Day 12 — Week of the Shrimp (Train a shrimp to fry rice)

Mewo (grinning, chef’s hat tilted): “Alright losers. You have one week to train a shrimp to fry rice. One shrimp per team. Train it, teach it, emotionally manipulate it if necessary. At the end of the week, our permanent spectator Dontavious Donquavious III will taste the rice and declare the winner. No permanent penalties this time — I’ve removed those. Play fair(ish).”

Dontavious Donquavious III flutters royally on the sidelines, already narrating the economic implications of rice-to-kumquat ratios. He is the judge. He claps like a tiny gongbearer.

Teams & Shrimp Assignments

BIG SHOTS Shrimp: “Pico” — a nervous, tiny shrimp found in a snack bucket.
Team leaders: Steve (head trainer), Binah (discipline & precision), Luigi (moral support), Retro (shadow-stability drills), Springtrap (watchful eyes), Thomas Miku Binder, Mercedes Benz, Parcelboy, Spamton (enthusiasm manager).

RITUAL RULERS Shrimp: “Saff” — a bold, weirdly curious shrimp with a purple sheen.
Team leads: CassiLyn (rune-guided technique), Sphinx (method & timing), Noxor (heat-control tech), Wembry (hands-on trainee), MSMG Waifu, I Hate Fun Soyjak, Blobert, Caring Individual, 17M lb marijuana brick (moral presence).

Nocturne: present but still unable to speak. It watches Wembry and exerts a silent pressure — the influence continues growing, visible in Wembry’s small, involuntary gestures.

Training Montage — The Week
Day 1 — Orientation

Steve: “Okay, Pico. We’re going to teach you to stand on the spoon, hop into a heated wok, and time a flip. Watch me.”
Pico hops anxiously.

CassiLyn to Saff: “You feel the stirring rune? Coax Saff into the rice with hand movements.”
Sphinx: “Start with rhythm. One-two-stir. Consistency.”

Noxor rigs adjustable heat strips so the flame doesn’t spike.
Wembry trembles, echoing every subtle motion Nocturne implants in him: a twitch here, a breath there.

Springtrap (to Binah quietly): “They’re nervous. Perfect time to test fear management.”
Binah: “Discipline, not cruelty.”

Day 2 — Balance & Heat Tolerance

Luigi gently head-butts Pico off a tiny block to teach bravery.
Steve demonstrates jump-to-flip timing with a toy wok.
MSMG Waifu screams at Saff: “MOVE, YOU IDIOT SHRIMP! WE’RE GOING VIRAL!” — oddly, Saff reacts well to loud stimuli.

Wembry begins obeying invisible cues from Nocturne: pausing when told to pause, which unnerves Cassie when she notices the blank stare.

Day 3 — Knife Skills (shrimp-operated)

Thomas rigs a spoon handle that Pico can climb; Pico practices scooping rice.
Noxor programs a heat-safety lock so shrimp can’t overcook.
I Hate Fun Soyjak sits grumpy and refuses to clap — but Saff seems to enjoy the disdain and performs better. Weird synergy.

Day 4 — Flavor & Timing

17M lb marijuana brick rolls powdered herbs accidentally near Saff’s bowl; Saff sniffs and mistakes the scent for an invitation — team Ritual Rulers thinks the shrimp “likes” it. (No permanent consequences; we’ll note this as a flavor variable only for judging.)

Binah teaches Pico micro-precision: tiny wrist flicks that add sesame oil at the exact time.

Day 5 — Pressure Simulation

Dontavious pops by mid-week and dramatically tastes a raw spoonful — everyone freezes.
Dontavious: “Is the rice attuned to lunar tides? I can taste the moon tonight.”
Pico panics, jumps, then executes a perfect flip. Team BIG SHOTS cheers.

Wembry has a tense episode where he wipes his brow and whispers, lips moving as Nocturne’s silent influence tightens. CassiLyn approaches and carefully reassures him.

Day 6 — Dress Rehearsal

Big Shots run timed trials. Pico nails a 2-minute fried rice with perfect texture after Steve times the heat perfectly and Binah times the oil.

Ritual Rulers have inconsistent runs: Saff sometimes over-seasons (possibly due to the brick’s herb fallout) and sometimes undercooks — Noxor tweaks heat points repeatedly.

Day 7 — Final Adjustments & Quiet Tension

Noxor: “We’re stabilizing timings at 180°C as consistent output.”
Sphinx: “If the rice retains moisture above 15% but below 20%, you have ideal surfaces for flavor adherence.” (Sphinx gets nerdy; everyone nods.)

Wembry stands oddly still in the corner. Nocturne’s presence is visible in the way his hands twitch, and sometimes he freezes mid-action as though listening to something only he can hear. CassiLyn quietly takes him aside and murmurs: “Focus on the rice. Breathe with me.”

Springtrap watches everything with hungry curiosity, mouthing the word “fear” like it’s a spice.

Final Day — The Cook-Off

Setup: Two identical woks, same rice quantity, same ingredients. Dontavious takes his golden spoon and prepares to judge — he looks excessively regal.

Dontavious Donquavious III: “I will taste the essence. I will judge the soul of the rice. Also, is that a cosmic hint of kumquat?”

BIG SHOTS Round

Steve runs the stove; Binah times; Luigi calms Pico; Retro keeps ambient light steady.

Pico, under pressure, moves with tiny, precise hops and executes a clean flip and timed sesame oil drizzle. The rice is fluffy, with light caramelization and balanced seasoning.

Steve (relieved): “Yes. Pico, you little block-breaking shrimp—you did it.”

RITUAL RULERS Round

CassiLyn directs; Noxor ensures perfect burner control; Wembry tends to Saff — but halfway through, Wembry’s hand trembles and he pauses, eyes glazed; Nocturne’s influence causes him to add one extra dash of herb (from the brick residue).

The rice has a bold, unusual aromatic kick — pleasant to a degree — but the timing is slightly off, grain texture is a little sticky.

Sphinx (frowning): “Technique was sound. Timing was slightly off.”

Noxor (concise): “We optimized heat with millidegree control. Execution marred by human—er—Wembry inconsistency.”

CassiLyn shoots Wembry a worried glance. He whispers, “I heard it telling me it needed more… more.” His voice trembles.

Judging & Dialogue

Dontavious takes his tiny golden spoon.

He tastes BIG SHOTS first: slow, dramatic chew, eyes closing.
Dontavious: “Ah. Texture. Balance. A sense of courage in each grain… the shrimp respects structure. A triumph of discipline.”

He tastes RITUAL RULERS: much sniffing, theatrical pause.
Dontavious: “A bold aromatic profile indeed—some herbaceous notes that flirt with the metaphysical… but the texture betrays indecision. Too sticky. Beautiful intention, imperfect execution.”

Dontavious (declares): “Winner: Team BIG SHOTS. Their shrimp respects the wok.”

Aftermath & Quiet Threads

BIG SHOTS celebrate softly. Pico gets a tiny golden rice grain trophy. Steve hugs Luigi, Binah smiles once. Springtrap tilts his head, quietly savoring the volatility of human emotion.

Ritual Rulers are disappointed but introspective. CassiLyn comforts Wembry: “You did your best.”
Wembry (voice barely audible): “I… I heard more today… louder.” He looks exhausted.

Noxor walks over, puts a steady hand on Wembry’s shoulder: “We’ll recalibrate. We’ll train again. Don’t listen to whispers in your head — remember the rhythm.” He doesn’t believe in supernatural solutions, but he offers technical reassurance.

Nocturne: silent, unable to speak — still present as a pressure. Its influence on Wembry has increased subtly over the week; Wembry shows more nervous ticks, and Nocturne’s presence now registers as a low, constant weight on the edges of the Ritual Rulers’ nights.

Dontavious keeps pontificating about kumquats while nibbling leftover rice, delighted with the cultural experience.