IR Day 17 - Return to Pink Team

It’s a surreal night, you know it’s reality because there are consequences.

Karin looks devastated at your announcement. This isn’t her fault. Choosing to take a captain was a questionable choice, but FUTA is at fault, not her. She’s not sorry to see you go because she likes you so much; she’s upset because this is a public rebuttal of her decision.

Azu looks quietly happy for you as she waves. Cheryl’s laughing. If there was one upside to this, you did make some good friends. Syd scowls at you. You hope they won’t kick you out of their group chat. You like them a lot.

Guilt over Karin’s suffering is hard to hold onto when you see how stoked Pink Team is. Most of them rush you and your find yourself in a tangle of bodies trying to hug you. The delicate hand that’s cheekily cupping your package must belong to Sam. You put up with it. There are tears from some of them, mainly Max and Viti.

Lara, Elena, and the more dignified teammates stand back and watch. Lara looks relieved, but this is a wrinkle in your plan. You traded yourself back, but you only reversed what Karin did—you made no additional changes to the roster. You could have traded yourself for Lara, for example. Or Aki.

Aki is captain now. You trading yourself back won’t change that. If you want to be captain again, you’ll have to unseat her. At the moment, you don’t care about that. Is being captain even important? You’re just glad to be back where you belong. It feels right.

You’re sore and exhausted, but feeling good as you climb onto the bus with the rest of Pink Team. By the time you get to the Lodge, FUTA staff will have already moved your stuff.

There’s no crowd or lines at the Lodge, even though three teams have converged on it. Bee now knows everyone’s room preferences, so you only have to go to the desk if you want to change something.

Max and Sam have crowded into your seat for even just this short ride, chattering away and asking questions about Yellow Team. They want to know what Karin’s like, and those tough, army girls.

“They’re OK,” you tell them. It’s not quite the answer they’re looking for, but you’re drained. Your eyes are on Lara, who rides a few rows up by herself, her chin in her hand. Being unseated by Aki is a blow to her pride, but she’s handling it well. She’ll be all right in the morning. You have no doubt that Sam will distract her tonight. Maybe that’ll make her feel better.

Max looks even more tired than you do. You wonder what’s up with that. And with the big, very tight hug that she gives you after you get off the bus. You like Max, but she can be a little weird.

Still wearing your sweaty, yellow uniform, you walk into the Lodge’s crowded lobby.

Ingrid is waiting for you.