Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.

"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.

"It seems like everyone wants to be the big person in charge, and our players dared to skirt the lines that had already been established," Chris recapped.

"The Fighting Wyverns, for the most part, took it easy that day, with Dalit and Quentin trying to help Frita out of her shell, Jean-Marie and Nolan bonding over arcade games, Cyan and Louise vibing, and Joseph hanging out with our robot bartender Jayne," Topher recounted. "Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. Kun worried about whether or not he really wanted to keep targeting Kiki, while Kiki, sequestered in Isolation Park, searched hard for a hidden statue that might help her game."

"Which she did!" Lindsay chimed in.

"On the Grand Gryphons, Hugh and Steve Jenkins solidified their alliance, while Vladimir approached Bailey to form a deal of their own," Chris mentioned. "Ernie tried to warn Shadya about Bailey playing all sides, but Shadya insisted that the vote stays on Irving. Brittany and Irving wondered what to do about Bailey playing all sides, and didn't really come to any sort of answer. Hehaha."

"That's where that statue comes in," Lindsay recalled. "Because Kiki found the Dunstan Statue that let her choose any contestant to switch teams, and she chose Bailey! A lot of the Gryphons weren't very happy about losing another member, but it all worked out for them in the end."

"Yes indeed, the Fighting Wyverns took their first L of the summer, and had to vote someone off that night," Topher added on. "After failing to solve the last in a string of puzzles, the team of eleven saw themselves at Elimination Station."

"Both major alliances of the team put it all out there for everyone to see, hoping for Bailey to take their side," Chris continued. "Jean-Marie and Kiki both took some heat, but, upon finding out that Quentin wasn't all in on voting for Jean-Marie, Bailey convinced Nolan to reveal who he'd randomly cast his vote for. That person was Joseph, whom Kiki's alliance was more than okay with voting out."

"And now Joseph and Jayne will never discover the true love they hold for one another!" Lindsay cried.

"What was interesting to me, though, was that Cyan was one of the votes against Joseph," Topher brought up. "I wonder if that will come to light today."

"Today's challenge is strictly for reward, but that doesn't mean that the game will stop for even a second," Chris grinned. "It's all happening right now, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

The marquee on the sign outside Hatchet's Diner read "Complain about the eggs again and you'll be the side dish!" Within the diner, Kun miserably ate his breakfast as Jean-Marie ate at the same booth.

"The numbers just don't make sense, Jean-Marie," Kun fretted. "Cyan and Louise should have been with us, but, um only four votes were against Kiki. That means that only one person other than, um, us three voted to keep him."

"I'm concerned about this myself," Jean-Marie agreed. "And the worst of it is, we cannot say for sure who that fourth vote was. It could be Cyan or Louise. It could be Quentin. It could be Bailey."

"Exactly!" Kun echoed. "And I don't know which one is, um, more likely, because none of them make sense to me."

"The most likely to me is that Cyan may have flipped upon figuring out that Joseph would have gone home anyway," Jean-Marie hypothesized. "Louise doesn't seem the type to flip, I believe Quentin may be working with Kiki's alliance, and I don't think Bailey would have voted for Kiki after prompting Nolan to reveal his vote."

"Is Quentin working with Kiki?" Kun asked. "Damn it, I should have noticed that already."

"That is just a guess of mine. We cannot say for sure, although I do believe he is aligned with someone and not letting us know," Jean-Marie clarified.

"He seems to like hanging out with, um, Frita and Nolan. Dalit sometimes, too," Kun thought aloud. "...How did I not figure that out? I overanalyze every potential vote!"

"We had no reason to believe that the tables would turn so drastically in an instant," Jean-Marie assured him. "You cannot be blamed for not factoring in such a twist."

"Still, I should have, um, figured about Quentin..." Kun sighed.

"Things look bleak, but we can work around this," Jean-Marie encouraged. "We just need to figure out a course of action and convince the others to follow it. I trust you can figure out a way to turn the votes in our favor."

"Boy, did you not read the sign?!" Chef's voice roared from across the diner.

Jean-Marie and Kun turned to see Nolan duck underneath an incoming spatula. The gambler fled to the booth where his teammates were eating.

"I guess asking for my eggs to be over-medium counts as complaining about them," Nolan winced.

"I would think you would be the most keen on Chef's reactions to innocuous questions, since you played the season he hosted," Jean-Marie tittered.

"Apparently not." Nolan rubbed the back of his neck.

Confessional:

Nolan: Last night, the roll of my die ended up determining who went home. And I didn't even have to campaign for it this time. I wasn't hoping to have that kind of sway this early on, because I feel like it's going to make me a bigger target, especially for JM and Kun, whose ally I just got eliminated. I'm still not sure if I want to lay low, or make an effort to turn things against them even further. I'll talk to Cyan or Louise about it.

Kun: Or could it even be that, um, Nolan lied about voting for Joseph? No, that doesn't make sense. Him being the fourth vote for Kiki would be too much of a coincidence. Besides, he doesn't, um, gain anything from lying about that. Right?

Jean-Marie: I'll admit, I'm unsure as to how I should tackle Joseph's elimination. I feel as though I should seek avenues outside of working with Kun, but I also do not wish to betray him. What can I do to keep myself safe at this point? C'est une énigme.

Vladimir found Irving playing a game at the barcade.

"Enjoying yourself?" Vladimir smiled.

"They've got some good machines here!" Irving beamed. "And here I thought the show was supposed to have a budget problem."

"Maybe they don't know the value of the arcade games they have," Vladimir figured.

"Hey, while I have ye here, methinks we should talk about the future," Irving suggested. "I know ye made your promise to work with Bailey first and foremost, but, as a symbol of trust, I'd like to re-extend her offer to work with me, Brittany, and Hugh. At this point, that'd be a pretty clear majority."

"It's true, we are already down to seven," Vladimir mentioned. "Who would you want to vote out?"

"Well, Bailey says she's got some sort of trust in Shadya, and Hugh says he's got some sort of trust in Steve Jenkins," Irving mentioned. "That just leaves Ernie, by me estimation."

"I actually have some sort of trust in Ernie. And Bailey isn't on this team anymore, so I frankly don't see why she should have any input," Vladimir countered. "Besides, how much of a power play would it be to take out Shadya this early?"

"Ye do have a point there," Irving figured. "Perhaps we ought to talk it over with Brittany and Hugh, first. They be part of the crew, too, ye know."

"That sounds like the most fair way to settle things," Vladimir agreed. "What's important is that we look out for each other. We're both big threats, and big targets because of it. It would behoove us to have each other's backs."

"I can think of worse deals," Irving chuckled. His character died in the arcade game he had been playing. "Blast it. Here, let me buy ye a rum to commemorate our new partnership!"

"I don't drink, but I appreciate the offer," Vladimir declined.

"Alrighty then. Two for me! Gyarharharhar!" Irving guffawed. "Jayne! Two rums, if ye please!"

The robot bartender nodded quietly and began to fix the drinks.

"Is something bothering them?" Vladimir asked.

"Joseph went home last night. From what I hear, they got along well with him," Irving explained.

"I see," Vladimir acknowledged.

Confessional:

Irving: Oh, to care so deeply about someone ye only met a couple of days ago! Alas, 'tis a pirate's destiny to sail the seven seas with nary a ball and chain to hold him down. I'd be lying if I said I didn't see the appeal of love, but I've got to live me life for me above all else. I wonder if Jayne has that choice. Could be something interesting to talk about with them.

Vladimir: I'm still not entirely sure who I'll end up working with going forward. Obviously, Brittany, Hugh, and Irving are all a trio, so if I can nip them in the bud early, that'd be great. The thing is, I also can't say for sure how much I trust Steve Jenkins to stick to one idea, so I'm not sure how in-the-cards that could be. For now, it's best to cover my bases and make sure nobody wants me out.

Cyan and Louise met up in the former's motel room.

"Alright, I want to talk to you about last night's vote," Cyan told Louise.

"Yeah, it seems like one of JM or Kun voted for Joseph last night," Louise surmised. "Probably Jean-Marie, if we're being honest."

"Oh, Louise," Cyan sighed. "It was me. I voted for Joseph."

"Wait, what?! Why?" Louise reacted, confused. "He told us he would have ditched JM and Kun to work with us if it came down to it, remember?"

"The votes were headed towards him anyway. I didn't want to isolate myself from everyone who seemed happy to vote for him," Cyan explained.

"I guess that makes sense," Louise admitted. "I just wish I had thought to do the same, because now it looks bad on me."

"Sorry," Cyan frowned. "For what it's worth, nobody knows for sure who voted for whom, so we can just play it cool and work things out by ear."

"I guess so," Louise agreed. "...So, what are we going to do now? Because I don't want to just throw JM and Kun under the bus, but sticking by them probably isn't the smartest game move, either."

"I know Kiki was interested in working with me. Although with Bailey here now, I don't know if that still holds true," Cyan thought aloud.

"Do you think we'll be able to talk anyone into flipping?" Louise asked. "I know it's risky, but this way we don't have to betray the people we already trust, and we gain new allies."

"We might be able to talk Nolan into talking to Frita and Quentin," Cyan figured. "Nolan is still supposed to be our ally, and I know he's good with those two."

"I think Quentin and JM are good, so that might actually work," Louise smiled. "...Is JM a threat?"

"Maybe, but right now I think it'd be better to work with a threat if he trusts us," Cyan reasoned. "I think our priority right now should be dealing with the majority that got Joseph out. We should touch base with JM and Kun soon."

"For sure," Louise nodded. "Heh. It was nice to take it easy for the first half-week or so, but the game really is afoot now!"

"This is what we signed up for. Let's make the most of it!" Cyan beamed.

"Hell yeah!" Louise cheered.

Confessional:

Cyan: I'm glad Louise understood why I voted for Joseph. The hard part is going to be figuring out what exactly we want to do going forward. This is hardly the best position either of us have ever been in, but that's what this game is all about: figuring out how to put yourself in a good position.

Louise: I don't think Cyan would have dropped Joseph if she felt like she didn't have to, you know? She kept talking about how much she wanted to work with him. As for our plans for the future, I'm still not a hundred percent on Frita and Quentin, but I think it's worth a shot. I was willing to risk my game on trusting Gretchen, and... actually, that cost me the game, but I'm pretty sure Frita and Quentin are different!

Brittany found Hugh drinking a soda at the team garage hangout.

"I'm surprised to see you aren't at the barcade," Brittany commented. "They have booze and video games there. This place doesn't."

"I mean, duh, I went straight there after we won yesterday," Hugh scoffed. "But for now I need to stop and think about what the hell we're going to do about losing Bailey. Which is harder than I wish it was thanks to this hangover."

"I thought you said you had Steve Jenkins," Brittany pointed out.

"Yeah, but now that we're down a number, he could totally just flip to the others and take out the big scary alliance. I sure as hell would if I were him," Hugh countered.

"Well, that's where you and he might differ," Brittany told him. "I don't know if Steve Jenkins is... the type to flip, if you catch my drift."

"I don't," Hugh responded. "But I don't think we have to worry about him."

"This is the same Steve Jenkins who wanted me gone not two days ago," Brittany added skeptically.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't trust Vladimir anyway," Hugh dismissed.

"But Bailey and Irving might," Brittany mentioned.

"Shit, that's right," Hugh recalled. "We could just merc Ernie or Shadya then. Both have their cons."

"Shadya was pretty rude to me yesterday, but she is better at challenges, and that's important with how we've been doing in challenges so far," Brittany pondered.

"Oh, believe me, I would love to tear Shadya a new one," Hugh sneered. "But Ernie's made no indication that he even wants to work with me, and I even invited him to early on! Shadya at least pretended to care. I can use that against her. Heheheh."

"Gotcha," Brittany responded flatly. "It sounds like a plan, though. Ernie next time we lose."

"Yeah, that works," Hugh grinned. "Who's going to go up to bat for Ernie, anyway? Dude's a stick in the mud."

"He made it far last time. We shouldn't underestimate him," Brittany warned.

"He got lucky," Hugh dismissed. "You and I? We're players of skill. We can deal with him."

Confessional:

Hugh: I still don't know for sure if we can count on Steve Jenkins, but it sounds like Vladimir may still actually be interested in working with us. I still don't have a very good read on him, so I'm going to have to talk to him myself at some point. (He groans and holds his head.) Maybe once the hangover clears up.

Brittany: Well, my biggest worry has been quelled; Hugh doesn't seem to want to flip on the alliance. That's good. Let's keep it that way. Now that I'm thinking about it, I am kind of playing with fire in entrusting my safety on this team to... well, the people I trust. But we've all backstabbed someone at least once here, so that's not much of a metric. My goal is to avoid doing that.

Bailey, Dalit, and Kiki met up in the latter's motel room.

"I'll get to stay at Blaising Tower eventually," Bailey told herself with a resigned chuckle.

"You will. We will turn things around today!" Kiki declared with determination.

"I am agreeing!" Dalit proclaimed with conviction.

"But anyway, I invited you here to officially extend an offer to work with us," Kiki told Bailey. "I chose to use my statue on you because I saw in you the best potential as an ally. The fact that we met years ago helped, too."

"Now, if I'm not mistaken, your alliance includes the two of you as well as Frita and Quentin, correct?" Bailey recalled.

"Quentin is supposed to be a secret, but I guess he told you during the elimination last night," Kiki confirmed.

"Can we trust him if he is to give out secrets like that?" Dalit asked.

"I mean, I think we all knew on some level Bailey was going to work with us," Kiki figured.

"He is making friends with Jean-Marie, and I don't like it," Dalit frowned.

"That is true, but I don't think Jean-Marie's in any position to convince anybody to vote with him," Kiki snickered.

"He still has three allies, if I'm not mistaken. If Nolan rolls in his favor, then just one more vote could tip the scale," Bailey mentioned.

"Is that a threat?" Kiki asked, annoyed.

"It was not intended to be," Bailey denied. "I'm just saying that resting on your laurels after one successful vote seems unwise."

"Look, the only successful vote I've had before now was against Tucker. And that hardly counts!" Kiki insisted. "I was worried that Joseph was going to make this season a living hell for me, and I managed to serendipitously get him out anyway."

"I have not ever survived a vote before until now!" Dalit added. "Neither has Frita. This was an important moment for us. You should let us celebrate, because it has worth of celebrating."

"Speaking of Frita, where are Frita and Quentin?" Bailey asked.

"If I had to guess, at the garage hangout," Kiki figured. "They've started playing some video game a whole lot. At least they're making use of the reward, I guess."

"That reminds me. We should use our spa day passes sometime," Dalit told Kiki.

"I'm saving mine for a day when I really need it," Kiki said. "This is hardly the most stressful position I've been in in this game."

Confessional:

Kiki: Nghhhh, I hadn't even considered the possibility that Bailey could choose to side with the other alliance. Mostly because it wouldn't make any sense for her to. Kun is a bumbling mess, Jean-Marie is untrustworthy, and Cyan and Louise... I think one of them must have voted for Joseph last night, actually. That could be worth looking into.

Dalit: I don't know if I like Bailey a lot much, but we need as much people on our side as we can. She helped us vote out Joseph, which means she'll probably help us vote for Jean-Marie next! And then, we can take over the game, until I win at the end!

Bailey: I get the feeling like Kiki expects me to side with her automatically because she's the one who brought me over to this team. While I was inclined to do so, this attitude of hers is souring me on the idea. I think I'll speak with the others on this team before making any sort of commitment.

Steve Jenkins found Shadya running laps around McLean Park and decided to join her in running.

"What's shaking, Shady?" Steve Jenkins greeted.

"My patience. What do you want?" Shadya responded.

"I was just hoping you'd let me pop into what should be my penthouse suite while you're not using it," Steve Jenkins requested. "It seems like a waste to just let it sit there unused when the one and only Steve Jenkins could be making good use of it."

"If you wanted to stay in the penthouse, you should have convinced everyone to vote you as the best through your performance in the challenge," Shadya told him bluntly.

"I was the first one to start solving puzzles! It's not my fault nobody else could see how great I was doing until I started freeing them!" Steve Jenkins pleaded.

"Look, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off easy," Shadya told him. "I will not let you in my penthouse, because it is the most privacy and luxury I've been allowed all season, and with that privacy comes a release in stress that will allow me to perform better in challenges."

"See, that's exactly why you should let other people in! If everyone gets some privacy, then we'll all do better in challenges!" Steve Jenkins figured.

"Everyone already has a private room in that tower," Shadya pointed out.

"If all the rooms are the same to you, then why can't I check out the penthouse?" Steve Jenekins frowned.

"They aren't," Shadya stated. "My room has more amenities including but not limited to a fully-stocked fridge, room service, and a bathtub. If I just let anyone enjoy those without earning it, then they'll never feel inclined to work harder to earn it."

"I mean, nobody will ever reach the levels of Steve Jenkins, but that's a neat sentiment, I guess," Steve Jenkins reasoned.

"Obviously nobody can reach the level of the most valuable member of this team, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't still work to attain greatness," Shadya claimed.

"Now that's something I can agree with for sure," Steve Jenkins beamed. "And you know what, it does my heart good to hear you admit that I am, in fact, the most valuable- AHH!"

Steve Jenkins tripped on a rock and fell on his face. Shadya did not stop running.

"I know you're trying to pretend like your heart doesn't burn with passion for me, but it's still rude to not check to see if I'm okay!" Steve Jenkins cried.

Confessional:

Shadya: Finally winning a challenge has been a load off of my mind. A new load on my mind: Steve Jenkins is so self-satisfied in his own relative mediocrity that he will never try to improve himself. That would make him expendable, if Irving wasn't my target, but he is, so I still need Steve Jenkins' vote. For now.

Steve Jenkins: (He is holding an ice pack to his face.) You know what? For all Shady knows, me taking that fall could result in brain damage that could make me worse at the challenge! Bet she didn't think of that when she was trying so hard to protect her pride! Could you imagine Steve Jenkins with brain damage? The world would never recover.

Frita and Quentin, true to Kiki's guess, were playing the same fighting video game as always in the Fighting Wyverns' garage hangout. Frita had just beaten Quentin.

"...You didn't throw that, did you?" Frita asked.

"No, I'm just not very good with that character," Quentin admitted. "You're definitely picking up on this game, though."

"That's because I'm just sticking to the one character I'm kind of good with. That hardly counts," Frita sighed.

"I think most people do that with this kind of game," Quentin told her. "I still haven't found the one character I'm great with yet, so I'm testing the waters with everyone right now. There are a lot of characters."

"It'd be a lot more interesting to play with different characters, right?" Frita figured.

"It depends on who you are, I guess," Quentin shrugged. "Some people like variety and play for fun, some people like being sure they can win with their one character."

"So it's not fun to just use the same character?" Frita sighed.

"It is for some people. That came out wrong, my bad," Quentin chuckled. "Anyway, what do you make of Bailey being on the team now?"

"Well, she helped us get some momentum by turning things against Joseph," Frita mentioned. "That's good, I think."

"When she asked me what I thought of everything during the vote last night, I told her I didn't really want to vote for Jean-Marie, and that's when she asked Nolan who he voted," Quentin mentioned. "That gesture meant something to me."

"Well, I'm glad one of us is in a good mood today," Frita said genuinely.

"What's up? Anything you want to talk about?" Quentin asked.

"General self-loathing. The usual," Frita mentioned.

"Ah," Quentin responded. "Well hey, if nothing else, you're already doing better in this season than you did last season. That shows growth."

"I did actually survive an elimination, I guess, but how much longer will I be able to get by?" Frita figured.

"Well, we're on a good track with this Joseph elimination," Quentin said.

"Do you still not want to vote for Jean-Marie?" Frita asked.

"I, uh..." Quentin blushed. He returned his attention to the video game. "Here, let's both pick a random character and see what happens."

Frita gave Quentin a bit of a look before returning her attention to the game as well.

Confessional:

Frita: I always knew Jean-Marie used his charm to his advantage, but now it seems like it might even be working on Quentin. That's kind of concerning, because we still kind of need his vote if we want a safe majority. I still don't know where Bailey's head is at, or Cyan and Louise for that matter. Ugh, this is all going to spiral out of control and end up with me not making the merge again, isn't it? Might as well accept it now.

Quentin: Yeah, I might be feeling something for Jean-Marie. I don't want to let it affect my game, but this is the first time I've felt like this about a man, and I don't want to just cut him out before I can figure out what this all means about me. Otherwise, it might bug me for the rest of the game, and I'd get distracted.

Irving found Hugh still at the garage hangout, splayed on the sofa.

"Avast, Mister Hugh!" Irving greeted.

"Avast what? I'm just taking it easy," Hugh groaned.

"Exactly! We've plans to discuss!" Irving insisted.

"Is that the case?" Hugh forced himself to sit up. "Right, I talked it over with Brittany, and apparently Vladimir is working with us now."

"Aye," Irving confirmed.

"Obviously we can't trust him completely, but an extra ally is worth testing the waters," Hugh continued.

"Aye," Irving confirmed.

"And we're voting for Ernie since he's the only one who's never had any interest in working with us," Hugh continued.

"Aye. ...Hey, wait a minute, that be not aye!" Irving realized.

"How is it not aye?! Who else are we going to vote for?!" Hugh grunted.

"Shadya, o'course!" Irving answered. "She be a huge threat who be out to get us. What will Ernie accomplish against us?"

"Nobody's going to accomplish anything. We've got Vladimir and Steve Jenkins on our side," Hugh claimed. "Even if one of them flips, we still have a majority."

"And if we can't trust either of them?" Irving challenged.

"Then it won't matter who we target in the first place," Hugh pointed out.

"I still don't see how the hell Ernie be a bigger priority than Shadya," Irving mentioned.

"Because Shadya at least pretended like she was interested in working with me. I can use that against her if I have to," Hugh snickered. "Ernie's been against us from day one."

"So has Shadya, if ye haven't noticed!" Irving shouted. "I can't imagine her humoring ye for a second be worth keeping her around over Ernie."

"Look, Brittany was fine with it. She even said that we shouldn't underestimate him," Hugh insisted.

"That'll be for me to discuss with her," Irving told Hugh. "Vladimir trusts Ernie. If we want his vote, and we do, we'll have to vote Shadya."

"Well, Steve Jenkins likes Shadya. Who's to say he'll vote with us if we vote for her?" Hugh glowered.

The two glared at each other briefly before scoffing. Irving took his leave.

Confessional:

Irving: I can't fathom having an opportunity to take out one of the biggest threats the game's ever known and passing on it. Well, okay, that be untrue, because folks didn't get rid of me until final three last time I played! (He laughs.) But still, refusing to drop Shadya now means she'll be a huge pain in the keister down the line. Surely Hugh has to realize that.

Hugh: Listen, I take orders from nobody. If I think there's even a remote chance that Shadya might stick with us at the merge, I'm going to keep her over Ernie. Yeah, she's a threat, but newsflash, so is everyone on this team! That's why we're here, artard!

Cyan found Nolan playing tarot solitaire at one of the tables in front of the motel.

"Move that blue one onto the other blue one!" Cyan instructed excitedly.

"That's not how this works, but I appreciate the enthusiasm," Nolan chuckled. "Are you interested in learning how to play?"

"Maybe later. Right now, I want to have some game talk," Cyan told him.

"I'm interested in what you might have in mind for me specifically," Nolan smiled as he took his die out of his pocket and began rolling it between his fingers.

"Joseph leaving means one of my closer allies left," Cyan mentioned. "That puts me in a worse position, which I don't want to be in."

"Nor do I want you to be in it," Nolan agreed. "Sorry that it ended up being Joseph, by the way. He was hardly the first person I would have chosen normally."

"I believe that, but that doesn't mean he wasn't still chosen," Cyan frowned. "Anyway, my point is, I want to expand my reach on this team, and I was hoping you'd put in a good word for me with Frita and Quentin before I talk to them myself."

"Frita and Quentin, huh? I do get along well with those two, or at least with Quentin," Nolan nodded. "I'll be glad to help you out."

"Thanks!" Cyan beamed. "...So wait, why can't you move the blue one onto the other blue one?"

"Those are both cups," Nolan explained. "It's like how in normal solitaire, you have to put black on red, or red on black. Cups are the tarot deck equivalent of hearts in a playing card deck."

"That does make sense in a common logic kind of way," Cyan figured. "But by my logic, you always want as much blue as possible everywhere always. So I still think you're playing it wrong."

"Well, if you ever want to borrow any of my decks, you can play solitaire however you want," Nolan chuckled.

"I just might," Cyan winked. "So wait, why are you messing with tarot cards and not just using a normal deck if it's only solitaire?"

"For one, they look cooler," Nolan chuckled. "And for two, there's an extra clause where you can use a major arcanum as a wild card, but only when you put it on a minor arcanum."

"So it's easier?" Cyan asked.

"Sit down if you like and I'll explain everything. I have all day," Nolan offered.

"I don't normally go for any of this fortune telling stuff, but I trust you," Cyan said warily as she took a seat.

"Believe me, I'm not one for fortune telling either," Nolan assured her. "I don't even believe that luck is anything but our own perception of what that which is beyond our control grants us or not. I certainly don't believe in destiny."

"Interesting," Cyan nodded.

Confessional:

Cyan: I remember Frita joined with Kiki at the start of the game because Kiki was more assertive than I am. I don't know if that's a tactic I really want to try with Frita, but it gives me confidence that it's possible to sway her. And I've never been sure about Quentin, so anything could happen with him, too. I'm glad I connected with Nolan early. Although I'm still not sure about all this tarot stuff. That just seems like something I shouldn't be messing with. (She shudders.)

Nolan: Well, I'm glad Cyan isn't upset with me for being the catalyst for Joseph's elimination. That was my biggest worry about that whole thing, because she and Louise are the people I trust the most to keep me safe. If she wants to start working with Frita and Quentin, it could be nice to have everyone who wants to keep me around working together. Although I wonder if they'll end up not needing me once they have each other. Maybe I'll flip a coin on it. (He chuckles.)

Vladimir looked to be working on some kind of mask in his room when he heard a knock on his door. He quickly packed up his supplies and went to answer. Brittany was on the other side.

"Ah, Brittany," Vladimir smiled.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, come in," Vladimir offered.

"Come in?" Brittany wondered quietly. Regardless, she followed the master of disguise into his room.

"Make yourself comfortable," Vladimir told her with sincerity in his voice. "It's been a while since we've really been able to talk talk, you know?"

"Well, I mean, have we ever?" Brittany asked. "We were on different teams at the start of Explore Party, threw each other under the bus once the merge hit, and then as far as I know you didn't stay in contact with anyone after the season, much less me."

"What happened in Explore Party was just circumstance," Vladimir said. "It's a new season, and we're on the same team from the start. Each of us ran our original teams, and I think we could do so together pretty handily, especially with your allies already on board."

"What's your ideal plan going into a potential elimination?" Brittany asked. "Have you spoken it over with any of the others?"

"Actually, Irving and I were torn between Shadya or Ernie," Vladimir mentioned. "We agreed to talk to you, Brittany, as well as Hugh about it."

"Hugh seems set on voting for Ernie. I'm not really against that idea," Brittany said. "Ernie's made no indication that he has any interest in working with me."

"I see," Vladimir acknowledged. "If that's where you two are leaning, then it sounds like a plan."

Brittany looked at him skeptically. "And you're 100% good with that plan?"

"I'm good with whatever plan will benefit my game the most," Vladimir told her. "And joining a strong alliance like yours certainly isn't my worst option."

"I see," Brittany commented.

"I understand your reluctance to trust me," Vladimir told her. "It's smart to do so, quite frankly. But you have to look at who else is on this team. Huge egos who are all going to want their way. I can't rely on them to work together. I know I can rely on you and the other two, though."

"Hugh and Irving are pretty big egos, too," Brittany pointed out.

"But they're reliable, consistent big egos," Vladimir explained. "And besides, at the risk of sounding like I'm flattering you, you're reliable without being a big ego. I admire that."

"Mm. So you're good with Ernie being the vote, is what's important," Brittany made sure.

"I am," Vladimir told her.

"That's all I needed to know," Brittany said. "Good talk."

"Good talk," Vladimir agreed.

Confessional:

Brittany: I don't know, nothing he's saying sounds necessarily illogical or wrong, but I can't help but think of him as the guy from last season who threw his ally under the bus and tried to play both sides and... Oh my god, that all pretty much applies to me, too. Maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt. People are giving it to me, after all.

Vladimir: Ernie is the last person I want to vote for. He's the person I trust the most on this team, and I'll be damned if I let this big annoying alliance get rid of him. I'll need to rally the other three against a common target. All while keeping good with the threesome in power. It's very doable. I just need to get the big egos on the same page.

Bailey met up with Kun at McLean Park.

"I, um, appreciate you taking the time to speak with me," Kun began.

"I hope you understand that last night's vote was not personal," Bailey told him. "I was placed into a new situation with little time to figure anything out, so I felt it most prudent to see where the majority was. Seeing if Nolan had voted for a potential target was the easiest way of doing that."

"I understand," Kun nodded.

"I also hope you understand that I have not made any commitments to anyone on this team as of yet," Bailey continued. "I wish to keep an open mind and get a feel for everyone first."

"I-I see!" Kun realized what Bailey was getting at. "Well, um, to be quite frank, I feel as though my alliance simply includes smarter players. I can't speak ill of Kiki's intelligence, but, well, Dalit and Frita aren't the most game-savvy people I've ever met. Louise isn't the strategic type either, but Cyan and Jean-Marie are, um, notably bright."

"Where do you think Quentin's head is?" Bailey asked.

"Jean-Marie thinks he's working with Kiki," Kun mentioned. "I'm starting to suspect he's onto something, there. That's, um, my fault, I should have talked to him more."

"Well, he expressed disinterest in voting for Kiki's primary target last night. That may be worth something," Bailey mentioned. "It may not be too late."

"That's true..." Kun realized. "Thanks, Bailey! I appreciate the advice."

"I'm just doing what I can," Bailey smiled.

"Bonne après-midi," Jean-Marie greeted the two as he approached them. "I hope I'm not interrupting a tender moment."

"I don't think there's, um, room for tender moments in this game," Kun mentioned.

"Well, I'm not sure that's necessarily true," Bailey said. "I met my boyfriend of six years on this show."

"Indeed, think of all the couples who have met on this show," Jean-Marie said. "How many of them are still together, I wonder?"

"I, um, haven't followed too closely, I'm afraid," Kun admitted. "My priorities are mostly in studying up to rise in the ranks of my father's business."

"I'm surprised you haven't kept up," Bailey told Jean-Marie.

"...Alas, I have not been able to. I will leave it at that," Jean-Marie told her. "All that aside, may I invite myself into your prior conversation?"

"We were sharing an uncertainty in where Quentin's head may be at," Bailey explained.

"He is an enigma, but one with whom I get along," Jean-Marie claimed. "If there is any reason to believe he may be willing to work with us, I would be more than happy to speak with him."

"That'd be helpful," Kun approved. "We can use, um, all the help we can get."

"And we can count Bailey amongst those who can, it seems?" Jean-Marie inquired.

"There's a real possibility," Kun said.

He smiled at Bailey, who awkwardly smiled back.

Confessional:

Kun: Now that I've, um, calmed down a bit after the initial shock of it all, I think I'm ready to do what it takes to recover from the loss. Bailey and Quentin could be valuable allies. All I need to do is make them want to work for us. With Bailey, um, I appealed to her appreciation for smart gameplay by highlighting the difference between my allies and Kiki's. I truly believe that my alliance will serve her better.

Jean-Marie: I've been considering for a while the prospect of convincing Quentin to work with me rather than Kiki. I was hoping to leave Kun out of it, because I do not wish to play Kun's game, I wish to play my own, but at this point, he must control even this. C'est la vie. I can work with this.

Bailey: Truth be told, I don't really want to make any hard commitments to anyone on this team, because I've already made so many promises to those on the Grand Gryphons, and I don't want to make more promises than I can feasibly keep if I can make it to the merge. That said, I will need allies on this team if I'm going to be staying here. For now, I'll sit comfortably in a position where everyone wants me on their side too much to consider voting me out. (She smiles.)

Shadya stood on the balcony of her penthouse room, looking over the city. She proudly took a sip of tea.

"Finally, you're where you belong in this game," Shadya smiled to herself. "Back in the winner's seat. This season started rough, but you've recovered from worse. You are human perfection. Don't ever forget that. You can't forget that."

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. Shadya cracked her neck and went to go see who was on the other side. Opening the door revealed Greg standing in wait.

"Hello. I am here to deliver the pineapple you requested," Greg informed her as he held a watermelon up for her to see.

"Come in," Shadya instructed him as she retreated back into her room, leaving the door open.

The room service employee made his way into the penthouse, placing the watermelon on the kitchen table.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Shadya?" Greg inquired.

"...If I wish to speak to you, can you swear yourself to confidentiality?" Shadya asked.

"It's my duty to do whatever is asked of me by whoever's staying in the penthouse," Greg told her. "If you wish, I can forget entirely what you tell me."

"Don't do that," Shadya instructed him.

"Understood," Greg complied.

"And for goodness' sake, you aren't my servant, you don't need to talk like one," Shadya grunted.

"I apologize. I am communicating to the best of my ability," Greg told her.

"Ugh, how lazy did the Wakemans get?" Shadya mumbled. "Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I presume you know at least a little bit about me and my accomplishments by now?"

"I was intentionally not given any memories of anybody here," Greg explained. "Ginger and Godfrey wanted the freshest, most unbiased possible outlook."

"I guess that's understandable," Shadya conceded. She cleared her throat. "A true monarch fears no hardship. She declares that she will overcome anything without fail. Even if she hasn't yet figured out how. This gives hope to the weak. They gather, revere the monarch, and swear to assist her. This is where power is gained and her word is carried out."

"I see," Greg acknowledged. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"I was building up to something," Shadya growled. "I am one of the most accomplished human beings on the planet, and have brought that strength to this game by taking a leadership position on my team, both times I've played. Last time, it worked with little issue, and only lost because my closest ally was tricked into turning on me. But this time, nobody seems to want to listen, and we keep losing challenges. It's infuriating. Even if you don't have the capacity to answer, it's something I felt I needed to talk to someone about so the thoughts don't stay trapped in my mind."

"I see," Greg acknowledged. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Shadya sighed. "No."

Greg nodded. "If you do end up needing anything, let me know." He took his leave.

Confessional:

Shadya: Geez, he's even more of an emotional brick wall than Ginger was. I don't know if he was explicitly designed just to do work, or if those spare parts used to build him really were just spare parts, or anything about him, really, but he genuinely doesn't seem to care about anything but getting his job done. I'm almost envious.

Kiki found Louise wandering around through the city.

"Oh, Louise!" Kiki called as she ran up to her teammate.

"Hm? What's up?" Louise asked.

"You were on good terms with Joseph, right?" Kiki asked.

"Yeah?" Louise confirmed, seemingly annoyed.

"I just wanted to know if you voted against him. The numbers seemed inconsistent," Kiki requested.

"No, I didn't," Louise told her shortly. "And... look, I'm not not open to talking with you, but right now I'm not really in the mood."

"Well, let me know. I don't want us to be enemies, Louise," Kiki told her.

"Is there anything we can do that would be good for both of us?" Louise asked.

"Pick off Kun and Jean-Marie," Kiki answered. "Kun's told me to my face that he has no interest in working with me, and I'm worried that Jean-Marie may be trying to turn my allies against me."

"Those things only have to do with you," Louise frowned.

"Those were just examples! Who's to say they won't try to screw you over, too?" Kiki insisted.

"They haven't been," Louise shrugged. "Plus, you and your allies haven't really reached out to me until now. Actions speak louder than words."

"I reached out to you on day one and you said you weren't interested," Kiki denied.

"And I'm still not. Sorry," Louise told her.

The coach jogged off ahead. As Kiki simmered, Frita approached her.

"How did it go?" Frita asked.

"Why can't I get through to Cyan and Louise?!" Kiki cried.

"Is it your personality or interests? That's usually what it is for me," Frita mentioned.

"Don't put me on the same level as you!" Kiki snapped.

Frita couldn't keep the tears in. She turned around and ran, crying.

"Frita, wait! That came out wrong, I didn't mean-! Ugh..." Kiki groaned to herself as the artist left earshot.

Confessional:

Kiki: I just don't get what I'm doing wrong. I've changed my approach from House Party significantly, and I still can't get people to listen to me. I've even approached men in this game with the intent to work with them! ...I know I have a tendency to think less of people than I do of myself, but it's hard not to when people refuse to listen to me. Why won't people listen to me?

Louise: I just don't have any interest in working with Kiki. She clearly only wants to work together because it would benefit her, not because she thinks I'm cool or even because it would benefit us both. How did she expect me to react to that?

Frita: (Her face is red and stained with tears.) ... ... ...Why do I even bother?

Steve Jenkins sauntered into the barcade and made his way to the bar.

"One Steve Jenkins, on the rocks, please," he requested of Jayne.

Jayne filled a cup with ice and poured it over Steve Jenkins' head, getting his hair and face wet.

"...I understand the confusion, but that is not what I meant!" Steve Jenkins reacted as he fluffed his hair back. "A Steve Jenkins is vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice."

"My database identifies that as a Moscow Mule," Jayne informed him.

"Yeah, but what's Moscow ever done for anyone? I'm claiming the drink back in the name of Steve Jenkins!" Steve Jenkins declared.

"I apologize," Jayne said, upset.

"Are you alright?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"I was told that my friend Joseph was voted out of the game last night," Jayne explained. "For some reason, logic dictates that I now feel upset, and now I do."

"What do you mean, 'for some reason'? If he was your friend, you're going to miss him," Steve Jenkins told them.

"His life was not terminated, so I have not irreplaceably lost anything," Jayne figured. "It is likely that I will see him again in the future. What reason do I have to feel upset?"

"Because you like his company and want more of it? I don't know, fam," Steve Jenkins attempted. "Emotions aren't supposed to be logical. The unrelenting desire to be like Steve Jenkins just... happens."

"I also don't understand that, so perhaps you may be onto something," Jayne thought aloud. "Maybe I just can't comprehend how emotions work."

"You don't really need to. Just live your life," Steve Jenkins grinned. "And while you're at it, one Steve Jenkins on the rocks, please."

Jayne remained in thought for a second before getting another cup of ice and pouring it over Steve Jenkins.

"...I'm not going to call it by its old name. You won't make me!" Steve Jenkins swore.

Confessional:

Steve Jenkins: Man, all these years of technological advancement, and they still can't get robots to do something as basic as worship Steve Jenkins as the one true god. I told Ginger to do something about that back in the Shuffle Party days, man! What's the holdup?!

Dalit and Quentin had eaten lunch with each other at Hatchet's Diner.

"So, you're still together with Ephraim after all these years. That's so cool," Quentin smiled.

"Yes, although we still have not moved in to the same living place," Dalit mentioned. "I still live with my adoptive family, although I can still see Ephraim often."

"How's he doing? And Bijou, for that matter?" Quentin inquired.

"Ephraim now works at an Amazon warehouse. It is hard work, but he is making money. I am hoping he can afford to buy an engagement ring soon," Dalit recounted. "Bijou started her own clothing line, Onyx. I'm sure you've heard of it; I model her clothes a lot. Fauna mentioned it on her YouTube channel."

"It sounds familiar. I haven't kept in super close contact with Ephraim or Bijou or Fauna," Quentin admitted.

"Have you talked to Tori recently?" Dalit asked.

"...No," Quentin admitted. "...Have you?"

"I don't think I've talked to Tori ever," Dalit said.

"I do keep in contact with Vardaman, Naomi, Kelsey, Lester, Stormy~, and Xingrong," Quentin listed. "Vardaman will talk about Isidora every now and again because he's her brother-in-law, but I haven't spoken to her in a while."

"Isidora always seemed lazy. I'm not surprised she didn't last long this season," Dalit criticized.

"She's cool. I was never close with her, but we got along when we did talk," Quentin recounted. "Do you think Hugh will last?"

"I would be surprised. He is not easy to get along with, especially when he is not respecting to women," Dalit answered.

"On a team full of strong players? I can see him not doing as well," Quentin agreed. "Then again, he's lasted two eliminations already."

"One of those was Lilith," Dalit dismissed.

"I can't really speak about Lilith. I never really knew her," Quentin said. "But it's cool that we can talk about the old times, you know? I kind of miss those days sometimes."

"I don't," Dalit said. "My life is better now. I don't need to think about the past."

"I guess that's fair in your case," Quentin conceded. "Actually, I think you were the first person I talked to, before the game started. We were talking about seagulls, if I remember right. Now look where we are."

"I still don't care about birds," Dalit told him.

Confessional:

Dalit: Quentin is not the worst ally I've ever had. I don't think anyone will pass Genesis with that. But he is for certainty too optimistic. His intentions are good, but I don't think he's ever had any real hardship. He does not know how it is the world works, and that is annoying me.

Quentin: I get the feeling Dalit doesn't really care much for me, so I've been trying to reconcile with her and see if I can get her to be more friendly with me, especially after that fight we had yesterday. I still can't tell if it's working, but I'll keep at it until I know it does!

Over in Isolation Park, Ernie had finally awoken.

"Unnnngh," Ernie groaned as he stood up and cracked his back. "Is it time for the challenge yet?"

He stood there for a few seconds. He let out a fat yawn.

"I guess I should look for hidden statues or something," Ernie figured. He trudged his way off in no direction in particular.

Confessional:

Ernie: As the, like, first person on my team to go to Isolation Park, I have a rare opportunity to be the only one on the team with a statue. As much as I'd love to just take advantage of the opportunity to, ya know, sleep until the challenge, I've got to... Igotta... (He yawns.) ... ...I already forgot what I was talking about.

The sixteen unexiled contestants met up at McLean Park with Chris, Topher, and Lindsay.

"Now bringing back Ernie from Isolation Park," Chris began as he gestured towards the law student making his way back to his team.

"Good news, guys, I found three statues," Ernie told everyone monotonously.

"What?! Lucky!" Steve Jenkins pouted.

"We've got a fun one for you guys today!" Topher announced. "Our very own Chef Hatchet will be co-hosting this one!"

"If that's the case, then who's making dinner?" Louise asked.

"Topher and Lindsay are!" Chris laughed. "Alongside the people who sit out of this challenge!"

"Wait, we are?" Lindsay blinked.

"Yep! Have fun!" Chris laughed.

"Do we have to sit people out, um, right now?" Kun asked.

"No, we'll get that all sorted out once we arrive on-location and explain what the challenge is," Chris established.

"Can you cook?" Lindsay whispered to Topher.

"How hard can it be?" Topher asked confidently.

"All that said, let's head on over... to Victory Bank!" Chris decided.

Confessional:

Louise: I'm not sure why they don't get Greg to cook for us. Maybe they don't trust him to make food if he can't taste or smell. Either way, I'm definitely playing in this one, so I'm excited to see what we've got in store with Chef involved! Something tough, I bet!

Vladimir: I wasn't aware this city had a bank. I can't imagine what it'd be used for. I guess it's being used for the challenge, but that seems like so little to dedicate a building to.

The group arrived at Victory Bank, a large, important-looking building. Chef stood in front of the building, dressed in his drill sergeant outfit.

"Alright, maggots! Attention!" Chef demanded. "Today's challenge will be a game of cops and robbers!"

"Straight to the point as always," Nolan commented.

"The Grand Gryphons will be the robbers, and the Fighting Wyverns will be the cops!" Chef continued. "It's up to the Fighting Wyverns to make sure that the Grand Gryphons can't steal the cases full of money that're in the bank vault! It's up to the Grand Gryphons to take that money before time runs out!"

"What's the time limit?" Shadya asked.

"However the hell long I feel like! Does that answer your question?!" Chef snapped.

"Technically yes, but not in a satisfactory way," Shadya responded. "I demand a more specific answer. It could mean the difference between victory and defeat."

"You ain't gettin' shit! Back-talk me again, and I'll give the win to the Wyverns!" Chef shouted.

"He can't do that! ...Right?" Hugh asked Chris.

"Want to test him and find out?" Chris snickered.

"You're not just going to let Chef get away with that, are you?" Nolan prodded Hugh.

"Please, um, don't provoke the other team," Kun requested.

"Yeah, stay in your lane, pre-merger," Hugh scowled at Nolan.

"Attention!" Chef barked. "The Wyverns will have twenty minutes to prepare their line of defense before the Gryphons can try to get the loot!"

"So they have a fixed time limit, mm?" Irving pointed out.

"This lack of preparation is about what I'd expect from him," Ernie whispered.

"Alright, who's sitting out of the challenge?" Chef asked. "Can't be Jean-Marie, Louise, or Quentin."

The Fighting Wyverns discussed this amongst themselves quietly for a minute or so.

"Bailey, Frita, and Nolan," Kiki answered. "Also, is this for Invincibility or reward?"

"You'll just have to find out after the challenge is over! How's that for motivation?" Chef half-answered.

"Those of you not participating in the challenge, follow us to the diner!" Topher coaxed.

"Cooking's fun!" Lindsay encouraged.

Confessional:

Jean-Marie: Win or lose, at least I have a lovely meal to look forward to. Of course, I'd very much like to win, even if this is likely just a reward challenge. Though I have to wonder why they chose Chef to lead a challenge if they knew he was going to be this difficult. ...Maybe that is why they chose him.

Ernie: So all we have to do is, like, successfully steal some cases full of money? Shouldn't be too hard. I'm pretty sure that our team could, on average, kick the other team's ass. (He yawns.) Then again, Isolation Park sucked ass. I'm not really in the mood to go back, ya know?

The competing members of the Fighting Wyverns met up in a room within the bank's vault. Surrounding them were prop gold ingots, as well as several tools and items that might help them defend the briefcases in the center of the room.

"Alright, we need a game plan, here," Louise told her team.

"Agreed," Kun nodded. "Our goal is, um, simple, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't develop and enact concrete plans to carry that goal out."

"Okay, what's your plan?" Kiki challenged.

"I, um, don't have one yet, but if we put our heads together, I know we can figure something out," Kun smiled nervously.

"Well, what are all the tools we have here?" Cyan asked as she inspected a small machine with a switch on it.

She flipped the switch, and a laser tripwire shot out of the machine.

"You think we can set those up so that tripping it will trigger traps or lock doors or something?" Quentin wondered excitedly.

"That sounds like fun!" Dalit beamed. "We will be their defeat!"

"That's a good idea, you guys," Kun complimented. "Let's, um, see if we can find any traps or anything else that might, um, pertain to that."

"Is there anything else we can do besides tripwires and traps?" Jean-Marie considered.

"Beat them up?" Dalit suggested.

"That might be difficult considering we're up against the likes of Shadya and Irving," Cyan doubted. "Steve Jenkins and Barry are no slouches, either."

"We don't need violence to stall them out," Kiki put in. She looked at the prop ingots surrounding everyone. "How heavy are these ingots?"

"Ooh, we can totally block doors with stacks of these!" Louise chorused.

"Exactly," Kiki confirmed. She picked up an ingot. "These feel like iron. They're perfect."

"We can throw them at the other team!" Dalit insisted.

"We're not killing anybody!" Kiki exasperated.

"It won't kill them if it doesn't hit on the head," Dalit huffed.

Confessional:

Kiki: The pattern of how challenges have gone so far dictates that this challenge is for reward. Still, we can't rely solely on patterns. Establishing patterns only to break them is exactly the kind of thing this show would do. So I'm going to do whatever it takes to win, because if Invincibility is on the line, then things can still go horribly wrong.

The Grand Gryphons remained outside the bank to discuss their own plan of action.

"To begin with, we should get a good understanding of the bank's exterior," Shadya told her team. "They'll be expecting us to come in through the front door. If we can enter through unconventional means, that could be a huge advantage for us."

"How much time will that take?" Ernie asked.

"We are on a strict time limit before we can start raiding the place," Brittany backed up.

"Well, we won't get any closer to getting it done by standing around and talking," Shadya decided. "Steve Jenkins, Vladimir, you two join me in circling the building and looking for any alternative entrances. Everyone else, discuss who you want to serve as your buddy for the challenge."

"Buddy?" Hugh scoffed.

"Yes, we will split up into pairs," Shadya told them. "I will be working alone, as I have the skill to do two people's work. Any arguments?"

"Can we pick our buddies before looking around the building?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"Ugh, fine, but don't waste any more time than you have to," Shadya relented.

"I pick Hugh," Steve Jenkins grinned.

"And I'd like to work with Ernie," Vladimir offered.

"Sure," "Fine by me," Ernie and Hugh responded in unison.

"Aw, why do I have to be saddled with Brittany?" Irving jokingly complained.

"Truly a martyr unto us all," Ernie deadpanned.

"Alright, now that that's established. Steve Jenkins. Vladimir. With me." Shadya snapped her fingers to direct attention back to her.

"Right. We need to focus on winning," Vladimir complied.

"Winning does suit the Steve W. Jenkins lifestyle," Steve Jenkins agreed.

The three began their jog around the bank.

"I guess the buddy system isn't that important if we're just being left here," Hugh remarked to Ernie.

"Honestly, with Shadya, you just need to, like, not question her too much and things'll be fine," Ernie yawned.

"Did you get any sleep in Isolation Park?" Brittany asked, concerned.

"No more or less than usual," Ernie answered.

Confessional:

Brittany: Kiki playing the Dunstan Statue yesterday makes the theory that there are statues in Isolation Park a lot more plausible. So it's very possible Ernie has one now. The Dunstan Statue also proves that not all of them are necessarily free Invincibility, so that's another layer of uncertainty. I really hope we win this one.

"Alright, maggots! Twenty minutes are up, and the challenge has started! Don't screw up!" Chef shouted through a bullhorn. The sound was loud enough to reach the Fighting Wyverns within the building.

"Well, I guess it's time for action," Quentin chuckled.

"Right, um, Cyan, Jean-Marie, Louise, you know what to do," Kun prompted.

"Hell yeah!" Louise complied.

The three aforementioned ran towards the front of the building.

"Can all three of us really stall their entire team?" Cyan worried.

"We shouldn't have to. If we can hold up even three of the other team, that's half of them," Jean-Marie explained.

"And having half of their team unable to act will be a huge advantage for us!" Louise whooped.

"But half of our team will also pretty much be out of play, keeping the people from the other team out of play," Cyan pointed out.

"Er, let's just stick with the plan. We don't have time to come up with another one," Louise suggested awkwardly.

"We must do whatever we can to ensure that we do not fail in our duties," Jean-Marie said determinedly. "Have faith in our other teammates."

...

"The Gryphons sure are taking a while to come in," Cyan noted.

"Yeah, I'm kind of concerned about that, too," Louise agreed.

"We all heard Chef correctly, oui?" Jean-Marie made sure.

"'Twenty minutes are up and the challenge has started,' I'm sure of it," Cyan recalled.

"You guys don't think they found another entrance, do you?" Louise supposed.

"It would explain why they haven't gone through this one," Cyan tsked.

"Alright then! We need to find them! JM, you head that way! Cyan, you head that way! I'll stay here just in case they do come through this door," Louise decided.

"Oh, uh, yes Coach!" Cyan complied before running in the indicated direction.

Jean-Marie nodded and ran in his own specified direction.

Confessional:

Louise: Even when your opponents hit you with a move you never saw coming, you need to be able to roll with the punches and work around it. That's true of any competition. Sports, challenges, even Total Drama itself! It's never over until it's over!

The Grand Gryphons, one at a time, squeezed out of an air vent off in a hallway within the bank.

"We really lucked out finding a vent that's actually able to fit all of us," Vladimir smiled. "I didn't think those actually existed."

"Says the actual, real-life master of disguise," Hugh grunted.

"They probably designed the building that way intentionally," Brittany figured.

"With all that out of the way, split up," Shadya ordered. "And be sure to remember your way back to the vent."

The other Grand Gryphons voiced their compliance, and split up as they'd previously determined.

Meanwhile, in the central room, Dalit, Kiki, Kun, and Quentin watched a series of security camera monitors.

"Looks like they were able to sneak around the guys we sent to the front," Quentin noted.

"Yeah, but it also looks like they figured that out," Kiki mentioned. "I trust those three."

"Should we start doing traps?" Dalit asked.

"Well, as it happens, they're splitting into four groups. That, um, means we can each focus on one pair," Kun thought aloud. "Dalit, focus on Hugh and Steve Jenkins. Kiki, focus on Barry and Ernie. Quentin, focus on Brittany and Irving. I'll focus on, um, Shadya."

"Whatever works, I guess," Kiki remarked. "How do these traps work again?"

"Like this," Dalit grinned as she pressed a button.

Back in the halls of the bank, Hugh and Steve Jenkins explored the area, looking around for more vents.

"What the hell are you talking about? If you turn the A/C up, it gets colder, that's its job!" Hugh exasperated.

"No, if you turn it up, the temperature goes up. That's how temperature works!" Steve Jenkins argued.

"You aren't turning the temperature up, you're turning the function of the machine up!" Hugh retaliated.

"That's just... not true! And I should know, I'm Steve Jenkins!" Steve Jenkins claimed. "Have you ever seen an A/C unit before?"

"Have you?!" Hugh shouted.

Their argument was cut short when one of the walls in front of them shot forward and into the wall parallel to it.

"What the shit?!" Hugh gasped.

"I think the bank's trying to crush us to death," Steve Jenkins figured.

"Well yeah, but how can you say that so casually?" Hugh asked.

"I've been the subject of many people's crushes. This isn't new to me," Steve Jenkins boasted.

"I... I'm not even going to try and make sense of that," Hugh decided. "What we need to do is figure out how to get past what's clearly some traps set up by the other team."

Confessional:

Hugh: The damn Wyverns have a pretty big advantage, getting to sit comfy in some room while the bank tries to fucking kill us! Ugh, it pisses me off so much that it just makes me want to beat them even more! Joke's on them!

Bailey, Frita, Nolan, Topher, and Lindsay had arrived at Hatchet's Diner and into the kitchen.

"Man, I can't believe I, the co-host of the greatest show in the world, have been relegated to kitchen duty," Topher griped.

"You don't like cooking?" Lindsay asked. "I think it's fun!"

"What's fun about a situation where anything can go wrong and the end result could poison someone?" Frita asked.

"Well, nothing's going to sound fun if you try and make it sound unfun on purpose!" Lindsay pouted.

"Alright, let's just find the prime rib and get started," Topher decided.

"Whose kitchen do you think this is?" Nolan laughed.

"The ingredients here seem..." Bailey couldn't think of a complimentary adjective as she looked in the fridge.

"We've been eating food from this kitchen all season with no issue. Besides, I can definitely figure something out," Nolan said with a twinkle in his eye.

"What can we possibly do?" Frita asked.

"I'm hurt that nobody remembers," Nolan said, sounding more smug than hurt. "Lest we all forget... the Gallagher family world-famous fish and chips!"

"I don't think I've even heard of that," Bailey admitted.

"Oh come on, it won Team Flame the cooking challenge back in the day," Nolan complained.

"Fish and chips does sound really good, though," Lindsay smiled.

"Can we even trust any kind of fish that Chef might have stored here?" Topher doubted as he took a frozen, unskinned jackalope out of the freezer.

"I think it'd be best if we forget how the sausage is made and just make it," Bailey figured.

"Wait, are we making fish, or sausage?" Lindsay asked, confused.

"This is going to be a disaster," Frita sighed.

Confessional:

Nolan: Sure, Chef's kitchen might be a bit more dubious than Yolonda's, but I've done well with worse. Okay, maybe not worse, but with less. Cooking isn't too dissimilar from playing games: you just need to know how to make the most out of what materials you have.

Brittany and Irving took notice of a small marquee attached to the ceiling, which displayed a timer counting down. There were about 17 minutes left on the timer.

"I guess that's how long we have to win this. No pressure," Brittany chuckled.

"There be no time limit the Dread Pirate Irving can't overcome!" Irving declared.

"Name every element on the periodic table. You have two seconds," Brittany smirked.

"Th-They all be named George!" Irving answered.

"You know what? Fair enough," Brittany laughed.

"At any rate, where do ye reckon we actually have to go?" Irving wondered. "We just kind of split up with no real direction."

"It's hard to have direction when we don't know the layout of this place," Brittany agreed. "We'll just have to figure it out, I guess. That's the challenge more than anything, I feel."

Not one second after Brittany said that, a laser shot just in front of the pair.

"What the?!" Brittany gasped.

The two looked up to see several small, dome-like machines jutting out of the ceiling, which continued to fire lasers.

"Aw come on, the others get to do that?" Cyan asked as she rounded the nearby corner. "Oh, hey! Enjoying the lasers?"

"Can't say I have a strong opinion one way or the other," Irving shrugged.

"What are you doing here? Trying to stop us?" Brittany guessed.

"I can't be sure she be able to stop me. She never could before," Irving sneered smugly.

"Oh, you want to start?" Cyan grunted as she angrily approached the two.

Meanwhile, Quentin glanced at the monitor displaying the scene.

"What's Cyan doing?" Quentin asked.

"The people at the front split up," Kun mentioned. "I guess they figured out that the Gryphons weren't, um, coming in through the front door."

"What are they supposed to do, though? They'll either be outnumbered or against Shadya," Kiki pointed out.

"Well, without a way to communicate with them, we'll just need to have faith in them," Kun resigned.

"I could not have faith in Jean-Marie if I was dying and he had the cure," Dalit doubted.

"So, should I keep focusing on the lasers, or...?" Quentin asked.

"If you think Cyan alone won't be able to hold them off," Kun instructed.

"I, uh, I mean, she's, uh..." Quentin stammered.

"Just do the lasers!" Dalit told him.

"Okay!" Quentin decided, pressing buttons quickly to fire the lasers at the three in the hall.

Confessional:

Irving: Oh, I've been looking forward to getting to mess with Cyan again. Taking her out in Virtual Party still be one of me proudest moments to this day, and I be chomping at the bit to see how I can follow that up. But first: I've got to re-establish our rivalry. Thankfully, she be easy for me to mess with. Maybe she fancies me. Gyarharhar!

"So, did I, like, miss anything while I was gone?" Ernie asked Vladimir as the two speed-walked through another area of the bank. The timer indicated roughly 10 minutes left.

"Well, the obvious trio are trying to rope me in to vote you out," Vladimir explained. "I'm humoring them, but I don't plan on actually siding with them. You're the person I trust the most in this game."

"I don't think I've heard a more suspicious sentence in my life," Ernie said half-jokingly.

"I'm flattered that you don't trust me even when I'm being genuine," Vladimir chuckled. "But no, I'm not going to be the fifth wheel for an alliance that doesn't even have the decency to pretend to not be working together."

"Bailey getting moved to the other team is a huge opportunity for us that we can't let go to waste," Ernie nodded. "Shadya's deadset on losing Irving, which, honestly, fine with me. He's annoying."

"Speak of the devil," Vladimir commented as the two came across Shadya at a door.

"Find something?" Ernie asked.

"This door is password-protected," Shadya explained as she gestured her head at the password input unit next to the door. She ducked immediately as a hard plastic disk flew at the spot where her head just was. "And they're setting off traps to try and deter me. I'm insulted that they think that will accomplish anything."

"Did you try typing in 'password'?" Ernie joked.

"That was the first one I tried. It struck me as the exact kind of stunt this show would pull," Shadya relayed. "I also tried many variations of the names of the hosts."

Over in the control room, Kiki and Kun looked at the same monitor of the three attempting to enter the door.

"What do we do now, O leader?" Kiki asked.

"Well, um, we don't know for sure that that door leads to them coming closer," Kun said nervously. "It could, um, lead to a broom closet."

"What kind of broom closet has a password-protected lock?!" Kiki asked.

"Maybe they don't want, um, unauthorized persons, um, getting to the bleach?" Kun said uncertainly.

"This is a pointless argument," Kiki decided. She pressed a few more buttons, and even more plastic disk launchers came out of the wall. "We need to get them away from this obviously-important door."

"Don't you think fighting back harder might, um, make Shadya even more determined?" Kun fretted as he watched the disk launchers fire at the door.

Shadya was now ducking full-time, frantically trying to input the password. Ernie and Vladimir stood away from the line of fire.

"You just have to have a response to everything, don't you?" Kiki accused.

"Well, um, I've, um, played with Shadya before, and, um, she isn't really backing down..." Kun stammered.

"Guys, please," Quentin pleaded. "Just focus on the challenge."

"I'm trying, but Kun has to have a problem with everything I suggest!" Kiki shouted frustratedly.

"I'm just, um, making sure we're doing what's best for, um, victory," Kun maintained.

Confessional:

Dalit: Kun is just no good as a leader. I still think voting out Jean-Marie as soon as it is we can is better, because Kun won't be able to fight back once Jean-Marie is gone, but Kun is really annoying me, too.

The group in the kitchen had begun work on making fish and chips as per Nolan's suggestion.

"The key is to season the fish filets before battering them," Nolan explained to Bailey and Topher. "Now, I've never relayed the secret blend of herbs and spices to anyone outside the Gallagher family, so I expect both of you to marry into the family. My cousins Samuel and Zoe are both single."

"Topher and I are both in committed, long-term relationships already," Bailey pointed out.

"Polyamory is becoming more and more accepted these days," Nolan dismissed as he finished writing down ingredients on a list. "I want you guys to get these from the spice cabinet and mix them all in a small bowl. That will be our seasoning rub."

"That's a lot of spice," Bailey commented.

"We do need to feed all the contestants and Chef," Topher figured.

"Exactly," Nolan nodded.

"But what will you be doing?" Topher asked.

"I'll check on you in a second, after I talk Frita and Lindsay through getting the fries ready," Nolan told them.

The gambler made his way to the other end of the kitchen.

"Is this some kind of sick joke, making me do the fries?" Frita scowled.

"...I don't get it," Lindsay admitted.

"My parents failed to realize, when spelling my name like they did, that it was Spanish for 'fried'," Frita sighed.

"Just a coincidence, I promise you," Nolan told her.

"Let me guess, the dice?" Frita droned.

"I had it on hand, I figured I might as well," Nolan smirked as he moved his die between his fingers. "But anyway, unlike the fish, you season the fries after they're done frying. Do you guys know how to work a fryer?"

"You press the fry button, right?" Lindsay guessed.

"After lowering a basket full of frozen fries into the hot oil," Nolan confirmed. "That'll be the timer. Take the fries out once the timer's up, and replace them with new fries."

"And the seasoning?" Frita inquired.

"Uh... I might be out of single cousins. There's my uncle, but..." Nolan thought aloud.

"Is your uncle hot?" asked a young woman who wasn't there before.

"I mean, I'm in no position to answer that, but- Wait, who are you and when did you get here?!" Nolan realized.

"Oh, I'm Naomi! I was supposed to help in the challenge by being an obstacle or something, buuuuuuut I got lost. Sooooooo, I'm here instead!" Naomi explained.

"Naomi!" Lindsay greeted cheerily. "It's been so long!"

"Lindsay!" Naomi cheered sunnily. "Oh my gosh, we need to catch up!"

"I'll help you with fries, don't worry," Nolan told Frita, resigned in his voice.

"Bless you," Frita sighed.

Confessional:

Frita: I guess if I can be grateful of one thing, it's that they picked Dalit to play this season instead of Naomi.

Hugh and Steve Jenkins carefully made their way through the hall, making sure to stop before a wall shot out in front of them to crush them. The timers revealed that about 7 minutes remained.

"What kind of psychopaths designed this challenge?" Hugh growled.

"Chef? Chris?" Steve Jenkins proposed.

"Yeah, I guess. What the hell was the point of Lindsay's electrotherapy if Chris is still going to be pulling this shit, though?" Hugh complained.

"I don't know. I'm just here to win Total Drama," Steve Jenkins shrugged. "Say, where do you think that vent leads?"

Steve Jenkins pointed to a vent, positioned similarly in relation to the wall to the vent where the Grand Gryphons had infiltrated the building.

"Only one way to find out," Hugh figured. "Give me a boost."

"Steve Jenkins is known for uplifting the lives of others just by being there," Steve Jenkins nodded sagely as he used his hands to lift Hugh high enough to where he could take the grate off of the vent.

Hugh crawled into the vent, with Steve Jenkins not far behind.

Meanwhile, Kiki and Kun continued to argue in the control room.

"You don't need to be the leader, you know! You can leave it in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing!" Kiki argued.

"That's, um, simply not acceptable," Kun denied. "If I'm to lead my father's company someday, I, um, I need to develop leadership skills by putting them into practice."

"So you admit that you haven't developed leadership skills, but you're content with tanking all of our games for the sake of your stupid pencil corporation," Kiki scoffed.

"We've only lost, um, one challenge so far," Kun pointed out.

"Guys? Can this wait?" Quentin frowned.

"I'm just baffled as to how someone with clearly no self-confidence thinks he can lead a team," Kiki groaned.

"Wasn't that, um, how you were in House Party?" Kun challenged.

"No! Having social anxiety as a result of being sexually assaulted is not the same as being a spoiled rich boy who thinks the world owes him its obedience!" Kiki shouted, point-blank.

"Guys, please," Quentin pleaded. "Settle this after the challenge."

"Do not silence Kiki!" Dalit accused.

"I-I wasn't trying to! ...I just think we should focus on winning the challenge!" Quentin insisted.

In the back of the room, Hugh and Steve Jenkins slipped in through a vent, but none of the Fighting Wyverns stationed in the room seemed to notice. The glanced at their opponents, at the case that had been left on the floor in the middle of the room, then at each other. They ran to the case, took it, ran back to where the vent had opened, and made their swift exit, undetected.

Confessional:

Steve Jenkins: Say what you will about the Fighting Wyverns, but they at least have the common decency to basically give Steve Jenkins the case he needs to win the challenge. Lesser teams wouldn't have been so kind. (He shakes his head in disapproval.) Sad.

Hugh and Steve Jenkins squeezed out of the vent and back into the hallway, the case in hand. The timers indicated 5 minutes left.

"Oh, we got this," Hugh grinned devilishly. "We just need to get out of here, and we're golden."

"Which way's out of here again?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"It's, uh... uh... You're Steve Jenkins, shouldn't your super-genius mind have remembered?!" Hugh retorted.

"Well, yeah, obviously," Steve Jenkins said unconvincingly. "I just wanted to let you take some of the credit. But if you don't know, then we have to go... that way, obviously."

"Whatever. We should be moving anyway," Hugh decided as the two began to run in the direction Steve Jenkins had pointed.

The two ran for a minute or so in silence before Hugh spoke up.

"No traps. I guess they're still arguing," Hugh sneered.

"That, or the more likely explanation, they don't want to inflict any harm on the object of their desires," Steve Jenkins figured.

"Yeah, or that," Hugh snarked. "Hold up, we've got company."

The two Grand Gryphons skidded to a halt once Jean-Marie and Louise entered their field of vision. The two Fighting Wyverns took notice of their opponents.

"Hey, they've got the case!" Louise pointed out.

"Well, that's no good," Jean-Marie tsked. "We should do something about that, non?"

"Oui," Louise affirmed as she cracked her knuckles.

"Yeah right! We can take you!" Steve Jenkins challenged.

"I didn't get to be Coach through my charisma alone!" Louise grinned readily. "Bring it on!"

She ran for Hugh, who was holding onto the case.

"Oh crap," Hugh gulped. "Uhhhh, here, catch!"

Hugh tossed the case to Steve Jenkins right before Louise tackled him to the ground. Jean-Marie wasted no time running up to Steve Jenkins to take the case for himself, but Steve Jenkins held the case above his head.

"Heheh. Can't reach, can you?" Steve Jenkins taunted.

Jean-Marie gave Steve Jenkins a peeved look before shoving the vlogger, causing him to stagger. He dropped the case as he tried to re-balance himself, which Jean-Marie quickly capitalized on by picking it up and running off.

"Yeah! Go JM!" Louise cheered as she kept Hugh pinned down to the floor.

"Don't just stand there, artard! Go chase him!" Hugh ordered Steve Jenkins.

"Oh, yeah, good point," Steve Jenkins realized as he gave chase to Jean-Marie.

Confessional:

Jean-Marie: Patrolling the building turned out to be a good plan. All I have to do is stall them out for the rest of the challenge, and we win. Of course, things are never so easy, are they?

Jean-Marie found himself in the same hallway where Shadya, Ernie, and Vladimir had tried to figure out the password to the door.

"Jean-Marie!" Vladimir called out.

"Why would the password be- Oh, I see," Shadya noticed the man holding the case.

"Looks like he literally brought us what we need to win. Neat," Ernie smirked.

"Ce n'est pas bon," Jean-Marie grunted as he turned around to run the other way, only to find Steve Jenkins.

"You can't run away forever, even if you are French!" Steve Jenkins told him.

"Come now, that tired old joke?" Jean-Marie sighed.

He tried to weave past Steve Jenkins, but to no avail, as Shadya grabbed him by the hood and lifted him into the air.

"Hm, I've never encountered a lady strong enough to lift me. I'm impressed," Jean-Marie complimented.

"I know I'm impressive. Tell me something I haven't heard a million times from more charming men than you," Shadya said coldly.

"Mon réfrigérateur fait des siennes. Je ferais mieux de terminer ce livre d'ici vendredi," Jean-Marie told her.

"...What the hell are you talking about?" Shadya asked, confused.

"I doubt it's something you've ever heard," Jean-Marie reasoned.

With Jean-Marie distracted, Vladimir was able to swipe the case from his hands.

"Thanks for the win," Vladimir called back as he ran for the exit.

A noise sounded through the bank.

"Time's up! The Grand Gryphons couldn't get the case out of the building in time, so they lose!" Chef's voice echoed throughout.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Shadya growled as she threw Jean-Marie aside, at the wall.

"I did what I could. Wish the rest of you hadn't gotten in the way," Steve Jenkins tutted.

"The way out is the other direction," Ernie told him flatly.

"I think I'd know which way is out," Steve Jenkins doubted.

Confessional:

Jean-Marie: It's hard to know how easily the other team could have won this challenge, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, as it were. (He rubs his arm.) Although I don't think Shadya throwing me against the wall was necessary.

Ernie: Turned out that the locked door did, in fact, lead to the room where they were holding the case. The password was "Nachos". Like, how the hell were we supposed to guess that?

The contestants, minus the ones at the diner, all gathered outside the bank.

"Congratulations, Fighting Wyverns, on another win!" Chris beamed. He looked at the group. "Is Naomi still in there?"

"Naomi? Was she supposed to be here?" Quentin asked.

"Give me a break," Chris groaned. "Anyway, for winning today's challenge, the Fighting Wyverns win a reward!"

The Grand Gryphons looked relieved to not have to go to a vote.

"Want to tell them what they won, Chef?" Chris asked.

"The seven of y'all, plus the three who are making food right now, each get a Letter From Home Ticket!" Chef told them. "Are you feeling down in the dumps? Well normally, I'd tell y'all to suck it the hell up! But every soldier knows the value of hearing from your loved ones, so if ya ever feel like ya need it, then just turn in your ticket."

This sparked murmurs from everyone present, excited ones from the Fighting Wyverns, and disappointed ones from the Grand Gryphons.

"Grand Gryphons! I guess y'all ain't so grand after all! Y'all ain't won shit, so get on out of here!" Chef roared.

"You will not be so lucky tomorrow," Shadya told the Fighting Wyverns before taking her leave with the others.

"Fighting Wyverns, with that out of the way, it's time for the Best/Worst vote!" Chris informed the winning team.

Chef handed pencils and paper to each of the still-present contestants.

"You should know well how this works by now. Choose the participating player who you thought did the best, and the worst, in the challenge," Chris reiterated.

"I'd say we've done it enough times to know better than to really choose who did the worst," Jean-Marie said slyly to Louise.

"Who are you voting for again?" Louise asked.

"Ah ah ah! No conspiring! Just voting," Chris scolded.

"Apologies," Jean-Marie told the host.

After the votes had been cast and tallied, Chris and Chef stood before the seven.

"Alright, the decisions have been made," Chris informed the group. "And the person who was chosen as the best this round is..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Jean-Marie, congratulations!" Chris announced. "You've won penthouse privileges this round."

"Oh?!" Jean-Marie gasped, taken aback.

"You managed to, um, keep the case away from Hugh and Steve Jenkins. Good job," Kun complimented.

"I could not have done it without Louise's help," Jean-Marie said. "I would have thought she'd win this vote."

"You guys can make it up to me by picking me next time," Louise chuckled. "But nah, you earned this, man."

"If the majority says so," Jean-Marie accepted.

"But it ain't all sunshine n' rainbows!" Chef interrupted. "Because the person voted as the worst was..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Kiki! I expected more from one of the players I picked!" Chef shouted.

"Well, what can you do?" Kiki shrugged, unperturbed.

"What you can do is head to Isolation Park!" Chef commanded. "March to it, soldier!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kiki sighed as she headed off, Chef right behind.

"Well, that's that," Chris told the contestants. "The dinner that your teammates prepared should be about ready by now. Go have yourselves a treat. Hehaha."

"Yeah, victory meal!" Louise cheered.

Confessional:

Kiki: I think everyone's figured out by now that going to Isolation Park, while an ordeal, is worth the drawbacks if it means a chance at finding a hidden statue. That's why I asked my allies to vote me as the worst on the way out of the building. I was worried that the others would outnumber us, but I guess they aren't as good of a unit as Kun wants everyone to believe.

Best:

Jean-Marie - Cyan, Kun, Louise, Quentin

Louise - Jean-Marie, Kiki

Dalit - Dalit

Worst:

Kiki - Dalit, Kiki, Quentin

Cyan - Cyan, Louise

Kun - Jean-Marie, Kun

Later on, over at the diner, Nolan and Frita served Quentin a plate of fish and chips.

"Enjoy," Nolan told Quentin proudly.

"Wow, this smells good," Quentin said excitedly.

"I should hope so. Bailey, Topher, and I already have arranged marriages thanks to this dish," Frita droned.

"Huh?" Quentin asked, confused.

"Just an in-joke. You had to be there," Nolan dismissed.

"Well, I'm glad you guys are getting along well," Quentin said before taking a bite of his food. "Mm, that is good."

"Another satisfied soul." Nolan folded his arms, pleased with himself. "Speaking of getting along, how well are the two of you getting along with the team in general?"

"The answer to that is so obvious that it borders on condescending," Frita frowned.

"I had faith in you, Frita," Nolan said disingenuously. "Surely you get along well with, I don't know, Cyan or Louise. They're sweet."

"I haven't spoken to them much. Have you?" Quentin asked Frita.

"What do you people think I do with my time?" Frita asked.

"I should hope getting to know your teammates is up there. It's important for the game, you know," Nolan mentioned.

"I know I'm losing the game. Why put in the extra effort if it won't amount to anything?" Frita denied.

"You never know how a game will end until it's ended," Quentin assured her. "You've beaten me at Street Fighter how many times? And you keep saying you don't think you'll win."

"Th-That's different and you know it," Frita said.

"Regardless, it wouldn't hurt to expand your options," Nolan hinted at the two. "With Bailey and myself both as wild cards, how much can you rely on Dalit and Kiki to keep yourselves afloat?"

"Hey, Nolan! You had better not be manipulating my friends!" Dalit accused as she approached the three.

"Nothing of the sort. Frita and I are just serving Quentin some dinner," Nolan told her. "Here, I'll go get you a plate."

"It's good!" Quentin told Dalit with a mouth full of fries.

"...It does smell good," Dalit admitted.

Nolan grinned proudly to himself as he retreated to the kitchen.

Confessional:

Nolan: Mission accomplished. I promised Cyan I'd push Frita and Quentin towards working with her and Louise, and there we go. Who says I can't be a good ally? If it'll make it harder for JM and Kun to get back at me for getting rid of Joseph, well, that's just an added bonus.

Quentin: Cyan and Louise, huh? They do seem pretty cool, but I already have my loyalties, I think. Sure, Dalit doesn't like me very much, and Kiki kind of looks down on me, but I can trust in them for sure, I'm pretty sure.

Over at another booth in the diner, Bailey served plates of fish and chips to Brittany, Hugh, and Irving.

"So, how be things over on the enemy ship?" Irving asked.

"I'm still not sure where exactly I want to make commitments, but I have time to figure it out," Bailey admitted. "The Joseph vote was mainly me piggybacking off of now Nolan had randomly decided to vote."

"Yeah, fair enough, I guess," Hugh figured. "You probably shouldn't hang around with us too much, though. We don't want the other team knowing you're working with us."

"That is a good point..." Bailey conceded. "Well, best of luck to you three in the future."

Bailey took her leave.

"You didn't have to tell her to get lost, basically," Brittany chided Hugh.

"What, and give away all our shit before we even merge?" Hugh scoffed.

"I think there be more important matters at hand," Irving mentioned. "Ernie or Shadya?"

"Ernie, obviously," Hugh said. "He refuses to work with us. Why the hell should we keep him, especially when Shadya's frankly our best challenge player?"

"Shadya be the biggest threat, o'course!" Irving argued. "She be in no rush to work with us, either, and without her, I can't imagine Ernie of all people will get people to listen to him."

"There's a good case to be made for both," Brittany mediated. She turned to Hugh. "Do you know if Steve Jenkins has any preference?"

"I feel like he's leaning Ernie, but honestly, I can see him going either way," Hugh admitted.

"We can talk to him about it later. For now, let's just enjoy dinner," Brittany suggested.

"I can agree with that!" Irving said readily. He forked an entire fish filet into his mouth.

"Can you even taste that?" Brittany asked.

"Delicious!" Irving insisted as tears ran down his face.

"Scalding your mouth there?" Hugh teased.

"I be invincible!" Irving declared unconvincingly. He coughed the fish back onto his plate.

"Lovely," Brittany cringed. "Can we have a nice, normal dinner, without any game talk or regurgitation?"

"I don't know why you expected nice out of me or Irving," Hugh remarked.

"I do be the most cutthroat pirate this game's ever known," Irving agreed.

"Should I point out the obvious, or...?" Brittany asked rhetorically.

"If ye have to ask, the answer probably be 'no'," Irving told her.

Confessional:

Bailey: It does hurt that I can't touch base with my old allies without seeming suspicious, but I'll just have to do what I can with the situation I'm in. And hey, if I ever feel really lost, I can always get that letter. Maybe it'll be from Franklin, with the exact insight I need. (She blushes.)

Brittany: Sometimes I don't know why I put up with those two idiots. I guess Irving's not the worst, but they can both be immature, especially around each other. I guess if the alternative is working with Shadya, I can put up with immature.

Jean-Marie had invited Cyan, Kun, and Louise to his penthouse at Blaising Tower.

"Sorry again that we split up the worst votes on accident," Cyan apologized to Kun.

"Well, it was an honest mistake, and, um, there's no use crying over spilled milk," Kun figured. "Still, I wish it was me searching for statues instead of, um, Kiki."

"That is something for tomorrow-Kun to worry about," Jean-Marie told him. He opened a bottle of wine. "For now, let tonight-Kun unwind and enjoy the spoils of a well-earned victory."

"I don't know if I should be drinking," Kun said unsurely.

"Oh come on, one glass won't kill you," Louise insisted as she accepted a glass from Jean-Marie. "Besides, I think all of us have had drinks before challenges and turned out fine."

"Wait, w-what?!" Kun reacted.

"It's not a big deal," Cyan assured him as she handed him a glass. "Would Louise and I do something that would put you at any kind of danger?"

Kun didn't seem to have an answer.

"A toast!" Jean-Marie proclaimed. "To a second chance at the game! May it be fruitful indeed."

They all raised their glasses and voiced their agreement before taking a sip.

"It's no blue curaçao, but it's still pretty good," Cyan giggled.

"I love a chardonnay on a pleasant summer night," Jean-Marie smiled. "Beau vin et belle compagnie lors d'une belle nuit..."

"I don't know what you just said, but it sounded cool," Cyan laughed.

On the other side of the room, Louise noticed Kun looking at the floor.

"Hey, look, you don't have to drink if you don't want to. Cyan and I were just playing," Louise assured him.

"It's not that," Kun said as he took a sip. "I'm just anxious about if I'm doing the right thing in the game."

"What do you mean?" Louise asked.

"Targeting Kiki... She's, um, been through so much, and maybe I have been looking at everything all wrong. Maybe I am, um, in the wrong," Kun explained.

"Look, man, we all have our struggles," Louise told him. "I know Kiki's been through some pretty bad stuff, but we're all here to play the game, and we all want to win. If you want to win, you'll have to make sure she loses at some point. That's the way I look at it. I don't love the idea of screwing over other people, either, so I like to look at it more as a 'may the best player win' kind of thing, you know?"

"I don't know," Kun sighed.

"Well, what would you do if not vote for Kiki?" Louise asked. "Dalit had a horrible upbringing, Frita's depressed, Nolan's trying to make ends meet for him and his wife, which, believe me, is not easy."

"And Bailey and Quentin are people who I'm, um, trying to sway," Kun concluded. "I guess there isn't really a right answer here, is there?"

"Part of being a leader is making tough decisions. I know you know that," Louise reminded him. "Remember Makani Island? You came in shivering and miserable, not two hours after you lost the game, and you already started giving us direction on how to maintain camp. And it worked! I know you can lead the team on the best possible course."

"...Thanks, Louise," Kun smiled. "You always were good at encouraging people."

"I try my best," Louise chuckled.

Confessional:

Cyan: Don't think I didn't catch Kun not responding when I asked him if he thought Louise or I wouldn't put him in danger. I think voting for Joseph might have hurt his trust in me. I love Kun and JM as friends, but with things looking a lot less certain, I need to do what's best for my game. Whether that involves Kun and JM or not is to be seen.

Kun: This is something I've been thinking about for a while, and, um, will probably keep thinking about. My relationship with Kiki has always been, um, awkward, and I want to be able to work it so we don't have to target each other, but I fear that may not be, um, possible. ...A good leader should at least try, though.

Ernie, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir had all gone to their team's garage hangout.

"Well, victory was neat while it lasted," Ernie remarked. "At least I assume it was. I was, ya know, in the forest the entire time."

"We will recover," Shadya said firmly. "But should things continue to go disastrously, the possibility of which I cannot count out anymore, I want us all to be on the same page."

"You're still on board with an Irving vote, I trust?" Vladimir figured.

"He's the biggest threat of the three by far," Shadya confirmed. "Hugh has no social skills or physical ability, and Brittany's too wishy-washy. Irving not only has no qualms with screwing us over, he has the ability to do so."

"He's no Steve Jenkins, of course, but I could see him taking second this season," Steve Jenkins commented.

"Where does that place you?" Shadya asked. "First has already been claimed."

"What's important is that, like, we're all good to vote Irving, right?" Ernie butted in.

"Absolutely," Vladimir confirmed.

"Sure," Steve Jenkins said.

"Then it's settled," Shadya asserted.

"Cool. Now that that's out of the way, I feel like my contributions to the team aren't being recognized enough," Steve Jenkins mentioned. "Granted, anything less than the usual amount of adoration I experience on a daily basis is too little, but I've come to terms with the fact that everyone in this show thinks they're better than me for some reason. But I've been kicking ass at these challenges, plus my hair has been fleek AF these days, and not one person has complimented me on either. I'm still Steve Jenkins over here, and-!"

"Keep talking, and I get to remove one bone of my choosing from your body," Shadya threatened.

"Tch," Steve Jenkins scoffed.

"Which bone do you think she'd choose?" Ernie joked to Vladimir. "She strikes me as a scaphoid kind of girl."

"I'm... not sure what that implies, but I don't know enough about bones to really disagree," Vladimir responded.

"I just threw the first bone that came to mind out there. Thanks for, like, playing along," Ernie shrugged.

"No problem," Vladimir chuckled.

Confessional:

Ernie: I took a course on autopsy once, just to see if it was, ya know, for me. The scaphoid is the bone between the trapezium and the radius. Basically, the one between your arm and where your thumb begins. Breaks often during falls since people are, like, inclined to try and use their hands to break a fall. Don't ever say I never taught you anything.

Vladimir: I'm still not entirely sure where Steve Jenkins' head is. I get the feeling that he really does want to jump ship and join up with the other three, which, of course, would be bad. I need to really get into his head and convince him that he'd rather stay with us than with them, but, frankly, I don't know if anyone knows how his head works.

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood outside the limits of Drama City.

"Well, after all is said and done, at least they liked the fish and chips," Topher said.

"Are you really going to marry Nolan's cousin?" Lindsay asked.

"What's he going to do if I don't?" Topher scoffed, amused. "I'm Topher O'Neal, co-host and fan favorite of the greatest show on earth. Who's he, some rando who voted himself out last time he played?"

"Anyway," Chris urged attention. "It seems like our contestants are itching to vote someone out. We left them out to dry tonight, but tomorrow, someone's going to feel very unlucky. Hehaha."

"Why did we have these reward challenges again?" Lindsay asked, scratching her cheek a little.

"Mr. Nelson felt that it was important for the sake of establishing everyone's place in the season," Topher informed her. "Today's was the last one, though, if I'm not mistaken."

"That's right! They've got nowhere left to hide, now!" Chris laughed. He cleared his throat. "But anyway! Who will be our next contestant to get the Shackle?"

"Hey guys! What are you doing?!" Naomi asked as she skated up to the three.

"Doing the closing bit. You want to join us?" Lindsay invited.

"Do I?!" Naomi accepted. "...Wait, what am I supposed to say?"

"Nothing. Get out, Naomi," Chris instructed flatly.

"Come on, Chris! I'll pet her and feed her and take good care of her!" Lindsay begged.

"Kinky," Topher smirked.

"Who will win the challenge? Who will lose the challenge? What will Lindsay feed me?" Naomi asked. "Find out next time, on- ACK!"

Chris shoved Naomi aside.

"On Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

Grand Gryphons:

Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell

Ernie - The Lazy Law Student

Hugh - The Head Villain

Irving - The Chaotic Pirate

Shadya - The Genius Athlete

Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon

Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor

19th: Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm

20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest

Fighting Wyverns:

Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet

Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue

Dalit - The Social Media Model

Frita - The Morbid Artist

Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman

Kiki - The Strategic Hipster

Kun - The Awkward Team Leader

Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher

Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler

Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist

18th: Joseph - The True Bro

A/N: Another lower-key episode, but hopefully a good one all the same. I want to be able to chug these episodes out faster than I have been, and I'm hoping that can be the case. For now, have an excellent day!