Learning to Fend for Yourself

[losthunter]

After a brief absence from the Nexus, Hunter has returned. He is still without his magic, as evident by the growth of hair on his head and not being covered by tattoos or piercings. However, Hunter does not have one tattoo, a freshly-created recreation of the rose bush tattoo on his left forearm.

Hunter seems to be deep in thought, as he taps a pencil on a large sketch book with one hand. His other hand is playing with a protection rune hanging from his neck.

"If you had to face a foe that has abilities you do not... how would you prepare yourself?" Something about his question might clue a listener to the fact that this is not hypothetical.

Comments

[hybriddino]

The Indoraptor bristles with natural weapons and special abilities, being bioengineered to be a living weapon. But he's willing to entertain the possibility that he might encounter an opponent with abilities he doesn't have. Nevertheless, he would stand and fight. He is naturally aggressive and is not the kind to back down from a challenge, even from something larger and stronger than himself. He's adaptable. He can learn to take down different opponents.

I would try and take them by surprise. Wouldn't give them time to use those abilities.

[losthunter]

Hunter is good friends with Faris, who is reptile-like in a fashion. But the Indoraptor takes him my surprise for a moment. And it takes him a moment to notice the note that the Indoraptor writes.

"Um... I am not sure if I can get close to her without her knowing. She has a sense about me... a connection."

[hybriddino]

The Indoraptor makes a startled churr. This does sound difficult - it's hard to sneak up on prey that already knows you could be there. It defeats the entire purpose of an ambush.

How does this enemy know you're there? He has echolocation and a strong sense of smell to help him track prey. Maybe something like that?

[losthunter]

"It is a magical connection." Hunter pauses for a moment. "Are you familiar with magic?"

[hybriddino]

The dinosaur shakes his head slowly. No, no he isn't familiar with it. What is magic?

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor hasn't been here long, but there's been a lot of questions he's been able to answer recently, and he has to wonder if that's a regular kinda thing, or just one massive coincidence. Or mind magic, though he really hopes not.

He's not in his filthy armor at the moment, clad instead in borrowed Earth-style clothing from a good friend, the shirt tight enough to show off impressive musculature. Between the patch over his right eye, the strangely-cropped haircut, and a subtle wrongness about the way he looks in normal clothes, he definitely stands out a bit in a crowd.

"If you can't beat her by brute force and might, resort to cleverness. Do something she won't expect, or distract her long enough to strike."

[losthunter]

Hunter may be totally in love with his boyfriend, but he can still stop and appreciate the view every now and then. And this new face is striking an impressive view, especially with that tight shirt.

"I would have trouble hitting a woman, even if I had the brute force."

"Cleverness..." He twirls the rune necklace in his fingers. "Now that is something I might be able to use."

[pirateangelbaby]

"There's merit in it," Thor agrees, thinking of Loki, and how terribly often his tricks have gotten him what he wanted. At least at first. "Use what you have, and fight unfairly if you must."

The rune draws his attention, and Thor recognizes it for what it is immediately, its form changed little since Asgard brought writing to Midgard. Protection magic isn't his forte, however, so he can't tell how effective it's going to be if someone comes gunning for this man. "I haven't seen one of those in ages."

[losthunter]

"But she stole what I had from me. So I have to figure out something else..." He doesn't have his magic to defend himself this time.

"My friend Hermione made it for me." Hunter smiles thinking about his friend. "It is good to have one witch in my corner, since I am facing up against a different one."

[delphicbooksandbaubles]

Aal blinks as she looks up from her own little nook where she'd been sketching faces etc of the heroes she'd met lately. and rubs her chin in thought. She'd seen him around but she doesn't think they'd been probably introduced yet. She slightly tilts her head to the right in a rather doggish manner. Ooh a rune, that was definitely a good start. She mentally muses.

"Well, I'd first try and find out as much as I could about them.." She gonna probably start quoting The Art of War and such soon. "Know Thy Enemy and all that." She adds and then smiles friendly like and offers her hand to shake. "Ahem, I'm Ashlynn, by the way. Mrs. Ashlynn Aalish Sinclair." She states politely. "Perhaps I can be of assistance?" She asks warmly and with a tad bit of concern naturally in her tone.

After all, she was a Healer and peacekeeper first and foremost and if there was gonna be a fight...

[losthunter]

"I am not going to put myself at risk trying to get to know this person." Hunter does not accept the offered hand. He is using both of his hands right now, with one carrying his journal, and the other keeping a steady grasp of his necklace.

[delphicbooksandbaubles]

She blinks er perhaps she should have phrased it differently. "Course, not but..um is there perhaps some..indirect way of getting intel about them? Especially they're strengths and weaknesses.." She half asks softly and sheepishly, apologetically smiles slightly and drops her hand back down after a moment. right right, ahem. She tucks her hand into a pocket feeling a mite awkward now.

[losthunter]

"And send someone else to get close to her?" Hunter tilted his head.

He sighed. "Listen. I don't mean to be rude. But she is able to hurt me at quite a distance with her magic. And I wouldn't want to endanger anyone else."

[fiveofnone]

Caspar is passing through the Plaza, a dry-cleaning bag draped over his shoulder. He's faster at recognizing Hunter this time, and based on what he already knows, he's well-aware that the question is not hypothetical.

"I'd find a weakness in those abilities, and then I'd exploit it." It might as well be the Cylon motto. He frowns, taking in the protection rune. "What happened? More witch trouble?"

[losthunter]

"Definitely." Hunter frowns. "I have made the realization that Karlene is trying to kill me."

"That is the witch who took my magic."

[fiveofnone]

Caspar places his dry-cleaning over the back of a chair before taking a seat directly across from Hunter, his expression dead serious. He'd never openly admit that he's invested in Hunter's problems, but after providing security for his Nexus apartment, he feels a little responsible for the artist's well-being.

And the last thing he wants is another crazy witch. He's getting a little tired of those.

"Tell me what happened. Why do you think she's trying to kill you? It sounded like an accident, the way you described it before."

[losthunter]

"I had left New York to do some camping, and get my head together. I really wasn't doing that great..." Hunter admits softly.

"One night, I heard Karlene's voice again. And felt her magic. Even with the distance between us... it caused me great pain. And instead of her voice saying 'Find Me', I clearly heard her say 'Die'."

[readvondaniken]

Palmer knows what it's like to face that kind of enemy - one is waiting for him when he leaves the Nexus, and that's a large part of why he's so unwilling to go home.

"Prepare myself?" He shudders, remembering the dog that crept into his room and attacked him. Fighting back hadn't even occurred to him. He'd been an Army mechanic back in the day, but had never actually seen combat. "I don't know about you, hell, I know you won't agree with me. But me? I'd run."

[losthunter]

"I have been running..." Hunter answers solemnly. "My enemy still found me."

[readvondaniken]

"Oh." Palmer hopes to whatever God's out there that the dog monster he left behind won't follow him. "That bites. What can they do that you can't?"

[losthunter]

"Magic. I am trying to face a witch." Hunter explains.

[lionofthelight]

"I'd start by being confident in my own capabilities." Hey, Hunter, it's your brother from another mother! Zandros! He arrives with a smile and, for once in his life, dressing for the weather in a loose, long-sleeved white shirt that laces near the neck. Hey, it's only the end of summer, never too late to... Yeah, actually, it's almost too late to start dropping layers.

"Everyone we meet has some ability we do not, is that not so? The only known in our arsenal is often ourselves."

[losthunter]

"Zandros. Good to see you." Hunter nods at the other man.

"I am an artist. And quite proud of the artwork I create. But not very useful in a fight." He smiles. "And unfortunately, the one magical way I had to defend myself was taken from me... by the same witch who is currently threatening me."

[lionofthelight]

"Witch?!" Zandros sputters. Did he hear that right? "I was not aware you were beset by such! Light, Hunter, how long has she been in pursuit? And, dare I ask, for what reason, if any?"

[losthunter]

"Perhaps you should sit down. It is a long story."

"And it involves two witches, technically." Hunter finds a table nearby with two chairs, gesturing for Zandros to sit down.