Survivor: Strangetown Edition
Episode Seven – Retaliation
A team of paramedics are checking over Lazlo, who is still passed out on the floor in the tribal council area. The six remaining survivors as well as the two jury members are standing off to the side away from him, as instructed by the Unsavory Charlatan. Nervous is hanging onto Crystal, who looks like she is about to cry. Vidcund and Pascal are standing in front of one of the structure's pillars closer to their younger brother, both of them looking devastated.
"I did it," Pascal speaks up, his eyes watering, "I killed Lazlo! Every year on his birthday I would promise him that I'd never accidentally kill him, and then this happens!" Pascal bursts out crying.
"Geez, calm down, crazy," Loki says, "He just passed out, he's not dead," he tells him, "He'll probably be fine in a few minutes."
"Is anyone here a doctor?" the Unsavory Charlatan shouts from across the room as he sits crouched in front of Lazlo.
"-He is," Vidcund replies, gesturing down to Lazlo.
Pascal shakes his head. "How ironic."
"Really?" the Unsavory Charlatan calls out, unable to believe what he is hearing, "The guy that eats from the trash is a doctor?"
"Hey, he knows his capabilities!" Pascal chimes.
Loki steps forward and looks down at the youngest Curious brother. "Apparently not, since he's on the ground," he states. Loki turns to Vidcund, who is now glaring at him; Loki shrugs. "Someone had to say it!"
Circe weaves her way through the other survivors and raises her hand up. "I'm a doctor," she informs the host as she kneels down in front of the scientist. Circe looks up at Vidcund, giving him a sassy smirk. "Don't worry, I won't hurt him. In fact, I like him a whole lot better now that he voted you off." Vidcund narrows his eyes at his ex-girlfriend.
Fifty minutes later, all of the remaining survivors are still waiting to hear the status of their teammate. Everyone is now sitting on the floor. Loki groans, Vidcund asleep on his shoulder.
"Well, I'm calling it – he's dead," Loki speaks up, "Boohoo, at least we got two spares!" he states, gesturing to Pascal and Vidcund. Pascal shoves Loki with his elbow. "Oww!"
"Ugh," Pascal groans, standing up from his spot to stretch his legs out. He does some arm stretches.
"Hey, what are we waiting for?" Lazlo's voice rings out behind his brother.
Pascal groans and moves his arm back, lightly pressing his hand up against his youngest brother's face. Pascal yawns, barely keeping his eyes open. "Shut up, Lazlo!" he whines, turning to look at him. Pascal moves his hand down, Lazlo flashing a smile. "Lazlo!" Pascal beams, throwing his arms around his brother and squeezing tight.
Within seconds, everyone else has gathered around the pair. "How long have you been standing there?" Vidcund asks him.
"-About thirty-seven minutes," Lazlo replies.
Vidcund groans, throwing his arms out. "Why didn't you say anything?!" he questions.
Lazlo shrugs, scanning over the rest of his tribemates, who are all watching him intently. "I thought we were doing a reward challenge!"
Vidcund facepalms and sighs. "So, you're alright?" he asks. Lazlo nods. "Well, in that case-" Vidcund takes a deep breath, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" he screams at his brothers, "WHY DID YOU TWO VOTE ME OFF?!" Lazlo cringes.
"Oh, that's right, we never finished tribal council," the Unsavory Charlatan speaks up behind them; he claps his hands together, "Alright. Everyone resume your places; we have to finish this thing up!"
"Are you sure Lazlo's alright?" Crystal chimes in.
The host nods. "Yep. Circe checked him over. He regained consciousness rather quickly. Now Vidcund, you'll need to bring me your torch," he instructs the plant biologist.
Vidcund shakes his head as he reluctantly sets his torch in front of the Unsavory Charlatan. "Unbelievable," he states.
"Vidcund," the Unsavory Charlatan begins, "The tribe has spoken," he announces, snuffing out his torch, "It's time for you to go."
Vidcund nods and turns back to his brothers, his face in a line. "I am so mad at you – I'm never going to forgive you guys! And there is no way that you two are ever going to win this thing, so I hope you're happy!"
"-I know I am," Circe whispers to Pollination Tech #9, unable to mask the smile that is shining on her face.
"Okay Vidcund, you have to leave now," the Unsavory Charlatan speaks up, standing between Vidcund and his brothers as Vidcund continues to yell at them; Lazlo is cowering a bit, but Pascal looks unfazed. Finally, the Unsavory Charlatan sighs and gestures a few sims over to him, "Security!" he shouts.
Two security guards walk into the structure and grab Vidcund on both sides. "Hey – what are you doing?!" Vidcund shouts as they lead him out of the structure. Pascal and Lazlo can still hear their brother cussing at them from outside.
Pascal exhales and nudges his little brother. "So, do you think he's mad?" he asks; Lazlo glares at him.
"-That was so messed up," Loki says behind the pair, looking positively dumbfounded.
"Well, if tonight has taught us anything, it's that nothing is for certain in this game," the Unsavory Charlatan tells the six remaining survivors, "Survivor is an individual game and the sooner you learn that, the greater you will succeed," he pauses, allowing the survivors to ponder these words over, "Pack up your stuff and head back to camp. Goodnight."
The six remaining survivors grab their belongings and exit the tribal council area, walking into the night.
Vidcund Curious
Closing Words
Words can't even describe how shocked I am right now. I am horrified at what my brothers did to me. The crazy thing is, the one person that I originally thought I couldn't trust, was the only one that didn't betray me. That's just some messed-up shit and I'm really disappointed because I know I could've done way better. I wish everyone luck, except my brothers. I'll probably forgive Lazlo, because it seems like Pascal just pressured him into voting for me, but Pascal, after what you just did to me, there is no way in hell that I would ever vote for you, so I hope you get screwed over. Yeah, this whole thing sucks, but at least I left with Loki's wallet! (holds it up to the camera)
Across the island, Loki is scrounging around in his pockets. "Damn it!" he curses.
Day 19
Loki Beaker
Mad Scientist/Professional Villain
I woke up today feeling even sicker than I did when I was actually sick here on day seven. I'm butt-hurt right now; I'm not going to lie. Last night, we were supposed to vote off Nervous, and for some reason the two nincompoops thought it would be a good idea to destroy our entire alliance and vote off their own brother instead. Obviously neither Vidcund nor I saw it coming, he went home feeling like a fool, and I'm still here feeling really betrayed. I don't know who to believe anymore, and right now, all I want is revenge.
…
Loki walks up behind Pascal and Lazlo who are both standing near the shelter; the other three survivors are lounging inside of it. "I can't believe you just went and did that last night!" Loki speaks up behind them, his face fuming, "Did our alliance mean nothing to you? What about our deal?" Loki questions.
Pascal puts down his canteen and steps forward, looking at Loki straight in the eyes. "Your deal was with me, I kept my promise – you're still here," he answers him, "Besides, you two were getting out of control."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Loki responds animatedly, "Did you not like me dating your brother? You know he's an adult, right? He can make his own decisions!"
Pascal crosses his arms; Lazlo ducking into the shelter behind him. "Funny, I was unaware of the fact that my 'older brother' card had an expiration date!"
"Yeah, it expired the same day you threw your common sense card out the window!" Loki fires back.
Pascal rolls his eyes. "Yeah, like you should be the one lecturing me about common sense."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Gee, I don't know," Pascal begins, "Maybe that if you act like an ass, people are going to retaliate? Good luck digging your way out of this one," he states, swiftly grabbing his canteen and exiting the area; Loki watching every move he makes.
Pascal Curious
Mad Scientist/Unstable Curious Brother
Loki may be intelligent, but he's not very smart, and you need both to succeed in this game. If I want to beat him, I have to stay three steps ahead, because after last night, he's going to be out for blood. I just gotta make sure it's not mine.
Later that Afternoon
Pascal sighs as he walks through the forest, gazing up at the trees as he gently breathes in the fresh air around him. "Pascal! Pascal, wait up!" a voice rings out behind the scientist. Pascal quickly turns around, finding Crystal running after him, crunching through a few of the fallen leaves.
"Oh, hey," Pascal greets as the young townie approaches him, a rather large smile on her face, "What's up?" he asks.
"What's up?" Crystal repeats, a hint of surprise in her voice, "You flip the entire game on its side last night and you ask me what's up?" she beams.
"-Yes," Pascal nods, matter-of-factly.
"Look, after all that, I gotta ask – Why did you vote with us?"
Pascal crosses his arms, a sassy smirk on his face. "Come on Crystal, you know why," he states.
Crystal scrunches her forehead and shakes her head. "No, I don't. You gotta tell me."
Pascal sighs and looks her over. "Okay," he says, "I thought about you said to me a few days ago," Pascal confesses, "You know, when you said that I know what it's like to be on the bottom?" he reiterates, "And back at the reward challenge, you were the only one who stood up for me. So…thanks," he says sincerely, "But I hope you know now that we're even, we're back to being competitors again," he reminds her, "So it's game on, Vu."
Crystal slowly nods, her eyes shining at this news. "Gotcha," she speaks up, "Game on, Curious."
The pair shake hands before they both turn away from each other, walking in opposing directions. "I gotta get her out as soon as possible," Pascal mutters to himself as he heads to the waterfall.
"I gotta get him out as soon as possible," Crystal mutters to herself as she heads back to the campsite.
Reward Challenge
"Come on in, guys!" the Unsavory Charlatan announces, gesturing all six remaining survivors towards the center of the beach. The castaways step onto the bright yellow tribal mat and look up at the host.
The Unsavory Charlatan smiles and clasps his heads together. "Well, well, well, we're down to the final six," he states, "And after last night's tribal council, it appears that there is still a lot of animosity in this group."
"You got that right!" Loki states, glaring at Pascal.
"That's why today, instead of attempting to resolve tribal disputes, we're going to capitalize on the hatred between you," the host informs the survivors, "This is the perfect chance for revenge," he says, "So here's how this challenge is going to work: Behind me, you'll notice that each of you have been assigned a table that has your name on it. Situated on the table are three vases. You have each been given a slingshot and twenty balls. When I say go, you will attempt to knock over your tribemate's vases, all while keeping your vases safe," he explains, "If all three of your vases break, you are out of the challenge."
"Now here's where the strategy comes in, because if you spend all of your time protecting your vases, you may not be able to knock down anyone else's," the Unsavory Charlatan informs them, "To win, you have to figure out how to manage your time effectively. How bad do you want reward? Do you really want to win, or do you want to spend the whole challenge making sure that your enemy doesn't?" he questions, "The winner gets an advantage in the next immunity challenge, so it is definitely worth playing for."
"Aw! Can't we just win a cheese sandwich?" Lazlo whines.
The Unsavory Charlatan glares at him. "Don't you start complaining! The last thing I need is two Pascals!" he exclaims, gesturing between the two Curious brothers. "Anyway, I'll give you all a moment to strategize and then we will begin!"
Fifteen minutes later, all of the survivors are situated in front of their designated tables; the Unsavory Charlatan is standing several feet above them on a tall bamboo platform. "Alright, for reward, survivors ready…? Go!" he shouts, throwing his hand down.
Almost immediately, the six survivors pick up their slingshots and begin shooting. Loki aims down and knocks down one of Pascal's vases. "That's for taking out Vidcund!" he shouts.
Pascal knocks down one of Loki's vases. "And that's for doing him!" Pascal replies. Nearby, Jenny has just knocked down one of Crystal's vases.
"Jenny! What the hell?" Crystal shouts to her teammate.
Jenny shrugs. "Sorry Crystal, but I want to win!" Jenny quickly ducks, a ball barely missing her.
"Sorry Jenny," Nervous chimes in behind her, "I was aiming for someone else. I'm not very good at this!" he confesses.
The Unsavory Charlatan steps forward, smiling at all of the chaos that is going on beneath him. "Man, almost everyone here is out for blood," the host states, eagerly rubbing his hands together, "But who has what it takes to make it all the way to the end?"
"Hey!" Pascal choruses as Loki knocks down his last remaining vase.
"Sorry," Loki smirks, his tone not matching his words. Loki's last vase smashes into pieces. "Oh come on!" Loki states, looking up at the man that threw the ball.
"Hey, Circe said I had balls!" Lazlo defends, throwing his hands up with a smile.
"And just like that Pascal and Loki are out of the challenge," the Unsavory Charlatan announces, "Take a seat on the sit-out bench and let's see who wins this thing!" he instructs; the survivors nod and take a seat beside the podium.
Five minutes later, Crystal, Nervous, Jenny, and Lazlo are still in the challenge, trying their best to knock each other out. The challenge is getting rather violent, as dozens of balls are flying in the air. Nervous takes his last vase and hides under his table.
"-Well, I guess that's one way to do it," Pascal states, watching his friend hug the vase to his chest.
"Aww man!" Jenny throws her arms down.
The Unsavory Charlatan steps forward, "That was Jenny's final vase, Jenny, you are out!" The mother nods and heads over the sit out bench. The host smirks as he looks down at the three remaining sims. "And then there were three. Lazlo is up two to one – and he just took out his own vase."
"Damn it!" Lazlo curses, sitting up from his table. He smiles, noticing that Crystal is aiming towards him. "You wouldn't," he states.
Crystal smirks. "Watch me."
Lazlo quickly reaches behind him and grabs his slingshot, aiming it at her table. The pair continues to stare sassily at each other for a few moments, before simultaneously releasing their slings; both of their vases crack in half.
Lazlo and Crystal step off their tables, both clearly confused. "Wait, how do we determine who wins?" Lazlo asks the host, still hanging onto his slingshot, "We both fell at the same time, it's a tie!" he argues.
The Unsavory Charlatan cocks his head. "Is it?" he asks as the three survivors on the sit-out bench glance over at Nervous's table. The Unsavory Charlatan turns to Crystal, "Crystal, tell your friend that he won."
Crystal turns to Lazlo, flashing him a puzzled look, before walking over to Nervous's table and peering under it. "Nervous?" she states when he sees him, "The Unsavory Charlatan says you won."
"Really?" Nervous chimes, getting up from out of the table and holding onto his perfectly intact vase, "I can't believe it! I've never won anything!" Nervous starts bouncing up and down as the other survivors walk over to him. "Man, this is like the time that I found that Cheeto in the couch!"
"Cheeto?" Loki repeats, turning to glare at Pascal.
Pascal shifts his eyes from side-to-side. "What?" he states.
"And who said cowardice never paid off?" the Unsavory Charlatan says, giving Nervous a pat on the back. The vase falls down of his hands and cracks into a million pieces. "Congratulations Nervous, you won the challenge and with it, this!" he exclaims, handing Nervous a rolled up piece of paper. "Use it well!" he instructs him; Nervous nods.
"Aww man! You never said that we were playing for a piece of paper!" Pascal states next to the host, "That's almost as good of a prize as that dirty piece of rice from day one!"
The Unsavory Charlatan groans and shakes his head, before reaching into his pocket and popping an aspirin into his mouth. The host sighs. "As for the rest of you, I've got nothing for you. Head back to camp and I will see all of you tomorrow at your next immunity challenge!" The survivors nod and walk back towards their beach, a few of them congratulating Nervous before they do so.
Later that Night
Pascal and Lazlo are lying down in the shelter alone, looking up at the bamboo ceiling. Neither of them has said a word to each other since they returned from the reward challenge. "Do you regret what we did?" Pascal speaks up suddenly; he turns to his little brother, "You know, to Vid?" he clarifies.
Lazlo shakes his head. "No," he states, "Do you?"
Pascal sighs as he turns back to the ceiling, mulling this over. "No," he replies into the open air. "Not at all."
"Hey! Curious!" Loki speaks up, hitting Pascal in the knee. "Get up. I want to talk to you."
Pascal gives Lazlo a suspicious look before sitting up in place; Loki climbs in next to him and takes a seat. "Look, I've thought this over, and I want back in," Loki tells them, "What's passed is past. I want us to be solid again."
Pascal scrunches his forehead. "Really?" he responds, "Why?"
"Because we need to band together to take out this island's biggest threat," Loki replies.
"And who's that?" Pascal wonders.
"-Crystal," Loki answers, "So are you guys in or not?"
Pascal and Lazlo turn to each other and smile before turning back to face their alliance member. "Oh, we're in. We're definitely in," Pascal promises.
Five Minutes Later
"-Loki is trying to get rid of Crystal," Pascal tells Nervous as the two of them head towards the waterfall, collecting wood for the fire along the way. "He told me this a few minutes ago and he's stupid enough to think that I won't tell you."
"Okay," Nervous speaks up, "So who's in this? The three of you?"
Pascal nods. "Loki thinks Lazlo and I are onboard, but we're not. I say if he loses immunity tomorrow, we can him. He's too dangerous to keep around any longer."
Nervous nods, not having to give this suggestion a second thought. "Alright, yeah. It's a deal."
"Great," Pascal replies, shaking Nervous's hand. "Now remember: We never had this talk."
"Right," Nervous agrees, watching as Pascal walks further into the woods.
"I know it looks like I'm throwing Loki under the bus – and I totally am," Pascal whispers to the camera, "But I need to keep the target off of myself, and this may be the only way to do it!"
Meanwhile – In the Shelter
Lazlo is lying down fast asleep in the shelter after five minutes of struggling to bend a twig with his mind. Jenny softly moves over to her brother and slips the twig out of his hand; Crystal watching carefully behind her. Jenny snaps the twig in half and places the end of it back into Lazlo's hand; she cups his fingers around it.
Jenny smiles and turns around, noticing Crystal giving her a puzzled look a few feet away. "Hey, we've been doing this for twenty-three years, and I'm not going to stop now. As far as he knows, he's psychic," she tells her.
Nervous slips into the shelter and taps Crystal on the back; the four of them alone in the shelter. "Pascal says Loki's after you," he tells his teammate as she sits up next to him, "So we gotta make sure you win tomorrow, or we have to make sure Loki doesn't win cause Pascal wants him gone."
"Of course Pascal wants him gone," Jenny joins in, "Pascal wants Loki gone to save himself another three days. I say we make sure neither Loki nor Pascal wins tomorrow, and then we can pick off the one who gives us the weaker offer."
Crystal sits in silence for a moment, a perplexed look on her face. "These are both good options, but how much do you want to bet that when I lose the challenge, both of them are still going to go after me?"
Jenny looks to Nervous and shrugs; Nervous shakes his head and turns to Crystal. "They won't be able to go after you, because you're going to win tomorrow," he assures her, "Cause I'm going to give you my advantage."
"Nervous, no," Crystal quickly states, waving the offer away, "I don't want you to do that."
"Come on Crystal," Nervous replies, "You saved me yesterday, so I'm going to save you," he states, "Besides, I'm terrible at these challenges. I only won the one today cause I hid under the table," he reminds her.
Crystal still shakes her head. "Look, I appreciate the offer, but if I win this, I want to win this for real," she says, "Plus, you earned that advantage and I don't want to take it away from you. As long as one of us wins tomorrow, everything should be fine," she states.
Jenny sighs and looks up at the ceiling. "God, I sure hope you're right."
Day 20
The sun slowly rises above the horizon, gently lighting up the campsite where four of the remaining survivors lie. Meanwhile, in the woods, Crystal is walking towards the water well, holding two empty containers in her hands. She walks past a bush, when she feels something grab onto her leg. Crystal screams as she is pulled into the plant. "Pascal!" Crystal shrieks when she finds him behind her, sitting inside of the gigantic plant, "What the-?"
"It's Thorny Bush Thursday!" Pascal chimes, doing jazz hands enthusiastically in front of the young townie.
Crystal groans. "Please tell that is not some weird sexual innuendo," she states.
"It's not!" Pascal chimes, raising his hand in point, "You see, every Thursday since we got here, Vidcund and I would take turns hiding in a bush and trying to scare each other," he begins, stopping to bring his hand up to his chin, "Well, okay, maybe I was the only one that was actually onboard with this game, and maybe it kind of caused me to get punched in the face by Loki once, but it's still fun!" Pascal explains, "And since Vidcund's not here anymore, we're both bored, and you were the first person that walked by – we can now play it together!" he cheers.
Crystal leans back a bit, readjusting her legs in the branches. "Gee, I don't know," she begins. "I'm flattered, but I'm not really good at these kinds of things."
"It's easy, you just have to be subtle," Pascal informs her, "Here, I'll show you!" Pascal moves back a bit allowing a few of the branches to move between himself and Crystal. "To do this challenge, you must fully immerse yourself with nature."
Crystal shrugs. "I already use the bathroom in the ocean, isn't that enough?" she asks.
"No," Pascal replies, "First, you must talk to the plant. Lean down and say, 'Hi plant' and then gently pat it," he says, giving the bush a few delicate pats.
Crystal tilts her head, confused, wondering if Pascal has in fact lost his mind. "Uh…okay," she states, leaning down towards the branches, "Uh, hi plant," she states, giving the bush a gentle pat.
Crystal Vu
Business Executive/Normal Person
I think Pascal really misses Vidcund and he doesn't want to admit it. But he's never going to feel better about the way things went down a few days ago, if he doesn't get these feelings out. Hopefully this will help him do that.
…
"Good," Pascal says after Crystal has completed patting the bush; he wraps his arms around his knees. "-And that's all I know about appreciating nature," he confesses, before giving a sigh and sitting down with his legs crossed, "Yeah, Vidcund was the plant biologist," Pascal states, "He knows more about this stuff than I do."
Crystal nods, "I see," she replies; the area quiet around them. "You miss your brother, don't you?" she asks.
Pascal sighs. "A little," he says. Pascal's eyes trail up, noticing that Crystal is raising her eyebrow in disbelief. "Okay fine, a lot," he corrects himself, "You know, before we left, he was spraying himself with pesticides," he vents, "Vidcund has this weird theory that if he does it enough, he will 'become one with nature' – whatever that means," Pascal says, pushing his glasses back up the ridge of his nose. Pascal smiles and gently shakes his head. "-What a goof," Pascal laughs, turning out towards the waterfall.
After a few moments of listening to the waves, Pascal turns back to Crystal. "Hey, can I tell you something non-game related?" he asks.
Crystal smirks. "You mean all the stuff before this was game related?"
Pascal laughs. "Yeah, really," he states as he starts playing with one of the bush branches. All of a sudden, he stops and looks back up at Crystal. "I'm jealous of Loki," he states quietly.
Crystal leans forward, unsure if she has heard him correctly. "You're jealous of Loki?" she repeats.
"Yeah," Pascal states, giving a small sigh as he grabs onto the bush once more, "Not romantically of course, but – I don't know - I guess I'm just worried that he's going to take Vidcund away from me," he confesses to her, "And then who's going to keep me from doing stupid shit?" he wonders, "Trust me, if Vidcund ever moves out and leaves the three of us alone, I can guarantee you that the house will catch fire the first five seconds he's gone." Crystal laughs. Pascal's face drops as the worry remains fresh in his mind; sadness filling his eyes. "God, I would miss him so much."
Crystal nods, his sadness now reaching her as well. "Come here," she states, opening her arms up and gesturing him towards her. Pascal looks up and moves forward, wiping away a tear from his eye. He wraps his arms around Crystal, the additional weight causing her to lose balance.
"Whoa!" Crystal cries as she falls out of the bush; Pascal landing on top of her. A few feet away, Lazlo stands in front of the pair, looking positively horrified.
"Pascal? Crystal?" Lazlo speaks up as he stares down at the compromising position that they are now in, "What the hell is going on here?!" he squeaks, covering his mouth with his hand, "Oh God!" he cries, looking as though he is about to vomit. Lazlo races further into the woods.
"Lazlo, wait!" Pascal calls out, quickly getting off of his brother's girlfriend. Pascal races after him as Crystal sits up from the dirt, clearly concerned.
A few minutes later, Crystal returns to the shelter and grabs her canteen. Nervous and Jenny sit up when they see her.
"Hey, where were you?" Nervous asks her.
Crystal unscrews the lid of her canteen and takes a swig. "In the woods," she answers, "Lazlo caught me underneath his brother."
"Why were you underneath Pascal?" Nervous asks, his forehead scrunched in confusion.
"-Because I was talking to a plant," Crystal says, taking another drink.
Jenny moves forward, confused as well. "Why were you talking to a plant?" she wonders.
"Because it's Thorny Bush Thursday!" Crystal exclaims, throwing her arms down.
Nervous shivers. "Please tell me that is not some kind of weird sexual innuendo," he states.
"None of this is making any sense!" Jenny shouts to Crystal.
Nearby, Loki turns and lies down on his stomach, "Please! That's the most sensible thing Crystal's said all season!" he mutters.
Crystal chugs the rest of her water and groans. "Thanks Loki."
Meanwhile – In the Woods
"Lazlo! Lazlo!" Pascal shouts after his brother who is still racing through the woods away from him. Lazlo turns the corner and heads straight towards the waterfall.
"Go away, Pascal!" Lazlo yells back as he inches away from him, "I don't want to talk to you!"
Pascal sighs, throwing his arms down in frustration, "Lazlo, come on! This is ridiculous!"
Lazlo stops walking and crosses his arms, allowing his older brother to catch up with him. Lazlo narrows his eyes at Pascal. "Uh-huh," he glares, "And why is it so hard to believe that you have a thing with my girlfriend?!" he wonders.
"Because I'm gay!" Pascal shouts, his voice echoing through the woods, "And you know that I'm gay! Everyone knows that I'm gay!" he clarifies, "Now come on, what is this really about?" he asks, "Is this about yesterday? Are you mad at me because I made you pass out? Are you pissed off because we voted off Vidcund?" he guesses.
Lazlo sighs and slumps his shoulders, having a hard time facing Pascal. "No," he squeaks, pacing around a bit and kicking a pebble in the dirt, "It's just…I don't know."
"Come on Lazlo, you know," Pascal steps forward, still staring at his brother, "You can't even look at me."
Lazlo takes a deep breath and looks up at Pascal. "I don't know if I can do this, okay? I don't know if I can do this," Lazlo states, gesturing at the scenery around them. "I'm not cut out for this Pascal, okay? I'm not you. I'm not that smart, and I'm not strategic, and I'm not cut-throat," he confesses, "Crystal was right, okay? I'm not shaping myself out to be a winner."
Pascal slowly nods, a single thought racing through his brain. "But do you want to be?" he asks. "Do you really want to win? Or do you feel like it's just being forced on you?"
Lazlo presses his lips together, carefully thinking this one over. "Look, it's not just the game, okay?" Lazlo speaks up suddenly, "But lately I've just been feeling like I'm not good enough," he confesses, his eyes drifting back to the ground, "Crystal deserves so much better than me. I mean, she was being bullied at tribal council and I was too scared to even say anything! That's pathetic!" Lazlo screams, "Heck, even Loki's test subject objected!" he cries, before digging his face into his hands.
"Lazlo, stop. You're being too hard on yourself," Pascal says, placing a consoling hand on his brother's shoulder, "You're not pathetic, and Crystal knows that you care about her. And as far as the whole game thing? Who cares if you're not the typical cut-throat player? Be whatever you want to be! This is your game, not anyone else's," Pascal tells him, "Lazlo, look at me, okay?" Lazlo nods and looks up at Pascal, "You are important, and I would not be here if it weren't for you," he assures him, Pascal's eyes filling with intensity. "It's you and me, okay? That's the way it's always been. And if you can't do this, then I'll take the reins and win it for both of us."
Lazlo gently nods, his eyes watering a bit as he continues to stare down at the dirt. "Okay," he speaks softly, "It's okay. I can do this," he assures him, staring up at Pascal, "It's you and me 'til the end." Lazlo sniffs and gives another nod before wrapping his arms around his older brother; giving him a hug.
Pascal Curious
Mad Scientist/Unstable Curious Brother
Sometimes I forget that Lazlo is a little more fragile and a lot more kind than I am. And he always has my back. But even though we have our differences, he'll always be my little brother. (smiles) And that makes me really happy.
Later that Afternoon
Jenny, Loki, and Nervous are lying down fast asleep in the shelter when a dark figure approaches them. "HEY GUYS!" a voice blares out suddenly, causing all three of the sleeping survivors to spring into action, "WAKE UP! IT'S CHALLENGE TIME!" the Unsavory Charlatan announces, shouting through a gigantic megaphone.
Loki glares and crosses his arms. "If you were anyone but the host, I would punch you in the face right now," he snarls; Jenny and Nervous are standing up next to him.
"What's going on here?" Crystal asks, walking towards the center of the beach with Pascal and Lazlo lingering behind her. They stop in front of the host.
"Good question!" the Unsavory Charlatan replies, giving his finger an enthusiastic snap, "Today, instead of having you guys travel all the way across the island, I decided to cut you all a break, and have the immunity challenge here!" he shouts, "Isn't that exciting?"
Loki sighs, "That depends, is this a sleeping competition or something stupid like always?" he questions.
The Unsavory Charlatan laughs. "It's not a sleeping competition, Loki. In fact, the challenge that you guys are about to participate in, is a great tactic to use if you're trying to stay awake," he explains, turning to all six of the survivors, "Now, everyone come follow me into the woods."
Crystal Vu
Business Executive/Normal Person
Today's immunity challenge is really important, probably the most important challenge for me yet. Yesterday I found out that Loki is coming after me, and after what happened last week, I know for a fact that Pascal now sees me as a strategic threat. Even though I don't yet know the outcome of this challenge, I do know that it's game on, because both of those men want me gone. (smiles) Wish me luck!
Immunity Challenge
The host smiles as the survivors stop on the bright yellow tribal mat that is situated in the heart of the woods. The Unsavory Charlatan clasps his hands together, gesturing to the six stations that are standing behind him. "Hello everyone and welcome to today's immunity challenge," he greets, "First thing's first, Loki, I gotta take it back," he says, walking over to Loki and grabbing the immunity necklace from the villain. The Unsavory Charlatan walks back to where he was originally standing and places the immunity necklace on the pedestal. "And just like that, immunity is once again back up for grabs!" he states.
"So, for today's immunity challenge, all six of you will stand at one of these six stations behind me," the Unsavory Charlatan explains, turning towards the stations and presenting them to the survivors, "As you can see, these stations consist of nothing more than a giant backwards L-shaped pole jutting out of the dirt with a string attached to it. If you look at the very top of the structure, you will see that there is a bucket that is filled with water and the string is tied to the handle," he notes.
"It's quite simple really, you grab one end of the string with your arm and try to keep your bucket upright and stable. If your arms or legs tire out, the bucket will start to tip over, and you will get drenched from head to toe with your failings," the host continues, "The last person who remains standing wins immunity and is guaranteed a spot in the final five. Losers go to tribal council, where after twenty-one days, one of you will become the ninth person voted out of this game. And after making it two thirds of the way through this, I'm sure nobody wants to cut their journey short tonight."
The Unsavory Charlatan smiles and claps his hands twice. "Alright, we'll draw for spots and then we'll get started."
Fifteen minutes later, all six of the survivors are situated at their assigned stations as the host paces past each of them individually. "Alright, for immunity…Survivors ready? Go!" the host exclaims, throwing his arm down.
All six of the survivors stand in silence, holding their arms straight up towards the sky. "Man," the Unsavory Charlatan begins, walking past them, "We're only fifteen seconds into this challenge and it is already super intense here," he notes, "You all must really want this," he says, pointing at the immunity necklace.
Five minutes later, all of the survivors are still standing at their stations, holding their arms up. Jenny groans and does a few shoulder rolls. "Oh man," she states, rubbing her back with her free hand.
"What's the matter, Jenny?" the host asks.
"Most of these people are several years younger than me, so I don't exactly have the spring chicken advantage in this challenge," Jenny confesses, briefly gazing at the competition.
"Ugh, who wants to be chicken?" Loki speaks up, "Chicken is the lowest quality of meat known to sims."
"What about human?" Pascal chimes in.
Loki narrows his eyes at him. "Now you shut up." Pascal leans back towards his pole and smiles.
Twenty minutes later, everyone is still in the running for immunity. The Unsavory Charlatan has gotten so bored that he is now sitting down on a nearby log.
Lazlo yawns as he starts to drift off a bit, his hand falling. Lazlo shrieks as he is hit with the bucket of water. "Damn it!" he curses, letting go of the string and taking a seat on the sit out bench near the host.
"And just like that, we are down to five!" the Unsavory Charlatan calls out, "This is still anybody's challenge…well, except for Lazlo," he notes.
The Unsavory Charlatan stands up and paces over to the other survivors. "Now that we're far enough into the challenge, it's time for me to reveal the advantage that Nervous won earlier. Nervous, since you won the reward yesterday, you get fifteen additional minutes added to your score," he explains, "That means, if you fall out of the challenge while there are still others participating, you will still have a chance to win. The other remaining competitors would just have to fall fifteen minutes or less after you," the host states, "So if Nervous falls at an hour and fifteen minutes, you must last at least an hour and a half to beat him in this challenge," he tells the others, "Does that make sense?" the Unsavory Charlatan asks them.
Nervous nods, "Yes."
"Yeah," Pascal says.
"Whatever," Loki turns to the side.
"Great!" the host beams, "Now let's keep this thing going!"
Twenty-five minutes later, the immunity challenge is still going on. Pascal groans as he starts to move his body a bit. He picks his foot up and slowly sets it back into the dirt. "Geez, the temperature here is almost as hot as me!" he states.
"Eugh…" Loki groans, his head slouched towards the ground, "I'm too tired to even refute that comment."
"Eek!" Jenny screams as her bucket tips over and covers her with water. She lets go of the string and moves her hands through her now-drenched blonde hair. "Oh my gosh, that was so refreshing!" she awes.
Nervous leans back a bit, his arm following suit above him. "Oh no!" he says, watching as the bucket tilts over above him. The test subject is hit with a large blast of water. "Man, you weren't kidding about it being refreshing!" he exclaims, letting go of the string and taking a seat next to Jenny.
"And just like that, Jenny and Nervous are out," the Unsavory Charlatan announces to the three remaining contestants, "Nervous was eliminated fifty-three minutes into this challenge, so someone must last an hour and eight minutes to take home the necklace."
Ten minutes later, the three remaining survivors are still standing in place. The Unsavory Charlatan smiles as he starts pacing in front of them once more. "One hour and three minutes into this challenge and we are down to three," the host notes, "We have Loki, the geeky scientist-kissing professional villain, we have Crystal – the business executive who is dating a weirdo and has been strangely silent this whole challenge, and we have Pascal," the host states, his face dropping when he says his name, "Who is just – well, you know."
"Oh, we know," Loki speaks up, giving Pascal a glare. Loki groans as he slowly stretches his arm up, his legs burning in pain. "Hey girly, you drop out now and I'll make you a deal."
"Excuse me?" Crystal finally speaks up, "I'm not taking a dive!"
Loki shrugs. "I don't know, I'd think about it if I were you. This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity."
"You didn't even tell her what the deal was-shit!" Pascal shouts, letting up a bit, the water crashing down on him. "Well, I'm out," he states with a sigh, setting the bucket down and taking a seat on the bench next to his brother.
The Unsavory Charlatan looks up from his watch and smiles. "We have now reached one hour and nine minutes, which means that whichever one of you lasts the longest will win immunity," he tells Loki and Crystal.
Loki nods, his attention still on his competitor. "Come on Crystal, you don't even need this. No one's getting rid of you," Loki tells the townie.
"As soon as you start thinking things like that in this game, you're gone," Crystal says, placing her hand up against her aching back.
Twenty minutes later, both Loki and Crystal are still standing. The Unsavory Charlatan now standing between the pair. "We are almost an hour and a half into this challenge and both of you look like you are about to croak," he notes, both of the contestants appearing very fatigued and sweaty. "Last immunity challenge it came down to the two of you and this time is no different," he says, "No matter what happens, one thing is for sure: You two are both tough competitors."
"Oww!" Crystal shrieks, gazing down a bit at the discolored spot that has appeared on her leg. "I think something stung me!" she says, rubbing her leg a bit.
Loki laughs. "Give it up, Crystal! Even nature is telling you that you can't win!"
"Hey, knock it off, Loki!" Lazlo shouts, sitting up from his seat on the sidelines. "Quit giving her a hard time!"
Loki cocks his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. "What?"
"You heard me, quit putting down my girlfriend!" Lazlo shouts back. Nearby, Crystal is speechless.
"Look Curious, I don't know who the hell you think you are but-" Loki steps forward, causing his bucket to tip over; water falls on top of him. "Damn it!"
"And with that, Crystal wins immunity!" The Unsavory Charlatan announces, throwing his hands up in his victory pose.
"Really?" Crystal speaks up, her face beaming, "Woohoo! I never win anything!" she shouts, turning to Nervous and flashing him a smirk. Crystal tosses her string down and throws her hands up, the water from the bucket drenching her from head to toe. She cheers once more and grabs Lazlo, kissing him on the side of his face before pulling him into a hug. Behind them, Nervous's stomach drops.
Two minutes later, everyone is gathered near the pedestal. "Crystal, come on over!" the Unsavory Charlatan states, grabbing the immunity necklace and strapping it around the young woman. He gives her a pat on the back, "And with that, Crystal is safe from tonight's vote," he announces, "As for the rest of you, return to that side of your campsite, and I will see you tomorrow at tribal council, where one of you will become the ninth person voted out of this game," the host tells them, "I will give you a day to decide. Whatever you do, please use it wisely."
Day 21
The sun slowly rises, seeping gently into the shelter where all six of the remaining survivors lie. Among them, Loki is wide awake, gazing up at the structure's bamboo ceiling. He turns over on his side and lets out a long, defeated sigh.
Loki Beaker
Mad Scientist/Professional Villain
This is it, day twenty-one. I've survived an illness, crappy lobster, and my wife, but I know the chances of me surviving past tonight are slim to none. I could sit here and do nothing, but what good would that do? I figure if this is my last day here, I may well go out with a bang. Go big or go home, right? Cause I've got nothing left to lose. After all, I'm screwed – maybe even for real this time. And if I'm getting screwed tonight, then this is my last chance to get revenge. And if that's the case, I may as well take it! (shrugs)
…
Loki scans the area as he moves forward in the shelter, stopping when he's inches away from one of his teammates. Loki takes a deep breath before slowly moving his arm forward, hesitantly tapping the young woman's back. "Crystal…Crystal!" Loki whispers loudly.
Crystal groans as she starts to stir. She slowly opens her eyes and turns around, Loki continuously tapping her. "What? Whoa! What the-?" Loki shushes her, immediately cupping his hand over her mouth.
"Careful – we don't want anyone to hear us," Loki tells her, "Now come on, I need to talk to you about something. If you agree, don't bite my hand." Crystal scrunches her eyebrows, giving Loki a puzzled look. "-Perfect. Let's go," Loki says, leading her out of the shelter.
Crystal groans as Loki leads her into the woods, letting go of her hand once they arrive there. "Why do I keep getting into these weird situations?" Crystal asks herself.
"-Because you are constantly surrounded by weirdos," Loki answers, frantically checking the area for unwanted visitors. Finding none, Loki turns back to her and brings his hands together. "Okay. Crystal, I know we haven't gotten along before at all in any way, shape, or form, and you're really not my type, but I need your help."
Crystal crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. "Wow, you really don't know how to talk to women."
Loki rolls his eyes. "Please! I could charm the pants off of you if I wanted to," he states. "After all, Loki Beaker gets everything that he wants," he tells her.
"Man, you must be a disappointment in the sack," Crystal retorts, shaking her head.
"Psh, you'll never know," Loki waves it off, "Now what we were talking about before we started out-sassing each other? Oh right, the plan," he recalls, turning back towards her, "As you know, Vidcund was heartlessly voted out by his brothers a few days ago and I, being his lover, want revenge," Loki says, "So will you help me or not?"
Crystal steps back, looking as she though she is seriously pondering this over. "Gee, I don't know," she begins, "That sounds kinda risky. And frankly, I think Vidcund could do a whole lot better than you," Crystal confesses, "I mean, no offense, but Vidcund is way nicer than you."
"Vidcund isn't nice," Loki speaks up, "He shoves you if you look at his house through a telescope during the day!" Loki replies, pausing when he notices Crystal giving him a strange look, "Well, you know, at least that's what I heard," he adds. "And if I had feelings, that last comment would've actually hurt."
"I'm sorry," Crystal states, giving a shrug, "It's just, you know, you're not exactly pleasant to be around," she confesses.
Loki crosses his arms in a huff, "What the hell are you talking about?!" he snarls. Crystal raises an eyebrow at him as she places her hands on her hips. "Okay, fine," Loki says, "But I can't help it! I have no one to make fun of anymore with Vidcund gone, and there was so much material there!" he exclaims, "I mean, those stupid pants with that stupid jacket and shirt combo! What was he trying to do? Look like a toilet?"
"Look Loki, the truth is, I don't really like you," Crystal says, giving a small sigh, "Especially since you were pretty mean to me this past week."
"Oh, is that what this is about?" Loki speaks up, "Okay, okay. I apologize for all that. Do you accept my half-assed apology?" he asks her.
Crystal crosses her arms, "No," she states flatly.
"Come on, I gave it my best shot!" Loki replies.
"That was your best shot?"
Loki sighs as he watches Crystal start to move away from him. "Wait! Wait!" Loki calls out, holding his arm out to her, "Crystal, please, you have to help me. I can't lose to Pascal again!" he states, a tone of desperation in his voice. At this cry, Crystal turns around to face him. "We all know if Pascal makes it to the end, he wins. No one can beat him, so we have to get him out now."
Crystal walks forward, stopping a few paces away from Loki. She smirks as she crosses her arms in front of her torso. "Whoa. Look who finally woke up."
Loki Beaker
Mad Scientist/Professional Villain
When I was in the first grade, I entered the science fair with a rechargeable wall clock, and I lost to Pascal Curious, who made a potato light. Then in eighth grade, I entered the science fair again. I made a model of the Andromeda Galaxy, and I lost to Pascal Curious once more, who made a dancing potato. Then two years ago, I was nominated for the Noble Prize in Physics. And who beat me? Then twenty-eight-year-old, unemployed Pascal Curious, who won for figuring out how to genetically mutate potatoes so that they could speak the Simlish language. I don't know what stung more: the fact that I lost to Pascal, or that his project wasn't even physics related! So yeah, this runs deeper than you know…and I really hate potatoes.
…
"I want Pascal gone, and I need you to help me," Loki continues on, "I need you, Jenny, and Nervous to vote for Pascal with me tonight," Loki tells Crystal, "That's it. I don't want anything else. I just want to make things right. Now are you with me or not?"
Crystal looks down at the dirt, carefully thinking this proposition over. After a few minutes, Crystal looks back up at Loki and smiles. "Alright, deal," she says, shaking his hand.
"Perfect!" Loki exclaims, "Thanks girly."
Crystal Vu
Business Executive/Normal Person
Wow. Loki has such a great plan. It would be a shame if someone were to…ruin it. (flashes the camera a devious smile) – I can't have Loki one-upping me, I'd like to take Pascal out myself. But no matter which way this thing goes tonight, I can't lose. Either Pascal or Loki goes home, cause I have immunity. They're both dangerous, because they're playing at my level. And what do you do when someone starts matching you? You chop them. And the best part is…neither one of them will know I'm doing it. Let's just say tonight, it's all up to Lazlo.
Later that Afternoon
"Lazlo, I'm not going to lie," Crystal states, walking to the water well with her boyfriend. Both of them are carrying one of the empty blue water jugs in their hands. "I didn't just take you out here to get water."
"You didn't?" Lazlo says, stopping in front of the water well, "Then what did you take me out here for?" he wonders.
Crystal stands in front of him and sighs, bringing her hands together. "Lazlo, we're getting rid of Pascal tonight."
"What?!" Lazlo cries, placing his hand on his chest, "Who?" he squeaks, "Who's getting rid of Pascal?"
"-Everyone," she answers, "It was Loki's idea."
Lazlo steps back, unable to believe what he is hearing. "Loki?" Lazlo repeats, "But he told Pascal he was voting with us."
"Well, he lied," Crystal confesses, "He approached me this morning and told me he wants your brother gone," she states.
"And you're going along with it?" Lazlo says, his face filled with shock. "Why?"
"Lazlo, it's a game," Crystal replies, "And Pascal is clearly the biggest threat here. None of us stand a chance against him if he makes it to the finals."
Lazlo shakes his head. "Crystal, we don't even know if that's true-" he begins.
"Look, do you want to win or not?" Crystal speaks up suddenly, "Because if you want to win, then you have to get rid of Pascal, and that's a fact," she adds, filling up her canteen and exiting off the lot.
Lazlo stands there alone in the woods, dozens of thoughts racing through his mind.
Lazlo Curious
Medical Researcher/Major Slob
What am I going to do? Three days have passed, and I find myself faced with the same decision once more: Am I playing for my brother or am I playing for myself?
Fifteen Minutes Later
Pascal and Lazlo are wandering in the woods, collecting firewood for the tribe. Pascal sighs as he takes a breath of fresh air, throwing his arms out as Lazlo stops in front of him. "You know, potatoes actually have more chromosomes than humans do," Pascal tells him, "Isn't that something?" he asks.
"Pascal, everyone's voting you off tonight," Lazlo blurts out suddenly.
Pascal stops in his tracks. "What?" he throws his arms down.
"Crystal, Jenny, Nervous, and Loki are voting you off tonight," Lazlo elaborates, "And Loki's leading the entire thing. Crystal told me a few minutes ago, and I had to tell you because I don't want you to be blindsided like Vid was," Lazlo spews out, pacing in front of his brother, "And I'm sorry, I tried to change their minds, but they didn't listen, and now there's nothing we can do!"
"I see," Pascal states, surprisingly calm, "Lazlo, we can pull this off," he says, putting a hand on Lazlo's shoulder; stopping him in place, "I just need you to vote with me."
"Okay," Lazlo says immediately, "Who are we voting for?"
Pascal looks up at Lazlo and smiles; tearing up at his brother's loyalty.
Tribal Council
All six survivors walk into the tribal council area and set their torches and belongings down before taking their seats in front of the Unsavory Charlatan. The host looks to them and smiles, "We will now bring in the members of our jury," he announces, "Pollination Tech #9, Circe, and Vidcund, who was voted out at the last tribal council," he states as all three of the sims take their respective seats on the wooden bleachers. Vidcund gives Pascal a cold death glare.
The Unsavory Charlatan smiles and clasps his hands together, turning to the survivors. "Well, this has been an exciting last couple of days," he begins, "We're approaching the end of this journey, and I am sure a lot of you are feeling uneasy about tonight. Loki, how are you feeling? Are you nervous about tonight's vote? Do you think it might be you who goes home?" the hosts asks.
"Yeah, absolutely," Loki answers honestly, "It would be stupid of me not to think that. I've been to tribal council six times now, and at least three of those times I almost got voted off."
"I see," the Unsavory Charlatan responds, before turning to another teammate, "So Jenny, all of you guys have now spent a decent amount of time with each other. Do you think there is anyone here that is a clear frontrunner for the million?" he wonders, "Or is everyone pretty much even in your eyes?"
"Yes, Pascal is definitely the frontrunner," Jenny answers, turning towards her brother, "After what happened last tribal council, I don't see how anyone could say that he's not," she states.
"I wouldn't say that Pascal is definitely the frontrunner," Crystal speaks up, "I mean, he showed that he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's in charge," she argues, "Or that the jury is going to respect his gameplay."
The Unsavory Charlatan nods, "So you're saying that maybe Pascal isn't the number one threat on the tribe right now?"
"Not exactly. All I'm saying is, when picking a threat, there's a lot of other things to consider," Crystal clarifies.
"Alright," the host nods, clasping his hands together once more. "So, it's been twenty-one days out here, has there been any talk about idols?" he wonders, "Do they exist? And if so, why haven't we seen one yet? Lazlo, what do you think?" he asks.
Lazlo shrugs. "Well, personally, I don't think they exist. If they did, we probably would've seen one by now," he says, "Especially with all of the close-calls that we've had at tribal."
The Unsavory Charlatan nods, "Interesting theory," he states, before turning to another contestant, "Pascal, you surprisingly haven't said anything yet. If it's you tonight, what advice would you give the others?"
"Well, I would say to them that they only have nine days left on this journey," Pascal begins, "So if they have something that they want to say or do, they should go for it before it's too late," he advises.
Behind him, Nervous's eyes trail down to the floor as his legs start to shake. "Hey, are you okay?" Crystal whispers next to him, a troubled look on her friend's face.
Nervous weakly nods. "Yeah," he states, a ball of guilt forming in the pit of his stomach.
"And with that, it is once again time to vote," the Unsavory Charlatan speaks up pointing to the castaway on the right, "Jenny, you're up first."
Jenny nods and walks up to the voting station. One by one all the survivors walk up to the voting station and cast their votes until only three remain. Loki approaches the voting station and writes Pascal's name down in gigantic black letters. He holds his vote up to the camera. "Pascal, you are one terrifyingly stupid dude, and I don't want you going any further in this game. You stabbed me in the back last week, and now I'm just returning the favor. Good luck buddy-boy, you'll need it."
Loki folds his vote in half and places it into the voting box. Once he takes his seat, Crystal stands up and makes her way over to the voting station. She sighs as she approaches the table and writes down Pascal's name on the piece of parchment. She holds it up to the camera, a sorrowful look on her face. "I'm sorry, but I just can't risk losing to you in the finals," she states, "You're a great guy, Pascal. I hope we can still be friends."
Crystal casts her vote and takes her seat. Finally, Pascal stands up and make his way over to the voting station. He picks up the pen and writes the person's name down. Pascal holds his vote up to the camera and smirks, "Checkmate." Pascal then folds up his vote and places it in the voting box.
Pascal walks back to the others and takes his seat down next to Lazlo; the mad scientist's expression unreadable. "I'll go get the votes," the Unsavory Charlatan states, walking over to the voting station to retrieve the box.
He returns a short while later and sets the voting box on the podium, gently placing his hand on the lid. "If anyone has a hidden immunity idol and they would like to play it, now would be the time to do so," the Unsavory Charlatan says.
"Funny you should say that, Chet," Pascal says, everyone immediately turning to him in shock as he stands up from his seat. "-Cause I happen to have one of those right here," he states, reaching into his trunks.
"No," Crystal whisper-shouts behind him.
"Holy shit," Circe speaks up from the jury.
"I told you," Jenny mouths to her alliance.
Pascal walks over to the Unsavory Charlatan, still digging around in his pants for the idol. Nearby, many of his teammates are still struck with shock. "Why did you put it in your pants?" the Unsavory Charlatan asks him.
"-Because no one would ever look there," Pascal replies, as if it were obvious.
"He's right," Loki moans matter-of-factly, "No one would."
"Wait, I almost got it!" Pascal states, still searching in his trunks for the idol. Behind him, Lazlo is laughing into his hand while Vidcund is covering his face in embarrassment. "Ah, here it is!" he chimes, grabbing a hold of the idol and pulling it out of his pants. He holds it out to the Unsavory Charlatan.
"Uh…I'll take your word for it," the host states, cringing at the sight of it. "Just toss it into the fire there, and for God's sake, everyone, please hold your noses!" he instructs.
"Hey, you're the host," Pascal shrugs and tosses the idol into the fire, everyone plugging their noses when he does so.
After the air clears, the Unsavory Charlatan claps his hands together. "Since that was in fact a hidden immunity idol, any votes cast against this lunatic here-" he gestures to the eldest Curious brother, "-Will not count and the person with the next highest number of votes will be eliminated," the host explains as Pascal takes his seat down next to Lazlo, "I'll read the votes."
The Unsavory Charlatan reaches into the voting box and retrieves the first piece of parchment. "First vote – Pascal, does not count," the host announces, turning the piece of parchment over, "Second vote – Pascal, also does not count," the Unsavory Charlatan states, stopping to glance at the survivors, "So far, we have no votes," he explains, before reaching into the voting box and retrieving the next piece of parchment.
"Third vote – Pascal, does not count," the host says, turning the third vote over. He grabs the fourth piece of parchment and turns it over. "Fourth vote – Pascal, does not count," he explains. "Once again, we don't have any votes."
Lazlo flashes Pascal an excited look as the Unsavory Charlatan reaches into the voting box for the fifth time that night. "Fifth vote – Loki," the Unsavory Charlatan states, revealing Loki's name written in Pascal's handwriting.
"Here's where we stand: We have one vote for Loki," the Unsavory Charlatan tells the survivors, "If this last vote is for either Loki or Pascal, then Loki is voted out, if not, then it will force a tie and we will have to do a tiebreaker for the first time in this game," he explains, giving a small sigh as he reaches into the voting box for the final time that day, "I'll read the vote," he states.
The Unsavory Charlatan unfolds the final vote, looking it over. "Ninth person voted out of Survivor: Strangetown Edition and fourth member of our jury is…Loki," the Unsavory Charlatan says, revealing the final vote to the crowd. "Loki, you'll need to bring me your torch."
Loki nods and stands up, grabbing a hold of his torch. He passes by Pascal on his way to the exit. "Well played," he states.
Pascal gives a firm nod, not saying a word. Across the room, Circe is shaking Pollination Tech #9 by the shoulders in excitement, while Vidcund has his head down.
Loki sighs as he places his torch in front of the Unsavory Charlatan. The host looks at him and shakes his head.
"Loki Beaker, the Curious brothers have spoken," he announces, snuffing out his torch in one swift motion, "It's time for you to go."
Loki nods and turns to the others, giving a rather large wave. "Good luck, people. Thanks for the chaos!" he smirks, before turning around and exiting through the archway.
The Unsavory Charlatan nods and turns back to the five remaining contestants. "And then there were five, and after a tribal council like this, I can't wait to see what happens next," he concludes, clasping his hands behind his back, "Grab your things and head back to camp. Good night."
The five remaining survivors grab their belongings and exit the tribal council area, walking into the night.
Loki Beaker
Closing Words
Oh my gosh. I can't believe it. That was one hell of a journey! That was definitely not the way I thought things would go tonight, that's for sure, but I gave it all that I had, so at least I can leave knowing that I tried my best. Pascal, you're just insane and you're playing with more deviance than I was, so I'm not sure what to think of you at this point. And Crystal, you are something else. I'm not sure whether to applaud you or dismiss you as a nutcase. And who the hell knows what Lazlo is even doing! But there's still plenty of game left, so it'll be interesting to see who ends up surviving this monstrosity. And now I can spend all this time with Vidcund, so in your face, Pascal!
Next time on Survivor…
Pascal throws his hands up in celebration, "It's the final five, baby!"
…It's the final five, and everything is coming out…
Nervous is standing in the woods in front of Crystal; his legs shaking. "I'm in love with you," he states.
Crystal Vu
Business Executive/Normal Person
Well, this just screwed everything up!
…Can the survivors pull it together before it's too late…?
"I want to ditch my teammates," Jenny tells her brothers, "It's time to shake things up!" she smirks into the camera.
…All that and more, next time!
