Author's Note: Hey everyone. Trying to upload fast, because next week will be painfully busy for me, so I feel like I should get as much done while I still can. So here you go, another chapter of Strandarama!
"Welcome back to Total Drama Strandarama!" Chris exclaimed from inside the Gazebo of Shame. "Last time, it was another elimination challenge. On the Ferocious Fields, Portia, Linus, and Teddy fought hard, knowing that their lives were at risk. But in the end, the Tough Trees' challenge advantage, as well as the Ferocious Fields' inability to come together, caused them to be sent to elimination for a third time. Marion wanted Portia gone, but Mel made a fuss over getting out Randall. This caused Marion to try and shift the target to Mel…which proved to be a big mistake when Randall got the boot. So how will this change things for the Ferocious Fields? Will losing Randall help them recover, or will their inner feuding keeping them down? And what about the Tough Trees? Sparks are already flying between Aloysius and Renada, and a fire is sure to break out soon enough. So be sure to keep watching…Total…Drama…Strandarama!"
(Theme Song Plays…)
(Not Quite Loser Island)
Confessional:
Karly-I've been making do in these caves for now. They're not the most comfortable, but there's a bit of a homey touch to them.
Karly got up and looked around the glowing cave.
"Alright, a key, I need a key," she said to herself.
She started to pace around the chamber. She moved gems and stones out of the way as she searched under them. After some time of futile searching she sat down and sighed to herself.
"Well, I don't think I'm going to find anything here," she remarked. "Might as well keep exploring."
With that she started to climb out of the chamber and deeper into the caverns.
Confessional:
Karly-My only option is to keep going deeper until I find something. They have to lead somewhere.
Back on the surface, Sandy, Pedro, and Randall were all sitting under their new, poorly built shelter together.
"So, you say you found a necklace," Pedro said. "And it looked important."
"I know it was," Sandy said. "Why else would it be at the bottom of the pond?"
"Hm," Randall said. "But now it belongs to...uh, monkeys, you said?"
"That's right," Sandy hissed. "That thing brought me more trouble than it was worth. I'm done trying to get it back, it's all yours if you can retrieve it."
"I think we ought to give it a shot," Pedro said to Randall. "It could be critical to making progress."
"I agree...but these monkeys sound kind of vicious," Randall said.
"You have no idea," Sandy replied.
"They're just monkeys, they don't scare me," Pedro said. "Come on, let's go check it out."
"You boys go ahead," Sandy said. "I'm not going anywhere near them; I just want to try and get some rest for once."
Confessional:
Pedro-This could very well be the missing link that I need. Sure, I may have to deal with a feel territorial simians, but hey, I've got Mr. Live Bait with me.
Randall-I really don't like the sound of this plan.
(Ferocious Fields Camp)
"This is insane," Marion groaned as he paced around the shelter. "This is completely wrong. This was not supposed to happen!"
"Will you stop your whining already?" Brienne remarked coldly. "You're going to give me a headache."
"Do you not see how bad this is for us!?" Marion insisted. "We went from a power position on top of the world to being even…and that's if this is our best case scenario."
"I still don't see why you need to freak out so much," Brienne replied. "Wasn't this all part of your masterplan? I mean, if you had just voted for Portia she could be gone by now, so clearly you have other intentions."
"No…well, I mean…that was supposed to go down differently," Marion grumbled. "I didn't think they'd actually have the brains or guts to stand up to Mel."
"Well, whatever the case, I still think you're overreacting," Brienne said. "Randall was a pawn, we don't need him. We're still fine."
"We most certainly are not," Marion said. "But we can recover from this. It'll just take a little work."
Confessional:
Brienne-I'm actually enjoying all this. Marion's done such a good job putting on a show and making himself out to be the kingpin that if we happen to lose again, then it's his ass on the line, not mine. And besides, Randall was his ally, not mine, as far as this alliance goes, I hold all the cards now.
Marion-Last night was a complete disaster. I thought those losers would do exactly as I told them and just vote out Mel, but they had to ruin everything and take out my closest ally. But I'm not about to throw the towel in just yet. Now that Mel's gotten what she wanted, we just might be able to rope her back onto our side.
(Tough Trees)
Aloysius was taking an early morning walk. He strolled slowly through the woods as he thought to himself and watched the sunrise.
"Morning," someone said.
He turned to see Florence walking towards him.
"Ugh, what do you want, commoner?" Aloysius asked. "Can't you see you're polluting my air?"
"Just noticed that you were walking alone," Florence said. "Something on your mind?"
"That's none of your business," Aloysius sniffed.
"Well, if something's bothering you, the best thing to do is to get it off your chest," Florence remarked. "Might make you feel better."
"I doubt it," Aloysius replied. "But if you must know, I'm feeling frustrated. I am by far the most valuable person on this team—this entire cast—and yet, due to the other team's extreme levels of failures, I could be at risk of being seen as obsolete. Really, it's such a waste of skill and talent."
"Well, if you're worried about getting voted out," Florence said, "it wouldn't hurt to try to be a little nicer to everyone."
"Hahaha…no," Aloysius replied.
"Worth a shot," Florence shrugged.
Meanwhile, in another part of the camp, Yu and Ferris were talking together.
"So, Yu," Ferris said, "I was just thinking. I don't think we're going to keep this winning streak up forever, so if we were to go in to the Gazebo of Shame again, who would you vote for?"
"Aw, why would I think about such depressing thoughts like that?" Yu replied. "Everyone here is like family, I don't ever want to think about eliminating any of them."
"But that's all part of the game," Ferris said. "We're going to have to face it sooner or later."
"Well, that's in the future," Yu said. "I just want to enjoy the present."
"Suit yourself," Ferris sighed.
Confessional:
Aloysius-I've had to rethink my plan. I've been going about it the wrong way. Instead of not participating in challenges to make them realize how much they need me, I should be making sure I'm always the one to bring in the win so that they don't come to think that they could do without me.
Ferris-I'm worried about having to face the vote again. We have really strong team, but no team has ever made merge without going to elimination at least once. Not even Team Amazon or The Mutant Maggots. But no one on this team really wants to talk strategy, so we might just be going into the vote blindly.
(Ferocious Fields Camp)
"Yaaay, we're all still here, we're all still alive!" Teddy exclaimed as he hugged Portia and Linus. "I love you guys! I can't believe that actually worked, we all survived, we did it!"
"I'm very relieved too," Portia said as she squeezed out of Teddy's embrace. "I was terrified that it would be me going last night. However, we're not out of the woods just yet."
"Well, things are looking up now," Linus said. "Clearly Mel has broken free of the cold, harsh grips of corruption in favor of the glorious liberty of JUSTICE!"
"Hm…I'm not too sure about that," Portia said. "I don't think we can necessarily count on Mel to help us out again."
"Yeah, she just hates everyone who's not her," Teddy said. "She does care about any single one of us out on this team, she only cares about her, herself and, uh…her."
"So, we're going to have to still be very careful," Portia said. "I'm really proud of us for pulling something like that off, but it could easily go back to the way it was, so let's not get too cocky."
Confessional:
Portia-The reason I chose to keep Mel over Randall was because Randall was not helping at challenges at all. My hope is that with him gone, we'll be able to actually start winning again and avoid elimination for the time being.
Teddy-I gotta try my very bestest to keep my friends safe. They'd do the same for me, yep they would, cause we're friends and friends stick together and look out for each other no matter what.
Linus-Mel has a shot at sweet redemption, she shouldn't squander this opportunity. As soon as she feels the warmth of JUSTICE, she will realize how wrong she was before and jump to our side.
(Tough Trees Camp)
Drew was entertaining himself by trying to balance a pebble on his nose. He had it for few seconds before Rocky leapt in front of him.
"Hi there!" she exclaimed.
"Hello," Drew said as the pebble dropped to the ground.
"So, how you doing today?" Rocky asked. "Ready for another challenge?"
"Ready as…uh, bear before…you know, that thing…hibernation," Drew said. "But, uh…I did want to…um you know…continue our conversation from…uh, yesterday."
"Which one?" Rocky asked.
"About, uh…who we should, um…vote for," Drew said.
"Aw, I told you, I don't see why we need to talk about this," Rocky said.
"Well, uh…what do you're animal friends…say?" Drew asked. "Like, uh…that seagull?"
"Hey Mrs. Seagull!" Rocky waved. "Do you think I should discuss strategy with Drew?"
The seagull squawked.
"She says no," Rocky translated.
"Oh…well, uh…why don't you ask…uh, this earthworm?" Drew said as he handed her a worm.
"Hi there, Mr. Earthworm, how are you today?" Rocky asked. "So, do you think I need to talk strategy right now?"
The worm slithered from side to side.
"He says no," Rocky said.
"Huh…really," Drew said. "Okay…let's get, uh…another…opinion….Like, that turtle."
"Hey, Professor Turtle!" Rocky exclaimed as she skipped over to the reptile. "So, even though we've already won so many challenges, should I talk about voting people off?"
The turtle stepped once.
"He says yes," Rocky said.
Drew fistpumped to himself.
"So what did you have in mind?" Rocky asked.
"Well, that's what I…uh, wanted to, um…talk to you about," Drew said. "Aloysius and, uh…Renada…are like a pair of….um, what's it called…lifesucking mosquitoes…but they're strong like…uh apes…so they're like bloodsucking…um apes…with little mosquito wings."
"Ha, those don't exist, silly," Rocky laughed. "If they did, I would have had talked to one by now."
"It's, uh…an analogy," Drew said.
"Hm, never heard of that species," Rocky said. "Is it, like, from the depths of the ocean or something?"
"Never mind," Drew said. "The point, uh…is we need them for…uh winning challenges…but they keep morale down…At the same time, we've got…uh, people like…what's her face…Yu…"
"Me?" Rocky asked.
"No…the other Yu," Drew said.
"There's another me walking around here somewhere?" Rocky said nervously. "Did I spawn in my sleep or something?"
"Not to my, uh…knowledge," Drew said. "But I wouldn't…uh, rule it out…but I was referring to…uh, the small girl with the…um, red highlights…"
"Oh, you mean Yu," Rocky said. "Why didn't you just say so?"
"I don't know," Drew said, "but she's um…very nice and friendly, but…uh, not the best in challenges…so she's like a, uh…"
Drew stopped before coming up with another metaphor, deciding it might not be a good idea.
"Like a nice person…who's not good at challenges," Drew concluded. "Anyways…my overall, uh…conclusion is that…if we need to vote someone out…it should be someone…who's uh, right in the middle…of the uh, spectrum, you know?"
"No," Rocky said, "but it was nice talking to you anyways. But I promised I'd give a massage to Mr. Hippopotamus."
With that Rocky skipped off happily. Drew just sighed to himself. From a short distance, Betty had spotted them from behind a tree.
"Oh, this is not good at all," she murmured to herself. "Why are my allies always talking amongst themselves and never including me? It's almost like they don't want to talk to me. That's not very ally-like of them at all. Oh my gosh, this has blindside written all over it! I need new allies, stat."
"Hello," Washington said as he came up behind her.
"You need to be my new ally!" Betty exclaimed as she grabbed him and shook him frantically.
"Okay," Washington said meekly.
Betty put him down and said, "Don't blindside me, okay!?"
"Goodbye," Washington said as he gave a short nod and left.
Confessional:
Drew-I don't think…uh, Rocky…full grasps the whole…uh, gravity of our…situation. She reminds me of…uh, Princess Bellita, who uh…joined the war…only to get in over her heard…except combine that with Lady Dorrea who was…uh bitten by a warg…and uh, gained the ability to…um talk to animals.
Rocky-Drew sure has a lot to say. If he wants to think about all that stuff then good for him. But me, I'll just listen to what my animal buddies have to say.
Betty-I really need to watch out for signs. If my alliance is gonna blindside me, then I need to flip the script fast…but how do I know if I can trust Washington? (gasps) What if he's in on it!? (gasps again) What if my old allies are planning to use him as my replacement!? I'm so screwed!
Washington-(shrugs)
(Later, The Beach)
The two teams met at the beach where Chris was waiting.
"Welcome, Tough Trees and Ferocious Fields," Chris said. "As you can see, Randall has left us."
"Bout time they cut out that little shrimp," Renada remarked. "Now maybe we can have a worthy battle."
"For this challenge, we're back to rewards," Chris said. "And it's something that I'm sure you're all going to like. Letters from home!"
Chris received a chorus of 'ooh's from both teams.
"Yay, maybe I can finally hear from Daddy again!" Portia exclaimed.
"I can't wait to hear what my friends back home have to say to me," Yu squealed.
"For this challenge, we will be preparing a beach party, but we need some things to be completed first," Chris said. "That's where you come in. Your team will be broken up into three groups, each with a different task to complete. Your tasks include: Sandcastle building, fishing, and preparing a sacrifice for the Gods."
"Sounds like…quite a party," Florence said.
"Well, it's just typical requirements," Chris said. "We need decorations, we need food, and we need to appease the gods so they don't smite us with a tsunami."
"Now, I'll let you get into groups and decide which task you want to complete," Chris said. "Tough Trees, you have nine members so you will have three groups of three. Ferocious Fields, you're down to seven so it'll be two groups of two and one group of three. Your finished products will be graded, and the team with the best two out of three will win the reward."
Confessional:
Mel-Now to see if we can actually pull off a win, or if this just a plain sucky team.
Aloysius-Time to remind everyone just how skilled and effective I can be.
Portia-I really hope we win today. I've missed Daddy ever so much, and I'm doing this all for him. I really would like to hear from him again.
Renada-Bah, letters, who cares about that? It's not going to help us in any shape or form. But I'm still not intending to lose, it's the principle of the whole thing.
(Fishing)
Selected for the fishing task on the Tough Trees side were Aloysius, Renada, and Rocky, while the Ferocious Fields had sent up Portia and Marion.
"Don't you try any funny business," Renada said to Aloysius. "I'm watching you."
"I sure hope you don't find anything funny about winning," Aloysius relpied.
Aloysius took off his coat and hung it on a post before diving smoothly into the water.
"Right behind you," Renada said as she dived after.
"I'm coming too," Rocky exclaimed. "Wee!"
"So, you have any idea what we're doing?" Marion asked.
"I did a bit of fishing back at camp," Portia said. "I guess we'll just try to do that out here."
Portia and Marion searched the beach until they found some sharp sticks. They then waded into the lake and tried to spear some of the fish swimming around their legs. However, they weren't having much luck. After several stabs, they still hadn't caught anything.
"Well, this is lame," Marion grumbled.
"I guess lake fish are smarter than the river fish," Portia remarked.
Confessional:
Renada-I'm onto Aloysius and his sneakiness. If he tries anything this round, POW, he's outta here!
Aloysius-Fishing really is such a brute labor, but it's the best way to demonstrate my skill again.
Portia-My team's really counting on me to carry my weight for this challenge. It may seem like tough odds, but I'm not going to back down now.
Marion-I really don't think we've got a chance, considering who we're up against. But on the other hand, that means that the Trees pooled all their strongest members into this one task, and the others might have better luck.
(Sacrifice)
The Ferocious Fields had selected Mel, Teddy, and Austin for this task, while the Tough Trees had chosen Betty, Florence, and Yu.
"So, a sacrifice?" Florence remarked. "What are we going to do for that?"
"I don't know, but let's have fun with it," Yu said. "We can make something really pretty and creative."
"I'm open to suggestions," Florence said.
"Well, I was thinking we could get some pretty flowers," Yu said. "And maybe some tasty fruit. I'm sure the Gods would like that."
"Okay, let's get to it!" Betty exclaimed. "Don't want to let the other team get ahead!"
Meanwhile, the Ferocious Fields were having a similar discussion.
"Alright, we need to get started," Teddy exclaimed. "What are we gonna do? We need to make this sacrifice like super good, and super winnable, and super sacrificial."
"Let's just get some wood and put a statue together," Mel said. "There simple and easy."
"Won't that be kinda boring?" Teddy asked. "You know, kinda drab, bland, banal."
"Actually," Austin said, "some of these woods can release a type of incense when burnt, which is frequently used to please the good spirits, so if we can find anything like that, then we'll have the perfect sacrifice. But of course, I wouldn't expect you to know anything about that."
"Fine, whatever, let's do that," Teddy said. "But c'mon, we gotta gogogogo!"
Confessional:
Yu-I wanna have a lot of fun with this challenge. I'm going to make my sacrifice all pretty and colourful.
Austin-Obviously, I came here with knowledge of all the island's superstitions. As expected, it's come in handy now.
Mel-We don't need to anything fancy, we just need to get something simple and practical to get us that win.
(Sandcastles)
Working on the sandcastles for the Tough Trees were Ferris, Drew, and Washington, while the Ferocious Fields had selected Linus and Brienne. Linus immediately got to the ground and started piling sand.
"Alright, this castle is going to be awesome," he said. "Not just a mere castle, but a fortress of JUSTICE. None shall be able to break its impregnable walls."
After a few minutes of working in the sand, Linus realized that he wasn't getting any help from Brienne. He looked over and saw her relaxing in the sand.
"Um, excuse me," he said. "Mind giving me a hand?"
"Uh, how about no?" Brienne replied. "I'm not here to do work, that's your job. I just took this job so I could work on my gorgeous tan."
"Well, we'll be heading back to the Gazebo of Shame if we lose this," Linus said.
"Then why are you wasting time talking to me when you could be working on that castle?" Brienne replied.
"Fine," Linus grumbled. "I'll do it myself. If I let you touch it, it'd probably end up with spikes and devil horns."
"Oh please, the whole Goth era is so passé for me," Brienne scoffed.
Meanwhile, the Trees were also planning their castle.
"I say we keep it simple," Ferris said. "I'd rather have something plain but solid, than aim too high and end up failing."
"Okay," Washington said.
"Hm…." Drew said, "this castle…should um…be fit for a prince…but be able to withstand…uh, a dragon…and it needs towers…and dungeons…oh, and also…uh, a moat."
"We'll…see what we can do," Ferris said. "The important thing is we just get it started for now."
Confessional:
Linus-Brienne is only digging her own grave. I can handle this challenge just fine, but she's not earning any favors from me.
Brienne-That little twerp just doesn't get it. Why would I have to do his work? He wants to stay in this game, then he needs to earn it. Me, I don't need to worry.
Ferris-Drew has a lot of ideas…but I'm not sure if we'll be able to work them all in. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Drew-If we're, uh…making a castle…we might as well…um, you know, give it a story behind it…it would be a pretty sorry castle….if, uh, it didn't have any…um, purpose.
(Fishing)
Aloysius coursed through the water with easy. He spotted a large fish and dove for it. The fish didn't stand a chance. In an instant, Aloysius had it between his hands. He then rocketed to the surface. Renada arrived shortly after him with a much smaller fish clutched in her hands.
"Cute," Aloysius remarked. "Now be a dear and take this one back to the shore for me."
"What?" Renada scoffed. "You do it."
"You know, for someone who's so concerned about winning, you have a very odd way of going about it," Aloysius said as he handed her his fish and dove back into the water.
"Grrr," Renada growled as she held the fish and started to swim back towards the shore.
"Hey Renada!" Rocky exclaimed as she rode by on a dolphin.
"Get back to work," Renada ordered.
Closer to shore, Marion and Portia were still stabbing furiously into the water. Water had splashed up all over Portia's dress which was soaking wet now. She had caught a few small fish which they had piled on the beach, but it was meager compared to the Tough Trees' pile. Renada dumped the large fish in her own pile which was already three times as big as the other.
"Remind me why we're still trying?" Marion asked.
"We've got to give it a shot," Portia said. "You never know what to expect."
"I'm pretty sure we can expect to lose," Marion said. "But whatever."
Confessional:
Aloysius-I don't think Renada cares so much about winning as she does getting in my face. She'd love to lose if it meant she could bring me down. Too bad that's never happening.
Renada-I can't argue with results…and that pisses me off!
Portia-There have been last minute turnarounds before. We just need to keep trying and hope for the best…hope for a miracle.
Marion-Good thing this isn't an immunity challenge, because this is not going well for us.
(Sacrifice)
"Okay, flowers, flower, flowers!" Betty said as she looked in all directions. "Do you see any!?"
"Well," Florence said, "there's a patch of pink ones over there."
"I'm on it!" Betty exclaimed as she ran in the direction Florence was pointing.
However, she ran right over the patch and ended up trampling the flowers.
"Oh…uh…sorry, I really didn't mean to do that," Betty exclaimed nervously.
"I'm sure we can still use…some of them," Florence said as he tried to pick up a few of the still solid flowers.
"Don't worry, I'll find more!" Betty promised.
"Yeah, you do that," Florence said. "I'm just gonna look…over in the other direction."
Not too far away, Austin and Teddy were collecting pieces of woods. Both of them had piles under their arms.
"Oh here's one…here's one…ooh, and here's another one," Teddy exclaimed as he snapped branches off trees.
"No, no, no," Austin tutted as he grabbed a stick from Teddy. "What is this?"
"A twig," Teddy answered, "a branch, a stick."
"Did you not hear anything I told you?" Austin said as he bopped Teddy on the head with the stick. "We can't just take any kind of wood. It would be sacrilege."
"It thought we were looking for sacrifices," Teddy replied in confusion.
"Just follow my lead, okay," Austin said.
"You got it," Teddy said.
Confessional:
Florence-Betty is well-intentioned, but she gets a bit carried away. I just hope she does harm our chances at winning.
Betty-My alliance can't backstab me if I win challenges! Haha, I've found a loophole in their insidious plot…now I just have to…actually do that.
Austin-This is my domain, and I intend to do it right.
(Sandcastle)
Linus was busily working at his castle. He packed sand together as he tried to form it into a building.
"Yes, this is looking superb," Linus complimented himself as he worked. "The turrets will go here…and the sentries shall be stationed here…"
"Wow, that looks dreadful," Brienne remarked.
"I did not ask for your opinion," Linus replied bitterly.
"That looks nothing like a castle, it looks like a hideous blob," Brienne said. "And what are all these bumps?"
"They're ridges," Linus said defensively.
"I don't think so," Brienne scoffed. "Start over. And make it good this time."
"Well, you don't exactly have a right to complain considering you haven't done anything to help," Linus protested.
"I'm helping right now," Brienne said taking offense. "I'm giving you my valued opinion. We'd be screwed if you didn't have me as your supervisor. Now chop, chop, get to it."
Linus growled to himself as he turned away from Brienne and continued to work on the castle furiously. Over on the other side, Ferris was also working on the castle. She was taking a delicate approach, trying to make the castle defined and detailed.
"Here are those shells you wanted," Washington said as he handed her a handful of seashells.
"Thank you," Ferris said. "These will look nicely on the front wall."
"So…it's a castle for a…uh, mermaid, then?" Drew asked. "I'm just saying…cause, uh…it doesn't really make sense to have…uh, something like that on…um, a human castle."
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Ferris said.
"Then it really should….uh, be underwater," Drew said. "Cause, uh…mermaids can't really…um, live…on land."
"Well, I'm afraid that wouldn't be practical," Ferris said. "Because then our castle would dissolve."
"True," Drew noted, "but uh…maybe we could put, uh…an underwater chamber…like a pool…in the base of the castle."
"That sounds complicated," Ferris said. "I'd rather just focus on getting this done before we worry about any additions."
"I can do it," Drew said. "I'll just get us some…uh, water…and you'll see."
Ferris just sighed to herself as Drew headed to the lake to gather water.
Confessional:
Brienne-Linus is just making a very good case for why he needs to go next. He is nowhere near a team player, and really, why should we keep someone like that?
Ferris-Drew seriously needs to get a better grasp on reality. He's so up in the clouds all the time, he doesn't seem to realize what's really important.
Drew-I just want our castle to be…uh, realistic, you know. If we had a mermaid castle with…uh, no water…well, that would be uh…an instant fail…in my books.
(Fishing)
"Take this!" Marion exclaimed as he jabbed into the water.
He pulled his spear up and revealed a large fish.
"Wow, nicely done," Portia said. "We might just be catching up."
Marion walked back to the pile and tossed the fish in. They still weren't at the same level as the Tough Trees, but they had managed to speed up on catching fish. Suddenly, a large orca whale emerged from the water and coughed up an enormous pile of dead fish on top of the Tough Trees' pile.
"Thanks a bunch, Mr. Whale," Rocky exclaimed. "You've been a great help."
"You were saying?" Marion remarked to Portia.
Confessional:
Portia-Well, it's all up to the others now, because we are not winning this challenge.
Rocky-Yay, just call me MVP.
Aloysius-How dare I be outshone by an aquatic mammal?! This certainly will not stand.
(Sacrifices)
Florence was picking some orchids and had collected a colourful bouquet.
"This will look nice," he said to himself.
He then looked across the ground and spotted something sticking out.
"Is that what I think it is?" he said as he went over to investigate.
He cleared the bushes and found some pineapples growing in the ground.
"It is," he exclaimed. "Pineapples. These will go great with our sacrifice."
"Ooooh Flooooorence!" Betty exclaimed as she came running back. "Look what I found!"
She opened her palms to reveal some dripping red liquid.
"Um…jam?" Florence asked.
"Oh no!" Betty cried. "It was supposed to be berries! I must have crushed them in my hands! I am so stupid, and useless, why am I doing this!?"
Betty began to slam her head against a tree, but Florence pulled her back.
"Hey, look, it's fine," he said. "We've got flowers, and I found some fruit here. We've got everything we need."
"Oh, haha, silly me," Betty said. "Want me to carry something?"
"Uh…no," Florence answered.
Teddy and Austin meanwhile had both gathered up a couple large piles of red wood.
"This will do nicely," Austin said. "The spirits will be most appeased."
"Kay then, whatever you say," Teddy said as they returned to Mel.
"Took you long enough," Mel grumbled. "Alright, leave it to me now to make something out of all this."
Confessional:
Betty-Okay, so I didn't really do anything…at all…wow this plan was an utter failure. Note to self…stop failing.
Mel-I don't know what Austin is jabbering about spirits and all that crap, but as long as I can make something that'll long decent, we have a shot at this challenge.
(Sandcastles)
Linus was putting the final touches on his castle. He added a twig with a leaf attached to it as a makeshift flag.
"There, perfection!" Linus exclaimed.
"Is today opposite day?" Brienne said. "Because if so, that is the exact definition I'd give to your castle."
The castle still looked crude and uneven.
"Shut up!" Linus snapped. "It looks fine."
"No, if it looked fine it wouldn't make me want to barf," Brienne replied. "You should have taken my advice and stopped sucking when I told you to."
"It's beautiful!" Linus argued. "You're just crazy!"
Ferris meanwhile had made a much neater castle. She had smoothed out each detail, and the castle could clearly be made out.
"We're back," Drew said as he and Washington arrived with a pile of various objects.
"I thought you were just getting water," Ferris said.
"Yeah, but…I had, uh…some other ideas," Drew said. "Like this rock…"
Washington placed the rock in from of the castle.
"Is…uh, where…Princess Monaka first met…uh, her pet…Sea Unicorn," Drew said. "And this…uh, algae…can be…uh, the cursed swamp…where are…the evil advisor…drowned…and uh, continues to haunt."
"Okay, okay, fine," Ferris said as Washington placed the algae behind the castle.
"And lastly…uh, here's the water," Drew said as he held up a large seashell fell out of water. "I'll, uh…just make a pool…right here."
However, Drew let the shell slip out of his hands and spilled water all over the side of the castle.
"Errg," Ferris groaned in frustration as her project crumbled and fell apart on that side. "That's exactly what I was afraid of."
"It's uh…okay…we can just…uh, add some more story to it," Drew said. "Like…maybe they, uh…lost a war…against the nefarious…crab folk."
"But it doesn't even look like a castle anymore," Ferris sighed. "It's just a mess."
Confessional:
Ferris-This is exactly what I wanted to avoid, but would Drew listen? No, of course not, he's too dazed and confused to even know where he is.
Linus-My castle is a masterpiece. Brienne doesn't have a degree in Art Criticism so her opinion means nothing to me. She's also evil which was a deal breaker from the start.
(Later)
The sun was just beginning to set as Chris called everyone to return.
"That's time everyone," Chris announced. "Let's see what you've got."
Everyone grouped up in the center of the beach again, everyone sporting difference expression based on their current expectations.
"Let's start with the fish, our meal of the day," Chris said.
He walked up to the two piles and immediately saw that one was mountains above the other.
"No question here," Chris said. "Tough Trees, you win the first point."
"Duh," Renada remarked.
"Well, we tried," Portia said to Marion.
"Great lot of good that did us," Marion replied.
"Next up," Chris said. "The sacrifices."
Mel preferred her monument made of wood. It was a pyramid made up of several spike protruding outwards.
"Hm, very nice, very interesting," Chris said. "And next."
Yu displayed a ring of colourful flowers with a pile of pineapples arranged into the center.
"Isn't it just so pretty?" she exclaimed. "It was a lot of fun to make."
"Also nice," Chris said. "But now for the moment of truth. Since this is a sacrifice, the true test is to see if the Gods will accept it."
Chris pulled out a lighter and lit up torch. He placed it against Mel's monument. It lit up nicely and made a roaring fire, all while letting off a sweet scent.
"Very nice," Chris said. "Your turn, Trees."
"Wait, you can't burn it!" Yu exclaimed. "I worked hard to make it pretty."
"Well, clearly you don't understand the purpose of a sacrifice," Chris said as he tried to burn the pineapples.
The fruits just ended up melting together slightly.
"Not quite as impressive," Chris said. "Point goes to…Ferocious Fields, we're tied now."
Chris then walked up to the sandcastles.
"Okay, what do we have here?" Chris said as he inspected the castles.
He eyed Linus's castle.
"Hm, a little crude, a little plain, but the intention is clear," he said as he then walked over to Ferris's castle. "Hm, sort of a wreck here, don't you think…I can see some good potential on this side, but the rest is just a mess."
Ferris just sighed.
"The final point," Chris said, "goes to…"
…
…
…
…
…
"The Ferocious Fields!"
The team erupted into victorious cheers.
"We did it, we actually won!" Portia exclaimed as she hugged Marion.
"Please don't do that," Marion said as he pushed her aside.
"High-fives all around!" Teddy exclaimed as he held his hands up.
Austin reluctantly returned the gesture.
"Congratulations, guys, you have broken your losing streak," Chris said. "And for you win, you will be rewarded letters from your loved ones."
Confessional:
Mel-Ha, took long enough. But it just goes to show how we're better off without Randall.
Betty-I sure hope I'm not blamed for this…oh who am I kidding, of course I will be!
Portia-Oh this feels so good. There's still hope for us.
Aloysius-Ack, I cannot stand the taste of irony in my mouth. Today has been nothing but a failure for me.
Brienne-Good thing I was here to point out what was wrong with that castle. The way I see it, the team owes me for this victory.
Ferris-We almost had this. If my castle had been done the way I wanted, I have no doubt, we would have won.
(Ferocious Fields Camp)
Everyone happily returned to their camp with their letters in hand.
"Oh, this is so exciting!" Portia squealed. "I can't wait to see what everyone has to say."
"Yeah, this is great, stupendous, super-duper-uber cool!" Teddy exclaimed. "Let's just read them right now, come on, all together, open'em up!"
Once everyone was settled they started to open up their letters and read them aloud.
"Aw, mine's from Daddy," Portia said with tears in her eyes. "He says he's so proud of me for getting on the show and lasting this far. I won't let you down, Daddy, I promise!"
"Let's see," Linus said as he opened his letter, "Ooh, it's from my pals back at school, 'Dear Linus, hope you're having fun, and you're able to bring home the million. Just be sure to go easy on the kids out there, if you're treating this as seriously as you treat your hall monitor duties…well, just stay chill and you'll be fine.' Aw, how cute."
"Mine's from Ma," Marion said. "'Dear Marion, I trust that you are already well on your way to winning the million dollars. You'd better be, because I've already started spending as if you've won.' Eek, that's incentive."
"Ooh, I got fanmail," Brienne said. "Dear Brienne, you are fabulous, gorgeous, genius, and clearly the best player on the show. You've got it in the bag, and if you don't win, the world will mourn at the greatest injustice in history. Sincerely, Brienne.'"
"She…has the same name as you?" Marion asked.
"No, dummy," Brienne scoffed. "I wrote myself a letter. Because only I know exactly the kinds of things I deserve to hear."
"I got one from my therapist," Mel said. "Dear Mel, I hope this game isn't too stressing for you. Just remember to always think before you speak, so you don't say things you regret. I'm sure you'll make plenty of progress and make lots of friends if you just try to keep your temper in check,' blah, blah, blah, what does she know?"
Mel tossed the letter into the fire.
"Ooh, this one's from The curator of the Museum of Paranormal Activity," Austin announced. "Dear Austin, I hope that you're expedition is going well. The museum is in dire need of a new find to boost popularity, so anything you could bring back would be much appreciated. A fossil, a photo, anything.' Yeah, he's a little eccentric when it comes to this kind of thing."
"You don't say," Mel remarked as she eyed Austin.
"I got one from my dog," Teddy announced.
"Oh, how—wait, your dog sent you a letter?" Portia asked.
"Yep, he sent me a bone," Teddy said as he held up the dog snack. "It's nice to know he cares about me."
Confessional:
Portia-I think winning this reward was a huge morale booster for all of us. We got to hear from home, and we know that it is still possible for us to win.
Marion-Hearing from Ma has just inspired me even more to win. I'm bringing that money home and I won't let anyone stop me.
Teddy-It was so nice getting to hear about everyone's homelife, I'm sure they've all got a lot of totally awesome friends supporting them back home!
(Tough Trees)
"Well, I certainly hope you're not planning on pinning this blame on me," Aloysius remarked to Renada.
"We still shouldn't have lost," Renada grunted. "That challenge was simple, where did we go wrong?"
Betty twitched her fingers anxiously as she pointed with her eyes at Washington.
"It was no one's fault," Florence insisted. "Just an off day for us."
"Well, we'd better not have another one," Renada said. "Because if we lose tomorrow, another one of you is going home."
Ferris and Yu were talking among themselves, distanced from the main camp.
"I almost had it," Ferris sighed. "We could be reading letters from home right now. If Drew had just listened to me and been more careful."
"Aw, you shouldn't point fingers," Yu said. "I'm sure he didn't mean it."
"No, I know," Ferris sighed. "It's just frustrating is all. I really don't want us to have to lose again, but that means that everyone needs to really take this game seriously."
Meanwhile, at another distance, Drew was talking with Rocky.
"So, what's on your mind, sport?" Rocky asked.
"Just thinking…thinking…" Drew muttered to himself. "Ferris is…uh, rather sour…not great for team spirit."
"Nope, I guess not," Rocky said.
"And she's not our…uh, strongest asset," Drew said. "Perhaps…um, we'll need to…um, say farewell to her soon."
"Not if we keep winning, m'kay," Rocky said. "We just need to rebound, and we can do it!"
"Maybe…maybe…" Drew said.
Confessional:
Ferris-Drew is lucky this wasn't an immunity challenge. Since no one is thinking ahead on this team, they're going to jump on the person who is easiest to blame, and today that was him.
Drew-Eliminating Ferris…would, uh, be…the best route for the…uh time being…She will not…uh be missed.
Rocky-Why are people getting all tangled up about things like voting now? We just need to keep our minds focused on winning the next challenge.
(Not Quite Loser Island)
"Here monkeys, monkeys, monkeys," Pedro beckoned as he and Randall trekked through the jungle. "We don't want to hurt you...just paying a friendly visit."
Randall clung behind Pedro nervously.
"Look, I think I saw something move over there," Pedro said.
The two boys followed the movement until they arrived at the same ruined terrain that Sandy had visited. They soon spotted the horde of monkeys, as well as the fat king wearing the necklace. As the boys approached them, every beady eyes turned to stare at them.
"Uh...we come in peace," Pedro said.
A moment of silence...then the king howled and the monkeys turned vicious.
"Never mind, run!" Pedro cried as he frantically ran back the way he had come.
Confessional:
Pedro-Today's life lesson: Never underestimate a monkey.
Back at the shelter, Sandy had gotten up from her day of resting. She paced around the beach aimlessly. As she did, she spotted Pedro's notebook.
"Hm, what have you been working on, Pedro?" she remarked as she picked it up.
She flipped through the pages and saw notes on several of the traps inside the temple.
"Oh my...this is quite the breakthrough," she breathed. "According to these notes...I should be able to open the temple...like so..."
She pulled the lever and watched as the door opened.
"Ah!" she exclaimed. "It worked."
Curiously, she stepped into the temple.
"And it says," she continued to read, "that there should be a trap...right...he-Aaaaah!"
She plummeted down the slope and into the darkness.
Confessional:
Sandy-I'm back in this, baby!
(Conclusion)
Chris stood at the Gazebo of Shame as the camera zoomed in on him.
"And so we say goodnight for another day of Total Drama Strandarama," he wrapped up. "Will the Ferocious Fields' comeback continue, or was today just a fluke? How will the deadlock by solved, which side will Mel pick, if any? And are sides already forming on the Tough Trees? Aloysius and Renada…Drew and Ferris…Betty and…well, everyone to her at least. How will these conflicts unfold? Find out on the next episode of…Total…Drama…Strandarama!"
Teams:
Ferocious Fields:
Karly-The Natural Leader
Marion-The Sadistic Strategist
Brienne-The Narcissus
Sandy-The "Nice" Girl
Portia-The Aristocrat
Linus-The Warrior of JUSTICE
Teddy-The Parakeet
Randall-The Epic Fail
Austin-The Paranormal Fan
Mel-The Loudmouthed Complainer
Tough Trees:
Pedro-The Businessman
Rocky-The Animal Whisperer
Drew-The Daydreamer
Florence-The Chill Guy
Betty-The Over-Thinker
Washington-The Nobody
Ferris-The Loner
Aloysius-The Badass in a Suit
Renada-The Dumb Muscle
Yu-The Ray of Sunshine
Not Quite Loser Island: Sandy, Pedro, Karly, Randall
Author's Note: Not much to say this time, but I feel like the plot is really start to move along nicely. I hope I can keep the flow up and continue to update consistently.
