It'd gotten used to this form. Specifically, it'd spent a long time observing other skrunglers and, after a few days, had even slipped into a pack of them and studied up close. They were active when the lights went off, usually, and they were ambush predators. Friend hadn't yet gotten a good chunk of anything the pack had killed yet, which meant it didn't have any usable data it could use to improve itself with.

So, it split off for a while, keeping to the shade beneath foliage to hide itself in. Eventually, it did find something: something large and hairy and feathery with an... interesting mouth. And face. And claws.

This would do quite nicely. If it could pull it off.

Reaching into its head where its core lay, it felt a familiar prick of magic against its skull. A voice, hushed, came from the bushes nearby where, hopefully, Friend would be at a good angle to get its teeth into the creature without immediately being found. "I need help," the magic whisper murmured. "Come here."

Friend watched with giant, bloated eyes as K'cil approached, sniffing, like he wanted to help. What a fool. Crouching low towards the forest floor, the mimic stared at its target: the back of the anteater's neck.

And then, it lunged.

It sprang up and tried to latch itself onto the back of his throat, jaws clinging tightly onto the ruff of his neck and chomping.

The harder K'cil bucked and swung and shook, the harder the 'skrungler' bit down on his scruff. It wasn't letting go-- not without a fight. Its snout crinkled as it applied more and more pressure to stay on while the anteater tried to throw it off.

It didn't have arms in this form-- not like Brother. But it did have feet. It swung its legs up for K'cil's shoulders, half-ripping and clawing at his pelt aimlessly, and half-looking for further purchase to stay leeched onto his body.

Friend let out a krr--RAAAHHH of pain as the anteater rolled, becoming trapped underneath the bulk of K'cil. At least that had worked for now-- its jaws unlatched and it screeched, kicking its hind legs up to try and rake into him again.

There was a half-second where Friend was very proud of the blood that splattered out of its body when K'cil raked into it. It'd made that! It worked! It looked very real! Of course, Friend also had to endure the fact it'd made pain receptors, and those too, were working very well.

This ambush thing was proving very difficult.

But, the anteater's face was turned to it now. It could tell because the teeth were sinking into it. It shot a leg up with a shriek, claws going for its eyes. Surely that would help.