Valentina's Workshop

This is easily a place where an Ariados does her work. As you enter inside, you're greeted with several worktables that have all kinds of stranded tripwire mechanisms, nets, snares, and other objects you didn't even recognize. Some of the stuff even looked experimental. It was perhaps a grace you came across an infected dino to be the reason you were discovered at all by Razz's group, rather than be caught by...whatever some of these were.

Candles alight the area and give it a floral aroma to it all. Which would make it more pleasant if it weren't for the fact that you spot several people are in this room after all. Your fur prickles coldly to see at least three individuals, halting in place and stiffening up like a statue. Yet, expecting it to be several bug Pokemon, you're instead affixed to the sight of three mammalian Pokemon. The entire trio were bound up against a wall within the spider-silk; blindfolded, arms and legs all cuffed out, and...oddly erect.

From what you can tell where the strands left enough of their bodies exposed, the three men were a lithe Jolteon, a burly Machoke, and a tubby Excadrill; each of them had their mouths partly hanging open while their boners just twitch forward in the air. You flick an ear, uncertain if that meant they simply enjoyed being bound up, or if this Valentina did something to them. Either way, they were the only ones you saw in the entire shop; no Ariados to be found. Hopefully that was for a good reason.

Despite Razz's notion for you to simply go through the workshop to meet him on another floor, he never mentioned anything about other potential captives. Your priority was to save your two companions, but it didn't feel right to leave these three strangers to their fate. If they were bound up, it was to stop them from leaving. They were likely just other unfortunate souls he stepped in the wrong place for the spider to nab. If Jackal and Gold weren't going to feed the queen, perhaps these three captives were next on the menu.

That didn't settle right in you. Instead of heading to a door you see on the opposite side of the room, presuming to be your exit, your motions take you to the three caught men. Still, you did your best to stay quiet as you whisper, "Hey...hey you guys alright?"

Not a single one of them answers.

You wince and try to whisper louder, "...I'm not with the Hive. I can help you all get out of here. Can you hear me?"

Still no reaction.

Curious or worried, you simply reach a hand and cup the Jolten's head. You pat him at the cheek to watch for any twitch, but no dice. His blindfolded head just lolls back into place the moment you let it go. They were all ****, you think. Their breathing was steady, but their bodies just sag like dead weight. Not even a twitch of a reaction tells you they're conscious or sober. "Dammit..." You groan. It was important for you to save who you could, it was the whole reason for this journey, but you knew you couldn't just drag three knocked-out guys around this Hive when you had a job to do with Razz. You had hoped that maybe they could have all helped you, relying less on just the bee, and working together in a bigger group of survivors to get out of here.

Still, there was nothing you could do for them, not yet anyway. "...I'll see about coming back for y'all, or ensuring you get out." You tell their deaf ears. Though, it was likely just to help ease your heart more than theirs. Perhaps there just wasn't something you could think of in this moment to aid them. You'd solemnly have to ponder, and yet something catches your eye again, but this time, it was far more familiar.

A bright orange bandana sits atop one of the workstations, sinking your heart with the recognizable pattern on it. You couldn't confuse the loud accessory for anything other than that hothead of your team's bandana; the one you gifted to him upon your first interaction with him. It was still odd to think that he was your first major threat upon traveling from your home den, but saving him and seeing that confused look of his face, even now, prompted a smile out of you. There wasn't time to reminisce though. As you reach to reclaim Jackal's bandana, you can't help but notice a large satchel sitting next to the worktable. Inside were all of the traveling supplies and rations you had stored for your journey, including whatever Jackal or Gold had carried with them.

When captured, all of your stuff must've been dropped off here, some of it spilt even along the worktable. Perhaps this Valentina was trying to see if there was anything to use for her silk-laden mechanisms. A face of irritation marks your face, but you're at least glad to have found the team's belongings at all. You scoop the remains back into the bag and consider carrying this out at least with you. But it marks a similar problem; having to lug this large sac around may prove difficult when sneaking about the Golden Hive complex. If anything, Razz may judge you for it and demand you simply leave it behind or recollect it later. Your priority was to help Jackal and Gold...though, the Beedrill clearly had his own priorities in mind. Perhaps having some leverage or something of your own wants could combat his deal from being too one-sided however.

It'd also help if you had more people to back you up against the dangerous task given to you. It's almost a suicide mission to go after the queen; would perhaps a trio of men behind you wanting to also escape aid the effort? The idea of it still strikes you as you take a cursory glance at them again, wondering how you could possibly stimulate them into waking up properly. Their largest movement is still each of their stiff pricks twitching in place and their drunken huffs of air. Blind and perhaps ****, they patiently wait for whatever their captor wants to do with them. Even the Machoke's cock firmly flexes at the sound of a voice with a bead of pre-cum steadily swelling from his tip before it drizzles silently down the underbelly of his dick. The dark blue meat flinches, showing the glossiness of its skin from the pre's trail to seep over the vast set of nuts hanging between his legs. Swollen baseball-sized nads clench together in place just under his full mast.

It...weirdly gets you to swallow. What if there is a way to stimulate them?

You forego the thought when peeling your eyes to the rest of the room, wondering if there was a tool or concoction the Ariados could use to snap the boys back to reality. You could spend time on either solution, or simply take the bag and go and hop to come back later...

1. Grab the bag and go. You need to meet with Razz

2. Perhaps you should 'stimulate' the men and help them...to help you of course.

3. Take a closer look around, see what you can find in the workshop.