Episode 01: Interesting Introductions (Part 01)
Author's Note - Hey. It's me again. Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I know it took me almost a month, but I had personal stuff to deal with. But 13,000 words later, and here we are; the first part of the first episode is here. This isn't a late April Fool's joke, it's the real deal. To give a brief rundown of what the chapter will be about, it's the introductions of the contestants. All sixteen of them, of course.
I'm also planning to divide this episode, along with future episodes, into two chapters each. You might not be a fan of that, but I do want to prioritize giving the contestants, and the non-contestants, as much detail and development as possible. After all, without them, there wouldn't be a show to begin with. Other than that, I don't have anything else to say, so enjoy the chapter!
Day 01
A cool breeze came drifting about. The birds could be heard chirping in a faint distance. The sun was as visible as ever in the clear blue sky, the white clouds floating around. It was a rather beautiful day of summer in the land of Earth. It felt calm. The atmosphere felt at ease and peace. It was a nice place to get away from the drama and bullshit.
Down below on the ground, a familiar dock - now appearing to be more broken-down than last year - separated the land and the water. The shore and the lake, containing creatures from small organisms like fish to large ones like sharks. Small waves that crashed onto the shore added on to that feeling of peacefulness. On the opposite end of the shore, lake, and dock were a bunch of tall and thick trees that would lead into a forest of sorts, should anyone dare to venture into that mysterious area. Accompanied with the area was a very tall cliff, almost one thousand feet high, though it was an exaggeration.
If anyone had seen a familiar reality TV show last year in the summer, they would've been able to recognize this place. It seemed almost the same from last time it was on television. And yet, the changes felt apparent, only hidden away somewhere and waiting to be released to the world that would potentially make history.
But the silence on the island would come to an end. "Welcome to season two of Total Drama, folks!" a familiar man greeted in an enthusiastic tone. There he was, standing on the dock in front of a camera, where the Wawanakwa sign could be recognized. The paint was peeling off, and the sign itself looked ready to collapse. He was wearing the same outfit that he had worn while filming last season. He was flashing his signature smile at the camera, and to the viewing audience. His arms were crossed as well.
"It's been a year since a new episode came out, hasn't it?" Chris McLean asked the audience, albeit a rhetorical question. "Well wait no further, folks! Canada's number one reality TV show is back!" he announced. To add emphasis to the hype, he threw his arms up for the dramatic flair. "And we're coming back to the same place that kickstarted the show: Camp Wawanakwa! Somewhere, in Muskoka, Ontario."
"I'm Chris McLean." he gestured to himself as he introduced himself properly to the viewing audience. A proud smile formed on his face. "Winner of multiple Gemmy Awards, and your host for the show that'll bring all of the entertainment you need for the summer!" His smile changed to a smirk. He's got confidence and he knew it.
"The rules are still the same." he continued to speak to the viewing audience that were watching live. He paced himself left and right on the dock as he explained further. "A group of contestants will compete against each other in grueling challenges, and while the winners get to enjoy a luxurious reward, the losers…" he let out a light sinister laugh. "Will have to face the dreaded Campfire Ceremony."
As if on cue, a marshmallow was tossed to him from off-screen and the host caught it with ease. He showed the viewing audience the delicious treat. "At each ceremony, only one camper will not receive a marshmallow, which is the symbol of safety in this game. Whichever camper has the most votes will not receive a marshmallow, and will be eliminated. They'll take a walk down the Dock of Shame." he gestured to the dock he was standing on. "Take the Boat of Losers, and leave the island for good." As if on cue again, a familiar red-and-white colored boat drove by and parked next to the dock, letting out a loud, blaring horn sound.
The sound of the horn from the Boat of Losers didn't faze his smile or composure. "And this season, we've got a whole new cast to compete for the money! That's right! We've got sixteen brand new campers competing against each other, who are just as dramatic as the teens from last season!" he rubbed his hands together in pure delight. The thought of putting the fresh meat through the ringer made him more impatient about getting the competition underway. "They'll have to survive the harsh elements of the island, and the summer camp itself! And let's just say that Wawanakwa has gone under some uhh… changes over the past year." His smile was suspicious, as if there was more to these changes. The quick chuckle that followed didn't help his case.
Using his arms and hands to create emphasis again, he asked more rhetorical questions to the viewing audience. "So who will crumble under the pressure? Who will handle the life of stardom and survive? And which of these vic - I mean, teens will you be rooting for?" he tried to pretend that he almost called the contestants victims. His smile and the quick follow up was evidence, though one couldn't tell if he made the mistake on purpose or not. Probably the former.
"All of these questions will be answered right here on…" the moment was about to come. That thing Chris always did at the end of each recap. Only except, the recap was more of an introduction to the entire season for this one. "Total!" the camera panned out. "Drama!" the camera panned out further. "Round Two!" the camera panned out even further and most of the island could be seen in the shot. The host was nothing more than a small figure as he finished off the introduction of the season.
(intro cue)
"Welcome back to Total Drama: Round Two!" Chris greeted the viewing audience, still standing on the dock with his signature smile. "Alright, folks! It's time to meet the campers! Hope you grabbed a snack and took care of your business, 'cause you definitely don't wanna miss out!" He checked his watch before continuing. "We've already taken the liberty of dividing them into one of two teams: the Badass Bears, and the Sinister Snakes! Just to change things up a bit." He winked at the camera.
...
[The Badass Bears' Boat]
Olivia stood at the railing of the boat, gazing out into the distance. She held a notebook and pen while admiring the beautiful view of the sea, the sky, pretty much the environment as a whole.
She had a slim body figure and light brown skin. Her dark brown hair reached down to her neck; it had this wavy style. She seemed to be at a height of around five feet, four inches, and had black-colored eyes. Accompanying her physical appearance was the clothes that she wore: a denim jacket over a white blouse with denim shorts and white sneakers. She gave off the impression of being this popular, cool girl.
She smiled to herself as she exclaimed. "I can't believe I made it! I'm really here, about to compete on Total Drama!" she began jotting down notes into her notebook as she continued. "I have so many cool ideas I can turn into a song! Maybe I could make a new album too!" From the sea to the sky to the fancy boat she was on, she was already listing down idea after idea. Then she gasped in realization. "Oh my gosh, my first song for the album should be about Chris McLean!" It was clear that she was excited, filled with energy.
Then, as if a lightbulb went off in her head, she flipped to the next page and held her notebook in a manner as if she was going to write while walking. "Ooh! I should go socialize with the others! Maybe I can write a song about each of them! And I can also make new friends as well!" she cheered. She started to run away from the railing and towards one of the two doors that would lead into the - "Whoa!" she cried out as she found herself tripping over one of the wooden floor tiles. Oh God, she was going to face-plant onto the ground!
...But it never happened. Yes, she did trip on her own running footsteps, but in the midst of falling, she heard footsteps of another person. But before she could comprehend anything - the footsteps were about a second or even less than that - she found herself falling into the arms of said person. "Oof!" she said before attempting to regain her composure and figure out what happened just now. "Oh gosh, I almost fell…" she muttered before the person helped her stand upright on her feet. Her notebook and pen were on the ground. Then she directed her focus on the person who saved her from suffering a bad fall.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" the person asked. Olivia could get a good glimpse of the person. Said person appeared to be a man, accompanied by his masculine voice. He let out a sigh of relief. "I hope I didn't cause trouble, but I couldn't let a fellow citizen fall and get hurt." He picked up her notebook and pen that were on the ground and handed it to her.
This was Ryan. He had a fit and muscular body figure, along with a very fair skin tone. He had blue eyes and brown hair that appeared to be in a buzzcut of sorts. Much taller than the aspiring songwriter, he stood at a height of around five feet, eight inches. As for the clothing, it was odd, to say the least; he wore a stereotypical superhero shirt that looked almost similar to the one Superman wore, - there was a big, gold-colored 'H' sown in the center and the color was silver - silver compression pants, and silver running shoes. He also had a golden cape attached to the back of his shirt.
"Yeah, I am." Olivia let out a soft giggle as she grabbed her notebook and pen. She gave him an appreciative smile. "Thank you for catching me, um…" her smile changed to a confused expression, not knowing his name.
"You can call me Captain Hugh G. Rection!" he pointed to himself, raising his voice to add more flair to his superhero name. "Defender of Canada, and protector of all fellow citizens! But one day, I'll become the defender of the world!...As soon as I make enough money!" If this was some cartoon, background effects would be occurring for his introduction. The breeze at least provided the effects for his cape.
As for Olivia, she was intrigued by this man standing in front of her. It wasn't often that she got to see a man dressed up as a superhero on a normal occasion. But was this really a normal occasion? Being on her way to an island for a reality TV competition? "That's so cool! I love the silver and gold colors of your costume! Oh! And you can call me Olivia!" she didn't seem to be judgmental about his whole shtick.
Ryan let out a manly chuckle. "Pleasant to meet you, Olivia!" he crossed his arms, a smile plastered on his face. "If I may ask, ma'am, are you into superheroes?" he asked, attempting to initiate a conversation with her. He didn't want to ask about her notebook, assuming it probably had personal information in there. "But if you want to be left alone or discuss something else, then I will respect your wishes." He added. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable at all.
Olivia let out another soft giggle. My, my, how polite this man was! She seemed to be relaxed, not uncomfortable in his presence, whatsoever. "Oh no, I do want to talk to you. You seem like a nice person." she gave a genuine smile. "But I don't think I'm into superheroes that much. I'm more into music and singing and writing music for singing." Her smile faltered a bit, but still remained. "But I can write a song about heroes or add it as lyrics in my song about Chris McLean!" she suggested, the faltered smile growing big again.
"Ah, a songwriter, huh?" Ryan asked, wanting confirmation. As she nodded her head, he did the same thing. "Well if you're going to pursue your passion, do it for the good. Never do it for the bad." he sternly advised. He was a superhero after all. "Though I do wonder about the nature of Chris. He doesn't seem to be filled with good intentions on television or perhaps in real life."
"Hmm… I don't think so." Olivia disagreed. She was now writing stuff down in her notebook while maintaining a conversation with him. "Maybe he's being paid to act like that on TV. I don't think he'd act like that in real life. Otherwise, wouldn't he be in jail by now?" she asked.
"You do make a good point." Ryan admitted. He stroked his chin as he spoke. "I can't say I've met the man outside of his job. But a hero of Justice should always keep a lookout for any suspicion!" he exclaimed. "Not to stop you from writing a song about him." he continued.
"That sounds great!" Olivia beamed at him. She stopped writing for a brief moment. "Then if I find myself in trouble, I know who to call for help." For the third time, she let out a soft giggle. "But anyway, I think I'll go walk around and mingle with other people! It was really nice talking to you for a bit, Captain! See ya' later!" she ran off, waving him goodbye before entering through one of the two doors.
Ryan could only nod his head in approval as he watched her enter a room. "Don't worry, Olivia. I'll be sure to protect you. I can promise that." he said to himself, smiling. He had already gotten on her good side after catching her.
And he knew that small deeds could pay off in the long term.
Preston stood inside a room that looked like a small bar of sorts. It had a dining area - there were a small number of tables and chairs sorted around in the room - and several windows to provide a view to the outside, and by extension, the sea. At the moment, he was standing behind the bar's counter, where the bartender would be working. But there wasn't an actual bartender in sight. It was just him. In fact, one could question why there was even a bar in the first place. At closer glimpses, not a single security camera could be located. This room was a perfect place to drink underage.
He had a muscular body figure and fair skin. His dark brown hair seemed to be cut short, only reaching down to his chin; it had that natural, messy style. He seemed to be at a height of around five feet, seven inches, and had black-colored eyes. Finishing off his appearance were his clothes: a white, short-sleeved chef uniform, black pants, and brown shoes that looked like they had been through hell and back. Simple, and given by the description, it wasn't hard to figure out that Preston was a chef.
But right now, there weren't any food ingredients for him to work with. He had to stick to drinks. On the counter, there was a bottle of vodka and a bottle of dry vermouth, both of them filled for the most part. In between the bottles was a martini glass, filled with the mixed substances. There were a couple of ice cubes in there to add some chillness to the drink.
To finish off the touches of the drink that was illegal for him, he added some garnish, some extra flavor: three olives on a toothpick that he grabbed from the shelf behind him. After dipping it into the martini drink, he took a step back and admired the result. It was that easy to make a drink, huh?
He snorted in amusement. He could be a bartender if the career of cooking didn't work out for him. Seeing that no one else was in sight, he decided to practice sliding the glass across the surface of the counter. Gripping it, he gave it a little push and sent the drink sliding across, which seemed to look smooth for the most part. However, he put a little too much power into it and it looked like it was going to slide right off the counter and onto the floor.
...But it never happened. Someone had caught it, as the drink slid into the person's hand. Then as soon as Preston glanced at the person, he saw another man sitting down on one of the bar stools. Said person then looked at the cook and gestured to the martini cocktail drink. "Thanks. But I'm good for drinking." he pushed the drink away back to him.
Preston got caught a little bit off-guard by the sudden appearance of this man, who looked to be one of his teammates. He was about to tell him that he didn't mean to give him a drink, but chose to play along with it instead. "Yeah. It's cool if ya' don't want it." he said, grabbing the cocktail and contemplating on whether to drink it or not.
"Ya' drinking before gettin' on the island?" the man asked him. He had a neutral, stoic expression on his face. This caused the cook to look at him, an eyebrow raised in suspicion. He noticed this. "I ain't snitchin'. I'm just tryna make sure ya' don't get caught. It ain't a good look if ya' get drunk on TV."
Preston scoffed at him. "Relax. Like I'll get drunk from this small ass drink." As if he was trying to prove a point, he took the martini and started off sipping it. After a few seconds, he gulped down the entire drink, while being careful to not let the toothpick with olives touch his mouth or fall out of the glass. He let out a sigh of contempt after finishing. "See? Nothing to worry about. Ya' act like this is my first time drinking." he said as he took note of his physical appearance.
This man's name was Jerome, who had a muscular body figure and a dark brown skin tone. His black hair seemed to be in a bald fade cut. He stood at a height of about five feet, nine inches, and had brown-colored eyes. He wore a gray A-shirt with dark blue ripped jeans and blue-and-white sneakers. He gave off the impression of being this tough man from the hood.
"Is it?" Jerome asked, an eyebrow raised. He crossed his arms.
"Yeah." Preston simply answered. He began eating the olives from the toothpick. "But I didn't put too much alcohol into this. I ain't gettin' buzzed, let alone drunk." he continued before deciding to change the topic. "Anyway, drinks and bartending shit ain't my thing. I'm more of a cook. Too bad I only got olives, limes, and lemons to work with." he frowned, gesturing to the shelf behind him where all of the said ingredients were located.
Jerome nodded. "Dope, dude." he complimented him. Then there was silence in the room. He didn't know what to say next. The same could be said for Preston. It wasn't that comforting silence. It felt awkward, to say the least. "Ya' good at it?" he asked. Maybe that oughta keep it going.
"Good at what? Cooking?" Preston asked, wanting to make sure they were on the same page. Seeing Jerome nod as a response, his stoic expression changed to a small smirk. "Tch. 'Course I am." his reply felt like as if someone asked him a dumb question. He gestured to his attire. "Ya' think this is only for show?"
Jerome frowned. The tone of his response and how condescending he sounded sorta rubbed him the wrong way. But he made no attempt to comment on it. Instead, he only gave a short and simple answer. "Naw, I believe ya'. That's cool, man." he wanted to tell him off here and there, but not the right place or right time.
"Glad ya' believe me." Preston displayed a satisfied smile. Then he got out of the bar, getting ready to make his departure from the room and the conversation. "I'm gonna go chill outside. If ya' need cooking advice, I'm the perfect guy to ask. Catch ya' later." he left the room and went away to do whatever he wanted to do, leaving Jerome by himself.
All he could do was shake his head as he watched him head out. Not only did the conversation not turn out well - neither of them got each other's names - but his slight narcissism about cooking didn't sit well with him. "He ain't lastin' long if he tried that shit with da' gang." he muttered. "That fool gon' learn the hard way." He knew Preston's arrogance would bite him in the ass sometime down the line.
He felt sure that karma would strike sooner or later.
Velvet had been sitting on a small sofa in the lounge room, relaxing until the boat got to the island. She found herself a little bit intrigued by the design of the room; it had paintings plastered on the walls, the color scheme of the floor looked rather interesting, and one of the miniature tables had a purple lava lamp. It felt peaceful.
She had a diamond-shaped body figure and a light tan skin tone. Her light brown hair reached down to her chin, and it seemed to be slightly wavy, the rest of it having a straight style; she also had purple extensions. She seemed to be at a height of around five feet, six inches, and had brown-colored eyes. She was wearing a simple purple jacket, black jeans, and white sneakers that were covered in some dirt and filth. Of course, she was wearing something underneath her jacket, but whatever it was would be hidden by the clothing.
She gazed at one of the paintings. It was a replica of the Mona Lisa, but if one didn't pay attention to the details, it would've looked like the real deal. To her, she could tell that the color of her hair was different. The color scheme of the background was also different. About a few notable differences could be listed from the top of her head.
But unfortunately for her, that moment of peace and solitude would soon come to an abrupt end. She heard the door that led into the lounge open. Her relaxed expression changed to one of disappointment and she frowned a little bit. God, this person better not be an asshole or some annoying nuisance.
In came a man who looked like one of those employees for a hotel or a cruise ship company. But she had a feeling he could be one of her teammates, one of the contestants she would be competing against. He noticed her sitting on the miniature sofa and decided to approach her, a casual, calm smile displayed on his face.
"Good morning." he greeted. From the moment he spoke, she could tell that he had a British accent to accompany him. Seeing that there was space available on the sofa, he decided to ask her a question. "Mind if I sit here?" he gestured to the spot that would give him enough room while also providing space between him and Velvet.
This man was Noel, who had a lean body figure, along with a fair skin tone. His short, brown hair seemed to be combed back and styled in a formal, fancy manner; there was a touch of hair gel, though not much. He stood around a height of five feet, seven inches, and had blue-colored eyes. He was dressed in formal clothing: a white, button-up dress shirt with black dress pants and black formal shoes. He also had a silver watch on his left wrist.
"No." Velvet answered, her tone cold and serious. She crossed her arms before continuing. "You can talk to me while standing up." Fortunately for her, he seemed to have gotten the message, loud and clear. But despite her expression and tone making it clear that she was in no mood to talk to him, he still kept smiling.
"Understood, madam." Noel nodded his head out of respect. He didn't want to argue with her over being able to sit down on the sofa. Nonetheless, he tried to continue conversing with her. "So it seems like we'll be on the same team. If that's the case, then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Noel. Son of Mr. Batsworth." he held out his hand for a handshake, which Velvet seemed reluctant to accept.
She seemed to hesitate for a moment before denying the handshake. "I'm not shaking your hand." she told him, annoyed, and this caused him to frown. All he wanted was for her to introduce herself and shake his hand. He wasn't asking her on a date. "And no, I don't know who the Batsworth family is, nor do I want to know." she continued, the rude remark causing his frown to widen.
"There's no need to be rude, madam." Noel said, attempting to defuse the one-sided conflict he found himself getting dragged into. He was going to remain calm about this. "I'm only introducing myself, not asking you out for a dinner date. Would asking for your name be too much to ask?" He hoped that some progress could be made in this conversation.
"You better not ask me out…" Velvet muttered, quiet enough so that Noel couldn't hear her. She hesitated once more as he asked for her name. But this time: "It's Velvet." She gave her actual name, albeit with reluctance. Then she raised an eyebrow. "Satisfied?"
"Not when you're being rude." Noel answered, shaking his head. "But nonetheless, it's nice to meet you too, Miss Velvet. How are you feeling about this competition?" he asked, hoping that the change of topic would steer the conversation in the right direction. Maybe if he added more, that could help. "It does feel like a blessing to be able to compete in one of Canada's biggest reality shows." His smile returned upon saying that.
Tch. She scoffed to herself. She expected him to continue the conversation, but she wanted out. She wanted him to leave the room and let her relax alone in peace. She might as well tell him to fuck off. But before she could say anything…
"Pardon me for switching subjects, but have you met any of our other teammates?" Noel continued, asking a question. "Perhaps adding another member or two into our conversation would help you feel more comfortable?" It was a suggestion from him, to get her to stop being rude and disrespectful.
The nerve of this man to suggest throwing in more people for Velvet to talk to, it didn't sit right with her. "No. I'm not interested." she answered, as simple as she could be. He was getting annoying, not that she liked his presence in the first place. "I don't even like talking to you anyway, so forget about the others."
"Have you talked to the others?" Noel asked, now crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "Miss Velvet, everyone on the boat, sans the boat driver, are on our team. If we're going to try to succeed, we should at least make an effort to get to know them better. It's all for one and one for all." he explained, hoping to get through to Velvet.
But that didn't seem to work out. "Not. Interested. Do you not understand those two simple words?" Velvet retorted, rubbing her temple in frustration. She let out a low sigh. "Can you stop asking me questions or trying to get me to talk to other people?" she requested. God, she was one statement away from telling him to piss off.
Noel sighed to himself. Bloody hell. This woman in front of him was just rude, stubborn, and very uncooperative. "I'm not asking for much. We're not inviting them to go to the chocolate factory all the way in England. It's the bare minimum of talking to other people." he stated. There was a short pause before he continued. "All you have to do is introduce yourself. Your name and a little bit about yourself should be good enough. We could start off with each other -" he was unable to finish because…
"Stop." Velvet raised her voice a little bit, putting enough emphasis into the one word to silence him. "Why can't you get it through your thick skull that I don't want to talk to other people? Not you, not the others, no one. In fact, just stop talking to me right now and fuck off. Go do it yourself." All of those suggestions and offers, none of them worked out for Noel.
Then there was silence in the room. Noel didn't expect her to get this upset over the suggestion of socializing with other people. With their teammates. Part of him wanted to chew her out right then and there. But he stayed calm. Maybe one last attempt.
"Are you sure?" he asked. He tried a different approach. "Staying in this room and looking at the artwork could be interesting, but -" Once again, he was unable to finish because…
"I said fuck off." Velvet snarked at him. She doesn't seem like she'll change her mind anytime soon. Sure, he wasn't an asshole, but annoying was a very good word to describe him and his persistence in trying to get her to do something she didn't want to do. She's done with this conversation.
Noel took a deep breath before nodding his head. "Very well then. I'll see you once we arrive at the island." With that, he turned around and made his departure from the room. He didn't bother to turn his head to look at her facial expression. He just opened the door and left.
As for Velvet, she sighed to herself and relaxed on the sofa once more. She hoped no one else would come into the room and bother her. She went back to observing the room for any more potential artwork that could catch her attention.
It kept her interest for the rest of the boat ride.
Anna could be seen sitting back on one of the dozen lawn chairs, shaded by an umbrella. She looked to be relaxing, letting the fresh, natural air hit her body. It felt like lounging poolside, except there wasn't a pool to be seen. At least, not anywhere near the girl. But she didn't mind that. As long as she got to relax.
She had an hourglass body figure and brown skin. Her light brown hair appeared to be at mid-neck length, and all of it seemed to be curly. She seemed to be at a height of around five feet, five inches, and had blue-colored eyes. Her current attire was a pink cardigan sweater over a white undershirt, a hot pink skirt that was barely above knees' length, and brown ankle boots. A simple outfit, nothing too fancy or detailed, but still good enough to attract a couple of potential eyes.
Every now and then, she glanced around to see if anyone gathered at one of the lawn chairs or near the railing to look out at the sea. While she didn't mind some alone time, she also didn't mind some socializing time either. It'd help her take the mind and nerves off the upcoming competition, even though she looked calm on the outside.
"Hi there!" a feminine voice caught her attention. When she saw the person with said feminine voice, she greeted her with a smile. The girl did the same thing, only the smile was smaller. "Um, is anyone sitting next to you?" she asked, referring to the lawn chairs situated next to hers. Her tone also seemed to have gotten a little bit shyer.
This person with the feminine voice was Elizabeth, who had a rectangle-shaped body figure and a fair skin tone. Her brown hair appeared to be at mid-back length, and while the upper half of it was straight, the lower half was puffy. She seemed to be at a height of around five feet, six inches, and had brown-colored eyes. Though not as formal as Noel's outfit, she still decided to dress nicely with a blue dress and black heels. She also wore red glasses.
Anna took a look at her. She seemed like a nice person, nothing suspicious about her. They could have a nice chat about life in general, bond and become friends, have that woman-to-woman talk that men wouldn't be able to really understand. She gestured for her to sit down on the lawn chair next to her.
"Oh, no one's sitting here! You can sit if you want!" Anna answered, giving the green light for Elizabeth to sit down. Once she did, she continued. "Wow! You look really pretty in that dress! It fits you so well!" she complimented her outfit, wanting to start off on the right note. A genuine compliment wouldn't hurt.
Elizabeth could only smile as a response, albeit a small one, and let out a small giggle. She tried to look as appreciative as possible, considering that she also wanted to start off on the right note. To her, she seemed nice enough to talk to.
"Thanks!" she said to Anna. Then she proceeded to talk more about her dress. "I bought it from this popular store in my town, and I wanted to look nice for the cameras. It's expensive, so I hope it's worth it." Before she could ramble on further about her dress, she stopped to introduce herself. "Oh! Um, what's your name? I'm Elizabeth."
Anna didn't seem fazed by that. Why would she judge her for talking about something that she liked, let alone talking in general? Then once the introductions came, she was about to give her name as a response, only to be interrupted by…
"I prefer to only be called Elizabeth, by the way." she continued. "I don't like being called Liz, Beth, or any nicknames. Especially the first one." Now it looked like she had finished saying everything she wanted to say for now. Given that she was straightforward about it, Anna knew it'd be smart to not ask why. The personal stuff could come later.
"Don't worry, I promise I'll only call you Elizabeth!" Anna assured her, letting out a soft giggle of her own. Then she introduced herself. "You can call me Anna! I don't have any nicknames myself, unless you want to call me A!" she let out another soft giggle, one filled with amusement and lightheartedness. Now it was her turn to talk plenty. "How are you feeling today? We're so close to getting to the island, I can't wait to see new faces and see how compatible they are with one another!"
The last part of her statement caught her interest. Compatible, huh? "Ooo, you want to play matchmaker with other people? That sounds like a fun thing to do!" she seemed genuine in wanting to know more about this matchmaking stuff. Her smile grew bigger. "I'm interested in knowing who could be my potential boyfriend."
"I got you covered!" Anna replied, grinning as she was about to test out her matchmaking skills with one of the contestants. "Now I would have a journal with me so I can write down notes, but it's in my bag." she looked a little bit disappointed, but regained that cheerful vibe not a few seconds later. "But it's okay! I'm experienced enough to remember the questions and answers for at least a couple of hours!"
Elizabeth remained smiling, ready to answer her questions in as much detail as she could. "So what's the first question? Is it about what I look for in an ideal, perfect date?" she seemed to be getting a head start on this matchmaking thing. It was like a kid getting ready to watch a movie they've been waiting for.
"We could start with that!" Anna beamed, going along with Elizabeth's first question suggestion. As if she was taking notes, but only on an invisible notepad, she began. "So the ideal, perfect date… hmm. Which day of the week would you want this date to happen? What time? How long would this date last? Would you want to be asked or the person asking? How would you want to ask or be asked?" Poor Elizabeth found herself being bombarded with question after question in a rapid manner.
"W-What?! W-Wait, wait!" Elizabeth tried to stop her, overwhelmed. Anna ceased her talking as soon as she gestured for her to stop and listen. Then she took a deep breath. "Maybe you should take it slow and do one question at a time. That way, I can answer them in as much detail as possible." she suggested, smiling to make sure that she wasn't trying to put her down and criticize her.
"Oh, sorry about that!" Anna gave a sheepish grin before clearing her throat. "Okay, one question at a time and take it slow!" she told herself before speaking to Elizabeth. "Since we're talking about your ideal, perfect date, I do want to start off with an important question." There was a short moment of silence as she began thinking. Then she came up with a question that'd be perfect for her. "...Do you have a dick size preference?"
Elizabeth found herself blushing at the question. "W-What?!" she stuttered, having no composed response to this. "I-I… I-I d-don't! G-Goodness!" she stood up from her lawn chair and began to back away from her. She'd rather get bombarded by questions again than answer lewd ones like these. "I, uh, have to go! I-I'll talk to you later!"
"Wait, was it something I said?" Anna couldn't exactly pinpoint the reason why Elizabeth was backing away from her while blushing. She tried to stop her from leaving, but her attempt was futile as she ran off and left the area. She didn't bother turning back. This left her confused, puzzled, and pondering on why her behavior just changed suddenly.
As for Elizabeth, she had retreated to another area of the boat, away from her and now having alone time. Well, she seemed nice enough, but good lord if her matchmaking didn't scare her off. But despite the conversation coming to an abrupt pause and looking like it ended on a bad note, her embarrassed expression changed to a small smirk.
"She doesn't have to worry. I'll come back to her and build a bond." she said to herself. She didn't seem to give off sinister, malicious vibes. "I can do this. I can get her to help me find a boyfriend. And whoever the lucky man is, he'll be blessed to have me as his girlfriend." She looked determined to achieve her goal of getting a boyfriend.
And she was going to make sure she got one this summer.
[The Sinister Snakes' Boat]
From the opposing boat, Nathan could be seen staring at the boat, trying to get a good feel of what his competition could be like. It's what he's been doing for the entire duration of the boat ride so far. Only except… that boat he had been staring at, was on his video game console. His competition were these mobsters that were committing a kidnapping heist. Nothing to do with real life.
He looked to be a little bit overweight, though nothing too concerning, along with very fair skin. His chestnut brown hair reached down to upper-neck length, and had this messy style as if he woke up from bed just now. He seemed to be at a height of around five feet, seven inches, and had blue-colored eyes. He kept his outfit simple: a black t-shirt with black shorts and black shoes. His clothes were pretty much all black.
He was sitting on one of the lawn chairs, focused on the video game as he found his own character leaping from one boat to the other, the one that had those mobsters. He had tuned out and ignored everything occurring around him in real life, even though nothing was happening at the moment. Thanks to the umbrella that was shading him, he had an easier time seeing the action on the screen.
He had a serious, stoic expression on his face. But he also felt determined, determined to beat the level, kill the mobsters and stop the heist as a bonafide anti-hero. But as soon as his character landed on the boat with the enemies…
"Sorry to bother you, sir, but is this spot taken?" a feminine voice snapped him away from the mission. He thought he could've spent the whole boat ride playing games, but now he had to talk to someone. He paused the game and looked up to see who it was. An annoyed expression was displayed on his face.
His eyes laid upon a woman named Angel, who had a curvaceous body figure and brown skin. Her chestnut brown hair appeared to reach mid-back length, and had a simple style of being straight. She looked to be around a height of five feet, seven inches, and had blue-colored eyes. Similar to Nathan, she also kept her outfit simple: a light black spaghetti strap shirt with ripped blue jeans and white sneakers. Perfect for the casual event.
She could be seen giving him a greeting, warm smile while standing in a relaxed posture. But when she saw his annoyed expression, her smile changed to a look of concern. Oh dear, did she upset him? Maybe it was just his natural, normal expression, but still better to say something about it.
"Oh my, I'm sorry." she apologized to him, looking guilty for interrupting his gaming session. "Did I accidentally interrupt your gaming session, hun? I wanted to chat with someone, but I'll let you get back to your game if you want me to leave." she offered, wanting to make sure she didn't upset him if she had to leave. Finding another person to talk to would be easy enough.
Nathan let out a low sigh that she couldn't hear. He felt a little bad, considering that he was about to brush her off and tell her to leave. A short conversation couldn't hurt, right? He stuffed his gaming console into his pocket and gestured for her to sit down.
"It's fine," he said as she sat down on the lawn chair with a genuine, grateful smile. But before she could say anything in response, he continued. "Just keep it short." he referred to the conversation, which she nodded her head in understanding.
"I'll do my best." Angel said, still smiling before changing the topic and beginning the conversation. She hoped it'd go well. "I'm Angel. It's nice to meet you…" she trailed off as an indicator that she wanted to know his name. She prepared herself in case he didn't catch on.
But Nathan did. He let out another low sigh. He'd give her a fake name, but… nah. He figured someone would spill the beans about his real name. Most likely Chris McLean the host. "...Nathan," he said. His tone was as dull as expected.
"Heh. That's a nice name." Angel complimented him. She decided to keep it going since they were off to a good start, in her opinion. "Do you have other interests besides video games? I may not be an enthusiast, but I have played a fair share of games on different consoles." She figured talking about something that could potentially be interesting to him could get on his good side.
That caused him to raise an eyebrow. He didn't know if she was being genuine or trying to get on his good side, but it got him invested in the conversation a little bit more. Not much, but still enough to warrant a question from him.
"No." Nathan responded to her first question. Then he followed up with his own question. "What games have you played?" he was curious, though his expression told otherwise. To be fair, he didn't seem invested in having a long conversation by any means. So then again, his expression did speak the truth… for the most part.
"Oh my, there's a lot to list out, so I'll stick to my top five." Angel let out a small chuckle before listing out the games. "There's Grand Theft Manual, Perry Hotter, Star Battles, War for Bikini Top, and my personal favorite, Coldline Miami. Most of them were on the Playstation, but I played War for Bikini Top on my computer. Unfortunately, it's gone now." she frowned a little bit upon saying the last part.
"That's cool." Nathan said, his hand in his pocket tapping against his gaming console and ready to pull it out the moment she left. "I played all of them. They were decent, but I'm more into mystery, despair games. I feel more connected." he continued. Maybe this girl didn't seem too bad. But he still hoped she would wrap it up sooner than later.
Angel nodded. She could respect his opinion. "I like playing those types of games too. I think my favorite one would have to be Danganronma. I've only finished the first game, but it got into my feelings and when a favorite of mine died, my heart was broken." she said, putting her hand to her heart as if she was playing around.
"Same here." Nathan agreed, keeping the response simple to avoid providing more stuff for her to ask and talk about. She'd get bored of the conversation, right? But one look at her and he could tell that she liked talking to him and in general. That thought made him shudder a little bit. "...I finished the entire series." he continued, albeit hesitant.
He still felt bad. Someone was nice and probably genuine enough to talk about something he liked, not to mention liking themselves, and he was going to blow her off? Just as long as she kept the conversation about video games, then it'd be fine for him.
Before she could say anything, he added more. "...Who's your favorite character? Other than Moyeskuma." he asked. Angel smiled at how much he was starting to open up. Little by little, she'd be able to turn that frown upside down. She's gotta stay positive.
"Hmm. That's a good question." Angel began thinking of an answer. After about several seconds of her tapping her fingers on her jeans, she responded. "Well, for the record, I never liked Moyeskuma. But anyway… I think Mondo was my favorite. I always liked him for being tough and protective, yet soft and sweet whenever he wanted to be. Like Duncan."
Nathan was one response away from referring Mondo to Duncan, but thankfully for him, she beat him to the punch. He almost let it slip. But he didn't show it to her, as he only nodded as a response. Truth be told, he liked Mondo, but if he said that, it'd ruin the purpose of wanting to keep the conversation short. So instead…
"Eh. He's decent for me." Nathan said, shrugging as if he didn't care about him. At this point, Angel began to catch on that he was one of three things: shy and an introvert, going through something personal or having a bad day, or both.
"Hey, I apologize for changing the topic suddenly, but is everything okay, hun?" Angel asked, concerned for him that the second or third choice was true. "I know we just met, but if there's anything on your mind that you'd like to talk about, I can be of service as a rock and listen." she made sure she was coming from a place of assurance and comfort.
Nathan's stoic, neutral expression changed to a frown. Yup. The moment she got into another topic, that would be his cue to tell her to leave. It had to be about personal stuff of all things. His personal stuff. Not happening in his book.
"Because a rock has ears and can listen to other people." Nathan replied in a sarcastic manner. He didn't answer after that. He ignored the main part of her question. He pulled out his gaming console and tried to pretend there wasn't a girl sitting in front of him.
"I-I'm sorry. I won't make you talk about it if you feel uncomfortable." Angel frowned a little bit, aware of his sarcasm in his response. "We could talk about something else then?" she suggested. But his face never turned away from the console's screen.
"Nah. I'll go back to my gaming now." Nathan answered. He appeared to be more focused on the current fight in the game than the conversation with her.
"That's okay. I won't bother you any further and let you play in peace." Angel said, a little bit disappointed, but still respectful enough to give him his space. She stood up and smiled. "Well, I'll be heading off to find other people to chat with. But I look forward to getting to know you better." With that, she waved him goodbye - he didn't see it - and walked away from the area.
This left Nathan all by himself, just what he wanted. Him, his gaming console, and that peaceful atmosphere. About a couple of minutes later, he heard a large explosion in the game and that was the indicator to save the game and put the console down. He needed to prepare for the upcoming boss fight.
Then he turned his head and confirmed that Angel indeed was no longer there and probably wasn't going to come back. That was good for him. All he could say about the conversation was: "I should've brought my headphones…" It was addressed towards himself. Then he went back to gaming a couple of minutes later.
No one else came by to bother him for the rest of the boat ride.
Music can be heard at the boat's local small bar where a dining area was also present; the room was similar to the one on the other boat. This music was coming from someone playing the piano. It sounded smooth, lovely, as if a professional was playing it. Sitting on the piano bench was none other than Gold. His fingers were moving along the keys while pressing them, creating these soothing musical sounds from the instrument. He looked like a natural playing it.
He had a skinny body figure and a medium skin tone. His black hair appeared to be combed and slicked back, barely reaching mid-neck length. He looked to be around a height of five feet, six inches, and had brown-colored eyes. His outfit had a combination of formal and casual: a white, long-sleeved button up shirt, black dress pants, and gray shoes. But what was really notable about his appearance was the black mask he was wearing over his face.
At the present moment, he is playing Adventure's 'Don't Start Believin'. He didn't need a music sheet, despite the immense difficulty of the song. It all came from his skill and talent of playing the piano, along with memorizing the notes. Too bad there wasn't an audience to witness this. But that didn't matter to him.
But then a door opened and he was no longer alone. In came a woman who glanced around as soon as entered. Was she here for the music? Maybe she was here for the drinks? After all, there weren't any security cameras in the room. She made her way behind the counter to look for something. While in the process of doing so…
The music stopped. She glanced over at the piano and found herself face-to-face with Gold. It seemed like her entrance caught his attention. "Oh hey." he greeted, a smile forming underneath his mask. This girl looked calm, stoic, as if nothing bad or good happened. She only held her hand up to greet him, not saying anything.
Said girl was Katherine, who had a narrow body figure and light skin. Her black hair appeared to reach mid-back length, styled in a simple ponytail. She looked to be around a height of five feet, five inches, and had brown-colored eyes. Her outfit appeared to be suited for the winter season: a light gray hoodie, dark blue sweatpants, and black-and-white shoes. Similar to Velvet, there was a piece of clothing underneath that hoodie.
She continued to search for this thing. She checked underneath the counter. Nothing she wanted. Then she checked the shelves where the lemons, limes, and olives were. None of them were what she was looking for. Maybe inside that miniature fridge? Nope. Ice and some alcohol bottles were a no for her.
"Need help looking for something?" Gold offered, seeing that she was having difficulty finding whatever she was trying to find. He approached her, a smile still displayed underneath that mask of his. "If it's something small, then I might need glasses because I can't C Sharp." he let out a small giggle at his pun.
Katherine gave no reaction or response to his question or pun. She ignored him and continued to look around, now searching the dining area. At least she didn't criticize or insult his pun. But Gold's attempt to make the atmosphere and conversation more lighthearted would probably be in vain because of how silent she was.
"The name's Gold." he introduced himself, followed by a polite bow. Such a strange and unique name it was. "I take it you're one of my teammates?" he asked, hoping it'd get her to talk and get a conversation going. But once again, nothing but silence from her. "Because if that's the case, I would like to ask for your name." he continued.
Katherine paused her search and glanced behind her. She had the same facial expression, as she put down the chair she was inspecting. She stared at him for a moment. All Gold did was remain smiling, awaiting her answer. Then after a period of silence…
"...It's Katherine." she said, her voice monotone. There was another short moment of silence before she continued. "Katherine with a K." It wasn't with a C or a Q. As for the piano player, he nodded as a gesture of appreciation. He got her to talk!
"Nice! Funny enough, you're the first person Katherine I've met that starts with a K." Gold said, letting out a small chuckle. "All of the others started with a C or a Q." he continued, keeping the topic light and on the surface level. Nothing personal or deep.
Katherine only nodded as her response. She passed by him and made her way to the piano. She inspected the musical instrument as closely as possible. Though to Gold, it looked like she was trying to look for something small on or inside the piano. Then she turned and faced him again.
"Were you the one playing the piano?" she asked, curious, but her tone made it seem otherwise. She didn't raise her eyebrow or change her facial expression. "I heard music while I was in the hallway."
"Yeah. That was me." Gold scratched the back of his head, giving a sheepish grin from underneath his mask. "I saw it there and I thought I could maybe kill time by playing one of my favorite pieces. I'm not sure if you know about this song called -"
"Don't Start Believin' by Adventure?" Katherine interrupted, answering his question in the process. She nodded. "I know about it. It's popular. It's one of those nostalgic songs for the older people." she turned around and continued where she left off. Now she was looking underneath the bench seat.
Gold grinned. This girl was pretty cool. He wondered what other songs she could be into. Whatever piece she liked, he'd probably be able to play it on the piano, with or without a music sheet. He wanted to ask, along with her interests.
"Oh, nice! It's a pretty good song to play and listen to." Gold said, agreeing with her before following it up with his own question. "Are there other songs you like? I might be able to play it on the piano, depending on what it is. And by might, I mean practice until I play all of the notes correctly and smoothly."
This time, Katherine didn't turn her head to answer. She kept looking around. In a sense, she was multitasking. Searching for something and having a social interaction with Gold. "That's really about it. I don't listen to music that much, other than that. Maybe I might find more music that'll interest me." Well, that disappointed him a tiny bit, but not enough to change his opinion of her. Not even close.
"Ah, it's okay. If you're interested, I could provide a couple of songs on the piano that could help you expand your knowledge about worldwide music." Gold offered. Though it may be seen otherwise, he wasn't trying to flirt with her or ask her out on a date. They had just met after all. "If not, then maybe a couple of songs on the saxophone or acoustic guitar."
There was a short moment of silence once again. Then Katherine answered. "I'll think about it. Maybe I'll say yes." Then before Gold knew it, she made her way to one of the doors. "There's nothing here. Bye." She pushed the door open and left the room, leaving him all by himself. Huh. There were a few things he wanted to say and ask her, but she left.
Gold could only wonder about her and how she was rather mysterious. She was an interesting person, and he knew there was more than what met the eyes. He believed that deep down, she was a good person who could use help in opening up. And he'd be one of or the only person to help her achieve this goal.
"Interesting." he said to himself. He noted to himself to try to talk to her later on once they got to the island. If he didn't get to talk to her again today, then tomorrow would be fine. Either case, he seemed optimistic about this goal at hand. He returned to the piano and continued where he believed he left off.
The sounds of the musical notes kept him entertained and hopeful for the rest of the boat ride.
Speaking of the hallway, Samantha could be seen hiding around the corner, further away from the bar and dining room. She looked nervous, yet still calm enough to remain composed and not freak out like a person who had seen a ghost. What made her feel so nervous at the moment? Well, it wasn't because of the piano music.
"O-Okay… y-you can do this…" she mumbled to herself, as quietly as possible so she wouldn't catch someone's attention. "O-Only one p-person…" she had a stutter to add on top of her nervousness. Implied by what she said, she could be referring to the notion of talking to another person.
For her appearance, she had a skinny body figure and very fair skin, probably a little bit paler than Ryan or Captain Hugh G. Rection. Her brown hair appeared to reach mid-neck length and had it in a simple style; it was straight. She looked to be around a height of five feet, three inches, and had blue-colored eyes. Her outfit appeared to be suited for a normal school day: a white, short-sleeved uniform shirt with a blue jacket over it, a dark blue skirt that reached knee-length, black leggings, and white-and-gray shoes. She was also wearing black eyeglasses.
She took slow, deep breaths to calm herself. To eliminate as much of those nerves as she could. In the process of breathing, she exposed the red-colored braces on her teeth a little bit. She could start off with that one girl walking in the hallway that entered the room. Or she could enter the room herself and talk to the person playing the piano. But then... if they were both inside? Oh dear, that would be too much to start off with.
"Arigato!" a loud, feminine voice caused her to yelp in surprise. She covered her mouth and most of that calmness disappeared in a mere second. She hoped that one voice or herself didn't attract the one or two people from that bar and dining room.
Spoiler alert: it didn't.
When she looked to see who the source of the noise was, she found herself staring at a girl, who had a bright, cheerful grin on her face. She was standing there in front of her, and that only caused more nervousness to build inside of her. If this kept up, it wouldn't end well for the poor girl in glasses.
Oh dear, she would have to talk to her, right? Greet her since she greeted her first? "H-Hi…" she simply said, forcing herself to smile a little bit. Compared to the girl in front of her, Samantha came off as a quiet woman who sounded like she finished a long day of school.
"Oh wow, you look and sound like Toko from Danganronma!" the more energetic girl pointed out, causing her to display a confused look. "It's this one game that looks more like an anime, but it does have its own anime. And there's this one female character named Toko, who has an inferiority complex and believes that everyone hates her."
"E-Everyone…?" Samantha repeated. She looked a little bit creeped out by what this girl said, considering that she compared her to a video game and anime character as soon as they met. She had never played the game, so she wouldn't know what Toko would look like. "T-That's… not… I-I don't believe that…" she defended herself.
"I only said you look and sound like her! I never said you acted like her!" the girl countered, letting out an amused giggle at the end. She leaned against the wall. "Actually, have you ever called some blonde, fashion designer girl a slut or a bitch?" she asked, curious.
This girl's name was Candela, also having a skinny body figure, along with tanned skin. Her black hair appeared to reach mid-neck length and was styled in a double-twist ponytail. She looked to be around a height of five feet, four inches, and had brown-colored eyes. Her outfit looked… interesting to say the least: a white t-shirt with a design of an anime character in the center, gray designer pants with Kanji symbols, and brown sandals. On top of that, she was wearing black eyeglasses.
"N-No…! N-Never, o-of course not!" Samantha stammered, though if one didn't recognize her nervousness or the full context, she would've been suspicious. An embarrassed, faint blush came creeping up on her face.
"See? There you go! You don't act like her… for the most part." Candela exclaimed, only to trail off a little bit and give a sheepish grin. Before Samantha could respond to that, she continued and quickly changed the topic. "But anyway, nothing to worry about! Say, do you like anime? That'd be so cool if you did!"
"Um… I… I n-never watched anime…" Samantha admitted, looking away from her in case she somehow got upset from that answer. She's not used to this kind of interaction. It was rather difficult for her to stay on the same social energy level as her. "...I… I k-know about it, i-if t-that counts…?" she continued.
Candela nodded her head in agreement and excitement. "Of course! It's soooo popular in the world right now! Hmm…" she stared at her, as if she was inspecting her, which she was. Samantha could only back away from her a little bit out of fear. Then she continued. "You seem like one of those innocent, 'protect me' people, so I'll start you off with some cute and wholesome anime! Fun for the whole family!"
Samantha didn't know what to say. Here she was, trying to build up enough courage and confidence to go talk to someone, and now she was roped into a conversation about anime. She had almost zero knowledge about the topic. She bit her lip out of nervousness.
"I guess…" Samantha muttered. She may as well learn something new. But she didn't know what to ask exactly. "...W-What do you have in mind…?" she asked, a little bit curious about the anime she was about to be recommended.
"Spring Love!" Candela shouted, as if she already had the answer prepared. Samantha widened her eyes and looked around, hoping that it didn't attract someone to the conversation. One cheerful, ecstatic person was good enough for her. As for the anime enthusiast, she started explaining the synopsis of the show. "So it's one of those romance comedies, or a rom-com! It's about this one shy guy who falls in love with this popular, extroverted girl at school! They both like each other and want to confess their love, but shenanigans prevent them from doing so!"
For Samantha, she took in the information that Candela provided. She nodded her head along as she explained. One thing was for sure, she was passionate about anime.
"T-That's cool…" Samantha said. There was a short pause before she continued. "D-Do you like the r-rom-coms? T-The romance comedy anime?" she asked. She probably knew the answer, but she wanted to make it seem like she was still interested in the topic.
"Of course, of course! Any anime is good, but some are just better than others! Spring Love is one of the best ones I've watched!" Candela exclaimed. "I would tell you more about it, but that would be spoilers! And I don't want you to be spoiled! But thanks to that anime, I got into noodle arms!" As if she was demonstrating, she started doing the 'noodle arms', which appeared to be her moving her arms in a wave motion.
Samantha had no idea what was going on and why Candela was moving her arms like she was trying to swat away a fly or do an airbending move. But she guessed that it was the noodle arms she was talking about. "Um… are you doing the noodle arms?" she asked, wanting confirmation.
"Yup! It's a popular trend right now!" Candela paused on doing her noodle arms. Her smile turned into a small smirk. "I'll make sure it becomes the next big thing once I do it on this show!" she said, pointing to herself as she looked determined to achieve this. "Anyway, the name's Candela! Is your's Toko or something that starts with a T?" she teased.
Samantha shivered a little bit. She didn't respond right away. She looked away from her again, avoiding all eye contact with the anime enthusiast. Candela waited for her to answer, but when that moment of silence got longer, she figured she should say something.
"Hmm… maybe it's not Toko or something that starts with a T." Candela added. She let out a teasing, soft giggle. "Maybe… it could start with an S or a U! It could be something common like Samantha, or something interesting like… Senpai!" she let out another teasing giggle. Then her expression changed to something a little bit more serious. "But what is your name?"
Samantha looked at her, though not all the way. Somehow she… she managed to guess her name. Albeit, it was out of luck, she found herself in slight awe about this strange, and even rather mysterious girl. But soon, she caved in and told Candela her name. "...It's… S-Samantha."
Candela pumped her arm in the air and cheered. "Woo! I guessed it! But it's cool to meet ya', Samantha-san!" she gave her a genuine smile, giving her an honorific. Then she turned and looked ready to make her departure. "But anyway, I'm gonna go find other people to talk to! Let me know if you want more anime recommendations!" She ran off as she said the last part, causing her voice to trail off.
This left Samantha by herself. She got through the conversation in one piece. She pondered on the personality and behavior of that Candela girl. While her relationship status with her was currently unknown - more like she didn't know how to feel about her - there was one thing she could conclude.
They were absolute opposites when it came to personality and behavior.
Omar could be seen on the opposite end of the boat, where Nathan and Angel were not located. Same set up of lawn chairs, accompanied by umbrellas, he took note of his current environment. The breeze, the ocean water, the faint sound of a piano playing, it's perfect for him. He cleared his throat before getting into a particular pose.
He had a lanky body figure and fair skin. His light black hair appeared to reach upper-neck length and the front part of his hair was spiked, coated in a couple layers of hair gel. He looked to be around a height of five feet, six inches, and had blue-colored eyes. His outfit appeared to be rather eloquent, rivaling the host's outfit: a navy blue peacoat with a white undershirt, navy blue designer pants, and black formal shoes. He probably had more clothes that were as formal or even fancier than his current outfit.
Concentrated on the current task at hand, he took one deep breath while closing his eyes. As he let out the breath, the sun shined down on him. He knew where to stand to get that perfect lighting. Not too much, but not too little.
"For as long as man and woman live, I shall protect thou both!" Omar began speaking, his voice at a loud volume. He held one hand out in the air, and put his other hand on his heart. "Tis mine honor and duty to uphold that promise! I cannot fail! The people's liveth art at risk!" If it hadn't been clear enough, he was acting. In particular, a scene from an old play.
In the midst of his acting, he caught someone approaching him. A man. Someone of the same gender as him. He didn't know if he was paying attention to him, but he formed a very small smile that couldn't be seen easily. A potential audience member! Nothing suspicious or menacing about him from the first glimpse of things.
He tried to catch his attention. He came up with something on the spot. "Ah! A fellow sir! I introduce myself to thee on this quite quaint day!" As if he was trying to make it more obvious that he was greeting the approaching man, he smiled and gestured at him. Thankfully, he wasn't clueless and caught on to what the actor was trying to indicate.
The man at hand was Tom, who had a skinny body figure and fair skin. His black hair appeared to reach around mid-neck length and had a similar style to Omar's; the front part of his hair had been gelled and spiked. He looked to be around a height of five feet, six inches, and had brown-colored eyes. His outfit was suitable for a special school event: a sky blue collared shirt with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, dark blue khakis, and blue-and-white shoes. It was a little bit similar to Omar's outfit, sans the color scheme.
The Asian formed a small smile as he got closer to him. He didn't want to look upset when meeting someone new. He maintained eye contact with the actor in front of him. He wanted to make sure their first interaction went well. Even if he found himself roped in out of nowhere, he didn't mind. He didn't mind at all.
"Hello, sir." Tom greeted him, sporting a relaxed posture. "Correct me if I made a mistake, but were you attempting to initiate a conversation with me?" he asked, wanting to make sure it wasn't some big misunderstanding. Though he felt sure the man was trying to talk to him and was referring to him as the "fellow sir".
"Ah, no mistake, I can assure thee!" Omar answered, cheerful and energetic to now be talking to someone. Tom guessed correctly. He was trying to invite him for a chat. "I wanted to if 't be true thee hadst interest in talking! But I won't force thee if 't be true thou has't to wend somewhere!" he continued, assuring that he wasn't trying to force him to converse.
Tom looked intrigued by his speech pattern and dialect. He had shown interest in wanting to converse with the man in front of him, but this only increased his interest. On top of that, his assurance and promise that he wouldn't force him to stay here and talk to him, it was nice gesture of appreciation.
"Well, I do appreciate it. But I am interested in having a social conversation." Tom said to him, his smile growing a little wider as he said this. He wanted to look sincere and genuine. Not an ounce of force in his words or smile. "I do compliment your choice of dialect. I may not be the biggest fan of him or his work, but I am familiar of Shakespeare and his Old English that made the language grow popular as it is today." he continued.
"Aha! An interested and intelligent sir! Such talent from Shakespeare to giveth us amazing characters and stories to teachest generations! To inspire the actors and actresses!" Omar began to go on a small, passionate speech about the brilliance of William Shakespeare. He felt inspired. He felt glad that another person liked him.
Tom nodded along to indicate he was listening. Then he nodded again to agree with him. "I can agree. William Shakespeare is a talented playwright who has inspired many, from his generation to the current generation. My personal favorite is Hoglet. Magnificent plot, dynamic and complex characters, and the famous soliloquy in the beginning of Act Three."
"To be, or not to be, that is the question!" Omar answered the part about the famous soliloquy. His grin grew wider, enjoying the current conversation with the man in front of him. "Such a magnificent worketh of beauty! Ah! But doth not forget about Yorick's skull!" As if he was holding Yorick's skull, he held his arm out and pretended that it was in his hand. It resembled a very familiar moment from the scene.
Tom glanced at Omar's pose for a very quick moment before nodding his head in agreement once more. "In Act Five, Scene One. A significant scene of symbolism, regarding to existentialism. Every play of that man has taught me valuable lessons." he added, providing his own information about the scene. Then he asked a question. "Are you hoping to become an actor or a playwright in the future?"
"An actor!" Omar answered, putting his arm down. Though one can see that he was still acting and performing a little bit as he responded. "Tis mine goal to maketh 't far in the industry! Maketh 't to the big screen! Such a journey shalt beginneth with the knowledge of Shakespeare's playeth!" Then he struck what seemed to be his signature pose. "Huzzah!"
Tom let out an amused chuckle. It didn't seem to be one out of malice, as it was referring to him being motivated by the career of acting, on top of his signature pose.
"I admire your dedication and passion to your career of being an actor." he complimented. Then he held out his hand, as if he wanted a handshake. "Pardon me for not realizing this much sooner, but my name is Tom. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Omar shook his hand. "Tis an honor to meeteth thee, Tom! Thee can calleth me Omar! I am a sir with many names, but that is mine most common, preferable one!" Then he followed up with his own question, wanting to get to know him better. They were getting along well so far, after all. "I wanteth to asketh, what is thy current or future occupation? Tis out of curiosity and the chance to learneth more about mine teammate, mine new friend!"
Tom noted to remember his name. Omar. Now he became curious about his other names, but first, he had to answer his question first. "I am considering pursuing a career in the field of oral communication and speech. I hope to become an aspiring motivational speaker for different crowds, different groups of people from different walks of life. My goal is to inspire as many people as possible to pursue the right path."
"How wonderful!" Omar beamed. He had to compliment the path he decided to choose. This man was a lot better than he had expected, not that he ever thought otherwise. "To assist the fellow men and women, I giveth mine sincere props to thy passion! Ah! To be a valorous sir and to help people becometh valorous!"
Tom smiled at his compliment. He figured this was enough to make a good impression without dragging on the conversation for too long. He nodded again. "I am appreciative of your compliment and support. But while I would like to continue our conversation until we arrive at Wawanakwa, I would like to spend more time exploring this boat. I am intrigued by the structure and design of this watercraft."
Omar nodded in understanding, though his smile faltered a little bit. "I won't cease thee! Such a pleasant conversation this wast! I behold forward in getting to knoweth thee better, sir! I shalt returneth to mine duty at handeth!" he gave a departing bow before returning to his current task: practice and rehearse his lines.
As for Tom, he waved him goodbye and went off to another area of the boat. He had this confident, determined look. The whole conversation between them went well! Much better than he had even expected. Now he hoped he could find another person to talk to and make a good first impression on them as well. That, or he could explore the boat in peace. It was a win-win for him anyway.
And he knew that Omar won something as well.
Chris stood on the shore of Wawanakwa, near where the Dock of Shame was located. He had a grin on his face as he watched the two boats arrive. Both of them were arriving at the same pace, at the same rate, but with different people. Very different people.
On one boat, the Badass Bears' boat, it consisted of: Anna, Elizabeth, Jerome, Noel, Olivia, Preston, Ryan, and Velvet.
On the other boat, the Sinister Snakes' boat, it consisted of: Angel, Candela, Gold, Katherine, Nathan, Omar, Samantha, and Tom.
As the two boats began to slow down and dock near the shore, the host watched and waited patiently. In a matter of moments, sixteen contestants were about to embark in a competition of a lifetime. He knew there'll be drama. He knew there'll be ruthless gameplay. He knew and had confidence that this season would fare very well.
One by one, the campers got off the boat. Some of them looked cheerful and ready to get the game rolling. Some of them looked irritated and annoyed for different reasons. Some of them looked nervous as to what this season could behold. And some of them were a combination of two or all three.
Nevertheless, as soon as all of them got off and faced him, Chris only had one thing to say as he extended his arms into the air, the exhilarating rush in his system as he grinned and greeted them: "Welcome to Total Drama: Round Two!"
Author's Note Again - Here we are, once again, at the end of the chapter. I hope the introductions were unique and interesting. I wanted to do the one-by-one introduction like from season one, but I didn't like that after thinking about it. Sure, I could've done group introductions, but this was the best method, in my opinion. Each of the pairings were chosen by me, no randomizer or some random poll.
Now some of them were longer than others, but to be fair, not all of them are going to be extroverted and talkative. Some are more introverted and shyer than others. But I tried my best to give them as much screentime as possible. I also added plenty of my own narration stuff, but don't pay too much attention to that. I'm still experimenting, but if it becomes an issue, I'll tone it down in the future.
So the next chapter will be another simple one. This time, I won't say much since I don't want to reveal some of this information. But one thing's for sure, they'll get settled in. The part where they go to the campfire area and get put onto their respective teams, that won't happen. Now then, until next time, stay safe and peace!