tushanshu_logs | [closed] catch the Gha'nal

Bart watched the big - ok, huge - cat stalk its way back and forth along the sand, pacing out the core of its territory. It seemed to know they were there, but he doesn't know enough about its sight and smell to know which one found them first. It looked huffy.

"It's kinda cute," he began in the softest whisper. Seeing it as cute might not be the most professional thing that he's ever done, but it can't hurt. They are supposed to take it down as gently as possible. "Maybe we shoulda gotten it in writing that they're not gonna hurt it. P.E.T.A. would not approve. Course, they'd also go running up to give it a hug and get chomped so maybe we should all agree that we move as slowly and non-threateningly as possible cause if my head winds up in that things mouth, nobody's taking off their top hat and bowing in the center ring after."

"Cute doesn't mean it can't hurt you," Annabeth says a little gruffly in her own quietness, though she more or less ignores the entire ramblings over PETA. She takes a few moments to actually look at the beast in the flesh, because if there's anything she's learned about fighting monsters, it's that no amount of research can make you completely ready for the actual thing.

Blackjack, a black Pegasus (she hesitates to call him hers), nudges her from behind. "We're going to have to split up. Kid Flash," there's something almost like an aural eyeroll in her voice over the name, "and I will wait till it's distracted enough and hopefully restrained before we move in, too. We aren't supposed to hurt it badly, but don't let yourselves get maimed either."

For however much she's tired of it, she's still too used to stepping up like this, that she kind of does it without realizing, even if she's only refreshing what they more or less strategized on prior. But she's kind of visibly impatient to just get started.

Edited 2014-03-21 05:55 (UTC)

"Don't hurt it." Taiki's voice is quiet but firm. He knows the creature is dangerous but no creature should be hurt, and especially not one as magnificent as this one. Bart's words worried him, that the people they were taking it to would hurt it.

When they were ready to move Taiki summoned Gohran, who appeared as a red wolf beside him and then he himself changed into kirin beast form. He was faster like that and probably more useful.

"Our orders aren't to kill it, but we might have to cripple it somehow..."

He thinks about injuring its legs to hamper its mobility, or even cutting off its tail to make it easier to approach from behind, but... Their main problem here was the fact that it could move between dimensions. Even if they managed to trap it somehow, it could easily slip away by phasing between Life and Death, and physically slowing it down may not be much of a plan after all. Armin wishes he knew more about magic.

"If it's as sharp as any cat, it knows we're here, and it will know when we're coming. Just rushing in with the sleeping medicine won't work. It needs to be distracted."

The eyeroll that Bart managed was impressive, irises almost disappearing behind his eyelids. It was, in part, brought on by the snarky tone in Annabeth's voice. "Just say K.F. if you're gonna be like that," he said as an aside to her.

Not waiting for a response, Bart was suddenly beside Taiki and Gohran. "Nobody's gonna kill it, Taiki. Chill."

He went as if to poke Gohran in the side. "Two things. Where the heck did White Fang come from? And can we get him to make like he's a Gha'nal snack?"

She rolls her own eyes, instead of any kind of verbal response. She'll respect the name and secrecy in identity, even if she doesn't get why it's important to keep in this place. When Taiki changes and the wolf appears, Annabeth puts a hand on Blackjack's neck to keep the Pegasus from being startled (even if she's pretty sure very little could spook the horse by this point.)

She looks over at Armin. "Since the herb is a powder, it should be easy enough to get it to just inhale, but we have to make sure it's anchored here first. We could try literally tying it down." Or if Milyn gives them another suggestion. "If it travels to another plane, it won't be in the same place when it comes back to Life, so we need to be ready to move if that happens."

"No don't..." Taiki didn't want them to hurt it at all but he wasn't quite confident enough to keep arguing with these people who he didn't know. He glanced at Bart as he approached.

Gohran snarled, a warning, though it didn't go further than that, at the poke. "I will do whatever you think is needed in this mission." Gohran spoke into their minds, though it could be heard by all present as if he had spoken aloud.

"I have other forms if you think them more effective."

Armin turns his attention to Annabeth.

"How well can you fly your... bird horse?" honestly, it was one of the more ridiculous things he's ever seen, but if it did what he thought it would, he couldn't deny its usefulness, "in all the reports I read, there wasn't any account of the Gha'nal being able to do more than jump. If you're deft enough, you could harass it from the air while someone else sneaks up with the medicine. Someone fast," he adds, looking towards Bart.

"That's the best I can think of that wouldn't harm the creature. If it doesn't work, we'll have to re-group and try something else."

"OK. Talking wolves is freaky. Did that thing just talk? I'm sorry I was gonna say we use it as bait. I'm definitely against risking anything that talks," he says, almost to himself. It really doesn't matter with everyone planning out the strategy around him.

"I'll go from behind." He caught that bit about fast and didn't need to see the look to know that he's been volunteered for butt duty. "Don't touch the tail. Um. How if we're trying to get Kitty to inhale it, how're we keeping the rest of us from breathing it in? Did anybody ask Milyn if it sends us off to Dreamland too? Because I'm pretty sure something strong enough to knock out Sylvester is gonna floor us."

"He's a Pegasus." A pegasus who nudges her, like he wants her to add something, seemingly satisfied when she does right after. "This one's Blackjack. And I've been riding them for over ten years, so yeah. I can fly him well."

She considers the rest though, nodding along with Armin's suggestions and naturally adding some of her own. "Toss and run. We aim to throw the powder in a way that hits the creature but allows us to get away. Kid Flash could probably run from it fast enough, and if I drop it from the air, I could easily fly away. too. Whoever gets a shot, takes it. If it can be distracted, we can try to corral it in a convenient direction to the take the powder, preferably without hurting it." She won't ignore Taiki's misgivings over the notion, even if she's more concerned about preservation of her own life and theirs.

A beat. "But we can't forget to anchor it, otherwise it's literally off to Dreamland."

Armin nods at Annabeth in agreement, appreciating her input. It's easier to make a good plan with collaboration. Kid Flash is a little goofy, although with it, but she seems to know her stuff.

"I suppose we're just going to have to be careful to not inhale it," he replies to Bart, pondering over Annabeth's suggestions, "I imagine it's a very powerful medicine to knock out something so large..."

Anchor, anchor...

"Taiki, do you know any sort of magic that can paralyze or bind? I could use the harpoons from my gear to pierce the Gha'nal's legs and then the ground behind it, locking it in place, but I worry a physical approach won't work. Magic would probably be more effective."

Gohran just looked at Bart, though he wouldn't mind being bait. It wasn't like he couldn't escape easily. Taiki stood listening to the planning, doing his best to keep up, glad that they seemed to be trying to find a way to capture it without hurting it.

He blinked at the question. "Um... yes I know binding magic... um..." He looked at Gohran for a moment, "I don't know if it will work on the Gha'nal but I can try..."

[closed] catch the Gha'nal

When things start going down?

seems legit! also ty for starting ahh

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