Okay. So I have some explaining to do. I've been very busy with school, work, and life in general since I published the introduction chapter for Island Tour. Not to mention my procrastination and brain farts throughout the months I tried to write this chapter. But at last, I have finished! Around 9k in length, excluding author's notes. There were many times where I felt dissatisfied with what I wrote; I really need to stop letting that become a habit because even though I'm finally satisfied with the work, I'll definitely cringe at it once I look back at the chapter in several months or so.
But enough of that. Here is part one of episode one. Side note: I didn't need to do a prologue because I technically wrote one in Island Tour.
~Episode 01: Some Shitty Summer Camp~
~Part 01: It's Ferry Time!~
Ashe Ward stood near the front end of a ferry, his back almost touching the golden-colored guardrail behind him. A light breeze blew against him as he observed his environment around him in silence. He twiddled with his fingers and held an awkward posture. "I should try to converse with someone…" The man carried a soft voice as he spoke to himself.
Standing at five feet and five inches, he appeared to be a little thin, but with a little soft stomach underneath his clothes. He had apricot skin and a tear drop shaped head with wide green eyes. His emo-styled brunette hair had his fringe swooping to the right of his face, and the length reaching his shoulders. For attire, a black beanie that concealed most of his hair, a lightweight hoodie with the bottom half being dark gray and the upper half - alongside the sleeves and hood - being dark purple, black skinny jeans, and dark purple and gray sneakers. A cutie pie according to some ginger.
He tapped his right foot against the wooden floor as the sun shined a radiant beam of light and heat onto him, the deck, and throughout the vessel. Time had no intentions in stopping for him. Who knew how long he had before arriving at his destination. His eyes though… soon landed upon another person, another man. Not too far from Ashe sat said man on a white lounge chair, relaxed and content.
"Maybe that person could work." Ashe had a small glint of optimism in his eyes. "But then again, there's a chance he wouldn't be interested… and I don't want to make a bad first impression." In a matter of seconds, that small glint of optimism vanished. It was replaced by a state of confliction. "Yet standing here and doing nothing is a bad idea too…"
Before Ashe could get a few seconds to contemplate his choices, his train of thought would suddenly be interrupted by a mezzo melody. It resembled the first few seconds of 'Take On Me' by A-ha. Once he found his source, it came from none other than the man on the lounge chair, or Cyrus Lak. He happened to be playing his golden-colored flute.
Cyrus stood at a height of five feet and seven inches. He appeared to be slender and scrawnier than the average male his age. The man had medium russet brown skin. As with his demeanor, his facial features indicated a sense of softness; he had a heart-shaped face, brown eyes, an upturned nose, and full lips. His wavy black hair reached his ears, slicked-back in a near wind-blown appearance. For attire, a blue shirt, beige cargo shorts, and neon blue-and-orange sneakers.
Intrigued by his performance, Ashe watched and listened on. Though that didn't last long as Cyrus soon moved his eyes upward to meet Ashe's. He came to a slow pause before placing his flute on his lap. "Oh, was I too loud? My apologies." A sense of politeness could be noted from him. "I thought I'd kill some time by playing my flute." His smooth baritone voice could also be noted, as he smiled at the spectator.
"No no, you weren't loud at all!" Ashe attempted to assure him right away, holding his hands out to provide emphasis. Caught off-guard by Cyrus's sudden attention toward him, he couldn't figure out what to say next. "Um… yeah, your music didn't bother me."
Cyrus felt a sense of relief from hearing that. "I'm glad to hear that. I wanted to practice a new song I've been learning since last week. It's called 'Take On Me' by A-ha." He tapped his fingers along his flute in a consistent rhythm. "Have you heard of the song or the band?"
Ashe held a partial arm-cross gesture, but his facial expression indicated that he didn't seem uncomfortable. "Yeah. It's a really good song from them." Then he went silent for a few seconds. "Um… yeah." Once more, he couldn't figure out what to say next.
"It's their most popular too." Cyrus added right away. There seemed to be a sense of passion from the flute player as he talked about music. His smile grew wider as he grabbed his flute. "Do you mind me playing it… ah, what's your name?"
"Not at - o-oh!" Ashe flushed a little after being caught off-guard again. He took a quick deep breath to regain his composure. "Um, my name is Ashe. A-S-H-E is how you spell it, if you're, um, curious." A small smile formed on his face. "But I don't mind you playing it." Then he answered his original question.
"It's great to meet you, Ashe." Ashe's eyes gleamed a little when Cyrus said his name. "My name's Cyrus." The two shook hands before the flute player stood up. "Well, since you're interested, I'll try my best to put on an entertaining performance!" With a small grin, he placed his flute near his mouth before playing the song from the very beginning.
As the tune of 'Take On Me' spread throughout the area, Ashe sat on another white lounge chair and listened on. Though Cyrus wouldn't be able to hear him, the spectator only said one thing in response as he kept smiling in comfort. "Thank you."
Charlize Faulkerson sat in a small bar room by herself. It had a dining area with around nine chairs and three tables, sorted by three chairs per table. Despite this arrangement, there seemed to be a lack of a kitchen or staff. So thus, no one could really stop her if she wanted an alcoholic drink or two. But she didn't appear to be the type of person to do so.
Standing at five feet and nine inches, Charlize had a somewhat skinny figure with a slight hourglass figure to her. With cream skin, it complimented her dark-colored lashes, eyeshadows, and lipstick - her makeup in general. Her orange-brown hair appeared to be frizzy and at shoulder length. For attire, a long-sleeved white blouse with the elbows folded and buttoned, a black pencil skirt, and black Mary Janes.
But her alone time would suddenly be interrupted by the presence of a man barging into the room. She turned her annoyed gaze toward the source before turning her head back around. Charlize had no intentions to waste her time on this person.
"Damn." Chase Walker snapped his fingers in disappointment. "No hot chick in sight." He sighed before stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "I swore I saw some bitches when I got on this boat. If only one could be right in front of my eyes…"
He trailed off once his eyes landed upon Charlize. Indeed he had found an attractive woman right in front of him. A smirk crept onto his face. "Just my luck." Without hesitation, he approached the businesswoman and sat on a bar stool next to her. "Sup babe. What's a cute chick like yourself sitting here all alone for?" No class in his greeting, whatsoever.
Standing at five feet exact, Chase weighed around 121 pounds and had a scrawnier build. He had pale skin and short blond hair. An old scar could be spotted on his left cheek, almost reaching the middle of his nose. For attire, a brown hoodie with a bunch of pockets and a dark brown t-shirt underneath, blue farmer jeans, and black sneakers.
Right away Charlize knew what Chase's intentions were, and she guarded herself by glaring at him. "First of all, do not ever refer to me as a 'babe' or a 'chick'." The sternness in her voice caused him to scoot back a little. "But I'm sitting by myself because I don't want to waste my time with annoying people such as yourself. Now leave unless you have something important you want to tell me."
Although Chase appeared to be a little more cautious when it came to interacting with Charlize, his smirk never let up. "There's no need to be so uptight and serious. I just wanna talk to you, have a nice chat and see where it goes." His smirk morphed into a sly, flirtatious grin. He eyed her entire physique from the top to the bottom.
Charlize felt annoyed and uncomfortable by this man sitting next to her. Attempting to shoo or force him away wouldn't end well for her though. She couldn't ignore him for the rest of the trip lest he acted persistent. So she settled for the next best plan and took a deep yet quiet breath to herself. "...Fine. Get straight to the point."
Perking an intrigued brow, Chase placed an elbow on the counter. "Straight to the point, huh?" He had her right where he wanted in the conversation. "Well since I'd fuck with you, there's something hard down there that's pointing straight." The sleaze winked before gesturing down at his groin area.
Without even looking, Charlize grimaced and fought back a small urge to throw up. "You're being disgusting, do you understand that? It's bad enough that you have an obnoxious demeanor." She held the same serious expression, if not harsher. "I'd highly suggest ending the conversation right now."
A scoff escaped from Chase. "Way to be a boner killer." That remark earned him more ire from Charlize, causing him to stand up and back off a little. "All right so maybe you don't wanna have any sexual fun." He rolled his eyes. "At least let me have your name. I'll leave you alone after that." The pervert stuffed his hands into his hoodie pockets.
The potential promise of Chase leaving her alone got Charlize to ease up a little. Though she still kept her guard up, should he lie to her face. "...It's Charlize." She dropped her name and said nothing more. Short and simple, as one would say.
"Chase." Chase did the same thing before making his way toward the same door he opened earlier. He turned his head around, perhaps for the last time for this interaction. "Hope to see you around." With one last wink, he ventured out of the bar room and to a new location. At last Charlize had been provided the peace she had been seeking.
She took a deep breath, more audible than the previous one. "I came very close to throwing a punch at him." Charlize shook her head as she muttered that to herself. "But that would garner a bad reputation for me, and I can't afford for that to happen in this competition."
As for Chase, he found himself wandering outside, searching for another woman to flirt and hopefully score with. "Damn. Another hot woman that's serious." A somewhat bitter sigh escaped from him. "There's gotta be a sexy bimbo in this group." He mused before pulling something out of one of his hoodie pockets - a bottle of perfume, strawberry-flavored. Whether that came from Charlize or not, only he knew. "At least I got this. Now to sell it or keep it for myself…" It would be a win-win for him.
Embarc Abarco had been peeking through a different door that was connected to the bar room. She withdrew her head after Chase left. A tsk tsk came out of her mouth as she shook her head. "I knew those two would be a bad ship! The way she glared at him, it's so obvious!" The girl scribbled down some notes into her notebook with a wooden pencil. However long she had been observing the interaction between Charlize and Chase, she wouldn't have the full story. As of now, she was in a hallway.
Standing at a height of five feet and seven inches, Embarc appeared to be skinny with a flat chest and butt. She had white skin, black round eyes, black eyebrows, a small nose, and freckles on her cheeks. Her short curly orange hair stood out the most, in regards to her appearance. For attire, an oversized dark blue sweater with green stripes, brown short shorts, and black sandals. Beside her left thigh, a pair of binoculars.
Speaking of which, she picked up the item and began searching for another duo. Soon her eyes stopped upon Ashe and Cyrus, who were still enjoying each other's company. She let out a small yet excited gasp. "But those two guys over there? They're totally made for each other!" Embarc grinned to herself as she returned to her notebook for more note scribbling.
"You can tell if two people are compatible together just by looking at them?" A different feminine voice chimed in, as Embarc turned her head to see Elizabeth Molly Catrelle approach her from around the corner of the hallway. Rather than being spooked or weirded out by the sudden appearance, she shot her a quick thumbs up before turning her head back around. "That is interesting, but are you sure this is the right approach?" Elizabeth looked a little concerned. "I just don't want you to get caught and get branded as a stalker."
Elizabeth stood at a height of five feet and eleven inches, sporting a heroic-like build that made her appear to be in shape. Her arms and legs were longer than most people's. She had pretty blue eyes, white skin, and wore a decent amount of makeup - not too caked - on her rounded face. A single scar could be spotted on her chin. As for her hair? Long, blonde, and kept down. For attire, a red t-shirt, blue short shorts, red shoes, and a pink necklace around her neck. Said necklace had a medallion of Silvervale attached to it.
"Psh! Don't worry!" Embarc turned her head again to assure Elizabeth. "Once I help them get together, they'll be thanking me instead of tattling on me!" She gestured for the soft-voiced woman to come join her, as she pointed at the male duo, whilst looking with her binoculars. "Just look at the signs! They're both smiling at each other, and one of them is playing music for the other!" The matchmaker's grin grew wider. "That's love right there!"
Sensing the enthusiasm, Elizabeth couldn't help but smile. Even if they had just met, and even if the method was a tad strange, she saw nothing but the best in Embarc. "Well, as long as your intentions are good, I trust you on playing matchmaker." She clasped her hands together. "I should also introduce myself. My name is Elizabeth, but feel free to call me Liz if you want." A hand of hers extended out for a handshake.
Embarc shook her hand with the same level of enthusiasm. "I'm Embarc! Expert in the field of romance! If you need help finding a love interest, then I got you covered!" She pointed at herself in a proud manner. "In fact, I helped another Elizabeth get with someone last year, so you'll be in good hands!" The matchmaker shot an assuring thumbs up before tapping her chin. "Hm. Wonder what she and Spikke are up to these days?"
Elizabeth let out a soft chuckle and nodded her head. "I'll keep that in mind. Your passion in romance is admirable." Her smile grew wider, the longer she talked to Embarc. "I wonder if you're a passionate kisser and lover in bed. I'd admire that." She added, sounding like she wasn't aware of the dirtiness behind those words.
Smirking a little at the straightforward innuendo, Embarc couldn't help but return a chuckle of her own. "Oh? Wouldn't you like to know, cutie pie." She decided to flirt with Elizabeth; she carried a teasing tone and added a wink at the end for good measure.
A blush crept up to Elizabeth's face as she suddenly felt her cheeks turning red. "O-Oh! U-Um, I'm sorry!" She realized what she had just said and turned her eyes away from Embarc out of embarrassment. "I-I didn't mean for that to come out of nowhere! Honest!" The occasional stuttering from her caused the matchmaker to giggle a little.
"Hey don't worry! It happens to the best of us!" Embarc provided reassurance, sticking out her tongue in a playful manner to add on a little more to the teasing. She stood up and pocketed the binoculars in her shorts; she held her notebook and pencil close to her chest. A smile. "Anyway I'm off to help those two get together! Hope to see you around, Liz!" With one goodbye wave, she soon departed from the hallway to seek out the male duo.
Elizabeth remained in the hallway, returning a wave and smile of her own. Once Embarc was out of her sight, she couldn't help but remark to herself. "She's very cute…" Another blush appeared on her cheeks; this time, the color was rose pink instead of red.
Jett Ozark rested his head against a lounge chair, outside in the middle section of the ferry. He held a journal in the palm of one hand, jotting down everything his five senses could sense with a black pen in his other hand. From the fresh air of Muskoka, to the distant commotion from the other contestants, it had been a while since he felt at peace.
Standing at an exact height of six feet, he had white skin, though part of it was tanned. He had the physique of a swimmer; he had a lean but toned frame. Although his gray beanie concealed most of his dirty blonde hair, it appeared to be at medium length, and in a messy and curly style. His gray eyes were stormy, rather unreadable, but his facial features were softer. For attire, the aforementioned gray beanie that allowed the tufts of his hair to stick out, a jean jacket over a plain white t-shirt, ripped skinny jeans, and a pair of worn out white sneakers. Next to him on the wooden floor, a gray duffel bag.
Once he finished writing, Jett decided to take a look over his own handiwork. "Come the summer of 2016." He began to read each line, word by word. "I'm sitting here on a lounge chair. The seagulls chirp louder than my ears can process. And the ocean waves continue to crash over and over again in an endless loop. Boring, but this is my life now."
A seagull landed near him, chirping away while attempting to look for its next meal, whether it be some fish or leftover crumbs in a littered chip bag. His attention went toward the white bird. Jett closed his journal, using his pen as a bookmark before taking a deep breath. "This is my life now." He repeated at a muttering volume level.
He heard someone passing by, causing his eyes to move up. Despite the distraction, he managed to stuff away his journal and pen into his duffel bag very quickly. Jett's eyes scanned him up and down, attempting to get a read on him.
The man at hand was Jacque Cortez Metoyer, who had an instinctive feeling someone was looking at him from behind. Within a blink of an eye, he turned his head to meet Jett, who instantly moved his gaze away and toward the ocean. But even a split-second was enough for him. "He has the shifty eyes." He remarked quietly before speaking at a normal volume level. "Can I help you with something?"
Standing at a height of five feet and ten inches, he appeared to be relatively lean and athletic, sporting some muscularity, but not anything too defined. Jacque had a thin black mustache and some peach fuzz for facial hair. His ears were pierced with diamond stud earrings, his right forearm had a '504' tattoo in black ink, and a small scar rested on his right cheek. He had chestnut brown skin and short black hair that seemed to be well-kept with a nice taper fade on the sides and in the back; he also had waves at the top. For attire, a red basketball jersey with a number '1' in white lettering on the front and back, tight-fitting ripped jeans with holes around the knees and thighs, and red Air Force One's.
Knowing very well that he had been caught, Jett tried to play it off. "Hm? Nah man. I'm just checking out the ocean." He gestured to the ocean, having shifted his eyes to face Jacque. To further cover himself, he stood up and approached the guardrail, carrying his duffel bag with him. A beat passed as he stared down at the water. "Muskoka has some of the clearest water I've ever seen." His eyes met Jacque again. "You can almost see the various water species down there." The atmosphere started to grow a little tense.
"You really think you can slither your way out." Jacque muttered under his breath. On the exterior, he simply nodded his head and added to the conversation. "We'll be seeing this often once we get to the island." His southern accent could be noted as he spoke. If one looked up close, they could see one silver front tooth. "Sounds like a vacation if ya ask me."
"You could call it that." Jett continued to read Jacque's body language and behavior, already not trusting him in the slightest. "But can you still call it a vacation if you know you're gonna be filmed often? Most likely deal with a rich egomaniac too?"
Jacque shrugged. "It ain't a problem for me. Whatever we're dealing with, it should be a cool experience, all in all." He crossed his arms and placed them both onto the guardrail. His eyes continued to observe Jett in a meticulous manner. "Too bad I gotta deal with mothafuckas like you." Another remark under his breath. Absolutely zero trust.
With a nod of his head, Jett couldn't disagree with what Jacque said. "I can't argue with that. It's not everyday you get handpicked to be on a reality show." He stuffed both of his hands into the pockets of his jeans, returning to his ocean viewing activity. There was no lie when he said the sea water was very transparent, being able to spot some colored fishes.
A moment of silence passed. Though the conversation had ended in an abrupt manner, the two continued to stand there. From Jacque's perspective, he saw Jett as a suspicious threat. Someone who could ruin his plans. But yet, at the same time, he realized he was going to live with him for who knows how long. "Name's Jacque by the way." He broke the silence.
Jett looked back up. From his perspective, he had zero good reason to trust Jacque. Everything about him seemed off. But yet, at the same time, he didn't want to make an enemy right from the start. "Jett." He provided his name before backing away a little bit from the guardrail. "Well, see you in the competition. I'm going to see if this boat has some food." With one last look at one of his competitors, he began to depart from the area.
"Let me know if there's a drink or two." Jacque spoke up, now leaning his back against the guardrail. "I could go for some Bud Light."
In that moment, Jett's body tensed up a little, though he still kept moving. Once he was out of Jacque's sight, he stopped to take a deep breath. He shook his head and began his search for a kitchen or dining area.
As for Jacque, he shook his head at what had transpired. "Yup. He's another shady fucka. But when it comes to playing the game, I'm better than him." A shit-eating smirk formed on his face, giving off an air of superiority. "And I damn sure know it."
Leon Salvatore stood near the center point of the ferry. Aside from the several lounge chairs near the guardrail on both sides and a miniature pool in the middle, there seemed to be plenty of open space. None of that information affected the amount of breeze he was receiving anyway. He bared his prominent sharp canine as he grinned.
Standing at an exact height of seven feet, Leon was perhaps the tallest in the cast, having beige skin, a chiseled diamond-shaped face that made him look handsome, albeit a little rough, arched eyebrows, and almond-shaped azure blue eyes. He had an athletic and very buff physique. His blond hair reached shoulder-length and around his upper back, styled in an unkempt swept-back manner with sideburns. Similar to the mane of a lion.
For attire, a black winter British style double-collared unzipped jacket coat with a white short-sleeved fitted shirt underneath; the shirt had a red sun mark on the front left, located below his lower abdomen. Alongside that, black jeans that had two left-sided zippers in the middle of his leg, a white flaming lion mark on the lower part of his leg, and held up by a chain belt that contained four chains in total, and black-and-red martial art shoes. When it came to accessories, he wore black fingerless tactical gloves, a silver lion ring on his right finger, and a silver cross necklace around his neck.
A content laugh escaped from Leon, maintaining his grin. "This breeze feels great! It's making me excited for this special summer training!" He rushed over to the guardrail, taking in the glorious view of the ocean. "All of the opponents and obstacles I'll face will make me stronger in every way! Physical! Mental! Emotional!" His fist connected against his palm three times, once for each of the last three words. "I can't wait!"
"I'm glad I'm not the only one excited!" A feminine voice caught Leon's attention, as he turned around to catch Kylie May Wu behind him, doing the splits near the pool. She waved at him with a smile. "Hey! I'm Kylie! Don't mind me, I'm just getting my daily stretches and workout in!" As she spoke, her tongue piercing could be seen.
Standing at a height of five feet and six inches, Kylie had lean muscles, an hourglass figure, and a rather large chest. She had tan skin, a heart-shaped face, high cheekbones, and wore some makeup; she wore winged eyeliner and red lipstick. A nose stud piercing could also be spotted. Her chestnut brown hair appeared to be long and wavy that reached her lower back in a let-down style. For attire, a white-and-red two-piece cheerleading uniform with a leather mini jacket over it, and red converse shoes.
Sensing her friendliness, Leon's smile returned to its normal size. "Ah! It's nice to meet you, Miss Kylie! I am Leon Salvatore! At your service!"
Kylie formed a sly smirk as she eyed the very buff man in front of her. "I bet you can provide great fanservice." Her voice had a flirtatious tone to it, as she continued to do her stretches. She added a wink at the end for good measure.
"Great fanservice?" Leon scratched his head in confusion. It seemed that he didn't understand the definition of fanservice; that resulted in the flirtatious tone flying over his head. He sighed and shook his head with a frown. "Sadly I'm afraid I didn't bring a fan with me." Though his frown changed back to his signature grin right away. "But if I did, I would put all of my effort into fanning, cooling, and this fanservice! After all, helping others is what a Hero of Justice should do! Justice for all! Yeah!"
"A Hero of Justice?" Kylie found herself intrigued by this title, enough to distract her from having to explain what fanservice meant. "Is that related to your special summer training?"
"That's right!" Leon nodded. "It's part of my long regime! That's why I entered this competition! A mysterious island will challenge my limits so I can improve myself!" He placed each hand on his own hip. High enthusiasm radiated from him.
Kylie smiled, affected by Leon's energy and optimism. "That's pretty cool. For me, I'm in it for the money and the thrills." She added, before standing up to remove her leather jacket and letting out a phew. It was tossed onto a lounge chair. Sweat ran down her forehead and arms as a result of doing stretches while wearing leather; the warm weather didn't help either. A snake tattoo could be seen on her right arm. "Nothing's more adventurous than an island you've never been to. It should be a fun experience."
A content chuckle came out of Leon's mouth. "I can't wait!" He exclaimed, though the volume of his voice was loud enough to catch Kylie off-guard a little by surprise. Not that he intended to shout. "So, what are you planning to do after you finish your workout?"
Without a single word about his loud voice, Kylie answered with a few finger taps against her chin. "Hmm… I wanna do something fun." She shrugged. "But I'll figure something out once I get there." Soon she picked up her leather jacket, after finishing some arm and shoulder stretches. "In any case, I'd like to get my workout done on my own." A genuine smile formed on her face. "It was nice talking to you, Leon!"
Nodding in understanding, Leon made sure it was clear to Kylie that their interaction wasn't a waste of time. "I hope to talk to you again soon, my friend!" With a salute to his new friend, he soon departed to another area of the ferry, grinning as usual.
As Kylie waved him goodbye, her lone self took a quick moment to comprehend the environment around her. In particular, she gazed at the miniature pool. What seemed to be different from any regular pool, aside from the size, was the depth. From left to right, it was all three feet deep; her feet could touch the bottom if she went in.
"I do have the rest of the day to workout… let's do it." She smirked to herself, making a decision to do something fun that involved the miniature pool. Throwing on her leather jacket, she grabbed the closest lounge chair to her and distanced herself from the pool. With the adrenaline and momentum, she ran and soon leaped toward the water, intending to land on the chair - as a surfboard of sorts.
Kylie shifted her body in midair so that her back faced the chair instead of her front. As she landed, part of her got splashed from the impact. She ultimately landed in a stylish manner, in sitting position, the chair balancing and floating with the water. A grin formed on her face after the successful attempt. "Aw sweet! That was cool!" The cheerleader celebrated before resting her head against the woven mesh fabric.
Olena Belanger sat in an indescribable room by herself, comprised of a few windows, a round wooden table in the center, and a few plastic chairs to accompany it. Nothing more. If she looked to her left, she would've seen Leon passing by behind a window. She had an inexpressive look on her face; though a glimmer of a frown could be noted too.
Standing at a height of five feet and five inches, Olena appeared to be fit at first glance. She had ivory white skin, a sharp face with a light dabble of makeup, thin cheeks, a small mouth, pale lips, and purple evil-looking eyes. Her black hair was in a bob cut at shoulder length, having waves. For attire, a white shirt, a black skirt, black leggings, and black shoes.
Maintaining the cold expression, Olena took a faint deep breath to herself. "Remember the objective. Do not settle for anything less than your best." The tone in her voice matched the manner she carried. She stared down at the table, in deep thought.
"Mm-mmm! This milk chocolate bar is so good!" A feminine voice who sounded like she had her mouth stuffed with food could be heard from near. After a beat, she spoke in a normal manner. "So tasty for my tummy! Mmm! De-licious!" Olena looked around to find the source of the voice, which sounded stuffed again. "I could eat a gazillion of these!"
Marshmallow Fulloff stood at a height of four feet and nine inches, perhaps the shortest contestant in the cast. Having a cutesy appearance to her, she looked to be thin and petite with an A-cup bust size, almond skin, yellow eyes that were almost catlike in shape, a cute button nose, dark brown eyebrows, and curved lips that resembled a sweet little smile. Her hair seemed to be a bit of a shaggy mess, dropping down right above her shoulders; the bulk of her hair was white, whilst the tips were brown to resemble a toasted look.
For attire, an unbuttoned dark brown jacket with a white shirt that had a purple trim underneath; the center of the shirt had a graphic of an actual marshmallow, black jeggings that were rolled up to below her knees, very long white socks, and purple-and-white running shoes. She also wore a cat ear headband, giving her brown fluffy ears.
Once Olena's eyes landed upon Marshmallow, her frown became more apparent, one of annoyance. "Do you mind? You're being too loud." She chastised.
Having her attention caught, Marshmallow turned to face Olena, assuming the ice queen's remark was directed toward her. "Hm? Oh! I'm sorry! This is just so good!" She held out a milk chocolate bar. It appeared to be half-eaten. "All of the sugar in this yummy SheHer bar is making me super duper excited for this show!"
Olena did a double take on the SheHer part, via blinking. "It's Hershey." She corrected, still frowning and definitely unamused. "Being excited to compete doesn't excuse the high volume in your voice. You can control your emotions and not come off as obnoxious."
At the retained rudeness, Marshmallow pouted in response, now upset herself. "How rude! It says SheHer right here!" To prove her own point, she held the chocolate bar closer to Olena, pointing at the name. Indeed it said 'She/Her'. "S-H-E-slash-H-E-R!" She spelled it out. "And I don't like how you're being mean to me!"
Olena seemed to be unfazed by the emotional response. "You're only proving my point. You even apologized after I said you were too loud." She pointed out, using Marshmallow's words from earlier against her. "Telling the truth doesn't equate to being mean."
"Hmph!" Marshmallow proceeded to pull out, from a pocket of her jacket, a piece of candy that looked like a Snicker's bar. "Maybe you should eat a Snacker's bar!" She slammed the chocolate bar, though not too hard, onto the table. "You're not you when you're angry!" Olena gazed at the piece of candy in front of her. "I even gave you the caramel flavor because I know you can be nice!"
Perhaps Olena had been staring at the Snacker's bar a little longer than intended. She hadn't expected Marshmallow to give her a piece of candy, not after the way she berated her. It confuzzled her. At last though, she moved her eyes upward. "...Are you a connoisseur of sweets?" That was all she asked, same tone and facial expression.
Marshmallow nodded. "Mm-hm! I love all different kinds of sweets and desserts!" She had an adorable grin on her face, as she began listing out examples. "Kindred chocolate eggs, sweet lemon pie, s'mores with two marshmallows… so so so yummy!" If one looked closely, they could see a bit of drool coming out of her mouth. "In fact, my name's Marshmallow! Marshmallow Fulloff! Just like Marshmallow Fluff!" Her grin grew wider.
"Marshmallow… my name is Olena." A simple nod from Olena. Nothing more. She didn't hold out her hand for an official handshake.
"You have pretty eyes, Olena!" Marshmallow complimented her, still as cheerful. It did catch Olena off-guard, though no visible reaction could be noted. "Ooh! I could make some chocolate eyeballs for Halloween season!" She blurted out, as if a figurative light bulb went off in her head. "But I have to go to the bathroom, so we can talk later!" With one departing wave, she immediately rushed out of the room to search for a bathroom.
Now left alone, Olena made a mental note of Marshmallow's demeanor. Cheerful, especially when it came to the topic of sweets. Upset and somewhat poutful whenever she was mean to her; she still believed it was only herself telling the truth. As all of this ran through her mind, the ice queen decided, out of sheer curiosity, to open the Snacker's bar.
After removing half of the wrapper, she took one bite of the candy. Indeed it had a caramel flavor to it, blending well with the milk chocolate texture. Olena couldn't help but savor the taste. "...Not bad." She kept it short and simple, but she was honest.
Heading to the near back section of the ferry, Melissa Mark could be spotted leaning back against the golden guardrail. The area appeared to be simple, an aisle of the sort for people to pass by and get from one place to another. None of that information really mattered to her though, as she used a lighter to light up the cigarette in her mouth.
Standing at a height of five feet and eight inches, Melissa had a punk-like appearance, having very pale skin and an hourglass figure. She had black eye shadow for makeup, alongside piercings on her ears, nose, and mouth. Her silver-white hair seemed to be short, most of it covering her left eye. For attire, a red tuckered shirt, black skinny jeans, and black heeled boots at knee-length.
Upon taking a puff and exhaling a cloud of smoke, Melissa began muttering to herself. She didn't seem to be happy in the slightest. "Fucking asshole tried to steal my cigarette." Another puff and huff of the cigarette. "It's always the security guards. I swear every single one of them has a stick up their ass." Her tone matched her facial expression.
Melissa closed her eyes to savor the nicotine and light comfortable breeze. The cigarette kept burning as she held the tip with her lips. She could hear the waves of the ocean splashing against the ship. It almost felt peaceful to her. Almost because she had an urge to go do something fun and not stand around. Standing around all day would've been boring.
But as she opened her eyes, she immediately found herself face-to-face with another woman, who went by the name of Paige White. It caught her off-guard, but she didn't show it; she only raised an annoyed eyebrow at this grinning person. "What are you looking at?" She dared to ask, hoping she wouldn't regret it.
Standing at a height of five feet and nine inches, Paige sported an average figure, more so on the scrawnier side. She had pale skin, a round-shaped face - defining her cheeks more than usual - that complimented her big blue eyes, and a few freckles located just centimeters next to her nose from both sides. Her blonde hair appeared to be at shoulder length, held by a blue ribbon in a ponytail. For attire, a mint green sweater, blue jeans, and mint green tennis shoes. A dodo according to some Asian.
"Someone had a stick up their butt?" With an intrigued gleam in her eyes, Paige's excitement matched her grin. A loud and overdramatic gasp escaped from her. "They must've done something really dangerous! But something really cool too! Really really cool!" The more she spoke, the more annoyed Melissa got.
Resisting the urge to snark at her, Melissa blew out another cloud of smoke, almost pelting Paige in the process. "No no, no one actually had a stick up their ass." She clarified, also annoyed at the lack of personal space between them. "Can you give me some personal space? Your breath smells like shit." An insult at the end for some flavor.
"Hey! I made sure to take a whole tin of Altoids this morning!" Paige's grin changed to a feisty pout, as she pointed right at Melissa's face. "You're a rude dodo doodoo head! You sound like a dodo! And you have a poop-shaped head!" She had no intentions of letting up with the childish insults anytime soon. "Maybe you -"
"Shut up!" Melissa shouted right away, ending the annoying spree before it could damage her brain. "Goddamn you're annoying." She grumbled under her breath, though given the distance between her and Paige, the latter heard it. As she took a few steps back, she pinched her nose in frustration. "Look, I can smell rotten fish - why am I even arguing with you about this." Upon realizing the argument would be pointless, she stopped halfway.
Paige crossed her arms, not ready to back down in the slightest. "You're the one who brought up my breath! I can say the same thing about your breath!" She retorted. "It freaking smells like Merle's owl!"
Melissa had to do a double take on the insult, via blinking. "Who the hell - don't answer that." Yet again, she stopped herself from getting into another senseless argument for the sake of her brain cells. This Paige girl seemed to be weird though, she could say that. She sighed out of rising anger, just about done with this conversation. "Just go away and bug someone else." The troublemaker even did a shooing hand gesture.
As for Paige, she couldn't fathom why Melissa was being super rude to her, even though she only wanted to initiate a conversation. Up until now, she hadn't insulted the punk. But alas; she wouldn't let her get the last laugh though. "Hmph! Fine then you soggy banana bread!" Her pout never ceased, perhaps more obvious and larger than before.
Hearing yet another lame childish insult, Melissa this time fought back an urge to burst out laughing. "Pfft what kind of -" As she tried to stuff a snicker, she had no time to react to the Altoid breath mints that flew into her mouth. In the process, she accidentally bit down on some of them and felt her taste buds being violated. A few of them tried to head down throat, resulting in her choking and coughing as well. "Argh! Hey! What the fuck!" After spitting out every breath mint, she moved her eyes upward to glare at Paige, who didn't seem to be standing in front of her anymore.
"Ha! There's more of where that came from!" Melissa shifted her body to find Paige, but was unable to do so, despite hearing her voice very well. She knew the blonde was close by, but no matter which direction she looked - "Enjoy the fish-flavored breath mints!" Then she heard footsteps on the floor, leading to an attempted search around the deck in particular.
She gritted her teeth in anger. "You asshole! You'll -" Before Melissa could finish or even get a few steps in, she heard a splash from below. Running over to the guardrail, she leaned over it to see a large ripple of water. "Did she fucking jump off?!" With several seconds passing by, no verbal or physical sound could be sensed. It took a bit of time, but she soon connected the pieces together… Paige had indeed leaped off the boat. "Bitch." Despite no longer having to deal with an annoyance, the troublemaker was far from happy, storming off to another area; her breath now smelled like shit after all.
Down below in the ocean, Paige soon resurfaced with drenched hair and a large grin. She didn't seem to have an issue staying afloat. "Woo!" A double fist pump. "This feels awesome! Now I can say I jumped off a boat!" The blonde watched her ride move further away. "Maybe I'll cross off another thing from my bucket list by swimming to the island! That'll be fun!" With that, she dove back underwater.
The distance from her current placement to the island wasn't small in the slightest, but that wouldn't stop Paige from swimming all the way there, in her clothes, no less.
Selene Milk sat in an identical small bar room that Charlize and Chase were at. Same aesthetic of the bar, same positioning of the chairs and tables, and same quiet atmosphere. She sat at a table by herself, taking in the environment around her. It seemed to be a comfortable setting for her. Not a single other person could be spotted in this room either.
Standing at a height of five feet and eight inches, Selene had a petite build that made her seem relatively thin. She had very pale beige skin, blue almond-shaped eyes, a tiny nose, and a high forehead. Her ginger hair appeared to be tied up in a very elegant bun. For attire, a light purple long-sleeved blouse with a white vest over it, a dark purple skirt with a white geometric design near the bottom, tied around the waist with a ribbon, purple stockings, and white slippers. Around her neck was a necklace of a caged bluebird.
"So this is what it feels like to be on a boat." Selene remarked, implying that this was her first time ever on a ferry. "It feels… p-peaceful." She smiled a little, indeed enjoying the quiet atmosphere and relaxing ride. Even if she stuttered at the end, it didn't necessarily indicate a feeling of discomfort.
But her alone time wouldn't last much longer, as the sound of a door opening - no slamming like what Chase did - caught her attention. Standing on the near-opposite side of where Selene was sitting, Sheldon Nietro examined the room whilst holding a closed glass bottle of milk in one hand. As for the ginger, she merely watched him to see what his plan was.
Standing at a height of five feet and seven inches, Sheldon appeared to be built like a pencil, having almost zero muscles in his body. He weighed around 120 pounds, had pale skin, and a very round face that fitted his black bowl cut really well. For attire, a red sweater-vest with a white dress shirt underneath, khaki pants, brown dress shoes, and a pair of glasses. The embodiment of a nerd.
Sheldon pushed up his glasses. "How intriguing. The arrangement of these tables and chairs should imply that there is a kitchen around here." He noted to himself, though he still spoke loud enough for Selene to hear. "Yet I seem to be unable to detect one." The nerd considered, acting as an investigator of the sort. Indeed, as with the other small bar room, there didn't seem to be a kitchen or staff.
Selene had a good vibe about him. She continued to watch and listen, hoping he wouldn't suddenly go rogue and try to cause harm. "That must be one of the p-participants… o-one of the eighteen I think…?" Sheldon seemed to fit the bill of a contestant. "He seems to be a n-nice and articulate person…" A praise at the end.
"I'm glad another specimen recognizes my high intelligence quotient." Sheldon pretty much heard Selene, causing her to let out an 'eep' in response. She soon found herself face-to-face with the nerd. "The decibel of your voice was on the higher end of the spectrum. Enough for me to overhear at least." He provided an explanation in his own style.
Feeling meek and flustered, Selene tapped her index fingers together. "O-Oh! I'm sorry…" She apologized with a reddened blush on her face. "I-I hope I didn't cause you any trouble…" Though she hoped Sheldon would sit down and have a calm chat with her.
Luckily for her, Sheldon did indeed take a seat across from her. "Nonsense. Solving a dilemma that requires mental intelligence is elementary for me." He referred to the lack of kitchen case; he placed the glass bottle of milk on the table. "Sheldon Nietro. Academic genius and a gifted 5.0 grade point average high school senior. An upcoming freshmen at Harvard University this forthcoming autumn." No extended hand for a handshake, but at least he introduced himself, in a formal manner no less.
Still feeling nervous and somewhat flustered, Selene managed to form a small yet genuine smile. As she had hoped and expected, Sheldon seemed to be nice. "I-It is nice to meet you, S-Sheldon…" A beat passed before she continued. "Um… my name is S-Selene…" She introduced herself before going quiet again. "I-I believe you have a bright future with that k-knowledge…" The ginger complimented him.
A small smirk formed on his face. "A very predictable forecast." Sheldon didn't seem surprised in the slightest upon having his intelligence complimented. After that, he put his focus toward the glass bottle of milk. He opened the lid and took a small sip from it. Of course, it tasted like regular milk. "Mm-mmm. Milk from a glass bottle is as scrumptious as milk from a plastic container."
Selene merely watched on, almost as if she was observing his behavior. But in reality, she was only curious about the glass bottle of milk. "I see… i-is it as healthy?" She asked.
Sheldon nodded. "Affirmative." He took another small sip of the milk. "This will provide around the same amount of vitamins and minerals." Another sip after that, only in a larger amount than the previous two times. A refreshing sigh escaped from his mouth. "I can taste the calcium in this beverage."
It became Selene's turn to nod. She looked to be relieved from his answer of the milk being healthy to drink. The last thing she needed was someone getting sick, especially before the competition even started. "T-That's good to hear… m-milk is healthy for the b-bones and immune system…" After that, she went quiet again.
Though at least she didn't seem that nervous or embarrassed now, compared to the start of their conversation. Maybe if the game got very hectic, she'd at least have a companion to talk to. Just so she wouldn't be all alone. So thus, she continued to watch Sheldon drink his milk in peace, who now swirled his tongue around in the liquid.
Near the very back of the ferry, a lounge room could be located. Connected to other rooms that contained no one, it seemed to be top quality albeit small in size. Two doors on one side, three sofas in the center, and paintings plastered almost everywhere on the white walls. The floor was covered in carpet, and one of the miniature tables held a blue lava lamp. At this rate, the ferry might as well have been deemed a cruise ship of the sort.
Sitting on one of the sofas was Will Parker, who had an iPhone out - the latest model - and was holding it out as if his arm was a selfie stick. He moved himself around to capture every single aspect of the room. From a glimpse, one could presume he was doing a vlog or live video recording. Every now and then, he engaged with the phone by speaking to it.
Standing at a height of five feet and nine inches, Will appeared to be relatively lean with a few muscles in his limbs. He had pale peach skin, a roundish face with brown eyes and thin eyebrows. His brown hair seemed to be curly, reaching the nape of his neck. For attire, a light red button-up shirt with the top two buttons being unbuttoned, dark gray pants, and black sneakers. The phone had a light red case with 'peace and love' stickers all over.
Soon he sat back down and continued to look at his phone screen. If one looked close enough, they could see him doing a live video on Instagram. He had a wholesome smile on his face. "Aww I'd love to see your pet dog someday, 'Architect-underscore-Victoria'!" Will read someone's username and responded to them as he scrolled through the comments that blasted him with heart emotes. "Thank you so much for the love and support!"
"And to everyone who has left heartfelt comments - just everyone who took time out of their day to attend my live, thank you as well!" Will continued, showing appreciation for his fans. The live seemed to be coming to an end soon. "Remember to always stay positive, keep the peace going, and spread happiness! Bye!" With an inspirational message and a wave goodbye, he ended the live session and went back to his Instagram feed.
"That was fun!" Will chuckled to himself, laying back against the sofa. "I can't wait to see all of the memes and #WillWillWin posts!" After a little more scrolling and navigating on social media, he soon shut his phone off and put it away.
Though his alone relaxation wouldn't last long. Will soon heard footsteps from one of the doors, as if someone was passing by or entering the lounge. He perked his head up to see Tony Marmalade doing the latter. As their eyes met, Tony beat him to the punch. "Hey." The well-dressed man held a hand up to greet him. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything important. I'm just here to relax before we reach the island and play the game."
Standing at a height of five feet and seven inches, Tony had a plump body, but nothing more that would deem him as obese or even overweight. He had peach white skin, round green eyes, and a little pudgy, yet well-groomed face with no facial hair or blemishes. His brown hair was slicked-back. For attire, a dark red suit with matching dark red slacks, a dark yellow tie connected to the suit, long brown socks, and shiny red shoes.
Will shook his head with the intent of assuring him. "Oh no, go ahead!" He gestured for Tony to take a seat on one of the sofas. "You're all good!" With a simple nod from the well-dressed man, he sat near him, but not right next to him. Right away, the influencer extended a hand of his. "I'm Will by the way!"
Tony accepted the handshake with another simple nod. "Tony. It's a pleasure." Once the introductions were out of the way, he changed the topic. "Wonder what the accommodations will be like." He rested his head against the sofa, facing Will. "I'm hoping for something cozy and comfortable, like this sofa."
"Same here." Will agreed. "I'm very interested to see what the summer camp aesthetic looks like at Wawanakwa." He sported an enthusiastic grin. "It'll be fun to partake in outdoor activities with new friends." His smile grew wider at the idea of making new friends.
"I agree with that." A small smile formed on Tony's face. "Especially the part about making new friends. It's easy for me to befriend people, but I'd like to expand that circle to others outside of my hometown." Whenever he spoke, his voice carried an arrogant tone, more obvious at the self-confidence of being able to befriend people easily. Not that Will noticed.
"I really like that goal!" Will praised, now able to find more common ground. "I'm in the same boat as meeting new people outside of my real life friend circle. But chatting with people on the internet can be fun too!"
"By internet, you mean social media?" Tony asked, wanting clarification. He received a confirming nod from him, which he responded with a nod of his own. "I see. Well, since we're both interested in making new friends, why don't we be friends?" The stylish man offered. "You seem to be very kind, and I like to believe that I'm nice myself. How does that sound?" A smile at the end for good measure.
Will could be seen grinning from ear to ear. His first friend on the show. Such a delightment for the influencer. "That would be awesome!" Of course, he accepted the offer. Then a moment of silence occurred. It was one of those moments where one would get a dopamine rush. Nonetheless, he wanted to keep the flow going. "So, what do you like to do for fun?"
"I like to - argh!" In the midst of answering, Tony clutched his stomach area in pain. As if a bunch of miniature needles were prodding him. Will gasped and immediately rushed over to his aid, his groans filling the room. "Ugh my stomach… I shouldn't have eaten too much this morning…" He was almost on the floor, almost on all fours.
"Tony!" Will of course looked to be concerned about the hunched-over Tony. He had to keep himself calm and composed. "Hey hey, it'll be all right." The influencer tried to provide some reassurance, glancing around the room for anything that could be of helpful use. "I'll call a doctor if I -" Tony held up a hand.
"No need, no need." Tony weakly stated. He slowly began to stand back up, albeit still holding his gut in pain. "I just need to use a bathroom. There's one near this lounge." The suited man pointed at a bathroom, located down the hallway and indeed near the lounge.
Though he still appeared to be concerned, Will had a small sense of relief upon seeing the nearby restroom. "N-No problem!" He took a deep breath. "I'll be here for you if you need anything from me." The influencer smiled. All seemed to be fine at the end.
Tony returned a smile of his own. "T-Thank you, Will…" With that, he bid his new friend goodbye before heading toward the bathroom, not seeing the wave from Will. Moments later, once he got settled in a stall, he removed his hand from his stomach…
…And he smirked to himself.
"Heh. The stomachache trick worked as well as I expected." Tony shook his head at the pathetic behavior from Will, his new 'friend'. He praised his own handiwork before insulting the fella. "What a gullible buffoon." After checking the toilet for absolute cleanliness, he sat down and made a mental note to sit there for a little while. "Just play nice, get on their good side, and that million will be mine." His smirk grew wider as a chuckle came out.
Yup! It's the same cast from Island Tour, but swap out Molly with Olena. Same duos as well, but in a different setting. So I'll answer the biggest question: why did I decide to do this instead of continuing Island Tour? Because it's beneficial for me in the long-term. The island setting is much easier for me to write; if I write something easier, I'll have a much lower chance of damaging my mental health and suffering burnout. Don't get me wrong, I would love to do an island tour theme someday, and the plan isn't off the table completely, but I also want to at least finish one SYOC story first.
Since we're heading to Camp Wawanakwa and following the classic summer camp theme, I want to state that only a few challenges from canon will be used. The rest will be original and made up by me. Even then, the said few challenges from canon will be modified so it won't be the exact same. I intend to have each challenge be based on a summer camp activity or something that normally happens at camp in general.
Just to preface ahead of time, most episodes will be split into two parts. This episode in particular will be divided into three chapters. It's the introduction episode and I do want to make sure every contestant gets a chance to shine in the spotlight and stand out from one another, especially the first boot. That may raise eyebrows, especially given my slow uploading schedule. But if it's any help, the forthcoming chapters will not take this long; it'll take around a week or two, not a month or more.
So before I go, I have a couple of questions for you to answer if you're planning to review. It's optional, don't worry.
01.) Which one of the nine duos did you like reading the most?
02.) If you were a Total Drama contestant, who would you hang out with? You're allowed to pick more than one person.
For those who have a character in this story, let me know how I did in writing them. I'll see you in the next chapter!