Episode 10: Runaway Model
Note: I edited the previous chapter to add something I forgot to save before publishing the chapter initially.
Reviews:
perfectlove990: I'm pretty sure that's standard TD antagonist behavior.
dm4487: No, I can't see Izzy coming close to winning either. As for your suggestion, it might happen, but not right at this moment. Beardo still has some plot left before getting eliminated. Thanks!
DSX62415: Same reason prehistoric beavers and pterosaur-geese are still around. Boney Island.
Gucci Mane LaFlare: Just because Aiden isn't as big a threat as he thinks he is doesn't mean he's not a threat at all. As for Scarlett contacting the RCMP, I thought that was something she'd do. Thanks!
Phenomenal Ultra Instinct: Doing anything to make Scarlett angry is dangerous indeed. Even if Mike ditches the tiki doll, it's too late now. Either DJ will overcome his hydrophobia at some point before his elimination, or it will be his downfall, but we won't get to see it until later.
EndeavorT: Scarlett probably stole a phone from a staff member.
QueenAzulaThinksYourWorthless: You're probably right, but we'll just have to wait and see how it affects things going forward. Thanks!
Knight: The Moose got first, not second. And the entire team is probably angry about that.
Teams:
Gophers: B, Beardo, Beth, Brick, Dawn, Duncan, Ella, Heather, Jasmine, Leonard, Max, Sammy
Bass: Courtney, DJ, Ezekiel, Lindsay, Mike, Rodney, Sam, Scarlett, Scott, Topher, Tyler
Moose: Aiden, Cameron, Cody, Eva, Harold, Jo, LeShawna, Lightning, Noah, Owen, Shawn
Badgers: Alejandro, Bridgette, Geoff, Gwen, Justin, Katie, Sadie, Sierra, Sky, Trent, Zoey
The episode opened in the mess hall, where an arm-wrestling match was taking place between Eva and Lightning. Lightning was putting up a good fight, but Eva forced his arm back little by little until she finally managed to beat him.
"Whew. Haven't arm-wrestled anybody as strong as you in ages," Eva said, before taking a deep swig from her water bottle.
"Whatever, Angry Girl. Lightning's still the fastest person on the island," Lightning said, obviously ashamed of losing to Eva.
Duncan, who had taken bets on the match, said loudly, "That's a victory for Eva. Collect your winnings if you bet on Eva. Bad luck if you bet on Lightning."
Jo scoffed. "That's not so impressive. I could beat her in my sleep."
Eva gave her a death glare. "Want to test that? I'll try not to break your wrist."
Duncan, seeing an opportunity, shouted, "Taking bets now! Two to one on Jo! Even money on Eva!"
"I can't believe you! Seriously, gambling?" Brick demanded.
"Hey, it's just a harmless bet," Duncan said as he took a dollar bill from Ezekiel.
"No, it's a lot of bets. And did you charge a commission for betting?" Brick demanded.
"Yeah, so? I gotta make sure I turn a profit on these bets somehow. The amounts bet on Eva and on Lightning were pretty much the same," Duncan explained, as he took small amounts of money from some campers and gave small amounts of money to others.
"I can't believe you!" Brick shouted, clearly upset by Duncan's attitude.
"Brick, let it go," Sammy told him. Brick relaxed slightly, still obviously miffed by Duncan's gambling and his attitude.
Confessional: Brick
"Duncan's refusal to be a team player really frustrates me. The most important part of the game is teamwork. Otherwise, we wouldn't be in teams!"
Confessional: Duncan
"Seriously, that guy has no chill at all. I'm just trying to have some harmless fun. It's not like I'm breaking everyone's stuff, or trying to date several girls at the same time. I'm just taking bets!"
End confessional
"Attention, campers! Report to the arts & crafts tent for your challenge!" Chris's voice came over the loudspeaker.
"We'll talk about this later," Brick told Duncan, with challenge in his voice.
At the arts and crafts tent, the campers were surprised to see a large collection of fabrics and sewing equipment. "What is all this stuff?" Scott asked.
"It's your challenge for today. I know your last challenge was kinda stressful, and could be considered 'cruel,' so today we're doing something fun and relaxing," Chris explained.
"This doesn't look fun or relaxing," Eva said, examining a sewing machine.
"Yeah, well, it was this or leech paintball," Chris said. "I'd be willing to do that instead, if you want. This is more Chef's kind of challenge." The campers were all quick to affirm that no, they did not want to do that instead.
"Yeah, guys, this actually seems like a lot of fun," Lindsay squealed.
"Let us explain the challenge first," Chris said. "Chef?"
"Today's challenge is in two parts," Chef explained. "For the first part, you will choose one of your team members as the model for your team. "You will then create an outfit for your team's model, and they will model said outfit at a runway show, where Chris and I will judge. The first part will determine the winners of today's challenge, and the teams that lose this part will compete in the second challenge. Questions? No? Good."
"Also, as the winners of last challenge, the Moose do not have to participate in today's challenge," Chris declared, surprising the campers.
"But that's not fair!" Courtney protested.
"You want to talk not fair?" Jo demanded. "Even though we won the challenge last time, we were the ones that lost a team member!"
"Yeah, sorry not sorry," Chris said. "We figured we would compensate the Moose for their loss by making sure they couldn't lose today. But they can't win either, so no matter what happens, they will be subjected to Chef's cooking."
"That does seem like a fair punishment for getting out of the challenge," Noah remarked. Chef growled at him.
"C'mon, team, let's go play soccer or something," Jo remarked as she walked away.
"Sha-yeah! I call team captain!" Lightning called as he followed her, with the rest of the team behind them.
The other three teams all formed huddles to strategize. "Okay, so we must make an outfit. Out of our whole team, Justin is the only one of us who is a professional model, so there are no objections to having him model?" Alejandro asked. All of the Badgers agreed that this was a fantastic idea. "Okay, so who should take the lead on design? Does anyone here know how to sew?"
"I could do it," Zoey offered. "I sew all of my own clothes, so this should go just fine."
On the Gophers, Heather had decided to take charge. "I'm modeling. Anyone have a problem with that?" The Gophers all shook their heads, to signify that no, they had no problem with that. "Okay, now, do any of you know how to design an outfit?"
Brick began, "I—" but was cut off by Ella. "Oh, I would love to design an outfit for you!"
"Okay, so Ella's doing the design. Let's get to work!" Heather affirmed. Brick sighed.
On the Bass, Scott said, "So, we need to make an outfit that's pretty. Lindsay, do you know how to sew?"
Lindsay smiled brightly. "Yep! I haven't made a full piece yet, but I could make something!"
Scott said, "Okay, you're on that. Now we just need a model."
"Ooh! Pick me! I've taken tons of poise classes. There's no way Chris and Chef will be able to resist the Topher Experience!" Topher said excitedly.
Scott smiled. "Okay, you guys get started."
Zoey was working on the outfit for the Badgers, and Gwen was talking to her. "So, what got you interested in sewing clothes?"
Zoey answered, "Well, I'm an artist, so I took up designing and making my own clothes as a form of expressionist media. I generally have rather unusual styles, but I put a lot of effort into making them look appealing."
"But the clothes you're wearing now don't seem that unusual."
"I chose this outfit because it was practical for a competition like this."
"Yeah, that makes sense."
Justin walked up to the two, and looked at Zoey's design sketch. "Hmm. A bit costume-ish, but I would wear it."
"Good, because you're going to wear it," Gwen said.
Lindsay slammed her hand down on the table. "Nothing! No ideas! I don't even know what's in right now!"
Sam, who was nearby, said "I know what to do!" In the background, Scarlett idly picked up a fedora. She then approached Mike. She tapped him on the shoulder, and he jumped.
"If you want, I may be able to help you control your Dissociative Identity Disorder," she offered.
"Oh, um, thanks, sure, that would be very nice of you," he said nervously. "Vito and Manitoba aren't hard to control, but Chester and Svetlana just come and go when they feel like it. I could use the help."
Confessional: Mike
"So, somehow a statue from Boney Island found its way into my pocket, and ever since I found it there, I've been jumpy. Possibly being cursed gives you reason to be paranoid."
End confessional
Sam rushed over to where several interns were setting up the second challenge. He scanned the crowd of interns until he found one in particular. "Dakota!"
"Oh, hey, Sam!" Dakota greeted him as she rolled a barrel towards the bottom of the cliff.
"Want some help?" Sam asked.
"Thanks," Dakota said as she let Sam take the barrel.
"Okay, so, Dakota, you know our fashion challenge? So, heheh, we don't really know what to do, and, since you're always so well put-together, I figured you could give us some advice," Sam said.
"Wait, you want my advice?" Dakota asked, incredulous. "No one ever asks my advice!" She looked around, and whispered, "Okay, so this is a major secret. Like, three seasons ahead. Stripes."
"Stripes?"
"Yes. They're very slimming." Then she looked at Sam's striped sweater. "Well, vertical stripes are. Horizontal stripes just make you look fat. No offense."
Sam looked down at his sweater, embarrassed. "Oh. Well, thanks Dakota. You're an angel." Dakota smiled. He then ran off, and relayed the information to Lindsay.
"Stripes? Oh, I know exactly what to make now!" Lindsay exclaimed. "Rhodes, hand me that gray cloth, over by you!"
Rodney stared at her, awestruck. He complied, and said incoherently, "Love...cloth, and hearts...sewing..."
What he didn't notice was Topher, staring at him suspiciously.
Confessional: Rodney
"Lindsay needs me! It's a sign! But what will I tell Bridgette?"
Confessional: Topher
"Okay, I know lovestruck stammering when I see it. And I see it now. And I know that if Rodney is in love with Lindsay, despite saying he was in love with Bridgette, then something is wrong."
End confessional
Max was wandering around near the props. "Ella needs my help. I must find something to give the design a necessary touch of e-vil." He then picked up a video camera and a teddy bear. "Now, which of these items is more e-vil?" he mused.
Brick walked up to Ella. "Can I help?"
Ella smiled. "Certainly. What do you think of my design so far?" She held up a sketch of a princess dress.
Brick thought for a moment. "Do you think adding medals would be a nice touch?"
Ella smiled. "Oh, that sounds wonderful! Do you have any other ideas?"
Brick looked at the design. "Well, I think a higher collar would look good, along with stars on the shoulders. And making it knee-length would be more practical, with boots, maybe."
Ella started to draw a new dress. "This will look wonderful! Chris and Chef will love it!"
The runway show began. Chris announced, "Welcome to the TDI runway show! Today, three models will show off the outfits created by their teams, and one will be judged the best! First up, representing the Bass, give a big round of applause for Topher Declan!"
All of the contestants except Topher, Courtney, Heather, Sammy, Justin, and Zoey were sitting on the amphitheater benches. Sierra booed loudly, while the others cheered with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Topher walked out onto the stage, wearing a gray pinstriped suit. Courtney, who had been selected by the team to read the information on the outfit, began. "As you can see, Topher is wearing a gray pinstriped suit, made for comfortable wear while still looking presentable. The suit is suitable for business or leisure interaction with high society. Notice the slimming effects of the stripes."
Chris examined Topher. "Hmm. Yes, the stripes do have a slimming effect. And the suit is smart-looking."
Chef responded, "Yes, but gray ain't really Topher's color. A dark green or teal suit would look better on him."
"True," Chris said. "Let's see our next model, Justin LeClerc!"
Justin walked onto the stage, wearing a purple outfit with gold trim, with a waist-length cape.
Zoey began reading the information. "Observe, Justin, wearing an original piece by Zoey Pearson. Inspired by the royals of old, the purple and gold work together to give the wearer a regal look. Notice the waist-length cape in the back, suitable for keeping dust off the suit during car rides and for evoking a sense of importance."
"I like the regal theme, and purple and gold does look good on Justin," Chris conceded.
"Yeah, but it's a bit eye-catching for wear outside of parties," Chef answered.
"Also true. And finally, Heather Armstrong!" Chris announced.
Heather walked onto the stage, wearing a dress that looked like a nightmarish fusion of a Disney princess dress and a military officer's uniform.
Ella read, "The dress Heather is wearing is inspired by a combination of Cinderella and various military uniforms. It's perfect for the ball, where you might meet your prince, or for commanding your soldiers on the battlefield."
"Can't say I'm impressed," Chris said.
"I love it!" Chef said. "I want one!"
Chris then conferred with Chef, and afterwards, he announced, "We have come to a consensus! The winners of the first challenge are...the Badgers!" The Badgers cheered loudly. Chris continued, "Justin, we will need you for the second challenge. You won't be participating, it's a prop role only."
Justin smiled. "That's the kind of role I'm good at."
"Good. You and Chef head over to the bottom of the cliff now. Gophers and Bass, prepare for your second challenge!"
On the way to the cliff, Duncan walked up to Brick. "Dude, that dress was the most horrible thing I've seen in my life."
Brick's eyes teared up. "Fine. I'll stay away from fashion from now on. Happy?"
A bit further behind, Topher confronted Rodney. "Back during the first challenge, what was that with Lindsay? I thought you were into Bridgette?"
Rodney answered, "I don't know. Ever since I got here, it's been Scarlett, Courtney, Scarlett, Bridgette, Lindsay, I love them all, but then I don't anymore! I'm so confused!"
Topher asked, "What's there to be confused about? Just pick one."
"I can't!" Rodney sobbed. He hugged the wannabe host, who seemed less than pleased.
Confessional: Topher
"I still have no clue what's going through his head."
End confessional
At the cliff face, the two remaining teams saw a setup of wooden scaffolding. At the top was Chef, a large selection of barrels, and a tied-up Justin. "For your second challenge, you must compete to rescue Justin," Chris explained. "Whoever unties him wins it for their team."
"Cool! It looks just like Donkey Kong!" Sam said.
"That was the inspiration behind it, yes," Chris replied. "Oh, and watch out for the barrels."
Sam was excited by this. "Video games in real life! This is my dream come true!"
"Any ideas?" Duncan asked Jasmine.
"We go for a three-pronged attack. Brick, you take the left support pole. Duncan, you take the right. I'll take the center." The three of them then tried climbing the poles, but were quickly met by barrels dropped onto them by Chef.
"I got this!" Sam shouted, and he started running up the scaffolding. He made video game music with his voice as he did so. "You can do it, Sam!" Dakota called from the sidelines, accidentally spilling the drink she was pouring for Chris.
"Perhaps an adventurer could be of assistance," Scarlett said, as she placed the fedora she had found on Mike's head. Mike's eyes widened, and he took a deep breath. Then his hair slicked back under the hat, and he smirked. "G'day, mates! Name's Manitoba Smith."
"We know," Scarlett answered. "Currently, we are in a challenge, attempting to get past Chef and untie Justin."
"Don't worry your pretty little head, Sheila," Manitoba responded. "Us menfolk," he pulled Scott in from the right and Ezekiel from the left, "will handle it so you don't have to worry about breaking a nail." Scarlett glared at him, and he dashed off, jumping from beam to beam until he had almost reached Chef. However, he ended up taking a barrel to the head, and crashed down to the ground, out cold.
Sam reached the top of the scaffolding, exhausted. "Need power-up," he panted, and was knocked off the scaffolding by a barrel. He landed on Tyler.
Ella tried dancing her way up the scaffolding. She sang as she went:
"I'm dancing up the scaffold, to rescue..." she was cut off by a barrel knocking her off the platform. Beardo jumped over two more barrels with video game sound effects, but an open one landed on his head, blinding him. He ran off the edge of the platform, and landed on the ground.
"Sam had the right idea," Scott mused. "Rodney, do you think you could do what he did?"
"No problem," Rodney said, with a determined expression.
"Good. DJ, Courtney, Topher, Zeke, and I will try to draw his fire."
"What do we do now?" Beth asked, as Rodney began making his way up.
"Simple. B and Dawn follow Rodney, and when Rodney is distracting Chef, Dawn can untie Justin while B keeps anyone from stopping her," Heather answered. B saluted, picked up Dawn, placed her on his shoulder, and ran after Rodney.
"Good thinking," Jasmine complimented.
"Yes, it is just e-vil enough to work," Max agreed.
"Of course," Heather answered smugly.
Rodney reached the top of the scaffolding while his teammates distracted Chef, and tackled the big man. However, Chef proved hard to budge. He held his ground until B slammed into Rodney's back, knocking the two off the scaffolding.
Dawn quickly untied Justin. "The Gophers win!" Chris announced. "Bass, I will see you at elimination."
Mike got up, asking, "Did we win?" Scarlett helped him up and filled him in.
Topher approached the two and said, "I think something is up with Rodney. We should vote him out tonight. Haven't you noticed how he acts around girls?"
Mike said, "Yeah. He's a wreck around girls."
Topher continued, "I talked to him, and it turns out he's completely delusional about love. We should get rid of him before he causes the ratings to tank."
Mike replied, "I don't know. We haven't really been doing so well in challenges lately, and Rodney is stronger than everyone else on our team except for DJ."
Scarlett answered, "But he's clumsy, he lacks intelligence, and he is allied with Scott. I shall aid you in getting him voted out."
Mike frowned. "Okay..."
At the elimination ceremony, Chris held a plate of marshmallows. "I have on my plate ten marshmallows. Whoever does not receive a marshmallow must walk down the Dock of Shame, board the Boat of Losers, and never come back. Ever. If I call your name, you are safe. Scott. Ezekiel. Tyler. Scarlett. Courtney. Mike. Topher. And, with one vote against him, Sam." He threw marshmallows to the campers as he called their names. Sam looked alarmed that he had received a vote, but he caught his marshmallow anyway.
"Lindsay, Rodney, this is the final marshmallows of the night. The last person who is safe is..."
"Lindsay."
Rodney got up and sighed. "I deserve this. I couldn't save Justin, and I couldn't decide on matters of my fickle heart. Not even Scott could help me."
"Yeah, I'd say you're beyond help," Chris told him. Rodney dejectedly boarded the Boat of Losers, and it sped away. Chris turned back to the others.
"The rest of you are safe. For tonight."
The scene cut to Chef working on something in the Arts and Crafts tent. When he was done, he held up his project: a recreation of the army princess dress in a much larger size. He shed a tear at the sight of the completed monstrosity. "It's beautiful."
Reasons for elimination: Topher wanted Rodney gone because of his delusions about love. Scarlett wanted him gone because of his connection to Scott. Between the two of them, he never stood a chance.
Thoughts on Rodney? I don't like him at all, and while he's not impossible to develop, I don't think I'm really the right person to try to develop him. I gave him a strong connection on his team, and I had both him and other campers acknowledge that he has a problem, so I already did more than canon for him.
So...I altered the challenge, for multiple reasons. First, as the fashion pre-challenge never actually gave the Maggots any reward in canon, I made it for the immunity of one team. Izzy's elimination gave sufficient reason to remove the Moose from the challenge, so it worked well. Second, I substituted Sasquatchanakwa for Chef, because Dawn and/or Ella would have been able to win the challenge for their team easily otherwise. Did the changes work?
And if you couldn't tell, yes, Rodney was the one vote against Sam.
Elimination order:
52: Dave, the Germaphobe
51: Staci, the Compulsive Liar
50: Dakota, the Fame-Monger
49: Sugar, the Pageant Queen
48: Amy, the Evil Twin
47: Leonard, the LARPer
46: Anne Maria, the Jersey Shore Reject
45: Izzy, the Psycho Hose Beast (still out there?)
44: Rodney, the Lovesick Farm Boy
