt lined up the shot, sea salt splashing against his face.  Patience won out though and the shot went clean in, a fearsome bellow as the boat began to get dragged along by the enormously strong whale.

[CyMage]

"You."  Bolt points at a random crew member.  "Get me another harpoon.  If I can get a few more hits, it might slow down enough."

Arming the gun with the new harpoon, once it arrives, Bolt takes another shot.

[Dracos]

OOC: Another hit, but gonna wait a sec to let Arakawa enter back onto the scene.

[Arakawa]

Having been essentially dragged along to the boat by the further progress of affairs, Ika falls quiet and watches the navigator throw harpoon after harpoon at a poor sea creature. This was always Ika's problem, missing the right moment to stand up for herself... though, what could she do?

The navigator could finish off the whale himself for all she cared. (She can hold it against him later if an appropriate occasion came.)

Ika looks at the water. Worst case, she could just jump out and swim for it, couldn't she?

[Dracos]

Another harpoon speared into the side of the whale as it turned around, charging into the side of the ship with a heavy thud.

Indeed, though the water was rough, as a squid, Ika could dive beneath it.  It would even be safer for her than being in the boat.  Well, assuming the whale didn't swallow her whole.

[Arakawa]

Holding onto her hat, Ika decides she should do something...

"How many harpoons do we have left?" she inquires.

[Dracos]

"Here captain!"  A sailor handed her one, each of the five on her boat holding a harpoon, two more on the floor.

[Arakawa]

Giving up on trying to find a way to end up without a dead whale, Ika decides that they might as well get the carnage over with quickly.

Hefting her harpoon in a tentacle, she decides to try something no one else can do: stab the whale with the harpoon while still holding on to it... as soon as it gets close enough for her tentacles to reach.

[Dracos]

Well, that worked interestingly.  The whale turned, shaking boats aside as her harpoon lashed into it, the huge creature screeching angrily as one red eye opened to stare at her, it's bulbuous bulk carrying her along as it smashed right through the small boat she was on, taking the sailors down to their watery graves.

OOC:
10 hp damage.  The big ship is still there, but the whale has destroyed all of the harpooner boats.
*pokes cy too*