Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Locke got the message. Talking about their father was striking a nerve with Mamizou that was best left untouched. He regretted that she was angered at him about it, and glad that it seemed forgotten once the pretty holstarus sister came in view.

"Nice to meet you Tina," he said, putting a hand on her forehead, which confirmed that she was quite sick. "Ye-ep, you've got a bit of a fever. Don't worry though, we're going to help you."

He looked over his shoulder at Marla with a worried expression. "Well, I'm gonna help you at least," he said turning back to her. "Mamizou, do you know the medicine Tina needs? If so, then Raven will fly you to town with the money to buy it. Then she'll fly you back to the Ranch. Marla, Melsi, Tina, and I will go back and get your sister into bed and looked after properly. Okay?"

If Mamizou was amenable to this plan, Locke would nod to Raven and give her a pouch of money with 700 gil in it. "That should be enough for the medicine and some food for the rest of us. Please don't waste it and take care."

Locke beckoned Melsi over to his side and slid Tina into the slime's arms. "You're strong and soft at the same time Melsi. You're best to carry Tina here so that she isn't uncomfortable. I'll walk right beside you and help you carry her weight. Marla, you stay by my side. I'm putting all my faith in you to get us safely home."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

The sick cow girl blushed an even deeper red when Locke touched her forehead. She nuzzled her face against his hand before he'd take it away and announce to Mamizou his plans. The raccoon nodded to Locke and gladly took the money, before Raven lifted into the air. "I will return swiftly to the Ranch after we acquire the medicine." she said, before grabbing Mamizou's hands in her talons and taking off.

Melsi let out a happy giggle at being called to action by Locke and complimented at the same time. "Mmm!" she gestured in acknowledgement, taking Tina into her body until the cow girl's head was sticking out of her chest. After absorbing her though, Melsi suddenly began to waver, as if dazed. It seemed Tina's sickness was affecting Melsi as well.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Huh?!" Locke said as Melsi started to waver. "You're sick now too?! How can that be? Melsi, you can't digest any bits from Tina or you'll catch the same fever!" As he worriedly looked at his slimegirl, he stuck his hands inside of her and drew out Tina, putting her slime coated body onto his back.

With a grunt, he hiked her up higher onto his back and hooked his arms around her legs. "I guess you'll have to ride on me instead. I can't risk Melsi getting sick too. Melsi try to shake it off. Can you still move well enough to keep up?"

Locke was worried. He had no clue how he could carry a sick slime back to the ranch AND a sick Holstaurus while at the same time having Marla on look out. Hoping that Melsi would be able to pull herself together, he nodded to Marla and started to set out in the direction of the ranch.

"I'll need to rely on you more than ever, Marla. Only you can scout above and make sure that we don't run into any enemies. We're not in any condition to fight them off."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

After taking Tina out, Melsi continued to waver for a moment, before her cheeks puffed and there was clearly fluid moving around in her body. The moment after, she seemed to vomit up a good deal of her own slime onto the ground, which looked less solid, and showed no real life. After throwing up, Melsi seemed to perk up and smile at Locke as if nothing happened.

Marla shrugged as she watched Locke carry Tina. "We'll be fine. Most humans can't catch any sicknesses that we mamono may get," she said to comfort Locke, who didn't feel any danger of getting sick from the holstaurus.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Locke hadn't even thought about the possibility that he could get sick by carrying Tina. He had only thought that he'd be of absolutely no use while carrying the mamono on his back. As it was, he knew that despite him being a relatively healthy and strong young man, he was going to have to push himself to lug the sick girl back home. Still, there wasn't anything else for it. Melsi would get sick if she held onto Tina, and he needed Marla to be ready to scout for them and potentially ward off attackers. That left himself to carry Tina.

"If she's got something that only mamono can catch, then it's best that I carry her. Sorry for not realizing it could be something like that Melsi. I'm glad you're okay though."

Hiking Tina up again so that she didn't slide down too far due to all the slime, Locke whispered to her over his shoulder. "You'll have to hang on tight now. Okay? We'll get you home and then you'll be washed and have a nice bed with blankets and pillows and we'll give you a warm meal too."

With that said, Locke kept on walking.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

After a bit of hiking, once he whispered to Tina, he'd discover that the cow girl was fast asleep on his back. The sickness she had seemed to be wearing her out to the point of exhaustion. With the other two mamono leading the way, Tina was taken to the Ranch, where Raven was waiting for them with Mami and the medicine.

The cure was something of a strange thing. It was within a white vial intricately designed to look like a diamond shaped luxury item. "This was a cure recently developed. We had to visit Saphirette's shop in order to acquire it, as Verde's shop didn't seem to have what we needed." she explained, before Tina was administered the cure. It took only a moment, before the cow girl was opening her eyes, and stretching her arms off while climbing off of Locke's back.

"Huh...?" the cowgirl gestured with confusion. "Where am I?" she asked, blinking confusedly. Mamizou took that time to explain the situation. Once she did, Tina made a bow to Locke. "Thank you for helping me, sir!" she said with a smile, blush, and tone of respect.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"It's no problem," Locke said once Mamizou was done with her explanation. "Truth be told, I'm a bit shocked that the medicine took such an immediate effect. I would have sworn from the fever you had and how out of it you were, that you'd be laid up for a week at least. What exactly was that wonder drug you got from Saphirette's?"

Locke directed his question at Mamizou, but flitted his eyes over to Raven as well for confirmation.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Angel tears," Raven said simply, and Mamizou offered no comment, only nodding slowly. It sounded like a beautiful name, but the context of how they were collected was always a sketchy one.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Angel tears..." Locke repeated, thinking of course about all the implications, both good and bad.

A door opened and the party looked up to see Celes, garbed in a loose fitting, white farmgirl's dress. Her belly was still protruding because of the eggs incubating inside of her, giving her a pregnant appearance. Locke found himself staring at her. He had grown up with Celes all his life. She had been his best and only friend for years. When she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman, it had taken him by surprise, because he had always looked at her as a friend, not as an object of sexual desire. At least not until recently. Ever since Marla's influence had opened them up to each other, Locke was noticing so many things about her that he had missed before. The way she fully committed to those she loved. The way she fought for what she believed in. The cute way she smiled, and the way the sun reflected off of her golden hair. Everything about her just seemed so wonderful.

And now there was another thing he noticed. The way she looked right now, as if she were pregnant, it made him think about what it would be like if she were to carry his child. Would she look just like that? Pretty and serene, like the perfect rancher's wife?

"Hey Locke... what are you staring at me like that for? Stop it. I know I look fat, geez, you don't need to be a jerk about it, leering at my belly. I'm doing it for Raven!" Celes looked irritated with him.

"Huh? N-no, Celes! That's not--"

He was cut off as Celes looked beyond him to the holstaurus hidden just beyond his shoulder. She took a sharp intake of breath, put her hand up to her mouth, and made a tiny 'squee' noise.

"It's a holstaurus! You got a holstaurus for our ranch! She's beautiful!"

Celes nearly knocked Locke to the floor as she charged past him and stood right in front of Tina.

"Oh my gosh! Welcome to our ranch! You're the most cutest, most adorable mamono I've ever seen! We've been wanting a holstaurus for our ranch even from the very first day we thought about becoming ranchers! Wow! You're being here is so great! I'm Celes, what's your name? Did you meet Raven yet? Oh you did of course! Hi Raven! So glad you're back too!"

Locke recovered from his stumble and rubbed his shoulder from where she'd knocked him aside.

"Celes... that's Tina, and her sister Mamizou is the tanuki. They're not members of our ranch, Tina was sick so I said she and her sister could stay here while she recovered. But now that she's better..."

"Huh? What? Is this true Tina? You're not going to stay?" Celes looked forlorn and her gaze flitted from Locke to Tina, and then to Mamizou. "Bu-but, we've got plenty of room!"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Tina gave a shy start when Celes suddenly began getting overly excited over the cow girl's presence. Almost as if she did it on a subconscious level, one of Tina's arms went over her breasts as she took a defensive posture that ironically only made her look even more vulnerable and appealing. When Celes rushed past Locke, Tina gave a gesture of concern to Locke as he was shoved aside, before looking to the obsessed Celes in front of her. She fidgeted, twisted, blushed and darted her eyes about, looking at every unimportant thing in sight while trying to avoid Celes' own gaze. "I-I... U-Um... Ah..." she stuttered nervously, seemingly one to respond to pressure in a fearful way.

Then suddenly, an arm was on Celes' shoulder, pulling her away, and trapping her face between a large pair of breasts, which just so happened to be Mami's mammaries. "Please don't scare Tina with such straightforwardness." Mamizou requested. "We were sleeping in a tree before, so I think your concerns are not necessary. We'll stay." the raccoon confirmed.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Heuuh? Scare her?" Celes blinked. Then noticing how Tina was looking at anywhere but her, Celes hung her head. "I-I'm sorry. I just got carried away. Please, forgive me Tina. Uh, and you too Mamizou. I've just always had this vision of our ranch being a certain way, it was foolish of me." Celes backed up, showing some quiet shame.

Locke felt he had to step in.

"Okay, okay. Everyone's calmed down now." He looked to Mami. "So you'll both stay then? That's good. But if you're staying in a permanent sense, everyone on the ranch does their best for each other. I treat my ranch mamono like my family. So please, forgive Celes for her little outburst. She's extremely nice, sometimes overly so."

"Hey I... uh..." Celes was about to object to Locke pointing out a flaw in her, but she couldn't argue with what she'd just done. The last thing she would have wanted would be to scare Tina the way she had. "Y-yeah. I guess so."

"Anyway," Locke continued. "I'll give you two a room together, since you're sisters. I wouldn't want to separate you. But you can't steal from the ranch and you'll have to work to get along with the others. That includes Marla here, and Raven and Melsi. There's a few others who are also staying with us at the moment. I'll introduce you to them along the way, but first let's get you both moved in."

So saying, Locke took the pair of them to a spare room on the first floor of the ranch house. It had a bed and a couch, so there'd be a place for both of them to sleep.

"I may end up moving you both to the barn, since there's more space there, but I don't have any bed made up there, so this'll do for now. It's okay?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Mami waved her hand at the dou ranchers apologies with a disregard for their concern, while Tina slowly crept behind Mamizou, as if using her sister as a shield. "Don't worry about it. You got the message." she said with confidence.

Going into the house, both girls seemed to express a degree of discomfort. "Cramped..." Mami whispered. "It's like there's no air..." Tina whispered, sounding suffocated. "N-no, I think the ranch is a better idea..." she said. And upon inspecting the Ranch, both Tina and Mami felt seemingly more at ease with a room that had a wide open window available and some hay to sleep on. Tina seemed absolutely in love with the hay that was as soft as the grass outside, while Mami showed no discomfort in joining her sister on the stack of hay that would be their bed. Monsters they were indeed, as they seemed to show best comfort when in their own element.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Huh, well, suit yourselves then," Locke said, putting his hands in his pockets. Celes, who was embarrassed enough by Mamizou's curt dismissal, had slunk away after seeing where they'd be in the barn. Locke didn't like the look in her eyes as she'd gone off but he didn't have time to tend to her just then.

"Say, what did you and Raven end up bringing back for dinner?" he asked Mami. "We ought to celebrate Tina being healthy again, and I know I'm getting hungry."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Ah..." Raven reacted to Locke's question with a bit of hesitation. They had a bag with them, but both Tina and Raven hesitated to show what they brought. They shared a look between each other, before revealing the bag's contents. "Grass... And worms." Raven announced. "Alcohol for Mamizou..." Raven continued, while Mami drank her booze with glee.

"Meal of Champions!" Mamizou announced. Other than their food, there was still the food Locke had from IMA to eat. Raven and the cowgirl looked awkward when it came to Locke, as if they weren't sure what to get him.

"Human... Human tastes are complicated." Raven said with a rare blush on her cheeks, sprouting from shame. It seemed she made the attempt to get him something, but the sheer degree of variety that humans enjoy eating overwhelmed her.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Oh... oh uh, that's okay you guys. We've got stuff from the IMA in storage." Locke sighed a bit, regretting that he'd never made it to the town like he'd intended. A fresh meal would have been nice.

At Raven's comment, he chuckled lightly. "We do have bizarrely varied tastes compared to mamono, don't we? I can imagine it's very troublesome. So many things that we just don't digest well if it's raw."

He paused to look at Mami as she guzzled down the booze. "Are you sure that's a healthy diet?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Hell if I know," Mamizou said with a complete lack of concern while the sake was running down her chin.

"Preemptive strike!" Announced Marla suddenly, who appeared behind Locke with both of the talons on her wings holding separate cases of wrapped food. She looked confused for a moment, and revealed who the other case was for. "Where's Celes?" she inquired.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Wah! What?" Locke was startled by Marla's sudden appearance, contorting himself into a rediculous looking half-fetal position, balancing on one leg with his arms protecting his face and head. He abruptly calmed down a second later after seeing that it was just Marla and that there was no actual 'strike' incoming. Instead he noticed the food cases.

"Marla, you got us food?" he said in wonder. Then he blinked and shook his head. "Uh, Celes went back to the house I think." He took the two cases of food then handed one to Raven.

"Maybe you should go find her Raven. I'm sure she'd appreciate that." He then inspected the food in the case, wondering what Marla had gotten him. His stomach was rumbling in anticipation. "That's amazing Marla, when did you have time to get us dinner?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"It's just food from the house," Marla said with a smile and shrug.

Raven nodded to Locke, and flew out of the open window that Mami and Tina enjoyed, and towards the house to collect Celes.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

"Ah," Locke said, upon realizing it was an IMA meal. It was one of the ones that didn't require cooking either so he could eat it here.

"Thanks, Marla. That was thoughtful of you." Locke sat down next to the pile of hay that Mami and Tina were perched on and patted the ground next to him. "Sit by me Marla and have some of the food Raven brought back. We can have a bit of a picnic here."

He turned to Tina. "So, now that you're recovered I can learn a bit more about you from your own point of view. How long have you and your sister been wandering? And when did you get sick?"

As he asked this, if Marla came to sit by him he'd put an arm around her waist after he'd opened his packet of food. There was some dried meats, some crackers, some cheese, a tin of peaches in syrup, and a chilled carton of milk. If Marla showed any interest at all in some of his food, he'd offer her some while he listened to Tina or to Mami.


~~~

Inside the house, Raven would find Celes in her room, sitting in a wooden rocking chair, rubbing her swollen belly and looking glum.

"Oh, hey Raven." Celes said, her face getting slightly brighter, but still having a sadness in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm keeping them warm."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Locke's Ranch (BlueSlime)

Marla flopped down next to Locke, smiling and wrapping a wing around him, before slurping a particularly long worm into her mouth as if it were pasta. "Ah~! Raven caught some good ones!" Marla said happily. The harpy didn't look particularly interested in anything but the crackers, which she snapped out of his box quickly enough.

"We've been wandering since we were children." Mamizou answered in place of Tina, who seemed to have trouble socializing. "Our father was a man made broken from being too ambitious. He thought he could indulge in mamono as a Rancher, and become great. He did well too, making it to Rank C, but at that point, there were so many mamono to please that he became unable to perform his duties, and he was an absolute pushover when it came to sex. He became nothing but a whore for them, and spent every day of the week doing nothing to further himself, and simply stayed in his bed, being fed and fucked throughout the day and night. Tina and I were born during that time, and as we matured, mamono of the ranch began disappearing as there was no income to keep them fed, and our father vanished too, taken by one of the stronger mamono he owned. Nothing but ruins now for some Rank E to inherit." Mami sighed. "Such is why men are never expected to perform well. Higher grade mamono simply crush a man in bed, and leave them unable to perform. Imagine having to please a minotauress, a kitsune, and a lilim, which is an elite succubus, all in one day without any breaks in between. Your body would be crushed by the first, spirit drained by the second, and your existence would be ready to turn into sand when the lilim was done with you."

Done with her horror story of why men fail to become great, she answered his next question. "Tina got sick in that forest... I'm guessing she caught it from the other monsters there, since there seemed to be some kind of pandemic sweeping over the forest, causing everyone to be sick. It's rather odd."