Days 10-12 (1st)

## Day 10

### Blue Team

The Blue Team woke up on Day 10 speculating about who the Red Team had voted out over their breakfast. Kim believed it would be Aryel, not suspecting that their team would be dumb enough to vote out a stronger player. Lenobia casually mentioned that they shouldn't rule anything out and they could get lucky and see Aryel still there. Jennifer was somewhat suspicious of Lenobia, as she hadn't been in high spirits since the last vote. However, she currently appeared to be an extremely pleasant mood. Daniel believed it was because she felt good about their chances to reel in Zillik, who left as soon as breakfast was finished to avoid the social interaction. In reality, Lenobia felt good knowing that Marcus was going to try and throw challenges to keep her in the game and that she had a solid alliance to jump to as soon as the Merge hit.

The entire team was hit with a surprise when they received an order to come meet up with the other team and the host of the game and to bring their belongings. They didn't expect a challenge until the next day, so everyone was wondering what this could possibly mean, as it seemed too early for a Merge.

### Red Team

Dragon had hardly slept through the night and woke up in a rough mood. He pulled Timothy and Marcus aside to go get water for their morning cooking as an excuse to confront them about the vote. Furious, he demanded to know what happened, and Marcus readily volunteered that it had been Timothy's idea. Having no trouble believing that, Dragon turned his focus to Timothy. He apologized for doing it behind Dragon's back, but promised him that it was in their best interest moving forward and he just didn't want Dragon to warn Catherine. This didn't satisfy Dragon, who didn't see how he could be expected to trust his alliance if they had left him out of their first vote. He was also angry at Blaike, having realized through the night that his talk with her might have nudged her towards voting to keep Marcus. She hadn't told him that Timothy had asked her to vote Catherine out, and he thought she was a more honest person than that. Marcus stepped in, wanting to keep things cool between he and Dragon, and told him that Aryel was definitely going next and Dragon could bet on that. Timothy offered his agreement to that, assuring Dragon that voting Catherine out was strictly based on how close he and she had been and how strong in challenges she was, but that he could trust the two of them from here on out. Still not completely happy with that, Dragon decided to keep his cool. It was a game and he'd been blindsided. There was no reason to blow up at anyone for it or stay angry, but he would know better than to put all of his faith in Timothy, Marcus, or Blaike from now on.

As this chat was happening, the girls were talking back at camp. Well, mostly Jade and Blaike. Aryel was listening in gleefully. Jade questioned why Blaike felt like Catherine deserved to be the first one voted out above Marcus. She worked hard in camp and at challenges, was nice to basically everyone, and was an honest player. Blaike, getting defensive, started to let her temper get the best of her and argued back that it was her choice who to vote for and she had made a strategic decision for herself. It wasn't personal and wasn't based on who deserved it. Jade struggled to understand how Blaike could rationalize that for a first vote and started arguing back. Now that were stuck with Marcus, a sexist, loud-mouthed, lazy source of conflict, and one of their physically strongest girls was one. Blaike, getting angrier, snapped back that Jade didn't seem to care as much when Aryel was the alternative target to Marcus. Aryel perked up at that, curious as to how Jade would respond to that, and waved over when Jade glanced at her. Trying to walk her way out of it, Jade carefully retaliated that she hadn't actually voted for Aryel or wanted her gone. Blaike insisted that Jade had missed the point. Jade was comfortable with Aryel possibly going home instead of Marcus, just not Catherine. She was being selfish and bitter about how the vote had gone. Besides, the plan had been Timothy's, not Blaike's, and conveniently Jade wasn't shouting at her brother. Trying to salvage herself and change the subject back to Blaike, Jade responded that she spoke to Timothy and he had never agreed to vote for Marcus. Blaike had actually told Jade to her face that she would vote against Marcus and then gone back on that, and Jade couldn't tolerate the blatant lying. Blaike started shouting, asking what exactly Jade had wanted her to say. Jade threw her hands up and said all she would have asked was that Blaike not completely agree to her plan to vote out Marcus. Deciding to fan the flames, Aryel piped up that Jade would be less angry with Blaike if Aryel had been the one Blaike lied and voted out instead, so the issue wasn't actually the lie itself.

Before this fighting could continue, the boys returned to camp with a note explaining that they were to go meet with the other team and the host and to bring their belongings. The girls let their shouting match die down and decided to refocus their energy on gather their things. As opposed to the Blue Team, there wasn't much speculation as to what was happening. The tension was too high for anyone to want to risk a conversation, so the six of them gathered their things in silence.

### Surprise Switch

When the teams met up, they were surprised when a sudden switch was announced. The teams would not Merge, but they also would not remain the way they currently were. Instead, everyone was given lots to organize them into two new teams. After everyone had drawn lots, they revealed which new teams they were sorted on. The new Yellow Team consisted of Aryel, Dragon, Jennifer, Kim, and Timothy. Opposite to them, the new Green Team consisted of Blaike, Daniel, Jade, Lenobia, Marcus, and Zillik. After that, the teams were told to draw lots to determine which team got which campsite and what rewards. The Yellow Team would be returning to the Blue Team's campsite, while the Green Team would return to the Red Team's campsite. They were each sent off with roughly half the day left to get to know their new teammates.

### Green Team

Once the new Green Team arrived at their camp, Blaike, Jade, and Marcus set to work showing the campsite to their new teammates. Well, sort of. Marcus actually took the opportunity to sneak off with Lenobia to have their own private celebration over being switched to the same team. Jade noticed they left almost immediately, feeling instant disdain. She distrusted most of Aphrodite's kids and considered the lot of them to be the type of people who would use sex appeal and flirtation to manipulate others in order to avoid real work. Seeing her least favorite teammate suddenly disappear with Lenobia didn't sit right with her, but she decided not to make anything of it in front of everyone else. Besides, she wasn't the only one who noticed, and the two of them weren't the only ones who left. As soon as he had the chance, Zillik ditched the group to go look for food on his own, rather than deal with all of the talking. This meant that Jade and Blaike were mostly just giving a tour to Daniel, who was more concerned about why Lenobia had suddenly run off with Marcus. He asked Jade if she had any idea where they might have gone, but she didn't. She was also somewhat put off by his concern over where they had gone, wondering exactly how close Daniel and Lenobia actually were. For the time being, Jade assumed their team would try to stick together, even if she didn't care for Marcus. It was the loyal thing to do to try and be a cohesive unit until they were the only ones left, and she expected Aryel, Dragon, and Timothy to attempt to do the same.

Lenobia and Marcus, meanwhile, were excitedly discussing how lucky they were to have been switched up together. Now they could protect each other more easily. Lenobia asked if they would be alright without Marcus' main allies with them, but he didn't seem worried in the least. Marcus told her that Jade and Blaike were probably going to want to vote someone from the opposite team out first, and Lenobia just needed to be cool with that. Without missing a beat, Lenobia agreed to vote for either of the boys from her original team. She would prefer Zillik, since Daniel had been attempting to help her, but if she was on the line, she'd throw either of them out. Lenobia wanted to make herself a valuable asset to Marcus' alliance and get herself closer to the end more than she wanted to defend a sinking ship. They agreed to settle on an official plan later and for now just be excited about their circumstances. To avoid suspicion, which they had unknowingly already failed at, the two of them made their way back to the camp.

### Yellow Team

Things were a lot more tense on the Yellow Team. Everyone started off by acting nice enough to each other as Kim and Jennifer showed the others around, but there was a lot of tension bubbling below the surface. As soon as they got the chance to talk alone, Timothy, Dragon, and Aryel sat down to discuss their plan. Timothy stated that it was easy enough. They had the majority and didn't want to blow that before the Merge, so they should set aside their differences and stick together moving forward. Unfortunately, that plan wasn't likely to work. Dragon had voted against Aryel, Aryel had voted against Timothy, and Timothy had betrayed Dragon's trust. The odds were slim that this trio would successfully stick together. In fact, Aryel was already actively considering how to get Timothy out of the game.

Kim and Jennifer were also discussing their plans. Despite Jennifer going behind Kim's back, Kim still felt that she could rely on her for a vote now. They agreed to stick together and do their best to figure out who on the opposing side to work with. Their decision came somewhat easily, as it wasn't long before Aryel found an opportunity to talk to them. She volunteered to go for a fishing trip and invited the two girls to come with her, which they readily accepted. While they were fishing, Aryel divulged everything to Kim and Jennifer about the first vote. How there had been a plan to vote her out, but Timothy changed the plan to Catherine and got Marcus and Blaike to help behind Dragon's back. How she'd voted for Timothy because she could tell he was a sneaky, devious rat. Jennifer, realizing what Aryel was suggesting, asked casually if she still planned to work with them. Aryel responded that working with the former Red Team was a death wish for her. Even if they held the majority until the Final 6, she was almost guaranteed to be the first or second one voted out. Timothy probably wouldn't even want her around that long, since she'd cast a vote for him. Kim suggested they just vote for Timothy then, and Aryel responded that she'd been hoping they would want to help her do that. Despite how things looked initially, it was becoming apparent that Kim and Jennifer weren't in the bad spot they had originally thought.

At the camp, Dragon and Timothy were getting used to their surroundings and new shelter while working on the food. Timothy asked Dragon if he really planned on working with him after the prior vote, wanting to have a more personal conversation without Aryel around. Dragon acknowledged that he felt betrayed and wouldn't ever be able to trust Timothy as much as he originally had, but that it was a game. They needed to be loyal as a team and stick together before they started eating their own. Timothy agreed, but noted that Aryel likely wouldn't, given how quick she was to run off with the girls. Dragon, always wanting to hope for the best in others, responded that he was sure Aryel was just trying to make them feel comfortable being in the minority while catching some fish. Timothy, however, was significantly less sure. He also knew that if Aryel was plotting against them, he would be the target of her betrayal.

## Day 11

### Challenge

The new teams convened on Day 11 for their first challenge in this configuration. Unfortunately, the challenge wound up being cancelled early. During the course of the challenge, Aryel was severely wounded and deemed unable to continue playing the game safely. Rather than try to continue the challenge, Aryel was simply removed from the game and the teams were sent back to their campsites.

### Green Team

The mood was generally somber at the Green Team camp. Zillik felt bad for enjoying the total silence, but it was nice for their to be no noise around for a while, even if the circumstances weren't great. Even though Blaike, Jade, and Marcus hadn't been extremely close to Aryel, she had still been a teammate and a fellow demigod at camp. Seeing her have to leave for an injury wasn't fun. Daniel couldn't help feeling slightly okay with the turn of events. He felt that there was an underlying assumption that the teams were going to stick together, so having Aryel gone meant that Kim and Jennifer had a better chance to survive, which would help him at the Merge. Jade felt concerned for the same reason. With the original teams now even in numbers, she felt it was imperative that she find a way to get over her disdain for Marcus and work together with him to eliminate the old Blue Team. The main problem with that plan was that Jade would have picked Lenobia to go first, but Marcus was obviously already very close to her. She had to hope that Lenobia didn't convince Marcus to turn on she and Blaike, and the thought of relying on him for her safety made Jade feel extremely uneasy.

### Yellow Team

The Yellow Team was having a similar evening to the Green Team. There was extremely limited conversation, with most of it being centered on how sad it was for Aryel to be removed like that. Kim and Jennifer, especially, felt frustration. Aryel had been their easy ticket to control their new team and take over the game going into the Merge, but with her gone, they risked a tie. Timothy was similarly aware of the implications of a possible tie, which he didn't want to blow back on him. He was actually fairly relieved at Aryel's departure, even it didn't happen the way he wanted it to. She was almost definitely going to flip in his mind, which would have cost him his spot in the game and made his move to get rid of Catherine first a big mistake. With her gone, however, he now had a lot more wiggle room to survive this swap.

## Day 12

### Green Team

Not a lot happened on Day 12 on the Green Team, except for a brief exchange between Jade and Blaike. Jade was checking in to make sure Blaike would be comfortable voting off someone on the original Blue Team. Having a strong opinion on this, Blaike responded that she wanted Lenobia gone first. Jade admitted that she felt the same way, but didn't suspect it would happen because Marcus wouldn't want to vote against her. This frustrated Blaike, who suggested that if Marcus wasn't going to vote with them anymore, he was a traitor and should be voted out instead. They wouldn't have any trouble swinging Zillik and Daniel to their side to do that. Suddenly concerned and feeling exhausted with Blaike, Jade responded that they couldn't risk picking Marcus off first or they would be in the minority. Blaike disagreed, believing that Zillik would probably vote with them to get rid of Lenobia after Marcus was gone. She talked a lot, and he didn't seem to appreciate that. Jade still didn't feel it was a risk worth taking, but by now Blaike had essentially already decided on her plan. If other players could be aggressive in forcing their plans by gathering numbers, then she could too. Jade, deciding to keep going, suggested a vote against Daniel. He seemed extremely attached to Lenobia, which wasn't going to be good later on, and as Blaike said, Zillik might help vote Lenobia out. That meant Daniel should go first. Blaike pretended to agree, though she had her own ideas brewing. Jade, believing Blaike, was satisfied with the conversation, although she was still a bit worried. After all, the last time Blaike told her she would do something it had been a blatant lie.

At this time, Daniel was checking in with Lenobia to be sure they were still okay. She asked what he was implying, to which he answered that he didn't mean to imply anything. She had just been spending a lot of time with Marcus. Lenobia was somewhat annoyed, but she didn't show it. He was right after all. So, instead, she sweetly thanked him for his concerns, but dismissed them. Lenobia claimed that she was working on swinging Marcus to their side, and he seemed entirely willing to vote Blaike out. Daniel questioned that, as it seemed like Marcus and Jade had a worse relationship than Marcus and Blaike. Again, shoving her annoyance down, Lenobia explained that Blaike was a bigger threat moving forward, so Marcus had named her first. The three of them and Zillik would vote together against her, and then Jade would go next. Feeling comfortable with that, Daniel began to relax more around camp, even though it had been a complete lie.

### Yellow Team

Early in the morning on the Yellow Team, Timothy and Kim left camp to gather firewood for the day and took the opportunity to have an exchange. Both were trying to figure out if the other player was going to be willing to flip to their side. One thing Timothy had already learned about Kim was that she was extremely stubborn, so after she reacted badly to his suggestion of targeting Jennifer, he got the sense that it wouldn't happen. That meant he was going to have to take his chances with a tie or flip on Dragon to protect himself. When Kim asked how he felt about Dragon, Timothy didn't offer any guarantees, but he did suggest that Dragon was potentially a threat. He was easy to get along with, didn't start confrontations, and was physically very strong. Kim wondered if that meant Timothy would be willing to betray Dragon, to which Timothy only told her that he would consider his options. Kim, seeing an opportunity, promised him that neither she nor Jennifer were going to flip on the other, so his only choice to avoid a tie was to vote with them. Not appreciating the threat, Timothy made a note that he'd have to deal with Kim later, but she was probably right for the time being.

At camp, Dragon and Jennifer had woken up and were making light conversation while getting the fire stated. Attempting to be strategic, Dragon was asking Jennifer questions about Kim and their former team. Jennifer, of course, saw through this, but didn't care much to lie. She liked Dragon and wasn't going to flip on Kim, so answering his questions was doing no harm. Jennifer joked about how Kim tended to be very abrasive and bossy at times, which could be hard for others to live with, but she was still a genuinely nice person and a bright spot around camp otherwise. Dragon mentioned that Marcus tended to be the same, though less of a bright spot. He was loud and confrontational, but not really a bad guy. Jennifer admitted that she didn't like Marcus very much from what she'd seen at the challenges, which Dragon assured her didn't surprise him very much. Jennifer casually checked if Dragon had considered voting Timothy out yet, assuming they lose a challenge. Dragon smiled and explained that he didn't foresee it happening. He was going to stay loyal to his team for as long as he could and expected them to do the same, so they'd just have to take their chances with a tie. Jennifer asked if he was going to pressure her to flip now that she had done that to him, but Dragon just shrugged it off and told her he would leave that to Timothy. Getting people to flip on their allies was more his style of playing than Dragon's.