The Shy Guy May Be Our Last Hope/Part 2

Shrike Tribe
(The castaways return back to camp.)

Raphael: Congratulations, Ray-Ray!

Holly: Yeah, great job you did! I have no idea how you managed to last that long! I lasted an hour, and I probably would have died if I'd gone any longer.

Angela: (deep sigh) At least you lasted longer than one second.

Holly: That's true. (turns to Hazel) What was so funny, anyway?

Elijah: Yeah! I'm meant to be the funny one!

Hazel: (shrugs) I honestly have no idea.

Itsuki: Well, now we have to go to our first Tribal Council as a merged tribe.

Kris: There's no point in trying to pretend that we aren't two alliances, so let's all go off and discuss our ideas, okay?

Horatio: Whatever, I don't mind. I'm just glad I've got this thing.

Timothy: Uh, I'm gonna go by myself for a while. Bye, guys.

(Timothy leaves.)

Audrey: Right, let's go.

(the group begins to disperse. Kris stops Horatio on his way.)

Kris: Congratulations on your win today.

(he offers out his hand to shake; Horatio accepts.)

Horatio: Thanks. It was a pleasure competing against you.

Kris: Of course. I'll have to repay you one day.

Horatio: That you will. Let's hope there's many more of these to come.

Kris: I'll see you at Tribal.

Horatio: See you then.

(the two men part ways.)

"shrike"

- After that exchange with Kris, all I can say is, thank GOD I have this thing! (motions to immunity necklace) Immunity is a nice feeling, but on the flipside, it paints a huge target on your back, and I get the feeling I'm toast as soon as I'm not wearing it.

"shrike"

- I hate to lose. I was looking forward to ridding Horatio tonight, as he is by far the biggest threat on the Van Diemen alliance- and believe me when I say BY FAR. He is right about one thing: I WILL repay him. However, there will not be many more to come, as is his delusion. Next immunity challenge, I will destroy him, and he has a one way ticket to the jury.

(The camera cuts to Raphael's allianceas they discuss who to vote out. Raphael, Angela, Horatio and Itsuki are there.)

Raphael: All I can say is I'm so glad you're safe, Ray-Ray!

Itsuki: (confused) Ray-Ray? Who is Ray-Ray?

Horatio: (laughing) That's me. Raphie just calls me that.

Itsuki: (even more confused) Who is Raphie?

Raphael: That's me. It's what Ray-Ray calls me.

Angela: All this is lovely, but who are we going to vote out? And there is the added task of having to swing Timothy and Elijah.

Itsuki: Swing Elijah? No, he's already on our side. He promised me so. In fact, I should go get him.

(She makes to leave, but Horatio makes a quick dash to block her way.)

Itsuki: What are you doing?

Horatio: We don't trust Elijah. Not just yet. Not after what Angela told us about the discussion with Kris.

Itsuki: But he's on my side! He'd never go back to Kris!

Angela: That's not what it sounded like yesterday, unfortunately.

Itsuki: (deep sigh) Fine...

Raphael: So we have to swing Timothy and Elijah over to our side. Itsuki, you need to work on Elijah. Angela, you've got that bond with Timothy, so you'll work on him. If he comes to us, we accept.

Angela: So do we decide what's happening before we go to him or after?

Horatio: We're better off deciding before, just so we've got a plan. That way, they know exactly what we're doing and don't get any crazed notions in their head that we're coming after them.

Raphael: That seems like a good idea. So let's discuss this: who do you guus want out?

Itsuki: How about we vote out Kris?

Angela: Yeah, I wouldn't be against voting him out, especially since he seems like the leader of the other alliance. If we strike their leader first, they'll all fall one after the other.

Raphael: I wouldn't be against voting Kris out. What about you, Ray-Ray?

Horatio: I see nothing wrong with voting Kris out..

Angela: I get the feeling there's a 'but' coming.

Horatio: He certainly is a strong competitor, and he does seem like the alliance leader. He is a dominant force and would definitely be someone to take out down the track, but, is he the strongest right now?

Raphael: I don't follow, Ray-Ray. If Kris is like that now, shouldn't we get rid of him?

Itsuki: Kris is out for my blood. I'd love to see him go first!

Angela: Especially since he's the one who's swaying Elijah and leading the dominating alliance! It's like Jenga: you pull out the block from the bottom and they all fall down! I think we should be voting Kris tonight. There's absolutely no other options.

Raphael: Okay, first- Jenga sucks. Second- let's listen to Horatio! He could be getting somewhere with this.

Horatio: Thanks, Raphie. Anyways, yes, Kris is a strong competitor. But there is someone on their side who did better than him in the challenge today.

Itsuki: ..Holly? But Kris is way more of a threat than she is!

Raphael: Just because Holly had one good challenge performance doesn't make her more of a threat than Kris.

Horatio: But Raphie, what if that's her strategy? She goes in with these guys because she knows they'll be the ones taking the flack while she coasts on by making friends. Think about it, have you heard her say one bad thing about anybody since we got here?

Raphael: Well, not really, now that I think about it...

Horatio: And she just proved today that she can last the distance in challenges. Itsuki, you were on Thijssen with her, did she have one bad challenge performance?

Itsuki: Well... no.

Horatio: And what about alliances? She's obviously been with Kris, but was she in any difficult.

Itsuki: Actually, she was... (gasps) Always in the majority. She's never been out of it. When Pip was still around, she was controlling the vote as much as she was... and when Pip and Vyvienne went home, she wasn't in any danger because she was the swing between alliances. Oh my god, she's never been in danger.

Horatio: See what I'm saying about Holly being a bigger threat? In my opinion, we should vote her tonight, then get rid of Kris after.

Raphael: Wait, wait, wait, hold up. Itsuki, you said that Holly was the swing vote between your two alliances. Why didn't she go with you guys?

Itsuki: Because she knew we'd flip and she said she wanted a Thijssen to win. Bandito and I were a little surprised.

Angela: Why were you surprised? It seems like a logical decision to me.

Itsuki: Because those two were like the enemy of everyone, and they would so be gone if Vyvienne hadn't gotten sick and Kris hadn't found the idol.

Angela: So it seems to me like she aligned with them for the jury vote, and she's been subtly playing the game all this time, knowing they would be the ones everyone would draw attention to.

Horatio: See? This is what I'm getting at. Holly is a far bigger threat than Kris is. She's got the physical, social and strategic game. We need to get rid of her.

Itsuki: I don't know... I'd still feel much more comfortable with Kris.

Horatio: Like I told you, we can just get rid of Kris next. And with Holly gone, we'll have majority, so it should be easy enough.

Raphael: As long as Kris doesn't find another idol. that is.

Angela: That's another thing. Kris has a proven track record of finding idols, while Holly hasn't. Maybe that makes him a bigger threat.

Horatio: Doesn't mean Holly won't. I say we vote to get her out. Raphie?

Raphael: These are both interesting ideas. Let's all think about this for a sec.

Horatio: We don't have time! The other alliance could be poaching Timothy as we speak!

Raphael: Fine, fine... let's take a vote. Who wants to boot Kris out tonight?

(the reaction is not shown, just the castaways agreeing on it. The camera zooms in on the worried faces of Itsuki and Raphael.)

"shrike"

- Great. My first vote with my new alliance, and we couldn't agree on it! And I kind of started the whole argument! I just hope the decision we've made means we can pick the other guys off one by one.

"shrike"

- God damn. First vote, and we spent a long time debating on it. Some people want Holly, some people want Kris. It's one of those fork in the crossroad things. I just hope we went down the right road. Because who we've decided on could ultimately depend on whether or not Timothy sides with us. I'm confident we can get Elijah, but Timothy... I have a feeling it depends on what name we tell him. God, I hope we've made the right choice...

(Somewhere different, Kris is talking to his alliance.)

Kris: Right, let's get this over with quickly. Who are we voting for?

Holly: Uh...Kris? Shouldn't we wait for Elijah?

Kris: No. Without being 100% sure what side he is on I don't want to risk him running back to the other alliance and blowing our cover.

Audrey: Honestly, we need to just get that the over with. Not knowing what side his on is dangerous, which is why we should think about turning the vote back on him.

Hazel: It would be too risky. Let's say they scoop up Timothy for the tie. They've got 5, we have 4. If Elijah decides, hey, I'll vote with Kris, it's a 5-4-1 vote and good-freaking bye to whoever they voted for and for us it's hello minority. So we definitely need to target one of their members first.

Holly: Who should we go after? It would have been nice to get Horatio out, but he's got immunity. And he damn well deserved it too.

Kris: I would have loved to send him to the jury. Can you believe the bastard actually had the nerve to openly challenge me?

Hazel: Well that's stupid, because it just gives you extra motivation to beat him. It's like that guy wants to go to the jury.

Audrey: Look, all you ladies can sit around having tea and discussing all day, or we could actually decide on who to vote out. You know, since there's still a swing vote out there and there's another alliance besides our own, who's trying to get them?

Holly: Okay, who should we vote out?

Kris: The next strongest member of the tribe, which- based on how the challenge went today- appears to be Raphael by quite a significant margain.

Hazel: Audrey? Are you okay with voting out Raphael?

Audrey: (scoffs) My mind was made up as soon as I joined the alliance. Angela is the most pathetic challenge performer in the history of the planet, and Itsuki is not much better. Plus, Raphael and I have some beef, and I'd love to send his pretentious ass to the jury.

Kris: Everyone in agreement on Raphael?

(everyone nods)

Hazel: Then it's as easy as that. Now we just need to work on Timothy.

Holly: I'll go to Timothy. Who wants to follow Elijah?

Kris: I can do that.

Holly: Right, let's meet back here afterward so we can discuss our results. What should we do if Elijah decides to join the Van Diemen guys?

Hazel: We should deal with that if it comes; no use worrying about it. I'm going to get some rice. Audrey, want to join me?

Audrey: Whatever. If it'll pass the time.

(the alliance breaks up.)

"shrike"

- Horatio would have been my first choice, but since he is safe, Raphael is the obvious next target. I know we'll be able to scoop up Elijah and Timothy, so those Van Diemen's and that stupid traitorous Geisha better enjoy their last few days on the island.

"shrike"

- So I've been given the task of swaying Timothy to our side by being his friend. Am I enjoying the idea of pretending to be a social outcast's friend just to get on his side? No way. It goes against all I am as a person. But this is the thing I need to do to further my own game, and the real world and this game are two very different things. I'm sure everyone back at work will understand.

(Timothy is sitting on the beach when Angela appears, sitting down beside him.)

Angela: This is becoming sort of a familiar thing, isn't it?

Timothy: (turning around) I-I guess so. Um, what's up?

Angela: Well, Timothy, how would you feel about voting with us?

Timothy: I- Why am I the swing vote? Both alliances are coming up to me. I don't know what to do.

Angela: Look, I won't lie- you and Raphael haven't gotten along in the past, but all that is behind us now. You stick with us, and we'll guarantee you final 4. It'll be the four Van Diemens, just like it always should be. We need you to make that happen, Timothy.

Timothy: D-don't say need! I don't like that kind of pressure!

Angela:  Timothy, it's important that you make the right decision. As I said, final four. And we're not going to back down on that. We may have Ituski- and we could possibly get Elijah- but those two are going to go as soon as they have majority.

Timothy: H-how do I know you're not just going to use me for numbers? You kind of tried to vote me out on Day 14, remember? You said final 4, b-but you and I both know I'm not going any further. I-I don't know what's going on in the other alliance, so they might be able to get me further.

Angela: I may have tried to vote you out on Day 14, but I'm also the one that saved you on Day 14, remember? If I hadn't flipped, Wilhelmina would still be in the competition and you might not be here right now having this discussion with me. I'm the one who was there for you when Anastacia left. So you kind of owe me. With the six of us in this alliance, we have the majority, and you've got a free pass to the Final 4- you don't even have to do anything. Why give that up for what might happen on the other alliance?

Timothy: B-but that's the thing! I have a free pass to the final 4, but it's just that! And, I know that Anastacia would want me to stay with you guys, b-but I don't know if that's the best move for me!

Angela: Timothy, Anastacia brought you all the way to the merge, and you two would have gone on to the end if she stayed. You owe her too. Why not make her proud by doing what she would have wanted?

Timothy: B-but, I just don't know if I'm comfortable with finishing 4th...I'd like to at least hear what the other alliance has to say...

Angela: (sigh) Okay. Okay. I'll let you hear what the other alliance has to say. But you and I both know that you're going absolutely nowhere. Come back to me with your final decision, okay?

Timothy: Okay... sorry.

"shrike"

- Timothy is honestly so indecisive. I can't believe he's had 3 days to decide which alliance to join and he still hasn't. With each second that goes by, I get more and more paranoid. I just wish he'd hurry up and make a decision, because if he sides with them, that means the votes are going to tie, and that means a rock draw, and that's not something I want to think about. I always have terrible luck with those things.

(Angela leaves. A short while after, Holly takes her place, and sits down beside Timothy.)

Holly: Hey, Timothy!

Timothy: (sigh) Hi Holly...

Holly: (concerned) What's wrong?

Timothy: I hate being the swing vote... Angela came up to me and tried to talk me into joining their allliance. She said I owed her because she saved me on Day 14... And she's kind of right.

Holly: Timothy, you owe no one, 'anything. This is your game, and you need to do what's right for you.

Timothy: That's what Anastacia told me, b-but I know she would want me to stay on Van Diemen, and she and I probably would, if she were here, but... now that she's not, I don't know if Van Diemen is the best for me.

Holly: Then come with us. You'll definitely have a place in our alliance. We're waiting to welcome you with open arms.

Timothy: Y-you are?

Holly: Yes, Timothy. Audrey would love to continue your alliance, and Hazel and I would like to have a male friend around that's not Kris. I mean, he's okay on a good day, but he lacks empathy. At least you have that.

Timothy: I... wow, uh, okay. What can you guys promise me? They promised me final 4, b-but I'm not going any further.

Holly: Well we can get you all the way, Timothy. Hazel and I, we can take you to the Final Tribal Council, put you in front of Anastacia, and you can show her how far you've come.

Timothy: But what about Kris?

Holly: Truth be told, I don't know if I want him in the Final 3 with me. I think I'd much rather take you.

Timothy: You would? No- no, you're only saying that so I'll side with you!

Holly: No I'm not. I want to be your friend Timothy. You know, if you come to this side, I won't forget that. I never forget when someone does me a favour. I know we can be good friends.

(Holly gives Timothy a hug; he squirms a little awkwardly, but allows it. Holly then leaves. The camera zooms in on Timothy as he thinks about the situation.)

"shrike"

- I don't know if she genuinely means what she's said, or if she's just said it to get me or their side, and... well, I-I hope it's not the latter, because I'd really like to be friends with her. E-everyone's just kinda gone game mode, and Holly's been the nicest to me since we merged. But being friends with her means siding with her alliance- flipping- and is it really worth it?

"shrike"

- I feel so bad about this... Timothy genuinely wants a friend, and I kind of went to him for game-related purposes only. At this stage the "friendship" is strictly strategic, but who knows what'll happen? I just hope he believes me.

(Elijah is hanging out around camp. Itsuki comes up to talk to him.)

Itsuki: Elijah?

Elijah: Yo, Itsuki! What's up, my main girl?

Itsuki: (shakes head) Don't call me that, please.

Elijah: Huh? What's up?

Itsuki: Are you aligned with Kris?

Elijah: (caught off guard by the question) What? No! I'm not with him.

Itsuki: Are you lying to me?

Elijah: No! We're together, remember?

Itsuki: Because Angela said she was talking to you, and then Kris came along, and you completely ditched her and started talking to Kris! Are you with Kris or not?

Elijah: Truthfully, I was considering it, dude...

Itsuki: Why are you even considering? (she starts crying) What about the deals we made? The friendship we have? What about uniting to take down Kris and the Thijssens? How can you turn your back on that?

Elijah: Dude, bro, you're my main girl! I'm not turning my back on us!

Itsuki: Then what did Kris say to you?

Elijah: Kris has been after me for a couple of days, and he really did get to me yesterday, and shook me again today. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised, you and I could go further with the Van Diemen guys than I ever could with Kris! So, dude, chill out! I'm with you!

(Just then, Kris goes up to talk to Elijah. He stops when he sees Elijah, who is hugging Itsuki. He clenches his fists angrily, then storms away.)

Itsuki: Come on! Let's go talk to the others!

(she leads Elijah away.)

"shrike"

- I can't believe it. He sided with them. The bastard turned on us. But I'll show him! I'll turn our votes towards him! He'll rue the day he crossed Kris Nightingale.

(Angrily, Kris storms back to his alliance.)

Hazel: What's wrong? Did the talk with Elijah go well?

Kris: No! There was no talk with Elijah! He's sided with them!

Audrey: (outraged) What!? I thought you said you'd gotten him!

Kris: I thought I had! But I saw him hugging her! He's definitely sided with her, which means Timothy is our only hope. How did that go, Holly?

Holly: I think I've got him. I offered to be his friend, like you said. I feel bad about it, but I think he believed me.

Kris: There's no time to feel bad! Change of plans tonight. We're not voting for Raphael; we're voting for Elijah instead.

Hazel: What? Why the sudden change? I thought we all agreed on Raphael.

Kris: If that bastard wants to double cross me, he can pay the price.

Audrey: I'd be happy to vote out Elijah. If he has swapped to them, that makes him their next strongest member of their alliance, and once he's gone, then the pathetic Van Douchebags will fall one by one!

Hazel: We shouldn't jump to conclusions. You know they were friends on Thijssen. Maybe he was... hugging her out of guilt, or something like that. We should talk to him one on one.

Kris: You go do it, then. I'm mad.

Hazel: Okay, I'll report back to you.

Holly: Oh my god. If Elijah really has sided with them, then the shy guy may be our last hope...

"shrike"

- I think Kris may be over-reacting, but if I discover Elijah is with them, I've got no problem turning on him. After all, he's proven to be physically strong, mentally strong, and socially strong. Everyone loves him. He's got the whole package. So maybe I'm secretly hoping he has aligned with them, after all.

(Itsuki comes running back to her alliance, Elijah in tow.)

Itsuki: Guys, great news! I got Elijah back! Elijah's on our side!

Angela: Really? What happened with Kris?

Elijah: Kris was, like, desperate to get me on his side. I did listen to him, but I didn't say anything. I'm completely on your side.

Angela: So why did you send me away?

Elijah: So you wouldn't get the wrong idea! And Kris was like totally mad about you talking to me anyway, so he would have gotten the wrong idea too, and that makes both alliances mad at me. So, nope! I was never gonna do that!

Horatio: Well, you made the right decision, buddy. We're the good guys. And the good guys always win!

Elijah: The good guys? Sweet. Hey, that should totally be our alliance name!

Raphael: (laughs) Sounds like a plan The Good Guys will always win!

Elijah: So, like, who are you guys voting for tonight?

Horatio: We decided on Holly, because of how well she did in the challenge today.

Itsuki: And because she was always in the majority, remember?

Elijah: Yeah, she was, right? Good choice.

Horatio: I just hope we've got Timothy with us. Angela, did you talk to him?

Angela: Yeah, promised him final four.

Raphael: Did he say he'd join us?

Angela: He said he'd think about it, but the other alliance has offered him something, and he was keen on hearing what they had to say. He didn't seem too crash-hot with the idea of 4th.

Raphael: Dammit.

Angela: But he said he thought Anastacia would want him to stay with us, so I hope that wins him over.

Raphael: I hope so. We've got 5-4 now, and if Timothy sides with us, it's 6-4. I just hope he doesn't side with them and level it up.

(Hazel arrives at that moment, hiding behind a bush.)

Elijah: Well, I hope he doesn't either! This is so cool! The Good Guys alliance shall reign supreme! (laughs)

Horatio: Long may we reign...

"shrike"

- I'm really glad Elijah's joined us. His vote means there's a strong back-up to make the odds even with Kris's alliance. Now I just hope we can secure Timothy for the majority. If not, that's a tie, and Angela... No, that's stupid. Angela knows what's at stake here. She wouldn't do such a thing. Would she?

"shrike"

- I've DEFINITELY made the right choice! This alliance is by far the better one, and I'm gonna go so far with these guys! We're gonna kick some Thijssen ass!

"shrike"

- Kris's suspicions were right; Elijah has definitely sided with the Van Diemen alliance. That means it's bye bye to my friendly neighbourhood goofball!

(Hazel returns to her alliance.)

Kris: Well? What did you find?

Hazel: He's definitely sided with them. I saw him talking to them, and he said they would reign supreme. Can you believe it? They've even called themselves The Good Guys.

Audrey: Trust those stupid morons to come up with a stupid name.

Holly: We should come up with a name of our own!

Hazel: Well, since they're The Good Guys, we could call ourselves The Bad Guys...

Kris: Absolutely not. We won't play their silly little games.

Hazel: Have you got a better idea?

Kris: (thinks for a moment) We'll call ourselves The Black Hole Alliance. Because- like a black hole- we create a force so strong that nothing can escape us. And tonight, Elijah will be the first one to fall into our trap.

"shrike"

- With my suspicions confirmed, Elijah is definitely the first to go from the stupid "Good Guys" alliance. Trust them to come up with such a pretentious name. Either way, it doesn't matter, because they're all going one after the other.

(As the day draws to an end, Timothy begins walking towards the centre of camp, intent on making a decision.)

"shrike"

- Both alliances have come to me with offers, and I don't know which one to turn to. I'm hoping that, if I find out who they're voting for, it'll help me decide. That is, i-if they haven't gotten together to get rid of me first.

(The camera cuts back to The Good Guys alliance as Timothy makes his way over to them.)

Angela: Look, I'm getting paranoid about Timothy. Should I go talk to him?

Horatio: (squinting in the distance) No need, he's coming over right now.

(Timothy comes over to Horatio and the group.)

Timothy: Um, hi, guys.

Raphael: Hey, Timothy! What's up? Did you decide to join us?

Timothy: Well... I've nearly made up my mind, but I'm not sure. I-I was just wondering who you guys are voting for?

Itsuki: (whispers to Raphael) Should we tell him?

Raphael: (nods) It could get him on our side. (To Timothy) We decided on voting for Holly, because she's the strongest member of the other alliance. You'll vote with us, right? We'll be gratefully.

Timothy: Um, okay. I'll think about it, thanks.

(Timothy walks off.)

Horatio: I hope he sticks with us...

"shrike"

- Not knowing who Timothy's with- even after all this time- drives me a little nuts. We could have just told him the information he needs to give the other alliance the upper hand. God dammit, I don't like this game sometimes.

(Somewhere else, The Black Hole Alliance is talking among themselves.)

Holly: Timothy has to side with us. It's our only chance at staying in this game.

Hazel: He will if he comes to his senses. (turns around) Look, he's coming over right now.

(Timothy walks over.)

Timothy: Uh... hey, guys.

Holly: Hey there! Did you decide on an alliance?

Timothy: Uh... almost. I just wanted to know who you guys are voting for?

Audrey: Why should we tell you? You could just go back and blab to the other-

Kris: Hush.

Timothy: Uh... sorry, I know you probably don't trust me, but I- I need to know who you're voting for, so I can vote for them if I side with you guys.

(Holly looks at her alliance for approval. Kris nods.)

Holly: We're voting for Elijah. He's flipped to their side, and with Horatio having immunity, he's their next strongest member.

Timothy: Okay, thanks... I'll see you guys at Tribal.

Hazel: What, no answer?

Timothy: I... I still have to think about it a little more.

(Timothy leaves.)

Hazel: (sighs) I just hope you got through to him, Holly...

"shrike"

- Timothy knowing who we're voting for without actually committing to our alliance first is kinda freaky. I mean, we've basically just put our entire game in his hands. I hope he makes the right call.

(Everyone has their stuff packed and is about to set off for Tribal Council.) Horatio and Raphael pull Angela aside.)

Angela: What's going on?

Raphael: Angela, listen. This vote may tie tonight. It's a very real possibility you have to face. But you can't flip. You'll have to battle it out to a rock draw. And then there's like only a one in eight chance you'll go home.

Angela: Right... okay..

Raphael: Seriously, flipping will put you- and all of us- in the minority. You don't want that to happen, right?

Angela: I guess not. Hey, why don't you play your...?

Raphael: I don't want to. I have no clue who they're voting for, and I don't want to waste it for nothing. Besides, Timothy could still join us.

Horatio: I don't know, I wouldn't bet on it. They're probably targeting you, Raphie.

Raphie: But I don't know for sure, and I just don't want it to be for nothing. We've gotta bet on this rock draw. That means one of them could easily go home. Angela, you can't flip, okay? Do not flip.

Angela: Okay...

"shrike"

- The fact that this could boil down to a rock draw is scary. I mean, what is there to not be afraid of? I suddenly go from being safe to having a chance of going home. But Raphael's right, flipping will put me in the minority... but I'm so, so scared of what might happen.

"shrike"

- Raphie's kinda betting on the rock draw here, and that don't sit too hot with me, y'know? He could just as easily whip out the idol and take a chance, but I don't think he's okay with the idea. I just hope Timothy sides with us and we can avoid this whole drama.

The sun begins to set, as the Shrike tribe make their way to the first Tribal Council as a merged tribe. The camera zooms in on a confident Audrey.

"shrike"

- This is going absolutely wonderfully. I've got my alliance, and I've got my idol. I have absolutely zero intentions of playing the idol tonight. I refuse to do so unless the vote targets me, and I need to do so to stay alive, which I know it isn't. So the idol will still remain in my possession, and still remain a secret from the Black Hole Alliance.

(The camera then zooms in on a far less confident Timothy.)

"shrike"

- Today I will have to make the toughest decision I've ever made in my life. Choosing either alliance has both wonderful gains and terrible consequences. Wh-why do I have to be the swing vote? Why couldn't it be someone else? The way I see it, I could pick Raphael's alliance. Anastacia would want me to stay over there and be loyal to them, and having Horatio and Elijah would be good physical backup for challenges. But then again, I could pick the Thijssen alliance. I've made my only good friends over there, and I found out that one of my friends is the target of Raphael's alliance, so that really sucks. But I have to put all friendships and emotions aside, and just do what's best for my game, like I promised Anastacia. I just... don't know what that is.

(The Shrike tribe comes into Tribal Council and sits down.)

Jeff: We'll now bring in the members of our Jury: Anastacia, making her first appearance since being medically evacuated from the game.

(Anastacia enters the Tribal Council area. Timothy looks at her as she sits down.)

Jeff: I'd just like to remind you, the Jury cannot speak, nor be spoken to. They will simply be gathering information to help them make the million dollar decision. Now, let's get to the merged Tribe. Hazel, how did it feel getting to the Van Diemen camp?

Hazel: At first, it was kind of weird. Everything is set up differently to our camp, but to the credit of the Van Diemen guys, they made us feel right at home.

Jeff: Raphael, what was the strategy once you'd merged?

Raphael: Jeff, the joy of merging is that you get to meet new people. Half the people who had come in, I had no idea who they were. So together we all voted that Day 25 was a no strategy day.

Jeff: And did everyone follow that?

Raphael: I would like to think we all did, yes.

Jeff: Itsuki, coming over to a new tribe gives you the opportunity to either stay loyal to your tribe or maybe try your chances on the other side. How have people been approaching that idea?

Itsuki: Um... I think a lot of people are sticking to their tribes, but I would say there are a couple of people who aren't thinking that way.

Jeff: So, Kris, with that information, would it be safe to say the tribes are no longer 5-5 but maybe 6-4?

Kris: It's definitely a possibility,Jeff. With people flipping, the game becomes a matter of trying to bring about the numbers to compensate the ones you lost as a tribe. If you can't do that, they have majority, but if you can, then it's all square again. Hopefully tonight winds up being the latter option.

Jeff: Angela, with the numbers on each side even, and- from what's being said tonight-people from both sides flipping, does the possibility of a tie and a rock draw enter your head?

Angela: Yes, it does, Jeff. And it's a very scary feeling, because all of a sudden, you go from no chance of going home to a 1 in 8 chance, and what makes it unfair is that the people involved in the tie vote are exempt from the draw. But that's what the rock draw is designed to do; it instills the fear into your head, and tempts people into flipping.

Jeff: Holly. Angela raises a good point about tie votes. Do you think the idea of a rock draw would tempt someone into flipping?

Holly: Maybe later on, but at this stage of the game where alliances could be 5-5, flipping would be pretty much the stupidest thing you could do. It puts you in the minority and then gets your own alliance to hate you, so what would be the point? If I was in the situation, I'd probably take my chances in a rock draw.

Jeff: Audrey, how do idols factor into all of this? Do they change your voting strategy in any way?

Audrey: Idols are a huge thing, but to let them affect your strategy is pretty stupid, because you have no idea who has them, and if you try to change your strategy because of it, then you risk sending a weaker person home over a stronger one just because you're paranoid.

Jeff: Elijah, a key theme tonight has been paranoia. Is paranoia a factor tonight as everyone votes?

Elijah: Sure is, Jeff! Everyone's picking the strongest members to vote for because it's an individual game now. And, it's weird, because all our fates in the game rest on one swing vote, so our old friend paranoia is definitely at play tonight!

Jeff: Timothy, do you know anything about this swing vote Elijah talks about?

Timothy: Uh, yes, Jeff. Becuase I am the swing vote.

Jeff: Elaborate?

Timothy: I-I've had both alliances come up to me with offers, and I really don't know what the best for my game is. So it's a difficult decision tonight, and I know I'm probably going to piss a lot of people off, and I-I hate doing that. I want everyone here to know that the decision I'm making has not been made lightly.

Jeff: Horatio, with all this drama going on, you must be pretty thankful for the immunity necklace.

Horatio: I am grateful for this thing, Jeff, but my paranoia doesn't decrease because of it. In fact it probably increases. I've still got the thought of Timothy's swing vote at the back of my mind, and now I'm also faced with the problem of having to keep winning these things to survive. Immunity is a double-edged sword, because winning keeps you safe, but also puts a huge target on your back as a physical threat. I just wanna get this vote over with and ease my paranoia a little.

Jeff: Well let's do just that. It is time to vote. Horatio, you're up.

(Horatio casts his vote. It is not shown.)

(Kris casts his vote. It is not shown.)

(Elijah casts his vote.)

"shrike"

- Should've sided with me when you had the chance, bro, 'cause now, you've gotta go! Pow pow!

(Hazel casts her vote. It is not shown.)

(Raphael casts his vote. It is not shown.)

(Angela casts her vote. It is not shown.)

(Holly casts her vote.)

"shrike"

- Your name would never have come up tonight if you hadn't sided with The Good Guys. But the choice you've made changes you from a powerful ally into a huge threat. The fish head on this ballot is to remind me of your humour, which I'm going to miss a lot. But that's just another reason why you have to go. Bye, Elijah.

(Audrey casts her vote. It is not shown.)

(Itsuki casts her vote. It is not shown.)

(Timothy casts his vote.)

"shrike"

- I've been thinking about this all day... I really, REALLY hope this is the right decision.

(Timothy returns to his seat, fidgeting nervously.)

Jeff: I'll go tally the votes.

(Jeff leaves and returns a short time later with the urn.)

Jeff: If anybody has a Hidden Immunity Idol, and you want to play it, now would be the time to do so.

(The camera zooms in on Raphael and Audrey. Neither move.)

Jeff: Okay! Once the votes are read, the decision is final. The person voted out will be asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately. I'll read the votes:

First vote...

ELIJAH. (1-0)

Elijah: (gasps) Guys! You turned on me that quick? (he laughs a little, then awaits the next vote.)

Jeff: HOLLY. One vote Elijah, one vote Holly.(1-1)

(Holly raises her eyebrows, a little surprised that The Good Guys decided to target her and not Kris. She soon shrugs, then waits for the results.)

Jeff: ELIJAH. (2-1)

Elijah: (starts laughing) Okay, who drew a fish head on the ballot? (cackles) Holly, was that you?

(Holly smiles.)

Jeff: HOLLY. (2-2)

(Holly looks a little nervous.)

Jeff: HOLLY. That's three votes Holly, two votes Elijah. (3-2)

(Holly begins to fidget a little)

Jeff: ELIJAH. We're tied: three votes Holly, three votes Elijah. (3-3)

(Elijah shrugs, expecting the votes.)

Jeff: ELIJAH. Four votes Elijah. (4-3)

(Elijah gets a little nervous. The entire group starts wondering how Timothy has voted.)

Jeff: HOLLY. We're tied: four votes Holly, four for Elijah. (4-4)

(Holly begins to frown.)

Jeff: HOLLY. Five votes Holly, four votes Elijah, one vote left. (5-4)

(Holly begins to get really scared. She starts shaking, and has to be calmed down by Hazel. Everyone looks at Timothy as they await the next vote. Timothy shrinks back in his seat.)

(As Jeff pulls out the last vote, the camera zooms in on Holly and Elijah.)

Jeff: ELIJAH. (5-5)

(Timothy's face crumples; Holly and the Black Hole Alliance breathe a sigh of relief, while the sigh from The Good Guys is one of disappointment.)

Jeff: We now have a tie. We're going to do another vote. Here's how this is gonna work. Elijah, Holly, you will not vote. Everyone else can only vote for Elijah or Holly.

Horatio: Don't you do it, Angela.

Raphael: Do't you dare.

Jeff: Raphael, you're up. Take the urn with you on the way back.

(Raphael takes the urn and casts his vote. It is not shown.)

(Kris casts his vote. It is not shown.)

(Hazel casts her vote. It is not shown.)

(Itsuki casts her vote. it is not shown.)

(Angela casts her vote. It is not shown.)

(Horatio casts his vote. It is not shown.)

(Audrey casts her vote. It is not shown.)

(Timothy casts his vote. It is not shown.)

Jeff: I'll go tally the votes.

(Jeff leaves and returns a short time later with the urn.)

Jeff: First vote... HOLLY. (1-0)

(Holly is nervous.)

Jeff: ELIJAH. One vote Elijah, one vote Holly. (1-1)

(Elijah shrugs.)

Jeff: ELIJAH. Two votes Elijah, one vote Holly. (2-1)

Jeff: HOLLY. (2-2)

Jeff: HOLLY. Three votes Holly, two votes Elijah. (3-2)

(Holly once again starts to shake.)

Jeff: ELIJAH. (3-3)

(Elijah now frowns, but otherwise looks nonplussed.)

Jeff: ELIJAH. That's four votes Elijah, three votes Holly, one vote left. (4-3)

(Both Elijah and Holly look nervous; everyone else is on the edge of their seat, awaiting the result.)

Jeff: Ninth person voted out of Survivor: Eyre Peninsula and the second member of the Jury... ELIJAH. That's five, that's enough, you need to bring me your torch.

Elijah: NYEEEEEEEEEEH!

(Holly breaths a sigh of relief. Angela looks down guiltily.)

Elijah: (laughs) Aww, guys! Who flipped?

(Horatio buries his head in his hand and shakes his head. Raphael folds his arms and looks very angry.)

(Elijah gathers up his stuff and goes to get his torch.)

Elijah: (collecting his torch) You guys drive me crazy!

(Holly and Hazel laugh. but no one else is laughing. Itsuki looks around her alliance, frowning in confusion.)

(Elijah places his torch in front of Jeff.)

Jeff: Elijah, the tribe has spoken.

(Jeff snuffs Elijah's torch.)

Jeff: It's time for you to go.

Elijah: (raises torch in the air like a sword.) FOR NARNIA!

(He runs out of Tribal Council)

Elijah: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Jeff: Well, after tonight's vote, you know where the swing vote stands. As for how it will affect this game, only time will tell. Grab your stuff, head back to camp. Goodnight.

(The Shrike tribe leaves Tribal Council.)

Voting Confessionals (Un-Aired- TIED VOTE)
"shrike"

- I need to keep winning immunity to stay alive, and at this stage, it seems you're the biggest obstacle to that happening. You're a lovely girl, but you gotta go.

"shrike"

- I promised you greatness, and you tore that promise into a million pieces. This is for double-crossing me, you bastard.

"shrike"

- Goodbye, little goofball. It would have been nice to align with you.

"shrike"

- When it came down to you or Kris, I realised you had a terrifyingly huge chance of winning, and I'm gonna stop you right now before that chance gets even bigger.

"shrike"

- Sorry about this, but my we believe you to be the biggest threat at this stage. You are a very sweet person, and the elementary school kids are lucky to have you.

"shrike"

- You made the wrong choice siding with those "Good" guys, and now you have to live with the consequences. You pretty much wrote your own name down tonight. Guess you're regretting it now, huh?

"shrike"

- I wanted Kris, but got outvoted, so it's your name I'm writing down tonight. I wish you'd stuck with me after Vyvienne got voted out. Then things might have been different.

Voting Confessionals (REVOTE)
"shrike"

- I can't risk drawing rocks for you. It's not fair. I just can't put myself in danger like that. Besides, I still don't entirely trust you after what happened with you and Kris, so you could flip back later. And I refuse to give up my spot in the game for that. You can blame Timothy for this, because if he hadn't sided with them, this wouldn't be happening.

Final Words
"shrike"

- Wooohooo! Survivor was the absolute best thing I've ever done. It's been the most awesome rollercoaster of laughter and crazy fun over the past 27 days and I've loved every second of it! I came out here to have fun, and nothing else. Winning would have just been an added bonus to that. I've gone above and beyond that goal! I would absolutely LOVE to do this again. (He pauses, tilts his head, and laughs) What? Did you think I was gonna sit here and bitch and moan about how I got (finger quotes) "screwed over" by a flipper? As if! That's not who I am! Besides, I don't think I was "robbed" in any way. It's just how the game goes, dude! Anyway, I've got a steak with my name on it, so this is Elijah McMahon-Stevens, signing out!

Next Time on Survivor...
Will Angela be booted out of The Good Guys alliance?

"Look, Raphie, I don't trust her any more than you do. In fact, I don't trust her one bit. But the fact is, we need her vote. If we kick her out, we go from 5-4 to 6-3, and even with your idol, I dunno if that's something we can recover from." - Horatio Ellison}}

Timothy receives his official welcome into the Black Hole Alliance...

"You made the right choice siding with us, Timothy. You've now earned yourself an official spot in the best alliance this game has ever seen." - Hazel Barellias}}

...However, it's not long before he decides to make a move...

"She might be in my alliance, but I don't trust her at all. I would feel a lot better if she weren't around. Will you help me vote her out?" - Timothy Holden

...Which could land him on the chopping block.

"I don't like how Timothy's working against me. Maybe he's not as trustworthy as I thought. I know the other alliance will take any chance they can get to stay in this game, and as much as it sickens me, I might have to use them." - Kris Nightingale

Author's Notes

 * The episode was originally titled It's a Whole New World Out There!
 * The episode title was said twice- once by Raphael Francis, once by Holly Underwood- both referencing their shy, lonely tribemate, Timothy Holden being the swing vote that would determine their fates in the game.
 * As of this episode, every single remaining member of the Thijssen tribe has received a vote against them that counted.
 * As of this episode, Angela Best is the only remaining female to not have had a vote cast against her.
 * As of this episode, Kris Nightingale is the last remaining Thijssen male.
 * In my original plan for this series, Elijah and Bandito's finishing positions were swapped around, and Bandito would have ended up being voted out in this episode. This was changed due to realism issues, as I realised someone who was weak like Bandito would not be an alliance's first target.