Ticket here, and welcome to the first half of Episode 5! Things will be kicking up once again in the episode, and I'm glad to be back. Survivor season always give me a shot in the foot when it comes to writing. New era isn't for everyone but I'm enjoying 44 so far, seems promising.

If you asked me to rank the New Era seasons so far, I'd go 42 43 41. 44 isn't done yet but it's already looking up there. Oh well, maybe I'm being too optimistic, but I'd rather be an optimist than hate everything.

Anyways, back on topic, in todays episode the castaways suspect a swap. Will that come to fruition? Or is it just false hope? Find out right now!

—

Saolo: Shane, Michonne, Doofenschmirtz, Wily, Erin, Metal, and Mary

Loto: Nefarious, Cruella, Qwark, Diana, Cassidy, Jenna, and Jeffrey

14 are left. Who will be voted out next?

—

Loto: Night 8

The seven Loto march back in after a blindside. Cruella slams her torch against the tree, and sits next to the pile of firewood. While Diana and Qwark work to get a quick fire going, she decides to address her tribe.

"..There's no point in hiding it. Would any of you tell me who flipped?" Despite her previous point, nobody answers. She puts her head down, but the silence is broken by one old man. "The people who did aren't going to tell you." Cruella just crawls into the shelter and curls up into a ball. "We'll talk tomorrow." She is really determined to find out, have to respect it.

Cruella: After EVERYTHING we talked about they still couldn't keep their promise! What will it take to get Qwark out of here?! Do I have to get on my knees and beg?! NO! Cruella de Vil never begs. But if there's an opening, they will. Mark my words, these people will regret messing with Cruella de Vil.

While she's sour, Nefarious, Cassidy, and Jenna split off from everyone and are happy about the night before.

"We got her." opens Cassidy, who focuses on Nefarious first. "Do what you have to do, just let us know if she has an idol or not. We're the core three." she states, establishing that.

Cassidy: Nefarious is noticeably more…sketchy than us. I think they'll go after him before they go for us, so that's why we're the core three. There would be more conflict if Qwark wasn't great at these challenges. He may be a boat rocker, but we still need to win.

Nefarious: We decided Cassidy would vote with them, to make it LOOK like I was loyal to Cruella..in actuality, I'm going to fish for information and make sure she can't possibly ruin our momentum! Cruella USED to be my number one, but she decided it was going to be Becky instead…

He smiles.

Nefarious: As a bonus, IF they point their guns at me, I have a plan B.

Jenna speaks up. "You think Qwark and Jeffrey will stick?" she asks. "When we talked they both seemed loyal. Cruella and Becky were a duo. We cut one head off, and now we will cut another." reveals Nefarious. He WAS responsible for bringing in Jeffery, however he doesn't have Qwark's full trust. He still called him "deceitful."

Nefarious: I need Jeffery and Qwark because Cassidy and Jenna are ALSO partners. I can't face them alone, especially when Diana seems to like them. Going to the end with them is a lose-lose but lucky for me, pre-merge alliances are temporary…and the games just begun.

Let's see how that mindset works.

—

Saolo: Day 9

It's a new day for Saolo, and a new one for one Doctor Albert Wily. He walks along the coastline and sets a piece of paper in his pocket.

Wily: We are allowed to pack special items…I packed a notebook. I picked out a parchment notebook with a pen inside just incase I came across a situation like this. A fake idol clue. Advantages are a power in social strategy games, and if certain people think I have power…i can go somewhere.

He pulls out the parchment from his pocket.

Wily: The chances are slim, but never zero.

He pulls Doofenschmirtz aside first, and has the clue in hand.

"I understand we aren't on the best terms, but I think we can both better our circumstances." he says, handing it over to his fellow doctor. Doof opens it, and reads off what Wily wrote. "It's been a week, this clue first to be sought. Climb to the peak, and an idol you'll be brought." Doof scrunches his nose. "It's like philosophers are writing these." Yes, Doof was right but Wily gets him back on track. "Before we go on a goose chase Doctor, we will need one more person…"

Doof knows exactly who he's talking about.

Wily: Shane, Michonne, and Erin were always going to be a strong trio no matter what. They have a combination of brains, brawn, and beauty. Showing Doofenschmirtz and Metal can cause cracks…because they have the power to break out of the bottom. Every alliance has a core, and then it's outliers.

Cut to Mary in confession.

Mary: Wily showed me the clue. It's not bad at all, but Metal's smart and I think he'll see through it. I didn't say anything to him about it.

She zips her mouth shut.

Later, Wily shows Metal the exact same clue, reading it off for him. "Flip it." says Metal, and Wily obliges. Metal looks the text up and down, left and right, any way you can think of.

"I was thinking that you, me, and Doofenschmirtz can use this to our advantage. Extending this olive branch can help the both of us." he pitches, awaiting Metal's response. The robot stares at the "clue" for a few seconds longer before answering Wily. "Do you have an idea of where this treasure is?" Wily uses the power of a thousand suns to hold a smile back. "The tallest cliff this Samoan island has to offer. I prefer the three of us meet first so we can go look. But I need to know if you're up for this."

"..Affirmative."

Wily starts to frown. "Alright. See you there, buddy."

Wily: This fake clue is a last resort. I don't have many options left. No idol, basically no allies, so all I have left is my head. There's another weakness because my mental states been on a downward spiral ever since Snow left. The stress of losing battles and your appetite will get to you out here.

Before he even thinks about hunting with Wily, Metal pulls Doofenschmirtz aside to discuss the clue.

"It's fake."

"It could be…but what if it isn't? Could you imagine how stupid I would feel if it WAS a real clue and he screws us later?" asks Doofenschmirtz, but the metal hedgehog isn't having it. "I will break it down: The font on treemail is often bold, the clue's font looked like New Times Roman. It's inconsistent. The clue's parchment isn't consistent with the treemail. His was brown, our mail is white or a darker shade." While this is happening, Doof's mouth is hung open.

Doofenschmirtz: ..How does he notice all the small details? It's been nine days and I can barely tell fonts apart. That robot really doesn't need food to survive.

"Did you catch everything I said?" asks Metal, and Doof cocks his head. "You are smart you know that?" No reaction. "That's twice Wily has been caught in the act. How about we put our heads together and send him flying off the island?"

"That is absolute."

"Glad we can agree my scrappy friend." That joke gets a slight "ha-ha" from Metal. "Not much of a laugher, I get it."

Doofenschmirtz: He's on the spot with his calls. He saved me from manipulation twice which makes me feel like an idiot..but if there is ever a chance I HAVE to go with Wily, I will. There's just no need right now.

Metal: There are key differences between all the doctors in play. Doofenschmirtz isn't a threat in any way, Nefarious is a mystery, and Wily is a book I'm done opening. Example, after example, after example shows he is not to be trusted. He only specifies how he's into science and technology. At least Doofenschmirtz is truthful about the extent of his job.

—

Treemail (Saolo)

All of Saolo gathers around, as Michonne grabs the treemail.

Michonne: After the coup, it's been too calm. I knew this game had twists, but it can cost the people on the top as much as the people on the bottom.

She opens the mail in front of everyone. Michonne said it's been too calm, and she's about to be proven right. "Congratulations, you've made it past the first week. This is where things get interesting. Pack your things and meet me at the challenge area." Intrigue fills the Saolo members. "Ooo…" says Doofenschmirtz. "Spicy."

Doofenschmirtz: It could be anything. A swap. A mutiny…it would be great if I left and lead the other team, but could you imagine if one of us left and bombed on the other tribe? That would be replaying over and over again.

Metal: After what Wily just attempted, this was not needed. In the event Wily is sent away from us, I can only dream that the other tribe get rid of him before he "finds his footing."

Shane nudges Erin's shoulder. "Hope you like meeting new people." Erin sighs.

Erin: I actually LIKE these guys. What if I swap and get stuck with downers?..wait that sounded wr—

Shane: MAN, you think you're safe and they throw something at ya! I love and hate being here! Let me tell you somethin', one bad swap will drive me nuts, but a GOOD one? It'll be too good to be true, you know how life is. Someone can throw you a bone, then pull another one out and beat you. I want the bone thrown at me, but if someone comes for me, that's cool. Let's do it.

Mary does her best to hide a smile.

Mary: Wily was going to go before me IF we lost…but I'LL TAKE A TWIST! The majority is so tight that this is the only way we can escape.

As for Wily, he couldn't be happier.

Wily: This is where I can finally breathe. No more failures, no more mishaps, it's time for me to play the Wily way.

—

Loto: Day 9

Treemail (Loto)

All of Loto gathers around. Fun fact, this is the only time where all of Loto was together besides dinner or challenge prep. That fact aside, Diana grabs the treemail for Loto.

Diana: Twists can screw people over, but I will take anything if I can get some time away. The drama is exhausting.

She reads what's in store for her tribe, basically repeating what Michonne said to Saolo at the other camp. Qwark rubs his hands together, a sinister smirk grows on Cruella's face, and Jenna speaks up first.

"Damn, they're splitting us up."

"Good" was all Cruella could think to herself.

Cruella: This is the fresh start I need. After these fools blindsided me, they believe I'll be cornered in a swap. Haha, they couldn't be any dumber.

In his confessional, Qwark has a foot on a log.

Qwark: If this past week has taught me anything, it's that anything can happen. If it's bad…I will definitely not be proud.

Diana steps in to be a voice of reason. "Whatever it is, let's hope Saolo isn't as much of a Snake pit as we are." That gets some chuckles, minus Cruella who hasn't had any fun at all since Becky left.

While others on the tribe are curious, Cassidy chooses to remain neutral.

Cassidy: I wanted to stay in the shadows for a while, but whatever this twist is will change my plans. Sorry Jenna.

Jenna: Cass won't have to apologize if she freaks out, that's just how it is.

Lastly, we hear from Jeffery, who doesn't have much to say.

Jeffery: ..I hope they got more food. I'm starvin'.

—

Challenge Area

"Come on in!"

The seven Saolo enter first. They are greeted by Jeff, with two stuffed pockets. Shane's eyebrows shoot up.

Shane: …All i had to do was look at his pockets

Zoom-in on Jeff's khakis.

Shane: Khakis don't look like that, he got somethin' else for us.

When Saolo comes to a stop, Jeff brings in the Loto clan. The seven S stare down the seven L, seeing that there is one more missing and they have an even playing field now.

"Get a new look at the Loto tribe…"

Saolo spots Becky missing.

"Becky voted out last Tribal Council."

Nobody on Saolo is shocked in any way. Both tribes turn their attention to Jeff. "Alright. Everybody drop your buffs. We're switching tribes." Jeff really hit them with it JUST LIKE THAT. Although both tribes speculated a swap, there still cheering among both tribes. They all remove their OG buffs, and an intern hands Jeff a bag of rocks.

"Thank you."

They walk off, and Jeff explains what's about to happen. "In this bag, there are fourteen rocks. Seven are white, seven are black. If you draw a black rock, you'll receive a Yellow buff and head to the Saolo camp. If you draw a white rock, you'll receive a Grey buff and head to the Loto camp. Understood?" Everyone does, and Jeff approaches them. "Close your eyes, and draw…."

Jeff goes from left to right, just to ensure that the swap is even. After all fourteen castaways draw, j fates are set.

"Open, and reveal…"

Their eyes open, and everyone flips their hands over to reveal their rocks!

The black rock drawers are Shane, Michonne, Metal, Erin, Cassidy, Diana and Cruella. The white rock drawers are Mary, Wily, Doofenschmirtz, Nefarious, Jenna, Qwark, and Jeffery. Jeff points to the black rock drawers first. "To the first seven, you can head to Saolo. The four original Saolo will show you around. See you tomorrow, and stay safe." he says, and NuSaolo departs..but despite how happy someone was to be swapped on the outside, in their confessional they have worries.

Erin.: The Loto people seem all over the place. Even if the four of us stay strong, any one of them can ruin us.

While NuSaolo leaves the view of everyone else, the host points to NuLoto. "To the seven of you, head to Loto. The originals will show you around. See you tomorrow, and stay safe." he says, dismissing the NuLoto tribe. While a couple of old Saolo got a new lease on life, the remaining one is stressing.

Doofenschmirtz: Out of everyone I end up with, I don't get any allies. OK Survivor Gods, if you even exist, I see what game you're playing, and I can play it too!

—

NuSaolo: Shane, Cassidy, Diana, Michonne, Metal, Erin, and Cruella

NuLoto: Nefarious, Jenna, Qwark, Mary, Wily, Doofenschmirtz, and Jeffery

—

NuSaolo: Day 9

The very first thing the seven New Saolo do is gather in a circle, and allow the actual new members to introduce themselves.

"I'm Cassidy, and I work at a Jewelry shop."

"Which one?" (Erin)

"Kay's."

Erin leans forward, and Cassidy catches her interest. "If anyone wants to know what's in stock, I'll be sure to let you know." The joke gets a few half-hearted laughs. Whether people thought it was funny or not, it's bad to just call someone out for it.

"I'm Diana, I'm a professional bodybuilder from Brazil." she says. THAT gets everyone's attention. She was always going to cover her tracks, if anyone found out what she actually is, she's toast.

Shane though, is curious now. "How much do you lift? 100 pounds? 200?"

"300."

Shane's mouth is agape. "Well god d mn you are a powerhouse."

Shane: We aren't dealin' with JUST a powerhouse, we're dealin' with a menace on the field.

Shane isn't the only one with concerns about her.

Metal: Diana will definitely be a issue in the future. In the meantime, I will attempt my "social skills" on these new life forms.

Lastly, Cruella introduces herself. "I'm Cruella de Vil. Fashionista." Short and sweet. Michonne nods. "It's good to have you. We could use some good interior design." Slight chuckles. Cruella doesn't laugh and instead steps towards the shelter. She looks at the wooden rectangle like a pile of meat.

"I'll work on it."

Michonne: Something isn't right with her. On our way here, I saw that Cassidy and Diana didn't talk to her. There has to be a reason for that…which doesn't make me trust her. At all.

While Cruella looks their shelter up and down, Michonne addresses the two new women. "Make yourselves at home. Map's on your left. Rice on your right." she says, and the two women head for the rice, since they had an impromptu walk that drained their energy.

Diana: These Saolo's have better personalities than the Loto. Shane messes around, Michonne's stern, like a mom, Erin's on the quiet side, and Metal's REALLY on the quieter side. Despite that, they won't break easily. If I have to vote off Cruella, or EVEN Cassidy, I will do it. If the timing is right to make a move…that's a different tale.

—

Speaking of moves, Cruella is on one and speaks to Shane in private. After getting burned, it's clear she's not taking it well.

"..Cassidy, Jenna, and Diana are the three behind her blindside. If there wasn't a swap, they would take me out, and anyone else who got in their way. They had the two strongest people on their side, and maybe one of the smartest." she reveals, adding on that last stat to drive her point home.

"Sounds like they're a big deal."

"They ARE. If we never swapped, they would come in with a majority and decimate everyone. NOW, we have the chance to stop it." She pleads, looking to get if into his head. Unfortunately it won't be easy getting through the rest of the Saolo majority, because they never spent the time on the hellhole known as Loto.

But he wasn't opposed to it.

"If we get down to that, who's goin' first? They have an alien on their side, we need a strong woman on ours."

"If she lets us down, Cassidy is still free-game."

"You really think she'll take power if we keep her in?"

"She already has. The only thing stopping her is us."

Shane pauses. "Huh."

Cruella: All men who think they're an alpha are the same. If anyone threatens their power, they'll be quick to do something about it. I can see it in him.

The former cop turns to her. "I'll talk to my people about it. We'll see what happens." Cruella steps in front of him. "Thank you so much."

"No problem."

Shane: I got a problem. She's a snake. Being a snake isn't bad, what's bad about her is that she's an overbearing snake. Coming at me with all this $#|t a mile a minute. But, I will tell you this, she has a point. What if this is the only shot we have?

After Cruella leaves, Shane walks on his lonesome looking for food. He turns a corner and finds Michonne walking on the same trail.

"Saw you walk into the woods with Cruella."

"Hmph. Yeah you'll wanna hear this, she gave me a mouthful."

Michonne stops her casual walk and comes over. "What did she say?" Shane spills right there. "She wants me to target the women." Michonne's head tilt tells Shane all he needs to know. "What did they do to her to warrant that?"

"Betrayed her, left her without friends. Minor stuff."

"She needed to wait because all she's done is put a bigger target on her back."

Shane raises a brow. "I dunno if she's the bigger fish. She told me that Cassidy, Diana, and a 'Jenna' are tough to beat. Says we can split them right now." Michonne's continues to deny the move. "We would be playing too fast. Nows not the time."

"Let's speak to the class about it." Despite Shane's sass, Michonne does her best to stay patient.

"There has to be more to the story. I'll talk to them about it. Don't get too ahead of yourself."

Shane scratches his head. "Hope they got a good one."

Michonne: Shane needs to stay calm. We just swapped, for all we know she could be a bigger threat than we think.

—

NuLoto: Day 9

The seven new Loto sit around the campfire. Nefarious, Jenna, Qwark, and Jeffery were the majority for now, but still wanted to know at least something about the three original Saolo.

"The best time I had at work was when my old boss taught one of us a lesson." Their eyes are glued to Mary. "He was down flat, they had to drag him out of there." Gasps and laughter make up the camp.

Mary: I'll tell this story until the day I die. It endears me to people, what can I say?

Jeffery chimes in. "It must've been a mess. How many fights was it?"

"We had ten in a year. People have problems." she says, letting out a laugh.

Jeffery: I don't know where he got off. If my employee tried that on me, you'd need an ambulance. I may be old, but I can still pop someone in the mouth.

While the four Loto are enjoying the Mary Workplace Chronicles, Wily and Doofenschmirtz look on, both with very different thoughts in their heads.

In confession, Doof is…annoyed to say the least.

Doofenschmirtz: Mary is goofy and they all love her. Do I have to act like a clown to make them love me? If I have to do that…

His expression changes.

Doofenschmirtz: I might. My therapist said I need to think positive.

In Wily's confessional, he has a smile on.

Wily: Mary is doing well. As her closest ally, I have room to get rid of the most unreliable swing vote ever….then again, none of his friends are here to hold him back. I'll have to make deals with the majority to get out of this. It's a reach, but maybe I can secure Heinz too.

—

Later in the day, all four Loto sit on the shore and discuss what they are going to do next.

"I'm sorry, but we're dumb if we let them get numbers over us. One of them has to go first." states Jenna, and despite her age, nobody has an objection to that plan. Yet. There are still days to go before the merge. "Sounds good."

"You know…" opens Qwark. "I think we can dominate. It's our four against their three, and we don't know what dastardly deeds those three have done to each other. Together, we are Unbreakable."

Jenna: He's his planet's Captain America. That's what it is.

Captain America puts a hand in the middle. Jeffery puts his hand in, Jenna slowly puts hers in…and they all turn to Nefarious. "My shoulder's sore." They still look at him. "Okay, Unbreakable, undefeatable, all that." Jenna and Jeffery snicker.

Qwark: This may just be my narcissism talking but I DO believe we can dominate! We just need people to keep their egos in check. After the criticism I got…MAYBE I do too.

Nefarious: We'll be stuck together like glue, unless someone tries to conspire and then they'll be blasted off this beach. Even though we'll be calling ourselves a "team, the real fun begins when the three Saolo jump into the mix. They have information, and I LOVE me some of that!

—

The swap was a big development itself, but let's have a look at the progress on each new tribe:

On NuSaolo, the Shane/Michonne/Erin/Metal alliance seem to be sticking together, with Cassidy, Diana, and Cruella's fates uncertain. Shane and Michonne want both sides of the story, and seem to be main players in the pre-merge. Meanwhile, Metal thinks Diana is a threat, and Cruella spilled EVERYTHING to Shane. If that gets back to Cassidy and Diana, it won't be good. At the same time, Shane is on the fence about a move. We'll see how that goes.

On NuLoto, the Nefarious/Jenna/Qwark/Jeffery bloc might stick together, with Mary, Wily, and Doofenschmirtz on the bottom. Nefarious still isn't a Qwark fan, but it seems he'll be sticking to the group. Also, Mary is having a positive start on NuLoto, seemingly making the bottom only Wily and Doofenschmirtz. Speaking of the two doctors, they have different strategies in order to save themselves. Doof wants to be the class clown, and Wily has a strategic plan with Mary…and has soured right now on Doofenschmirtz because of his indecisiveness.

Nothing is set in stone, and plans CAN change! Stay tuned for Episode 5B to find out what happens. Ticket out, have a good one!