It’s—oh. Yeah, probably for the best it’s not.

Ah—yeah, it is. Kinda gets unruly at times, which is why I keep it nice and tied.

// BABY

“Okay—hang tight. I’ll bring ‘em over. Just uh…wait over here?” She’s pointing at the ground just under the fire escape.

“I’ll bring you something.” And off she goes climbing. There should be some leftover noodles and chicken she got the other day…

Holding her hands up. It looks gnarly and sounds even gnarlier…but at least it’s not attacking. So there’s that.

“See? Not gonna hurt you. You wanna find something to eat?” Making a gesture for eating, nice and slow.

Oh, crap. Yeah, that was probably obvious in hindsight.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay. Sorry about the light…off, see?” Turning the light off.

Who knows at this point, right? Either way, Skylar hasn’t connected the dots yet.

“I’m…looking for a dangerous creature. Probably a threat to you and your folk too. Yea high, banana-shaped head, loves stabbing things with the tail.”

Oh, that’s definitely horror movie material. “Hey, you…it’s okay, I’m not here to hurt you.” At least until she’s assessed the situation. Sliding the phone out to switch its flashlight on.

“I…well, I just realized your existence, so no tribute, unfortunately.” At least he seems cordial enough, because she’d hate to get on the bad side of a giant rat and his thousands of subjects.

“So do you rule over this area?”

Oh, that was not a fun sound. She’s still unarmored at the moment, so at least he can probably make her out through thr darkness.

“I…was looking for something else, actually. Who…are you, even?” She’s not surprised this city has a rat king, but this is definitely unexpected.

Too many arms, too many faces. She’s no expert in mutations, but that’s gotta be a mutation of some kind.

And…he speaks? Curiouser and curiouser. Slowly hovering to take her down to ground level, hovering above the pool of sewage.

“Hello?”

Okay…freaky. And yet she’s curious.

Slowly climbing out the window next to it, heading down the fire escape. Trying to go slow and quiet, as to not alert the mystery figure and take a closer look. “Hello?” Yes, this is peak white woman in a horror movie, but she can handle it.

-catch too much attention.

The small ones, no problem. But the big one? That’s something she doesn’t want to tangle with.

One, she didn’t even know this city’s sewers are THIS labyrinthine. Two, talk about the Rat King himself.

That one’s definitely much bigger than a regular rat, and she’s probably better off observing silently, for now. See what these rats are up to, try not to-

She’s gotten her fair share of raccoons, so she knows what they sound like. And this one sounds…bigger.

Quietly sliding the second-floor window of her garage open, where her studio apartment is. Peeeeering out into the darkness below…

Huh…someone’s rung Remy’s dinner bell. Curiouser and curiouser.

Slowly she stalks forward, headed for the convergence point of these rats. Surely that’s a sign for something, right?

I’d like to say I do know my way with bikes. Nice meeting you.

More partial to four wheels myself, but I do appreciate a good motorbike.