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+---- Thread: *Chapter 21: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner (/showthread.php?tid=51495)
*Chapter 21: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner - lock180 - 05-23-2024
Catch Up on Previous Chapters:
Start From the Beginning: Chapter 1
Most Recent Chapter: Chapter 20
The Book of Zen
Chapter 21: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
The bickering and shouting above him is drowned out as he disappears underwater for a moment before emerging and beginning to swim as best as he can toward The Pinot Noir. Knowing where the banner is located is one problem but actually bringing it back is a whole other problem. Zenzeroni had solved the “where” problem on his first or second time trying to capture the banner successfully finding it in the mess hall which was basically a makeshift winery. But the second problem would prove to be more difficult. He knew they usually positioned themselves at the staircase leading down to the gundeck which was on the same level as the mess hall so he was thinking what he would do is climb through one of the windows where the cannons are placed, take the banner and swim back where he came from. The only problem was….
*HORN*
“THE PINOT NOIR HAS BEEN ELIMINATED AS THE FROSTBITE CONTINUES TO GROW THEIR ARMY AS THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURED THE BANNER AND THUS THE SHIP OF THE PINOT NOIR!”. One Eyed Larry announces through the deafening cheers of the crew on The Frostbite. It was now a 5 v 1 situation. Zenzeroni had seen it done before, mainly in CSGO but maybe he could put his lack of CSGO skills to the test. The problem with The Frostbite was that they now had 25 crew with 10 split up as attackers and 15 defenders. The second problem was that they had given up trying to hide it. With a numbers advantage like they had, they placed the banner squarely in the middle of the main deck and dared anyone to take it while they stood in a circle far enough away so that they weren’t breaking the rules but close enough that as soon as Violet or Smoky got a hold of it they were swarmed. Realizing this wasn’t going to work Violet and Smoky had given up and were defending with Plank and Lucky who were on their last legs. The crew of The Frostbite were making more and more progress getting further and further with the banner every time they touched it. It was now or never for Zenzeroni.
Zenzeroni swam into position near The Frostbite and saw that all of the defenders were on the main deck watching the chaos on The Spaghetti Monster unfold knowing there would be no attack from Violet or Smoky (or so they thought). Zenzeroni easily slipped into the gun deck with his grappling strategy he had implemented when sneaking into The Flying Lasagna. From there he stopped to think and came up with a new plan. Zenzeroni went to a closet and found a saw and immediately got to work sawing a circle around where the banner would be above him. The shouts and screams of excitement and anguish above him drowned out the sound of the saw and with everyone’s focus on The Spaghetti Monster, no one saw the blades of the saw sticking through the wood.
It was a slow process but eventually, the circle was complete and the piece of wood fell along with the banner and the game was on. Five pairs of eyes stared down at the hole that had just been created as Zenzeroni scooped up the banner and dashed for the sleeping quarters. Zenzeroni knew he couldn’t outswim them so he had to try and find a different way to make it back to his ship. He quickly jumped behind a door and like a cartoon movie as soon as a defender walked in Zenzeroni slipped out. But immediately was met with three other defenders staring him down. Zenzeroni slid over to a pile of gunpowder and kicked it into the air temporarily blinding his pursuers and leading him to the main deck of the ship where he was met with five more defenders.
At this very instant on the other side of the fleet on The Spaghetti Monster, there was a similar commotion as it appeared as though a crew from The Frostbite also had the banner. It would be a race to get back to their respective ships and right now Zenzeroni was stuck surrounded by five defenders when all of a sudden, an orange hat appears. Violet had snuck onto the ship in her orange ref hat and had made her way to Zenzeroni. Seeing who she really was the defenders closed in on the two of them but in the last instant Violet catapulted Zenzeroni up and over the defenders as she was tagged herself.
The crewmember from The Frostbite was getting increasingly close to scoring but had to traverse The Flying Lasagna to get back to his ship first. Zenzeroni’s only hope was the zipline so he dodged another defender and climbed the ladder up the crow’s nest and to the zipline. Without a moment of hesitation, Zenzeroni jumped on the zipline and started zooming across. 100 feet. 90 feet. 80 feet. Zenzeroni looks down to see The Frostbite crew member making his final steps to the gangway between The Flying Lasagna and The Frostbite. 70 feet. 60 feet. 50 feet. Zenzeroni was going to do it. His momentum was far faster than The Frostbite crew member could run. 40 feet. 30 feet. 20 feet.
*SNAP* All of a sudden the wire Zenzeorni had wrapped his noodle arms around snapped sending him plummeting downward and with a thump he landed on The Flying Lasagna where Rebel was waiting for him. She gave him a sorry smile before tagging him just as The Frostbite crew member reached their ship.
*HORN*
“AND WITH THAT THE CREW OF THE FROSTBITE HAVE WON THIS EDITION OF CAPTURE THE SHIP. THANK YOU ALL FOR PLAYING AND THE FIVE ORIGINAL CREW MEMBERS OF THE FROSTBITE WILL BE REWARDED WITH A FEAST IN THEIR HONOR. CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE ON AN EXCELLENT GAME.” One Eyed Larry wraps up the game and all feelings of anger and dissent disappear as a feast is arranged on the deck of The Flying Lasagna. The ever cocky Matty Ice continues to gloat but with booze in everyone’s belly the few that were still salty hash it out with drunken fistfights and all is forgotten. Everyone forgets or drowns their sorrows in beer except Violet who sits alone in her bunk bed flipping a gold coin from one hand to another when Zenzeroni walks in.
“Sorry, I let you down,” Zenzeroni tells her.
Violet looks up from her coin flipping “Eh don’t worry about it. It’s just a game after all.” Violet says trying to be optimistic.
Zenzeroni awkwardly shuffles his feet and not knowing what to say walks back out the door. As soon as Zenzeroni leaves Violet writes something in her journal and puts it under her pillow before getting up to join the rest of the party for food, dancing, and more.