"... I'm glad I took my dad's cloak. It's freezing in here." Mushroom says, half to you, half to herself, huddling closer to you in search for warmth. Her words do little to break the tension in the air, and silence engulfs you once more. The hole/den you're being forced to sleep in is cold and dark, and on top of that neither of you are used to sleeping in the wild.

During the apocalypse, you and Mushroom had to resort to some.. extreme measures to survive. Supplies had run dry in Middle Ring, and hunting for food was a no-go. Birds would fly away when you gave chase and small rodents would slip away from you with ease. With your other options essentially being starvation or dehydration, you had no choice but to get your essentials from the neighbouring wild district, Outer Ring.

"I keep thinking, what would my dad have done?" You... don't know. Now, you're both trapped here, having been caught in the claws of a pack of razor-wolves earlier that day. They spared you, thankfully, but are keeping you as hostages, hoping to use you to help defend their territory from the parasites and assimilated objects that have began to make their home in their territory.

"W-We... we don't even get any privacy..." It doesn't register to you that she's crying until you feel her tremble against you, bubbling tears running down her face. She curls into herself as she begins to sob, eyes watery and pupils going wide. Caught off guard by the sudden burst of emotion, you pull her close, trying to console her and tell her everything will be fine. "I-I don't want t-to be fi-i-ne... I w-want my mom.. and dad..."

Mushroom wraps her arms around you, fully embracing you in a hug as she continues to quietly cry and sniffle. She's always been so strong for you through this entire thing, you didn't realise she felt so... alone.