BC0: BEN'S CRABS [1/11]

[Rattlesnake]

BEN'S CRABS

Insignia:
A stylized figure of a crab lifting one claw on a deep orange background.

Members:

BC01: Mateo Ormeño [DECEASED]
Grade: 12
Weapon: Megaphone

BC02: Eric Cunningham [DECEASED]
Grade: 12
Weapon: Zip 22

BC03: Matias Juarez [DECEASED]
Grade: 12
Weapon: Complete Student Roster Including Assigned Teams And Weapons

BC04: Anthony Golden
Grade: 12
Weapon: Fake Nautical Beard

BC05: Gabriela Garcia-Campos [DECEASED]
Grade: 12
Weapon: Jericho 941

BC06: Rebecca Roberts [DECEASED]
Grade: 12
Weapon: Gift Basket

BC07: Ashanti Baker [DECEASED]
Grade: 12
Weapon: Jetpack

BC08: Marion Rosales [DECEASED]
Grade: 12
Weapon: Decorative Mareon Rosalales Nameplate

BC09: Gregory Miller [DECEASED]
Grade: 11
Weapon: Bolas

BC10: Junji Yamada [DECEASED]
Grade: 12
Weapon: Filleting Knife

BC11: Lark Wilson [DECEASED]
Grade: 12
Weapon: Steel Ball Bearings


Mentor:


"The Opportunist"
"One hundred doors snap shut when producers choose you. And a thousand more swing wide open."

Name: Benjamin "Ben" Cuthner
Age: 19
Gender: Male

Appearance: At 5'8" and 160 lbs, Ben cuts a well-built if not imposing figure, the body of someone partway through the process of trading out a considerable quantity of fat for muscle. His face is square with wide cheekbones and deep-set eyes, his skin free of blemishes, clean-shaven, and dark enough in complexion to be ethnically ambiguous. His hair is long, dark brown, and slightly curly, clearly well-taken care of and often but not always pulled back into a ponytail. Typical of a former SotF contestant, he sports a collections of scars in various shapes and sizes all across his body. Most are small, unobtrusive cuts on his hands, forearms, and other extremities. Of particular note is a wide, ropey scar that cuts through his left eyebrow, across his nose, and over most of his right cheek. He is also missing a portion of his right hand, including the pinkie and the last segment of the ring finger.

Ben's wardrobe is almost entirely new since his participation on SotF, owing to the sudden windfall of wealth and attention and his recent focus on physical fitness. As something of a novice at drawing attention to himself, he dresses in what he considers, or hopes to be, stylish, but doesn't always have the best instincts. He prefers dark colors, but the only real theme he sticks to is a reluctance to wear anything that might cover up his collection of scars.

Biography: The widely-acclaimed winner of SotF season 59 was not always so popular. Neither clever nor stylish nor athletic, Ben's only noteworthy qualities going into the season were a profound lack of knowledge about the show, owing to very anti-SotF parents, and a severe case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. He attracted just as little notice from viewers as he had from his classmates until several days in, when an ambush on the group he'd latched onto ended with his friends dead and Ben himself with a kill to his name. Knowing that he had no hope of a normal life, yet surprised and emboldened by the strength of his own will to live, he considered his options and decided that the only way forward was shameless self-promotion.

From that point onward he became something of a dark horse by leveraging his underdog status and playing up his idiosyncrasies, particularly a compulsive attraction to the number three. He made an effort to stay active throughout the rest of the game, and got another massive popularity boost by the experimental endgame that proved successful enough to eventually influence the format of the show itself; rather than the traditional corralling of the last handful of survivors for a final free-for-all, the top eight of season 59 were paired off, directed to strategic points around the arena, and given a short time limit during which they were not allowed to engage in hostilities. Ben's final gambit came once the eight had been pared down to four, with both himself and his partner still alive and relatively unscathed. At that point, realizing his opportunity for exactly three kills in endgame, Ben turned suddenly on his partner while in the process of pinning one of the two other remaining contestants down. He then fought and killed their target in single combat, earning his distinctive wounds in the process. Finally, he managed to suppress his cries of agony long enough to successfully ambush and finish off the last of his competition.

As expected, the life Ben returned to after winning season 59 was profoundly different than the one he'd left. His already-small circle of friends was decimated by the event, and Ben himself was effectively disowned by his family. With nothing else left for him, he dedicated himself to exploiting his newfound celebrity status full-time, supplementing the standard interviews and endorsements by cultivating his own image as a streamer and influencer under the handle "B3N." In this he has found considerable success, overcoming his inexperience at self-promotion through hard work and plenty of help from the SotF producers, who were more than happy to throw support behind a popular winner from an era of the show where very few seasons were considered good or even decent. He has shown nothing but support for the show in return, though he steers well clear of the superfan persona and quietly works to establish a personal brand capable of standing without continued support from SotF. His recent endeavors include streaming SotF Champions, playing as himself whenever possible, and long-term physical fitness project.

[+] Questionnaire

Name: Benjamin “B3N” Cuthner

Team Colours: Orange

First Season of SOTF: 59, actually. Kinda funny to think how recent that was. But, hey, I think I hit the ground running there.

Favourite Food: Every time I think I've got an answer for this, I discover something new. Anything where you can have more melted cheese than plate to hold it is up there.

Favourite Colour: Black goes with everything. That's a color, right?

Favourite SOTF contestant: Is this a test to not say myself, cause boy am I ready to fail that one.

What you bring to the season: A little game knowledge, a little style, a little dramatic flair. And I know a thing or two about working as a team, and not working as a team. So the Crabs are absolutely making an impact here.

Why your team is going to win: Because they want to. They're all gonna find something worth fighting for, and then nothing will stop them from taking it. That's how it happens. ...Oh, and that whole thing where stuff keeps evolving into crabs or whatever. Truly the superior lifeforms.

What was it like being asked to be a mentor for Season 67? An honor, absolutely. And let's just say I wasn't exactly shocked to be welcomed back here, but nobody can deny what an opportunity it is.

What’s it like being a mentor? Crazy, crazy, crazy. It's almost like a party, you know, everyone's there and the atmosphere of working on everything is amazing. But you're also wishing you had more hours in the day. Like, there's a week and a half of footage every single day just for your own team. You gotta sprint all the time just to keep up.

Who is your favourite co-worker? Who can it be other than my fellow winners? Jewel's amazing, I don't think you can play the game better than that, the whole ten kill stuff. A whole new way to win and she just goes out and seizes it. Steph's great too, of course.

What’s the best weapon this season, in your opinion? Ooh, that's a tough one. The crew did a really great job this time. I kinda want to say the falx, which was so badass that it made the Roman legions change up their armor. But I don't know if anything can beat the jetpack. Like, I wouldn't call it useful, but that can be pretty useful in itself sometimes, you know?

What’s the best location this season, in your opinion? I think everywhere is going to be notable in one way or another when all this is said and done. But things are really going down in the cruise ship. That's like a whole arena's worth of space right there. Hearing people walking above you and below you, getting lost in the hallways, that's good stuff.

Which team is your stiffest competition? Everyone's got the potential to make it big. That's what makes this game so interesting. That said, guns are always nice too, so Steph's crew is looking pretty scary.

Any parting words for the fans at home? Just keep watching. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

[+] Briefing

“Good morning, good morning, good morning.”

The speaker pauses for effect, grinning as though he’s just relayed the punchline to the funniest joke he’s ever heard. His youth is readily apparent; even through the veil of confidence and ease with which he addresses the camera, one might assume he’s of an age with his audience. His hair is long and brown, slicked back and tied into a loose ponytail. The glint of studio lighting plays off his skin, a segmented scar cutting from cheek to nose to brow, a smattering of freckles.

“Now listen up, cuz I’m about to save you a whole lot of trouble. A lot, lot, lot of trouble. It wasn’t long ago at all that I was standing exactly where you are now. Lost, afraid, a bomb around my neck and orders to kill or be killed. And you were where I am now. Safe and sound, kicking back to watch the greatest season of SotF yet."

He smiles again and sweeps back a stray lock of hair, then mirrors the action and repeats it once more, flashing a hand missing one finger and half of another through the frame.

“So I know what you’re thinking, because I was thinking it then too. That I had to be the unluckiest kid in the world. And you know what? I was wrong. I realized that and I took my opportunity, and, well, just look at me now. That’s the secret that’s gonna bring you back to safe port: that I was the luckiest. That you’re the luckiest.

“What do you want in life? Money? Fame? Maybe you just want to settle down somewhere quiet. Play your cards right here, and you’ll have no more worries for the rest of your life. Or maybe you’re just looking for revenge on someone. I certainly won’t stop you there."

He pauses once more, his smile gone. When he resumes speaking, his words pick up in both pace and volume.

“But you gotta seize it, understand? How much, I dunno, fuckin’ season 34 merch do you own? Don’t waste your once-in-a-lifetime shot. Figure out what your angle is. Find your thing, stick to it. Find each other. Remember that y’all are a T-E-A-M. Team, team, team. You guys better make the most of that fact, because doing your best isn’t good enough. You gotta do everyone's best. I repeat, doing your best isn’t good enough. You gotta do everyone's best. And, I’m contractually obligated to repeat one more time, doing your best is not good enough. You gotta do everyone's best if you’re gonna get through this as something I wouldn’t scrape off my shoe.

“Now go out there and make those 70 other fuckers the unlucky ones. I’ll be in touch.”

Team Conclusion: Superfans, haters, or somewhere in between, one common thread running through the Crabs roster is considerable knowledge about our little competition. Can these cerebral crustaceans outthink and outplay their competition, or will their relative lack of armament sink their collective ship?

Mentor Comment: In the bag, in the bag, in the bag. Sure, we've got the stupidest gun in the world as a major asset, but all these kids know their stuff and we've got the book of forbidden knowledge. Like they say, knowing if half the battle. Oh, and we also got a fucking jetpack. I don't know how you can expect to win against that.