Ticket here. Real quick, I've made the call to give Season 4 a castaway boost by two. So another eighteen person cast. However, there's been a theme change, no longer based on location..Stay tuned!

Anyways, after the reward challenge, our castaways get a little break from the game. However, there's some conversations that can still effect it! Enjoy.

Merged Tribe

Day 30

Sonic, Gordon, Luigi, and Bandana Dee

The weather is at the worst it's ever been. It's raining HARD, trees are blowing sideways, and worst of all..It's getting cold. It's one of the worst things that can happen to a castaway besides evacuated.

Luigi's feeling the effects now, curled up into a ball, teeth rattling and all. The tarps covering some rain so it doesn't touch his bare brown hair.

He's covering himself with a white coat in confession. He still doesn't have his hat on. The poor guy looks like he's about to cry..

Luigi: R-right after I start feeling better, the Survivor Gods break me down! I come last in the challenge, rejected for reward, and the cherry on top? The wind took my hat!

He takes a few seconds to catch his breath.

Luigi: I don't have much. That hat means the WORLD to me. It's the last piece of home I have with me, on an island that isn't. We don't do activities anymore, it's just "strategy strategy strategy." All that does is raise my anxiety! I'm trying to be strong Mario, but is my luck just THIS bad?

He sniffles. He's going through a lot right now. Participating can get to anyone, it's grueling. Six weeks of little food. Six weeks without the people you care about. For Luigi, it started going downhill after the first two.

Nearby, Dee and Gordon are standing in a circle.

"We HAVE to find it! He can't just replace the hat.." Dee says, ready to search in THESE conditions,

"Normally I wouldn't go on a hunt in this weather, but Luigi's done so much just by sticking with us." Gordon says, and the two turn to the odd one out: Sonic, who was here the whole time!

"I'm in. Luigi's actually a nice guy when you talk to him."

They accept that answer.

"Let's get going."

Gordon: I don't let anyone suffer unless they dig the hole themselves. Luigi hasn't dug up anything. I've sh*t on Kano for his actions, what man am I to just leave him in the cold?

Bandana Dee: I hate seeing him this way..he's been a good friend since day ONE. I'm NOT about to let him lose his hat! I'll find it even if it rains all over me, I don't care. I'm a Fatu forever!

#FatuForever

Later…

The three are dead in the middle of the forest, still searching for wherever nature took that green hat marked with an "L." Even if it was an impossible mission, they were still going to try. Besides, they missed a reward and had to do SOMETHING to occupy themselves.

Gordon's at the front of their Triangle formation, while Sonic and Dee hang back. "The only green I see is nature."

"Keep looking." Sonic pushes.

"We've got a couple hours till they bet back." Gordon says. "Lucky b*stards.."

After some time, the wind has picked up. Gordon's hair and Sonic's quills are blowing back. Even Dee's bandana is blowing back! The weather's getting rougher.

"I hope Luigi's ok back there!" Gordon shouts.

Luigi's not who he'd have to worry about..because the wind physically starts pushing Dee back! His eyes shoot up, as he tries to push back against the wind. He starts stumbling, but Sonic grabs his arm!

"I gotcha, little guy!"

He pulls him in and keeps a grip on him. The waddle Dee holds onto his quills.

Sonic: I know we're supposed to be on different teams, but that's not how I want to win!

While the two stick behind him, Sonic breaks the silence.

"So you three are really tight, huh?" he asks, picking up on that.

"Oh I'd do it for anybody. Seeing him sad, and vulnerable..I couldn't stand by and watch." Dee replies.

"I get it. Anytime someone's in trouble, I step in if I can. I've got people close to me too, and if someone threatened them, i'd lose my cool." The hedgehog admits, connecting the situations.

"You get it. I always go out to protect my waddle Dees. Luigi's been with me since day one here, but they've been with me forever." Bandana Dee responds.

"Heh. Maybe we have more in common than I thought."

"Did my size get you?" Dee asks.

"Well…I didn't really take you as a fighter until you used slingshots. That was sick aim!"

"Hehe. Took me a lot of practice!"

Bandana Dee: Before I put on the Bandana, I was scared…everytime something bad happened in Dreamland, I wondered what else could go wrong. Luigi just hasn't grown out of it yet, it's why I try to boost him up! He doesn't deserve to live the rest of his life feeling helpless. Nobody does. It's great that someone else thinks the same way about it. I don't know how Sonic came up, but he still became a hero.

They continue their walk, and the wind starts to slow down. It's still pouring though. They come across a line of trees. Gordon coughs and leans next to it. "Alright. I say we take a five minute break. Sound good?"

"I could clear the forest right now if you really want me too." Sonic says, but the chef shoots it down. "The hat could be anywhere. Six eyes are better than two."

The waddle Dee backs up, and looks at the trees around him. The first tree..has nothing. The second tree? Same deal. He spots nothing on the third one and sighs. He looks up the fourth one, and looks at all the leaves. For all he knows, this hat could be using camoflauge.

Then something stands out: a sharp, round lump with white coloring near the bottom. Green and white? On a tree or all things? It's obvious somethings up, and Dee points it out. "Guys, look.." he points his arm directly at the tree. "Can someone climb that?"

Before Gordon gets a word in, Sonic's already climbing up. The chef grabs ahold of Dee so the wind doesn't take him again. "Hang onto something. I'll be right back." After that warning, Dee grabs onto a tree branch, and watches Gordon head to that same tree, waiting at the bottom.

"Take your time, it's slick up there!" He shouts.

Sonic pokes his head out from the leaves. "TOO LATE!"

The hedgehog starts to make his way down, jumping from branch to branch. Gordon's able to see his red/white shoe combo. He makes one last jump…and slips! He tumbles down the tree, hat still in hand!

"Oh dear.." Gordon mutters.

He catches him! Sonic lands on his bridal-style, and raises that green hat! "Victory!" he shouts, turning to see exactly who caught him. The chef puts him down, and Sonic brushes some dirt from his quills.

"You aren't such a bad guy, Chef."

"You thought I was an $$?"

"I hear you yelling at every reward."

"Ok—"

Sonic's not wrong. Then again, Gordon gets onto these adults because he wants a good service. Just another case of the two's differences. Could you imagine Sonic shouting at people like Gordon does?

The Survivor Spa

Blu, Kabal, Li Mei, and Matt

Another reward, comes another opportunity to just unwind. Relax. Take some time away from the game. Li Mei and Matt are sitting side by side, as a couple workers massage their feet. Their dirty..crusty feet. There's no foot fungus, so at least they aren't having to massage THAT bad quality.

The Mii has orange paint on his fingers, and Li Mei comments about it. "I wasn't expecting you to be interested in that. A vast majority of men in my world are very masculine, and I will say, you look like the masculine type." Li Mei notes, and Matt just shrugs it off. "These days everyone does it. Your world's pretty behind."

"Well you are more laid back about gender roles." She notes.

"People can do what they want. Doesn't matter to me. I've got four kids at home watching me. They deserve a good role model, know what I mean?" He asks.

"I understand. You also don't want to embarass them on national television. I hear the followers of this show are rabid. You do one thing they dislike, and they are after you." Li Mei responds.

"Good thing I don't look at the comments."

Li Mei: Matt is a genuine person out here. He only lies if he has to, and doesn't want to cause chaos. Even though he's a temporary ally, he's good to have around.

"So your daughters…"

"What about 'em?"

"Do they always paint your nails? You have to be comfortable enough to be feminine in front of the whole world." Li Mei says, having a hunch of who painted his first. "My youngest does. My oldest is busy. Volleyball, school, friends, all that."

"Ah, so success runs in the family."

"We earn it."

Matt: Do you know why my family succeeds? Growth mindset. Every loss is a lesson. I'm NOT some Marysue, I didn't become Wuhu Island's best overnight. It took SO much work, and eventually I beat those who I thought were. Being the best on Wuhu's like being the best on Survivor: If you keep putting effort into everything, you can beat the best and win it all.

True words from the top Swordfighter, Basketballer, Baseballer, Boxer, and much more from Wuhu.

Elsewhere, Blu and Kabal are laying stomach-down on the massage table, waiting for their people to enter. While they do, the Yoshi looks Kabal up and down again.

The tubes, the skin..what happened to him?

Blu: Sooo we're still trying to get on the right foot again. So far it's working! But I don't really know about his personal life. If we want to know eachother, I have to ask.

She starts to frown.

Blu: I also need to know what happened to him. How does someone get like that?

"Sorry if I'm like, offending you or anything, but what's the deal with your body? I just really want to know." The Yoshi requests, and Kabal lifts his head. "You are in for a long story."

"I'm listening."

"Since you're willing to hear me out, I must warn you: it is not pleasant to the ears. Do you want to continue?" He asks, well aware that the Yoshi's usually in a peaceful world.

"I mean, I still want to know. If I hear something bad than Um..that's on me."

"Well then…" he begins. "Every realm I've been to is not beautiful like your island. Where your lands are free, ours is threatened on a regular basis. There was a vicious ruler we all know about, who showed no mercy. It didn't matter if they were heroes or villains. Extermination squads were sent out..

Blu gasps. "Oh no…"

"'Oh no' indeed. The squad went for any threat to him, and tried to eliminate me..and yet I survived. It didn't come without its consequences: after the assault, I was left with scars that will be there forever."

"I don't get it..why would someone do that?"

"Someone without empathy. But their attempt to break me failed, because not only am I alive, but I've coped with it. There's been other times in the realm where I've been exposed to power, but I'm more capable now than I was before." Kabal admits. "I was exposed to magic. Without that, I wouldn't be as quick as Sonic is."

"Wait..if you two are supposed to be super fast, why aren't you guys winning EVERY challenge?" The Yoshi asks.

"We have to hold back. It's legally required. But I understand your curiosity. If I was in your shoes I'd be asking the same."

Fair enough. The Yoshi's number 1, Sonic, held back in the Olympics too. Makes it a better time for everyone. "Wow..after all that, you still have a good outlook!"

"You should know. When you aren't threatening somebody you're always happy."

"Hehe.." The Yoshi nervously laughs. "Well I've had to cope every time something bad happens on Yoshi's Island. Sometimes we're never left alone."

"Welcome to the club."

Kabal: I didn't expect us to go from the worst of enemies, to a massage. Yet here we are. You know what they say: time heals most wounds.

This chapter was solely devoted to character moments, and..I'm proud of it. These reward challenges really let people get to know the background, and mindset of some castaways. Should have done this a while ago! If I ever REMASTER any of these stories, I'll for sure more character moments during the merge.

Also have to say: I liked writing the Hat Hunt scene. Seeing Sonic, Gordon, and Dee put game differences aside to help cheer Luigi up just says a lot about them.

11C will be out soon, focusing on everything Day 31: The immunity challenge, strategizing, and a Tribal Council where someone else will be sent to the jury! Ticket out, I'll see you there.