Expectations

First topic message reminder :

Apparently there is a mystery dungeon just south of Grassveil that is perfect for younglings and other rookie-level adventurers. It has been frequented by many due to its relative proximity to Grassveil and lack of particularly powerful residents. When he heard of it, Saturn was more than eager to scout it out. Who knows who else he would run into considering how popular a destination it was for individuals of his skill level.

Before he knew it, Saturn was hightailing it down the south road out of Grassveil, ready to see what would be awaiting him at such a place.

He was mildly dissapointed with what he saw when he got there. Instead of what he imagined, (which was a colorful forest with friendly adventurers like himself wandering about), he got a rather plain-looking wood with as much thicket as there was trees. Perhaps the scenery changes as one goes further in?, Saturn thought. As he entered the mystery dungeon, his surroundings quickly took on a slightly more sinister vibe as the presence of trees meant there was a bit less light to see by, aside from the occasional break in the canopy every few dozen feet. These gaps in the treetops let in rather mesmerizing shafts of light that made for an odd contrast to the darker areas where the canopy was thicker. All in all, it kept Saturn's eyes from ever truly adjusting to one side or the other in terms of brightness. The entire situation was already starting to give him a headache, but Saturn wouldn't let that deter him. "Considering it's name, I bet this is a great place to find berries.", Saturn pondered aloud. Hopefully, pecha berries aren't the only things that grow here.

[Energy: 19-5=14]

As Saturn sped off into the forest, he realized that he had no idea what direction Tempo was dragged off into (assuming his kidnapping theory was even true). Aside from the spores trailing off slightly into the forest, his leads ended there. Perhaps he needed to slow down a bit and really investigate the area. If Tempo really was dragged off, then there should be a rut in the grass or something.

As Saturn examined the area, he kept hearing what sounded like rocks being fired at a tree in quick succession. Or at least, that was what it made him think of. It started off rather quiet but got louder and louder. Saturn decided it was worth checking out, seeing as his little 'crimescene investigation' wasn't netting anything worthwile. As he got closer to the noise, he realized that it certainly wasn't coming from ground level. It had to be the result of a pokemon high up in a nearby tree, and it didn't take him long to figure out what tree it was coming from.

"Hey, whoever you are up there, can I talk to you?" Saturn thought briefly on how he should word this next bit, so he sounded trustworthy. "I was exploring this area with an Oshawott named Tempo, and we were attacked. I had my attention directed at a large plant... thing that was trying to eat me. Luckily I was able to get away safely. Tempo, on the other hand, just kinda... dissapeared whilst I was caught up in defending myself. The only evidence of his dissapearance was some glowing spores scattered about where I last saw him. Please let me know if you've come across any suspicious characters, especially ones that were carrying an Oshawott in tow." Saturn was pretty desperate for information at this point, and hoped the mystery pokemon in the tree knew something of value. Otherwise, finding Tempo was not going to be easy.

[Energy: 11 + 1 (from new page) = 12]

Valen hadn't flown for very long before he saw a Pokemon on the ground. It stood on two legs and had a brown body. And then he noticed that it seemed to have a skull on the outside of its head, and it was holding a bone in one hand.

What?! Valen thought. Had he just flown into a feral so vicious that it wore the bones of its prey? He didn't know what species (or gender, for that matter) this Pokemon was. Now, he was feeling somewhat less confident about his ability to fight anything off. He tried to stay out of sight while wondering whether to make a dash for the hole he had made.

Making things even stranger, then, the Pokemon started talking. Valen was quite surprised, and thought that maybe this Pokemon wasn't feral after all, if it could talk. He decided to stay out of sight but keep listening.

Once Valen had heard everything that was said, he thought about it. Apparently, this Pokemon was traveling with another Pokemon called Tempo, whose species was "Oshawott." Valen didn't remember what an Oshawott was either. And then this Tempo had disappeared, potentially been taken by grass Pokemon. Was there some kind of trick going on, with the brown Pokemon trying to lure Valen out with the story? The bones unnerved him greatly and made him suspicious.

But then again, Valen remembered something he had heard long ago... There were many different species of Pokemon with different appearances and habits, and someone had been talking about Pokemon that naturally wore and used bones. Was the one before him just of that sort? Also, the story could very well be true... and if it was, rescuing those in trouble was one of the important things guild members did, and Valen wanted to do. Finally, despite the bones, the Pokemon before him maybe wasn't so dangerous, as it seemed to be landbound and not that large.

Valen decided to reveal himself to the Pokemon, so he flew out of the canopy of the tree he was currently in. He spoke, "I haven't seen any other Pokemon here so far, before I met you. But I guess I can help you search for this missing Oshawott."

Pickup roll:

Shield carried out 1 launched of one Pecha Forest :

Regular rolls:

Shield carried out 10 launched of one Pecha Forest :

, , , , , , , , ,

"Oh, thank you! Maybe with your bird's eye view we'll have a better chance." Saturn turned on his heels, ready to start continue his search, then remembered he should formally get acquainted with this pokemon. "My name's Saturn, by the way. Also, have you ever seen an Oshawott? They're light blue, a little pudgy, and they have this seashell on their torso. Or at least that's what Tempo looks like..." He wonders what other information this new acquaintance of his should know, but was interrupted by by a vine extending out from behind some nearby bushes and taking a swing at him. Saturn reflexively backed out of the way, just beyond the vine's reach. He readied an Ancient Power, aimed at where the vine was coming from, but was bombarded by a blob of corrosive fluid. This one hit full force, burning the top layer of his skin right off in some places. A very angry Weepinbell emerged from the shrubbery, mouth slobbering at the thought of finally consuming its quarry. "Oh, great. Not this freak." Saturn had quickly grown tired of getting drenched with gross acidic sludge. The Cubone readied yet another Ancient Power, aimed straight for the disgusting creature's left eye. If he could land a hit on such a vulnerable spot, then maybe it would get the hint to go find food elsewhere. A head-sized cluster of tiny pebbles shot forward, forcing the creature to close its eyes reflexively. Its vines proceeded to flail about, thrashing wildly in the air in a final act of desperation. The adventurous Cubone looked at his new acquaintance and said, "Let's get out of here!", before darting off in the opposite direction of the determined Weepinbell.

Saturn hoped he didn't encounter this carnivorous plant again, seeing as he was quickly running out of fancy tricks to use against it.

The sea otter mon said goodbye to the saviors, but he continued on his way... but he noticed a strange bird with Saturn... Although it didn't seem dangerous, at least, but the same couldn't be said for the Weepinbell. "No! Saturn!" He ran in to try and help, seeing him burned by the acid... He saw the two run away from it, at least, but he'll know the Weepinbell will be up to attack again...

"Saturn! Wait up!" He called out, slowing down to a stop as he pants heavily. While he's more suited on land than most water types, he was still not the best on it as he is in water. "I... Y... You OK...? Th... That Weepinbell... did a bit on you..." Tempo said, making sure his injuries won't worsen... "I... see you met a new friend, too..." Tempo said, looking at the Pikipek who joined the crew.

Valen was actually quite pleased with the compliment he had received. Even the landbound Pokémon themselves were admitting that flying Pokemon had advantages , he thought to himself, so it was odd that Pokémon got angry about him mentioning it... . But anyway, now he knew that the brown Pokémon’s name was Saturn, as well as what an Oshawott looked like.

Valen had been about to reply to Saturn when something that seemed to be a Grass-type Pokémon (whose species Valen didn't know) suddenly attacked him. As Saturn fought with the carnivorous plant, Valen looked for an opportunity that would let him attack without hitting Saturn or flying right into a move. He couldn't find any, but at least Saturn ended up creating an opportunity to run away relatively quickly. Valen thought of attacking the plant then, but swiftly decided against it and flew away with Saturn.

Valen heard a voice cry "No! Saturn!" He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a new Pokémon... Light blue... seashell on torso... was this the Oshawott they were looking for? As the Oshawott continued talking, Valen became certain it was Tempo, given that he clearly knew Saturn.

Now, Valen could introduce himself, to both others now. "Hello. I'm Valen the Pikipek. I met Saturn while I was exploring this forest. He asked me to help look for Tempo the Oshawott, and now we found you. Things have turned out well, I guess."

Tempo was found and seemed to be okay, Saturn was reunited with his friend, and Valen had met some new Pokémon. But... how much had Valen really done? Tempo had actually found the others on his own, and Valen hadn't managed to fight any Pokémon. Valen wanted to be a guild member and was trying to practice for it, but weren't guild members supposed to do more?

With these thoughts in mind, Valen looked around. And then, at some distance, he could see something that looked somewhat like a large yellow flower with a stem and leaves growing out of it. In fact, it looked like the Pokémon that had attacked Saturn just now.  Valen was angry at the thing and saw an opportunity to fight and save his new companions. It definitely looks to be a Grass-type. And… I remember! I have the type advantage! Flying is super effective against Grass and resists it!

Giving up on caution, Valen dashed towards the creature and directed a Peck at it, with all the force he could muster. He made contact, and the thing shuddered and expelled spores at him, making him shudder in return. He could recognize it from what he had heard about status conditions. It was Stun Spore, and it had paralyzed him. His battle-focused state made him reflexively use Mirror Move. Its power let him expel a Stun Spore back, a direct hit on the Grass Pokémon. But nothing happened.

“Hey! Grass-types are immune to power and spore moves!”  Despite his paralysis, Valen managed to turn towads the speaker and saw a Nidoran. Valen could recognize the species from hearing about how the Nidoran lines had unusually large differences between male and female – this one was female. And suddenly, to Valen’s shock, the plant spoke too. “Why didn’t you tell this bird I’m not aggressive! Is it because you refuse to admit that your own attack was entirely your fault?”

“What?!” Valen cried, snapped out of battling by the conversation. “What’s going on?”

“I, a civilized Weepinbell, was just relaxing on my own in this forest, when a bunch of Pokemon attacked me the moment they laid eyes on me, because they thought I may attack them, even though I actually did nothing to them! And now they refuse to admit their wrongdoing or give any compensation for my suffering – and, for that matter, the suffering of my young children who saw all of this.”

The Weepinbell used a vine to point towards two tree stumps hidden in the shadows, and suddenly they turned, glowing eyes peering out at Valen, startling him. “Bird, these Phantump are my children. Yes, I adopted them – because they are orphans who are too young to take care of themselves or even battle well. The Exeggcute who also helps take care of them had to leave to visit his ill mother, so these children had to helplessly watch as I was beaten up. I recently got a message from him saying that he is going to come back soon. What is he going to think when he hears that I was attacked by these – these…”

The Weepinbell pointed again, this time in the direction of the female Nidoran, and Valen saw a few more Pokémon come out of the trees. There were two male Nidoran, another female Nidoran, and two furry, brown-and-white-striped Pokémon that Valen quickly remembered were Zigzagoon.

Then, the female Nidoran Valen had heard first spoke up again. “Wow, what a sob story! And then you decided to paralyze this poor bird.” One of the Zigzagoon who was rummaging through a bag pulled out a seed that Valen recognized as a Heal Seed. “I finally found it! Take this Heal Seed. It will cure your paralysis,” the Zigzagoon said, offering the seed to Valen. "And actually, you can have these too for your troubles. There are obviously plenty of Pecha Berries here, and I don't think any of us really likes Watmel Berries, so I think giving them to you should be fine," as the Zigzagoon handed the two berries to Valen as well.

Meanwhile, the female Nidoran continued,” Look, we already apologized for attacking this Weepinbell. But you must understand that there seem to be many dangerous ferals in this forest today. All of us couples just wanted to take a walk in the forest, but we have been attacked several times, even while we were trying to leave – including by an actual feral Weepinbell. Our caution is understandable. And the fact that this Weepinbell keeps asking for our money and items shows that he just wants what we have.”  

Valen didn’t quite know what to think. He ate the Heal Seed, which quickly made his body feel as free as before. Then he called, “Saturn? Tempo?” He didn’t want them to think he was lost, and maybe they could help resolve the situation.

As Saturn ran from the persistent Weepinbell, Valen right behind him, his missing friend Tempo emerged from the bushes, worried for his safety. This filled Saturn with relief, his worries that Tempo was in serious danger finally put to rest. "Oh, thank goodness you're safe! I had feared the worst when you suddenly dissapeared." Tempo was still showing concern for him, which again, was mostly unnecessary. "Nah, I'm fine. That acid isn't as bad as it looks." Once Valen caught up, he introduced himself, then abruptly flew off, which Saturn found odd. While he did only agree to stick around until they found Tempo, he didn't expect Valen to leave so soon. Perhaps he had responsibilities of his own to deal with?

Now that Saturn had some time to rest, now that Tempo was safe, he wondered how long he had been in this forest. He looked up into the treetops, in an attempt to see where the sun was in the sky, but could barely discern its general location through the branches. It appeared to be mid-afternoonish, which meant they had plenty of time to do some more adventuring if need be. He turned to Tempo to ask if he wanted to call it quits or not, but was interrupted by Valen hollering their names in the distance. He rushed over to him, worried that he was about to become another wild Weepinbell's lunch, and stumbled upon quite the scene.

A much more civilized Weepinbell than the one that had been chasing him was the first thing he saw, followed by two female and two male Nidoran, a small striped fuzzy four-legged creature, and two small... wood... spirits? He wasn't sure how to describe them, other than the fact that they seemed rather distressed. They also appeared to be rather young. The Weepinbell seemed to be arguing with the Nidoran over being attacked, and demanded compensation. The Nidoran saw this as glorified robbery and were having none of it. Meanwhile, the small woodland ghosts were huddling close to eachother, their worried expression growing all the more intense. If this conflict didn't get resolved soon, a full-blown brawl might break out. He nervously backed away, looking for Tempo to see what he has to say about resolving such a delicate situation. "Hey, uh, Tempo? What do you think should be done?"

”Valen... That’s a nice name, at least. Glad you’re safe, at least, Saturn... And yep, that would be me. Nice to meet you.” He cheerfully spoke, letting out a cute but friendly squeak. ”To be fair, nothing much is happening around here. We’re simply exploring for some items and stuff.” He stretched a bit, seeing how late it got. They could stay for a while longer, sure, but who knows what will happen if it gets dark? ”I’ll be honest... If what I’ve been through just now was any indication... I doubt it’ll be easier to survive in the dead of night. We should le-“

Tempo’s speech was interrupted by the Pikipek’s cries for help. ”No!” He said, rushing quickly towards the area to help out. As he approached, he noticed the entire group. Some Nidoran and a Weepinbell, plus some... tree stumps? He was clearly confused as to what they were, but... they didn’t seem hostile. At least, not in a feral/wild sort of way. ”Valen, what happened? Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” He asked, although he didn’t notice any big wounds on the bird...

"I'm... okay." Valen said in answer to Tempo's question. "This is just a situation I never expected to get into." Valen's voice then became quieter and he leaned towards Tempo and Saturn, as he hoped that what he said wouldn't anger the Weepinbell, Nidoran, or Zigzagoon any more than they were already."

"So, this Weepinbell isn't actually feral, but was attacked by these Nidoran and Zigzagoon because they thought he might be dangerous, due to all of the feral Pokemon that are around here. You can understand, right? I mean, we fought a feral Weepinbell very recently. But now this Weepinbell is demanding compensation and everybody's getting worked up, because the Nidoran and Zigazagoon I mentioned all refuse to give anything."

And yet that Zigzagoon gave some of her things so quickly to me. Valen thought to himself. I mean, I can understand the Heal Seed, because I was paralyzed, but why the berries? Is she more generous than the rest, or was it just because she hated the Weepinbell so much she would rather give things to a stranger than to him? Although Valen didn't know what to do exactly, his sympathies were turning a bit towards the Weepinbell, especially because Valen was sorry for having attacked him as well.

What should I say? Valen continued wondering. Should I admit to Tempo and Saturn that I attacked this Weepinbell too? What does he feel about me right now? Is someone else going to say it?And on that note, should I tell our story about being attacked by a feral Weepinbell ourselves? But Valen was still very nervous and uncertain. He had much more experience with things like battling and doing simple jobs for others than with complicated diplomacy. Although he felt a bit guilty about letting Tempo and Saturn do all of the negotiation for now, he ended up just whispering "Tempo? Saturn? Can you please help resolve the situation here?"

(OOC: I've started making Valen's dialogue green because having colored dialogue was recommended to me. Also, yep, he mostly forgot about the Phantump. The Exeggcute will be arriving soon.)

As Saturn frantically searched for a viable solution to this issue, he came up with a handful of compromises. First, they bribe the Weepinbell with items/money to leave peacefully. (The problem with this is that he doesn't have any items aside from that small seed he pocketed earlier.) Second, they convince the Nidoran and co. to fork over some items to the Weepinbell as compensation. (The problem here is that they don't seem very likely to do that; like at all.) And the third option (the worst in his opinion) was to just not associate themselves with this situation and leave. Saturn decided he would go for the second option and if that failed, discuss with Tempo and Valen over the idea of bribing the Weepinbell to leave. (He wasn't really comfortable with this plan but figured it was better than doing nothing.)

"Look, I understand where you all are coming from, feeling like this Weepinbell is 'robbing you' and all, but I know that if I accidentally attacked a peaceful creature I would be more than willing to give something up as a token of peace. I mean, it's not his fault he was born an intimidating, carnivorous plant. And who knows? He just might return the favor one day."

Saturn's breath caught in his chest, the tension in the air so thick it almost made it unbreathable. If his words didn't work, then he didn't know what he would do.

"Also, squabbling in front of a bunch of children is just setting a horrible example."

Judging by the fact Valen had to lean in like this... it’s clearly more than what he expected. “Valen... Are you sure about that? Why are you whispering that about what happened when everyone else likely knows what happened?” He questioned the Pikipek. As he did, though, he noticed Saturn already trying to bargain. Give up something? Can they even give up anything? Tempo only had a scarf which didn’t seem to useful to the group they were talking to, and his Aqua Tabi, which, judging from what the person in the Treasure Box shop said, was useless to them, and a few Reviver Seeds, which are surprisingly common...

”L... Listen, we know that the fight was unintentional and all... I can understand why the Nidoran fought the Weepinbell, considering Saturn, here, was hit by acid by a feral. So if we all just calm down, you all can settle your differences and be on your merry ways...” Tempo said, still not knowing what truly happened.

Valen was feeling worse as time went on. What Tempo had said to him - did that mean Tempo was blaming him for something somehow? Now, Valen just wanted to get out of the sticky situation he had ended up in. Should I just say that this isn't our business and tell Saturn and Tempo to leave with me right now? he thought, but quickly dismissed the idea. That would be extremely rude and probably just add fuel to everyone's simmering anger, especially since I already asked Saturn and Tempo to come and help me here. What I need to do is avoid this breaking out into a physical fight.

Valen tried to remember what Saturn and Tempo had said to the squabbling Pokemon. Saturn had suggested that the Nidoran and Zigzagoon should give something to the Weepinbell as a token of peace, but he had also called the Weepinbell an "intimidating, carnivorous plant." Would that be considered rude and infuriate the Weepinbell more? Valen wondered. Then, Tempo had suggested that the sides simply stop fighting - and had also mentioned that Saturn had been attacked by a feral too. Maybe that information could help the Weepinbell understand why everyone had been so suspicious?

Now, I must try to do something. I don't know whether Saturn and Tempo can end this on their own, and I was the one who called them here in the first place. So, what should I do? What have I learned? Valen thought. As he thought more, he remembered stories of the many conflicts that had been solved through compromise... Compromise! That's it! But what would the compromise be in this situation? The Weepinbell wants some compensation, and the opposing Pokemon don't want to give anything... Wait, how much exactly does the Weepinbell want?

"Hello, Weepinbell, exactly how much compensation do you want? Just saying, we still have to make our decision, but whatever our decision is on what to do, we need to know what is at stake here before making it." Valen asked. Wait, I don't even know the Weepinbell's name. I hope that isn't rude. Valen realized.

"I want something that will help me heal my injuries." the Weepinbell replied. That made Valen look closer - the Weepinbell's body had some scratches, but nothing very severe. "So, two Sitrus Berries, and 300 Poke if I need to buy anything else. I know that the Pokemon who attacked me have those things with them now - I saw."

At this statement, a few other Pokemon started talking, but Valen cut them off with his own words. "I have a solution," Valen stated, trying to sound as confident and authoritative as possible. "A compromise is necessary. The Weepinbell demands this amount, but you" - Valen started at the Nidoran and Zigzagoon - "do not want to give him anything. Therefore, I believe that to somewhat satisfy both parties, one Sitrus Berry and 150 Poke should be given to the Weepinbell."

After Valen proposed his idea, the Nidoran and the Zigzagoon huddled together, whispering amongst each other. After nearly a minute of this, the Zigzagoon walked up to the Weepinbell, dropped a Sitrus Berry and a small pile of poke, and skittered off, the Nidoran following quickly in tow. The Weepinbell eagerly scooped up its compensation, nibbling at the Sitrus Berry as he counted the poke. After counting it all, the plant made a very unpleasant noise, somewhere between a hiss and a gurgle, and shook its curled up vine in the general direction they ran off in, like a fist. "Those stingy bastards! Couldn't even be bothered to fork over the full amount!" The Weepinbell turned in place to face Valen, Tempo and Saturn, a bitter look on its face. "Thanks for helping me out, I guess..." It then prepared to leave, gesturing to its Phantump children to follow, when a cluster of egg-shaped pokemon appeared from the bushes. "Are you alright? Where are those cretins! I'll teach them a lesson they won't s-" "They're gone. They already left." The Weepinbell cut them off. "And, like usuall, I get the short end of the stick..." The dejected Weepinbell hops off into the forest, the Phantump trudging along. One of them, filled with concern for their caretaker, floats off into a nearby bush and comes back with a small periwinkle-hued flower in its hand. It gives the fragrant flower to the Weepinbell, which causes it to cheer up a bit. "Thanks, guys. At least I have all of you." They all travel deeper into the forest, a pleasant floral scent being the only evidence of their passage.

"Don't worry about him, he's been pushed around a lot, and moments like these tend to leave him bitter and remorsefull. But he's also a very generous pokemon, taking those orphans under his vine like that. I think they remind him of himself when he was that young. He knows all too well how hard it is to look after yourself." The Exeggcute looks over at Tempo, Valen and Saturn. "Thanks for helping, regardless. It may not seem like much from where you're standing, but it means a lot to Weepinbell and me, knowing that good samaritans like you are out there. It gives us hope."

”Hey, no problem. We’re only here to help, after all. Just don’t hesitate to let me know when you need help.” Tempo digs around his bag a little bit... ”Oh... Uh, Weepinbell? Here, uh... Take some more. I don’t have any useful items, sadly, but I have a bit of extra cash I scrounged up... Here.” Tempo gives a small bag of a generous amount. “And... I’d be happy to help when you want it.” He said. He made some new friends in the forest, possibly. Not just another friendly Sandshrew and a Pikipek, but a few residents of the forest, as well.

"Um... you're welcome." Valen mumbled, after Saturn and Tempo had spoken. Valen wasn't looking at anyone in particular while talking. Even though things had turned out somewhat better than he had expected, with the conflict being solved without fighting - and through his own solution at that - Valen still felt a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't really used to this kind of stuff, and he wouldn't have expected it to happen in a dungeon of all places. Also, he was still worried about whether some other Pokemon had negative feelings about him for something he had done wrong.

I wish I had been fighting a whole horde of aggressive ferals; it would have been better than this, Valen thought to himself. I would have had more experience for what's likely to happen in dungeons - most of the time it won't be civilized Pokemon confronting each other, at least I hope! But as some time passed, his bad thoughts started to dwindle. Valen focused, instead, on how what he said had, indeed, been what worked, how he had met a lot of new Pokemon, and how this first dungeon exploration could be the start of an amazing exploration career, maybe even somewhat like his mother's. And now, he felt happier.

Saturn was bombarded with conflicting emotions resulting from how the situation in front of him played out. He was rather frustrated with how reluctant and selfish the Zigzagoon and its Nidoran buddies had been. While he understood their reluctance to give up their precious items and money, he had the sneaking suspicion that had they not sided with the Weepinbell (or been there at all) the group wouldn't have given up anything. He was tempted to give chase when they sped off, and partially regretted not doing so when the Weepinbell made it clear they didn't even give up half of what the begrudged pokemon initially demanded.

On the other hand, the novice adventurer was just relieved that the conflict didn't spiral out of control like he feared it would. He had done quite a bit of fighting today and wasn't particularly keen on defending the Weepinbell from the hostile group. Either way, he was glad that he took the Weepinbell's side in all this. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time and was glad his instincts didn't fail him in such a delicate situation.

Above all else, though, Saturn will sleep well tonight knowing that those woodland spirits have someone looking out for them. Hopefully, they won't harbor any illl will towards Nidoran or Zigzagoon as a whole from this ordeal.

"Hey guys, maybe we should consider finding an exit. It's a bit late and I'm rather exhausted, I don't know about you two. Between the three of us, I'm sure we could build a makeshift shelter to sleep in if necessary. I've done it a couple of times before and it sure beats sleeping on the hard ground." Saturn backpedalled a bit as he realized he was getting a bit ahead of himself. "Of course, that's assuming you guys even want to stick together after we get out of here."