( Ian's overthinking extends to the field, too. There's a reason Nia often paired him and Takoda together despite their clear dislike for one another — they balanced one another out. He can spend too long split between decisions, spend too long trying to think of problems so he can then think of solutions to those problems before they even happen. There's a time and a place for it. Takoda has a tendency toward action, because to his mind the solution to most things is sack up and shoot it.

It's not exactly the same with Lance, it's a far more mild situation with far more mild opposing tendencies, but it's still at play a little. Left to his own devices, Ian would take another five unnecessary minutes to make something fool-proof despite the fact that it's completely impossible to do that realistically.

He leads, and Ian is compelled to follow rather than get stuck in the planning phase.

In his defense, these overly-cautious tendencies kept him alive the first six months before he found Crater Lake. )

Or maybe they'll figure out we've been eating more than bland protein slop, because we smell like fast food instead of kale.

( He mutters back, a shrug more in his voice than his shoulders. When in doubt, assume something wants to slaughter you.

The voice grows louder and distinctly more human. Something along the lines of, I can't hold it, I can't hold it anymore, oh god--

How long have they been down here? Hours? There's no way they'll have been having a party down here the entire time. They must have found some kind of shelter, some kind of cover, something to hold them off for as long as they have, right?

There's an answering shriek. He's pretty sure that one is a rat. )