escordvi | [Open] March Catch All

[Lately, Miriam had been scarce aboard the Avalanche, and when she was present, she was usually dozed off in a chair. Odd for someone who kept herself busy and active. And after sundown, she was hardly seen at all—barely answering her shellphone after moonrise. But she did answer, eventually.

Perhaps it wasn't very hard to put two and two together; she'd visited a certain island last month, but said little about it—and with all the chaos happening now there was so much more to focus on. Miriam was fine, so long as she could keep her mind clear—or had somewhere to vent a werewolf's energy if not. She was fine. The curse shouldn't spread. Hopefully. The doctors she had been seeing to properly deal with this had been swept up in the arrests too, and Zelda was so horrendously busy and stressed lately Miriam couldn't bring herself to trouble her.

So on nights she couldn't sleep, she ventured out onto the nearest empty island she could find to let off steam away from people.

But those islands still weren't free of witnesses; by necessity Miriam couldn't go too far out, and at least one island she frequented had some daytime visitors who left by sunset. It only took one strange tale for rumors to spread—of a black wolf with flowers growing on it, always in a hurry to run somewhere. Others said it was only part wolf and part something else that stood on two feet and had curling horns like a ram or bull. The black color was a consistent detail, though, as were the flowers—things with the crystalline shine of stained glass.

It wasn't hostile, at least not yet. But these days were wary ones. With tales of other chimeric monsters who were aggressive only a gossiping dockworker away, the people in this village were a bit on edge. Especially one particular fisherman, who swore the wolf monster had charged him when he was a bit late leaving the island; it almost got him, it did! (Nevermind how he'd come back entirely drenched, as if he'd fallen into the water...)]

[Martial artists have several duties and principles they must abide by. Part of their devoirs is protecting innocents from monsters. Only reason he wasn't involved with the whole debacle with the alchemist last month was he didn't want to get another curse. He's heard tales of those who stepped foot on Crescent Isle would be anathematized with lycanthropy. Ranma's done this song and dance one too many twice. Curse him once, shame on you. Curse him twice-- eh, you get the picture.

Crescent Isle was the only place he was planning on steering clear of however. He had no scruples over other islands. It took catching an earful of rumors about a wolf-ram-bull creature to light that fire under his feet. Now, he hasn't heard anything of this monster actually harming people...

but he's more of a puncher than an ask questions kind of guy.

And he's got a foolproof plan to catch that beast:
1. Dig a pit.
2. Cover it up with a layer of soil and grass.
3. Deliberate whether or not to make wooden spikes like a punji pit to debilitate the monster.
4. Decide against it, since carving the spikes would take too much of his time. While he could just make a trou de loup (essentially a diet punji pit) trap, he doesn't just want to capture this monster. He wants to fight it fair and square. There's no need to injure it beforehand.
5. Get back on track, and dangle a sack of meat from a tree branch over the pit as bait.
6. Wait for the monster to be lured in, falls in, and he jumps in to give it a good thrashing.

Steps 1-5 have been ticked off the list, now for step 6. Ranma crouches down behind some bushes, looking through the foliage, waiting...]

[Sometime earlier in the month before all hell breaks loose for the Avalanche crew, Zack finds himself picking up some light work as well. ... Maybe light isn't the exact word for it, since he decides to help with the investigation into hybrid monsters attacking smaller islands, though. That's not light at all. It's terribly reminiscent of the last time some alchemist quack started melting body parts together. At least this time, it seems to only be animal parts. And not innocent women.

They share a ship, so it's not uncommon for Zack and Miriam to appear on the same islands occasionally. It just so happens that Zack is on the same one, asking some of the villagers what they might have seen.]

Flowers, you say? ... Ones that look like crystals?

[That's oddly specific but Zack doesn't put it together entirely. Not yet.

He heads out to the wilds on this little island when the sun starts to set into the water. He intends to go hunting for this "flower monster" before it can do any more damage.]

[ Nimona hardly ever cared about monster stories, in the sense that she never listened to them too closely. These were the kinds of stories that were often said about her in the past, people talking up something they were afraid of - something they didn't understand.

But she's also noticed that Miriam has been distant lately. Sometimes disappearing at night.

Of course Nimona is going to follow her friend. Turning into various creatures to sneakily trail her to an empty island. She's actually quite good at stealth when it matters, and this is one of those times.

Only revealing herself at the very last second, shifting back into her normal form. ]

So... what are we doing out here?

[This wasn't exactly a good night to be cursed--none of them were—but Miriam was at least adapting to this one fairly well. She just...sometimes didn't have thumbs, sometimes needed to pick things up with her mouth (gross), and always heard about four times the night's usual sound--including the moon. It sounded like a tide that wasn't there, crashing waves and howling wind that never ended. It was...agitating. But burning off some of this form's boundless energy first usually made it easier to deal with. A few laps of the island should do.

Ranma wouldn't have long to wait; footsteps rustled the leaves and underbrush, ones in a hurry. The form Miriam had ended up in this time let her stand on two feet without much difficulty, but the shoulders were so heavy. Using four feet to run was faster and easier, particularly when there was no one to see. The scarf didn't fit very well, though, so it was folded up and hidden with her other things. This form's fur was sufficient for this island's night, though some of her crystals poked through it anyway.

Having four wheel drive also made it easy to stop when she spotted something out of the ordinary—a bag, hanging from a branch. The werewolf skidded to a halt—sadly still a ways back from the trap, and...looked up at it quizzically, front paws lifting off the ground.

She could smell what was in the bag, but wasn't distractingly hungry; whatever noise came from the brush she dismissed as the usual scuttlings of the night's creatures. The wolf made a puzzled noise, glancing from the bag to where she remembered the day's visitors leaving. Did...someone forget their picnic supplies here? Hanging in midair was an odd place for fishing bait. The ground was all cleared, like someone was setting up a gathering place. No other supplies or places to sit, just the bag of meat hanging up there away from predators. There wasn't much use calling for someone's attention, just in case they were left behind; this between-form might be slightly better at speech, but it sounded guttural and frightening. The point was not to alarm people.

There was a little pier on the island, should she just...leave it over there? Oh, but a gull might try to make off with it, or those little crabs. Maybe leaving it up there was for the best.

While Miriam considered, she tapped her chin with a furred knuckle—not the claw, it only took one time stabbing herself in the face to learn that one.]

[He wouldn't have far to look for tracks; there were some new ones cut into the sand, quite recent. A few hours before Zack got there recent. And, granted, the shoreline was decently well traveled--in the daytime. And most didn't veer off into the forest deeper in the island.

The easily followed tracks faded from here, but there's the evidence of quite a scuffle before they disappear. Something left big gouges in the earth and snapped some underbrush as it passed. The trail picks up again as scuffed prints; a clawmark here, some pawprints there, some tufts of black fur stuck to a prickly shrub there.

There's the sound of footsteps not too far in the distance, though they're moving fast--and away.]

[Once she'd made it to shore, Miriam wasted no time vanishing into the forest deeper into the island--oblivious to any passengers who might have hitched a ride on her scarf, or small eyes that followed her steps. There weren't any villagers here, and that was enough.

Once she got to a clearing, Miriam stopped--for a moment. As much as the moon's presence was at times an agitation, it seemed wrong somehow to just hide from it. But she started to pace soon after, like a caged creature.

The moment Nimona appeared, Miriam jumped; that voice only filtered through later, after she was about two feet sideways from where she'd been pacing just before.]

Please don't--do that, Nimona.

[... Shoot. Step 6's hitting a roadblock already?? It's supposed to trot on over to the bag of delicious, mouth-watering bait and be caught, hook line and sinker! Gawking at it like it's only mildly intriguing was not part of Ranma's super-genius monster-catching plan!

Did he get the wrong bait? Is this even the right monster? It has to be, those guys said it had crystals on it! And he's seeing those reported crystal glimmering and glistening in the moon's pale light! He can't let this be a set back.

If food isn't going to get it to bite, then Plan C might. He clears his throat as quietly as he can to not attract the monster, and]

MRRRRREOW!~~

[mewed, like a cat, from behind his bush...

Predators can't resist prey just waiting for them to make their lunch! Surely this isn't bound to go awry.]

[The werewolf's ears perked up immediately at the sound, head snapping right to it--a cat? Here?? Someone must have left it behind, poor thing. She couldn't just leave it here,

But, she had to be careful. Animals might be a bit less...unreasonable, than people, but Miriam also resembled a seven foot tall wolfman with a distinctly lupine face and knives on her hands. Not exactly the friendliest face, but she didn't want to scare the cat further into the island.

So she sat still, the motion made awkward by how unfamiliarly jointed her legs were, and she made a noise like pspspsps.

...it didn't quite work as intended with fangs, sounds escaping through the side of her mouth strangely. The werewolf's ears flicked back in mortification, and she tried again, holding her clawed hands to either side of her face in a vain attempt to make it sound better. Why was talking so difficult for a monster?

In the distance, there was another set of footsteps; still a ways off. Miriam heard those sometimes, but paid little mind to them; they often avoided where she was headed, and she assumed it was just another animal avoiding a predator. She was also distracted, and hadn't picked up on them getting closer.]

[The tracks will be useful, as Zack isn't much of a tracker or ranger, himself. He can do his best. He crouches down to inspect some of the ragged, faded tracks in the old muddy path.]

Looks like whatever this thing is, it's pretty big.

[Something with big claws. Zack frowns and follows the scene. As soon as he hears rustling in the distance, Zack takes his weapon out and ducks into the nearby trees. He needs some coverage because he'd rather be the one sneaking up on the wild monster instead of the other way around.

Easy does it... He starts to move slowly through the brush.]

[The creature wasn't trying very hard to hide; brush bent and twigs snapped as it passed. It left quite big tracks, including...hoofmarks? The newer canine pawprints laid over top were much smaller by comparison; still bigger than a dog, though.

It didn't take long for Zack to catch up to at least one thing that left the tracks. There's a wolf in the clearing ahead; a smallish black one, with crystalline flower petals poking through its ruff. There were more rosettes scattered on its sides and limbs--but more importantly, it hasn't noticed Zack yet.

Whatever big thing was making all that noise was still out there, though.]

[Once Zack gets a decent glimpse of the wolf from a distance, he frowns... The tracks plus the lone wolf ahead? They don't match. The math isn't mathing.]

Maybe that's just a wild wolf out here. But what is it doing without its pack around?

[Zack is talking out his thoughts quietly under his breath. Sometimes an old habit of his he still falls back on.

He glances behind him for good measure and then tries to flank past the wolf just in case. No need to disturb it. But as he does, he catches a better look at those crystal petals.]

Wait...

[This is what makes Zack stalk a littler closer. Cautiously calling out.]

... Hey, you.

[With her hearing, Miriam could easily pick up sounds behind her--along with the sounds in front of her, to the sides, and in the sky above. The moon seemed so loud, with distracting noises like a rushing tide. There were whispers in that tide, too, encouraging her to run, to move, to strike, to fight--at what, it didn't matter.

But resisting impulses like that was something she had a great deal of practice with. There was something she needed to do here--something else was on this island, something that could cause a problem for the villagers, from the size of it. Miriam clung to that purpose, even if she'd lost her grip on keeping hold of her human form.

At first, when she heard something in the brush moving Miriam thought to dart away; a panicky animal thought, not a human one. Unlike the time she spent as a bird, Miriam was aware of herself. The wolf kept calmly following the larger of the tracks, though an ear stayed swiveled in that direction for a time.

At the sound of a voice, though, they did more than tilt; the blue-eyed wolf glanced over entirely, craning her neck up. That was...Zack's voice.

...oh. Shit. That was Zack's voice. The wolf's ears flattened back a bit, mortified. And now she was really torn between running off or not.]

Wait-! Easy! ... Easy.

[Zack puts his hands out like he's trying to literally calm the beast with a show of submission. He doesn't make any sudden movements and doesn't pull his weapon out. He just carefully and slowly takes a step closer to the wolf.

Now... He's not sure if he should assume anything. But those crystal flowers look a lot like Miriam's, and he's not sure what to do about that. What happened here?]

It's ... It's just me. I'm not here to hurt you.

[He hopes this wolf doesn't mistake him for the actual beast walking around here.]

[Miriam still wasn't used to identifying things by what they smelled like, as Nanaki seemed to do by second nature--but that voice was unmistakable. Catching sight of Zack made the moon-sounds in her mind pick up immediately, though not to an aggressive fever pitch. This was not prey, this was not something to chase--this was a friend, something the beast could understand. Zack hadn't seemed to fully recognize her, maybe--she could still run off, later claim it was a coincidence, or that she had no memory of this--

...no, that wouldn't be right. And he wasn't running off either, because of course Zack wouldn't. The wolf's head dropped down to its usual height, and the creature huffed out a sigh.

"I know." She said, or tried to. It sounded like a grumbly bark, and her ears flicked back again.]

[Well, Zack has to be thankful that the she-wolf isn't outright attacking him.]

How'd you get out here?

[He still can't be sure this is his friend or not despite it being a very Miriam-inspired wolf. So, he feels a little weird talking out loud to it.]

You have to be careful, there's some sort of monster roaming around.

["I took a boat here," the wolf barked; she wasn't sure if Zack could understand her or not, but it seemed polite. There had been an extra rowboat tied up at the pier, though small and unremarkable.

But then Miriam realized she'd lost track of the beast she was following, and her head snapped back to where the trail was headed. The steps had gone silent, which made Miriam uneasy.

"I can handle it. You don't need to stay." Ugh. Her own voice just sounded like growls and barks.]

[All just a bunch of growls and barks... Zack can't understand her. He frowns lightly before taking a step forward towards her.]

Hey-

[But as soon as he does, there's a terrible and deeply pained howl in the distance. It sounds monstrous, ugly and guttural.]

I don't like the sound of that...

[But that might just be the target.]

[Getting Zack to abandon a quest was a fool's errand, but...she needed to try. Something in her chest felt defensive and protective, the thought of a friend being in danger overwhelming the logical things she knew; Zack could handle himself, he'd be fine, but there was a thing approaching and he was a friend and needed to be kept safe--

The wolf growled something, darting towards Zack for a few paces before skidding to a stop, placing herself between him and the monster that was approaching. She didn't get any closer, wary of the reach of that sword. But she wouldn't let him pass by so easily.]

[Splendid, Plan C's actually going off without a hitch! He's enticed the seven-foot monstrosity, getting a much better image of it from his spot. It looked so much like something out of a Universal monsters film. Only with better practical effects. Clacking noise's a tad odd, Ranma's not sure what it's trying to do with making those strange sounds, but that's beside the point.

They'll find out what makes this monster tick soon enough.

While the werewolf's occupied trying to call out bait that won't reveal itself, Ranma scales up a tree. Ascending to the very peak of the tree, getting into position above Miriam, and--

Showtime. Ranma rapidly shoots downward at his target, preparing to deliver an axe kick to the beast's cranium.]

[This didn't seem to be working; the cat had gone quiet, possibly retreating deeper into hiding. The werewolf grumbled something as she started getting to her feet. She heard something in the trees overhead, but again thought little of it.

Movement flickering in her periphery got Miriam to at least glance--and the kick fell on the coarse ruff and muscle around her neck, with enough force to drive her right back down to the ground before it could so much as growl. While stars were still bursting in her vision, a switch flipped in the beast's mind--human thoughts were far too slow to catch up. It reached up to scrabble at the thing standing on its neck before she'd even come close to identifying it, clawing at what it could reach, dislodging it, flinging it away, something--]

[Score: Ranma 1, the Beast zilch!

Too early to start celebrating. Step 6's taking a bit of a detour, buuuuut doing things off the cuff is more his style than following a plan to its fullest. The martial artist acts fast, springboard off Miriam's head before those sharp, flesh-rending claws can nick him. He lands with a roll in front of her, turning right around to face her.]

Hunting for something, Fido?

[Taunting the monster as he gets into a stance, bracing himself for whatever attack this thing may throw out at him.]

[Wait--she knew that voice. The werewolf made a startled sound--but Ranma nimbly bounced away out of reach, leaving her claws empty and a horrible crick in her neck.

...the fuck did he call her?

The werewolf's ears flicked back like an irritated cat's as she stood, shaking herself off. She didn't charge, but made a growling bark at him that was supposed to be Ranma's name. Of course that didn't work either. Miriam shook her head, even exaggerating the motion a little in case that was easier to understand; she wasn't here to fight him. She was trying not to fight things. That was why she came out here alone.]

[It... wasn't coming at him? Typically when he's fought monsters, they come blindly rushing at him on primal instincts alone. This one isn't... Taking a second to relax his posture, it dawns on Ranma that none of the eyewitnesses mentioned this monster being hostile. Could it actually be...

Docile? Sure, it's snarling and bared its teeth at him... But on the flip side, it wasn't attacking him, and he did just kick it in the head. Animals don't take to being hurt or threatened lightly. Hmm... What if he, a rarity for him, take the non-violence route?

Maybe, just maybe... He could tame it? Still keeping his guard up, Ranma suddenly knelt down as if he was addressing a small doggo and not a behemoth wolfman and--]

Sit, heel! C'mere, why don'tcha come home with me, boy?

[... whistles and takes the placating cadence of someone trying to lure out a dumb animal to take home. Hey, if he's successful, that's one less monster harassing folks AND Akiko gets a playmate. Win-win for everybody!]

[At first, Miriam was a bit bewildered, blinking at him. Ranma clearly didn't recognize her, but she also didn't exactly look like herself. Crystals aside. What on earth was he doing?

Then a few words made it out of his mouth and Miriam immediately switched tracks from confusion to incensed. She was not a dog, and no she wasn't going to behave like a dumb animal. Especially now. Now it was personal, and it wasn't just the werewolf's nature making her more trigger happy than usual (though it certainly didn't help).

She did growl at him in a warning (something like "excuse me?") as the crystals on her back started glowing. She stood up pointedly, raised one clawed hand--but rather than a spell launching from her palm, columns of fire erupted from the ground, advancing quickly towards Ranma.]

[Open] March Catch All

Rumor of a Mad Monster (false alarm?) [OTA]

MONSTER HUNTING

monster rancher 🐺🐺

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Apologies for the delay!!

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i'm so sorry for this idiot

incredible