Chris' Above Ground Recap
"Last time, on Total Drama Crios Cath…
"Cumhachtach actually suffered from the loss of the King of Cuck-calling, Tiberius, and gained one in the form of Setsuna. While Michael was trying his best to make all hell for the new ruler Stan, Setsuna and King reunited, and shared a moment where Setsuna explained her voting strategy.
"Over on Mealltach, Alice had called Stan over to get the goods from him. Even when Stan objected, Alice was able to gather information anyways! Good moves, sistah! Meanwhile, Jarri and Rose finally were able to patch things up, despite me trying to make it even harder for them at their last Tine Naofa. Jarri summoned Kalyssa to her camp where Jarri figured out that Kalyssa planned to stay in the game for a rea-heely long time.
"On Alltud, due to the loss of Setsuna, Angelo and Carol broke off to discuss who to vote off. Meanwhile, Axel and Arianna broke out into a fight. Arianna explained why she acts the way she acts, and Axel explains is black and white mentality.
"After Cumhachtach's first win ever, Stan decided it would be a marvelous idea to call a special elimination ceremony, which he did. It was Michael VS Stan. The matchup we've been waiting all season for! In the end, it was a tiebreaker, decided by throwing pumpkins. Stan fumbled at the last moment and was sent down into the Shameterranean."
Chef's Below Ground Recap
"Tiberius found an altar with two advantages!
"He sent one up and kept the other one!
"The End!"
Chris joined in to take over from Chef. "What was the thing Tiberius sent up? Who will be the next to enter the Shameterranean? Can Alltud keep their acres now that they've broken even? Find out right here, on Total! Drama! Crios Cath!"
*Survivor's: Ancient Voices starts playing*
As the music begins, various shots of Crios Cath from above are time-lapsed and shown through the screen, notably the highlands, the forest, the bog, the lower fields, the desert, and underground.
Cumhachtach
A red figure holding a red stag skull flag is shown, before the camera zooms in so only the image of the flag is on the left side of the screen. Meanwhile, the right side of the screen pans over the lands that Cumhachtach owns, before showing its remaining members in alphabetical order, doing various tasks.
Frag is putting in effort to freehand climb up a cliff in one shot, and drumming on a large rock while smiling in a second shot.
King pulls an incredibly healthy looking carrot from the ground in one shot, and is raising both his arms up in a cheer in a second shot.
Michael is throwing an object as if it were a baseball in one shot, and crouching and peering through some bushes in a second shot.
Setsuna is shown curiously looking at a trap in the ground in one shot, and calmly firing an arrow from a bow in a second shot.
Mealltach
A green figure holding a green dryad flag is shown, before the camera zooms in so only the image of the flag is on the left side of the screen. Meanwhile, the right side of the screen pans over the lands that Mealltach owns, before showing its remaining members, in alphabetical order, doing various tasks.
Alice is seen twirling her hair suggestively as she looks at someone off-screen in one shot, and breaking out into a sprint through sand in a second shot.
Jarri is seen picking fruit off of a tree and examining it in one shot, and tossing a spear in slow motion in a second shot.
Maggie is busy dusting off her stone slab bed in one shot, and organizing various makeshift tools in a second shot.
Rose is seen playing with a large conifer branch as though it is a fan in one shot, and is running along, clapping and shouting in a second shot..
Cyfrwys
A yellow figure holding a yellow king and queen flag is shown, before the camera zooms in so only the image of the flag is on the left side of the screen. Meanwhile, the right side of the screen pans over the lands that Cyfrwys owns, before showing its remaining members, in alphabetical order, doing various tasks.
Jeremy is seen placing the DA on its True Resting Place in one shot, and staring intently at the Tine Naofa Bonfire, aware of what elimination means in this game, in a second shot.
Kalyssa is waving semi-flirtatiously at the camera in one shot, and is swinging a club at something hidden in the grass in a second shot.
Ryuji is seen cracking open a cactus with a large rock in one shot, and covering his eyes as he laughs and points at something off-screen in a second shot.
Alltud
A dull grey figure holding a dull grey broken chain flag is shown, before the camera zooms in so only the image of the flag is on the left side of the screen. Meanwhile, the right side of the screen pans over the lands Alltud owns, before showing its remaining members, in alphabetical order, doing various tasks.
Angelo is hauling sandstone in one shot, and harmoniously playing a violin in a second shot.
Arianna is quickly turning her head to look behind her, her twintails whipping around as she does so in one shot, and is cupping her hands while shouting so loud her face is going red in a second shot.
Axel is crouched over and brooding by himself in one shot, and confusedly looking over a map in a second shot.
Carol is facing off against a giant scorpion while holding a makeshift spear in one shot, and is energetically cheering her team on as she sidesteps with them in a second shot.
Shameterranean
A white figure, holding a druidic artifact, is seen falling down into what appears to be some kind of underworld, before the camera zooms in so only the underworld image is on the top half of the screen. Meanwhile, the bottom half of the screen pans over the Shameterranean caverns, before showing the remaining players trapped there, in alphabetical order, at the moment of their elimination and doing various tasks.
Laura is getting her torch snuffed by Chris one shot, and is seen staring down off-camera arrivals to the Shameterranean in a second shot.
Mateo is getting his torch snuffed by Chris in one shot, and skulking through the tunnels of the Shameterranean with a sinister grin in another shot.
Stan is fumbling a pumpkin onto the ground in one shot, and reaching up for something off-camera in a second shot.
Tiberius is getting his torch snuffed by Chris in one shot, and pacing around the first True Resting Place in another shot.
The camera zooms out to reveal that all the figures and underworld were part of the same picture, the season logo connecting them like a belt.
Total Drama Crios Cath
Location: Neart Highlands (Cumhachtach Territory)
Contestants: Frag, King, Michael, Setsuna
"Up an attem boiiiis!" Michael announced with boundless energy as he ran around the Cumhachtach cabin. "We got acres to explore let's go, let's go!"
"It's already been a day, Michael." King groaned. "And you can explore the entire island if you want to."
"Yeah, but those guys are the enemy and boring, and I just want to see what we've got, man! The challenge is tomorrow, we have time!"
Confessional: Michael: Clan Cumhachtach
"For the first time in forever, I finally have acres! The same amount of acres that we started this competition with! It might not be the uh, the same acres, but it's the same size as it used to be is what I'm getting at! And I'm the king of a peaceful Cumhachtach. We're gonna be fine! Let's expand this freaking empire! But first, we need to explore!"
End Confessional
"Michael, if you want to explore, you don't have to wake the rest of us up." Frag yawned.
"Aw come, on, you guys have no sense of adventure!" Michael pouted. "Come on, let's spend some quality clan-time together. Your ol' King Michael here is friendly, I promise!"
"I'll come along." Setsuna shrugged.
"No, nononono…" King stood up. "Setsuna, I don't think you want to get caught in any traps around here."
"Michael can just let me down."
"Yeah, I can just let her down."
"Well, as long as you know that it's going to happen a lot." King emphasized for Michael. "Go ahead, Frag and I will stay here in the cabin, ja?"
"Ah, actually no." Frag shook his head. "I'm planning on going along."
"But you complained about being woken up?"
"As did you." Frag shrugged. "But there's no harm in exploring our acres. Besides, more people on the trip means it's easier to keep Setsuna out of traps for you."
"You aren't wrong, I suppose." King gave a small smile. "But I'll still stay in the cabin, I'll have some food ready for you when you get back."
"Eyyyy!" Michael gave King a pat on the back. "That's our buddy! Alright team, move out!"
Confessional: King: Clan Cumhachtach
"No one here asked for Michael to be the ruler, and he's been pretty uh… approval seeking recently. I think he thinks that if he doesn't get some serious goodwill in, someone is going to vote him off. Right now, the one thing he doesn't know is that Setsuna votes randomly with a box. If he figures that out, he's going to keep her around for his safety since he automatically wins tiebreakers. And Frag can't learn about Setsuna's strategy either, or he might be too afraid to go after Michael with me. I just hope she doesn't let any secrets slip."
End Confessional
"It's clan, Michael." Setsuna brought up. "Not team."
Location Shift: Ionad Desert
"Uh… it's just a bunch of sand." Setsuna observed.
"Yeah." Michael smirked. "But it's our sand now."
"It is our sand now." Setsuna nodded.
"Now it is our sand." Michael rearranged the words.
"Sand, now it is ours." Setsuna responded.
"Our sand, it now is." Michael began to giggle.
Confessional: Michael: Clan Cumhachtach
"I love Setsuna, she's Best Girl on this team. Too bad that because she's Best Girl, I need her gone first. Can't let Frag or especially King start simping for her and undermining my authority."
End Confessional
Frag had been trying his very best to keep composure throughout the entire conversation, but the most recent sentence had finally gotten him to lower his guard and laugh a little.
"Alltud are easily defeated, but they'll soon be back, and in greater desperation."
Setsuna stared blankly as Michael and Frag quickly high-fived for the reference.
"So uh…" Setsuna looked over the dunes and turned to face the other two. "Is this all that's out here?"
"Seems like it." Frag nodded.
Confessional: Setsuna: Clan Cumhachtach
"Wow. This place has a lot of sand. No traps to get stuck in over here. I think I'm gonna be here often."
End Confessional
"Look," Frag sighed as he put a hand on Michael's shoulder. "All I'm asking is that we try to stay serious for a while."
"Well, what if the challenge is something about being really silly or funny?" Michael crossed his arms."
"Come on, Michael." Frag rolled his eyes with a bit of a smile. "This whole season has been about giving us as little comfort as possible, how silly do you really think a challenge will be?"
Location: Crios Cath Amphitheatre (Nialasach Ruins: Production Territory)
Contestants: All Above Ground
The curtains drawn. Behind them, Chris, Chef, and an assortment of interns stood in place.
Chris snapped his head up.
Production Performs Be a Clan™ (to the tune of I'll Make a Man Out of You from Mulan)
Chris: "Let's get down to business, to present the rules~!"
Interns: "WAH!"
Chris: "Did they send me players when I asked for fools?
"You're challenge is to sing a song,
and you can bet after we're through:
Someone's torch, might be snuffed, might be you~"
"Alltud's case is special, not opponents this time
"Keep the challenge pleasant, and you'll be sublime"
"The stage is designed to make a mess, and you have to be the crew.
"If you're not fast, disaster will ruin you~!"
Ryuji: "I don't think I can hold my notes."
Frag: "Is Chris really gonna make us do this?"
Setsuna: "Why am I a fool, who don't know how to dance?"
Arianna: "My name could be on the votes"
Maggie: "Hope I won't get solos for this"
Jeremy: "I think there's no way that Cyfrwys has a chance"
Interns: "BE A CLAN!"
Chris: "YOU MUST IMPRESS ME, CHEF, AND INTERN!"
Interns: "BE A CLAN"
Chris: "ALLTUD WILL NOT SING A SONG"
Interns: "BE A CLAN"
Chris: "INSTEAD THEY MUST KEEP THE STAGE SAFE ENOUGH"
"MAKE IT SO THAT NOT A SINGLE THING GOES WRONG!"
"Time is racing toward us"
"Till the bets, devise."
"Rulers, heed your counsel, and Alltud, decide!"
"You're punishment for, losing this war"
"When Tine Naofa's through."
"The next one, underground, might be you!"
Interns: "BE A CLAN!"
Chris: "YOU MUST IMPRESS ME, CHEF, AND INTERN!"
Interns: "BE A CLAN"
Chris: "ALLTUD WILL NOT SING A SONG"
Interns: "BE A CLAN"
Chris: "INSTEAD THEY MUST KEEP THE STAGE SAFE ENOUGH"
"MAKE IT SO THAT NOT A SINGLE THING GOES WRONG!"
Interns: "BE A CLAN!"
Chris: "YOU MUST IMPRESS ME, CHEF, AND INTERN!"
Interns: "BE A CLAN"
Chris: "ALLTUD WILL NOT SING A SONG"
Interns: "BE A CLAN"
Chris: "INSTEAD THEY MUST KEEP THE STAGE SAFE ENOUGH"
"MAKE IT SO THAT NOT A SINGLE THING GOES WRONG!"
"WAAH!"
Michael stepped back to his clan. "So whatcha thinkin' boys?"
Frag thought. "Probably small."
King nodded. "Jah, I like that idea."
Setsuna shrugged. "Whatever you guys think."
"Psh." Michael blew. "We got this guys."
"Michael," Frag stepped up. "We don't want to lose all that land that we just won."
"Don't be so defeatist, dude. We can write a song, can't we?"
Silence.
"I'm going to bet a little higher, okay? Don't cry too much about it. No way we'll lose this challenge. Have some faith guys."
"Fine." Frag sighed.
"Alright then." King agreed.
"I'm just here for the challenge, fam." Setsuna shrugged.
Over on Mealltach…
Rose stepped up to her plate as well. "What are we thinking?"
Alice piped up. "4000."
Jarri nodded. "4000."
Maggie bobbed her head. "4000."
Rose nodded. "4000 it is."
Over on Cyfrwys…
Kalyssa stepped up to her plate. "What should we bet?"
"I'm not a singer." Ryuji shook his head.
"Me neither." Jeremy also shook his head.
"Alright, so small it is?"
"Preferably around 800?"
Over on Alltud…
"Alright, let's get our land back, guys." Arianna suggested. "Let's go big or go home with 10,000 acres."
"I think it's 'go big and go home'. Let's not take that chance." Angelo argued.
Carol nodded. "Yeah, we should bet smaller. Gain the land back slowly." She glanced up at Arianna. "We bet big the last few times, we should stay in the hundreds today. I know Cyfrwys likes to go fast, but Alltud needs to be slow right now. This challenge will require way more work than the others."
"It's just stage management." Arianna shrugged. "I was always involved in school plays and stuff, so I think I know how to handle it."
"That's great, but one person won't be able to manage the stage on her own, and we don't have your experience." Axel mentioned. "I say bet the minimum."
"Whoa, now." Angelo held his hands up. "Now we've got the other extreme here. I just mean betting huge was to be avoided, I didn't mean bet super low. Bet like, I don't know, 1000 or something."
"But that's still too low!" Carol exclaimed. "We have enough land right now that going that low isn't enough to keep us invested in the challenge. We shouldn't resign ourselves to having to vote someone out."
"Right!" Arianna replied. "So we should bet-"
"We should bet closer to 3000." Carol continued, shutting Arianna's point down. "It's small compative to our acres, but it's something that no one would want to lose, that way we'll have more motivation to complete the challenge."
"No. Too high." Axel shook his head.
"It's too low!" Arianna chimed in.
"We need to bet 100!"
"We need to be 10,000 acres!" Arianna shouted.
"It's too high, Arianna!" Carol pleaded. "I'm trying to-"
"3000 is clearly more on their side than mine, Carol. Don't try to play mediator, no one asked for it!"
Carol gasped as tears formed in her eyes, and she turned away from the group. "Come get me when you guys decide on a real bet then."
"Arianna!" Angelo scolded. "Seriously? Be more mature about this and maybe you won't be the next one home!"
"I haven't even been given a chance!" Arianna retorted.
"A chance to what?"
"A chance to prove myself!"
"What are you gonna do?" Axel chimed in. "Bully Carol to death?"
Confessional: Axel: Clan Alltud
"Not that we even owe you a chance to begin with. Not our fault your strategy falls flat."
End Confessional
"I'm going to prove myself as an asset to Alltud. And it's not like the land betting doesn't affect me too guys! I wouldn't bet 10,000 if I didn't think we could win this!"
"Speaking of bets…" Chris mentioned. "It's time to place them! Michael, come on up!"
"Just, trust me, for like, a second!" Arianna whispered to her clan while Michael walked up towards Chris.
"Well Chris…" Michael smiled back at his clan. "My clan and I were talking, and while they had a number, they've agreed to let me bet a little more. I bet forty o' o' acres."
"In English, Michael." Chris rolled his eyes.
"That was English."
"In numbers then."
"Forty zero zero."
"You can't bet forty acres."
"Stop wasting time already!" Kalyssa tapped her foot impatiently.
"Fiiiiiiiiiine" Michael groaned. "4000 acres."
His clan was not pleased.
Confessional: Frag: Clan Cumhachtach
"That is not a little more. That's our entire winnings gone down the drain if we lose."
End Confessional
"Rose." Chris motioned for Rose to make her bet.
"Unlike that clan, my clan really will be happy when I bet the same amount, 4000, because we agreed upon it."
"Shots fired." Michael put a hand over his heart. "At least, my clan can't be mad at my treasure of a face."
"I suggest you turn around." Jarri smirked as she pointed to his clan, who was mad at him. Well, except Setsuna, she didn't care.
"Cyfrwys?"
"I bet 6800 acres Chris."
"Alright, 6800 it is!"
"Not even surprised at this point." Ryuji shrugged.
"Let's just try our best not to sound too awful." Jeremy agreed.
Confessional: Kalyssa: Cyfrwys
"Ah man, I only do this to make them mad."
End Confessional
"And finally…" Chris announced as Angelo pulled Carol back into the group so everyone could be present. "Alltud, what's your bet? Altogether now!"
"10,000 acres!" Arianna put her hand over Axel's mouth. Carol and Angelo both stared at her.
"2… 1… that's not a unanimous decision!" Chris smiled as he counted down the time. "However… since a bet was made, and Alltud technically might be able to complete the challenge by doing nothing… we're still gonna put the acres into the pot!"
Confessional: Arianna: Clan Alltud
"Oh. Fuck."
End Confessional
Confessional: Carol: Clan Alltud
Carol took some toilet paper to blow her nose. "Arianna is not a queen, and she should stop pretending to be one."
End Confessional
"To clarify, Chris?" Axel rose a hand. "We're going to elimination regardless, and will have to spend time in the desert again?"
"Yep!" Chris announced. "And since last week was a special elimination ceremony, no more may be called this week! Nothing can save your rumps now!"
"Understood." Axel nodded.
"Okay!" Chris smiled. "Alltud, head out, I've got nothing for you, see you at Tine Naofa later tonight. The rest of you, I'll give you some moments to strategize and we'll get started."
Challenge: Battle of the Bands
Rules: Clans must come up with a song to perform. The performances that Chris, Chef, and an intern collectively agree are bad will go to elimination.
Alltud Rules: Given the set is created for a disaster, Alltud must make sure all performances go smoothly. If even one clan goes to elimination, so do they.
(Alltud cannot participate in this challenge)
Wager:
[6000] Cumhachtach: Michael bet 4000 acres
[4600] Mealltach: Rose bet 4000 acres
[7000] Cyfrwys: Kalyssa bet 6800 acres
[12,600] Alltud: Arianna bet 10,000 acres
Location: Ionad Desert (Alltud Territory)
Contestants: Angelo, Arianna, Axel, Carol
The four exiles returned to their campsite. Dejected, ashamed, confused. Angelo lowered down in front of their dwindling fire.
"I'm going to get wood for the fire." Axel huffed. He kept storming past their campsite, not in the direction of any discernible tree.
"I'll… I'll go make sure he can calm down a bit… and actually get some firewood." Carol quickly volunteered leaving Angelo and Arianna alone.
"And the schemers start to scheme." Arianna muttered.
Angelo shook his head at Arianna as they sat around a campfire. "You are digging your own grave."
"Because all you're giving me is the shovel." Arianna grumbled.
"You are the one who chooses to dig."
"Well, what is it that any of you want from me? I was ostracized the moment I got here!"
"You were ostracized because you freely admitted to Axel's accusations about you, you gave us the silent treatment the next morning, you constantly demand us to agree to bet higher, and you are generally unpleasant to be around. Axel might not have been giving you chances, but he's Axel. I have no idea why you're taking him seriously. Carol and I have been trying to give you chances, and what did you do today? You accused her of being against you and bullied her publicly."
Arianna crossed her arms. "Look, it's you guys who pushed me that far alright? Not like it matters anymore anyways. It's clear that you're just going to vote me into the Shameterranean when we go to Tine Naofa. I just want to make it perfectly clear that you aren't this heroic squad of good guys to so readily dump me down there."
Angelo shook his head. "No, I am not claiming myself to be a good guy. You spend too much of your time around Axel."
Arianna's face filled with color. "H-HE spends too much time around ME!"
"Well, he certainly isn't here right now. Look Arianna, I don't see you as some 'villain'. To me, you are just like anyone else, so I will hold you to the same standards as anyone else."
"Yeah, well you sure have a strange way of showing it." Arianna snapped. "I don't see you being this harsh to Axel's or Carol's face. Or your cow, Rose."
"They haven't done much wrong. You not only blew us the challenge, but 10,000 acres with it. On top of that, the way you have been treating Carol and me is absolutely disgusting. At this point, not only do I hope you get sent to the Shameterranean, I pray that you never come back up."
"Why, because I play differently? Is that a crime now?"
"Playing differently is never a crime. But you lack the backbone to own your faults. It's always something else with you. Always. Learn to recognize that the common thread between all your problems is yourself, Arianna."
And with that, Angelo stood up, and left Arianna alone at the fire.
Shift Camera Focus
Carol tracked behind Axel's footsteps.
"I know you're following me." Axel mentioned without looking back. "If there's something you want to say, go ahead."
Her head tilted towards the sand. "I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry about? You aren't the one that bet all our land without consent."
"I couldn't stop her from doing so."
"It's not your responsibility." Axel shrugged. "If anything, I bear some blame. She probably wouldn't have done if I wasn't keeping her on so tight of a leash."
"Well then, it's time to let the leash go. Time to send her down."
"Half-right." Axel shook his head as he finally faced Carol. "But we can't ignore this opportunity. Tiberius, Laura, Mateo, Anemone, all of them, all of them, I pegged as villains. Send me down, so I can see to it that they don't ever come back up."
"Are you?" Carol's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? You're going to throw away all of your hard- our hard work just to follow this hero complex of taking down the villains? They're already down there! They'll eliminate each other. We should focus more on our game."
"I'm not throwing away anything! I'm defending it, Carol! Our biggest threats are down in the Shameterranean right now, but they can come back up! Let's make sure they can't return and threaten us again! They have charismatic people down there, and could easily organize, or more likely, one could manipulate the others into aiding their own cause. I am focusing on our game, Carol. I'll lower the threat level of all those villains to zero!"
"We need you here on Alltud, Axel! How well do you think Angelo, Arianna, and I are going to perform?"
"Carol, I've been thinking about this!" Axel responded. "Look, Cumhachtach is barely the 'strength' clan anymore. We have Maggie on Mealltach and Ryuji on Cyfrwys. You have allies other than me who can work from the other side. And if you do lose again, you already have an easy vote target in Arianna. It's the most effective long-term play for ensuring that villains are eliminated."
"You can't be sure that all villains are down there though."
"Of course not. That's why part of the plan involves me coming back up. There's only one person down there who can physically stop me, but that's all the more reason to ensure that he can't come back up above ground. It's a rewarding risk, Carol. Come on, don't you want to be part of the thrill?"
Carol held her breath.
"Good enough." Axel decided as he marched back towards the campsite, followed by Carol.
Shift Camera Focus
"You want us to what?!" Angelo shrieked.
"Yes." Axel crossed his arms. "I can't risk a self-vote because I don't know if that affects my chances of rising back up or not."
"But…" Arianna scratched her head "But… why? What on earth makes you think this is in any way a good idea?"
"I'm giving you your fucking chance, damn it!" Axel groaned "I thought you'd be on board with staying longer. It's risky, but the reward is too great to pass up if I pull it off."
"No, Axel. Alltud fucking needs you-"
"Arianna! You don't get to-"
"Let me fucking finish! Alltud doesn't need me. It never has. Having me here has been making the three of you miserable. I get it. I don't play ethically. Maybe you do, Axel. I don't know. Apparently, I don't know anything about anything anymore, but the point is this plan is flawed. It's easiest to 'slay the villains' if you are up here, forcing them to lose because that's what Alltud, normally, does. Of course, you can't take them all down. Who knows if you'll even make it back up. I'm not sure how much stronger than Stan you are, but I know for a fact Tiberius is, and since those two were in the same clan, it makes sense that they might band together. Your game could be over, and just because you, Axel, the ever-so-cocky, has decided, 'hey, I'm gonna be a fucking idiot and blow my god damn game because of my fucking pride!' Is that what this is Axel? Pride? What makes you think that you are everyone's savior of this game? You're not. In fact, just because people have a different world view than you do, doesn't mean that they don't have emotions or goals. The fact that you take that away from people is kind of disgusting. It's disgusting because you judge people so quickly. You don't even try to get to know them. Who knows? Maybe Anemone is a really cool person once you get to know her. Sure as hell, Laura wasn't always the tyrant she is now. You need to look more closely, Axel. If you ever thought of others before yourself, all of this probably would've never happened, and you would stay for Alltud."
"I don't know where this projection about taking away the emotions and goals of others is coming from. After all, you're the one who has been treating others like they owe you the fucking world, not me. However, you're right about one thing. This is about pride. This is about humiliation. People who play the game wickedly deserve to be completely and utterly annihilated. You can disagree with me, I don't care, but I'm going to go down there. And I'm going to eliminate them."
"Not without our votes, you aren't." Angelo gave a coy smile.
"That's why I'm pleading with you guys to send me down." Axel responded. "Because if I'm not, how the hell do you expect to ensure that they stay down for good?"
"You know what? Fuck it! Fuck this whole clan! Fuck you! Fuck your cow! Send me down instead!"
Carol pinched the bridge of her nose. "Guys, haven't we had enough Mulan references for one day?"
"Also, stop calling Rose a cow please. It doesn't help your case." Angelo added in.
"Wait, wait, wait." Axel turned to Arianna. "Lemme get this straight. You want to be sent down? That's not the plan."
"It's a better idea." She rolled her eyes. "Think about it. I know Mateo and Laura better than you do."
"She's got a point there." Angelo nodded.
Axel clicked his tongue. "I can see I'm a little outvoted here. Fine. But I want to be clear, you're going down there with the expressed purpose of figuring out how to rise back above ground and doing so before any of the villains down there can do it."
"Yeah, whatever." Arianna rolled her eyes, again. "But you're going to navigate me. Find the holes around the island, at least the ones in our acres."
Carol nodded. "I like this better. Axel stays up to help Alltud. Arianna goes down while Axel navigates her. Risky, but safe enough to keep the thrill without too much."
Angelo smiled. "I concur. Arianna's small frame might also serve her a bit better. It'll make it easier to sneak around."
Confessional: Angelo: Clan Alltud
"Talk about killing two birds with one stone. We get rid of Arianna for a while, and Axel has something to focus on so that his… Axel-ness doesn't start to suffocate me or Carol. We've also managed to avoid a complete split of Alltud here. With any luck, we'll be back with a vengeance for the next challenge."
End Confessional
Confessional: Arianna: Clan Alltud
"God damn it. I hate this clan. Axe-hat over here needs to learn how to shut up."
End Confessional
Location: The Nialasach Ruins
Contestants: Alice, Frag, Jarri, Jeremy, Kalyssa, King, Maggie, Michael, Rose, Ryuji, Setsuna
"The clans have all had their practice!" Chris announced. "Now it's time for performances! First Cumhachtach, Then Mealltach, and Cyfrwys will end us off!"
Cumhachtach Performs We're the Clan of Cumhachtach™ (to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Mother Goose)
"Lift, lift, pull, pull, big boy man,
We got rid of our king Stan.
We will win this victory
Or else we'll be down to three.
Lift, lift, pull, pull, big boy man,
We just wrote this verse for Stan~."
"Up, up, come on, hey, dude, bro,
This is how our rhyme will go
We needed a second verse.
It's the same scheme as the first.
Up, up, come on, hey, dude, bro.
Singing for a TV show."
As the quartet finished the second verse of their song, a stage light fell from the rafter, landing on King and taking him out of commission. The three remaining members looked at each other nervously, but continued to sing. They needed the points.
"We're the clan of Cumhachtach
Spitting rhymes around the clock.
Michael is our newest king.
The rest of us, we sure can sing.
We're the clan of Cumhachtach,
You will never call us cuck."
As the next verse of the song finished, Michael fell victim to another stage light dropping.
Setsuna and Frag exchanged worried expressions as they stood away from each other and closer to the edge of the stage.
"Hey, hey, yo, yo, check this out,
Tiberius was a lout.
First king left us with a glare
Win the challenge fair and square.
Hey, hey, yo, yo, check this out,
We just won without a doubt."
Both Frag and Setsuna looked up to make sure no more lights would fall. They didn't. As they both sighed with relief and turned back around, one of the rods holding up the curtains broke and landed on Frag, leaving Setsuna alone to complete the challenge.
"We're the clan of Cumhachtach
Spitting rhymes around the clock
Michael is our newest king.
The rest of us, we sure can sing.
We're the clan of Cumhachtach
Best group since Nialasach."
Setsuna made sure her clan members were still breathing. She bowed and left the stage.
"Well that…" Chris smiled. "Was awful. I love it! It's gonna be easy to beat, but I love it!"
"I didn't like it." Chef shook his head. "It's a lie. I can call you cuck all I want. I won't, but that just be because I know what cuck actually means."
"Uhhh…." The intern looked over at Chris and Chef who both shook their heads. "Yeah, what they said. No. Bad song."
Mealltach Performs: Alliance™ (to the tune of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga)
Alice:
"Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooooh -oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh!
Caught in an alliance"
"Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooooh -oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh!
Caught in an alliance"
All three judges recoiled at the noise that Mealltach's untested microphones were making. Unfortunately, the players themselves couldn't quite hear the unearthly screeches and wails coming from the devices.
Rose:
"Rah-rah-rah-ah-ah!
Ally-Ah-Ah-Aah!
'Tach-Tach-ooh-la-la!
Want your alliance."
All:
"Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Ally-Ah-Ah-Aah!
'Tach-Tach-ooh-la-la!
Want your alliance."
Alice:
"I want you in camp
To catch all your lies.
It will take Mealltach
To the major prize
I want your land
Jarri and Maggie: "(Land-land-land I want your land)"
Rose:
"I want to make bets
To eliminate you.
You try to save yourself, don't care what you do
I want your land
Land-land-land
I want your land
Jarri and Maggie:
"(Land-land-land I want your land)"
Jarri and Maggie:
"You don't have to take it,
But you know that I want it
I need it all, your alliance."
"Make it staaahp…" The intern wailed.
"Chef, go replace him with another one!" Chris snapped.
Chef rolled his eyes.
"And bring some earplugs while you're at it!" Chris called as Chef carted the crying intern away while Mealltach continued.
All:
"I want your votes and
I want dominance
You and me could have an alliance
Jarri: (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!)
I want your votes and
All your trusting chance
You and me could have an alliance."
Jarri: "Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooooh -oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh!
Rest: Caught in an alliance
Jarri: Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooooh -oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh!
Rest: Caught in an alliance"
All:
"Rah-rah-rah-ah-ah!
Ally-Ah-Ah-Aah!
'Tach-'Tach-ooh-la-la!
Want your alliance."
Jarri:
"I want the baddies
So they can't damage
All the votes they will try
To create a bridge.
I want their land
Rose and Alice: (Land-land-land I want your land-duhh)"
Maggie:
"Might be from Alltud
But Mealltach at heart
Want you in my alliance
Are you ready to start?
I want your land
Land-land-land
I want your land
Rose and Alice: (Land-land-land I want your land)"
Alice:
"You don't have to take it,
But you know that I want it
Rose: (Still Mealltach's queen, baby!)
I need it all, your alliance."
All:
"I want your votes and
I want dominance
You and me could have an alliance
Rose: (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!)
I want your votes and
All your trusting chance
You and me could have an alliance."
Rose: "Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooooh -oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh!
Rest: Caught in an alliance
Rose: Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooooh -oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh!
Rest: Caught in an alliance"
All:
"Rah-rah-rah-ah-ah!
Ally-Ah-Ah-Aah!
'Tach-Tach-ooh-la-la!
Want your alliance."
"Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Ally-Ah-Ah-Aah!
'Tach-Tach-ooh-la-la!
Want your alliance."
Alice:
"Wink, wink, we're your ladies
Blindside!
Make Tine Naofa crazy!"
Jarri:
"Wink, wink, we're your ladies
Blindside!
Make Tine Naofa crazy!"
Maggie:
"Wink, wink, we're your ladies
Blindside!
Make Tine Naofa crazy!"
Rose:
"Wink, wink, schooled by ladies
Blindside!
Still Mealltach's queen, baby!"
Chef returned with a replacement judge intern and two sets of earplugs, for him and Chris.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Chris exclaimed and eagerly took the earplugs and placed them in.
Jarri and Maggie:
"I want your vote and
I want dominance
I want your vote
Give me an alliance."
Alice: "Je veux ta vote
Et je veux la dominance
Je veux ta vote
Give me an alliance
Rose: Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Alice: Give me an alliance
Rose: (Caught in a alliance)
Alice: Give me an alliance
Rose: Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Alice: Want your alliance
Rose: (Caught in a alliance)
Alice: Want your alliance!"
All:
"I want your votes and
I want dominance
You and me could have an alliance
Maggie: (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!)
I want your votes and
All your trusting chance
You and me could have an alliance."
Maggie: "Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooooh -oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh!
Alice: Want your alliance!
Rose and Jarri: Caught in an alliance
Alice: Want your alliance!
Maggie: Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooooh -oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh!
Alice: Want your alliance!
Rest: Caught in an alliance"
Alice: "Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Ally-Ah-Ah-Aah!
'Tach-Tach-ooh-la-la!
Want your alliance."
As Mealltach bowed, Chris, Chef, and the intern all celebrated with joy that the song was finally over.
"Mealltach…" Chris grinned. "Listen to what we've recorded, for just a minute."
He played the first verse of their song.
"No! Ew! That's so gross! Stop!" Rose pleaded.
"You got that right." Chris smiled. "All Cyfrwys has to do is not suck tremendously and they'll be our winners of the day."
Cyfrwys Performs The Snakes of Cyfrwys™ (to the tune of The Sound of Silence by Disturbed)
As Cyfrwys played their instruments, Chris, Chef, and the intern erupted into laughter. Not because their playing was bad, but because the instruments they were using were fake. Toys to be exact. There was no music accompanying their lyrics.
Cyfrwys realized this too, but they weren't going to score any points by staying silent. The three brave souls went through with their planned song.
"Goodbye acres, our old land,
We're gonna claim you back again.
Because the clan is slowly morphing
History we will be carving,
Got rid of Laura; it turned out to be in vain.
We remain
Among the snakes of Cyfrwys~"
Jeremy's verse:
"Underground, I rose alone
Up to a game I did not know
Among the fields of earth's green hair
I found my friend whose rule I did declare
And my mouth agape at the tyrant she had become.
And her outcome
Falls as a snake of Cyfrwys"
The music did not get more intense as the song progressed.
Ryuji's verse:
"Coming from Alltud, I saw
Ten thousand acres, maybe more
Our queen scheming without speaking
Laura betting without listening
Mateo with plans that he would never share
'Cause no one dared
Confront the snakes of Cyfrwys."
Kalyssa's verse:
"Fools for they did not assume
I'd have a way to stay immune.
Take my crown that I won't give you
Write my name but it won't save you.
You're two snakes, without any venom
I command
All of the lands of Cyfrwys."
Their voices reached a climax, but the music did not.
All together:
"All of us here hope and pray
To win immunity today
So we offer you this warning
For the plans that might be forming
Our advice is 'that most of these players are destined to ne'er be crowned.
Shameterranean bound
To look up at the snakes of Cyfrwys~.'"
As Cyfrwys took their bows, Chris and Chef stood up in an ovation.
"Bravo, bravo…" Chris called everyone back onto the stage. "In all my years of Total Drama hosting, I've never seen absolutely everyone perform so atrociously in a challenge! It is my pleasure to say that today, you're all going to the Tine Naofa Bonfire Elimination Ceremony! I understand this might be devastating for some of you, but look on the bright side; the ratings will be HUGE! Ratings, ratings everywhere!"
Confessional: Chef
"I have never seen Chris about to lose it as much as he is now."
End Confessional
Confessional: Setsuna: Clan Cumhachtach
"It's been a while since I last used my handy dandy box!"
End Confessional
Confessional: Jarri: Clan Mealltach
"Not this again. At least Alltud is joining in on the party now."
End Confessional
Confessional: Kalyssa: Clan Cyfrwys
"Yeah, Chris, I don't really care about elimination, after all, I'm perfectly safe. I just need to determine which of my two losers to kick into that disgusting Shameterranean. Oh, decisions, decisions."
End Confessional
CHALLENGE RESULTS AND ACRES CHANGES:
1st Place: Production (bet the ratings) (Be A Clan™ )
5th Place: Cumhachtach (bet 4000 acres) [6000] - [2000]
5th Place: Mealltach (bet 4000 acres) [4600] - [600]
5th Place: Cyfrwys (bet 6800 acres) [7000] - [200]
5th Place: Alltud (bet 10,000 acres) [12,600] - [2600]
*Since everyone failed at the challenge, all clans lose their land, and all the acres are taken by production
Location: Glas Woods (Mealltach Territory)
Contestants: Alice, Jarri, Michael, Maggie, Rose
Mealltach stirred their dinner in a pot, all four ladies starving for some food.
Chef's jeep drove in.
"Oh, what's this?" Rose asked.
Alice stood up. "I summoned Michael."
Michael stepped forwards. "Indeed she did." He groomed his hair. "Hello ladies. It's about time we've met."
Alice took his arm. "Follow me~"
"Yes, ma'am."
They went into the hut.
"Have some tea." Alice poured him a cup.
Confessional: Michael: Clan Cumhachtach
"Finally, I'm at Camp Booby! Score!"
End Confessional
Michael took a sip.
Alice folded her hands. "So tell me, king, how is life on the Cumhachtach fields?"
He shrugged. "It's all good."
"How about your clan members?"
"They're pretty chill."
Confessional: Alice: Clan Mealltach
"Could he have given me a more vague answer? Even Stan, who was purposefully not trying to give me information has given me more information." Alice showed her evil smirk. "I guess, it's time for me to use my secret weapon."
End Confessional
The steam flowed out of Michael's cup. He blew on it and watched it float towards Alice.
A flicker of light in his eye captured his attention. The light bounced off the medal.
"Like what you see?" Alice's soft voice did not register in his mind.
He just wanted it. He stared at it. His eyes shifted between Alice and the medal.
Alice scooted closer to Michael and drew the shade in further. She brought the medal up to his face. The silver touch of the medal made contact with his lip.
The cool metal made his warm lips twitch. Goosebumps invaded his body.
He wanted more.
Alice moved the medal towards his upper lip, but she took it away from him halfway.
"Talk to me, Michael." She frowned. "I'm lonely."
"I can see you're upset, and if my handsome face isn't enough, here's a joke!"
"Uh-"
Michael cleared his throat. "What do sprinters eat before they race?"
Alice let out a quiet, irritated sigh through her nose.
"Nothing! They fast!"
Alice forced a small giggle. "So how is life at Cumhachtach?"
"Well, we lost our cabin, Setsuna and King have turned out to be actually married, and Frag is dead meat."
Alice cocked her head. "But wouldn't it be safer to eliminate one of the couples."
"Well, it doesn't seem like Setsuna and King vote together for some reason."
"What about them? Won't they strategize while they're gone?"
"Ah," Michael waved it off. "If they were true Cumhachtach, they would know how to vote."
"Well," Alice stood up. "If you would excuse me."
Michael nodded.
Maggie rested near the fire.
Alice walked over to her. "Maggie, where are Jarri and Rose?"
"They went to go collect some more firewood."
"I see." Alice seated beside her. "Maggie, I would like to discuss elimination once more."
Maggie turned to face her.
"If you align with me, you might be able to benefit from me as well." Alice held up her fake medal again.
Maggie's expression fell.
"Vote with me."
Confessional: Maggie: Clan Mealltach
"OMIG, she's showing me a medal, she's showing me a medal! Maybe… s-should I vote with her? But I don't want to go against Jarri or Rose… ohhh, why does this have to be so hard?"
End Confessional
"Hey ladies," Michael attracted their attention. It was the only thing that was attractive about him. He wielded a large branch that was the size of his person. His shoes were off. However, the most ungodly thing about him is that he donned a loincloth.
And nothing else.
"Oh dear." Maggie shielded her eyes.
Alice hid her medal in one of her pockets.
"You, uh," Michael stepped a few paces forward, "think I can sport this to elimination?"
Jarri returned, dropping her lumber beside the fire. "We're back. Rose tagged a little behind to readjust some sticks. I figured that I should probably head back here before the fire slows-" She took a double take at Michael. "Wha-ha-HA-HA-HA!" Jarri fell to the ground. "What? Why?"
Michael posed. "Get to show off more of my handsome body."
Confessional: Jarri: Clan Mealltach
"Man, the guys on Cumhachtach are really freaking funny."
End Confessional
"What is going on?" Rose finally appeared at camp. "Oh, my, is that a loincloth?"
Michael nodded and posed again. "Yeah, I made it myself."
"Not bad for your first time."
"Hey! This isn't my first time!"
"Looks like it."
Jarri and Alice giggled.
Michael huffed. "Well, I'll have you know that I have made loincloths before this one."
"Interesting." Rose replied. "I have seen one since the Middle Ages."
This time Maggie was included in the giggles.
"I'm a trendsetter." Michael beat his chest. "And a trend reviver too. The loincloth be coming back now. Truth."
Location: Neart Highlands (Cumhachtach Territory)
Contestants: Frag, King, Setsuna
"Whyyy?" Frag groaned as he lay on the ground near the border of the Cumhachtach territory, their lost cabin in the distance. "He just bet all the land we won, way more than anything we suggested, and now we don't even have that cabin we worked so hard to build!"
"Damn, that sucks." Setsuna yawned.
"You guys, we need to vote him off." Frag pleaded. "He can't be allowed to continue in this game, he's too unhinged."
"I uh… I dunno…" Setsuna squirmed from her dirt patch. "I'd rather just pull from the box…"
"A box?!" Frag's eyes widened.
Confessional: Frag: Clan Cumhachtach
"Gee, I wonder why Ffydd is the clan that's been dissolved. Maybe it's because they have people like Setsuna who vote using a freaking box! And now I'm going to need to rely on them to vote off Michael."
Postpone Confessional
"It's not as bad as you think." King tried to reassure Frag. "Although, I do agree that everyone voting out Michael would be the best option right now. I'm pretty sure he voted for me at our last true elimination ceremony."
"Well, if Setsuna can't be relied on for a vote…" Frag looked at Setsuna who shrugged in response before he moved his eyes back to King. "Then we need to both vote for Michael, and do our best to get him to vote for Setsuna, since I assume she at least doesn't have her own name in that box."
Resume Confessional
"I do have a vote block I can use as well, but I don't want to end up wasting it on Michael. It'll probably serve me better when it's just me, King, and Setsuna, or ideally, if and when a merge comes around. Not quite sure how it's going to work this season."
End Confessional
Confessional: King: Clan Cumhachtach
"Our clan is really crumbling right now, which isn't good. After tonight, we'll only have three players left. I feel relatively safe going into this since Frag wants to vote out Michael, and if we're lucky, we can convince him to vote for Setsuna during the elimination ceremony. And out of the two of them, I know that Setsuna would be more loyal to me going forwards, and I bet Frag would be loyal too, now that I think about it, especially if we help him get rid of Michael. Ffydd just needs to stick together right now."
End Confessional
Confessional: Setsuna: Clan Cumhachtach
"King wants me to vote Michael, Frag wants me to vote Michael, but… I don't know. I hated it the last time I cast an actual vote. I didn't want to get rid of Morgana, but I couldn't in good faith keep her around when King was trying so hard. And Michael might be a bit of an oddball and a nuisance, but he's still playing the game. Should I really take that opportunity away from him? I'd rather just continue to vote randomly. If Michael votes for me, then the other two don't have to worry about his tiebreaker power. But if he and I both vote for Frag… I'm not sure. I don't feel like one or the other would make much of a difference for me."
End Confessional
Location: Lower Ceol Fields (Clan Cyfrwys)
Contestants: Jeremy, Kalyssa, Ryuji
"Hmhm, hmhmhm~" Kalyssa kept humming the Snakes of Cyfrwys™ tune to herself as she sat in the small acreage that the clan had been left with after the challenge.
She looked over to where Jeremy and Ryuji huddled with each other.
They had no chance.
She knew it. They knew it. It was a wonderful feeling.
A feeling of pure supremacy.
Kalyssa's lips curved as she stood up.
She strode towards their huddle to listen in on their plan, but when she got there, they went silent.
"Having fun you guys?" She asked with a wicked grin.
"We're having a horrible time, thank you." Ryuji answered her.
"Alright then." Kalyssa shrugged. "I hope you guys have your arguments ready for Tine Naofa. I still haven't decided which one of you to cull."
"My argument is that you've voted for me twice already." Jeremy replied. He nodded his head towards Ryuji. "It's his turn."
"And my argument is that you've voted for him twice already." Ryuji smiled. He nodded his head towards Jeremy. "Might as well finally vote him out again."
"Hm…" Kalyssa pursed her lips. "I guess I'll have to give it some more thought."
Confessional: Kalyssa: Clan Cyfrwys
"Oh, this feeling is wonderful. They know they're doomed and they can't do anything about it. They've even started to turn on each other! But I'm no fool. Their hatred of me dwarfs any instinct to throw the other one under the bus. They want me to forgo playing the medal and have my overconfidence get the better of me. They will find no such satisfaction."
End Confessional
"Is she gone?" Ryuji asked Jeremy as the later watched Kalyssa prance off into the distance.
"She's gone." Jeremy nodded.
"Good." Ryuji snickered. "Because I have… one weapon."
Confessional: Ryuji: Clan Cyfrwys
Ryuji took a small medallion out of his bag. "I found this while we were practicing for the challenge. I think someone sent it up thinking it was Alltud territory. Well, I'm technically a member of the original Alltud, so I decided I'd go ahead and pocket this. This here… it won't save any of us from elimination tonight… but no matter whether it's Jeremy, myself, or somehow Kalyssa that goes underground, I'll be sure that the game moves forward. If this medal is real… it forces the clans to finally merge!"
End Confessional
"Oh, dude!" Jeremy's eyes lit up. "It's better than nothing at least. It'll give whoever survives this more tools to work with."
"Exactly." Ryuji nodded. "We can't just allow her tyranny to continue. She's got us in shackles. This is how we escape them."
Jeremy and Ryuji grinned as they covertly high-fived each other.
Confessional: Jeremy: Clan Cyfrwys
"And Ryuji comes in clutch with a force merge medal. It won't save us both… but it will save whoever survives. I can't stress how lucky it is that he and Arianna were switched after I rose from the Shameterranean. No way in heck would we be able to work this closely together."
End Confessional
Tine Naofa Bonfire Elimination Ceremony
1st Wave: Cumhachtach (Frag, King, Michael, Setsuna)
"Come on in, Cumhachtach!" Chris called as Frag, King, and Setsuna entered and placed their torches down. A short while later, Michael, still in his loincloth, waddled in with exaggerated steps, holding his torch up and pretending to be a caveman, getting laughs from everyone present.
"I see your ruler has gone mad." Chris grinned.
"What's new?" King answered back.
"Well, Michael being dressed in only a loincloth is pretty new." Frag mentioned.
"Haha, ja, I guess that is pretty new, fair point."
"It's not me, Chris!" Michael smirked. "It was those Mealltach ladies! 'Oh, Michael, you're so handsome! Let's see more of you, Michael! Oh, it's been so long since we've had this kind of company, play with us, Michael!'"
"So you were pretty popular over there." Chris shrugged. "But how popular are you over here? I certainly doubt that you scored any points with your big bet that turned out to be a complete bust."
"I'm aware." Michael grinned. "But I think you're forgetting something. This is Clan Cumhachtach, but there's only two real Cumhachtach members in it! The other two are Ffydd. Frag and I can't be sure of their allegiances to us, which gives me a little wiggle room, and being the king and winning tiebreakers also gives me wiggle room as well."
"Frag, any truth to this?" Chris turned to Frag.
"You know, it's not entirely wrong." Frag answered. "We're the only two real Cumhachtach left. They're the only two real Ffydd left, but we do have two Cumhachtach below ground right now who might come back up. And with some luck and enough finessing, we might be able to get one back onto our side. Of course, that's all assuming one of them comes back up and rejoins us."
"So Michael makes a pretty good point, King." Chris turned to King. "He and Frag are true Cumhachtach, you and Setsuna are both Ffydd. Why should either one of them trust either one of you to have their backs in the event of another clan re-assessment or a merge?"
"I think that question is a bit of a two-way street, Chris." King answered. "Just as much as they have no way of knowing about us, we have no way of knowing about them. It doesn't seem like they're very unified, but I'm sure everyone here has their own ideas about how this will play out."
"Setsuna." Chris looked over at Setsuna. "How do you think this is going to play out?"
"I don't really care." Setsuna shrugged. "I'm just gonna go up there and hope I don't go home."
"And that could be a bit of an argument to send her home right there." Frag suggested. "Not caring. A whole lot of people care about being here."
"A great point." Michael nodded as he made sure his loincloth was on properly.
"In that case…" Chris mentioned. "It is time to vote. Michael, you're up first."
Michael stood up.
He walked towards the voting area.
He opened the pen and scribbled down a name.
Confessional: Michael: Clan Cumhachtach
"Yeah, you're just not 'Cumhachtach' material."
End Confessional
After Michael, King was sent up.
He wrote Michael's name down clearly.
Confessional: King: Clan Cumhachtach
"I thought we were going to be in an alliance, but I know you voted for me during our Tiberius blindside. That puts you among the skurkar."
End Confessional
Frag went up next.
He bit his lip as he wrote down the name of his target.
Confessional: Frag: Clan Cumhachtach
"I have mixed feelings about this vote, but I'm fairly certain it's the right call."
End Confessional
Finally, Setsuna was called up.
Confessional: Setsuna: Clan Cumhachtach
She brought out her box. She reached into it and looked at the name she drew. "Sorry, bro."
End Confessional
"Alright." Chris returned from tallying the votes. "If anyone has a hidden immunity medal or advantage and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so."
No one moved.
"I'll read the votes." Chris announced. "If you receive the most votes you will be sent to the Shameterranean along with the other three vote-offs from each of the other clans. The first vote is for…
…
…
…
Michael. The next vote…
…
…
…
…
Setsuna. Next vote…
…
…
…
…
Frag. That's one vote Michael, one vote Setsuna, one vote Frag, and one vote left. This vote will either come up with a clear loser, or force a three-way tie between Setsuna, King, and Frag because of Michael's tiebreaker ability.
…
…
"The next person voted out of Clan Cumhachtach and newest member of the Shameterranean…
Michael. That's two. That's enough. You need to bring me your torch. As King of Cumhachtach you have the duty to name an heir to the crown."
"Well, I can tell he voted for me, but I'll name Frag the new king anyways." Michael said. "Gotta keep the Cumhachtach crown in Cumhachtach hands at least."
He turned back to the rest of his clan. "You're outrageous if you think voting off this," he motioned to his nearly naked body, save the loin cloth "was in any way a good idea. See you later, gators!"
He slammed his torch in the ground before Chris. "Michael." Chris snuffed his flame. "The clan has spoken."
"Oonga boonga, bitches!" Michael called out to the three remaining clan members before walking along the sands towards the entrance to the Shameterranean.
"Congratulations. Cumhachtach." Chris smiled. "Three ruler assassinations in a row. Let's hope this third time's the charm. You're all safe, for now."
Confessional: Frag: Clan Cumhachtach
"Well, I'm not quite sure I'm the king of Cumhachtach. Feels more like I'm the king of Ffydd…"
End Confessional
*Michael's Elimination Confessional:
"I guess they couldn't handle my rugged manly aura, coming into Tine Naofa with that loincloth and all my majestic and, I dare say, kingly glory. They just lost their best source of entertainment and without many acres they'll be bored out of their minds for some time. Not that it matters. I'll come back up, and I'll take that crown back from Frag. He's just keeping it warm for me since his head is the biggest. Time for the caveman to head to the cave though. Oonga boonga, bitches."
End Confessional*
2nd Wave: Mealltach (Alice, Jarri, Maggie, Rose)
"Mealltach," Chris rested his elbow on the podium, chin in palm. "You," he snickered, "forced Michael into his loincloth?"
Maggie shrugged. "It depends on what Alice told him in that hut. She seemed to be the least reactive about it."
Alice scoffed. "Absolutely not."
Chris leaned in. "What did you and Michael talk about then?"
"Clan Cumhachtach, that is all."
Rose narrowed her eyes. "That only makes me believe that you spoke more about something else. Did you speak about something else?"
Alice looked Rose dead in the eye. "We did not."
Rose sighed.
"Rose," Chris called. "What has you so intent on putting Alice in a bad light?"
"I am not putting Alice in a bad light; she has already done that herself. She is responsible for eliminating Molly and Anemone, which are two people that we would like to have over Alice, mainly because they perform better."
"Personally, Chris," Alice crossed her leg. "I believe that it's not about the actions. It's about the motive behind the action. For example, the action is Rose calling a special elimination ceremony. The motive behind it is Rose avoiding being a swing vote and also venting frustration. Rose is a people-pleaser. Being a swing vote means that one side will not be pleased over the other. Rose lacked the foresight that she would make everyone upset. Not only Jarri because Roxanne was her ally, but also Anemone and I because Roxanne was a beast in challenges."
"So," Jarri said, "your motive is getting yourself farther in the game by any means."
"That could be true. It could be false."
"Maggie," Chris said. "Focusing more on present day than what has happened in the past. What do you think this vote will be based on?"
"Um, it's like every vote: trust, character, and skill."
Chris nodded. "And with that, it's time to vote! Maggie, make your way into the voting station."
Maggie stepped to the plate, nearly dropping the pen.
Confessional: Maggie: Clan Mealltach
"Thank you for officially convincing me on whom to vote off."
End Confessional
Jarri went next.
Then Rose.
And finally, Alice.
Confessional: Alice: Clan Mealltach
"No longer Mealltach's queen, baby."
End Confessional
Chris returned with the tallied votes. "If anyone has an immunity medal and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so."
Maggie's eyes turned towards Alice.
Alice dropped her arms from their crossed position.
Jarri waited for it.
Rose did as well.
"Alright, I'll read the votes." Chris opened the jar. "First vote… Alice. Second vote… Rose. The next vote…
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… Alice. That's enough votes. You need to bring me your torch."
She sighed and brought the torch up.
"Alice," Chris said. "Your clan has spoken." The flame no longer lasted.
Alice followed Chef.
"Well, Mealltach, the mastermind has finally been eliminated, but one thing's for sure, when one schemer falls, another takes their place. In any case, you're all safe… for now. Go home and get some rest. You'll need it."
*Alice's Elimination Confessional:
"I can't say I'm too surprised this happened. I have a sneaking suspicion that if Alltud had instead chosen to be competent and bet, that Mealltach probably would have won this challenge, but I guess I can't change the past. The good news is that down there I have people I could probably easily manipulate. Tiberius comes to mind. I don't think these guys have seen the last of me, and I'll be able to sew some nice chaos when I rise back up above ground."
End Confessional*
3rd Wave: Cyfrwys (Jeremy, Kalyssa, Ryuji)
"Come on in, Cyfrwys!" Chris announced as Jeremy, Kalyssa, and Ryuji walked into the site of the bonfire as the sun lowered beyond the horizon and some stars appeared in the sky. "Kalyssa, I see you're sporting that immunity medal around your neck."
"Because I intend to play it, Chris." Kalyssa grinned. "I control the vote right now."
"That she does, unfortunately." Ryuji agreed. "By the way, have all the other clans gone yet?"
"Not yet." Chris shook his head. "After you we still need Alltud."
"I have a question, too." Jeremy asked. "If, say, I had an advantage, could I still play it from the Shameterranean?"
"Under most circumstances, no." Chris shook his head. "But that's only in terms of location. If you're on your way out the door, and heading down to the Shameterranean, but still not in it yet, you could play an advantage. Not sure why you'd want to, but it's allowed."
"Creative solution to a problem with no clear exit." Jeremy shrugged.
"Oh please, you two wouldn't know creativity if it ruled over you with an iron fist." Kalyssa smirked.
"Well then…" Chris looked over at Jeremy and Ryuji. "I suppose we'll jump right into the vote. Jeremy, you're up first."
Jeremy walked up.
He clearly wrote Kalyssa's name down.
Confessional: Jeremy: Clan Cyfrwys
"After you've voted for me twice, I'd say I earned the right to cast this vote for you."
End Confessiona
Ryuji was up next.
He too, very clearly wrote Kalyssa's name down.
Confessional: Ryuji: Clan Cyfrwys
"You are such a freaking pain to deal with. If we're super lucky, you won't play your medal. But at least we're getting rid of it, and thankfully, we won't have to be stuck in a clan of two with you no matter what."
End Confessional
Kalyssa was the final person to cast their vote.
She thought to herself.
She weighed her options.
She nodded.
She knew who she would doom to the Shameterranean.
She wrote down his name.
Confessional: Kalyssa: Clan Cyfrwys
Kalyssa blew a sarcastic kiss into the camera and twiddled her fingers as she mouthed, "Goodbye."
End Confessional
"Alright." Chris returned from tallying the votes. "I've tallied the votes. If you have an immunity medal and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so."
Jeremy and Ryuji looked at each other.
They nodded.
They looked back at Kalyssa.
Kalyssa stared them down as she clutched her medal.
Did they really, truly vote for her? Or had they voted against each other in an effort to make her waste it?
Or did they only want her to think that?
Kalyssa took a breath. "Chris. I don't want to part with this guy, but I've gotta play him."
She handed the host her immunity medal.
"This is a hidden immunity medal." Chris nodded. "Any votes cast against Kalyssa will not count. I'll read the votes.
Kalyssa. Doesn't count.
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Kalyssa. Doesn't count. One vote left.
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The next person voted out of clan Cyfrwys and newest member of the Shameterranean."
Chris revealed the name Kalyssa had written down.
"Ryuji. That's one. That's enough, you need to bring me your torch."
"Don't worry." Ryuji nodded at Jeremy as he placed his torch before Chris. "I've got you."
"Ryuji." Chris announced as he snuffed the flame from Ryuji's torch. "Kalyssa has spoken."
"And I plan to be a loud ghost." Ryuji flashed the item in his pocket to Chris as he walked towards the Shameterranean.
"Well, Cyfrwys is down to two." Chris smiled at Kalyssa and Jeremy. "Its first ruler, and quite possibly its last. Hopefully you can find some way to slither out of your pitiful amount of acres. You're both safe. For now."
*Ryuji's Elimination Confessional:
"So I was voted out, oh well. I sort of knew it was coming the whole time, and I certainly am not going to be freaking quiet down in the Shameterranean, I will be making as big of a fuss as I possibly can down there and hopefully I'll be able to find my way back above ground!"
End Confessional*
4th Wave: Alltud (Angelo, Arianna, Axel, Carol)
The four Alltud came in shivering, for the sun had already set. Chris appeared in a nice warm jacket. "Greetings Alltud! It's been quite a loooong time since I've last seen ya."
Axel stood up. "Save it, Chris. We all want to vote off Arianna. Send her down, and we can get some sleep."
"No, Axel, we must do this the correct way."
Confessional: Chris
"In any other circumstances, I would've allowed it, but I purposefully made the other elimination ceremony shorter, so we could actually see Alltud here tonight."
End Confessional
"So, Arianna, Axel is convinced that you are going to be sent down tonight. How does that make you feel?"
"Cut the bullshit, Chris." Arianna crossed her arms. "I know you watched everything already, which means you should already know our plan."
"So, you think you got the balls to return? Having to place the Druidic Artifact on the True Resting Place? If you fall down a Pit of Peril, your game is done forever? If the Druidic Artifact falls down a Pit of Peril, the Shameterranean shuts down?"
"You see, Chris, I might not know what any of those things are or mean, but I have one thing that the other people down there don't have."
"And what might that be?"
"Him." Arianna pointed at Axel.
"Maybe you should just take the Druidic Artifact and toss it down there because that's where you fucking belong." Axel muttered.
Chris nodded. "Yeeaaahh, he totally seems to be on your side."
"You know what, yeah, Axel, you make a good fucking point." Arianna rolled her eyes. "I will toss it down there so when you do get eliminated, you have no chance at returning back to the game."
"Carol, Angelo, how does this dynamic of Axel and Arianna make you feel?"
Angelo spoke first. "Just as long as neither one of them brings me into their drama, then they can be as mad at each other as they want, but as soon as they start going out of their way to involve me or Carol in any of it, then I don't really care which one of them leaves, but one of them has to go."
Carol rested her hand on her palm. "I just want to know which one of them will finally pop the question."
"WHAT?" Arianna shrieked so that it woke up Clan Cumhachtach.
"Ew, villain lips." Axel scoffed.
Angelo snickered. "Quite frankly, I agree with Carol."
Arianna flipped Angelo off.
"And with that." Chris announced. "It's time to vote! Axel, make your way to the voting booth!"
Confessional: Axel: Clan Alltud
"Really Chris? Is this necessary to do?"
End Confessional
Carol went up next.
Confessional: Carol: Clan Alltud
"Can't wait for the wedding to start!"
End Confessional
Angelo went up next.
Confessional: Angelo: Clan Alltud
"I hope you learn a very valuable lesson down there."
End Confessional
Finally, Arianna.
Confessional: Arianna: Clan Alltud
"This isn't the first time I threw my vote away, but you know what? I don't really care anymore!" Arianna yelled so that the entire clan plus Chris and Chef could hear her too. They all stared at her, confused from the bonfire, wanting to say something, but deciding against it. "I just wanna be out of here, away from you fucking oaf of a human being. You know what? Because of fucking Angelo and Carol, I will hate you even more now. In fact…" Arianna scribbled a name down and held the vote up to the camera. "Alltud doesn't get to have a king. Stop acting like one!"
End Confessional
Chris took a bow as Arianna came back. "I'll go tally the votes."
Carol shook her head as she and Angelo couldn't stop snickering.
"I can hear you two." Arianna glared at them.
"We could hear you, too." Axel crossed his arms.
"Because I wanted you to fucking hear me. It's the only time you have ever listened instead of constantly spitting."
Confessional: Angelo: Clan Alltud
"Oh my goodness the nerve of this girl! All she's ever done is spit! Not defending Axel because let's face it, dude always had it out for her, but man she is going about it in the most petty and vindictive way. Seriously, just release that sexual tension you guys, it's fine."
End Confessional
Chris returned with the votes. "I have tallied the votes. If you are the person with the most votes, bring me your torch. You will then follow Chef to the Shameterranean."
Arianna stood up.
"First vote." Chris flipped it over. "Arianna. Second vote… Arianna."
Arianna put her torch on the torch holder placed in front of Chris. She crossed her goosebump ridden arms and tapped her foot.
Chris said nothing about Arianna presenting her torch to be snuffed. "The third vote…
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… Axel." Chris began to speak slowly. "That's…" He raised two fingers. "Two… Votes… Arianna…" He raised one finger. "One… Vote… Axel… " He put his arms behind his back. "One… Vote… Left…
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… "OH MY FUCKING ISLAND GODS!" Arianna, this time, woke up Clan Mealltach. "JUST SNUFF MY FUCKING TORCH ALREADY!"
Chris gleefully smiled as he kept waiting.
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Chris still had not even put his arm in the voting jar.
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Chef picked her up, and placed her right next to Axel although she had originally been sitting in the seat furthest to him.
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"WHAT?" Everyone on Alltud stood up at once.
"No, of course not you guys! It's ARIANNA! Okay? Geez, some people just don't understand sarcasm. Ugh!" Chris facepalmed.
Arianna brought up her torch once again because an intern had already put it back with the clan's other torches.
"Arianna." Chris said, very dramatically. "Your clan…" Arianna crossed her arms and rose an eyebrow. "Has spoken." His finally, finally snuffed her torch.
She followed Chef to where the others heading to the Shameterranean were gathered.
Chris turned to face the remaining three Alltud members.
"Well, Alltud, you guys are taking a big risk, possibly sacrificing your game to focus more energy on taking out the villains down below. I hope to see you here more often. For now, head on back. Goodnight!"
*Arianna's Elimination Confessional:
"Well Axel, I'm fucking heading to the fucking Shameterranean for you to do this fucking plan. Just know that I'm expecting you to be fucking grateful as fuck when I come back up victorious. Maybe you'll deign to actually give me a real fucking chance. Alright, that's enough for now, I guess."
End Confessional*
Outside the Entrance of the Shameterranean: Alice, Arianna, Michael, Ryuji
"'Aight maggots." Chef stormed past Michael, Alice, Ryuji, and Arianna and opened up the doors to the Shameterranean. "The four of y'all have to head-"
"Chef!" Ryuji pulled out his force merge medal. "Before we head in. Can I play this?"
Chef grinned.
"That you can, man!" He snickered. "You played it just in fuckin' time too."
"Wait… what is that and what does that mean, he 'played it just in time?'" Arianna asked.
"Don't know, don't care!" Michael called as he rushed into the Shameterranean. "See ya later, suckers!"
"Guess I'll go in too!" Ryuji decided as he sprinted in afterwards.
"Hey, wait, no head starts!" Alice rushed in as well.
"No, what's that mean?!" Arianna crossed her arms as she stared down Chef.
Chef sighed, picked Arianna up, and tossed her through the Shameterranean doors before closing them.
"Get a move on, maggots!" He warned before the light of the night sky left Arianna's vision, and all that remained were the bioluminescent plants scattered around the caverns.
Location: Shameterranean
Contestants: Alice, Arianna, Laura, Mateo, Michael, Stan, Ryuji, Tiberius
Arianna took in a deep breath, a fraction of her anger gone. Now, where the fuck is the Druidic Artefact.
Though, it wasn't long until someone grabbed her arm. She let out a small yelp, but a hand over her mouth quietened her.
And then, they dropped her. Footsteps muffled away from her.
She tried to open her eyes, but they stung shut.
She tried and tried, rubbed and rubbed. Her eyes were able to open, but the green light made it sting.
Arianna could not make out the voices. Need to be closer.
She stepped forwards. The next step resulted in her hitting her head against the wall. She stumbled a few steps back.
"Thmm-mm… puppet…" She made out. Oh no. Oh hell no.
Arianna had to get out of there. She rubbed her eyes even further.
Another voice replied to the previous. "Wmm-nmm… pmm-" That last muffle was puppet again. "Loyal."
What the actual fuck am I experiencing?
The footsteps came back. Arianna could finally see the rim lighting around their faces, more specifically the jawlines.
"Aria, my puppet. Long time no see." Mateo glared at her.
"Perhaps we should put her to work." Laura glanced at Mateo. "Go to the underside of the Glas Woods. You'll get there faster if you go the tunnels." She pulled up a piece of paper. "Go down to my right. Pass by two exits, and go into the third one. You will find food and water for Mateo and I. If you go to the first left exit two times and right the fourth, there will be a little fire setup for you. Cook the food and boil the water. If we see you eating our precious food, you will be sent down in a Pit of Peril. Do you understand?"
Confessional: Mateo: Shameterranean
"Laura is so corrupted by her powers from up above. It's so... ...sating."
End Confessional
Arianna stood up, only for Mateo to push her back down. "I understand."
She would stick around for these guys.
For now.
In that moment of walking away from the couple, Arianna had never been so afraid of a piece of paper.
That piece of paper…
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Shift Camera Focus
Tiberius made his rounds.
As he turned the corner, he noticed them.
Not just Stan, Michael too.
Talking.
That meant only Frag was up above ground from the original Cumhachtach. Frag the cuck-king.
Tiberius willed it.
He would bring those two back under his rule, and they would help his ascend.
He would reclaim his throne.
As he made one step forward, he stopped.
He was able to more clearly hear what was going on between the two of them.
One of their many arguments.
"You called a special elimination to get rid of me!" Michael shouted, furious.
"Why the fuck do you think I called one? Because you were so focused on trying to become the ruler that you would undermine us at every opportunity! Besides, at least I won us acres before I called the ceremony! You don't get to claim shit like that! Face it, it's not my fault you're down here, you immature brat, it's your fucking fault!"
"That doesn't change the fact that you fired the first shot, asshole!" Michael shouted back. "At least I didn't vote off members of my own fucking clan when we had clear outsiders to choose instead! Come on, let's go, you and me, right here! Right now!"
"I'm not going to fight you, dumbass." Stan refused.
"Oh, I see, you're a fucking scaredy-cat coward cuck, is that it?"
"No, that's not it." Stan rolled his eyes. "You're fucking naked, and frankly not worth it. My energy is better served searching for the Druidic Artefact."
"All I hear are excuses from a pansy man who no one stans!" Michael cackled. "And look at you, afraid to get near me when it's clear I'm defenseless and in a loincloth. What, do you think I can defend myself with my dick?"
"NO! FUCKING HELL, MICHAEL, THAT'S DISGUSTING!"
"Then come at me!" Michael shouted.
"Fucking… That is fucking enough!" Stan threw his punch.
Michael ducked under it and tripped Stan before running off, the opposite direction of Tiberius.
Tiberius saw Stan fall.
Right down the Pit of Peril.
He rushed forward.
"Tiberius!" Stan's eyes widened.
"Stan." Tiberius looked down at Stan, holding the rim of the Pit of Peril, and doing his best to get back up, but the walls of the pit were slippery. He couldn't get a proper foothold.
"Tiberius!" Stan called as Tiberius knelt down and took his gauntlets off so that he could better grab onto Stan. "Brother…" Stan managed to lift his hand just a bit. "Help me…"
Tiberius grabbed Stan's wrists.
He held them firmly.
Stan smiled.
Tiberius smiled back at him.
Then their eyes locked.
And Tiberius remembered.
He remembered his betrayal.
He remembered Michael's words.
He remembered Stan's position.
He thought about how it could have come to this.
How did his clan of strength fall so low?
It had to have happened because of Stan. Stan had the power.
What could Stan have done, to his Cumhachtach clan?
Tiberius's smile flipped upside down.
"Long live the king."
Tiberius stood up. He put his gauntlets back on.
Stan would not join him.
Tiberius willed it.
Shift Camera Focus
"Arianna, Arianna is that you?" Ryuji asked.
"Ryuji?" Arianna turned around. She had been gathering food for Mateo and Laura. "I'm just, uh, stockpiling some grub so I don't have to worry about it later. What are you doing here, Ryuji?"
"Just, y'know, looking around and stuff." Ryuji shrugged. "I've been lonely though that's for sure. But now that I've got you, I have a proposition I want to make."
"Oh yeah, and what's that?"
"I want us to team up." Ryuji offered a hand. "Or, I guess, as they say this season, clan up."
"Why?" Arianna rose a brow. "You know what the rules say, only the person who puts the DA down in its true resting place gets to go back up."
"Well, what if we take our chances placing it down together?" Ryuji suggested. "It might not work, but then again, it also might."
"Hm…" Arianna thought to herself.
Confessional: Arianna: Shameterannean
"Well, I have the tunnels that I can hide in thanks to Mateo still being dumb enough to believe I'm still his puppet, but Ryuji is some outside assistance. He can go looking so I don't have to, meanwhile, I can just snatch it from him if he gets too untrustworthy, but considering we've spent time on each other's clans and he's willing to trust me with this, I'll let him have his alliance. For now."
End Confessional
"I'll agree on one condition." Arianna determined. "What did you hand Chef to play before we were dropped in here?"
"Oh that?" Ryuji grinned as he and Arianna shook hands. "I just forced the merge to happen."
Fear filled Arianna even more.
The merge was about to happen.
There wasn't much time left.
Shift Camera Focus
Alice saw her heading along a cavern pathway.
Laura.
Clan Cyfrwys's iron-willed former queen.
She would be useful.
Her cunning, her determination, her beauty, all things Alice could surely use.
"Laura!" Alice called out sweetly.
Laura turned.
Alice.
Not Cyfrwys, not royalty, not worth it.
She strode towards Alice.
"Hold on, hold on!" Alice cried.
"What?" Laura rolled her eyes. "Give me reasons why I shouldn't pick you up and rid myself of your pretty face."
"I can be helpful, Laura, I'm here to help out!" Alice reassured her. "I'm a pair of eyes for you. I can make sure you see things without needing to be there."
"I already have some extra eyes."
"Well, I can corroborate details." Alice smirked as she flicked her hair behind her ear. "I'll make sure that your other 'eyes' don't deceive you. And… I can be more than just an extra pair of eyes…"
She wrapped her arms around Laura's neck and pressed chest up to hers.
Laura didn't hesitate. "Then show me…" She demanded with a snicker as she wrapped an arm around Alice's posterior and their lips met, smacking against each other.
Alice pushed Laura up against the cavern wall.
Laura rested her foot against it as she introduced her tongue to the equation.
It equaled another useful minion to help her find her way back up.
11 Above Ground. 17/36 Remaining.
The Votes (for those who are curious)
Cumhachtach:
Frag voted for… Michael
King voted for… Michael
Michael voted for… Setsuna
Setsuna voted for… Frag
Mealltach:
Alice voted for… Rose
Jarri voted for… Alice
Maggie voted for… Alice
Rose voted for… Alice
Cyfrwys:
Jeremy voted for… Kalyssa (doesn't count)
Kalyssa voted for… Ryuji
Ryuji voted for… Kalyssa (doesn't count)
Alltud:
Angelo voted for… Arianna
Arianna voted for… Axel
Axel voted for… Arianna
Carol voted for… Arianna
AN: Wow that chapter took a while to write, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! Now, onto the stuff about characters. First, the people who were voted off. Next, the Stan who was eliminated.
Michael: Michael is a fucking blast to be writing and I hope his antics amuse those who read them, but boy is he in a pickle now. He's got no allies in the Shameterranean and Tiberius will probably not be quick to ally with someone who couldn't even stay king for a single episode. He'd be easily manipulated by Alice, or Laura, or Arianna. He's going to need to do things quickly and efficiently if he wants to survive. Let's see if he can pull it off.
Alice: Well, she did find herself a new tentative ally in Laura, so she has some wiggle room, but I don't think she's as safe as she may think she is. Laura's obviously not in this for anyone's benefit but her own and as soon as she gets tired of her, nothing is stopping Laura from yeeting Alice. So Alice is going to need to watch herself going forwards.
Ryuji: Ryuji really got swap screwed but at least he made sure to play that merge idol, which means, yes, the clans will be merging. Now he's down there with Arianna, who, with help from Axel, is arguably the best person for him to have possibly befriended. Ryuji's biggest obstacle comes in the form of Michael, Tiberius, Mateo, and Laura. They could all yeet Ryuji down Pits of Peril if they got the drop on him, and at least one (Mateo) has made that his strategy. Thankfully, Ryuji's proven time and again that he can go toe to toe with Cyfrwys in a game of wits and come out on top. It's just that this game will be the most important one.
Arianna: Arianna is, i think, really confused right now, to volunteer for a mission so reckless, for people she doesn't even like, especially when Axel was already willing to volunteer instead, but she's actually probably the most likely to pull it off from where I'm looking at things. Mateo thinks she's on his side so she can use tunnels. Ryuji wants to work with her, and if she happens to run into Michael, there's no reason she can't bring up their 'alliance' that they made with King earlier and decided to work together. This is where Tiberius becomes a problem however, but still, he's only a singular problem.
Stan: And now, onto our truly eliminated contestant, Stan. Stan was a strange character. I didn't think he'd have much going on for him when I first started outlining Crios Cath, but then his rivalry with Michael began to develop, and writing his more serious and honest nature in contrast to Michael's shenanigans was a blast for me. I think Stan is a great character, and personally, I wouldn't mind seeing him return for a try on a season that's a little less gimmicky than this one.
Having studied his actions throughout the season, Stan receives the status of: Neutral
Because my goodness he didn't really do anything heroic or villainous. His one big BIG action was calling a special elimination, and even that can somewhat be attributed to be the result of Michael's actions rather than Stan making the decision independently of influence. It was less of a question of morals and more of a question of personal preference. So yeah, neutral.
Stan's best moment:
I'd say, it was when he said "But I'm Stan, the man with the plan." Way way back before Michael forced everyone to strip. We may never know what that plan was. Honorable mention to his confessionals that would mirror Michael's.
But that's just my opinion, what do you guys think?
EN: Whew. Writing this one was… uh, A LOT OF FREAKING FUN OMIG (oh my island gods, it's a thing now. write it in your reviews). I really hoped you like this one because I had to sacrifice my painting time for this. And on Monday, I'll have class! We all blame Doobop though. (even though he didn't force me and I technically agreed to sacrifice, we still blame him). The songs were a lot of fun to do. We tried to make them songs you guys might already know, and if you don't, you might wanna listen to them as you read the lyrics. It's pretty epic. At the very least, you know I'll Make a Man Out of You.
… right?
Also, um, it's a silly chapter, but also very serious, I really hope you got that out of this. I mean, we are nearing the midpoint afterall. It's only natural that this would happen. What else do I have to say? Bagels are delicious. I love bagels. Bagels are good to dip in tea. My ultimate breakfast. Every freaking morning.
AN2: Do you like fun? Do you like free? Our discord server is a fun and free text and audio chat where we talk about all this total drama shit and sometimes liveread. You should join us! The link is on my profile page.
EN2: Outline Quotes:
"Alice seduces Michael this time to get information out of him, and rubs the metal of the medal on his lip or something, cuz that's hot, right?"
"No need to roll. Doobop, just everything goes to shit. It's all that happens. What else are you gonna do? Nothing. It's just shit and elimination. "
"Setsuna: Frag (random still, King sighs)"
"Frag becomes king of Ffydd for one night."
"Ryuji pulls up the Merge Medallion, and is like, yo, Chris, can I play this? And Chris like fuck yeah."
"Michael pulls some shit or something, and now Stan is hanging off of the PP."
"Tiberius then thinks back to how Stan treated Tiberius' clan."
"Ryuji finds Arianna while she is collecting food and they be like 'Ayyy, we Alltud and Cfrwys!'"
A lot of them this chapter. We were having fun.
AN3: And as always, thanks for reading!
