Author's Note: Happy holidays, all!
"Welcome to Total Drama Switcheroni," Chef welcomed.
"Last time," Blaineley said, "Sebastian had to adapt to his new team…it didn't go so well. Allen and Jacquie showed clear signs of distaste towards him, generating more conflict within the team. That's not to say that Cheftastic was any better off, though, with Lynne vs Strike going full force the others found themselves in the middle of this war. Despite coming close to winning, Jodi tipped the scales for Blaineriffic, and Cheftastic went to yet another elimination. Noriko was hit in the crossfire this time, but not before taking Strike on in a tiebreaker. Her time was cut short, though, and Cheftastic are down to 5."
"So are they just going to keep shrinking?" Chef said. "Or is it time for a change in pace?"
"Let's find out right now on…Total Drama…Switcheroni!" Blaineley exclaimed.
A sudden gust of wind blew over the two of them.
"Brr, is it just me or is it getting really cold?" Blaineley asked.
"Winter is coming," Chef declared solemnly.
"Chef, we're in the middle of July," Blaineley pointed out.
"Winter is coming, one day at a time," Chef corrected.
(Theme Song Plays with a Christmas twist…)
(Team Blaineriffic)
Sebastian had gotten up early again. Once more he went to Switcheroni Island to check the flags. Gold, Red, Green…Reward, Swap, Reality.
"There you are again," Neil remarked as he joined Sebastian. "Are you sure you're not just itching to get out of here?"
"You know…it's funny," Sebastian replied. "Honestly, I thought I'd be out of here first chance I got…but over on my old team, I saw that my buddy Theodore got voted out. He was supposed to be safe…which means someone betrayed him. It was probably that little shrew, Sharidan, I never trusted her!"
"Well, no one's going to stop you if you want to head on back," Neil said. "I'll hang back here, but you're welcome to try to help out your old friends. No one would fault you on that."
"Nah, to tell you the truth, I think I'm better off figuring myself out of here," Sebastian said. "If it was the same thing last night then it's probably Noriko or Strike who left. I think the other should be smart enough to take this chance to swap over here and just give us a further advantage."
"They'd be welcome here….well, you know what I mean," Neil replied.
Confessional:
Neil-You can never have too many friends in this game. I think we're still in a relatively easy stage where I can stick with the crowd and stay safe, but come merge the numbers are going to dwindle and people are going to start cutting throats. The more people who still want me around, the better my chances are at surviving.
Sebastian-I know I'm trusting a lot of information about my old team's dynamics to Neil, but something weird went down two nights ago. I knew we were making a mistake in trusting Sharidan, I just know she was behind this! She probably flipped and ruined everything we had. I've lost one, probably two, friends already, so right now I think the best I can hope for is to have the survivor cross over and start fresh with me over here.
(Team Cheftastic)
Lynne sat along the edge of the camp's borders and kicked a rock into the water with a look of dissatisfaction. She pursed her lips together in frustrated thought.
"So what's the plan?" Reuvan asked as he came up from behind her. "Is it time to abandon ship, or are we staying and fighting?"
"I'm not going anywhere," Lynne said with icy conviction. "Noriko took a stand for me last round, she did what she felt was right ,and for that, Strike punished. I'm not letting him get away with this. I will take Strike down, one way or another, that is my only goal right now."
"And like I said last time," Reuvan said, "I'm with you till the end."
"Good," Lynne said. "It's not going to be easy, but here we are, half the tribe has been decimated and we remain. We can keep this up a little longer."
"We can," Reuvan agreed, "and bring down Strike with us if we truly are on a sinking ship."
"He really should have gotten rid of me last night," Lynne said, "or the night before that or earlier still. All he's done is fan my flames, and he's going to regret it soon enough."
Confessional:
Lynne-This is like Cerise all over again…worse even maybe. Cerise was my friend, but Noriko took a leap of faith for me, and left because of it. I was prepared to leave with my head held high, but her leaving was just out of the blue and honestly, such an imbecilic move. Enough people have lost their lives for me, but I will take their sacrifices to heart and make their defeats worth something.
Reuvan-To be quite honest, I don't know how I've even survived this long, being labeled as some sort of 'monster' since day one, and having nothing go right for me since, but Lynne's right, we're survivors one way or another and I'm just going to keep pushing my luck as long as I can. We'll make something work, we always do.
(Team Blaineriffic)
As Neil headed back from Switcheroni Island, he found Jacquie leaning against a tree waiting for him.
"And just what have you been doing?" Jacquie asked.
Neil opened his mouth, but Jacquie held a finger to his lips.
"That was actually a rhetorical question," Jacquie said. "Because I already know what you were up to because I was spying on you."
"I didn't know I was doing anything wrong," Neil laughed. "Just spending a little time with Sebastian."
"You mean the enemy?" Jacquie replied.
"Well, 'the enemy' just gave me full details on his old team's dynamics," Neil said, "looks like a little trust pays off."
"Oh really?" Jacquie said with a sudden spark of interest. "Do share."
"Apparently he was with Theodore, Strike, Noriko, and Sharidan," Neil explained. "Except he thinks Sharidan flipped and took out Theodore and one of the others."
"Oooh, a tribe divided, I like it," Jacquie said deviously. "And plays right into our plans perfectly. Now, how to make the most of this new information…"
"I think you need a little time to chill out," Neil remarked. "You seem a little tense."
"Never felt better," Jacquie replied.
"Come on, let's…go for a walk or something," Neil suggested.
"Fine, I can walk and talk at the same time," Jacquie replied.
The two began to stroll through the wild island.
"So the way I see it, assuming no one else flips then we could lose all the immunities challenges before the merge and still hold the advantage since both sides are going to be desperate to flip," Jacquie described.
"Um…I was actually maybe we could talk about something other than strategy for the time," Neil remarked.
"Oh," Jacquie said, struggling with the foreign concept, "like what?"
"I don't know," Neil replied. "I think you'd just be good to let go of the game…just for a few minutes at least. Take a break for mastermind-Jacquie, and just be that girl I saw a few days ago."
"And let my guard down?" Jacquie scoffed. "Sorry, dear, but I'm not nearly that naïve to do that in this game."
"Then let's just enjoy the silence," Neil suggested. "No one screaming or fighting…"
"True, that is a rarity," Jacquie agreed.
And so the two continued to just explore the island, silently enjoying the ambiance.
Confessional:
Neil-I…don't really know what to say to girls…you know…girls that you like…I haven't exactly had in experience there…but ever since that romance challenge, I got to see a real side of her…and I think I like it…(awkwardly rubs the back of his neck.)
Jacquie-I'm glad that I seem to have Neil firmly in my corner, and if he continues to provide intel then he can fraternize all he wants with the enemy. I can't afford to let him too close, though, this is still a vicious game and showing the slightest vulnerability could be fatal.
(Team Cheftastic)
"Well, last night…that was something," Sharidan remarked as she sat down near Strike and Skye. "Good job on defeating that traitor. I'm sure you're glad to have a supportive ally like me on your side."
"Oh stop fishing for compliments, it's tacky," Strike scoffed.
"Ever consider that maybe I'm fishing for a reason to keep saving your ass time after time when you treat me like this?" Sharidan replied sharply.
"Because if you even thought of challenging me then you'd have nothing to stop me from sending you packing within the blink of an eye," Strike retorted.
"Take a look around," Sharidan said. "There are five people on this team, and two of them would kill for my vote to send you on your way."
"Sebastian will be back," Strike replied coolly. "It's a Swap round…who knows, maybe he'll even bring a few stragglers from the other team over."
"Keep dreaming," Sharidan said as she got up and left. "You'll have to wake up one day."
"Soooooo…you two are on the same side?" Skye asked Strike.
"Apparently it's complicated," Strike replied.
Confessional:
Sharidan-It's hard to resist the urge to just cut Strike's throat every round…but it's all worth it. Whether he realizes it or not, he's my puppet, I have him all by the strings now. I'm the one who's called the shots, implemented ideas into his head; I've taken control of his game, and driven in straight into the ground. He made an enemy of me, and I've kept him very close so that I can destroy him little by little until he realizes how much he needs me…and then I'll cut his throat.
Strike-Sharidan keeps acting like I owe her for her vote…no it doesn't work like that, I kept her safe when I could have so easily done away with her right at the start, and as far as I'm concerned, I still could. Sure, Lynne and Reuvan aren't fans of me, but they'll take what they can get, and given the choice between voting out the worthless rich chick and the only guy who can handle his own in challenges, I think it's pretty clear where they'd side.
(Team Blaineriffic)
Caleb peered into the shelter to see Orchid making daisy chains from a collection of flowers.
"Hey, have you seen Rudy?" he asked. "Or…you know…not 'seen' but…well…"
"There's no need to correct yourself, I understand what you mean," Orchid replied. "And I believe Rudy went off on his own away from the camp."
"Oh really?" Caleb said.
"I think that being alone may be what he needs at this time," Orchid continued. "He won't be hurting anyone this way, but it will give him a much needed chance to reflect. I do believe that we are beginning to see some progress with him and I couldn't be happier."
"That's great to hear," Caleb agreed. "I hope you're right. I got to talk with him a little more the other day, and I really do think that he wants to change…he's just conflicted right now…he's got us though, I hope he knows that much."
"He has you," Orchid said. "And I think he knows that much deep down."
Confessional:
Caleb-I'll give Rudy his space for now. I hope my words to him had some effect, though, the sooner he opens himself up to change, the better he'll feel.
Jodi-So there I was, doing some morning yoga, when I overhear that apparently Rudy's trying to not be the resident psychopath…Uh no…I can't have that. If this team actually gets some unity going and starts singing Kumbaya together then my spot on the bottom will actually mean something. I need them too busy at each other's throats to even remember me. Looks like I'll have to stir the pot a little…just gently enough to bring up another distraction.
(Team Cheftastic)
As Strike worked on the morning jobs, now with double duty having lost so many members, he looked up to see Reuvan approaching him. Reuvan wordlessly began to help him carrying the load.
"So look, I think we need to talk," Reuvan said.
"I'm listening," Strike said.
"This rivalry with you and Lynne…I think that's what's doing the most damage to our team overall," Reuvan said. "It's not one particular individual bringing us down, it's the feeling of division that comes from the two of you always trying to beat the other. You give more energy to playing war than winning challenges."
Strike gave a small grunt.
"I think we need to stop that, our team is half the size it originally was, and we don't even know when merge is, for all we know we could end up with one person merging against 9," Reuvan continued. "We need to start thinking about bringing the group together."
"I quite agree," Strike said, "as soon as Lynne leaves this team will be able to move past that actually stand a chance."
"I can't vote Lynne, if that's what you're asking," Reuvan said. "We've been together too long and she's had my back…but my point is, we need to start working cohesively. The two of you need to talk and either come to a compromise or just find a way to put your differences aside for the good of the team."
"Hm…" Strike said. "Well, I'll think about it."
Confessional:
Strike-I'm glad that Reuvan is starting to see the error in his game so far and is coming crawling back to me. He's smart enough to know that he'll need my support once Lynne leaves, and he clearly cares about keeping this team strong…however, I will not be making any compromises with Lynne. She made her bed and I will see to it that she dies in it.
Reuvan-I don't think Lynne will like the idea of negotiating with Strike very much, but something has to be done here. The fact is, these two have both been unable to get each other out all this time; Cheftastic can't keep suffering because they two have are out for each other's blood.
(Team Blaineriffic)
Jodi gracefully slinked over to Allen who was bringing over meagre scraps of scavenged fruit.
"So, what are you up to?" she remarked nonchalantly.
"What does it look like?" Allen scoffed.
"Oh you," Jodi laughed forcefully. "Say, what do you make of that new guy? Sebastian, right?"
"Gone as soon as we lose as far as I'm concerned," Allen remarked.
"Oh that's funny because that's not what I heard," Jodi remarked with a fake tone of clueless innocence.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Allen asked.
"Well it's just that I was told that a lot of people were starting to like him and wanted to keep him around," Jodi continued. "I think they were even saying that we ought to help him blindside you when we lose."
"What!?" Allen snapped as he threw the fruit on the ground in rage.
"But that's just what I was told," Jodi shrugged as she left.
"By who!?" Allen demanded.
But Jodi just kept walking away.
Confessional:
Jodi-Sometimes all it takes is a subtle nudge in the right direction to get people all riled up over nothing…of course Allen is dense enough that I could draw him a diagram and he'd still think it was his idea. Now to see how this plays out.
Allen-People are saying my name!? That…that…well…that's so dumb! Why would anyone vote me out over Sebastian!? It doesn't make sense…what am I doing wrong…nothing, I'm doing nothing wrong…these people are just dumb…I should probably just swap and show them not to mess with me…but I won't, instead I'll stick around so I can get them all voted out!
(Team Cheftastic)
Lynne walked up behind Skye who was harvesting flowers eagerly.
"So um…ahem, good morning, Skye," Lynne said, "I know we've…had our differences…but I do think that we still have plenty to talk about."
"La la la, I can't hear you!" Skye exclaimed while plugging her ears.
"Oh cut that out," Lynne sighed.
"When are you going to learn that you can't corrupt me!?" Skye spat.
"I'm not trying to corrupt anyone," Lynne said.
"LIES!" Skye exclaimed while jabbing an accusing finger at Lynne's face. "You corrupted poor, sweet, innocent Noriko."
"Noriko? You trash talked her more than anyone last night," Lynne pointed out.
"Yes, but only because the pure innocent soul was long gone by that time, replaced by something vile and corrupt, tainted by your toxic touch!" Skye said. "But it won't happen to me, it won't! I am a good friend, I am loyal, I am honest!"
"Look, Skye, as much as I'd love to manipulate you into doing something stupid, I don't even think that's the case here," Lynne said. "Have you completely forgotten that Strike wanted you gone when you first arrived? And you saw how quickly he turned on Noriko—"
"Because of you!" Skye shouted. "Well whatever you're expecting, it won't happen, I promise! And I always keep my promises! ALWAYS!"
Confessional:
Lynne-I don't know why I'm even wasting my time on Skye, but she's just crazy enough that with the right spark she'd flip. Sharidan has chosen her side and is standing by it, but Skye remains a loose cannon and right now that's the best I've got.
Skye-Oh Noriko, you were such a poor, tortured soul…lost in a world where you couldn't belong. Such a victim, I'm so sorry that you had to leave because you let your guard down long enough to lose your way. But I will honor your memory and uphold what I believe it!
(Later)
The two teams walked through Switcheroni Island to the center where Chef and Blaineley were waiting. As Team Blaineriffic entered, Irene felt something against her foot. She glanced down and reached into her shoe to try to loosen a rock. Instead she found a note, neatly placed against her foot. Her face furrowed as she unfolded it.
'Your team will lose this challenge. You will make sure of it. Or I will make sure you regret it.'
"Oh come on," she groaned.
She received several odd glances from the rest of her team.
"Uh," she said awkwardly while throwing her note away, "I said…come on, let's…win this challenge!"
"Well, that was the plan," Jodi pointed out.
The two teams faced Blaineley and Chef.
"Welcome everyone, to your next Reward Challenge," Blaineley announced, "as you can see, Noriko didn't make it!"
Sebastian sighed lightly.
"Now, as for your challenge," Chef said, "it's real life and we've got something special for you…"
"You see, it would appear that one of the northern glaciers has drifted down to our quaint little island," Blaineley said as she guided the teams to a massive glacier floating in the water. "We'll be doing our challenge there to incorporate a series of winter themed relays."
"And in honour of the season," Chef said, "your reward will be letters and presents from home."
"Honour of what season?" Jacquie asked.
"The honour of the season of making the final 14!" Chef snapped.
"Now let's get to it!" Blaineley said.
Confessional:
Sebastian-Noriko is another huge loss, she didn't deserve whatever happened to her. What confuses me, though, is why didn't Strike flip? Clearly he's got to be in danger, what's keeping him there?
Strike-I was disappointed that Sebastian didn't flip back to us. The only thing I can think of is that he found greener grasses, which is shame because I could really use him over here.
(Later)
The teams had climbed the glacier and now found themselves in a snowy terrain.
"Alright, so this is how it's going to work," Blaineley said. "You'll have five tasks to complete, one person will have to do each one and cannot move on until the previous task is completed. The first team to successfully finish the final task will win the reward."
"This means we'll need Blaineriffic to sit out four," Chef said.
"I am not sitting out this time," Irene declared.
"And I'm ready to bring it!" Sebastian announced.
"Oh where do you get off just announcing that you're going to play? We didn't even discuss this!" Allen snapped.
"Uh, Allen, I don't think there's anything wrong with Sebastian wanting to play," Caleb said, "it could be—"
"Oh, I get it, you don't think I can do it, you've found someone new to carry this team," Allen ranted. "Well screw you too, I'm playing and I'm going to be the one to win this for us!"
"I believe I could be help if I were to participate," Orchid offered.
"And let me play," Rudy said. "I've got to hurt someone today."
"So that's settled," Blaineley said, "Jacquie, Caleb, Neil, and Jodi will be setting out."
"Let's get everyone into place," Chef said.
Confessional:
Rudy-Yeah, I'm giving my team a…day off from me, I guess you could say. Only and only because I'd rather see Cheftastic be absolutely destroyed before I start crushing my own team.
Allen-I am going to show this team exactly why they need me! Sebastian is going to get absolutely humiliated and it will be awesome!
Jodi-Oh my, this is working out far better than I'd even hoped.
(Later)
"The first task is the toboggan course," Blaineley declared. "You will right your toboggan down this slope and must go through the hoop at the end. Do so and you can pass on to the second task."
"Competing from Team Cheftastic it's Sharidan," Chef announced, "and from Team Blaineriffic, Rudy."
"Ready?" Blaineley exclaimed. "Go!"
The two launched off their toboggans and soared down the icy slope. Sharidan clutched hers tightly, while Rudy leaned forward eagerly. The closer they got to the bottom, the large became the hoop they were aiming for. As they neared, Rudy suddenly skidded to his right, causing snow to spray over Sharidan's face. She panicked and swerved to the right, going way off course. Rudy headed straight for the hoop…but lacked the air to make it through.
"Both players are going to have to try again," Chef declared.
"Pull a move like that again and I'll kill you!" Sharidan snapped at Rudy as she carried her toboggan back up the slope.
"Doubt it," Rudy replied playfully.
Once the two reached the top they descended again. This time as they neared the end when Rudy swerved for Sharidan she was prepared and directed her toboggan out of the way just in time. Rudy skidded out of control and tumbled through the snow. Sharidan went for the hoop, but was slightly off course and missed her mark.
"Once again, both need to try again," Chef declared.
The two reached the top. Sharidan gave Rudy a dirty look before they took off again. Sharidan kept her eyes on Rudy, while trying to stay on course. Rudy didn't seem to get too close to her…until they were ready to jump for the hoop. He revealed a pile of ice shards hidden in his jacket and tossed them at Sharidan. She crashed and tumbled while Rudy soared through the hoop.
"Team Blaineriffic may move on to the next round," Chef said. "Sharidan still needs to complete the first."
Rudy ran to a jutting peak in the terrain. Sebastian and Strike were positioned at opposite end.
"For this portion you'll be scaling this wall of ice," Blaineley announced. "We've provided some equipment, the rest is up to you."
Sebastian looked at the pick and rope in his hands awkwardly before attempting to climb the icy wall. His progress was halting and stilted, often pausing to slide further down or have to readjust himself. He had made barely any progress by the time Sharidan arrived. Glancing down and realizing that Strike was already on the move, Sebastian showed new resolve to keep up his lead. Strike scaled the mountain quicker, but Sebastian kept up his pace and managed to stop slipping as frequently. This didn't stop Strike from catching up towards the middle though.
"Hey, Strike," Sebastian said as they were side by side. "What happened? Why didn't you flip to us?"
"Why didn't I flip?" Strike echoed. "Why didn't you flip back to us?"
"Okay, look, I really think that our best shot might be just to start fresh on Blaineriffic," Sebastian said.
"Hm," Strike said thoughtfully, "Well I guess I—"
Suddenly Strike delivered a shove to Sebastian while he was off-guard. Sebastian tumbled and was only saved by his rope snagging a jagged rock.
"What the hell!?" Sebastian snapped.
"For the time being we're on separate teams, and I fully intend to win," Strike replied.
Confessional:
Sebastian-Wow! I thought that Strike was my buddy, but as soon as we're on separate teams he's willing to just toss me aside like that? Well he can forget about me coming back there.
Strike-It's as I feared, Sebastian has found a new home on Blaineriffic, and I am not going to put my life on the line and start fresh. I've worked too hard with what I have here.
Strike reached the top where Reuvan and Allen were waiting with snowboards. Strike ran up to Reuvan and tagged him.
"For this portion, you will need to snowboard down the slope, and through a tunnel deep into the heart of the glacier," Blaineley said. "Wipe out and you'll need to start again."
Reuvan hopped onto his snowboard and took off down the slope.
"Come on, come on, hurry up!" Allen shouted at Sebastian.
Sebastian still had quite the distance to go, though. Reuvan, meanwhile, was coming up to the tunnel. He positioned himself and managed to make it through the opening. Inside the tunnel, however, was uneven and full of jutting rocks. One of them grazed Reuvan's sleeve but it was enough to throw him off balance and cause him to wipe out. He grabbed his board and began to make his way back up the slope.
Sebastian meanwhile had finally caught up and tagged Allen.
"Took you long enough," Allen scoffed as he shoved Sebastian over. "Time to own this challenge!"
Allen launched himself forward and surfed down the mountain confidently. Reuvan reached the top and followed after him with determination.
"Check me out!" Allen laughed as he maneuvered himself through the tunnel.
However, while focusing on performer smooth maneuvers, he overlooked a mound of snow just in front of him. His snowboard lost balance and he tumbled. He punched the ground in frustration before sprinting back up the slope. Reuvan, now, was able to make it through and pass Allen, dodging the obstacles inside the tunnel. Inside the icy core he found Lynne and Orchid.
"Lynne is ready to start the fourth phase," Chef announced. "Ice fishing! You will need to use you equipment to snag a block of ice and bring it up to wear you can grab it. Once you have it, all you need to do is pass it on to your final player."
Lynne grabbed a rope with a hook and looked down at a pit coated with ice.
"How hard can this be?" she remarked as she twirled the rope and tossed it down.
It was much harder than she assumed, evidently. Allen was still snowboarding through the tunnel, this time with an angry glared fixed on his face. His leg was caught on a jagged rock and sent him sprawling. His face turned red with fury as he prepared to start for the third time.
Lynne, however, was having absolutely no lock grappling a block of ice.
"This isn't even possible," she complained.
Lynne finally managed to get a block of ice to move…only for her hook to become unhinged and lose it again. She frowned in frustration.
"Come on, come on," she urged.
She had made barely any progress when Allen burst into furiously.
"Go, go, go!" he ordered Orchid while giving her a rough shove.
Orchid made a swift thrust of her hand and managed to snag an ice block easily.
"How do you do that?" Lynne groaned. "You're supposed to be blind!"
"This is a test of hands, not eyes," Orchid replied.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Lynne grumbled as she continued to try to grab her prize.
Orchid moved to Irene and handed her the block of ice.
"All Irene has to do now is make it up the final slope and drop the block of ice into a small pool of water," Chef declared.
Irene began to move, very slowly.
"What are you waiting for? Go!" Allen barked.
"We saw how well your need for speed ended for you," Irene retorted. "I'd rather take a little caution."
Lynne had snagged a block of ice, but dropped it as she tried to pull it up. She clenched her teeth angrily. Irene was still moving at a snail's pace up the incline.
"Is she for real?" Allen groaned.
When Irene got halfway up the slope she "slipped" and awkwardly slid back down without making any effort to pull herself back up. She gave a helpless glance back. Lynne was pulling up a small block of ice…as she reached to grab it, it slipped out of her hands and tumbled back down into the pit.
"You guys aren't making this easy to throw," Irene hissed under her breath.
She resumed her ascent, with an even slower pace. Lynne stretched her arm out and was finally able to grab an ice block.
"Yes!" she cheered before tossing it to Skye.
"I am going to win!" Skye announced before running up the slope.
However, she clutched the block of ice a little too tightly, causing it to pop out of her hands and slide away.
"Oh no!" she cried before chasing after it.
The ice cube continued to slide along the snow at a pace always one step ahead of Skye. Irene actually reached the top before Skye could grab her block of ice.
"Oh are you kidding me?" Irene remarked as she realized Skye was nowhere near the finish.
"What are you waiting for!?" Allen shouted up at her. "Throw it in!"
Irene hesitated. Glanced around…then sighed and dropped the block of ice into the small circle of water.
"Team Blaineriffic wins reward!" Blaineley announced.
Confessional:
Irene-I was supposed to throw that challenge…but it wasn't even possible…everyone could see me, and there was no way I could stall any longer. If I made it any more blatant that I was throwing then I'd be dead at our next elimination no question.
Allen-Today was such an abysmal performance from this entire team. Thank god Team Cheftastic is utterly inept.
Lynne-Well thankfully that wasn't an immunity, but seriously we can't keep up like this.
(Team Blaineriffic)
The team had returned to their camp by now and celebrating their victory. Eventually Chef arrived, dressed as Santa, followed by Blaineley dressed as an elf.
"Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!" Chef announced.
"This is degrading and I hate it," he added to Blaineley.
"That's what happens when you don't read the fine print," Blaineley replied.
The group gathered around the two. Chef pulled out a full sack and Blaineley revealed presents inside.
"We got letters and gifts sent from your loved ones," Blaineley announced. "Enjoy this time to have a taste of the outside world."
Caleb opened his envelope and pulled out a necklace.
"Oh that's pretty," Jacquie remarked. "Who's it from?"
"This kid I worked with last summer," Caleb said as he read the letter. "He was struggling, but I saw a lot of change and improvement with him. I gave him this necklace as a reminder of our friendship, and he says he's sending it to me now as a reminder of my support in this game."
"How dear," Orchid remarked while she received her present.
She opened it to reveal a jar of dirt.
"Oh it's from my parents, it's just lovely," she exclaimed.
"That's…dirt?" Caleb asked. "What's it symbolic of?"
"It's symbolic of nothing," Orchid answered. "But it's the gesture that I am most touched by. You see, my parents believe that I am simply going through a 'Hippie Phase' and think that this jar of dirt from home would hold meaning for me. I don't think they fully understand, but their effort to support me is quite moving."
Sebastian stepped up to get his present next.
"Aw, it's from my sister," he said as he pulled out a rabbit doll. "She says I can have Mr. Carrots to keep me safe at night."
Irene was tossed a present and opened it.
"My cheerleading squad sent me soap, a toothbrush, and a hairbrush….yeah because that'll really help," she remarked.
Allen opened his present to find an old volleyball.
"Is that some kind of joke?" Irene asked.
"Sort of, I guess," he said. "It's from the team, this was my lucky ball back when I joined."
Jodi received her present and opened it to find a waterbottle full of tea.
"It's from my boyfriend," she declared. "And he sent me my favor brew of tea to tide me over."
Rudy found in his present an old, worn teddy bear.
"What did you get?" Neil asked.
"Uh…none of your business!" Rudy said quickly as he hid it under his shirt.
Jacquie came up and opened an envelope. She revealed a purple and white hairpin.
"That looks pretty," Caleb remarked.
"It is…it…used to belong to my grandmother who…passed away earlier this month," Jacquie said emotionally. "Getting this just reminds me…that I'm winning this for Gramgram!"
"It's actually not, though," Jodi said as she took the pin from her. "I've seen these before, you can get them for five cents at a dollar store."
"Well…I never said Gramgram was rich!" Jacquie said as she snatched the pin back.
Neil stepped up last, but received nothing.
"Yeah, about that," Blaineley said, "we approached your friends, but they said not to bother since there's no way you'd last this far."
"Oh…those guys, what a bunch of jokers," Neil laughed.
"Well, enjoy your presents!" Chef said. "I'm getting out of here and out of this suit!"
Confessional:
Jacquie-Worst five cents I ever spent.
Rudy-*glances around* *hugs teddy bear*
Allen-*open volleyball to reveal it to be full of snacks* Heh this was the old trick we'd use for smuggling in things we didn't want anyone to know about.
Neil-Really guys? That little faith in me…I mean, I know you might not think I'm going to win…but gone before 14…that's a little harsh.
(Conclusion)
"And that wraps it up for today!" Blaineley concluded. "No elimination, but Team Blaineriffic got to enjoy some gifts from home."
"What will happen when the real game is back on?" Chef said. "Will Allen shoot himself in the foot? Will Strike and Lynne reach truce? Will the Blaineley idol be found?"
"Find out on the next episode of…Total…Drama…Switcheroni!" Blaineley exclaimed.
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Chef concluded.
"Chef, for the last time, we're in the middle of summer, nowhere near Christmas," Blaineley said.
(Later)
It was the dead of the night, but Irene couldn't sleep. Every noise caused her to freeze in fear. She was waiting for something, some kind of punishment after the letter she'd received. She tried closing her eyes, but every sound would cause them to snap back open. Suddenly she noticed something. A light glowing…just faintly in the distance. It had lit up all of a sudden, yet she knew that it was meant for her. She slid out of the shelter, and moved with reluctance and terror…yet compulsion to obey. As she walked she got the sense that someone was watching her…following her. She glanced back…she could see the shelter. She kept walking…closer to the light…the further she walked, the more the sensation on the back of her neck informed her that she was not alone. She glanced back again…she thought she saw some movement behind her…she froze…tried to focus he vision…there was definitely a silhouette. Someone was behind her, following her! She couldn't make out any of their details though, and in the blink of an eye they were gone from her vision again. She trembled but continued to move. Eventually she arrived at the edge of a cliff with a studio light projecting the glow. As soon as she arrived, it shut off. She was submerged in the darkness. Everything around her was just an inky sea. She could hear someone approaching…approaching fast. She barely had time to register this before she felt firm cold hands against her shoulders….squeezing her painfully. They moved up from her shoulders to around her neck.
"What do you want from me!?" she suddenly cried. "I tried to throw the challenge, okay!? I tried!"
"Try harder!" whispered a cold vicious voice.
Suddenly Irene was thrust forward, over the cliff, and into the water.
Teams:
Team Cheftastic
Strike
Sharidan
Reuvan
Lynne
Skye
Team Blaineriffic:
Caleb
Allen
Jacquie
Jodi
Irene
Neil
Rudy
Orchid
Sebastian
Eliminated: Loren, Hilary, Roy, Cerise, Theodore, Noriko
Author's Note: It's a non-elimination round so not much to say, but don't worry, it will pick up from here on out. Consider it the calm before the storm!
