That Moment When It Is Two Thirds Into The Season And You Have Achieved Nothing So Far

[DerArknight]

((Chris Tyrell continued from Feeble Cursed One!))

From that close, the cruise ship looked almost intimidating.

During his time on the floating restaurant, Chris had of course looked out of the windows now and then. Apart from all the smaller stuff, the three ships he had made out had been the ghost ship to the east, the shop boat to the west and the cruise ship to the north.

From the restaurant, the cruise ship had appeared much smaller.

Now Chris was sitting in the cabin in a small fishing boat called Clara. He had invested some time in looking around, but of course he had found nothing. After all, it would have been an unrealistic coincidence if the random ship he had chosen as his resting place would just so happen to have a shiny new weapon lying around.

But at least the couch had been a good place for a nap. After securing the door with a chair, Chris spent the rest of the night sleeping.

He awoke just in time for the announcement, which told him nothing except that whoever was responsible for the announcements was way too slow with counting deaths. Stokes wasn't mentioned at all. And if Stokes wasn't mentioned, others might be missing as well. Surely, Ritzy would start the next announcement with another lame excuse for why they waited 12 hours before giving out information that could be vital.

The most watched thing on television since the moon landing, and they couldn't even get such important stuff on time.

It was only at the ending after the team updates that the announcer said something noteworthy. While Ritzy didn't speak it out directly, her words and the fact that the edges of the arena where closing in since a few announcements made it clear: next announcement, the only place left to be would be the cruise ship.

While Chris believed himself to be fit enough to run out of any Danger Zone within ten minutes, he had no desire to have the bomb around his neck start beeping, no matter how long. So he would make sure to enter the cruise ship way before the next announcement hit.

But before that, there was something else he wanted to do.

"Jewel?" He asked. Since it felt kinda stupid talking to the empty room, he faced a camera. "I know that I told you to buzz of. But thing is, I was pretty shaken back then and didn't think about the consequences. And apart from that, the situation has changed a lot. So would you be willing to work with me again? I don't know shit about this show, and I would really appreciate some advice from someone who knows more."

He chose his words wisely. Not only because he wanted to get an answer, but also because he didn't want to sound like he came crawling back to her. Even if he pretty much was.

[MurderWeasel]

Silence hangs in the air for five seconds, ten, but then there's a reply, at a normal conversational volume.

"I was starting to think you'd never ask.

"Of course I'm willing to help. My job is to help you, Chris, not to be liked by you or to get revenge for slights or to show off or whatever the others are doing.

"So, what can I do for you?"

[DerArknight]

Without noticing it, Chris let out a relieved breath. He had figured that the chances of Jewel answering were around 50:50.

"First of all my plan right now is to meet up with the other Leviathans. I guess you won't be able to tell me where they are, but maybe you have an idea how to find them? How did you find your teammates in your own season?"

The last bit didn't interest him that much. He asked it more for a reference point.

"Then I would like your opinion on when to enter the cruise ship. The last announcement hinted that everything else is going to be closed off. If this is true, then once the next announcement hits, everyone not on the cruise ship will hurry to get there. That should open a opportunity to ambush the late arrivals. Or see if any teammates are among them. But if I figured that out, then odds are others did too, making this plan risky. So what do you think about that?"

This plan was indeed risky, but could also pay off big. That's why he wanted to hear Jewel's take on it before making a decision.

"And lastly, I would like your honest opinion: With everyone else being three days ahead of me, what are my chances?"

He looked at the camera, awaiting the answers. A part of him thought of this as another way to present himself as taking a hold of the situation by acting instead of reacting.

But another part of him knew that he really needed some better understanding of this shitty show if he wanted to survive it. Either by conversing with his mentor or by finding some more savvy teammates. Preferably a mix of both.

[MurderWeasel]

When Chris finishes speaking, there's another pause, briefer this time.

"Alright. In order:

"I can't tell you where they are, but your team still has a lot of people. If you get near someone without them seeing you after next announcement, you can ask and I'll tell you if it's safe to approach. For the next twelve hours, I may be able to say something through their collar to clue you in, but don't count on it—I'm doing different things for different members and may not have the message to spare.

"Oh, and I didn't meet my team. They got themselves killed.

"Using the rush to the cruise ship for an ambush is smart if you have a big combat advantage, but you don't. Meeting teammates is a safer bet, but it's better to be early to the party than late. You don't want to be one of the people rushing in when there are no other options.

"And your chances aren't great, but they're not terrible if you play smart. You have a big team, who can do work for you. You don't have many enemies. The thing a lot of people don't understand is that killing is usually not the right choice if you want to win. Do it if it costs you nothing and gets you something. Otherwise, being alive is what matters. Nine kills and dead is still dead. No kills and alive is winning. If what you want is to live, you have to pick your times and not give a fuck how you come off. You'll still probably die, but you'll have much better chances. You're not getting the ten, so don't even bother thinking about that.

"So basically: if you want to live more than anything, safe and boring is your path, probably with one big burst at the end of else if you get caught out. Now, if there's something else you want, this changes a little..."

[DerArknight]

Well, that was pretty close to what he had expected.

Chris didn't like the thought of even more laying low, but he also wasn't too keen on becoming a player. After all, his plan in life was still to become a surgeon. Having killed half a dozen people on live TV might be a hindrance to that. But being written off as 'boring' by half of the country didn't sit well with him either. He still loved acting, and here he was on a bigger stage than he could ever have dreamed of, getting told that his best bet was to stay on the sidelines and wait for the final fight to kick off.

But he wouldn't be able to help his father when he got himself killed. Dammit, he wouldn't be able to do anything if he got himself killed.

So in the end, Chris was going to take the advice, even though he didn't like it.

"Thanks, that would be all for now." Chris said to Jewel. "Hopefully we will get to talk again in twelve hours. Or when all of this is over."

The last part was a lie. Right now, Jewel was his mentor, but once he got out of this arena, she would be just a freaking psychopath who had killed ten people and got celebrated for it. Thanks, but no thanks. Not the kind of person he liked to hang out with.

"Also sorry for your team. Your other one, I mean."

[MurderWeasel]

The response is offhand.

"Oh, it's okay. I didn't care about them at all."

[DerArknight]

"Well, then nevermind. Talk to you later."

On one hand, Chris wondered if this meant that Jewel didn't care about the Leviathans either. But on the other, it would have been pretty stupid from Jewel to be so open about it. So maybe she really just didn't care about her teammates from her season as a contestant. Which made sense since she got out by killing ten people, which didn't require any teamwork.

With his business concluded, Chris stood up and armed himself with his axe. Than he removed the chair that had blocked the door and went out under the sun.

The cruise ship still looked intimidating.

He decided that it could look however it felt like as long as he found something useful there. Be it teammates or opportunities to get a better weapon.

"I am heading for the cruise ship now." He said to Jewel, the audience and himself. Mostly to Jewel. She should see that he took her advice to heart and that the time talking to him was well-spent.

Also while Chris wouldn't have admitted it, talking with someone who surely was no threat to him had been a godsend for his nerves. He felt weirdly refreshed now.

One minute later, Clara was abandoned once more, now only just one ship among dozens.

((Chris Tyrell continued in The Waiting Game))