[John has one brain cell, okay, it's doing its best!!!

To his credit, John doesn't look particularly displeased that Markus shot down his suggestion. He always looks a little displeased, but that's just his resting angry face.

He frowns a bit deeper at Markus's alternative, though. He's understandably not too fond of the idea of jumping into a watery abyss with nothing saving him but the promise of some stranger. But, well, the alternative is staying in a tree surrounded by a pack of hungry, vicious predators and a tendency to break things with his emotions. John's got his feet perched precariously on two separate branches and a pair of strong handholds for precisely that reason.]

Don't think I've got much choice, friend. We stay up here, we're both dead. I'm dead either way, most likely. Least your way, one of us's got a chance of surviving.

[It's not that he doesn't trust you, Markus, really! He's just... not an optimist, is all.]