SO A FRIEND OF MINE AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT HUNTING DYNAMICS...
And when I say hunting, I mean as in intimate predator-prey hunting. Just as a heads up for what to expect, and it was the idea of them hunting *two* partners (specifically Sonia and Birdseye).
So, starting with the more feral boneheads more familiar with a hunting setting, and who *have* worked together as a hunting pack.
Dirge is the *best* at the task, having done this sort of thing as a way of life to survive. The only difference is that this time, he's hunting a prey to have some breedy fun with, rather than to dice into chunks. An expert tracker, following footsteps, taking in scents, and stalking through a forest? Are skills he's honed for eight years.
Dirge sings nursery rhymes as he hunts, not just to amuse himself and unsettle his prey, but to also evoke a reaction out of his prey. If they snort, laugh, or make any sound of jest, confusion, or curiosity? His prey essentially gives themselves away.
Curr on the other hand, is a quiet hunter. As tall as he is, he practically disappears in foliage. Watching from a distance, and stalking with the efficiency of a wolf. He'll often keep out of sight, or at the very most, let himself be seen in the corner of one's vision, just *basting* his prey with paranoia.
Occasionally, he'll fling a bone to snap a twig in the opposite direction of where he's at, at the very least, to make them more paranoid, and at most, to try and scare his prey into his direction. That way, his prey runs right into his open arms.
Papyrus would be crafty, quickly assembling little rope traps with speed and precision that comes from centuries of practice. Little trip traps, purely to cause a stumble that gives away their location. He'd be having fun with it. Quickly deducing where Sonia and Birdseye have fled to... And building traps around it. Preparing carefully so when he does go in for the capture, there's traps no matter which direction they flee.
Knowing Curr and Dirge, both of who enjoy hunting *together* as an unlikely teamup? The two of them likely do a sort of trick where they'll 'stubbornly' hunt one of their marks... And then switch when one of their target's guards are down. Making them both think that Curr and Dirge are actively hunting them and not the other.
And now, following proper order when it comes to boneheads;
Sans would be a cheeky bastard. Play up that he's too lazy to participate. Then, after reading over texts and emails regarding work, deciding OK. Time to lock in. And just... Shortcutting around until he finds one of them, and keeping his distance. Until they flee from, and escape someone else. Then just shortcutting right adjacent to them and commenting "man, that was a close one, huh?" and acting casual. Claiming he's too lazy for all the pin down and roughhousing of hunting. He's just in it to watch. But, casually finessing his way to the bone zone.
Red would be all too eager for the hunt. Excited to just let loose and track down his prey. Not like it's a skill he hasn't honed to suss out potential attackers. He gets cocky as hell, calling out loudly, while making note of any sounds that echo back. Listening for the tiniest of rustling as he walks confidently. They'll think that they can move in the direction he just came from; the reality, he's counting on that. Once he gets roughly out of earshot of where he suspects they were? He shortcuts up into a tree several yards back. To listen for and watch his prey try and flee, right into his little trap.
Edge would be the sort to lay traps, but a little less enthusiastically than Papyrus. He tries to be a little more tactical about it. Why set up traps in every direction, when you can set up traps in one direction, and then scare the prey into them? And once they're trapped, he's going to be savoring every moment watching his cute prey squirm in it. And also boasting.
Blue? It depends. He's going to ask beforehand just how serious he should take this. And warn that it might be a little rough if he does take it seriously, and it won't last long.
If he's handling it with kiddie gloves, he'll take things at a casual pace, limiting himself by not utilizing his Blue Magic gravityhax. He'll take things easy, and make a game of it. Casually tracking footprints, whistling to give his position away to eliminate his prey from being in the area (or even trick them into revealing themselves) and taking things as a leisurely little hike, with the bonus of tapping into his tracking skills to try and find them the old fashioned way.
If he is taking it seriously, well... Kiddie gloves are off, he's using gravityhax, and then it's a game of playing hide-and-seek with skeleton Speedy Gonzales.
With Stretch? It's... Questionable if he'd even join in for it. He'd probably take off his headphones, look a little confused. And nervously question. "I ahh... A-Ah, th-think you're barking up the w-wrong tree, here... I... I'm terrible at capturing a-anything... Well, a-anything that isn't a cute fuzzy animal o-or an innocent little bug... Uh... M-Maybe when you're done, I can h-help you wind down..."
We've already touched on Curr, but Bat is... A little twisted.
It's not even a challenge for him, with his bat sub-umbra, he can send many of them out to scout out his prey's location immediately, the sub-umbra relaying information back to him through their screeches. It's so easy for him, that he doesn't bother to go in immediately for the claim.
Instead, he teases and intimidates through echoing his voice through the bat sub-umbras. Making his voice sound like it comes from one direction, and then the opposite, then from above, then from almost behind them. Teasing and toying with them that this is his kingdom now, and he knows exactly where they are.
With Epitaph, it would be in a similar boat to Bat. But for a completely different reason; this is Epitaph's territory. Bat may claim it as his kingdom as he plays in the proverbial sandbox, but Epitaph is the one who actually owns it. Still, while his brother Dirge may go wild chasing down someone, Epitaph has learned it's more efficient to lay traps and relay bones to know when those traps have tripped.
Even so, he's anxiously humble boasting when he catches his prey. And apologetic that it didn't last longer. "I'm terribly sorry, but... this was too easy for me. i've-- i've literally mapped out this entire forest to a grid, and strategically placed relay bones all around, forming that grid..." giving a slight wheeze, and rubbing his arm. "you started in H5, then moved to G5, then to G4, then diagonal into F3, then through E3, D3, C3, until you curved at B4, then again at A4. Before moving to A5, A6, and... well... that's where we're standing now."
In the end, he's rather meek and quiet in his delivery, almost sounding ashamed of knowing his prey's path. Which makes for him being a very apologetic predator.
(CW; Hypnosis and unreality for this last one)
And for Baggs? His hunting is special.
He lets them run, he doesn't need to chase. They're already in the palm of his hand. From the moment they stepped into the woods. Click, click. Click, click.
The trees, changing to unnatural and vibrant hues of blues and pinks. The light through the leaves dimming to a softening glow. A sort of mist that hangs low to the ground.
Soon, as they flee, they notice that the forest starts looking different. Unnatural. The colors, more vibrant.
No matter how many times they turn, it's as if they're still going deeper into the forest at every direction.
Always fleeing, always hearing his voice as if it's right over their shoulder. Because it very well could be. And the deeper they go into the forest, the deeper they go into trance.
From the start, it wasn't a conscious thought to find the best hiding place they could, together. Even if they thought they parted ways. And it wasn't as though they realized that they weren't running at all, that they were sitting nice, and comfortably.
With his hand, stroking their heads, and guiding them deeper.
So ayup here have this nummy food I swear I'm cooking shit in the background I'm just too shy to share publicly most the time. ._.
