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.
"Everyone was making so many deals, you'd think they were used car salesmen!" Chris joked.
"And they were about as subtle as one, too," Topher chuckled.
"Used car salesmen aren't subtle, though..." Lindsay pointed out.
"...Ernie threw Steve Jenkins under the bus, while Steve Jenkins threw Brittany under the bus," Chris recapped. "Shadya threw Irving under the bus, and Hugh threw Vladimir under the bus."
"The bus had to hit the car wash like three different times," Topher joked.
Lindsay looked more confused.
"Anyway, Jean-Marie tried to talk Quentin over to his side, leaving Quentin unsure of how he should proceed," Chris continued. "Kiki also tried to talk Cyan and Louise over to her side, though Cyan seemed to see right through her. Kun also began fretting over how he should plan in light of a potential team shuffle."
"Better to over-plan than to under-plan," Topher figured. "Of course, you can always be too busy planning to keep your head in the present."
"The challenge saw the teams building a robot and then fighting the other team's robot," Chris explained. "Which led to both Shadya and Frita letting out a more violent side."
"That might be the first time I saw Frita raise her voice," Topher chuckled. "She's clearly suppressing some kind of violent tendencies. Not that I didn't already know that, but damn!"
"She seemed really upset about it afterward," Lindsay commented. "She even voted herself into Isolation Park after the Fighting Wisemen won the challenge!"
"She could always find a statue in there. Who knows?" Topher shrugged.
"Of course, this meant that the Grand Gryphons lost once again," Chris mentioned. "Everyone had their own agenda they tried to enforce, and, in the chaos of it all, Isidora's name even came up for the first time after accusations of her playing all sides surfaced."
"That turned out to be the only time her name would come up, though, because Irving decided to jump on the opportunity," Topher said. "The rest of his alliance followed suit, and, thanks to the split vote, that proved to be enough votes to get the bookworm out of the game."
"Hugh seemed to be pretty upset at Irving changing the vote out of nowhere, though," Lindsay pointed out. "And Isidora called him out as someone the others should target right before she left."
"No doubt Isidora's departure will get the rest of the team talking," Chris grinned.
"What's going to happen this time?" Lindsay wondered aloud.
"It's going to be a wild ride, on Total!" Chris began.
"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.
"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.
Hugh had invited Irving into his motel room.
"What the fresh hell was that last night?!" Hugh shouted.
"Good morning to ye, too," Irving yawned.
"There was no good reason to just change the target like that in the middle of the discussion!" Hugh chastised. "You almost went home! Do you know how badly that would have screwed me over?!"
"But I didn't go home," Irving grinned.
"Seriously, what possible benefit was there in suddenly flipping the script on Isidora when we had an easy Vladimir vote right there?!" Hugh pressed.
"I thought ye didn't like Isidora," Irving mentioned.
"I didn't, but we could have gotten rid of her next time!" Hugh insisted.
"Well, I felt the same about Vladimir," Irving said. "We were already set on voting for ol' Vlad, and I imagine we feel the same now, aye?"
"What's that got to do with anything?" Hugh asked.
"I reckon Isidora'd be somebody who'd be tougher to take out if I didn't take the opportunity," Irving explained. "It was established that she was working with Brittany at the very least."
"And you trusted Brittany to vote for her alongside us?" Hugh doubted. "She had every reason to just vote your ass out last night."
"But she didn't. That be a huge act of trust on her part," Irving boasted.
"Just because it worked doesn't mean it wasn't a huge artard move," Hugh groaned.
"Couldn't have been that bad of a move if it put things far more in our favor," Irving claimed. "Without Isidora here to be the glue keeping all the others together, the team's going to be even more split, methinks. And, as last night proved, that could even give us the majority."
"Just don't do it again. I'm not here to get fucked over by a whim," Hugh scowled.
Confessional:
Hugh: If you're going to take risks, at least take them before we're at elimination! Ugh, Irving's totally letting the funny bullshit he pulled last season get to his head. We get it, you played the golden cube on a team of four, you used another one on Robby, it totally turned the game on its head, but newsflash, Irving, you don't have Invincibility items right now! When will you learn that your actions have consequences!
Irving: Keheheh, it sounds to me like Hugh just be jealous that he wasn't in control of the vote last night like he wanted to be. Was it a risky move? Absolutely, but I trusted Brittany and Bailey enough to follow through with it. I've had me one-on-ones with them telling them why they should trust me, and I think last night proved that I be willing to trust them back. Besides, I couldn't see meself working with Isidora anytime soon. Vladimir ain't likely, either, but it be ever-so-slightly more likely.
Louise and Nolan played a hockey game on the Playstation in their team's hangout, while Cyan watched.
"This is so much harder than real hockey!" Louise complained. "In real hockey, I only have to control one person!"
"There's definitely a learning curve," Nolan told her. "For what it's worth, the last time I played one of these was when I was in elementary school."
"That doesn't make me feel any better, you're still kicking my ass!" Louise reacted.
"I'll play you next, Louise," Cyan offered.
"I'll beat Nolan in something someday, I promise," Louise swore.
"Oh, speaking of games," Nolan began. "Frita let slip yesterday that her alliance is planning on voting for Jean-Marie."
"He's probably the biggest strategic threat of the boys," Cyan figured. "That makes sense."
"What, and I'm not?" Nolan faked offense.
"No," Louise chuckled.
"So, wait, Frita just told you that?" Cyan asked Nolan.
"Back on day one, Quentin tried to get an alliance with me and her together," Nolan explained. "I rolled a die and outright told them that I wasn't going to align with them, but I'll still hang out with them, so I guess they still trust me."
"Do they even know that you're aligned with us?" Louise asked.
"Not to my knowledge," Nolan grinned.
"That could be really helpful for us," Cyan complimented. "Getting information from the other alliance could make the difference between us making the right move or not."
"If I can't guarantee my vote, I need to be able to help my allies in other ways," Nolan figured.
Nolan scored a goal in the video game.
"Help me out by losing to me once in a while," Louise huffed.
Confessional:
Cyan: I actually already knew that they were targeting Jean-Marie since Kiki told me when she tried to rope me into her alliance. But you want to be on good terms with everyone in the game, even if you don't trust them to vote how you want. If people like you, they'll be more hesitant to vote you out. Virtual Party did prove that this isn't a foolproof strategy, but it's not a bad one, either. So yeah, I'll compliment Nolan on his willingness to help me out, even if it isn't much.
Nolan: I wonder if I should try to talk to the others that I'm not formally aligned with. Establishing rapport with Dalit and Kiki could reinforce Frita's trust in me, and establishing rapport with JM, Joseph, and Kun could reinforce Cyan's and Louise's trust in me. I do wonder if the word would spread and it'd make me seem less trustworthy, though. Maybe I'll roll a die on it.
Louise: I don't see Nolan as necessarily a strong addition to the alliance, but I don't think he's detracting from it, either? He's proven before that he's willing to lie if his dice tell him to, so I'm kind of hesitant to totally trust him, but so far he's given me no strong reason not to. I will beat him in a game someday, though, neither of us is allowed to get voted out until that happens!
The marquee on Hatchet's Diner read 'Service Without A Smile! Deal With It!'. Within the diner, Ernie and Vladimir ate breakfast together.
"Welp, it looks like, ya know, Isidora's gone. Somehow," Ernie griped.
"I only vaguely trusted her. She's definitely the kind of person who'd be able to easily underplay her skill at the game, and I knew better than to assume that she saw me as any kind of priority ally," Vladimir stated.
"I mean, yeah, but I trusted her a hell of a lot more than I trust most of this team," Ernie said. "What disturbs me is that Irving is the one who led the charge against her. He was supposed to be, like, on the outs. How the hell did he get the votes?"
"He's a tricky customer, that's for sure," Vladimir mused. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to vote him out if we were to lose again?"
"At this point, I can put up with damn Steve Jenkins if it means getting rid of Irving," Ernie admitted. "The fact that Irving went from the bottom to the top right the hell out of nowhere isn't something I want to reward by letting him, ya know, stay."
"That carries a lot of strong implications, you know," Vladimir told him.
"Such as?" Ernie furrowed his brows.
"You're willing to continue working with Shadya, who no doubt wants Irving gone even more now," Vladimir mentioned. "And also that you'd be willing to work with Steve Jenkins."
"How the hell does that last one figure?" Ernie asked. "Steve Jenkins wants Brittany gone. Brittany is... Shit, can we trust Brittany? She and Bailey were probably the other two votes for Isidora."
"We might not be able to trust those two anymore," Vladimir nodded. "I also suspected those two. It makes the most sense."
"Even if it's us two, Shadya, and Steve Jenkins, that'd be a tie," Ernie brought up. "Can we even get anyone to flip? Hugh outright said last night he'd rather keep Irving over you, so I'm doubtful about him."
"You worked with Bailey last season, right?" Vladimir mentioned. "Do you think there's anything there?"
"Ugh, that might be our best option," Ernie conceded. "Brittany called you out pretty bad last night."
"I may need to expand my reach on this team, I'll admit," Vladimir admitted.
"Touch base with Shadya, for sure," Ernie suggested. "She's, like, hella stubborn. Getting on her good side might not be the worst, obnoxious as she is. And Steve Jenkins already trusts you?"
"I believe so," Vladimir confirmed. "We can do this. We've both made it past worse numbers disadvantages."
Confessional:
Vladimir: Laying low is simply not an option for me in this season. And I have Brittany to thank for making that clear to me in her attempts to make me look like a target. Thanks, Brittany! (He chuckles.) So I'm going to put together an alliance to counter the alliance that just got Isidora out. Whatever works to keep me in the game.
Ernie: Both times we've gone to a vote, I've voted wrong. That's, like, unacceptable. The way the dynamics are fleshing out is, ya know, pretty concerning, too. Vladimir is someone I think I can relatively trust since we're both in similar positions. But then, I felt the same about Bailey and Brittany, and look what happened. I've got to make a choice, that much is for sure.
Dalit, Kiki, and Quentin hung out in Dalit's penthouse.
"I see this as a metronome for my life," Dalit beamed as she opened a bag of chips. "Yesterday, I had no food, shelter, or friends, and now I am in a good apartment with good food and good friends!"
"You mean a metaphor?" Kiki corrected.
"You knew what I meant! You didn't have to correct me!" Dalit huffed.
"Did you want to keep using the wrong word?" Kiki asked.
"Hey, guys, it's all good," Quentin tried to mediate. "What's important is that we're in a pretty sweet place together."
"I wish I could say the same about the game," Kiki mentioned. "Cyan doesn't seem like she wants to flip at all. Louise, I have no idea, but probably not."
"There is one thing," Quentin mentioned. "Jean-Marie told me that you're the target, and I do have the Genesis statue..."
"Would you really be willing to play it on me?" Kiki asked, surprised yet touched. "Because that could be huge. Game-changing, even!"
"That would still leave us at four against five, isn't it?" Dalit asked.
"Not if one of those five is Nolan," Quentin reminded her. "He could very easily roll to vote for one of the others, and that could give us momentum."
"Ugh, that guy's going to turn this into a game of luck, isn't he?" Kiki grumbled. "And we can't try to turn the vote against him because we need him if we want even a sliver of a chance. For something that's supposed to be a self-imposed challenge, he sure is challenging my patience."
"It is not fair that we have to rely entirely on his dice to survive!" Dalit agreed.
"I think you're being a bit tough on him," Quentin said. "He's just having a bit of fun with it. He isn't trying to hurt anyone."
"That doesn't mean he isn't!" Kiki snapped. "...I know Dalit didn't find anything in Isolation Park, but maybe Frita can. That could also be helpful."
"That's true!" Quentin beamed.
"I did my best. I will not apologize," Dalit grunted.
"For now, all we can do is keep winning challenges," Kiki thought aloud. "Let's do whatever we can to make sure we won't have to go to a vote at all."
"I agree!" Dalit smiled.
"I'll do everything I can," Quentin promised unsurely.
Confessional:
Kiki: It's not as though I haven't been in a very similar position before. An opposing, all-male alliance of three featuring a crafty young man who tries and fails to downplay himself, a dumbass who belittles women practically every time he opens his mouth, and a well-meaning yet bumbling soul who just may be more willing to listen to me than I'm giving him credit for. Hm...
Quentin: I don't think it'll help us any if we go into this expecting for things to go wrong. You've heard of rose-colored glasses, but that works in reverse, too. If you're always focused on the negatives, then that's all you're going to see. So I'm going to hold on to hope, here. We have a good chance, and that's worth being glad about.
Dalit: What's the most annoying about this is that this is two days in a row where I cannot help Frita put care into her appearance. I heard she snapped at Louise and Joseph yesterday, so she might need it now more than ever if she wants people to keep liking her.
Bailey and Brittany hung out in the Grand Gryphons hangout spot.
"I'm still not sure how much I like what happened last night," Brittany fretted. "I feel like this is just like when I voted for Kristin, just turning on my old alliance out of the blue for a new one. This is what I didn't want for my second time playing."
"If you didn't trust Irving and Hugh, you wouldn't have agreed to go with it, right?" Bailey figured.
"It's true that I wasn't sure where Isidora's loyalties really were, but..." Brittany trailed off.
"Well, there you go," Bailey smiled. "If you weren't sure you could trust her, then you didn't betray her. She gave you a good reason to not want to work with her."
"I... guess?" Brittany figured. "Honestly, yeah, we were at a point where I could genuinely trust Irving and Hugh more than Isidora. Go figure."
"I was in the same boat, you know. That's why I prompted that we go with it," Bailey assured her. "And I think it may be best to stick with them, given we were able to reach a majority last night."
"To be fair, the vote was pretty split," Brittany mentioned.
"We're at eight, now, so if we stick with Hugh and Irving, that'd be half the team," Bailey thought aloud. "But if we flip back to Shadya, Ernie, and Vladimir, we could have an easier majority."
"Do you think they'd trust us after we just blindsided Isidora?" Brittany doubted. "Besides, Shadya and Ernie both pushed pretty hard for different targets, hence the split. That's got me doubting that we should head back to them. They might even still split their votes."
"We shouldn't count on that possibility, but maybe," Bailey figured. "Who would you like to see go next?"
"I'd like to stick back to the Vladimir plan," Brittany answered. "If only because I trust him by far the least out of everyone here."
"That shouldn't be too hard to accomplish," Bailey said. "We'll just need to make sure Irving doesn't flip the script again."
"Did you hear Hugh laying into him in his motel room earlier this morning?" Brittany winced. "Honestly, I wonder if that's going to make things better or worse."
"We'll have time to talk to them," Bailey assured her.
Confessional:
Brittany: It seems like now's the time to draw some hard lines in the sand. Bailey was always going to be my ride or die, but Hugh and Irving were the most willing to really engage with me besides her, so I feel the best about sticking with them, in spite of their... quirks. But hey, nobody's perfect, right?
Bailey: It's important to not only think about what your plans are, but what everyone else may be planning as well. Nobody's ever won a game of chess without trying to predict what her opponent was going to do next. That's going to play a big factor in how I play this game.
Jean-Marie, Joseph, and Kun sat at the bar in the barcade. Joseph had a beer in front of him, Jean-Marie had a glass of white wine, and Kun had a black coffee. Working at the bar was Jayne.
"It's nice to, um, see that they've found something for you to do besides be attacked," Kun smiled at Jayne.
"It helps that all three of you placed orders that I know how to carry out," Jayne smiled back. "Cyan had to guide me through making her drink. I'm afraid I do not have infinite knowledge when it comes to alcohol, especially the blue ones."
"Hey, give yourself some credit, bro, if you're as smart as an animal, I couldn't tell," Joseph tried to compliment.
"That is rude, Joseph," Jean-Marie scolded.
"Perhaps the only reason animals haven't run their own bars is because they lack the communication and/or motor ability to do so," Jayne wondered.
"By the way, what's the other robot bro up to?" Joseph asked. "Frita really did a number on him."
"Greg is still undergoing repairs," Jayne relayed.
"Well, I hope his, um, recovery is speedy," Kun gulped. "I heard about what had happened. It, um, made me glad I wasn't there to see it."
"What kind of general refuses to see any combat of his own?" Joseph frowned.
"I'm, um, not a general, I'm just in charge of leading the Fighting Wyverns, to, um, victory in challenges," Kun quavered.
"We are all doing our part to ensure our own success, non?" Jean-Marie assured his allies. "Everyone is a gem, beautiful in their own way."
"Alright, I'll take you up on that challenge, how is Lilith beautiful?" Joseph asked.
"Mmm, I do not know Lilith well, but from what I've seen, she is very confident in herself, in her ideals," Jean-Marie smiled. "She does not fear judgment from others, and will lay her soul bare for others to marvel at. Am I incorrect in this assessment?"
"I... I mean, I guess not?" Joseph stammered, confused. "Other than the marveling part. I don't think anyone but you marvels at her."
"You'd be, um, very good in marketing," Kun told Jean-Marie. "You seem to have a natural skill in, um, making anything look good."
"Mais non, anything other than myself," Jean-Marie chuckled bitterly.
"I think you look good," Jayne told Jean-Marie.
"Merci, cheri. It does help that I finally have access to a shower," Jean-Marie mentioned.
"Did you not before?" Joseph asked.
"Ah, it seems my tongue has slipped," Jean-Marie apologized. "Well, I suppose I trust you enough to tell you. But I'd rather this stay under wraps."
Confessional:
Jean-Marie: Kun's compliment spoke to me. I am so used to playing up the qualities of my old family's products - and of women - yet, I seem to neglect myself. Perhaps this is where I have been going wrong all along. Non, I never manipulated others, rather I connected with them so they'd wish to work with me. C'est intéressant. Je dois y penser davantage.
Kun: Huh, I had a feeling that Jean-Marie, um, wasn't in as good of a place as he was in Explore Party, but I didn't expect him to be full-on, um, homeless. He's clearly a smart man, so I wonder if it's that hard for the homeless to work their way up. Once I take over my dad's pencil company, he'll be the first person I, um, interview for a job.
Joseph: Jayne's definitely a bro. They can even recognize different brands of beer based on the label, which is good because Dos Equis is way better than damn Budweiser and I won't hear any differently! Bro, it's so cool that robots have come so far. I remember when I was a kid thinking that making a robot friend would never happen in my lifetime. What I wouldn't give to tell young Joseph what was going down, bro.
Steve Jenkins found Shadya doing crunches in the middle of McLean Park.
"Young lady Slim Shady," Steve Jenkins greeted jovially.
"Oh god, now you're calling me that?" Shadya groaned.
"I've been calling you Shady for years! I'm not about to let Irving just improve upon that like he's any better than me!" Steve Jenkins insisted.
"Leave me alone," Shadya snorted.
"Not a chance. We need to talk serious," Steve Jenkins said.
Shadya sighed. "What?" she asked expectantly.
"What do you mean 'what'? Isidora just got voted out! That's kind of a huge deal!" Steve Jenkins ranted. "We need to do something about it!"
"I've been doing my part. I said to vote for Irving," Shadya stated. "If you want to get back at everyone who voted for her, vote for Irving."
"But doesn't it concern you at least a little that she even left at all?" Steve Jenkins frowned. "Like, yeah, Irving and Hugh voted for her, but so did two other people. That's an alliance of four, it has to be!"
"How does this change what I previously said?" Shadya questioned as she stood up and cracked her neck. "I've done my part. Do yours. Preferably elsewhere."
"Alright, if you're so smart, then who else voted for Isidora?" Steve Jenkins asked.
"If I had to guess, Brittany and Vladimir," Shadya hypothesized.
"No way Vladimir voted for her. We were in a good alliance," Steve Jenkins denied.
"And both of them were supposed to be in an alliance with me and Isidora. Didn't stop them from making a colossally stupid decision," Shadya growled. "Urgh, it's making me even madder just thinking about it."
"Then we need to do something about it! Rally up the rest of the Steve Jenkins Workforce and get enough votes to get even!" Steve Jenkins insisted.
"That leaves Bailey and Ernie as those who are loyal to me," Shadya thought aloud. "I don't trust you to work either of them over, so I'll do what I can with them."
"Oh, ye of little faith." Steve Jenkins shook his head condescendingly. "Lest ye forget, I am, in fact, Steve Jenkins."
"That's why I have little faith," Shadya told him.
Confessional:
Shadya: Brittany and Vladimir have both proven in Explore Party that they're willing to betray their allies if they think they've found a better option. The grave error that they made is that there is no better option than myself. They will soon learn that. But first: Irving. He's too unreliable of a variable for me to allow him to stay. ...Oh god, am I actually expecting another loss? What the hell is wrong with me?
Steve Jenkins: Clearly, Hugh and Irving realized that they were on the bottom, and they roped Brittany in once they realized she was the target! I'm not sure why Slim Shady thinks that Vladimir's with them, though. Did she just forget that he was their original target? It was probably Bailey. Sure, she looks all cute and harmless, but that doesn't stop me from absolutely slaying this game, now does it? I'm just saying.
Frita sat on a tree stump in Isolation Park, weeping.
"I told myself not to get carried away. I can't even listen to myself," Frita sniveled. "Why did I do this why did I do this why did I do this?"
Frita forced herself to stand up.
"Kiki said I should look for statues to keep my mind off of... everything," Frita recalled. "I don't know how that's going to be possible, but I might as well make an attempt. Doing nothing guarantees that I'm worthless. Trying at least gives me a shot at having value, even if it's only a little."
Frita looked around the area.
"...Where do I even start?" Frita asked herself defeatedly. "It could be anywhere. There are so many places to look."
Frita began absentmindedly looking through a nearby bush. Upon finding nothing, she began to cry once again.
Confessional:
Frita: I think a lot of violent thoughts. I know better by now than to express them because it freaks people out. I guess I figured that the robot wasn't really a person, and I'd been bottling this kind of thing up for so long, and... No, there's no excuse. I'm just messed up, any way you slice it.
Brittany and Irving ate lunch together.
"I'm glad that the trust I put in yer hands wasn't misplaced, lass," Irving grinned. "Ye will make a fine first mate, methinks. From now on, ye will be 'Mister Brittany'."
"I can't be Ms. Brittany?" Brittany questioned.
"Eh, I guess ye could be a commodore, but that be not quite as piratey," Irving relented.
"Is that a downgrade?" Brittany asked.
"I should say so! Giving up the pirate life to join the Navy! Why did I ever take ye under me wing in the first place?!" Irving reacted.
"I'm... very confused!" Brittany blinked. "I'm not trying to join the Navy!"
"So ye'll join me crew again? Oh, Mister Brittany, I be so glad!" Irving pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.
"...But you do trust me, is what you're getting at," Brittany refocused.
"Oh, aye, without question," Irving chuckled. "I risked me game on it, didn't I?"
"Yeah, I'm still also confused about that," Brittany admitted.
"About what?" Irving asked. "I know I can be quite the enigma."
"So you're doing it on purpose, then?" Brittany asked. "Er, anyway, I'm confused as to why you'd risk your game like that."
"To be frank, I didn't think I'd actually get that many votes last night!" Irving laughed. "I figured it'd lean more against Steve Jenkins, or even ye. I suppose I be underestimating Shadya's influence."
"Either that or people are just going along with her stubbornness because they need her vote," Brittany chuckled.
"Also a distinct possibility," Irving chuckled alongside her.
"I think it'd still be easier to get rid of Vladimir next time we have to vote, but Shadya's someone we can keep in mind for next time," Brittany brought up.
"Works for me," Irving agreed.
Confessional:
Brittany: I'm still not sure I appreciate being called 'Mister Brittany', but if it leads Irving to trust me further, then I'll take it. The last thing I want is for Irving to pull a big Irving-type move and get rid of me. I do have a target on my back, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. ...Am I sure I don't want to gun for Steve Jenkins?
Irving: Of course, I'd rather be winning challenges, especially if the speculation be right, and there be statues in Isolation Park. But it pays to plan ahead. That be what separates the dread pirates from the shark bait.
Cyan and Joseph played a tabletop card game in the game room.
"Nolan always beats me in this game, so I could use the practice," Cyan told Joseph. "Thanks for playing with me!"
"No prob, bro," Joseph beamed. "Between you and me, I honestly prefer hanging out with you and Louise than with JM and Kun."
"Really?" Cyan asked, a bit surprised.
"You two are hella more fun than those two," Joseph admitted. "I mean, we've been cool for a while, but I'm making fast friends with Louise, too. JM and Kun are alright, but they take things real seriously, you know?"
"Well, it's important to take the game at least a little seriously, but it's important to have fun, too," Cyan figured.
"I mean, yeah, but their serious-to-fun ratio leans too much towards the serious," Joseph rationalized.
"I can feel that," Cyan assured him. "I'm glad to hear you think so highly of me and Louise. Between you and me, having a third person we can both really trust could be really big for all three of our games."
"Like, 'run-the-team' big?" Joseph winked.
"Maaaaybe," Cyan giggled.
"Practicing up for our rematch, eh Cyan?" Nolan pointed out as he approached the table.
"Oh, Nolan!" Cyan jumped. "You startled me."
"Would you mind if I sat in on this one?" Nolan asked. "Even just watching games like this is fun for me."
"Naw, bro, sit down," Joseph invited. "Let's see... I've got enough gold to buy a smithy."
"Then DO it!" Cyan challenged.
"I WILL!" Joseph insisted.
The two shared a laugh as Nolan sat to the side.
Confessional:
Nolan: I was hoping to get a game in with just Joseph, but Cyan never left us be. Not that there's anything wrong with Cyan, but I feel I should strengthen my one-on-one connections with the rest of the team, so they feel less inclined to vote me out. Those two do seem awfully close, I noticed. Hm.
Cyan: I was already aligned with Joseph, but the fact that he trusts me and Louise more than JM and Kun is really flattering. I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make in the long run, but it's sweet nonetheless.
Joseph: If it gets to a point where I can't rely on JM and Kun for whatever reason, I want Cyan and Louise to know that I've got their back 100%. I know better than to trust this game not to have some kind of team swap at some point, especially in All-Stars, so you need to expect the unexpected out here.
Steve Jenkins and Vladimir met up in the latter's motel room.
"What's the haps, Baz?" Steve Jenkins asked.
"You're still calling me Baz?" Vladimir asked.
"I go back and forth in my mind on if you're Baz or Vlad," Steve Jenkins shrugged. "Why are you still in disguise if people know who you are, anyway?"
"Nobody knows who I am," Vladimir grinned darkly. "And nobody ever will."
After a brief pause, Steve Jenkins reached quickly for Vladimir's face, but the master of disguise grabbed his wrist reflexively.
"Alright, geez!" Steve Jenkins relented.
"Next time you might not keep your arm intact," Vladimir informed with narrowed eyes. He let go of Steve Jenkins' wrist. "But anyway, I've invited you into my room so we can talk game."
"Alright, good, because we definitely need to after Isidora left," Steve Jenkins complied. "Personally, I can't see this as anything other than a personal attack towards me from jealous lamers who can't handle the fact that they can never be me!"
"I was talking this over with Ernie, and we both strongly suspect that Bailey and Brittany voted alongside Hugh and Irving to vote Isidora out," Vladimir recapped.
"Yeah, I was talking it over with Shady, and she thinks it was you instead of Bailey for some reason," Steve Jenkins chuckled.
"Well, that's not good," Vladimir frowned. "My plan going forward was to get you, Ernie, and Shadya on the same page so we can just get rid of Irving."
"Why does it have to be Irving? What about Brittany?" Steve Jenkins objected.
"We can get rid of Brittany after Irving," Vladimir maintained. "Believe me, I have firsthand experience with Brittany. She's a sneaky player, sure, but Irving is the type who will end someone's game on a whim, and somehow keep getting away with it."
"That sounds like the same thing as Brittany but with more words," Steve Jenkins groused. "I'm telling you, we can't underestimate Brittany. I don't understand how everyone keeps acting like she isn't a threat!"
"She is a threat, but I, and Shadya for that matter, think Irving is more of a threat," Vladimir clarified.
"I'm not buying it," Steve Jenkins doubted.
In the next motel room over, Hugh had put a drinking glass up against the wall and was listening intently.
"Veeeery interesting," Hugh snickered.
Confessional:
Steve Jenkins: What kind of pushover does Vlad take me for?! I'm not just your average, run-of-the-mill supermodel vlogger fan-favorite game changer. I'm Steve Jenkins, bitch! You are not better than me, no matter who you dress up as! You could disguise yourself as Steve Jenkins and wouldn't gain a shred of my charisma!
Vladimir: Steve Jenkins' threat-crush on Brittany is proving to be more of an obstacle than I'd anticipated. Ordinarily, I'd be fine just shifting the target to Brittany, but I don't think Shadya would go for it. Having to rely on two of the most narcissistic people to ever play this game is going to be... a challenge.
Hugh: I think I may have just found a potential fifth vote for us to avoid a tie. Keheheheh. I truly am the villain of this game!
Kiki found Kun sitting at one of the garden tables at McLean Park, writing something down.
"Kun. May we speak?" Kiki offered.
"Oh, um, well..." Kun panicked a bit as he shut his notebook. "Of course. How can I, um, help you, Kiki?"
Kiki glanced suspiciously at the notebook but returned her attention to Kun. "So, I've heard through the grapevine that you're getting the votes against me."
"I- I mean- Well- The-!" Kun stammered.
"I'm not mad. I just want to negotiate," Kiki told him.
Kun swallowed a lump in his throat. "What do you, um, want?"
"Well, I had to have heard about you targeting me from someone, right?" Kiki mentioned. "I've got no respect for people who are willing to throw their ally under the bus like that, though, so I'm inviting you to help me vote out Jean-Marie."
"J-Jean-Marie?" Kun asked. "Why would he, um, tell you that?"
"Isn't it obvious? He's playing both sides so that nobody wants to target him," Kiki fibbed. "He knows he can't flirt his way into getting a harem to follow him, so he's gaining favor in a different way."
"Well, um, Kiki, I had extended the offer for us to work together at the start of the game, and you, um, refused that offer," Kun explained.
"So what? Is your pride in that regard really worth turning down an offer to eliminate someone untrustworthy from your team?" Kiki challenged.
"It showcases you as someone who is, um, not as willing to work with me as Jean-Marie is," Kun frowned.
"I am literally approaching you to ask to work together!" Kiki snapped. She took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, Kiki, but, um, when a good business opportunity comes up, you shouldn't pass it up until your company is in danger," Kun lectured. "Unless you have something to offer me that the others, um, don't, I have no incentive to, um, consider this."
Kiki's fists clenched and her face contorted in rage.
"Think fast!" a voice called from afar.
"Huh?" Kun was not able to think fast, and was pelted in the chest with a football. "Ow..."
"Sorry!" Louise apologized as she ran up to the two. "You guys want to throw the ball around? It's good to stay active every day, especially when we're on a winning streak!"
"I'm not very good at that kind of thing, but you two have fun," Kiki declined as she walked off.
"Yes, um, allow me a minute to recover from getting hit," Kun told Louise.
"You're worn out just from that?!" Louise gasped.
"I don't exercise a lot," Kun wheezed.
Confessional:
Kiki: Of course, why should Kun have any reason to believe that one of the most cutthroat players on this team would have any reason to betray him?! Just because I turned down his offer to work together before, I have to be lying and out to get him! Ugh, his stupid ego. This team is killing me!
Kun: It's not as though I, um, believe there's no chance whatsoever that Jean-Marie could have sold me out, but, simply looking at the numbers, there's no reason to worry about him defecting to Kiki's side. Doing so would only put one at, um, a horrible disadvantage. Besides, it's not as though Kiki can, um, do anything about knowing she's a target.
Louise: What kind of leader exhausts himself so easily? Or isn't even able to think fast, for that matter? Kun really needs to put less focus on overthinking the game and more focus on keeping himself healthy and physically active, or else he's never going to be sharp enough to lead a company!
Shadya had gathered Bailey and Ernie into her motel room.
"We have a situation on our hands, here," Shadya prefaced.
"Yeah, I hate when I get hangnails, too," Ernie said.
"Why did you specifically invite me and Ernie?" Bailey wondered. "What about the others?"
"The others, we cannot trust," Shadya grunted. "I believe that Brittany and Vladimir were two of the four votes to eliminate Isidora last night."
"Is that so?" Ernie asked as he skeptically side-eyed Bailey. "How do you know it's the two of them, like, specifically?"
"Because both of them were established targets, and both of them are established opportunists," Shadya explained. "They knew that their games were on the line, so they took advantage of someone else being a target."
"What should we do about it?" Bailey asked.
"We keep our votes against Irving, of course," Shadya maintained. "He was one of the people who pushed for Isidora to go, and, between him and Hugh, I'm not as worried about Hugh gaining any traction against us."
"That makes sense," Bailey nodded.
"I was actually just, like, talking to Vladimir earlier today, and he said he'd be good with an Irving vote," Ernie brought up.
"I'm on board with this idea as well," Bailey nodded.
"Excellent. No need to waste further time," Shadya smirked. "Now please leave me be. I haven't gotten started on any of my fifty-seven daily puzzle books today."
Bailey and Ernie made their way out of Shadya's room.
"I'm onto you," Ernie told Bailey once the door closed behind them.
"What do you mean?" Bailey asked. The two made their way down towards the outside table.
"I know that, ya know, you were the other vote against Isidora, not Vladimir," Ernie leered.
"You don't think Vladimir voted for her? He was the one who pointed out that she was working with everyone in the first place," Bailey frowned.
"Do you think I haven't, like, noticed how close you and Brittany are?" Ernie scoffed. "Or how not-close Brittany and Vladimir are? Hell, Brittany, like, threw Vlad under the bus hard last night, too. Appearances don't mean anything."
"Well, I would appreciate it if you didn't go spreading false rumors about me being disloyal," Bailey frowned.
"I won't have to if I have reason to believe that you are loyal," Ernie sneered.
"So you're blackmailing me." Bailey folded her arms.
"After you, ya know, voted out our mutual ally, I can't say I feel too bad for you," Ernie mentioned. "But hey, if you vote for Irving, I won't, like, have to tell Shadya anything."
"I see," Bailey frowned. "I was hoping we could continue our friendlier game relationship from House Party."
"Then you shouldn't have backstabbed Isidora," Ernie scoffed.
Confessional:
Ernie: If Bailey is going to, like, screw me over so she can go rub elbows with Hugh, then no, I won't play nice with her. She knows how to, ya know, play the game. So let's play.
Bailey: I wonder if I could shift the alliance's target from Vladimir to Ernie. If Irving can do so on a whim, then surely I should be able to as well. It's either that, or I betray my current alliance and comply with Ernie's terms, and that's not something I really want to do. I will not be threatened like this.
Shadya: It's important to keep everyone focused. A lack of focus is what led to the split in votes that ended with Isidora leaving. If what Ernie says is true, then, with Vladimir, we should have five votes against Irving, but I do not trust Vladimir. I will have to confirm this for myself.
Jean-Marie and Quentin had just finished playing a game against each other at the arcade.
"I would not expect someone as peaceful as yourself to be such a fan of a game where two people fight one another," Jean-Marie commented.
"I wouldn't think so either, but I don't know, something about the inner relationship you start to feel with your opponent, the drive they give you to improve... It just clicks with me," Quentin chuckled.
"What a lovely sentiment," Jean-Marie complimented. "Are you the type of person who always strives to improve?"
"Not as much as I'd like, but I'm making more of an effort right now because I feel like I'm not contributing enough to challenges," Quentin answered. "While I was sitting out of yesterday's challenge, I did a bunch of push-ups and ran laps around McLean Park."
"How commendable," Jean-Marie smiled.
"Haha. Thanks, I try," Quentin blushed.
"So, have I clicked with you during our matches in the video game?" Jean-Marie asked.
"Maybe a bit. I probably oversold it by describing it like that," Quentin chuckled.
"I was hoping for us to be able to help one another in this game through an alliance," Jean-Marie offered.
"Well, more alliances never hurt anyone, right?" Quentin figured.
"'More'?" Jean-Marie questioned.
"Uh, well, I mean, that was referring to-" Quentin stammered.
"Quentin!" Dalit called from across the room. "Do not poison your mind with Jean-Marie's manipulatings!"
"Dalit, may I please play the game without you breathing down my neck?" Jean-Marie tutted.
"I will not have anyone fooled by false friends!" Dalit insisted as she marched up to the two. "That is how I lost the game before, and it's how so many others lost the game!"
"Myself included," Jean-Marie reminded her.
"But you were a false friend to others first!" Dalit accused.
"Mais non, I was not," Jean-Marie denied. "Flirting does not automatically mean I didn't enjoy spending time with Brittany, Angie, and Kristin."
"I'm going to grab a soda and head back to my room," Quentin mentioned quietly as he slipped away.
Confessional:
Jean-Marie: It is making an increasing amount of sense that Quentin is likely already a member of Kiki's alliance and that they were hiding this fact. Très intelligent. I can only hope this means that he has not leaked to her the fact that I am targeting her. However, I can also sense genuine trust within him, so who can say for sure what will happen?
Dalit: It furiates me that Jean-Marie keeps trying to claim that he is like me when that is not further from the truth! He is a snake, sneaking on his prey, where I am a butterfly, a beautiful creature who everyone loves without needing to lie! Snakes and butterflies are not the same!
Quentin: Dang, JM's so good at flirting that I'm almost starting to feel attracted to him. Haha. ...It might not be 'almost'. That's something I'm going to have to sit on. For now, I should be worried that I accidentally told him I already have an alliance other than him. That might not end so well. (He sighs disappointedly.)
Back in the building where the contestants had put together the robots, Ginger did repairs on Greg alongside a shaggy-haired young man. Lindsay entered the room holding a pitcher and some paper cups.
"I brought lemonade!" Lindsay announced.
"Are you getting thirsty, Godfrey?" Ginger asked the man next to her.
"I could go for a drink," Godfrey told her.
"Knock yourself out," Ginger allowed. She glanced at Lindsay. "Why'd you bring more than one cup? You know I still can't taste, right?"
"I didn't want to assume you wouldn't want some and not have a cup in case you did," Lindsay frowned.
"She's just being considerate," Godfrey backed up.
"...Thanks, I guess," Ginger said before returning her attention to Greg.
"Thank you guys for contributing so much to this season, even if you aren't playing," Lindsay smiled.
"It is my dream and hers to integrate robots into organic society," Godfrey grinned. "And this show has been a big help with that. Of course we're willing to do our part in return."
"I'm still not incredibly keen on everyone's first impressions of Greg and Jayne being in use as someone they should be beating up," Ginger mentioned.
"Jayne is getting along great with the contestants now that that's all over," Lindsay told her. "And I bet Greg can do the same!"
"It's just a challenge. People realize that," Godfrey assured Ginger.
"People wouldn't be as into it if they were organic, is all I'm saying," Ginger mentioned.
"Please," Godfrey doubted. "You're always boasting about how robots are so much easier to repair than organics, and the military applications that that implies."
"That's different," Ginger insisted.
"How? These are lower-intelligence robots, like the military ones we've proposed," Godfrey told her.
"Oh, they are? I'd forgotten," Ginger recalled. "Disregard my previous sentiment."
"How was that a low-priority memory and the entirety of The George Lopez Show isn't?" Godfrey questioned.
"Does being not smart mean you don't matter as much?" Lindsay frowned.
"Like, not every episode is worth keeping," Godfrey continued.
"Have you ever eaten octopus?" Ginger asked Lindsay.
"I love sushi!" Lindsay gushed.
"Greg and Jayne are about as smart as an octopus," Ginger explained. "They are similar to pets, who just look and talk like people."
"That sounds weird and I don't like it!" Lindsay cried.
"It's... very complicated," Godfrey told her as he sipped his lemonade. "Ginger and I have talked about this a lot. To keep a very long conversation short: if she's okay with it, then I'm fine with it."
Lindsay looked unsure.
Later that day, Chris, Topher, and Lindsay met up with the contestants at McLean Park.
"Let's now reintroduce Frita from Isolation Park!" Chris announced.
The dour girl returned to her team for the first time that day.
"Hey," Quentin smiled at her.
"Mm," Frita half-responded.
"Alright, everyone, today's challenge is going to be another reward challenge. Meaning nobody is going home tonight!" Topher announced.
Most of the contestants looked at least a little relieved at this news.
"Follow us to where the challenge will be taking place!" Lindsay suggested.
"What? Why couldn't we have just met up there?!" Ernie complained.
"Everyone knows where McLean Park is. I doubt anyone would be able to pick out wherever we're going to by name alone," Bailey figured.
Confessional:
Kiki: No elimination tonight means that, even if we lose, I still have time to work things in my favor. Dalit told me that Jean-Marie is trying to get his hooks into Quentin's mind, and I need to do something about that asap!
Irving: See, I told ye getting rid of Isidora first be the best idea! Now we be better equipped for a challenge, and she doesn't get a free day to keep convincing people she be worth keeping. That's why I be the captain. Keheheh.
The contestants were led to a building with a gymnasium inside. Standing in the center of the gymnasium was a muscular blond man.
"Alright, everyone, I hope you guys are ready for some dodgeball," the blond grinned.
"Dodgeball?" Kun gulped.
"That's what Mondo said!" Chris chuckled.
"Explain the challenge for us, my man," Topher requested of Mondo.
"Will do," Mondo nodded. "Each team will send in five players per game. At the start of the game, you'll be touching the walls, and the dodgeballs will be placed down the centerline. On the whistle, the game will start. Your goal is to hit all your opponents by throwing a ball. If you're hit, you're out. If you catch the ball, then the person who threw it is out, and you can bring someone who was taken out back into the game. Once all players are out on one side, the other side wins that game. We'll be playing best two out of three."
"Ah, I did miss your natural charisma," Hugh commented.
"Likewise," Mondo leered.
"What's the reward for winning?" Bailey asked.
"The team who wins the challenge will get one pass that allows them a visit to the Drama City Day Spa for all its members," Mondo smiled. "As a bonus, if you're voted out without having used your pass, you may give it to a teammate before you go. Oh, and before I forget, all contestants who are competing in this challenge must play in at least one game. Also, two Fighting Wyverns will have to sit out of this challenge entirely, and Quentin cannot be one of them."
The Fighting Wyverns talked it over for a few moments.
"Frita and me will not be playing at this one," Dalit informed.
"Alright! If there's no further ado, let's get the first game going!" Chris announced.
Confessional:
Dalit: Chris said that Frita and me could go be somewhere else as long as we're back before the challenge is over! Finally, I can teach her about how to do her hair! After spending all night in the park, she can use the knowledge.
Frita: I still needed time to clear my head, so this works out for me. I'd rather have Dalit try to convince me that makeup will... make up for my awful personality than to let that awful personality showcase itself even more.
On the Grand Gryphons' side of the court, Brittany, Irving, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir took their spots. On the Fighting Wyverns' side, Cyan, Jean-Marie, Kiki, Kun, and Louise took their spots. The five dodgeballs had been lined up in the center.
"On your marks... get set..." Chris built up. "GO!"
The ten players ran up to the balls as quickly as they could. Irving, Shadya, Vladimir, Cyan, and Louise all managed to grab one.
Shadya immediately threw a ball at Jean-Marie, who was unable to stop the impending object. The ball hit him in the chest.
"Ow," Jean-Marie frowned.
With the blow of a whistle from Mondo, Jean-Marie was prompted to sit at the bleachers.
Louise ran to retrieve the ball as quickly as she could. She passed the ball to Kun, who stood nearby, and deflected an incoming ball with the one she was already holding. The deflected ball hit Steve Jenkins on the forehead.
"Hey! Watch the face, I need it!" Steve Jenkins accused.
Mondo blew the whistle.
"What, that counts?!" Steve Jenkins objected.
"The game is called dodgeball. If you can't dodge the ball, then you lose," Mondo maintained.
"Absolute lamer," Steve Jenkins grumbled as he went to the bleachers.
"I've been called worse," Mondo shrugged off.
Shadya grabbed the ball that hit Steve Jenkins. She turned her attention to Irving, who was staring down Cyan as the two had their balls at the ready.
"Irving," Cyan leered.
"Cyan," Irving grinned.
Both of them were hit by dodgeballs.
"Probably should have seen that coming," Irving figured.
"Yeah, I'll own up to that," Cyan agreed.
The two took their spots at the bleachers.
Brittany and Shadya claimed the two free balls on the Grand Gryphons' side, while Kiki and Louise claimed the two free balls on the Fighting Wyverns' side. This left Vladimir as the only one on the court without a ball.
"Don't throw it at Vladimir. He could, um, catch it," Kun reminded his teammates.
"Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed," Kiki snipped.
"Hey. Teamwork makes the dream work," Louise told Kiki.
"He was talking down to me!" Kiki excused.
Using the ball she was holding, Louise deflected a ball that was headed towards Kiki. "Focus on winning!"
Kun threw his ball at Brittany, who dodged the ball with little effort.
"If you're trying to make it look like you aren't throwing the challenge, it isn't working," Brittany told him.
"I would never... um... do such a thing!" Kun panted.
Vladimir grabbed the ball Kun had thrown and launched it back at him. Kun reflexively shielded his face, which did nothing to prevent him from getting hit in the gut. Mondo blew his whistle. This victory did not last long, as Louise hit Vladimir with her own ball shortly after, prompting another whistle blow.
"You focus on Louise. I'll focus on Kiki," Shadya told Brittany.
"Alright," Brittany complied.
"You heard them, right?" Kiki asked Louise quietly.
"No, but how hard is it going to be to dodge?" Louise chuckled. She barely managed to dodge an incoming ball. "Haha. See?"
Kiki had her eyes focused on Shadya.
"You cannot escape. I will make you physically aware of that," Shadya told Kiki coldly.
Kiki froze up, and Shadya was easily able to take her out. Mondo blew his whistle. Kiki, hugging her body, returned to the bleachers.
"Are you, um, feeling alright?" Kun asked her.
Kiki shook her head. Her eyes stayed glued to the floor. Kun looked at her with concern but pressed her no further.
Louise danced back and forth on her feet as she stared down her two opponents.
"We both throw our balls at her at the same time," Shadya told Brittany quietly.
Brittany dodged an incoming ball. "Gotcha."
Shadya deflected another incoming ball. "Now!"
Brittany and Shadya both threw their balls at Louise. Louise dodged the first ball but ended up dodging directly into the second ball. Mondo blew his whistle.
"The Grand Gryphons win Round One!" Mondo announced.
"That is the correct outcome!" Shadya half-boasted, half-cheered.
"We haven't won the challenge yet. We can't cheer yet," Brittany reminded her.
Confessional:
Brittany: Between you and me, I'm glad that we get a challenge where Shadya can safely take out her pent-up frustration with us losing. I was starting to get a little worried about her.
Kiki: There is no shame in feeling uncomfortable when traumatic memories resurface, but I wish it didn't happen in the middle of a challenge. I-I can't let the other team take advantage of me like that! I cannot let anyone take advantage of me!
"Decide who's going to be playing in Round Two!" Chris instructed the teams. "As a reminder, Bailey, Ernie, and Hugh have to play for the Grand Gryphons, and Joseph, Nolan, and Quentin have to play for the Fighting Wyverns."
"I deserve another chance!" Steve Jenkins asserted to his team.
"Well, I'm convinced," Ernie remarked.
"I have no reason to believe that you won't fail me again," Shadya told him. "Brittany and I will be playing this round again."
"Do... I get a say in this?" Brittany asked.
"If the lass doesn't wish to play again, I be willing to step in," Irving offered. "I'll even keep me distance from Cyan."
"You can't just ignore a request from Steve Jenkins!" Steve Jenkins objected.
"Brittany and I will be playing in this round. This is not up for debate," Shadya maintained.
"Alright," Brittany sighed.
"It's dodgeball, not a marathon. You'll be fine," Hugh sneered.
"It's more the principle of the thing," Brittany muttered.
"Me, Ernie, Hugh, Shadya, and Brittany..." Bailey pieced together.
"You guys can do it," Vladimir smiled.
On the other end of the gymnasium, Joseph, Nolan, and Quentin stood in front of their team.
"Alright, bros, who's joining us on this conquest?" Joseph grinned.
"Well, um, if anybody wishes to volunteer, they should, um, get first priority," Kun figured.
"I'd like another shot," Cyan said with her hand raised. "I feel like I could have done better."
Silence.
"Well, if nobody else is dying to go back, I'd definitely love to step back in," Louise offered.
"I'm good. You guys go at it..." Kiki said.
"That makes things easy," Nolan mentioned.
"I trust there are, um, no objections?" Kun inquired.
"None from me," Jean-Marie answered.
"Yeah, I think we've got a pretty strong group overall," Quentin nodded.
"Let's go!" Joseph whooped.
Confessional:
Joseph: The other team might have the lead, but I'm all about team deathmatches! It's the whole reason I ended up as team leader on the Pixel Peacocks. The Fighting Wyverns aren't out of this yet!
Steve Jenkins: It's not easy being Steve Jenkins sometimes. I know that sounds hard to believe, and it is, because lots of things are easy when you're Steve Jenkins, but the sheer jealousy and resentment that you have to deal with on the daily can get to you, man. Just because everyone else isn't gifted with my looks, brains, and athleticism, they feel like they have to do me dirty. (He sniffles.) It's so rude! I'm so blessed to have fans like you in my life.
The competing contestants took their spots at the walls of the gymnasium.
"On your marks... get set..." Mondo began the round by blowing his whistle.
The players ran for the balls set up in the centerline of the court. Brittany, Shadya, Cyan, Joseph, and Louise each grabbed one.
"At least I can catch one?" Bailey told herself.
Shadya launched her ball at Quentin, who just managed to step out of the way, to the point where he could still feel the breeze of the ball flying past him. The ball ricocheted off the wall behind Quentin and back into Shadya's hands.
"Geez, you throw hard," Quentin chuckled.
"I'm a hard woman," Shadya claimed.
"Yeah, I bet," Nolan snickered.
Shadya immediately sent the ball towards Nolan, and it gut-punched him onto the floor. Mondo blew his whistle.
"Alright, let's all focus on one person at a time. It's a lot harder to defend yourself when it's three against one," Joseph told Cyan and Louise quietly.
"Got it," Cyan agreed.
"Everyone against Brittany on three," Louise suggested.
"One... two... three!" Joseph counted.
The three of them all threw their balls at Bailey, Brittany, and Ernie, with only the throw against Bailey actually connecting. In addition, during all this, Brittany threw her ball and hit Louise. Mondo blew his whistle twice in quick succession.
"Guys, I said Brittany," Louise clarified, annoyed.
"Oh, that's my bad," Joseph admitted.
"We can still win!" Cyan insisted.
Hugh guffawed at the whole display. Joseph, angered, lobbed his ball at Hugh, who tossed the ball he'd been holding in the air and caught the ball Joseph had thrown.
"What the?!" Joseph gasped.
"Did I ever mention that I know how to juggle?" Hugh sneered smugly as he caught the ball he'd thrown in the air with his free hand.
Mondo blew his whistle. "Joseph's out. Bailey's back in!"
"Oh, yay," Bailey smiled as she rejoined her team. She accepted the ball that Hugh tossed to her.
"Welp, looks like it's just you and me," Quentin told Cyan as he looked over the five Grand Gryphons.
"As sure as I am that blue is the best color, I'm sure that we can do this!" Cyan declared.
"Everyone throw at Cyan!" Shadya ordered her team.
"Eep!" Cyan squealed.
Cyan dodged multiple balls in succession and caught the last one.
Mondo blew his whistle. "Hugh's out! Nolan's back in!"
"Bullshit!" Hugh objected.
"Just listen. No need to make a scene. We can still win," Bailey told him.
"I'd say our probability of turning it around just increased," Nolan grinned as he rejoined his team.
Nolan picked up two of the balls that Cyan had dodged. He looked at and wound his arm up to throw, only to throw it at Ernie instead. Ernie was unable to react in time and took a ball to the face.
"That wasn't, like, necessary," Ernie groaned as the whistle blew.
Shadya ran up to the ball that hit Ernie before Bailey, who was closer to it, could pick it up.
"Um..." Bailey didn't seem sure how to respond to that.
Shadya launched a ball each at Cyan and Nolan. Nolan stepped out of the way of the projectile, while Cyan used the ball she was holding to deflect the other ball back at Shadya, who realized a second too late what was happening, and took the punishment from her own ball. Mondo blew his whistle.
"Are you kidding me?!" Shadya fumed. She made her way to the bleachers.
Bailey and Brittany shared a quick glance before each dodging a ball that was thrown their way. They both threw the balls they were holding at Nolan, who was still holding a ball, although he managed to dodge both of them. Cyan and Quentin were quick to grab the failed projectiles, while Bailey and Brittany each grabbed the balls that they had recently dodged. This left all five still in the game holding a ball, each trying to keep on eye on all of their opponents.
"It seems we're at an impasse. Why don't we make a game of it?" Nolan suggested.
"It's already a game. The game is dodgeball," Brittany pointed out.
"Hear me out," Nolan implored. "If we-"
Bailey threw her ball at Nolan before he could continue, or register that he was about to be hit. Mondo blew his whistle.
"Alright, fine," Nolan groused as he tossed the ball he was holding to Quentin.
Cyan threw her ball at Bailey, who was unable to move out of the way in time. Mondo blew his whistle again, and she joined the rest of her team on the bleachers.
Brittany, realizing it was just her on the Grand Gryphons' side, dropped the ball she was holding.
"What the hell is she doing?" Ernie asked.
"Probably preparing to catch a ball," Vladimir guessed.
"On three," Cyan told Quentin.
"Alright," Quentin agreed.
"One... two... three!"
Cyan threw her ball, followed by Quentin a second after. Brittany was unable to catch Cyan's ball. Mondo blew his whistle.
"The Fighting Wyverns take Round 2!" Mondo announced.
"Geez, you've got a better throwing arm than one would think," Brittany complimented Cyan, rubbing the pain out of her arm.
"Aw, thanks! You put up a great fight yourself," Cyan smiled back
Confessional:
Nolan: Well, I would have suggested we all throw our balls at once and see what happens, but I guess Bailey had other plans in mind. I suppose it worked out for her in the short term, but we still took the momentum. I certainly wouldn't mind it if we won this challenge. A day spa sounds nice.
Bailey: Nolan leans too far into the aspect of this being a game. Sure, it is, but this is a game with stakes, and I think a lot of people forget about that, especially him. It's the reason he couldn't make it to the merge the first time, and the reason that I suspect history will repeat itself.
Dalit had taken Frita back to her penthouse room at Blaising Tower and had spent the entire time since they got there with Dalit brushing Frita's hair.
"When was the last time you did anything to this besides washing it?" Dalit reprimanded.
Frita didn't seem to be able to come up with an answer.
"No excuses! If you don't take care of your hair, your hair will not take care of you!" Dalit insisted.
"How is my hair supposed to take care of me?" Frita doubted.
"It is just like I always say! An attractive appearance means an attractive person," Dalit explained. "If you look good, people will think you are good."
"I'm pretty sure that's not true," Frita winced. "Even if I was a supermodel, I'd still be a creepy, violent freak on the inside."
"Frita, have you ever considered that you dislike yourself so much because you don't put effort in your appearance?" Dalit asked. "Feeling attractive means feeling confident."
"I... I don't know about that," Frita denied. "Maybe? I just doubt that I'd be attractive enough to feel confident, even with the effort you're putting in."
"So you doubt me?" Dalit frowned.
"I doubt myself, not you," Frita clarified.
"It all seems like it's leading into itself!" Dalit exasperated. "You aren't confident because you don't think you're attractive, but you won't try to make yourself attractive because you aren't confident in yourself."
"There's a lot more to it than that," Frita mentioned. "Like I said, even if I did put effort into this kind of thing, people would still push me away because of who I am."
"What about me?" Dalit huffed. "What about Kiki and Quentin? Aren't we your friends?"
"I haven't really been able to ask the others since I snapped yesterday..." Frita trailed off. She teared up. "I don't know if I can face them, Dalit."
"I was in an alliance meeting this morning. They still trust you," Dalit assured her.
"Now that I think about it, Quentin was the first person to greet me when I came back from Isolation Park..." Frita thought aloud. "Why do you guys put up with me?"
"Because that is what friends do, of course!" Dalit beamed. "That's not the kind of thing you should question. Even if you don't think you have value, others do. Shouldn't that be enough?"
"It should, but..." Frita mumbled.
Confessional:
Frita: None of this makes any sense to me, but I signed up for this game and came back to do it again because I thought it'd be at least an interesting change of pace. I don't understand why these guys would want to be my friends, but I might as well roll with it for now. It's not like we're going to be around each other for very long.
Dalit: Frita will never improve herself if she keeps telling herself that it isn't worth trying! She doesn't turn it away when I try to primp her up, but I feel like she's letting me do it because it makes me happy instead of her. How can I convince her that it's always worth taking care of yourself? That seems like it should be so obvious!
The teams had taken the time to decide who was going to play for them in the third and final game. Touching the wall on the Grand Gryphons' side were Bailey, Brittany, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir. Touching the opposite wall for the Fighting Wyverns were Cyan, Jean-Marie, Joseph, Louise, and Quentin.
"Final game. For the challenge! Everyone ready?" Mondo called.
Everyone looked very ready.
"On your marks... get set..." Mondo blew his whistle, signaling the start of the final round.
The contestants ran for the balls lined up in the center of the court. Cyan, Joseph, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir all managed to get one.
Shadya immediately launched her ball at Cyan. Quentin immediately threw his ball at Shadya. Both balls connected with their targets and Mondo blew his whistle twice in quick succession. Shadya shot Quentin a death glare on her way to the bleachers.
"Alright, we're off to a start!" Quentin smiled hopefully.
Brittany and Louise quickly claimed the balls that had taken their respective teammates out. Meanwhile, Steve Jenkins threw his ball at Joseph, who stepped out of the way. Jean-Marie moved to pick up the stray ball.
"Come on!" Steve Jenkins griped.
"Dodging balls is the name of the game, bro. Literally," Joseph shrugged smugly.
"Shall we save him for last? He doesn't seem as big of a threat as the others, non?" Jean-Marie asked Joseph quietly.
"Heh. Works for me, bro," Joseph agreed.
Louise and Vladimir traded balls. Neither of them caught their opponent's projectile, but they were able to retrieve them after they had hit the floor. It was at that moment when Louise was able to throw her ball again and hit Vladimir before he was able to even stand fully back up. Mondo blew his whistle.
"Damn," Vladimir grunted.
Vladimir handed his ball to Bailey near him as he left the court, and Steve Jenkins ran to pick up the ball Louise had thrown.
"I think Louise is their biggest threat. Go for her," Brittany told her remaining teammates.
"How is she a threat? She didn't even make it past the first shuffle," Steve Jenkins scoffed.
"...Nobody on that team made it to the merge in their season," Bailey pointed out.
"You know what I meant. Everyone aim at her!" Brittany commanded.
All three Grand Gryphons threw their balls at Louise, who was unable to get out of the way of all three of them. Mondo blew his whistle.
"Wait, now they have all the balls," Steve Jenkins pointed out.
Brittany smacked her own forehead.
"Nice going," Steve Jenkins groaned.
"We can still win this," Bailey maintained.
Jean-Marie and Joseph both held one ball in each hand, and Quentin had the last ball.
"Just go for it. Throw at whoever. They won't know what hit them," Joseph grinned.
"Sounds good," Quentin grinned.
The Fighting Wyverns threw their balls in near unison. Bailey was hit with two balls, and Brittany was hit with one. The other two balls missed. Mondo blew his whistle twice.
"Well, good luck," Brittany told Steve Jenkins as she left the court.
"What is luck to a god?" Steve Jenkins asked as he picked up a ball. "Probability defies me. You know why?"
Steve Jenkins threw the ball at Quentin.
"Because I'm Steve Jen-" Steve Jenkins' claim was cut off by a blow from Mondo's whistle. Quentin had the ball Steve Jenkins threw at him, caught in his hands.
"The Fighting Wyverns win reward!" Chris announced.
The winning team cheered, and Jean-Marie and Joseph hoisted Quentin onto their shoulders in a victory carry.
"That's BS! This is rigged!" Steve Jenkins objected.
"Yeah, that's what happens when you talk shit about luck, artard," Hugh grunted. "Quentin's like the luckiest person in the world."
"There's no such thing as luck," Steve Jenkins grunted. "Shady agrees with me. Right, Shady?"
"I'm starting to wonder," Shadya growled.
Confessional:
Quentin: Wow, maybe I was just getting to in-my-head about messing up the first challenge. That's right, it's a positive outlook that matters. That's what Alpha Party taught me! I need to keep that in mind!
Steve Jenkins: It's totally not fair! We were on a roll, and then the stupid Wyverns won anyway! I'm Steve Jenkins, I should not be subjected to this many losses in a row! I don't care if it makes me an underdog, because people are going to be rooting for me anyway!
The Grand Gryphons had been dismissed from the court, and Dalit and Frita had returned. Frita's hair was now in an elaborate braid.
"Nice job, Fighting Wyverns," Topher complimented. "Each of you guys gets a day spa pass. Make good use of it. We went a little over budget with the guys we hired."
"Wait, we did?!" Chris snapped. "Nelson isn't going to like that."
"Oh, no, he's fine with it. We just made cuts to Lindsay's makeup budget," Topher assured him.
"Is that why my face has been itchy all week?!" Lindsay cried.
"That's concerning," Cyan commented.
"Beauty is pain. She will survive," Dalit said dismissively.
"If beauty is pain, then I'd better get checked into a hospital," Nolan chuckled.
"I'll say," Kiki muttered.
"Of course, in addition to your rewards, you guys still have to partake in the Best/Worst vote," Topher reminded everyone as Lindsay handed out pens and papers in addition to the day spa passes. "Dalit and Frita will not be able to cast or receive votes, so keep that in mind."
"You guys can feel free to vote for me for the Worst vote," Kiki offered. "I messed up big time in my short time playing this one. I'll own up to that."
"That, or she simply wants the chance to search for hidden statues," Jean-Marie told Joseph and Kun quietly. "Do not fall for her scheme. Rather, I have a better idea."
The contestants cast their votes and turned in their ballots.
"I've got the results!" Topher announced. "If I may announce the result of the Best vote first..."
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Quentin has won the penthouse this time! Congrats, man!" Topher announced.
"W-Wow, really?" Quentin beamed. "Thanks, guys. After being the Worst vote the other day, this really means a lot."
"You, um, earned it," Kun smiled.
"And, for the Worst vote..." Topher trailed off.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Kiki, you got your wish. You've been voted as the worst in today's challenge," Topher informed.
"I'll take this as motivation to do better next time," Kiki nodded.
"I'll help you get to Isolation Park," Lindsay told Kiki. She leaned in a little close. "Do you have any spare blush I can have?"
"I clearly don't wear blush," Kiki told her flatly.
Confessional:
Kiki: My poor performance in the challenge was not intentional. I always give every challenge my best, no matter what. As I said, there's no shame in expressing honestly when things make you uncomfortable, but I don't want it to hinder me again. While all this is important, what's also important is that I find a hidden statue in Isolation Park. My game very well could depend on it.
Votes:
Best:
Quentin - Cyan, Jean-Marie, Joseph, Kun, Louise
Cyan - Kiki, Quentin
Nolan - Nolan
Worst:
Kiki - Cyan, Kiki, Louise, Quentin
Kun - Jean-Marie, Joseph, Kun
Joseph - Nolan
Bailey met up with Brittany and Irving in the team's garage hangout.
"I feel like this is my fault," Brittany said. "Everyone was counting on me in this challenge, and I failed them."
"While that be true, we wouldn't have lost the challenge if we didn't all fail to some extent," Irving told her jovially.
"Was that... supposed to cheer me up? I genuinely can't tell," Brittany asked.
"Well, did it?" Irving asked.
"Not really?" Brittany responded.
"Guys, can we focus on the game for a second?" Bailey requested.
"Should we let Hugh in on this?" Brittany asked.
"I invited him, but he told me he had some other matter to attend to," Bailey informed.
"That doesn't sound good," Brittany winced.
"Allow me to cut to the chase:" Bailey cleared her throat. "Shadya believes that it was Vladimir, not me, who voted against Isidora last night."
Irving burst into obnoxious laughter. "Are ye serious?!"
"She pulled me and Ernie aside in order to solidify an alliance between us," Bailey nodded. "Ernie figured out that it was me rather than Vladimir, though, and told me as much after Shadya let us go."
"Ernie's smart. We can't underestimate him," Brittany acknowledged.
"Ain't he working with Vladimir, too?" Irving asked.
"He may be," Bailey thought aloud.
"So, what? The target stays on Vladimir, right?" Brittany asked.
"I think she be saying that we may want to work closer with Shadya now," Irving surmised.
"What? Shadya's still out to get the rest of us," Brittany pointed out.
"I'm saying that it's something to keep in mind when interacting with the rest of the team," Bailey explained. "I want to make sure all our stories are straight. If we end up contradicting one another, it would be bad for us."
"And if Hugh does so, eh, it's just Hugh," Irving jested.
"I'll speak with him later," Bailey assured Irving. "Just be aware of how all the others see the team dynamics."
"Maybe," Irving said nonchalantly.
Confessional:
Bailey: Part of me still isn't sure that this isn't a trap of some sort on Shadya's part. She's clearly smart, so I'm not sure how likely it is that she'd make such an error in judgment like thinking Vladimir voted alongside Hugh and Irving. Maybe she's overthinking things. Either way, we'll have to be careful.
Irving: Ah, who cares if Shadya thinks it be Vladimir with us and not Bailey? Far as I can tell, it won't affect the votes any. Actually, now that I say it out loud, maybe Bailey could try and convince her to vote for Vlad with us! Now wouldn't that be something? Keheheh.
Ernie, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir met up at the diner, eating dinner together.
"Did anyone see where Shady went after the challenge?" Steve Jenkins asked.
"None of my business, don't particularly care," Ernie said as he stretched his arms tiredly.
"I think I saw her head back in the direction of the motel," Vladimir recalled.
"Well, she can sulk about losing all she wants. We need to, like, talk," Ernie said.
"We are talking," Steve Jenkins joked.
"You know, as absolutely hilarious as you are, maybe dial it back a bit so people don't think you're a social threat," Ernie forced himself to say with very obvious insincerity.
"Good point," Steve Jenkins accepted.
"It sounds like you have something important to say," Vladimir mentioned to Ernie.
"Yeah, so, like, apparently Shadya thinks that you voted to get rid of Isidora and that Bailey is someone we should be trusting instead," Ernie scoffed.
"To be fair, Vlad totally didn't help when Isidora's name came up," Steve Jenkins frowned.
"I... may have panicked a bit, knowing my game was on the line," Vladimir conceded. "But we can't focus on that right now. We need to focus on how to proceed knowing that there's an alliance of four on this team and only four of us to counter it."
"I could totally use my Steve Jenkins charm to get Bailey to work with us for real," Steve Jenkins offered.
"Is that so?" Ernie doubted.
"It worked with Gretchen. It worked with... Roxie... once," Steve Jenkins claimed.
"And how's it been working for you this season?" Ernie asked.
"Man, I don't have to take this!" Steve Jenkins snapped. He stood up and stormed away from the booth.
"Well, consider me convinced," Ernie groaned.
"We need him. I don't love the idea either, but we need him," Vladimir reminded Ernie.
"I know," Ernie sighed.
As Steve Jenkins made his way out of the diner, Hugh, who had been leaning against the wall, cleared his throat unsubtly.
"How's it going, Steve Jenkins?" Hugh asked.
"I'm getting fed up with the haters, man," Steve Jenkins said.
"Well, do I have an offer for you," Hugh chuckled. "How would you like an easy spot in the majority?"
"See, this is how things should have been from the start," Steve Jenkins beamed.
Confessional:
Steve Jenkins: It's clear that Ernie's got no respect for me at all, so why should I keep working with his punk ass when there are people on this team who actually recognize my value? That's a Steve Jenkins lesson to all my fans out there. I've mentioned this on my vlog, but don't waste your time with people who don't respect you!
Vladimir: I can't say I'm particularly happy with my current position in this game. On one side: an alliance who wants me eliminated, for whatever reason. On the other side: three people who all believe they're better than each other and can't keep their egos from clashing. Obviously, I've proven that I can deal with a team full of big egos back in Explore Party, but this is a bigger team, a tougher team.
The Fighting Wyverns, minus Kiki, had gone to their team's garage hangout. They had convinced Jayne to deliver beers and sodas from the barcade to the hangout.
"Yo, Jayne's the real bro!" Joseph whooped, one arm around Jayne's neck and one hand full of beer.
"I appreciate the compliment," Jayne smiled.
"Here, you ever have beer?" Joseph asked as he offered his beer to Jayne.
"I have not," Jayne answered. "Alas, I can but long for the capability to taste. And to get fucked up. Perhaps someday..."
"You'll get there someday. I believe in you!" Joseph sniffled.
"You two make for a handsome couple," Louise teased.
"Bro, Louise, can you imagine a life of not being able to taste?" Joseph questioned.
"Maybe if organics couldn't taste, they'd eat healthier," Jayne posited.
"See, they're so smart," Joseph beamed.
"Just try not to take advantage of... each other, I guess," Louise half-joked. "I actually don't know if Jayne can technically consent since they're of animal intelligence."
"So is your mother," Jayne responded neutrally. Joseph burst into laughter.
"You've never met my mother!" Louise snapped.
"Also Joseph and I are not romantically or sexually involved," Jayne added.
"Hey, we're not just going to pretend like that comment against my mom didn't happen!" Louise insisted.
Nolan and Quentin, meanwhile, played a video game while Frita watched.
"Damn, you're kind of killing me over here," Nolan told Quentin. "You've never played this game before?"
"I never said that," Quentin chuckled. "Actually, they have one of the older versions of this game in the barcade. I played Jean-Marie earlier today."
"So... you guys like video games?" Frita asked.
"I like games," Nolan smirked. "Video, card, board, or otherwise. CJ and I are planning on partnering up to come up with our own TCG. We'll see how that goes. We're still testing the gameplay out before committing to any art."
"I like video games, yeah," Quentin answered. "I like the outdoors more, but if it's rainy, or I'm home from work, they're a good way to unwind."
"If I got... okay at them, would you... would you guys...?" Frita stammered.
"Of course we'd play with you! That's what friends do, right?" Quentin agreed.
"I'm not the type to go easy on anyone," Nolan warned her.
"Then what's your dice twist in this game all about?" Quentin ribbed.
"That's not making it easy for everyone else, it's making it harder for me," Nolan insisted.
"What's the difference?" Frita muttered.
Cyan approached Dalit, who had been searching through the cooler for something to drink.
"Aha! Fuze tea!" Dalit finally found what she'd been looking for.
"You like that specific kind?" Cyan asked.
"It's the one soft drink in Israel that they have over here," Dalit said. "Now what do you want?"
"Oh, I just wanted to compliment you on your work on Frita's hair," Cyan smiled. "It looks great!"
"...We do not like each other," Dalit pointed out.
"We've had our friction in the past, sure, but I wanted to pay a genuine compliment," Cyan told her.
"If you think you can work me over and betray my friends, you are the wrong one!" Dalit huffed as she walked away.
"Oh... alrighty then," Cyan winced.
Jean-Marie and Kun hung in the back corner, each with a drink.
"Alright, so I wanted to talk to you about the, um, vote," Kun began.
"Non non non." Jean-Marie shook his head. "Now is the time to relax and not think about the game. I am thinking of joining those three with the video games. I can beat Quentin in this game."
"Alright, but, um, I suppose," Kun responded. "Yes, all work and no play is no good. We should enjoy ourselves. But may I pitch one idea to you first?"
"Ruminate on it. If it's still important tomorrow, then tell me," Jean-Marie said as he left Kun.
"Oh, um, okay," Kun sighed.
Confessional:
Kun: I'll admit, I'm starting to, um, second-guess whether or not we should be targeting Kiki. I feel like I made the wrong move turning her away earlier. Maybe I did, um, let my pride get the better of me. The worst part about it is that she's in Isolation Park, so I can't apologize to her right now. (He sighs.)
Frita: I lost every game I played against Nolan, Quentin, and Jean-Marie. It was embarrassing. ...It was nice to be included, though.
Back in the robotics lab, Ginger and Godfrey had just concluded repairs on Greg.
"Alright, he should be good to go," Ginger grinned.
Godfrey flipped a switch on a nearby machine. Greg opened his eyes.
"Am I dead?" Greg asked.
"Quite the opposite. In fact, you're more alive than ever," Ginger boasted.
"How are you feeling?" Godfrey asked.
"With my nervous system," Greg answered.
"He's fine," Ginger assured Godfrey.
"Hey, guys!" Lindsay smiled as she entered. "How's Greg doing?"
Greg stood up. "More alive than ever, apparently," he answered.
"Take it easy, alright? You took a pretty bad thrashing yesterday," Godfrey reminded Greg.
"Is that not why you repaired me? Shouldn't I be in perfect condition?" Greg asked.
"I... I mean, I guess, yeah," Godfrey realized.
"You worry too much. Robots are tough, you know. It's why we had him and Jayne fight the contestants three-to-one," Ginger said.
"Jayne's integrated themself pretty well with the others. I bet you can, too!" Lindsay told Greg.
"Interesting," Greg commented. "Whatever the purpose of my continued existence might be, I hope that it is beneficial to myself and others."
"That's the spirit," Godfrey smiled.
Shadya had retreated to her motel room, slamming the door behind her. She took her pillow off of her bed, held it against the wall, and punched it as hard as she could. After doing this for about thirty seconds or so, she tossed the pillow aside.
"How do I keep losing?!" Shadya cried. "I am better than this! I am human perfection!"
Shadya walked up to her nightstand and opened the drawer. She took a framed photo out, depicting a pair of well-dressed middle-aged people, a man and a woman, with a similar complexion to hers.
"I finally found you two, and you're both already more successful than I am," Shadya fumed. "How am I supposed to prove myself like this?! It's not fair!"
Shadya wound her arm up as if she was about to throw the photo against the wall, but she restrained herself from doing so. She placed the photo back in her nightstand and shut the drawer.
"I will not give you the satisfaction of being better than me," Shadya swore. "I will surpass you, no matter what. This stupid game is the only thing I've ever failed to succeed in. I will rectify that."
Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all stood in front of the city limits of Drama City.
"It's been another round of safety for everyone, but is anybody truly safe in this game?" Chris smirked.
"Well, sure, that's what Invincibility is for," Lindsay pointed out. "...Right?"
"True, but Invincibility only lasts for so long," Topher mentioned. "And by this time tomorrow, another player is going to be painfully aware of that fact."
"You said it, Topher! Hehaha," Chris chuckled. "Will the Fighting Wyverns continue their winning streak, or will the Grand Gryphons pull a dark horse victory?"
"It looks like alliance lines are being crossed on both teams. Anything can happen, and I, for one, am interested to see where things go," Topher grinned.
"Don't we have a meeting with Mr. Nelson tomorrow to talk about where things go?" Lindsay asked.
"Ugh, don't remind me," Chris groaned. He cleared his throat. "But, uh, anyway! Will Steve Jenkins flip over to Hugh's alliance? Will Ernie be able to get a group together to counter that alliance? Will Bailey take further advantage of Shadya's misconception about her?"
"Will Kiki find another statue in Isolation Park?" Topher asked. "Is Jean-Marie playing a trickier game than he's intending to? Will Dalit's makeovers for Frita affect her social standing at all?"
"I do like what Dalit did with her hair..." Lindsay mentioned.
"You'll just have to find out what happens next time, on Total!" Chris began.
"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.
"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison
Grand Gryphons:
Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet
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:
Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue
Dalit - The Social Media Model
Frita - The Morbid Artist
Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman
Joseph - The True Bro
Kiki - The Strategic Hipster
Kun - The Awkward Team Leader
Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher
Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler
Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist
A/N: Another buffer episode, and hopefully one that keeps things interesting and dynamic. There won't be too many more of these in the season, so hopefully, everyone's positions in the game are being well-established and worked with effectively. Let me know what you guys think!