Alara Dory Banks- District Four female (17)
Cactus would have been happy to see the challenge field. There was nothing on it but a row of book-sized whiteboards on the ground. This wasn't going to be a physical challenge, as far as I could tell. No mud, no water, no smelly food. It was some sort of written challenge.
"Good morning, contestants!' Isabella said. "Since there was no individual immunity last week, I've been taking care of this." She flaunted the necklace she wore. "Time for it to go back to one of you!"
"As you can see, the field's a little barren this week. Out there we have one whiteboard for each contestant. This challenge will consist of several questions about the game and camp life. Now you know why we had you do that survey yesterday. After I ask the question, write down what you think the most popular answer was, whether or not you agree with it. When the answers are revealed, every contestant with the most popular answer will receive one point. First to five points wins immunity and reward."
There was nothing laid out at her feet. I guessed it was another destination prize.
"Today's winner will select one guest to accompany them to a reconstructed Viking village, where they will enjoy demonstrations and lessons in authentic Viking warfare. They will also enjoy a demonstration of authentic Viking cuisine. Who's ready?"
Shep Howard- District Ten male (18)
I could already tell this was going to be a dramatic challenge. Imagine them asking who the ugliest Tribute is. In a flash I realized that might not be one of the answers. They wouldn't, right? They wouldn't make us all either avoid Leo's eyes or write down a condescending lie?
"Who do you think will be crowned Sole Survivor?"
I exhaled in relief. That was a relatively innocent question, at least compared to what might have been. There was a kinda clear answer, too, going by ambition and past performance.
"Let's see those answers! Leo, Shep, and Lana have written 'Octavia'. Kallik and Shep have written "Val". The Fours are bursting with confidence- both Alara and Dorian have chosen themselves." Dorian and Alara looked at each other and smiled sheepishly. "Finally, Octavia and Yarrow have written 'Lana'. The most popular answer was… Octavia. Leo, Shep and Lana are on the board with one point."
Kallik- District Two female (18)
"Which contestant do you want to be eliminated next?"
I sighed. We all knew it was coming. On the bright side, it was probably an easy point.
"We have a commanding winner here, or perhaps loser. Six contestants have chosen Octavia, including Octavia." Octavia put her arms out in resignation, nodding along. "Meanwhile Val refuses to buy a point at the expense of his love and set his sights on Shep, Leo has it in for Dorian, and Dorian wants to see the last of Val."
"I just had to pick someone," Leo piped up.
"I just picked Shep because he's strong," Val added in agreement with Leo's less-than-cutthroat attitude.
"The most popular answer was… Octavia," Isabella said. "That adds Yarrow, Shep, Alara, and Kallik to the board and raises Lana to two points."
Octavia Jacobs- District One female (18)
So far I was doing all right. I'd had a feeling I would be the answer for the first question, but I'd elected to sacrifice the point. Getting too many right would give people the idea I knew a lot about them, which was best avoided. Picking Lana just might put the idea into a few heads that she might be a threat.
"Who does the least around camp?"
If she'd asked it just yesterday we'd have all gotten an easy point. Cactus didn't like messy chores, or time-consuming chores, or chores he didn't benefit from. But now, it was pretty much a coin toss. I wrote down a guess and crossed my fingers.
"We're all over the board this time. Leo, Kallik, Octavia and Yarrow have written 'Dorian'. Dorian gives a self-deprecating face at this accusation."
"I have low cleaning standards," he admitted. That was just it. None of us was really lazy or selfish. There just had to be one of us who was the least motivated.
"Val thinks he's the freeloader," Isabella continued, "while Dorian and Shep point fingers at Alara."
"What?!" Alara looked indignantly at Dorian. "I'm always fishing!"
"Yeah so you're not at camp much," Dorian explained.
"Yeah, that's why I picked you, too," Shep agreed.
"And Lana is sticking with Octavia," Isabella finished.
"I had no idea and I thought it would be kind of funny," Lana admitted.
"The most popular was Dorian," Isabella revealed. "That brings Leo, Kallik, Yarrow and Octavia to two points."
Dorian Sargasso- District Four male (18)
I was the only one without any points. No longer. This was going to be mine.
"Who among you is the most attractive?"
Oh, great. Faces and features ran through my head as I tried to calculate a subjective matter with cold precision. My my fellow Tributes had various approaches. Val, Lana and Kallik wrote their answers immediately, Lana and Kallik smiling to themselves as they did. Yarrow was craning her neck looking at each of us in turn, her expression suggesting we had all been found wanting. None of us seemed certain when we turned over our boards.
"What a tangled web. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Val has enthusiastically chosen Kallik, judging from the giant heart around her name. Kallik demurely returns his affections. Octavia making it weird in here by choosing her brother. Alara and Yarrow concur." Val visibly soaked up the compliments. Dorian thinks Shep was blessed by Aphrodite. Shep sees something special when he looks at Alara. Leo appreciates Octavia, and Lana has chosen… Octavia."
"She really is pretty," Lana said. Octavia smiled.
"The most common answer in our survey was… Shep."
"For real?" Shep asked, pointing at himself.
"YES!" I crowed at the same moment. "On the board!"
Yarrow Venus- District Three female (17)
"Who is the best of you?"
Easy point, I thought at first. Then I thought it would be more complicated. A pretty close split, even…
"This one's razor tight. Leo, Kallik, Alara, Yarrow and Shep have chosen Lana." Lana smiled bashfully. "Octavia, Dorian, Val and Lana- breaking her streak- have chosen Leo. Our survey winner, by one point, was… Lana. That's two points for Leo, Kallik, Octavia, Yarrow and Lana, and one point for Dorian, Val, Alara, and Shep."
Leo Fabrizio- District Eight male (18)
The questions were written before we were ever picked, I was sure. It was just a coincidence. I tried not to let it show how I felt. I was at peace with my new life, but that didn't mean I didn't wish the fire hadn't happened. I used to wonder if I'd grow up handsome. Isabella hasn't said it, but I'd heard the little pause as she glanced at her notes. After she listed the people who had been guessed as most attractive, she was supposed to make a little joke about the others. She hadn't, which was very kind of her, and she hadn't even looked at me.
"Regardless of gender, who would make the best spouse?"
There were a lot of possibilities there. I ended up picking Kallik because she seemed like she could bring home the seal meat while I stayed back and tended the house.
"We have very nearly a clean sweep," Isabella started. I looked up and felt my cheeks go tight as I smiled. "Everyone but Leo has chosen Leo. Our most popular answer was… Leo."
I wasn't even mad I didn't get a point. That was something better.
Lana Mason- District Six female (17)
I was doing pretty well- I was in the lead pack. Anything could happen, but things looked all right.
"Which of you is the most annoying?"
I could feel the collective inhale. This would have been a really easy question when Enzo was still here. He wouldn't even have been mad- it was an endearing sort of annoying. But this group? I couldn't think of anything.
"Let's see those answers!" We flipped our boards. "It seems the camp is in two camps. Kallik and Dorian think it's Val, though Kallik's guess is tempered with a flirty heart. Val also catches a stray from his sister. Val protests that Dorian is much more annoying, and Alara, Shep and Yarrow agree. Lana and Leo were unable to bring themselves to point fingers and both named themselves."
"Heyyyy," Dorian said.
"I don't think any of us think you are," Alara said. "We just all thought everyone else did."
"I'll take it," Dorian said.
"The most popular answer was… Dorian!" Isabella announced. "That's two points for Leo and Dorian, three for Alara, Shep, Lana, Kallik and Octavia, and Yarrow needs only one point to win."
Shep Howard- District Ten (18)
It wasn't over yet. Yarrow had gotten plenty wrong. Anyone could still take this.
"Which of you would you least surprised to learn is a serial killer?"
Wow, talk about out-there… They had to ask it on the one year we had no real Careers. Dorian, a serial killer? That took way too much effort. There was one answer that seemed a little more sensible, so I went with that.
"Will this be the last question? Let's see. Yarrow, Lana and Val look with suspicion on Octavia, Val not valuing his observation skills highly. Octavia, Alara and Dorian find Shep to be shifty. Shep thinks there's bodies buried in the Inuit ice, and Kallik breaks from the lack and points a finger at Yarrow, while Leo accuses Alara.
"What did I do?" Alara asked.
Leo gave a mischievous smile. "I knew I wasn't gonna win and thought it would be funny."
"If the answer is Octavia, Yarrow has won," Isabella said. "Our most popular answer was… Octavia! Yarrow wins immunity and reward!"
Shucks. Immunity aside, it would have been really cool to see all the Viking stuff. And now I had to yet again prepare for a tribal council and the completely unguessable elimination it would bring
"Who are you choosing to bring with you?" Isabella asked Yarrow after she settled the necklace onto her.
"I'm trying to think of who likes axes and stuff the most," Yarrow said. "Lemme get… Shep."
For this one I used an RNG and gave an extra turn to Yarrow, Octavia and Val for being either especially social or especially strategic. Yarrow busted out with a 76 on her second spin and I think picking her might cause some drama, so I went with that. Get your votes in as soon as you want, but there will be a breather chapter to explore the reward.