Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Shake it off, Marla. You can do it!" Locke shouted, encouraging his mamono and trying to cure her of her timid mood. "Use your other move, Feather Dagger!"

Celes meanwhile began to gather rocks - preferably sharper and edgy ones. She didn't know or care about the rules of engagement. If that bird brain started to hurt Marla or if any of those idiots in the armor got close, they were getting a rock in the head.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Locke... Alright! I can do this!" Marla boasted, No longer Timid!

Alexis let out a 'hmph,' as she saw the fight. "Blind her, Raven, and then finish her off." Alexis ordered Raven.

"Yes master," Raven responded, before kicking up sand into Marla's eyes! But Marla covered her face with her wing, shielding herself!

"Hah! Now eat this!" Marla boasted, before fanning her wing out, and launching several loose feathers in a sharp throw! Raven receives 17 damage!

"You're the kind that uses dirty tricks, huh!? Well that won't work! You're going down!" Marla boasts, feeling Pumped!

Raven grimaces at Marla. "You... I will destroy you..." she says coldly, glaring at Marla, acting Reckless!

(Now the enemy mamono is on the defensive! Reckless means they are much more vulnerable to attack, so use your strongest skill!)

Spoiler

Marla: 75 / 102
Guts: 0
Raven: 91 / 108
Guts: 9

Choose a Skill for Marla to use:

High Kick
Pow 17
D/-/-/-
Basic

Feather Dagger
Pow 17
E/E/-/-
Basic

Encouragement: (Choose a kind of encouragement to give your mamono.

Go all out! (Increase to hit and damage, lower dodge and defense)
Play it safe! (Forsake using a skill, increase defense and dodge)
You can do it! (Cure negative morale)
She can't stop you! (Add positive morale)

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"That's it Marla! She can't stop you! Go go go! High kick!" Locke shouted, wanting Marla to take advantage of the reckless girl and hit the black harpy hard.

"C'mon, just take her down a peg..." He muttered, hoping Marla would be able to keep up the good swing of things.

Meanwhile, Celes had picked up a nice hard chunk of rock and was testing it out. Maybe Locke and his harpy were fair players, but Celes was in the business of practicality. No rules in love and war, and she wasn't gonna let her friend or his mamono get hurt by some armored punks. She eyed Alexis and where the enemy trainer was in relation to her. Perhaps the rightly timed heave would deprive the mamono of orders just when it needed them the most...

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Marla prepared herself, while Raven herself made three Swift Strikes at Marla! Marla dodged one, and was only slightly wounded by the second strike, and avoiding the third altogether! Marla received 16 damage!

In response, Marla made a swift kick at Raven! With the first kick, Raven was knocked into the air, and Marla attacked a second time! Bringing her leg down and slamming Raven back to the ground!

Marla dealt 72 DAMAGE!

"Kuh... Wounded..." Raven winced. She seemed about to collapse from her wounds.

"Get back up, Raven. Don't fail me. Even if it kills you, I want you to capture that harpy." Alexis commanded Raven coldly.

"Yes... Master..." Raven replied, straining to push herself up. "I will do... As you command..."

Marla shook her head, "I kinda... Don't want to fight her now..." Marla said, no longer pumped.

Spoiler

Marla: 59 / 102
Guts: 0
Raven: 19 / 108
Guts: 2

Choose a Skill for Marla to use:

High Kick
Pow 17
D/-/-/-
Basic

Feather Dagger
Pow 17
E/E/-/-
Basic

Encouragement: (Choose a kind of encouragement to give your mamono.

Go all out! (Increase to hit and damage, lower dodge and defense)
Play it safe! (Forsake using a skill, increase defense and dodge)
You can do it! (Cure negative morale)
She can't stop you! (Add positive morale)

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Celes' jaw dropped and she shouted out at the black feathered harpy. "Hey! You don't have to listen to her! What sort of dumbass master would ever ask you to kill yourself just so they could prove a point! Forget about her and join us! You don't have to stick with her snooty ass!"

She held out a hand towards Raven, inviting her to stop the fight and join her.

Meanwhile Locke likewise thought that this fight had already had it's victor. "Play it safe, Marla. Don't let her touch you. You're doing great." He then turned to address Raven. "My friend Celes is right, you don't have to take that. Our Ranch is a safe haven for mamono. Join us. We don't want to hurt you. We only want to be left alone."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"I will do... As my master commands... I am a creation... Created to serve her... Until I am worn, and useless... I will... Obey..." Raven said darkly, wincing from the pain she was in, before striking at Marla again, quickly slashing the hesitant mamono! Marla received 5 damage!

"I was made... By her... My existence... Is forfeit... Without her..." Raven continued, clearly in pain as her attacks are very weak due to her injury.

"Raven won't listen to you. With Magi technology, she was born with her inhibition controlled. She will never disobey me, even if it costs her life. But this is a small price to pay, if she can manage to ensnare that harpy. That is all we need." Alexis announced, before addressing Raven. "Take advantage of their hesitation, Raven. Incapacitate that harpy." she ordered.

"Yes... Master..." Raven obeyed.

"What should I do, Locke...?" Marla asked, confused.

Spoiler

Marla: 54 / 102
Guts: 0
Raven: 19 / 108
Guts: 0

Choose a Skill for Marla to use:

High Kick
Pow 17
D/-/-/-
Basic

Feather Dagger
Pow 17
E/E/-/-
Basic

Encouragement: (Choose a kind of encouragement to give your mamono.

Go all out! (Increase to hit and damage, lower dodge and defense)
Play it safe! (Forsake using a skill, increase defense and dodge)
You can do it! (Cure negative morale)
She can't stop you! (Add positive morale)

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"That's it!" Celes let fly the rock at Alexis' head. "She can't obey you if you're knocked senseless!"

Meanwhile Locke took a deep breath.

"You're my priority Marla, the safety of my mamono comes first. Attack her normally. Just take her out of the fight with your feather daggers."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Master...!" Raven exclaimed upon seeing Celes throw the rock, as everyone would watch the black harpy stand in the way of the rock's path, and take the blow directly to her head, and collapse to the ground. Bleeding from her forehead, Raven had clearly lost the last of her energy to fight. as she looked up at her master from the ground. "Master..." Raven said with an endearing tone.

"You disregarded my orders. I did not need saving from such a crude assault." Alexis stated.

"I... Wanted... To protect you..." Raven replied, speaking as if she truly loved Alexis.

"I'll remind my scientists to remove the next experiment's emotion..." Alexis sighed with annoyance, and as Raven lifted her wing, and took Alexis by the ankle, she kicked the harpy's wing away. "I don't need to be loved by a monster. Don't touch me." she said coldly to the harpy, before rounding up the men with her, who stood in front of Alexia, looking Celes down, ready to guard their master against anything else she might want to throw. "I guess I'll have to try again. This marks yet another failure. Just leave her there, let those peasants decide what to do with her." Alexis stated, before making her way back down the path.

"Master..." Raven called out, reaching out again with her claw despite having been kicked away. "Master... Where... Are you going...?" she asked, rolling to her front, and crawling along the ground, trying to follow Alexis. "Master..." she whispered. "Master... Are you... Abandoning me...? No... No...!" Raven denied, pushing herself up with great strain. "Don't leave me... I will succeed next time...! Please, master...!" she begged, approaching the soldiers, as the nearest one pushed her back, causing her to fall on her back, tears running down her face. "Master... Why... I thought... I was perfect..." she cried, whispering lightly of how she was clearly losing her mind.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Celes scowled and then ran towards the retreating knights. "Peasants are we? Well we're a hell of a lot more 'noble' than you'll ever be. You better get lost!"

Celes knelt down beside the wounded Raven, who was getting neurotic fast. "Damnit! I never meant for the rock to hit you! What'd you have to risk yourself for her for? Raven, that was your name right? You need help. Fast. Locke, Marla, we need to call off the rest of the search. She needs help, and her FORMER master clearly isn't intent on giving it. Poor thing..." Celes hesitantly reached towards Raven to touch the mamono tenderly.

Locke meanwhile embraced Marla. "You did well, Marla. I wish victory could taste a bit sweeter than this however. Whoever that Alexis is, she's beyond cruel. Celes is right again. We need to help her."

Locke went over to see how badly Raven was hurt. "If we need to get her medical help, we'd better set off for the nearest town."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"My master's... Last order... I..." Raven continued to cry, trying in vain to choke back her tears. "I... Shall let you decide what to do with me..." she said, still clinging to that way of thought, even though it was clearly breaking her heart.

Marla was merely silent as Locke spoke to her. She looked down at Raven, as tears of her own began to form, as if she understood the other mamono's suffering, before looking up, and frowning at the departing Magi. "... I'll be back," she said simply, before suddenly flying off quickly, leaving Locke and Celes with the abandoned Raven.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Marla? Marla, be careful!" Locke said, unable to say anymore as Marla flew off.

Meanwhile Celes started to tear up, seeing how loyal Raven was to a completely ungrateful and undeserving master. "So you'll accept whatever fate we decide for you? Fine then. We've decided to make sure you get better, and then we're gonna give you a new home with us, and we're gonna have you live happily with us! You're with us now! And I'm gonna be your partner. Not master, but partner okay? Oooh... I'm so sorry the rock hit you. Please forgive me." Celes cradled Raven's head in her arms, wiping away at the edge of Raven's wound. She then fumbled about in her pack for any emergency first aid kit they might have brought with them. Barring that, a spare t-shirt at least could be ripped to make a bandage around Raven's head.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Partner..." Raven repeated, her eyes going half lidded. "I don't... Understand..." she said, before her eyes closed completely. She had not gone into any coma, as Celes would find that Raven was just extremely exhausted, and not from the fight prior either. Even someone without experience in medical examination would be able to tell that Raven suffered a great deal of abuse. She pushed herself until she could do so no longer, all for her master.

Taking Raven back, and having her examined, they learned various things. One thing they were told, they already knew. There was technology implanted into her mind. The doctors removed it, but said that she would need a lot of love, and tender care before she would recover from the extreme damage it caused to her mind. Another thing was that she was not registered as a partner to any Rancher. As far as they were concerned, she was just a wild mamono. Of course they saw no reason not to give her partnership with Locke, and hold him responsible for helping her recover.

"It might be best to try and let her adapt into her natural instincts. She's so far gone from the way she was supposed to be, that I fear she may become emotionally unstable." the doctor said. "One of the most basic functions for black harpies is to not become attached emotionally to anything. The fact that she keeps repeating 'master' during her sleep is worrisome. Becoming independent is what she needs." he assured Locke and Celes.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Not attached emotionally to anything? That's not good! Everyone should know how to be happy and love, and deserves to be loved in return!" Celes said dramatically and emotionally. "We'll help her become independent, but if anything good can come of this, I hope she'll at least learn how to be friendly too."

"Celes, right now I'll just settle for her getting back on her feet, or flying again," Locke said, trying to keep focused on the short term needs. "We'll do the best we can for her. That's all we can really do. I'm sure she's strong. And if we let her act according to her instincts, she's more likely to reach her true potential. Just remember that Mamono aren't humans. Their personalities aren't necessarily going to sync up to ours."

"Yeah... I guess you're right Locke. You usually are. Still... to be unemotional after going through all this?" She waved a hand over Raven's head. "It just doesn't seem fair. She needs cake... and ice cream... and lots of hugs..." Celes petted a healthy part of Raven's wing as the injured mamono rested.

Locke wandered over to the window of the office and scanned the skies. "I want Marla to come back..."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

The doctors chuckled and nodded to Celes, more confident that she would be well taken care of by the Rancher and his sister, and gave them Raven to transport back to their Ranch. There, they found Marla had arrived before them, as she stood on top of the barn, standing tall, and looking off into the sky as the wind ruffled her feathers, a rather dark expression on her face, while she turned her head, noticing Locke's arrival before she quickly flapped her wings, and hid in her nest.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"I better go check on Marla," Locke sighed.

Celes nodded, understanding. "You go, Raven can have my bed and I'll take the couch. Though if you don't come back soon, I'll take your bed instead." She smirked, alluding perhaps to the knowledge that he and Marla had bunked up together previously.

"Yeah... look just take my bed anyway. I'm fine on the couch and there's no point in waiting up for me. I gotta make sure Marla isn't mad about something."

So saying, Locke clambered up the barn and onto the roof, and then up the rungs of the ladder to Marla's roost.

"Mind if I come in, Marla?" Locke asked.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Raven was silent, fast asleep as Celes took her to bed. And when Locke went up the ladder, and asked to come in, he was greeted with a cheerful voice. "Oh, Locke, you're home! Hi!" she greeted him with cheer. "What took you so long? I've been waiting forever!" she announced, laughing as if her whole world was as right as rain.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"I've got no wings, silly. Had to walk home." Locke said as he lifted himself up through the trap door he'd installed for human access and arrived into the nest, closing it up. "So look, I've been worried about you. Really worried. I didn't argue with you when you flew off before because Raven was in a bad way... but going off like that, what if those Magi had caught you? What could I have done then? Hmm?"

Locke folded his arms and looked her over. "You are okay, aren't you? Let me see you. C'mon, wings out..."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Marla fanned herself with her wings casually, though she did stutter a bit. "W-what are you talking about? As if those losers could get their hands on me! Look!" she stood up, fanning her wings out. She was missing a few where Raven hit her, but otherwise she was fine. "See? No problems! I'm fine, really!" she insisted.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"I'll be the judge of that," Locke said moving closer to her, and then when he was close enough and her wings were still spread per his orders, he embraced her and hugged her tight, taking her off guard.

"You're a part of this ranch, and you're important to us, important to me, understand? I know you have a point to prove, but I can't stand the thought of something bad happening to you, okay? You gotta understand how that makes me feel. Now..."

He stepped back and held her by the shoulders at arm's length. "Level with me. What happened?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

When Locke suddenly hugged her, she was only surprised for a moment before she hugged him back. "Hey now... I just... I don't really have a point to prove, you know? I just do whatever feels right." she said. "I won't do anything that endangers myself! I'm too strong for that!" she insisted.

Although, when he asked what happened, the first thing Marla did was turn her head away. "Locke... Can... Can I not answer that right away? I promise to answer you one day, but... I kinda... Don't feel like telling you right now..." she said, her happy expression fading.