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Shiri is in their office at their gallery, which is currently closed down for the evening. There are still dim lights on, and the person working security has been told to let Cian and Eyrgjafa in and bring them to the office. Until they arrive, Shiri is currently sitting in their chair behind their desk, working on something on their laptop.
Eyrgjafa arrives almost exactly at the arranged time, dressed in a casual pair of jeans and blue teeshirt. She approaches the security person, nodding at them. "Eyrgjafa Freyjasdóttir. Mx. Touati should be expecting me."
Cian arrives a few moments later with his leather pack on his back, dressed in high waisted pants and a simple striped waistcoat over a full sleeved shirt. More dressed up than usual, certainly, and he follows Eyrgjafa in.
"Cian Doyle," he states to security with a nod. "They should be expecting the both of us."
The security guard eyes both of them suspiciously, because it's his job, and then nods and lets the two in. The odds that two people will just happen to show up claiming to be the exact people he was told to let in? Low. He makes casual small talk about the unexpected success the Flyers are currently having in the playoffs on the way up to Shiri's office, and then knocks on the door and opens it for them when he reaches the office.
Shiri looks up when the door opens, smiles, and says, "come in you two. Thank you for being willing to meet me here. I've had a busy schedule this week and didn't have time to drive over to the Bellevue for a meeting."
"Not a problem," Eyrgjafa replies, leading the way in. "I heard you had a new show launch last night. How'd that go?" She moves to take a seat, crossing one leg over the other.
Cian, at least, can respond to the small talk enough to continue the conversation, based on the few hours spent at a sports bar while a Flyers game happened to be on, and he gives the man a sharp sort of smile. An then his attention is focused on Shiri, nodding at them as he eases into an available chair, setting his bag on the floor beside it.
"No trouble," he agrees with Eyrgjafa, and sits back as he listens to the small talk.
He seems like the sort of guy who could just talk at someone about the subject for a while even if they had no idea what he was talking about, as long as they listened, but it's fortunately a short trip.
Once the two vampires are inside he says, "let me know if you need anything, Shiri." Then he closes the door and is gone.
"Aside from a reporter who couldn't follow the rules about not taking photographs, it went well. Most of the people I was hoping would show up did. That's probably not what you're here for tonight, though, is it?"
"Not so much, no," Eyrgjafa admits, smiling slightly. "I was actually wondering if you had any thoughts about the possibility of a connection between the Nereids and the being calling themselves Rihat, since apparently there are sea creatures linked to the fall of Nineveh in the Tanakh? Am I pronouncing that correctly?"
"Eyrgjafa has said it." Cian smiles. "I have done some research, but that is all from an academic perspective. And rather Christian as well, honestly."
Shiri's eyes shift as her gaze moves between the two other vampires, and then a light touch on the control for her chair backs it a few inches from the desk as she answers. "You have to understand that this isn't exactly a time period I have first hand accounts of. I was born in the 19th century. But Nineveh is discussed in the Tanakh, yes. Back to its founding by Ashur, though there's debate on whether that's a person, or whether it means Assyria, which would have made Nimrod the founder. Largely a discredited idea, and also not important. Sea creatures?"
Eyrgjafa shrugs one shoulder. "It's not one I have first hand knowledge of either, but you'd at least be likely to have access to texts with less layers of translation than any either I or any of the Sanctimonious have, or could read even if I did have them." Beat. "I don't know if you've heard about the results of young Phaedra's scrying, but apparently the Nereids worship some sort of abyssal creature, and have a bane relating to the sea."
"I managed to print out the images I found..." Cian leans to open his bag, and pulls out printouts of the blobby sea creatures he'd found, the ones that Phaedra had seen Rihat working on.
"These might be the creature mentioned in the story of Jonah and the...giant fish. Much of what I found was inconclusive, but there seems to be a connection."
Shiri guides their chair out from behind the table with one hand and reaches for the printouts with the other. They don't take them, they wait for them, but they're obviously interested. "The Sanctimonious. I like that," they say. "They can't even get the details of their own faith particularly straight. I wouldn't trust them with anyone else's. The Jonah connection is an interesting idea, but he did live centuries before Nineveh's fall. His tomb was there, you know. Well, supposed tomb. That doesn't mean there's not a connection, just that it might not be obvious."
Eyrgjafa nods. "I realise it might be grasping at metaphorical straws, but even a connection that isn't obvious would give us some more information to go on in resolving this issue."
Cian leans forward to hand Shiri the images. "These are the tenuous connections we have, and we're hoping to find something else. Anything, really. These sea creatures do exist, and have something to do with Rihat, but how they relate to the Nereids is...unclear."
Shiri is listening as they look at the photos, but there's a soft hmmming from their lips as they consider all of this information. "One thing about the story of Johnah and the giant fish is that both of them are purported to have almost been eaten by the Leviathan." They look up. "Are you familiar with the Leviathan and the mythology around it? It has a lot of similarities with Lotan, or Tiamat, or Vrtra, or Jörmungandr. A primordial creature of the sea. Well, usually of the sea. Vrtra supposedly blocks rivers."
"Most of those I've only heard of in passing, honestly," Eyrgjafa admits. "I'm familiar with Jörmungandr, though, yes. The lore around the Miðgarðsormr is fascinating." She glances at Cian. "The World Serpent, if you're not familiar with the Norse faith."
"In passing, yes. Mythology isn't my strong suit, but there's a story in almost every culture..."
"In a lot of cultures anyway." Shiri smiles at Cian. "I think we've lost the stories of too many of them to count, and can't know if they had similar stories. The Book of Enoch describes Leviathan as a female monster from the ocean's abyss. The fish that Jonah encountered was also supposed to be a primordial creature, but not to the scale of Leviathan. It's possible that the sea creatures are related? The number of tales from different cultures that deal with a serpent in the depths is certainly interesting. Suspiciously interesting."
"Definitely something to look into, however it turns out to be relevant to the Nereid issue." Beat. "The Book of Enoch? I don't remember ever hearing about that one."
"It's true. Here's hoping we can put a stop to all this before this culture records the existence of a monster from the sea. The sea that is a good hundred miles away by river...though Nineveh was further away than that. I'm unfamiliar with the Book of Enoch, as well."
"The Book of Enoch isn't widely considered to be canonical in my faith, anyway" Shiri explains to Eyrgjafa. "At least outside of Beta Israel. It describes the origins of a lot of creatures, like demons, and a lot of exposition on the reign of the mashiach. The messiah. Not really here nor there." Their hand waves the matter away. "Leviathan appears elsewhere as well. The aquatic counterpart to Behemoth. Good that we haven't seen him around, right? I may need to do some more research."
"...Behemoth? I assume that's a large terrestrial creature of some sort, or are we going to have to start watching the skies, as well?"
"Are either the Leviathan or the Behemoth something that a powerful Kindred could have been mistaken for? This Rihat has been antagonistic enough..."
"Ziz," Shiri says to Eyrgjafa with a smile that's almost apologetic. Sorry to make you worry! "It's only mentioned in passing in Psalms, and is supposedly like a griffin so big its wings can blot out the sun. Possibly related to Simurgh." They shake their head after they consider Cian's question. "I don't think so," they say. "I don't think Rihat would be either of them. Maybe he's trying to control one or all of them?"
"Simurgh. That's Persian, right? I vaguely remember Tahmina mentioning it once, but that was a while ago." Which probably means "decades", given the timescale Kindred operate on. "If he is, we'll definitely need to stop him. I know he claimed to be looking for Adelgrief's library, but that was lost before I ever came here."
"Is there any information about how they might be controlled? I wonder if Adelgrief's library had any information..."
"Really?" Shiri seems surprised by Tahmina bringing Simurgh up, and then they're not surprised a moment later. "I guess Simurgh might not be part of the Mazdayasna traditions, but she's still a Persian scholar of the occult. That stands to reason. As far as I ever heard there's no controlling them." They pause. "Well, other than the fact that eventually Leviathan will be slain and the righteous will eat her flesh, and cover the tent for that banquet with her skin, but killing her and controlling her are different things. I wish I knew where Adelgrief's library was."
"A rather different fate than that foretold for Jörmungandr, but the precise details aren't so important here, I think." Beat. "We probably all wish we knew where it was. Sadly, anyone who knows either died when he was overthrown, or is hiding their knowledge so they can plunder it in secret."
"Plundering it in secret would keep Rihat from finding it, at the very least." Cian offers a humorless smile. "Shiri, do you mean that Leviathan has not yet been slain?"
(brb to feed cat)
"Not that I'm aware of," Shiri answers. "I couldn't tell you whether Leviathan is actually real, but I suspect there's some element of truth in the existence of a creature that seems to have spurred some many stories in different cultures." They glance up as they seem to consider something. "I wonder if we could call on spirits that might be able to tell us where a hidden library is."
"That could work," Eyrgjafa nods. "Not something I know how to do personally, but I can talk to people who can, at least."
"I know fewer people here than I probably should," Cian admits. "If you already know those who can help, Eyrgjafa I'd be happy to assist you in reaching out to them. Divide and conquer, as it were."
"Speaking with and summoning spirits is something some of the Circle of the Crone have a talent for. I don't." Shiri offers the pictures back to Cian. "It might be that this is a tactic someone has tried already, too. That I just didn't hear about it when it failed. But we can always try again?"
Another nod. "I was thinking either Henevi or Atalo might be good options to talk to." Eyrgjafa glances at Cian. "If you're willing to take point on talking to Atalo, I can ask Henevi about it."
"Absolutely. He and I have a common clan and family, it shouldn't be a problem." Cian takes the pictures back and slides them into a folder before returning them to his bag. "Has anyone discussed it with any of the Invictus? Not that they have any reason to make that information public to those outside their covenant."
"I'm sure that if the Invictus had found the library they'd be gloating." Shiri snorts. "Well, actually, they might just quietly remove it from the city and not say anything. From their perspective it belongs to them. I wouldn't expect much cooperation, or if they did cooperate, a high chance of double-cross to make sure that they alone get their hands on it."
"Standard Inwictoos behaviour, in other words." Eyrgjafa rolls her eyes. "The last commissioner of theirs to come to town didn't do their image any favours even before she annoyed people into introducing her to the sun."
Cian shivers and grimaces at that. "I...may have some small inroads with one of them. I make no promises, we don't tend to talk politics, but...I can ask him about it." He doesn't look overjoyed at the concept, honestly, but there's no taking it back now.
"Bingo," Shiri says. "Standard behavior. It sounds like you have some ideas, then? Is there anything else I can help you with tonight? If not, I'll look into a couple of things myself and let you know if anything turns up."
"Nothing I can think of right now," Eyrgjafa says, recognising an implied dismissal when she hears one. "Thank you for your time, Sagamore Touati." She stands, then, bowing slightly before turning to leave.
"I hope one of us turns something up. Would you like us to inform you if we find anything new?" Cian grabs his bag, and stands with a nod.
"My pleasure. I like visitors," Shiri says with a smile. "You both have a good night. I'd love any updates you have, since my curiosity is piqued."
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