Monster

The water's exceptionally refreshing for a well out in the middle of nowhere. The glint on the horizon's gotten brighter.

 

We still have the knife?

 

Yes.

 

Do the trees nearby have food?

 

If they do, pluck them.

 

And then have a *small* amount of the food, in case it's poisonous, and then wait to eat the rest.

 

Four of the trees have this dry-looking, prickly yellow fruit(?) hanging from them. Plucking and rock-bashing your way past the spikes and dry exterior reveals orange fruit with roughly the consistency of watermelon on the inside. The small bite you take tastes sort of like cherry, and you can't feel any ill effects half an hour later.

Of course, that half an hour feels like half a week, with how little there is out here, but you manage.

 

So...it's not a Durian.

 

I hope not- I hate those. :T
-----
Continue eating and toss a bit into the lake, if there's more fruits on the tree.

 

The fruit drops into the water, sinking in beyond view.

The wind noticeably picks up for the first time today, sweeping over the dunes in your sight. It's already rather cool in the shade of the tree you're eating under, but the breeze is refreshing, nonetheless. The glint on the horizon is slightly larger, though it still doesn't look to be moving. Nearly an hour passes, the sounds of the breeze and the rustling of the bushes settling an atmosphere of peace onto the oasis.

As the wind dies down, you notice that the glint is far to the west of where it originally was. It seems it was just moving too slow for you to notice.
You settle back in, though something about the scene seems off. It takes a hot minute to notice... but...

Despite the new calmness of the air, a bush in front of you is still rustling.

 

Pounce on the bush owo

 

Do not pounce on the bush and instead approach it cautiously

 

You settle for calmly but not especially cautiously approaching the bush. From up close, there definetely isn't anything in it.
The branches sway back and forth, occasionally, shaking, mimicking... the wind.

It's confusing, and, in a way, mesmerizing. You almost don't notice that there's someone behind you.

 

Investigate the bush. :D

 

Pretend to

while also trying to get some idea of who or what is behind me.

 

I just realized it said:

I'm smart. :L

 

you're going to get us killed at some point

 

I'm trying~

but self death failed. :C
actually, I'm just blind. xD

 

Pokes ensue.
The bush doesn't try to resist you all that much. Simply putting a hand in front of a branch stalls its motion. The movement is so light, in fact, that it isn't making any sound.
The air around the bush is strangely permissive, as well. It's not blowing the branches, per se, but it's not dragging on them either.

As for who's behind you, it sadly isn't a water elemental of some sort. All you can make out from the corner of your eye is a flesh-and-blood person dressed in white with either really messy hair or some kind of gaudy head accessory. You can't make out any facial expressions, but who/whatever it is seems relaxed.

I am very glad that the final choice was a timeline break, because it means that this could will totally happen.
I mean as long as 3/5 'you's' stay alive you'll be fine so you can even do it twice if you want

 

Turn and give it a bear hug.
Female or male? >.>