Ink instantly recognizes the letter. They point to it. “I know that guy!” It sort of slipped out on impulse. Ink supposed it would have to run with this. “Where’d you get this? When?”
They should. They should run. Breathe. Move. Run.
The thing was huge, but it was heavy. Strong, but still over-encumbered by metal. Loaz could be light and quick as a bug once they got moving. From a purely logical standpoint, there was no way this thing could catch up to them. Not without ditching that knife and stupid hat.
Loaz jerked away from the wall. The figurative concrete around their legs was starting to crack.
What could possibly be the strategic advantage of wearing a big metal pyramid on your head anyways? Mild intimidation? Surely it was uncomfortable beyond belief! And how do you see anything higher than the floor?
Thinking about it like that, it was comically excessive. They couldn't help but snort.
They managed a step.
Another.
Overthought had its benefits just as underthought did. Picking apart the surface-level scary, finding all the flaws, it brought a bit of comfort, at least enough for Loaz to pull themself out of the self-imposed glue trap.
They grabbed Noah by the arm and picked up running.
"Jaywing here is our medicine cat. Dealt with it first-paw." It introduced confidently. "I'm simply his warrior escort, here to ensure nothing and *no-one,*" it eyed Pine, "gets the jump on him."
Perhaps it ought to think of a warrior name for itself. 'StoatPAW' wasn't all too threatening. Stoatclaw maybe? Classic, simple, flowed well, had an air of menace to it, and fit perfectly with the whole 'fighting so long as its paw still had claws' story. If they asked, it decided, its name was Stoatclaw.
