Literature
[Curio] The Leviathan
By all rights, it should’ve been a perfect day.
They’d picked a little cove a few hours’ walk from Seajewel: rock pools, pale sand, a crooked bit of ancient ruin half-buried like a broken tooth in the cliff. The sea was calm, the fog thin, the gulls lazy.
For once, nobody was shooting at them.
Mantis lay on his back in the sand, arms thrown wide, coat unbuttoned, letting the sun soak into scarred fur. Waves hissed up the shore just shy of his boots.
“This,” he announced to the sky, “is character development. I am relaxing. I am capable of relaxing.”
Seeker, his miminyka, snorted from where it was half-buried in the sand nearby, large rubbery body humming faintly. The larger head was chewing seaweed. The smaller, more suspicious head kept swiveling, mechanical eye whirring at every gull.
A few meters away, Odysseus sat on a chunk of toppled ruin, long legs crossed, cloak pinned up to avoid sand. A small holo-slate hovered beside him, displaying export figures and weapon schematics in
![[OC-tober 2026] 1 - Enemies](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0317f588-bb7f-4892-819b-c38d03bcf30a/dmy4jav-2a862a88-b4bf-483b-964d-e8bf3490a047.png/v1/crop/w_92,h_92,x_0,y_13,scl_0.10574712643678,q_70,strp/_oc_tober_2026_1_enemies_by_erizell_dmy4jav-92s.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTM4MCIsInBhdGgiOiIvZi8wMzE3ZjU4OC1iYjdmLTQ4OTItODE5Yi1jMzhkMDNiY2YzMGEvZG15NGphdi0yYTg2MmE4OC1iNGJmLTQ4M2ItOTY0ZC1lOGJmMzQ5MGEwNDcucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTg3MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.s4Eux83Ld-Q5umdct7j0GlF-K_Tu6JRM3ozYrYr7ORU)
![[AF 2026] - Black Hole](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0317f588-bb7f-4892-819b-c38d03bcf30a/dmib57m-affedb3a-69e2-4699-8e1f-4b9e885fbf3f.png/v1/crop/w_184,h_184,x_3,y_0,scl_0.098977945131791,q_70,strp/_af_2026_black_hole_by_erizell_dmib57m-92s-2x.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTc4NSIsInBhdGgiOiIvZi8wMzE3ZjU4OC1iYjdmLTQ4OTItODE5Yi1jMzhkMDNiY2YzMGEvZG1pYjU3bS1hZmZlZGIzYS02OWUyLTQ2OTktOGUxZi00YjllODg1ZmJmM2YucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTE5MjAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.ncHbfcgL5aA8e5bvi5YMlMAt9zMucnhUg8AvDt-pJ8c)
![[AF 2026] - Black Hole](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0317f588-bb7f-4892-819b-c38d03bcf30a/dmib57m-affedb3a-69e2-4699-8e1f-4b9e885fbf3f.png/v1/crop/w_92,h_92,x_2,y_0,scl_0.049488972565896,q_70,strp/_af_2026_black_hole_by_erizell_dmib57m-92s.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTc4NSIsInBhdGgiOiIvZi8wMzE3ZjU4OC1iYjdmLTQ4OTItODE5Yi1jMzhkMDNiY2YzMGEvZG1pYjU3bS1hZmZlZGIzYS02OWUyLTQ2OTktOGUxZi00YjllODg1ZmJmM2YucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTE5MjAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.ncHbfcgL5aA8e5bvi5YMlMAt9zMucnhUg8AvDt-pJ8c)
![AKA-DEMON [CLOSED]](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/92dd3155-1a29-402d-a540-d01db6fc46ce/dljevj7-03b7b567-83d7-4775-ad1a-ef8ff172f5ca.jpg/v1/crop/w_184,h_184,x_0,y_3,scl_0.065340909090909,q_70,strp/aka_demon_closed__by_nocturnekiss_dljevj7-92s-2x.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.6SfBCzhic1CLFkv2ij3cMyUnv7ID5neMmxrFnu_GyOk)
![AKA-DEMON [CLOSED]](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/92dd3155-1a29-402d-a540-d01db6fc46ce/dljevj7-03b7b567-83d7-4775-ad1a-ef8ff172f5ca.jpg/v1/crop/w_92,h_92,x_0,y_2,scl_0.032670454545455,q_70,strp/aka_demon_closed__by_nocturnekiss_dljevj7-92s.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.6SfBCzhic1CLFkv2ij3cMyUnv7ID5neMmxrFnu_GyOk)
![Deirdre [CM]](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/ee22e09b-8da6-4b00-9a06-7b73f51873fe/dji4j42-49d911b5-5b08-42c6-bba6-28e166c88a6e.png/v1/crop/w_184,h_184,x_0,y_9,scl_0.0736,q_70,strp/deirdre_cm__by_firephoenix0419_dji4j42-92s-2x.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTUzNiIsInBhdGgiOiIvZi9lZTIyZTA5Yi04ZGE2LTRiMDAtOWEwNi03YjczZjUxODczZmUvZGppNGo0Mi00OWQ5MTFiNS01YjA4LTQyYzYtYmJhNi0yOGUxNjZjODhhNmUucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.qa1jhEjTmeZkSmZSJb5o2YaFxDpxq4MDMy8F2qV_8ig)
![Deirdre [CM]](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/ee22e09b-8da6-4b00-9a06-7b73f51873fe/dji4j42-49d911b5-5b08-42c6-bba6-28e166c88a6e.png/v1/crop/w_92,h_92,x_0,y_5,scl_0.0368,q_70,strp/deirdre_cm__by_firephoenix0419_dji4j42-92s.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTUzNiIsInBhdGgiOiIvZi9lZTIyZTA5Yi04ZGE2LTRiMDAtOWEwNi03YjczZjUxODczZmUvZGppNGo0Mi00OWQ5MTFiNS01YjA4LTQyYzYtYmJhNi0yOGUxNjZjODhhNmUucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.qa1jhEjTmeZkSmZSJb5o2YaFxDpxq4MDMy8F2qV_8ig)
