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Dew Drop found that her offer of help again fell on ears that did not need it, and nodded contently while turning to her own thorny branches. Once Lower Down had placed his own beetles amongst Nettle's bedding, the creamy doe followed and, not wanting to get too close to the beetles, carefully picked off thorns and tossed them at the bedding, a few falling beneath leaves and waiting at the edges for Nettle to curl up to sleep -- even after he got rid of the beetles, the thorns would still be there for a time. With still a few thorns, Dew also tossed a few thorns at the edges of the cave as well.

Once that was done, Dew Drop Sun returned to her pile and gathered the leaves she'd brought with her. Upon the twin's suggestion, she decided she would, indeed, leave them for the turtle. She was afraid of getting snapped at, so she didn't think she'd want to feed them to the turtle herself, but she'd figure something out. As she approached, Dodging and Brightly were flipping the turtle and painting his belly. Seeing the turtle forcibly occupied, she glanced at the branch he'd been snapping at and smirked. As Brightly skipped and jumped away from the turtle's snapping jaws and kicking legs, Dew Drop Sun sneaked around the back of him and added the dizzying leaves to the top of the turtle's supply of food, so that he could eat them once he was up on his feet again.

That done, Dew returned again to her supply. Having no better idea for the berries, she left the bitter berries near the cave's entrance, though far enough off to not seem too staged, and not in an organized pile. Perhaps Nettle would find them, feeling a little peckish, and give them a try. Once that was done, she found her last piece, the piece she was so happy about, and turned it over so that the spikes wouldn't rub off as she began to tug it towards a sink hole she'd seen close to Nettle's cave. Dew Drop Sun found the sink hole, and brought the bark to its edge, nudging the wider part of it into the water, the smaller rounded part that looked more like a tail or head staying out of the water, successfully seeming (at least at a glance) to be a crocodile or an alligator. The creamy doe grinned, nudging it a bit to get it into the perfect spot before turning and glancing around at the others.

Most were already at the edges moments before, and now everyone was beginning to disperse, crawling into the brush and surrounding bushes. Dew had somehow missed the announcement, but got the message no less, and turned in a circle looking for a good hiding place. Everyone seemed to be finding bushes, but that made everywhere seem occupied. Rather than stick too close, Dew instead galloped off a few paces and found a bit of a hill to climb, digging under some dirt and leaves to disguise herself and hide her horns, hunkering down against the top of the hill to watch. At least she would have a head start running away if he saw any of them...

Peeper lays in wait, hardly breathing as the many kimeti dive into the bushes to hide themselves. His eyes narrow-- what they've done to Crunch is mean, but also .. well, kind of cool. It's the stuff for Nettle that he doesn't like.

Of course, one more mongoose among the hoarde of mongeese won't be noticed; in the headlong rush back and forth, Bleeding Heart steals some of the exploding seed pods, though not many, and a few of the stink berries and ones that stain when smashed.

If he can't get them, he's darn well going to make sure they're recognizable as the prankers they are!

He begins to eel forward carefully; he's on Crunch's side of the clearing, so severing the vine that holds the big turtle's legs isn't very hard.

And when he finally springs to his back hooves, clay-and-mud covered with leaves and sticks embedded in it, it drives Crunch forward as well. "ROOOOOOAAAA WHO'S COME CALLING TO MY CAVE?" He shuffles forward, a giant, lumpy thing covered in dead leaves, and keeps his eyes mostly closed, heading toward the bushes with the most prankers. "I'M HUNGRY. I SEE TASTY DOES AND BUCKS. RROOOAA. STAY STILL SO I CAN EAT YOUUU."

At the same time, Bleeding Heart uses a rock to smash the exploding seed pods behind the tail of the doe who'd wedged herself in the hollow log and then hides in the trees to begin pelting the worst kimeti-pranksters with stink berries.