Survivor - Mexico (Brain vs Brawn vs Beauty)
Chapter 40 - Day 37
Hello, guys. It's time. We are officially at the finale of Survivor - Mexico (Brain vs Brawn vs Beauty)! I think if I were to rank this season, I'd place it right behind Emperors vs Knights, but above Kodai Island. Kodai Island is not a bad season for me personally, though I can't call it my best season. Some of the eliminations and the lack of character development were its fatal flaws. Emperors vs Knights was a major improvement, but in comparison, Mexico seems kinda tame for the most part. Things didn't kick up until the Espio blindside. This is likely because of the fact that the tribes were rather small for the entirety of the pre-merge, even after the tribe swap. You can only do so much with 5-6 people lol.
We have two more characters to reveal for next season, Survivor - Caribbean, and afterwards will be my very first All Star season, Survivor - Heroes vs Villains where five people from each season will be brought back based off their games, character, and public perception (you guys lol).
One guest review to reply too...
Guest: Yeah, Incineroar is without a doubt one of the worst players of all time. I'll be honest, though. I'm never bringing the Idol Nullifier back in again lol. By the time I planned this season out, I didn't know how unfair the Idol Nullifier actually was, and the last thing I wanna do is to add unfair twists resulting in unfair eliminations. Used to think it was a perfectly balanced twist, but not anymore.
Alright, guys. Without further ado, let's get this show on the road! (Oh yeah, pretend the Survivor intro for this season will show one last time right before our first official scene with these characters returning to the camp.)
~KF
FINALE - PART I
It was that time again. The Survivor finale was set to begin.
Around this time, usually the remaining five campers would be returning to their tribe reacting to their most recent Tribal Council in some sort of way. Yet since the end was officially near, the show typically did something special to finish off a season.
In the Super Smash Ultimate Arena in Los Angeles, there was Master Hand backstage with a camera zooming in as he began to speak.
"We are live in Los Angeles, backstage at SSU ready to get things going here." He began to speak. "This is the season finale of Survivor - Mexico (Brain vs Brawn vs Beauty)!"
As he made his way onto the main stage, a large crowed erupted into celebration, some holding posters of their favorite player of the season, whether they were still in the game or not. However, there were more posters of the remaining contestants then those who were already eliminated.
"It's always a pleasure for us to be together at this point in the game, even for those of you watching from home. We have quite a lot to get through here tonight. Here's how it's going to work: we have two more eliminations to get through before we get to the Final Tribal Council, which means we have two more immunity challenges. Afterwards, we will then have our winner before we head into our live reunion show with all eighteen castaways who have competed to reflect on their season. During this time, we will have the fan favorite award to get to, and then we're gonna reveal plans for season four. So grab a friend, grab your popcorn, grab everything you need. This season is still not over. Let's get it on!"
For the first time in this series, we've decided to venture out to a new location. Mexico. More specifically, the Aztec Empire...
Yet that wasn't all. The other big twist was that we've brought out a new theme once again, with three starting tribes... Brain vs Brawn vs Beauty!
The castaways were seen cheering at the announcement of their season all the way back on day one.
Brain
This group of six relies on their smarts to have the advantage. They are known to make crucial decisions to get the upper hand with constant strategic thinking...
"This is totally not what I expected. Why can't we just hitch a ride to our camp or something? We were literally on a plane for crying out loud! Normally at this point people would be on the island talking with one another and later on they'd get to plotting and scheming. I mean, I work in a laboratory where I get to tell people what to do. Even with me being on an island is already out of my element, but... this?"
"So yeah, remember Donkey Kong from Kodai Island? He just so happens to be my cousin. Now it's my turn. Diddy's too young to be out here, so it looks like this is my job now. ...So what do I do? I offer DK and his friends different transportation methods that I make myself whenever he decides to go on an adventure. And trust me. It ain't as easy as it may sound. I always put my blood, sweat, and tears into making those things. Maybe if I can win this thing, then ...I can make more inventions than ever before! Oh yeah, this is gonna be sick!"
Brawn
They rely heavily on their own physical strength in order to get by. These people also known for their aggressive, bold personalities to represent their willingness to do whatever it takes to win...
"I have been racing as the leader of the Babylon Rogues with Extreme Gear back on Mobius. And,... I don't mean to brag or anything... You know what, I actually do, haha! I am quite good and people could easily see it. I've earned quite the rep from that. Sorta had a winning streak for a quite a while now. It's still going on strong, so that alone gives me enough motivation to win as much as possible out here. If people are somehow already targeting me for whatever reason, you never know when you need to win something in order to save yourself."
"Master Hand is clearly not making this easy on us whatsoever right out of the gate." Ryu turned his head side to side with a deeply exhaled sigh. "Oh well... Even I gotta toughen up sometimes. Not just for myself, but for my team as well."
Beauty
These players take a rather different approach to life. They are known for either relying on their looks or charismatic personalities in order to have some sort of footing for them. In their world, being sociable is everything...
"The Quetzal tribe unsurprisingly was not in the best of moods when it came to the hike. Though since we are a group of people known for being sociable with others, the natural thing to do is to lighten the mood for some early bonding. Getting to know each other should be one of the first steps when playing the game of Survivor, anyway. "I mean, I wouldn't say that life's all about looks. However, I am a people person, and anyone that plays Survivor is well aware that socialization is what the game is basically. The easier time you have when it comes to connecting with others, it leads to more allies you could have by your side. And the first step is to try to get along with everyone."
"We only filled up our canteens with water and only the bag of rice, because since I figured that we're not the most physical unlike the Brawn tribe, we figured that the group would have been more tired carrying on more weight. The Brain tribe, they could have done whatever they wanted. But all in all, I just hope this team pulls it together and fast. I'd rather not be on the team would become the laughing stock here..." Panther sounded a bit worried. "You look at Brain and Brawn, then all of a sudden this random tribe of pretty people show up, so we could be easily dismissed and be rather underestimated."
At the start of the game, it was anything but easy...
"You guys are gonna hike your way to your camp. Be prepared... because you guys are gonna be walking for four hours..."
!
Literally everyone was speechless.
"Oh no... A four hour long hike to camp? ...I mean,... I've been on my fair share of hikes before, but not for four hours. Especially not in a place like this..." Bandanna Dee admitted. "But for me, I think I'm even more worried about my new tribemates. None of them usually hike that much in their daily lives. I really hope we're all gonna be okay out here. This is the first day after all..."
Things were especially difficult for the Beauty tribe, since they were on a losing streak...
"We can't seem to do anything right!" A certain orange haired woman of the Mario universe was more furious than ever. "How many times do we have to lose so that we can win? Why can't Brain or even Brawn go to Tribal Council? We're already going to two, and I worked my butt off in that challenge! It's just, not, right!"
"Maybe it's because that we just can't... act right. I dunno..."
"I had a nightmare last night of us losing the next immunity challenge in the water! ..." Bandanna Dee glanced off for a bit. "Okay, there was literally no water involved whatsoever in this challenge in particular, but still, we lost. My nightmare came true and now I feel as bad as ever... Of course I'm the obvious target... I mean, even if people don't even want me out, who would think that me of all people would be the strongest person on this entire tribe? I'm literally the exact opposite and that's why I'm going... The Beauty tribe is already at a major disadvantage for pretty much the rest of the game, unless a miracle happens... But even if that were to be the case, it's not likely that I would be a part of that because I'm going home..."
However, their lucky quickly turned around when the remaining four members placed first in the next immunity challenge...
"BEAUTY WINS IMMUNITY AND REWARD!"
"Oh my god!"
"Yes!"
"We did it! We really did it!"
Afterwards, the tribes have swapped. But then, cracks were just beginning to form...
"If I gotta slit Jet's throat tonight just to save my own skin, then maybe it's for the best."
"Jet."
!
"You need to bring me your torch."
"I voted for Rosalina and you didn't. What's this about this 'all female alliance' I've been hearing about?"
"Whether Tifa likes it or not, she basically backstabbed me. She tried going behind my back and vote out Funky Kong and blindside me and it just didn't work..."
"Tifa. You need to bring me your torch."
But that was just the beginning. After the merge, what occurred was arguably the biggest blindside in Survivor history...
"If anybody has a hidden immunity idol and you wanna play it, now would be the time to do so..."
"I have one. I'm playing it for Plague."
"I think that if I do not use this, I will probably regret not doing so for the rest of my life. This idol is for Golden."
"Espio. You need to bring me your torch."
"That's crazy..." Incineroar blinked.
"Am I dreaming here?" asked Funky Kong.
"What in the name of Lylat just happened?" Panther wondered.
And after more tribals and blindsides, Incineroar was the latest casualty, blindsided by his own alliance. He was also the last remaining member from the Brawn tribe...
Now, only five people remain...
Plague Knight
He's relied on his close allies to progress far in the game, which worked to his advantage...
"I am really winning over here! First Jimmy, now Espio!? We can do whatever we want and nobody would have known what hit them!"
"Jimmy."
"Plague Knight. Does not count."
"I just messed up everyone's plan. Karma!"
"Specter. You need to bring me your torch."
However, with those two no longer in the competition, he now has to stand on his own to feet. But since his game has been full of ups and downs, he is still in the running to win it all...
"Yes!" The master alchemist was literally jumping up and down for the camera. "That's what I'm talking about! Now do you all see what I mean when I say that I was going to outsmart every single person in this tribe? They thought they could just get rid of me like that, but HA! Their plan didn't work. They didn't know how hard it would have been to actually get rid of me. And now it's going to be even harder, because I just messed up everyone's plan. Karma!"
After everything he had to undergo, will he finally catch his big break?
Panther
As one of the last two from his tribe still being in the competition, he had to put in great effort to keep his tribe alive...
"Go, Beauty!"
Panther immediately fell on his back as Daisy's head fell into her lap, completely ignoring Chica and Rosalina running along.
"BEAUTY WINS IMMUNITY AND REWARD!"
However, after getting to the merge, he forced himself to separate from his own ally just to stay off the radar. Yet the remaining members of his tribe came back together once and for all...
"I'm all down for an all Beauty final three if we could get to that point."
Yet with Daisy now being out of the picture, he had to change strategies once again. However, with him being one of the most physical players left, there's still a possibility of him reaching the finals. The simple question is, can he actually make it through?
Funky Kong
With his cousin, Donkey Kong, being a contestant in Kodai Island, he is the next Kong in line to compete. And due to his outgoing personality, he's made close bonds with his alliance, especially with Brawn tribe member, Incineroar...
"...Are you saying you want to align with me?"
"It's basically like how a fan meets their favorite music artist or actor or something. ...Well, Incineroar basically is a celebrity out here, anyway. ...You know what, he is! I... Am I actually dreaming right now?"
He admits he isn't the biggest fan of strategizing, yet due to Survivor strategy, some of his close allies had their runs cut short...
"Golden and Isabelle are trying to blindside you tonight..."
"...What?"
"Golden."
If they are really best friends out here, where does that leave you?"
"Incineroar."
"So yeah, remember Donkey Kong from Kodai Island? He just so happens to be my cousin. Now it's my turn. Diddy's too young to be out here, so it looks like this is my job now. ...So what do I do? I offer DK and his friends different transportation methods that I make myself whenever he decides to go on an adventure. And trust me. It ain't as easy as it may sound. I always put my blood, sweat, and tears into making those things. Maybe if I can win this thing, then ...I can make more inventions than ever before! Oh yeah, this is gonna be sick!"
Will his charming character be enough for him to win the ultimate prize?
Isabelle
After almost being voted out at her first Tribal Council, even though she was under the radar for most of the game, she is not always out of the picture...
"I was actually considering on siding with Rosalina and Tifa for the all girls alliance... But then I figured that would benefit nobody but Rosalina."
"Rosalina."
"All I wanted to do was to help keep all the Brains together..."
And just in the last episode, she made a controversial decision she chose to keep close ally Funky Kong in the game over Incineroar, who according to Daisy Rose, was seemingly not a threat to win the game...
"She can't do it!"
"Why would I vote out Funky Kong? Incineroar on the other hand,... I gotta be honest, I never thought about him that much until now. For me, it's probably whoever I wanna play with at this point and sticking true to my word, rather than who's the biggest threat."
"I do not know what exactly is going to happen at this point. I know I'm already close with Golden and Funky Kong, but in case if I need an extra number, maybe us three should offer Plague an olive branch and move forward from here. Even if Plague does get voted out eventually, maybe he would feel less bitter towards the three of us if at least one of the Brains makes it to the Final Tribal Council. So perhaps for once, all of the Brains can see eye to eye on a strategic standpoint."
She appears to be very loyal to her old tribe. However, would loyalty really be all that it takes for her if she desire to be the Sole Survivor?
Chica
She was all alone ever since the start of the game, especially after she constantly rubbed her tribe members the wrong way...
"Chica the chicken is on, the, bottom!"
"Forget about me possibly going home with an idol in my pocket. How about just the fact that Chica tried going after me for no reason?"
"That chick is done!"
"Just because I could go home, doesn't mean I have to go home."
Yet slowly, but surely, after talking with Golden post-merge, she slowly regained her confidence, including an individual immunity win and saving Panther causing Specter Knight's demise...
"CHICA WINS IMMUNITY!"
"Panther. Does not count."
"Specter Knight. You need to bring me your torch."
"Chica, if you do plan on sticking with us, then we have to fight for our lives from here on out."
"I don't know what's been going on with me lately, but..." She glanced off for a bit. "maybe that talk with Golden's is going a long way. Because ever since then, I've won individual immunity, now I was actually in a position where I was in charge of how the vote was going to go. But Golden told me to push high school aside and just move on, and I think that was what motivated me to do what I did. And to my surprise, they seemed to be... very proud of me..."
She appears to be having redemption. But even with that, could she still get just enough respect from the jury in order for her to receive the votes at the Final Tribal Council?
With two more individual immunity challenges, three more Tribal Councils, and two more future jury members, who will have what it takes to Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast all the rest to earn the title of Sole Survivor?
THIS IS THE SEASON FINALE OF SURVIVOR - MEXICO (BRAIN VS BRAWN VS BEAUTY)!
EPISODE FOURTEEN: I'M GETTING EXCITED, BABY!
Fuerza
Night 37
Panther, Isabelle, Chica, Plague Knight, Funky Kong
-/-
With the final member of the Brawn tribe no longer being in the running to make it to the finals, there were only three survivors from the Brains tribe and two from the old Beauty tribe. Though the Brains appear to have the most numbers, based off the last Tribal Council, was it really set it out to be every player for his or herself at that point?
For Isabelle, it was all based on how Funky Kong was going to react. She decided to take out his best friend and completely blew Incineroar's chances of making it all the way to the end, and she knew it.
And the thought of her blindsiding her own ally alone was enough to actually caused her to be nervous a bit. To make matters worse, he was the only one of the entire tribe to not vote correctly aside from Incineroar himself.
Isabelle Cosgrove sighed. "Deja vu... Here we go again. This is just like the time I took out Rosalina and left Tifa out of the loop, but this makes it look like nothing because me and Funky trusted each other since our first Tribal Council... And no, the Golden blindside doesn't count. But the thing is that Panther is right about Incineroar. For me,... or for everyone in that matter, Incineroar's not a threat to win... I'm pretty sure thanks to Daisy everyone was aware of it by that point. But it's different, since he was actually a threat to get to the end. Though I've decided to keep my strategy consistent. And based off Incineroar's reception, he was actually a dangerous player, especially since he was the biggest physical threat. I can't keep both Funky and Incineroar (yes I am trying to keep Plague Knight here), so one of them had to go. Either work with someone who I said I would, or work with someone that was never part of my end game plan to begin with."
"...Well...?" Funky Kong cocked his head to the side staring directly at Isabelle. "Where do you wanna go?"
The fact that he never even asked if she wanted to discuss about what happened in the first place showed Isabelle that inside, he was definitely not happy with what she did. And since it was obviously not a move to please Funky Kong, this meant that she had to choose her words rather carefully.
She exhaled deeply. "Let's just talk by the boat..."
"Panther?"
The StarFox mercenary looked up to where he was sitting in the shelter, and there came Plague Knight, clearly confused at what occurred at Incineroar's elimination.
"...Where did you get that idol?"
"...Nullifer..." He corrected. "I found it somewhere a long time ago and it was suppose to basically knock out Incineroar's idol, which he apparently never had one in the first place..."
"...Really? ...Incineroar? Find an idol? ...As if he has a single brain cell to even know where to look!" It appeared that Daisy was not the only one who thought lowly of the Pokemon. "He had the strategy of a potato! You know that!"
"Well, maybe Funky Kong had one." He said in self-defense. "Maybe if he found out that something was going wrong, he would have played his idol on him... But then again, things didn't exactly turn out the way I expected it to."
"My final three is all ruined! Thanks to stupid, coattail rider, Isabelle!" Plague Knight was the most infuriated in his entire adventure. "The plan was to supposed so easy. Just vote out Funky Kong. It's so easy. It's so easy and simple! And after that, all I had to do was to get rid of Panther next and then Isabelle. But, guess what? Isabelle just had to ruin everything! She just had to ruin everything! Last time I checked, we are supposed to be smart! She wants to keep Funky Kong because that's who she likes? We're here to make more money, but not her! She's only here to make friends. And when you try to work with people like that, it just doesn't work! I'm done! I'm just done! This is the crap that I had to deal with for the past thirty-seven days! That's why I wanted to outsmart every single person in my old tribe. Because all they were gonna do is to just get in my way just so I can't win a million dollars!"
"I mean, I thought that it was our plan all along to keep all the Brains in line no matter what."
"Well, it seems that Plague Knight is somehow not happy about it either and he even voted with you." Funky Kong shook his head folding his arms. "If he didn't trust us then, he certainly does not trust us now. Even though you wanted all the Brains to stay here, it appears to be a lose-lose situation, anyway. Also, I was starting to think that it made more sense for the alliance to get to the end. You know, me, you, and Incineroar, who did in fact trusted you by the way."
"..." She hung her head down with a sigh. "I was hoping that it would work, but... I guess Plague Knight is upset for some reason."
"Like, what made you think he would trust you at this point?" He asked out of curiosity.
"I thought he'd been forgiven us a long time ago..."
Now Cosgrove was beginning to feel extremely regretful. "I tried doing something for all three of us, but it looks like everyone has different motivations. Just like how my job is. Not everyone is pleased all the time, and this is pretty much what happens. Turns out that I did voted out someone I didn't even need to and no one is happy at the moment..."
Deeply sighing once again, she shook her head with a huge amount of guilt. "You know... All this would have never happened if we maybe all got rid of Plague Knight instead of Katt in the first place..."
"Let's just get rid of Panther next tribal and hopefully he doesn't win immunity again..."
Day 37
"Come on in, guys!"
Time for the first challenge of the finale for Survivor - Mexico. The end was officially getting near. Though the thing was that to three of the players at the time, none of them knew for certain if they were going to make it to the finals or not, let alone one of them winning in spite competing against seventeen other players that simply wanted the same thing.
"You guys ready to get to today's immunity challenge?" Master Hand asked Chica, Isabelle, Panther, Funky Kong, and Plague Knight. "First things first, Panther, your time is up."
"Already, though?" In spite of him clearly not wanting to give it away, he made life easier for Master Hand by meeting him halfway in order for it to be removed from his neck.
"Thank you, sir..." And with that it was back where it belonged. "Once again, immunity is back up for grabs. For today's challenge, you will climb a ladder and go down a cargo net. You will then have to traverse a series of obstacles, where you will untied a bag containing sandbags. You will then have to get one sandbag into a basket, which will release the first ladder on the tower. On the second level, you will then use a ball and rope to pull down a second ladder. At the top of the tower, you will then solve a puzzle to hoist your flag. First person that finishes will win immunity, guaranteed a one in four shot at winning this game. Losers, Tribal Council where someone will be fourteenth person voted out of Survivor - Mexico, and will then become the seventh member of our jury. We'll draw for spots, we'll get started. Let's do it!"
-/-
"Alright, here we go..."
The final five was all set and ready to begin.
"For immunity, and a guaranteed spot at the final four." Master Hand raised his hand in the air. "Survivors ready? ...GO!"
Dashing off, they headed straight for the five color coded ladders, with some naturally being faster than others.
"Funky Kong's first over! Panther's over! Now you gotta get down that net!"
Upon Funky Kong and Panther doing so, they went in head first into the sawdust to get underneath the first bar before being required to leap over the second.
"It is Isabelle that is in last place early but this is only just the beginning!" Master Hand found it to be too early to determine that Cosgrove was already out of the challenge. "Here we are at day thirty-seven! The end is definitely near and immunity matters more than ever! And people are clearly wanting that necklace!"
Following Chica, Plague Knight, and Isabelle leaping over the second bar, Panther and Funky Kong were already finishing untying a sandbag to release the mini sandbags inside in order to successfully toss one of them into the basket. It was all based off who simply had good aim. Since neither of them managed to score the basket on their first try, it allowed the other three contestants to catch up.
Plague Knight of all people managed to get lucky.
"Plague Knight on his first toss gets his first ladder down!" Master Hand called. "He's now in the lead. Climb on up!"
Yet with Chica scoring on her second toss, Plague had some competition going. Funky Kong ended up being the last one to make the basket as Plague Knight was already getting prepared to use his ball and rope. Though it was about aiming, it was sort of more about how good a player could throw.
This time, Panther managed to latch his ball and rope onto the pulley to release his second latter first, due to no one being able to do so on their first toss.
"Panther now in the lead! Chica and Funky Kong right on his tail! But this is still anybody's challenge to win now!"
And there came the most difficult part: the cog puzzle.
"Plague Knight releases his second ladder! That makes Isabelle once again in last place,.. but she now has her ladder. She's climbing up!" The hand immediately returned his focus right back on the other four contestants that were just getting started on their cog puzzle. "Now, here's where it gets tricky. What can make this part rather challenging is that you simply don't know where these pieces will go, since some are bigger than others. You will know you're right once all the cogs start turning which will release your flag."
"Kinda like wheels spinning around in your brain tryin' to get it to work." Funky Kong commented. "Very symbolic, Master Hand..."
"You're quite right, Funky." He replied. "Maybe this is meant for anyone from the Brains tribe, three of them still being in this game."
Funky Kong and Panther were putting pieces on their puzzle rapidly, with Plague Knight, Chica, and Isabelle working more methodically. Both strategies did in fact have winning potential at the end of the day. Not everything was about who was the fastest. Then again, it was a race for individual immunity, so perhaps it mattered somewhat. Maybe it was important for the castaways to find that balance.
"Everybody covered in sawdust trying to solve this puzzle just to avoid elimination." The host of Survivor observed. "Chica, Isabelle, Panther, and Funky Kong have all won individual immunity before. Plague Knight on the other hand is the only one left that has yet to win individual immunity. Could this be his challenge?"
Chica was now completely stumped on her puzzle.
"Plague Knight now working a bit faster now... Funky Kong now working even more quickly!"
Standing to the Kong's left was Panther, who decided that it would do him some good if he started to cheat. And due to it technically not being against the rules, he of course had no shame whatsoever.
Maybe he would have been a bit less open about it if it was some test in high school he needed to cheat off on. And naturally, since Funky Kong was label as a brainiac this season, it would have worked to his advantage.
All of a sudden Plague Knight froze in place upon testing out a couple of his cogs. With the two that he was focusing on, they were not turning whatsoever. His heart sunk in reaction and wanted to curse himself. The poor man made an error.
"Funky Kong thinks he has it!"
He rapidly began cranking his handle, a red flag promptly raising up high.
"FUNKY KONG WINS IMMUNITY!"
"OOOK!"
"Guaranteed a spot in the final four!"
Plague Knight out of utter disappointment took out his frustration on one of the cog pieces he was holding, tossing it right out of the challenge.
"Hahaha, I actually lived up to my name for once!" Funky Kong grinned. "This is what happens when you make inventions for your folks from home all the time."
Panther shook his head, Plague Knight not being the only one irritated.
"Funky Kong, come on over. You've won individual immunity once again."
Making his way over, the necklace was once again hooked on his neck.
"Funky Kong, safe from being voted out." Master Hand placed a hand on his shoulder. "He is moving onto the final four, unlike the rest of you. Isabelle, Panther, Plague Knight, Chica, one of the four of you will be going home tonight. This is the official last day for one of you after making it this far into the game. I'll see all of you at tribal."
"I'm quite surprised myself to be honest. Then again, it did kind of remind me of all those inventions I made back at home. It's not only my job, but I also do it just for fun. I've been into the whole thing since I was a little boy. So, um... maybe this is a way to prove that I was placed on the right tribe you know?" He paused for a bit. "I mean, think about it. You have a mayor's assistant, a freaking master alchemist, a ninja detective, and even some kid that is like the king of the school or something. Sure, maybe people would question Golden as well, but that dude is like... smart smart, man... But then there's me...
"...I wouldn't even be surprised if folks watching would rather prefer my own cousin to be on the Brains tribe over me. Donkey's strong and smart..." He sighed. "Okay, I was trying my hardest not to focus on him too much since this is the time for me to make a name for myself (of course I ain't the jealous type or nothin'), but... all this time I was worried about being underestimated, y'know what I'm sayin'?"
For the first time throughout his entire Survivor adventure, he became a bit emotional. However, he wanted to show his grin to express that he was alright. "So I guess with this win, maybe it would show that me and my cousin are both brains and brawn."
Fuerza
Day 37
"Congrats once again, Funky!"
"You've proven yourself."
"Well done."
"Appreciate all the love, guys." Funky Kong thanked his tribemates, hooking the immunity necklace on the tree. "This necklace actually feels a bit heavier from the last time I remember, but hey, way better than having the possibility of going home, that's for sure."
"Even if I didn't win immunity today, I'm already safe." Kong shrugged it off as if it was nothing. "I still have my hidden immunity idol that I found a long time ago. So basically, I'm locked in final four no matter what. ...I'm getting excited, baby!"
Feeling an adrenaline rush, he bounced in his seat and clapped his hands loudly.
He shifted towards Plague Knight. "You're cooking the rice?"
"Yeah..." He shrugged and rolled his eyes underneath his mask. "We can have a bit more this time, since it's a lot easier when you only have five mouths to feed."
"...I'm gonna rinse myself off." Panther turned on his heel and wandered away. "I don't wanna smell too much and I have sawdust in my fur..."
"I'll come with you..." Funky Kong decided to follow in his direction to the water.
"Don't forget the pail from the well..."
"Ah..." The ape turned right back around and began to make his way to the woods.
"Now, this is not meant to be offensive towards Mexico, its inhabitants, or generally anyone who likes this place. I love this beautiful place as well, and the empire's history. However," Caroso raised a finger. "I have a bit of a complaint to make: one of the worst things about this location is that since it's not a beach, let's just say that it's even harder to keep yourself clean in this game. It was already hard enough to bathe during the first two seasons, but at least you're already in the water. ...But, this? You're probably wondering how in the name of Lylat do you keep yourself clean around here..."
The next thing the viewers knew, they were witnessing a shirtless Panther dumping a pail of water all over himself. And standing directly him was Funky without his tank top. But to top it all off, in an extremely rare sight, Kong's eyes were completely exposed. That being said, the theories were correct. Funky indeed was physically similar to Funky in appearance, the only difference being that Donkey's fur was darker than his relative.
"...You do look like him..." Panther blinked at the sight. "Like you're twins..."
"People do assume we're twins all the time when I reveal my eyes." The immunity winner took the pail to scoop in water from the dock. "But we're eleven months apart. Yet when I have my tank top, sunglasses, and bandanna on, people are like? 'Dude, are you two related?' Hahaha, that's when it gets funny! ...You don't have any siblings, do you?"
"I'm an only child, which I rather don't like that much." He sighed at his reality, ignoring Funky Kong now filling the pail with water. "Some people do, some people don't, but I'm rather extroverted in case if you haven't notice. I don't wanna be lonely and left out."
"Sure, it's obviously not an everyday method when it comes to washing, but... the worst part for ones like me and Funky Kong though, is that since we don't have any towels, we have to rely on the sun to dry us off... And we're furries... You finish the puzzle. Heck, the only one left that is not a furry is Plague Knight of all people. Speaking of which,..."
"What do we do, now?" Chica was now with the panther near the flag, Funky Kong still rinsing his tank top by the dock. "He just won immunity!"
"I know..." He said with a sigh. "His brains were really working this time. If Incineroar somehow won, at least anyone in this tribe would have won over him. Funky's already a threat. We need to break one of these Brains up. None of them have been eliminated since Golden. Since Funky's immune, let's just write down Isabelle and hopefully Plague Knight is still with us."
"There's something you're forgetting, though. Isabelle blindsided her own ally last night." Chica reminded. "I don't know if Funky still trusts her at this point."
"You think he'd be willing to vote her out and risk us two and Plague having the majority tonight? The dude's life would depend on the final immunity challenge. He ain't stupid, especially based off what just happened. Iz is the most likely person he'd trust out of all of us. Her being sent home at least takes out one of his options."
"I really need Panther for this one. It's us two on one side, Funky and Isabelle on the other, and Plague Knight right in the middle once again. I mean, yes, he was willing to vote off Funky Kong tonight, but worst case scenario, those two could somehow convince him to join their side. But everyone knows Plague has been very vocal of him wanting nothing to do with his old tribe anymore. Knowing that, hopefully that's a sign for us that us three would be voting together to get rid of Isabelle. Hopefully there's no idol in play. If there is though,... Panther is pretty much toast..."
As the two walked to approach Plague by the fire, Funky Kong and Isabelle were having their own conversation in the woods with filled canteens.
"It's him, right?"
"Yeah..." Kong replied to Cosgrove. "This is probably gonna be the most relaxing vote in a while. That is... if we have Plague Knight..."
"I still don't understand why was he so upset last night..." Isabelle was still puzzled on Plague Knight's reaction following the last Tribal Council. "I mean, like, he voted with me and got out the target that he wanted."
"...Did he really wanted to do it, though? Just wondering..."
"Well, everyone thought that you and Incineroar were too close." She explained. "Panther approached me about it yesterday. ...Well, he did say that he actually needed my help to get you out."
!
"...What?" Not what the dude wanted to hear. Then again, maybe he had to. Sometimes in life, people needed to be told the truth whether they liked it or not.
"Yeah, he actually threw your name out there and was going to include anyone but Incineroar, but I rejected the deal because for me, it's all about who I wanted to play with at this point forward. So after that, that was when he threw Incineroar's name out there."
"..." That was quite a bit of information he needed to hear. Out of frustration, he exhaled a deep sigh and dropped his arms. "Great. So I could have went home..."
"But you're still here."
"I know, I know, but..." He paused for a moment. "Wait a minute... If Panther threw my name out and everyone except Incineroar was set to be a part of it, maybe Plague Knight was aware of it as well. Perhaps the whole thing wasn't even Panther's idea in the beginning. ...If Plague's this upset that Incineroar's gone, then maybe it's because that he wasn't the original plan in the first place. I was. Therefore, he went to bed all pouty last night..."
"...because he didn't get his way." Isabelle was nearly speechless, realizing that the ape might have been onto something. "So you mean to tell me that the whole thing might have been his idea? Just to get you kicked off? ...So that's why he wasn't happy after tribal. It all makes sense now... I'm glad I did rejected Panther, though. But, why would Panther approach me in the first place and not Plague himself?"
"Maybe because that Plague figured that he would have been turned down, anyway." The bandanna wearing monkey assumed. "Might as well get someone to do it for you."
With all this in mind, Isabelle let out a deep sigh. "Don't underestimate the master alchemist..."
"And you know what?" Funky had one last thing to say. "If he's still with Panther and Chica, we're basically on the bottom and it took us this long to realize it."
"Man, oh man..." He shook his head rapidly faceplaming his face rather hard. "Man, oh man, oh man... I could have been voted off last night! All they needed was Isabelle and I would have been eating all the bananas I want at Ponderosa. Iz low-key saved my life, but this really goes to show of what kind of player Plague Knight is. He's sneak, man... When he wants something done or whenever gets mad, he gets people to do things for him for his own satisfaction. It fits him, since he tells people what to do all the time at his lab, anyway. You see? Tribal and tribal again, more reasons come up as to why he shoulda been gone a long, long, long time ago..."
"I don't trust that guy..." He was sounding annoyed more than ever. "He should have left instead of Katt, any maybe he should have left over Jimmy."
"We wouldn't have known what would Jimmy have done, though." Isabelle brought up. "He would have been even more chaotic if he lasted long enough."
"True, but Plague has been a major thorn in our side for far too long. First he makes it all the way to this point and now we just now figured out that he tried to get me eliminated. I could have lost a million dollars. That dude's just not meant to be trusted. I would even consider voting him out just because of that if Panther wasn't in the way!"
"Calm down, Funky." The Animal Crossing dog suggested. "At least you're still here. I'm still here, too... But we need one more person to have the majority. I mean, do we have to convince Chica to turn on Panther or something?"
"So I guess I did do something right." Isabelle laughed. "And you know what, all this is only gonna bring me and Funky closer together, which is what I want. So... I guess it did turn out to be a win-win, after all. ...All I gotta do is to avoid getting my torch snuffed tonight..."
Tribal Council
Night 37
Down to five. And to think the game started with a grand total of eighteen players, with thirteen of them no longer being in the running for the million dollars. Thus, Isabelle, Plague Knight, Chica, Panther, and Funky Kong were all lucky enough to make it to the final stages of the game.
With different goals in mind, they all sat in the few seats in front of them after placing down their lit torches.
"We'll now bring in the members of our jury..."
They all looked to see the defeated castaways that were unable to keep going.
"Espio, Ryu, Golden, Specter Knight, Daisy,... and Incineroar voted out at the last Tribal Council."
Funky Kong shook his head in disappointment, the big cat having a similar reaction. Yet he smiled in attempt to brighten the mood, signaling that he was alright with his loss, even though it was a lot for anyone to take in the fact that their dreams had been crushed.
"Final five, here we are." Master Hand 'grinned' at the remaining contestants. "Day thirty-seven, and only two days to go before the Final Tribal Council. Raise your hands if you have final three plans?"
All hands were up in the air.
"...Everyone? That's expected." He 'laughed' in reaction. "So Plague Knight, since everyone has their own final three, and that there are two people to many to make it to the end, would you think that it's become an individual game now, more than ever?"
"Of course." He replied. "I have my own final three in mind... Well,... can't say that it's as easy as it looks, but... you know what, at this point, it's all about me getting to the end. And I have been through enough crap for the past month. I can't give up now!"
Funky Kong wanted to give Isabelle a sarcastic smirk.
"You feel like you need to win a challenge to get to that point?" The hand wondered. "You are the only one who has yet to win individual immunity here."
"Well, I don't necessary feel like I'm in major trouble tonight, but with extra security, it definitely takes a lot off my plate. At the same time, winning a challenge could prevent other people from winning, so I guess everybody wants to win individual immunity for their own reasons."
"You agree with him, Isabelle?" He focuses his attention on one of the two females left. "Having the necklace is a blessing, and tonight, for the second time, than honor goes to Funky Kong. You think if it was you wearing that necklace, would it have been one less thing you would have had to worry about?"
"If you put it that way, definitely." She nodded in agreement. "Sometimes in Survivor, it's not just about one particular person winning individual immunity just to survive. Sometimes it's about winning just to defeat others, like how Specter Knight defeated Ryu about a couple weeks ago."
Specter bobbed his skeletal head up and down.
"And sometimes the necklace proves that you really are in a position of power to do something, as in what happened one time in Kodai Island. And of course, it could be based on all of the above. Bottom line is that immunity means everything, whether it's for yourself or an entire team of people."
"So Panther, with Incineroar gone, there are now two Beauties and three Brains. Is it really just gonna be you and Chica gone home one by one, or do you think something's gonna happen this late into the game?"
"Well, I know for a fact that Panther Caroso's on the chopping block." He spoke in the third person. "I wanted to win immunity today just so I could stay safe because I really do think I have a huge target on my back. Even though Plague Knight voted with me, Chica, and Isabelle last time, I'm assuming Funky and Isabelle are still tight. But for Plague Knight? He's the wildcard of the season. You never know what you're gonna expect from him."
"...I... take that as a compliment...?" The scientist simply never knew whether to take it as an insult or not. "And besides, if I have a mind of my own, well,... like the master said. Everybody has their own individual game, including the four of you. What's wrong if I of all people have my own plans?"
"But you were the one that wanted every single person of your old tribe out for taking out your friend when we had our first tribal almost a month ago." Funky brought up. "You were the only one that was on the outside, so naturally we felt that it was best to get rid of you a long time ago. But then you caught word that your name was being written down and ran to Specter Knight. With you still being here, for all that me and Isabelle know, we could be on the bottom right now and you're basically readying yourself to send Isabelle to the jury since I have the necklace."
Before the smallest character remaining in the show could have spoken to defend himself, Master Hand's voice was heard first. "So Plague Knight, judging by all this, it would put you as the swing vote once again and for a second time, you have to pick sides..."
"..." He covered the two holes in the mask that were in front of his eyes.
"...No words, huh?"
"The fact that he's saying nothing, master," Panther talked again. "shows how conflicted he is right now. I mean, here's my take on this: you did want your tribemates out for a while. And even though Espio and Golden are on the jury, you still haven't gotten your full revenge yet. Iz and Funky are still in this game, and if you end you voting with them, Plague Knight, you're basically telling us to ignore everything you said since day nine. And since you need votes to win at the end, what would the jury think?"
None of the jurors had any sort of reaction on their faces.
"Umm, I guess I kinda want to speak about my own point of view on this." Isabelle raised her hand, facing the knight directly. "Plague, listen... I'm sorry if we ever offended you in any way. It was not as if we didn't care about Jimmy. Everyone loved Jimmy Hopkins. It just that we figured he was gonna be a problem for this competition because he might have been too untrustworthy. Sure, we'd be foolish to blame Jimmy, because he just wants to win the game. Like everybody else. Me and Funky wanna win, too. So that's why we were planning on getting rid of you because we figured what was gonna happen."
"Well I guess it was a good thing that Katt wasn't going to be on the jury, was it? If you two were aware, I would have been the merge boot!"
"Exactly. And Specter saved you at the next tribal. But, you know what, even after all that has happened, we still wish to work with you. Sure, we have no other choice, but think about it. Not trying to be rude or anything, but I don't know if the jury really sees you in a positive light if you know what I mean. Maybe sticking with me and Funky Kong for the finals, maybe it would be a way to make up for your social game. In my opinion, if you did that, I don't know how much of a difference it would make, but I won't be surprised if it ends up meaning something."
"..."
The alchemist had gone quiet once again.
"Plague Knight,..." said the master. "I'm guessing this is all quite a lot to take in."
"Maybe it is just too much for him." Chica spoke for the first time that tribal. "But no matter what he thinks, he's going to have to choose one side or the other. All I hope is that he actually sticks with me and Panther, because if Panther's gone, then that means that I could go home tomorrow night. And last time I checked, it doesn't mean I have to go home. It doesn't have to be that way. But right now, the fate of my game lies in his hands right now..."
"We might as well let him vote last tonight so that he will have enough time to think it over." Funky Kong suggested. "I mean, I'm safe tonight. But if Isabelle goes, then it's everybody against Funky Kong at the final immunity challenge..."
"...Plague Knight. You said earlier that being in the swing vote position was basically meant for you." Master Hand brought up. "What are you feeling about it now?"
"..." Staying silent for a bit, he ended up sighing. "I don't know anymore, master. I guess even for me this game can be so difficult and overwhelming. But you know what? I'm ready to vote. I've made my mind up. Let's just get this over with and call it a night. At least I'm not going home, anyway."
"So let's get to it." It was that time again. "It is time, to, vote. Plague Knight, you're up."
So much for the alchemist voting last. Yet according to him, he already knew who he was going to write down. For all the victims that were involved though, they each had a fifty percent chance of things going their way that night. Maybe more, maybe less based on the circumstances.
Forcing his piece of parchment onto the camera, he quickly slipped his vote inside the urn and nimbly made it back to his seat to allow Chica Candance to cast her vote.
Funky Kong then had his go at it, wasting no time spelling out Panther. As for the purple animal himself, feeling too lazy to spell out her whole name, he simply put the letters 'IZ' in capitalization.
Once Isabelle returned to her seat, the hand flew off to the urn to tally them up. "I'll go tally the votes..."
Plague Knight did not even bother to look anyone. He was just leaning forwards with his fists to his face in annoyance and frustration. Though part of him did feel some sort of satisfaction upon casting his vote. As for everyone else, all they could have done was to pray to the Survivor Gods.
"If anybody has a hidden immunity idol and you wanna play it, tonight is the last time to do so."
"Alright, guess Iz is staying, then..."
Everyone from the jury watched as Funky Kong immediately left his seat, much to the huge disappointment to Panther and Chica.
"It's for her?" Master Hand asked just to make sure.
"Yeah..." He confirmed with a nod before heading back to the seat, responding to Isabelle's thanks along the way.
"Maybe it was a good that I didn't actually use it last night." He predicted. "We'll see how this goes..."
Plague Knight rolled his eyes.
"I might as well gather my bags, now..." Caroso said in defeat.
"This is a hidden immunity idol. Any votes casts for Isabelle will not count." Master Hand reminded the group. "I'll go read the votes..."
"First vote... Isabelle. Does not count."
"Okay..." She said quietly. "That was one..."
"...Isabelle. Does not count."
It was of course easy to tell who wrote down her name at the time based off the first two votes. Though the real question was if there was going to be a third vote cast her way.
"...Panther."
The animal stared down at the ground in disappointment.
"Oh, okay..." Funky Kong commented with his voice barely being above a whisper.
It was quite clear that Plague Knight made his choice.
"You did your best..." Chica whispered to her old tribemate.
"Fourteenth person voted out of Survivor and the eight member of our jury... Panther. That's two, that's enough. You need to bring me your torch."
"It's been a pleasure." He stood up with a grin and proceeded to grab his torch.
Funky Kong was actually quite surprised at how the vote turned out, staring at Mona's partner directly.
"I couldn't go to the end with him. I would have had no chance!" He whispered in reply
"Well, thanks anyway..." Isabelle thanked him regardless.
"Panther, the tribe has spoken."
Snuff.
"Time for Panther to go now, eh master?" The mercenary smirked.
"Time for Panther to go." Master Hand 'smirked' at the question, making fun of his habit of speaking from a third person's perspective.
"Bye, Panther."
"See ya soon..."
Although Daisy Rose shook her head in disappointment, on her bright side, at least there was one Beauty left in the game. She never cared who it was. To her, anything was better than having her tribe be completed wiped out by the Brains.
"Well,... now we are down to four. I really hope you all get a good night's sleep. You will all need it for your final immunity challenge. As always, I am definitely curious to see how this ends. Grab your torches, head back to camp. Goodnight."
Votes:
Funky Kong - Panther
Isabelle - Panther
Plague Knight - Panther
Panther - Isabelle
Chica - Isabelle
-/-
3-0
"Dang it, man... This late? I was so close... But then again, I've no reason to be a sore loser about it. If fate does not have it to be me as the winner, then I'm fine with it. If the Survivor Gods think there is someone more qualified to win this, I have no argument. I started on the Beauty tribe for this season. But I don't wanna be remembered by my looks or my ways or nothin' just to please the ladies. I wanna be remembered for who I am. Hopefully viewers from home can see me that way. I think I did pretty well out here."
SURVIVOR FINALE
Back at the live show in Los Angeles, the audience was cheering on after the most recent castaway accepted his defeat on the season.
"And there you have it. Panther Caroso, probably one of, if not the biggest face of the season, has finally been eliminated in fifth place. Funky Kong played his idol on Isabelle, but it turns out it didn't matter, anyway, since Plague did choose to side with the Brains. Are we really about to have an all Brain final three?" Master Hand asked the audience from his point on the stage. "We'll find out in a bit. We have one more immunity challenge, one more elimination round, and two more Tribal Councils to go to. So don't go anywhere. Make yourself comfortable because there's still a long way to go. We'll be right back. It is the season finale of Survivor - Mexico (Brain vs Brawn vs Beauty)!"
(Not going to do the confessional count yet until this episode is over, but Panther finishes this season off with 40 confessionals, most of every character so far. But with the final four remaining, Funky leads with 35.)
Alright... You guys are gonna tell me that I shouldn't have to apologize for it being nearly TWO FREAKIN' MONTHS since I updated this, but I'm gonna do it because it only feels right and leaving my readers hanging has always been my worst fear ever since I started on this site back in 2011. (Oh, btw, my 9th anniversary on this site occurred like three days ago lol. I bet it was Dec 3. I'll check my profile later.) But my excuse? ...Life. That's literally all I have to say lol.
But, guess what? This season is still finishing, and it's not going to take me two months to finish it. Panther went out fifth, and now we have Isabelle, Chica, Plague Knight, and Funky Kong still in the running. It's gonna be one of them now. One of these people is about to become a millionaire, making all of their dreams come true.
But other than that, I have two more characters to reveal for Survivor - Caribbean. Introducing... King K. Rool. He was probably (don't remember) briefly considered for this season, but I think he'd be a lot more fun for season four.
Anyways, guys, that's all the time we have for the day. Thank you all for supporting this story thus far, and I'll see you all on day 38 for the final immunity challenge!
