The Flotilla, 9:00 AM Local Time, International Waters
Food.
Lots and lots of food.
He eyed the decaying body in front of him. No response. Gave it an exploratory probe with his beak. No response. Dead as dinner. His dinner. No response.
He poked again, hooked off a piece of flesh within his bill. Tore it loose. Whoever this belonged to was not fighting back. Good. It was tasty. They were tasty. He tore off some more.
Another diner joined him. No, fuck off, this wasn’t for sharing. Mine, he squawked. The other one squawked back. A show of machismo, a fight over dinner. Wings were unfurled to look bigger. Squawks were louder to intimidate further. Squawk, Squawk, Mine, Mine. Finally the other one backed off. Pussy. Didn’t leave though, went down to the other end, to the LongLegs. Helped himself to a toe.
Good. Face was his. Soft. Easy to eat. He tore off a fresh piece. Yum.
Mentor HQ Boat, 9:00 AM Local Time, International Waters
"Good morning once again, students of Mangrove Garden, and a very happy April Twentieth to those of you who celebrate."
The voice of Ritzy Daggers chirped from speakers across the flotilla, arriving abruptly but right on time, and somewhere near the pool on the cruise ship, a startled pelican took flight in a flurry of feathers.
"You've kept busy overnight. Well, let's get right to business, shall we?
"Our first casualty is a hold-over: Shoshanna Kowalczyk ended up on the wrong side of Seo-yun Lee, and while she managed to limp away and give a very touching speech, none of that could mend the damage done by a shotgun.
"But just as bullets create problems, so too can they solve them. Gabriela Garcia-Campos demonstrated this quite clearly when she encountered an injured Hannah Choi, and made sure the girl was no longer suffering... granted, not quite the way Ms. Choi would've desired.
"After that, we had something new: for the first time ever, a contestant has killed not just one but two of their own teammates. Give it up for Ivan Rodriguez, who took down Dieffenbachia Rubus in a truly touching display of prioritizing a personal grudge over survival and common sense.
"Now, if it's betrayal you're going for, you'd do better to look to the example set by Verity Stewart, who lulled Alyssa Tibbett into a false sense of security, gave her a hug, and literally stabbed her in the back. That's the spirit. Remember that next time you're taking it easy outside your own team.
"Of course, that was always a complicated subject when it came to Emmett Purcell and his little would-be alliance. Well, Amanda Brooks sure simplified the situation when she cracked him over the head and sent him over the edge. Take note: kills of honorary teammates still count, if they didn't start the game with your bandanna.
"Next up, Genevieve Erickson took advantage of our very generous Danger Zone time extension by dawdling slightly longer than she otherwise would've gotten away with. Give a minute, take an hour...
"At least after that we got something much more exciting: a final showdown between RJ Blackburn and Anthony Golden. Anthony seemed to be down for the count, but taking anything for granted can cost you, like it cost RJ an axe to the head.
"Speaking of, Sylvain Kessler had to pay a hefty toll too, though his mistake was a little more innocent. He let his guard down around Sergio Gallo, and lost his gun and his life for it. Just because someone doesn't have any kills to their name yet doesn't mean they aren't a danger.
"That is the reasoning you used when you got into a fight with Britnee Joyner, isn't it, Anthony Golden? It was something like that. Well, whatever the case, you came out ahead once again, this time in a tug of war with a bottle of acid. That leaves you with four kills of your own. Congratulations, you're officially the second-biggest individual threat in the game.
"Rounding things out, Jodi Hunter and Mariko Whitney crossed paths, and weapons, and found themselves evenly matched enough that neither walked away. I know playing to not lose is frowned on in some circles, but, well, it does have its benefits from time to time.
"Where does that leave us? Oh, right, the state of the game. We're solidly over halfway now, for starters. The end is in sight, so keep up the good work. Oh, and every single team—yes, even counting the Loner—has now scored at least one kill.
"Here's the overall team status update:
"With six members remaining and a commanding thirteen kills, the Crabs are once again the front-runners. It looks like nature is working on evolving a winner.
"The Krakens come in second in kills, with eight, but they're not sitting so pretty otherwise. Four remaining members doesn't leave them in the worst shape, but let's just say the work isn't being spread evenly.
"But it could be worse. It could be the Selkies, who also have four standing, but with a mere five kills to their collective name... and two of those self-inflicted casualties. If you're one of the survivors, better watch your back around 'friendly' bandannas.
"The Leviathans are tied for largest remaining team, with six still in play, but they're also tied for last place in kills, with only three tallied. Can they pivot into a more proactive stance, or will their numbers just pad someone else's count?
"Of course, they're sitting pretty compared to the sideshow that is the Mariners. Also with only three kills, the Mariners are the smallest team left, with a mere three members alive.
"The Buccaneers, meanwhile, are our most middling team. At five survivors, they're well-equipped but not on top, and with four kills, they're not on the bottom but fairly close.
"The Sirens are like the Buccaneers' slightly more successful cousin, also with five members but sporting a combined six kills—and without that unfortunate little friendly fire incident the Buccaneers have.
"Finally, our Loner lives on, and has scored a single kill.
"With that taken care of, it's time for Danger Zones. All of the old ones remain in effect, and we're also adding the Clipper Ship, the RocketBoat, and the Ghost Ship. And just a piece of advice for those of you paying attention: if you haven't become acquainted with the Cruise Ship yet, you may want to consider doing so, because you'll probably be spending some time there soon. Unless you die, of course.
"That's all I've got. Tune in tonight for the evening news. For now, this is Ritzy Daggers signing off."
Weather: 9:00 AM, Day Four, Tuesday, April 20, 2021
The still waters remain, and the early part of the day is cooler than the last, with clouds passing overhead prolonging the gloom well into mid-morning. As the afternoon wears on, however, the sky clears, and it is another beautiful day, brilliant and sunny. The seventh announcement will arrive at 9:00 PM on Tuesday, April 20.
And, the rolls. Please remember all appropriate etiquette.
1. Rhonda Rollins (Aura)
2. Sofia Kowalski (MostlyHarmfulll)
3. Gabriela Garcia-Campos (Catche Jagger) - James Highchurch (Catche Jagger, Swap Card used)
4. Diana McIntyre (Ohm)
Three days for cards, and a further seven for deaths. Once again, we're going to be turning post review on for the DZs after the first period (seven days) elapses, so don't panic if your post does not immediately show up after that window; staff will approve it ASAP.
