TDNKCI: Episode 18: "I Will Fly, Or Fall"
The Jury's Recap
"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua...The-"
"CURSED ISLAND!" Azami cheerfully took over for Kyle, unable to contain her excitement at getting to give a recap.
"OUR FAMILIES CAME BY!" She proudly boasted. "Well, MOST of our families. But Daniel and Freya had each other so...actually that sounds like a bad time, oops. BUT! They did win the challenge that came with the curse and could have partaken in an amazing feast, but they both gave up that reward so that the REST of us could spend time with our loved ones. Even if Freya clearly just wanted the advantage and Daniel clearly just wanted to pander to the jury. The FUN challenge came in the form of a PIRATE BATTLE, and I was a CAPTAIN! It ended up being girls vs boys and we TOTALLY would have kicked those boys into last week if it weren't for that BS lightning strike, sinking both our ships, leaving us all vulnerable.
Then, SOMEHOW, I was voted off! I'm not sure who the real mastermind behind it is, but i KNOW it isn't Barnard, so he's for sure who I'd be rooting against right now."
"Really?" Lena growled. "It's that little shitstain with the grey hair and the Curse Tiki I want to see gotten rid of! I'd beat him out of the competition myself if I could!"
"I'm glad you think that!" Chris smiled as he walked in on the jury's recaps.
"Is there a problem?" Kyle wondered. "I thought we would handle this portion for the season."
"Oh, no problem, Kyle." Chris dismissed Kyle's worry. "The jury is doing fine. That said I do need to borrow...you two." he pointed to Samuel and Lena
"Oh for fuck's sake." Twilight groaned. "Again McLean? Another Final 5 challenge like the last two?"
"Oh that's right, it's the Final 5 challenge." Sherwood nodded. "Guess that means its time for players' pasts to come back to bite them."
"We do have a returning contestant…" Kaden mused. "How far into the past are we talking here?"
"I'd hope just this season." Antonio shrugged.
"In any case…" Tori smirked. "It looks like things are about to get interesting."
"YOU BET THEY ARE!" Azami shouted into the camera as Chris led Samuel and Lena away. "WHO is going to get totally WRECKED by us coming back from the grave? Find out right here…"
"On Total Drama Nui Kaua!" The rest of the jury joined in. "The Cursed!...Island!"
*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*
Location: Po'ino Bonfire Pit
Contestant(s): All Remaining
"Attention Final 5!" Chris announced as he rode up on an ATV to where the five remaining contestants were lounging around the smoldering pit, waiting for the rain to put the fire out completely. "It's curse time!"
"Already?" Jaime yawned.
"Yes, Jaime, already!" Chris chuckled. "Now...this curse can only be given out freely to a single one of you. Who wants it?"
"I want it." Daniel wasted no time.
"Damn it…" Barnard lamented his slower reaction.
"What's going on?" Lucien, who had been dozing off watching the rain, rubbed his eyes to come back to full attention.
"Daniel just took the curse of the episode." Freya informed him. "Not that any of us have any idea as to what it could be. Guess he's just that desperate, even with that Curse Tiki."
Daniel rolled his eyes.
"Sling me through the mud all you want, you basically said last week that you'd campaign for me if you saw me in the finals, so if that's all I need to do, that's what I'll do."
Confessional: Daniel
"We've already had a curse that nearly eliminated me, clearly they're only rewarding from here on out."
End Confessional
"This curse…" Chris revealed with a smile. "Is the Politician curse! Daniel, you will be carted up to the top of Mt. Immolate where a wonderful feast is waiting for you to eat, and you can invite one other player or jury member to share the reward with. The feast will last until the Final 5 challenge starts, and during this feast, if you choose to bring a juror, they are required to answer your questions honestly. Of course, you can also use the time to talk strategy with another contestant still in play, and that might just save you from elimination this week!"
"I see." Daniel nodded. "Hmm…" He began to think as he looked over the four other players, and at Chris. "And I can only choose players or jurors right?"
"That's right." Chris nodded.
"Then I choose…" He pointed. "Barnard."
"Oh, sweet!" Barnard stood up. "Thanks man."
"Whatever." Daniel rolled his eyes.
"Alright then!" Chris smiled and gestured towards the ATV. "The two of you get in here, as for the rest of you, Freya, Jaime, Lucien, I've got nothing for you. Have fun waiting around for the challenge!"
Confessional: Jaime
"I'll be stuck with Freya and Lucien. I don't think I'll be having much fun."
End Confessional
Location: Merge Cabin Porch
Contestant(s): Freya, Jaime, Lucien
"Final 5…" Freya's grip on the chair she was sitting in tightened.
"Almost there." Lucien nodded. "Wonder what Barnard and Daniel are talking about?"
"Probably which one of us to get rid of." Jaime stretched. "I don't think Barnard is about to forgive me for voting Azami off like that."
"Ah, so it was you who was that third vote." Freya turned her head. "For a second I had thought it might have been Barnard himself. The two of you have kind of been joined at the hip for a lot of the merge after all."
"Well, alliances are helpful." Jaime shrugged. "But it was clear to me that a Demon was going to go home last week. I figured I might as well have a say in who it was."
"Too bad you got rid of Azami and not Barnard though." Lucien chuckled. "Now us guys outnumber you, and two of us benefit from that Curse Tiki that Daniel has. It's the Final 5, no way is he saving it for later than this unless he manages to win immunity."
Confessional: Lucien
"The Final 5! I'm in the Final 5 dudes! Ohhh, this is pretty sick, not gonna lie. Best part is Daniel's got that Curse Tiki which means unless he takes the biggest risk of all time, I'm pretty much in the Final 4 too assuming he doesn't win his own immunity. Right now I'm most concerned about that pair of Demons, but Freya is an extremely, extremely close second. I'll be honest, I have no idea what's about to come my way, but I am with the two players left who have watched the more recent seasons, and they both seem to be that level of afraid you get before going to a dentist. Something scary is probably around the corner. Hopefully it won't be geese again."
End Confessional
Confessional: Jaime
"I'm at the Final 5. That's good, and that play to take out Azami was also nice, but if Freya only had just kept her mouth shut the blindside would've been way better. Now it sort of looks like she convinced people to vote off Azami to the jury. Whatever. The Final 5 challenge is what matters right now. Not anything anyone might have planning. Historically, on this island, the Final 5 challenge has brought back previously eliminated contestants to in some way hinder our ability to win immunity or vote. For Freya, I can't think of anyone other than Molly or Aubrey. For Lucien, Samuel is the easy pick. For Daniel, Lena, hands down. But Barnard and myself, that's a little harder. One of us probably has Helen if what Isaac said about not being able to review footage to be true. But who would the other one have? Azami? In any case, the challenge is usually something otherwise entirely simple, so I should focus on keeping myself in good shape and mental space."
End Confessional
Confessional: Freya
"Take a breath…" Freya holds a hand to her heart as she calms herself down before starting her confessional. "Here I am, at the Final 5...This is my chance...my chance to prove to a certain someone that I'm the better player. To prove to myself that my early elimination nearly a year ago was a fluke. I know I'm about to be judged incredibly harshly by whatever judge I have. That's fine. But unlike that same certain someone, I'm going to earn immunity without resorting to any sort of emotional manipulation. No seduction, no coercion, no deals. It's important to me, more than anything else, that I get through this round and into the Final 4 on my own merits. I will fly, or fall, as the Valkyrie, not the Banshee, tonight."
End Confessional
Location: Mt. Immolate Summit Feast
Contestant(s): Barnard, Daniel
"Alright…" Barnard said as he and Daniel took a break from eating their fill of delicious food. "You called me here for a reason, what was it?"
"To take you away from Jaime." Daniel shrugged. "I don't want the two of you meeting to plan out anything."
"Oh, and here I thought you actually wanted to talk with me about strategy and, say, getting rid of Freya."
"Why would I want to get rid of Freya when I have two Demons who might still be working together?" Daniel rolled his eyes. "Paying her attention only works out poorly for you in the long run anyways. Better to just keep your distance until she throws herself up against a wall she can't climb up."
"So, you're saying I need to vote off Jaime if I can…" Barnard sighed.
"I'm saying you won't win." Daniel shrugged. "Whatever it is you're planning to do, you're planning just one episode too late, and it's all thanks to that comment of Freya's at the last elimination ceremony"
Confessional: Barnard
"It's the Final 5, and things aren't looking good. I was as sure as the rain that falls from the sky this time of year that Freya would be everyone's target at that last elimination ceremony. She's in good with most if not all of the Jury members, she's a returning contestant who is somehow still in the game along with four players who I would assume still want to see her eliminated, and she's the last Banshee, with an advantage to use in the upcoming challenge. She's quite frankly too powerful, and while it might be risky to openly go after her, I need to. I'm not winning unless I take her out first, and Daniel or Lucien second. I just need Daniel to play that Curse Tiki so Jaime and I can vote off the Banshee together. The problem then becomes Daniel seems to also be gunning for me. Gah, it's so annoying when those two end up targeting the same person! Guess I should be glad I'm getting well fed for the challenge, because I could really use some immunity right about now."
End Confessional
Confessional: Daniel
"Making it to the Final 5? Eh. Doesn't feel like that big of a deal to me. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't getting at least a little nervous. We're very close to the end and thanks to a comment made last week, I'll be pretty much forced to play that Curse Tiki unless I can somehow win immunity over these other four. I'm not too worried about Barnard since when he's on his own he isn't very threatening. It's actually Lucien that I'm most worried about right now. I'd rather as many people as possible be immune come the ceremony, that way I can play the Curse Tiki and have an easier choice deciding on which one of these other three to get rid of since the blonde idiot benefits from my hard work. Both Barnard and Freya are great choices of course, but I'd rather not let Jaime make another big play, even if it's with my help."
End Confessional
Location: Merge Cabin Girls' Side
Contestant(s): Freya, Jaime, Lucien
"You know what I could go for right now?" Freya asked the other players in the room from the chair at the vanity desk, after making sure she was satisfied with her appearance. "Some tea."
"Too bad we have no stove, leaves, or kettle." Jaime responded as she and Lucien squared off in a Jenga match.
Lucien bit his lip as his turn came up.
"Why did you take the last good piece, Jaime?" He complained with a smile.
"Because it was the last good piece." Jaime crossed her arms, a little proud of the corner she'd backed him into.
"Oh wait…" Lucien smirked as he found one that seemed loose enough to come out. "Yes...yes...come to Luci...come to Luci...yes...YES!"
He cheered as he successfully removed the block and continued the jenga tower.
"What?" Jaime's eyes widened. "HOW?"
"I'm just that awesome today, I guess." Lucien chuckled.
Freya turned in the chair and began to pay more attention to the increasingly intense Jenga game, unable to help but smile.
Jaime and Lucien both took turn after turn.
The tower grew and grew.
Fewer and fewer moves became available to make.
"Oh come on…" Jaime lamented. "You have the height advantage on me here…"
"Hey…" Lucien reclined back into his chair. "I can't control my genes or yours."
"Here." Freya stood up and took a cushion pillow off of her chair. "Should give you a boost to even out the playing field."
"Uh...thanks I guess…" Jaime took the cushion before returning to look over the tower.
She went for a block that seemed reachable, and the very second she touched it-
*BEEEEEEEEP*
The whole structure came tumbling down thanks to the rumbling created by the noise from the loudspeakers.
"Well shit." She lamented as all three of them began to pick up the pieces of the game.
"Good afternoon Final Five!" Chris announced over the loudspeakers. "When you all have a chance, I want you to meet me over on Nui Kaua Docks! Not only will I be explaining your next challenge, but you all have visitors this time!"
"Here we go." Freya sighed under her breath with a gulp.
"Oh more visitors? Sweet!" Lucien smiled.
"You say that now…" Jaime warned. "But I think these visitors will be decidedly less sweet than last week's."
Location: Nui Kaua Docks
Contestant(s): All Remaining
"Welcome, Final 5!" Chris announced as a very healthy and relaxed looking Barnard and Daniel reunited with the comparatively on-edge and hungry other players. "Your challenge this time is very, very simple. Follow five separate trails of clues to lead you to the location where our interns buried the Golden Tiki from last season! The first player to uncover it will win immunity...provided that your rival treasure hunters think you deserve it!" Chris smiled. "You see, each one of you will have a certain someone who will be waiting to mess with you at every single clue location, doing their utmost to make sure you lose the challenge since they each want you gone more than anyone else still in play! Let's start with...Lucien! Meet your saboteur!"
"How's it going guys?" Samuel asked as he stepped off a ferry and onto the docks. "Well, guys except Lucien." He gave Lucien an angered stare.
Confessional: Lucien
"Ooookay...Didn't think he'd be as mad as he is. Way to blindside the one guy who would hold a grudge for it, Luci."
End Confessional
Confessional: Samuel (Lucien's Saboteur)
"Ohhh, this has been a long time coming. Lucien, I brought so many things with me to the island that I'm sure you'll be having a fun, fun time getting caught in all my traps!"
End Confessional
"Here's the scroll containing your first clue, Lucien." Chris tossed Lucien a scroll. "Don't open it until I say so."
Lucien nodded as Chris turned to Daniel.
"Daniel...I think you can guess your saboteur."
"I can think of five possibilities." Daniel shrugged. "But out of all of them-"
"You're fucked, now, you little grey shitstain." Lena cracked her neck and knuckles as she exited the ferry.
Confessional: Daniel
"I mean, I still have that Curse Tiki, but you know, whatever."
End Confessional
Confessional: Lena (Daniels' Saboteur)
"I get that the little twerp has that fucking tiki of his, but no way am I letting him save it for the Final Four! He's either playing that thing and getting rid of his safety net, or he's not playing it and going home!"
End Confessional
"Barnard!" Chris turned his attention toward Barnard. "It's no surprise who you're getting, is it?"
"Let's just get this small reunion over with." Helen walked off the ferry, already looking completely done with the entire season. "I don't know what absolute tragedy forced the Final 5 to look like this but…" She turned her head towards Barnard. "I know who I want in the Final 4."
"Helen, you might want to review footage of the show-" Barnard began.
"Not allowed to." Helen shrugged. "Apparently that's only a job for the Jury, but I'm not inclined to believe you at your word considering the very week after I left, your team was dissolved, and Kaleaf was more than happy to explain how none of you listened to me, not really at least."
"Well what did you exp-"
"I expected you to shut up for once in your life and listen to the people around you!" Helen shouted. "And this attitude of yours is exactly why I'm here to make sure you don't win immunity!"
Confessional: Barnard
"Oh come on! I've been getting better, haven't I? She needs to chill out and let me explain myself! I've totally listened to people and stopped arguing!" Barnard attempts to think of an example he could use before remembering the camera is still rolling. "In, in any case, she clearly has no valid backing."
End Confessional
Confessional: Helen (Barnard's Saboteur)
"Barnard can try to argue all he wants, but it's not changing my low opinion of him, even on the extremely off chance he took what I said before my self-vote to heart after the team was disbanded, then I'd be upset that it fucking took that much of a blow for him to think maybe shoving his foot into his mouth at every opportunity wasn't such a good idea! No, I would honestly rather the money go to Freya or Daniel than that argumentative asshole!"
End Confessional
"Jaime…" Chris smiled at Jaime. "You're probably really wondering who it is, aren't you?"
"Uh, yeah, I really am Chris." Jaime nodded. "You could have brought, say, any return back for Barnard really, and you could have given me Helen."
"Actually, you had a volunteer." Chris smiled as he pointed to the dock.
Kaleaf stepped off.
"What?!" Jaime almost laughed. "Are you kidding me? How is he a good choice?"
"Simple." Kaleaf strode up to Jaime to attempt to intimidate her. "Your spot in the game...I deserve it more than you do."
"You're...you're kidding right?" Jaime rose a brow. She turned to Chris.
"He's kidding right?"
"I'm not kidding." Kaleaf shook his head. "I'm stronger, faster, better than you, but because you helped create a culture that vilified returns...that one" he pointed to Freya "was able to use that label as an excuse to boot me off of the game."
"Then why aren't you going after her?!" Jaime groaned.
"Because I already took some anger out on her, I sent her to Kokoke away from her team, but then you weren't able to get rid of her, and you've continued keeping her around since then too, I bet. I'm disappointed in you, and I can't let you soil the seat that should be mine any further than you already have."
Confessional: Jaime
"Is he serious? Is he fucking serious?"
End Confessional
Confessional: Kaleaf (Jaime's Saboteur)
"I am as serious as I've ever been. Jaime took my spot with anti-return rhetoric and she's used that spot to do absolutely fucking nothing about the one single return we all agreed sucked. I'm not about to let her into the Final Four when I have no reason to believe she's going to vote out Freya, or even Daniel, any time soon."
End Confessional
"And finally…" Chris smiled. "We have you, Freya."
"We have me." Freya nodded.
"Before we introduce your saboteur…" Chris grinned. "Go ahead and read your advantage that you received last week."
"Aloud?" Freya asked.
Chris nodded.
Freya unbound the scroll and read off of it.
"Your ability to vote cannot be taken away." She announced.
The other contestants all looked at each other.
"So that means…" Lucien realized.
"Oh yeah." The final saboteur stepped off of the boat. "If we feel extra disappointed in you, we can take away your voting rights! KIIIINGSTOOON!"
"Nick?!" Freya nearly laughed. "Oh, okay, I thought it was going to be Aubrey or Molly."
"Oh, it could have been…" Nick shrugged as he took off his shirt and began to bounce his pecs around. "But they don't have these."
"T-thats-" Freya shielded her face from going red.
Confessional: Nick (Freya's Saboteur)
"A hot, bitchy chick. That's all she is. That's all she's always been. And I'm going to expose that not only in front of her new boyfriend, but to everyone on national television. I know Aubrey seemed to think Freya was attempting to change when she and Molly were eliminated, but I say...a Banshee can't change its wail. Time for Kingston to get his slutty girl back!"
End Confessional
Confessional: Freya
"Look, I have a pit of a pecs fetish alright? It's embarrassing to admit, but I have one. If you're a muscular guy, it doesn't matter who you are, I kind of want to see you shirtless. That said...if Nick really is planning all his traps or whatever they are around attempting to seduce me back to him, then this is a bigger battle between that old me and this new me than I thought."
End Confessional
"And now that everyone has their first clue scroll…" Chris smiled. "If there are no other questions, we can start the challenge...now!"
Challenge: Loot it before you're booted!
Rules: The Final 5 will be following five separate strings of clues to the ultimate location where a Golden Tiki is buried. The first player to reach the specified location and dig up the golden tiki will win immunity. In addition, each of the Final 5 has their own personal saboteur, who will do everything (legal) in their power to stop them from completing the challenge, and should they still have enough of a grudge, the saboteur could take away their player's voting rights. A player with voting rights taken away can give up immunity (assuming they've won it) to get them back.
Advantage: Thanks to her Final 5 advantage, Freya's ability to vote cannot be affected.
Saboteurs:
Barnard's Saboteur: Helen
Daniel's Saboteur: Lena
Freya's Saboteur: Nick
Jaime's Saboteur: Kaleaf
Lucien's Saboteur: Samuel
Location: Merge Cabin Boys' Side
Contestant(s): Jaime (Kaleaf Sabotaging)
Jaime rushed, following her clue, into the boys' side of the merge cabin. "Now where is the next one?" She muttered.
"Hey!" Kaleaf knocked against the glass window to get her attention. "You might want to look up!"
Confessional: Kaleaf (Jaime's Saboteur)
"So, we aren't allowed to get physical with the remaining players, because well, obviously no one would ever win in that scenario, and while us saboteurs can get behind that outcome, the producers want someone to win immunity. So the next best thing is to hide the clues in nearly impossible places to reach!"
End Confessional
Jaime looked up to the ceiling where a fan was moving at an uncomfortably fast pace. Attached to one of its blades was a scroll.
"Oh, that's not so bad." Jaime went to grab a chair to pull the fan's chain and stop it, only to find that all the chairs were missing.
"Looking for those?" Kaleaf grinned as he moved out of the way to reveal all the chairs he'd collected.
Jaime rolled her eyes and went to leave the cabin, only to find the door locked from the outside.
She gave Kaleaf a glare through the window.
Confessional: Jaime
"Is this guy really so envious that I was chosen over him that he's trying to trap me in a single room? Geez, it's pitiful."
End Confessional
Jaime looked around the room and noticed that some of Barnard's puzzle boxes were still there.
"That's enough of a boost, I think." She mumbled to herself as she stacked box on top of box and finally stepped atop the small pillar to reach up and turn the fan off.
She grabbed and unfurled the scroll.
"That's the next area huh?" She sighed. "Alright, time to get out of here…"
She walked up to where Kaleaf was standing outside the window, and began a battle against him to open it as he tried his best to keep it closed.
"Nope, you'll have…. to pick that... locked door if... you want out…" He grunted.
"I'm not...about to...let you keep me here…" She grunted back.
Location: Mt. Immolate Summit
Contestant(s): Lucien (Samuel Sabotaging)
"Hunh...Hunh...Hunh…" Lucien groaned as he reached the summit of the volcano. "My feet...my poor feet."
"You should be glad you don't have to put up with going through this game barefoot like Daniel!" Samuel called from a hang glider as he circled overhead.
"Dude...it's pretty stormy out, is that even safe?" Lucien worried.
"Relax, You know I'm always prepared! Speaking off, I was prepared for you to come here!"
He tossed a small gooey ball down towards Lucien, who rolled out of the way to avoid the explosion of yellow paint.
Confessional: Samuel (Lucien's Saboteur)
"One of our first challenges was a paintball match...so I've decided to go ahead and create some paint bombs! I sure hope Lucien can concentrate on bungee jumping down the volcano with airfire coming at him!"
End Confessional
"S-Samuel, let's talk about this!" Lucien noticed that he'd have to bungee for his next clue. "What if you miss me and drench the clue on accident?"
"Then that's on you!" Samuel called back with another lob of a paint bomb, this one only missing Lucien narrowly, and covering his right leg in yellow paint from the impact splash against the ground.
Lucien quickly got himself into the bungee harness and looked around down the crater of the volcano to see if there was any sort of path he could take that might help him avoid the bombs of paint from above.
Confessional: Lucien
"Samuel certainly has a right to be upset, but it was for reasons specifically like the one I now find myself in that I sent him home before anyone else when I played that Curse Tiki. Like dang, dude, do you not see how OP you are right now? I sure as heck do!"
End Confessional
"Here goes nothing…" He gulped before taking the dive.
"Ho-ho-hoooly...craaaap!" He screamed to himself as he dodged paint bomb after paint bomb and they fell into the laving below, sizzling up instantly.
"Please don't snap, Mr. bungee cord…" Lucien pleaded as he managed to grab his next scroll and he ascended back up towards the top of the volcano.
"Get ready for paint!" Samuel yelled as a paint bomb hit Lucien square in his stomach and sent the blonde boy back down the crater for a second bungee.
"Oh man, not cool, bro!" He called up to Samuel.
Location: Nui Kaua Beach
Contestant(s): Barnard (Helen Sabotaging)
"Stop!" Barnard sighed, exasperatedly, as he continued to unearth the same scroll from the sand over and over while Helen shoved all the sand back on top of it over and over.
"No." Helen stalwartly refused. "I'm not letting you get immunity. And if you continue to whine like that, I'll take away your voting rights too."
Confessional: Helen (Barnard's Saboteur)
"Am I being a little too harsh? Yeah probably, but quite frankly every Demon deserves worse than forced menial labor. It's also my job to be harsh and make this challenge hard for him, so for just this once let me let my anger out, alright? Not like I'm trying to hurt him or anything sheesh."
End Confessional
"Helen…Ptoo." Barnard spat some stray sand out as he turned to face her, all without letting up on his digging. "Come on, you might not realize it but I actually reunited the Demons in an alliance, and we were in control of the game until just this week!"
"How convenient that I can't see it on the very episode when having that kind of alliance would help you the most." Helen wasn't convinced. "If I use Barnard logic, then it's more likely that you're simply lying to protect yourself."
"Oh, okay, I think I see what you're doing." Barnard nodded. "This is about how my witty banter-"
"It's anything but witty." Helen groaned out. "It's annoying, no one likes it, and mark my words if you aren't eliminated after this challenge, it's going to ultimately cost you the million."
"Hah!" Barnard managed to get his hand on the scroll as he unearthed it before Helen could dump more sand again. "Looks like it was enough to distract you, at least!"
"Damn it, Barnard!" Helen called as he took off and chased after him. "Learn to take criticism for once!"
Confessional: Barnard
"I like to think I'm perfectly capable of taking criticism. I simply supply some defense on my own part and some equally valid critiques of the other party. Sure, it can come across as annoying, but I won't be accused of wrongdoing in any sort of public forum and then not take an opportunity to defend or explain my actions. The sooner I can get Helen to realize where I'm coming from, the better."
End Confessional
Location: Kahakai Beach
Contestant(s): Daniel (Lena Sabotaging)
"Really?" Daniel sighed as he noticed the scroll in the middle of the bed of hot coals, and looked down at his bare feet.
He turned to Lena who was standing beside him, a smug grin on her face. "Really?" He asked again.
"Fuck yeah, really." She almost laughed. "I can't physically hurt you, but you need to be made to suffer for everything that you've done, and don't entertain the thought about being able to vote come this elimination ceremony either!"
Confessional: Lena (Daniel's Saboteur)
"This little shit's reckoning might finally be here, so I'm go to savor every fucking moment that I can. Unless he plays his Curse Tiki, the runt is so fucking gone given the events of last week's ceremony. Oh I can hardly wait to see him go through the same kind of hell he put Kyle through back before the merge!"
End Confessional
Daniel winced in agony as he strode across the coals, to Lena's genuine surprise, and picked up the scroll, before quickly running into the lake water to cool his severely burned feet.
"Ohhhh…" He relaxed for a moment as he opened up the scroll to read it.
"Wha-..." Lena pointed between Daniel and the coals. "What...how...How?!"
"I've been going barefoot for a long time." Daniel stretched as he stood up, but kept his feet in the water where they hurt significantly less. "And I'm not about to lose my shot at immunity either."
Confessional: Daniel
"Having Lena here with me almost makes me kind of nostalgic for when I actually had someone who got that riled up over me around to try and eliminate. The only player still even remotely like that is Freya, but she's much calmer about it than Lena is. However, I did say almost. After all, I'm only a couple of weeks away from a million dollars and the sweet, sweet release of financial freedom from the garbage bags of parents that I have to deal with."
End Confessional
Location: Mt. Immolate Cavern
Contestant(s): Freya (Nick Sabotaging)
"Why hello there." Nick startled Freya as she entered Mt. Immolate Cavern. He was still shirtless. "The clue will be intensely hard to find without some help such as, say...this flashlight." He held up a flashlight that Freya quickly snatched only to find that she couldn't turn it on.
"Of course it's useless with the batteries." Nick grinned. "I'll give them over if you agree to head behind that stalagmite over there and make out with me, like old times."
"A...uh, flattering offer…" Freya walked past Nick. "But I do have a boyfriend."
Nick went silent.
Then chuckled. "Aw, come on, babe, don't lie! We all know everyone except Aleister hated you!"
Freya's eyes widened as she realized that Nick truly had no idea what had happened in the episodes since his elimination.
"I would have assumed Aubrey would have told you, or maybe Molly." She shrugged as she turned back to face him, though she made a conscious effort not to look directly at him. "I'm with Kyle now, and I'm happy with him."
"Sure…" Nick sighed, not too thrilled about the news. "I guess I can understand that, but Kyle isn't here. He hasn't been here since the merge started, I know at least that much from Isaac. And you, Freya...you must be aching so badly for a boy to snuggle up to. Come on, I'm right here and willing. Kyle won't even see it if we head behind that stalagmite either. No one will."
Freya bit her lip as she backed up.
Confessional: Nick (Freya's Saboteur)
"I don't know how much about her being with Kyle is true, because when I was voted out, I'm pretty sure Kyle still wasn't that big a fan of hers. It's possible that they're rebounding off of each other I guess, but from what I can remember, no way can this babe resist an invitation from someone she finds attractive."
End Confessional
As Freya backed up further, she noticed a familiar area.
"I remember this spot…" She turned and walked towards a stalagmite that very clearly was not the one Nick was talking about. "This is where…"
She sighed and turned back to face Nick.
"Maybe you're right about me." She lamented. "I've done some awful, terrible, horrible things, and I should probably be grateful that the worst that's happened to me because of them is that I've been called a slut and lost just about everyone's trust."
"Then you're ready to give in! Woo!" Nick cheered. "KIIINGSTOON!" He approached Freya.
"WAIT!" Freya took a large step backwards.
Nick stopped.
"But the fact I recognize those things as awful...that's something I've been holding onto all this time. And I've been put through the wringer time and again on this island. None of the other contestants really want me around. But somehow...some way...I've managed to gain at least enough of their general trust that I'm not just some bitch to dump when they feel like it. I've been approached by nearly everyone left at one point or another since the merge began, actively trying to work with me. I didn't even need to manipulate any of them into doing it."
She looked Nick right in the eyes. "And I'm not about to throw everything I've learned, everything I've earned away for a few minutes of pleasure. I have a real boyfriend waiting for me when I get out of this purgatory of a game that is this season."
She tossed Nick his flashlight back. "Keep the flashlight. I won't deny that part of me was tempted by the offer, but that part of me is the weak Bloody Banshee, and that part of me is never going to guide my actions again."
Freya noticed that in Nick's nervous gaze, his eyes wandered ever so slightly to her left, and she followed them to see the scroll.
"No!" He called as she rushed to grab it before stomping his foot into the ground. "Dang it! It wasn't supposed to be this hard!"
Location: Nui Kaua Beach
Contestant(s): Jaime (Kaleaf Sabotaging)
"What the hell?!" Jaime shouted down as Kaleaf shook the palm tree she was slowly shimmying up to grab her next clue.
"You know exactly why this is happening!" Kaleaf barked as he slammed a fist into the tree and Jaime fell with a thud onto the ground.
"Ow, dammit, you colossal dick!" She snapped. "I could have broken a goddamn bone!"
"Oh please, you weren't nearly as high up as you needed to be for that to happen." Kaleaf rolled his eyes. "You're not the most athletic person in case you haven't noticed."
"Hard to notice anything when I have your constant stream of bullshit to deal with." Jaime snarked as she began to climb the tree again.
Kaleaf continued to shake, and soon the scroll fell out of the tree on its own along with the coconut it was attached to.
Jaime quickly dove atop it to stop Kaleaf from burying it in the sand, but taking a kick full of sand to the face in the process.
"Pleah..., pteh..., bleck.." Jaime coughed out the sand before getting up and reading the clue.
"There?!" Her voice nearly cracked before she rolled her eyes. "Whatever, time to get this over with."
Location: Weliweli Island
Contestant(s): Lucien (Samuel Sabotaging)
"Okay…" Lucien took note of his situation. "I have the clue...I know where I need to go…"
He looked out towards Samuel, who was quickly paddling away in the kayak Lucien had used to get to Weliweli in the first place. "But I have no vehicle to get there. Unless I want to walk the entirety of the Nui Kaua bridge on my feet...which...is not the best use of time considering it takes quite a while for Chef to drive across it, I'm going to need to build some kind of seafaring vessel using only the wood around here."
"Nice soliloquy bro." The intern filming Lucien smiled. "Just remember to make whatever you build big enough to fit me too, I can't believe Joey took off with my kayak too."
"Samuel's assigned camera intern is named Joey?" Lucien snicked. "Does he like sloppy joes?"
Confessional: Lucien
"Maybe it's not being invited to that feast, but I could go for some sloppy joes right about now. Guess we'll add it to our impossible grocery list along with Freya's tea. Oh that might be fun to make with everyone, an impossible grocery list."
End Confessional
"Well…" Lucien looked over the dead wood he had to work with, and then noticed the waves bring some more wood ashore.
"Oh…" He chuckled to himself. "Hey, intern, how good are your legs?"
"Fine I guess…" The intern replied. "I've been told I can run pretty dang fast."
"How about paddle boarding?" Lucien grinned.
Location: Merge Cabin Boys' Side
Contestant(s): Barnard (Helen Sabotaging)
"What the-?" Barnard noticed. "The door's locked."
"The window's open." Helen shrugged. "Not like you'll be able to find the scroll you need anyways."
"And why is that?" Barnard asked as he vaulted through the window and Helen followed him with a pleased smile.
"Because…" She said as she began to use the stray puzzle boxes to barricade the window, cutting off Barnard's escape. "You went to the wrong side of the cabin."
"Ah." Barnard realized before turning quickly skeptical. "Or I went to the right side and you're just trying to stall."
"Oh please, look at how messy this place was when we got here. We had to use the window. Obviously this is the location of someone else's clue, not yours. You went to the wrong side of the cabin, and I'm just using it to my advantage. We'll wait here until the challenge is over so I can be sure you don't win immunity, okay?"
"You keep bringing up making sure I don't win immunity." Barnard realized as he began to listen at the door for any hollow point he might be able to power his way through. "But you said earlier you were still on the fence about taking away my ability to vote, why?"
"Because I'm not the kind of person that would act so spitefully as to fundamentally take away your ability to play the game." Helen responded with a shrug.
"Glad to know you respect me enough to let me vote at least." Barnard's face lit up as he found a nice hollow section of the door.
"Oh, no, I respect myself. I find you pretty insufferable if we're being honest. I'd hoped you would prove to be Hubert-esque but given that you've somehow driven your alliance away from you, that was clearly too high a bar to set."
"Don't know who that is." Barnard sighed. "If it's one of your friends from a previous season, I'm sorry people are fundamentally different from each other. Now...I must bid you goodbye!" He shouted as he slammed through the door and forced the cabin open before running into the girls' room.
Helen looked into the camera devilishly and nodded her head towards some suspiciously fluffed pillows on the bed. The camera zoomed in to see the scroll just inside one of the pillow cases.
"That ought to hold him for a while." She giggled. "He might not be as self-reflective as that hoodie wearing detective, but he's got just as much hubris, maybe even a bit more."
Location: Kokoke Island
Contestant(s): Daniel (Lena Sabotaging)
"And it's attached to one of the bulls still running around here…" Daniel sighed as Lena laughed at the situation. "Figures."
"Oh man, you're so fucking fucked." She couldn't help but smile.
Daniel rolled his eyes as he stood his ground and grunted to get the bull's attention.
"What are you doing?" Lena growled quizzically.
The bull lowered its head and began to drag its hoof through the mud.
"Daniel, what the fuck are you doing?!" Lena raised her voice.
"Whatever I have to do." Daniel answered as the bull rushed both of them.
Daniel ducked in slow motion as he just barely managed to grab the scroll and avoid being gored by the beast's horns.
Lena rolled under the beast as well and kept the two of them down on the ground so that the bull wouldn't charge at them again.
"The actual fuck were you thinking?" She snapped quietly.
"I'll do anything before I go back there." Daniel sighed quietly as he got up and read the scroll.
He rolled his eyes again.
"Figures."
Location: Nui Kaua Field
Contestant(s): Freya (Nick Sabotaging)
"Come on Freya...just a single kiss is all." Nick smirked as he tauntingly held some garden shears out of Freya's reach. "Doesn't have to be romantic you know, it can just be, like a booty call or something. I can be a side piece for a while, it's no biggie on my part."
"It's not about if it's a biggie on your part!" Freya snapped as she rose from the grass.
"Come on, this is where we first made out too!" Nick urged her. "Don't you think you can let loose just this one time? Come on, I bet I'm the first person to let you know how ridiculously hot you are since Kyle got the boot, maybe even before then."
"Alright Nick...I'll give in." Freya clearly wasn't actually going to give in. "What's my last name? Answer that and I'll make out with you for a minute."
"Your last name is gonna be Kingston eventually~." Nick tried to flirt.
Freya wasn't amused. "You don't even know my last name do you? Kyle knows my last name."
"Well yeah, he watched your season so-"
"My last name wasn't ever mentioned back in Zero Sum." Freya shook her head.
"And this is the point I want to get across to you. You're just like all the guys I'd get with before Kyle. To them, to you, I'm nothing but some hot bitchy chick that's willing to make out with them. But he managed to see girl behind the banshee, and now that girl, the me I am now, is going to give the biggest fuck you she can imagine to the person who stole her spot two seasons ago by making it farther in this game than he did without relying on dubious tactics! And I'm not about to let someone who isn't even that good of a kisser seduce me away when my personal finish line is finally within reach!"
"Dammit, you aren't making this easy are you?" Nick groaned.
"'This'" Freya finger quoted "isn't being made hard for you, Nick, it's simply not an option!"
"Forget it then." Nick casually shrugged and began to walk away, constantly stopping to look back, hoping to see Freya looking at him, but she'd already gone back to searching for her clue in the grass.
"I guess she really was taking advantage of me the entire time." Nick sighed into a camera. "That's fine though, no way she'll-"
"Oh heck yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Freya cheered in the background as she held up a scroll.
"Probably doesn't even remember that that's the exact spot she frenched me." Nick shook his head.
Confessional: Freya
"Wooo! Freya Merrim gets her clues without doing anything to speed herself along! And let's be honest, it would have been really easy to seduce Nick into helping me considering that was somehow his plan? But I just proved to fucking everyone that I don't need to do that to be one badass bitch, so now it's time to rocket to wherever the final location is and-" Freya looks at the scroll. "Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me."
End Confessional
Location: Nui Kaua Docks
Contestant(s): Barnard (Helen Sabotaging), Daniel (Lena Sabotaging), Freya (Nick Sabotaging), Jaime (Kaleaf Sabotaging), Lucien (Samuel Sabotaging)
"And all five contestants and their saboteurs are en route back here to Nui Kaua Docks!" Chris announced as Barnard and Helen ran from the Cabins, Jaime and Kaleaf ran along the beach, Freya and Nick came down from the field, and Daniel, Lena, Lucien, and Samuel all either rafted or paddled back along the rough waters.
"McLean!" Freya called out.
"Chris, you fucking asshole!" Jaime shouted.
"Why the hell is our last location the freaking starting line?" Barnard asked just as angrily.
"Who cares?" Lucien was just rolling with it as he let go of his piece of driftwood and began to swim as fast as he could towards the underside of the docks.
"No you don't!" Daniel hopped off the raft that he and Lena were on and swam after him.
Jaime, Barnard, and Freya all followed suit as they ran towards the water.
"And everyone is under the dock!" Chris announced. "The first person to emerge with the Golden Tiki will be declared the proud winner of immunity, and then we can get to the even more fun part, seeing how many of the contestants are going to be allowed to vote!"
Chris looked over the end of the dock with his resting host smile.
"It's a dead heat.." He announced. "But I can see a shadow surfacing!"
Barnard emerged from the water, coughing.
"Barnard!" Chris announced. "Have the Golden Tiki?"
Barnard shook his head in disappointment.
Lucien emerged next, though he too was without the Golden Tiki.
"Oh...I see it!" Chris announced as he saw the shiny golden object rising up through the water.
"And the winner of the Final 5 challenge, immune for this elimination ceremony is…
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... Freya!" Chris held his hands up as Freya gasped for air, clutching the Golden Tiki to her chest.
Daniel and Jaime surfaced soon after, both disappointed in the outcome.
Confessional: Freya
"Oh yeah! Immunity, my vote can't be taken away, and I went through the whole damn challenge without tricking or seducing Nick even when he actively tried to get me to! And no medical evacuation is gonna happen this time, that's for sure!"
End Confessional
"And with Freya securing her spot in the Final Four, and Nick unable to take her voting rights away thanks to her advantage…" Chris announced as Freya excitedly pumped her fists in the background and Nick got onto a ferry to take the saboteurs back to Playa des Losers. "We can move on to the fates of the other contestants!" He turned to Kaleaf.
"Kaleaf, you were Jaime's saboteur. She has no immunity to trade for voting rights. Do you want to take away her ability to vote?"
"Damn right I'm taking away her ability to vote." Kaleaf nodded.
"The pinnacle of informed decisions." Jaime rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"Lena!" Chris moved onto Lena.
"Fuck Daniel. No vote."
"Figures." Daniel groaned.
"Samuel!" Chris moved onto Samuel.
"Hm...should I let Lucien vote?" Samuel thought to himself. "Well, considering Lucien made my vote worthless when I was eliminated, I figure it's only fair that I make his vote worthless as payment, and I'll consider this whole thing water under the bridge."
"Well, as long as that ends your paint bombs, I guess that's fine by me." Lucien chuckled.
"Finally, Helen." Chris smiled at Helen. "You gonna just give Freya the sole vote of the night or are you going to break the mold here and let Barnard vote too?"
"I'm letting Barnard vote." Helen nodded. "Not because of avoiding a sole vote or anything though." Helen dismissed Chris's attempt to start drama. "Just because I think only a tiki should be able to nullify votes."
"And there we have it!" Chris smiled at the Final 5. "One of you that isn't Freya is about to meet your maker, but only Freya and Barnard are able to vote tonight. Meet me back at the Po'ino Bonfire later and we'll find out exactly who is about to fall overboard!"
Confessional: Barnard
"Well, assuming Daniel does actually play the Curse Tiki, then my only possible course of action is to vote for Jaime. It sure does suck, but if she were really my friend, I don't think she would have voted for Azami like that last week. Still, it's really hard for me to just let the last other Demon go like that."
End Confessional
Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony
Contestant(s): Barnard, Daniel, Freya, Jaime, Lucien
Jury Present: Kyle, Antonio, Kaden, Samuel, Lena, Twilight, Aleister, Tori, Sherwood, Azami
"Final 5…" Chris announced with a smile as the Final 5 all sat around the Po'ino Bonfire. Freya was already holding her crystal ball.
She showed it excitedly to Kyle, who nodded back with a smile.
"Unless your name is Freya, one of your games is about to end here." Chris continued. "However, thanks to the challenge, Daniel, Jaime, and Lucien, you three are unable to vote."
"It's a pain, but of course Lena isn't going to let me vote." Daniel rolled his eyes.
Lena growled from the Jury bench.
"I mean, I guess I'm super bummed about it, but I figure fair's fair when it comes to Samuel taking mine away." Lucien shrugged. "Besides he says it'll all be water under the bridge if I put up with it, so I guess that's what I'll do."
"And I just had a giant man-baby." Jaime shrugged.
"So, Freya..." Chris turned to Freya. "What's the deal? Who are you going to vote for? Obviously if you vote for Barnard he'll be in a tie with whoever he votes for."
"Chris…" Barnard spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "I think she's going to vote for me anyways, since my only option, really, is to vote for Jaime, and I'm fairly certain Freya wants me around less than her."
"That's a reasonable assumption." Freya shrugged. "But it also assumes Daniel plays the Curse Tiki, which he doesn't need to do if neither of us vote for him. That's why my vote's going straight to him."
"Really?" Daniel cocked an eyebrow.
"Really." Freya nodded back at him. "I meant what I said last week. Anyone who willingly takes the unpopular player to the finale with them probably played a worse game and is going to have to answer to me if I'm on that jury. So I'm casting my vote for that unpopular player, and if Barnard is smart, he'll do the same thing."
"But...if both votes are cast against Daniel and he plays The Curse Tiki..." Barnard began
"Then everyone who isn't immune draws rocks." Daniel finished. "Looks like it's you with the choice Barnard. You either condemn your friend, because I am going to play that tiki, especially now that I know a vote is going my way. Or you can also vote for me and possibly condemn yourself right out of the game."
"Well, that's a nice gut punch isn't it?" Chris grinned. "Alright then, let's get to the votes. Freya, you're up first!"
Confessional: Freya
"I know you don't bluff, Daniel. But this vote is still going your way. I want it made clear to the jury that I want you gone."
End Confessional
"And finally, Barnard." Chris smiled. "You're up."
Barnard silently stood up and went to go write a name down.
He came back just as silently and sat down.
"I'll go tally the votes." Chris announced.
He didn't take very long at all.
"Alright." He held out a plate with three crystal balls as he beckoned Freya, who already had her own, to come stand near him, which she happily did.
"Three of you will be joining Freya in the Final 4." He grinned. "One of you, will not. If I call your name, you can come up and receive a crystal ball. The player that does not receive a crystal ball must immediately get into the Coffin of Shame and ride the Horror Hearse off of the island, where they will become the next member of our jury. But before I give out the crystal balls...if anyone has the Curse Tiki, and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so."
"Not in the mood for any sort of tiebreaker tonight, Chris." Daniel stood up as he held out the Curse Tiki. "If I can't vote, then I at least want to make sure I'm safe."
"This is the Curse Tiki." Chris announced. "Because Daniel, a Macabre Mummy is the one that played it, both Daniel and Lucien receive immunity. Any votes cast against them will not count. Daniel, Lucien, two crystal balls here are waiting for you."
Daniel and Lucien both walked up and grabbed their own crystal balls, joining Freya near Chris.
The host turned to face Barnard and Jaime.
"Demons…" He held up the last crystal ball dramatically. "This is the final crystal ball of the night…
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And it goes to…
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… Barnard." Chris held out the final crystal ball and Barnard took it.
Jaime glared at him.
"I'm sorry, Jaime." Chris announced. "Looks like your ride is here."
Chef honked from the Horror Hearse as the Coffin of Shame backed up to where the players were gathered.
"I'm sorry." Barnard sighed. "Truly, but you did betray our alliance first so-"
"I voted for a Demon first maybe." Jaime agreed. "But I didn't betray our alliance." She motioned between the two of them. "You could have at least gone to rocks, given me a fighting chance. The same chance I decided to give you when we formed the alliance in the first place. But now you've lost yourself a jury vote."
Without another word, she waltzed up to the Coffin of Shame and bid Chef to cart her away.
"And with that ceremony complete…" Chris turned to the camera. "We are now down to our Final 4! Only one more episode until our Finale! With no more tikis left to play, it's going to be an all out brawl to get to that Final Jury Vote! Who will be able to squeeze their way into the finals and who will see their game cut short? Find out next time!
On Total Drama Nui Kaua!
The Cursed!
Island!"
*Jaime's Final Confessional
"I played a good game, I think. I didn't really really wrong anyone, it was just Kaleaf being a big baby that cost me my game, but I do kind of blame Barnard too. Freya literally told him the way he could vote to keep my respect, but maybe because it was her that he didn't really believe her or something, I don't know. What I do know is that when he said he was ready to take risks, he clearly didn't mean risks to his game, he meant risks to his friendships, and that just royally, royally fucked him over. Unless he gets rid of Daniel next, my vote is heading to either Freya or Lucien."
End Confessional*
The Votes for those who are curious
Barnard voted for...Jaime
Daniel couldn't vote
Freya voted for...Daniel(doesn't count)
Jaime couldn't vote
Lucien couldn't vote
AN:
Jaime
Jaime wasn't originally a character that made it quite this far. (I think in the alpha outline she was like, around 10th place). But boy was she able to get extremely far thanks to that alliance she and Barnard made because both those characters needed something to do. She was a pleasure to write the entire way through, and her snark and comments provided a much more grounded comic relief than similar characters of previous seasons, which gave me enough free room to develop her as an actual character rather than just a sarcasm machine. This is probably best exemplified by her play last episode where she actively planned a big move, and then put it into action at exactly the right time.
Having studied her actions throughout the season, Jaime receives the status of: Neutral
She started out a little on the negative end since most of the Demons started out that way, but by the time of her elimination, she was clearly a slightly more positive force, if still incredibly sarcastic. But that can largely be credited to many heroes and neutral characters getting eliminated. Hence Jaime's more neutral status.
Jaime's best moment is a toss up for me. I cooouuuld give it to her blindsiding Azami or her conversation just now with Barnard, but I think, deep down, we all know her best moment is Rick Rolling the entire Jury (at the time) during the Nui Kaua Idol challenge. Every other contestant is singing some sort of personalized song about their own game and what they want or need or are feeling, but Jaime saw an opportunity and ran with it.
Of course that's all just my opinion. What do you guys think?
Any ideas for what this penultimate challenge before the Finale will be?
What about the penultimate curse?
And as always, thanks for reading!
AN2: Discord link is on my profile for anyone who might want to spend more time reading/talking about these fics! Or playing cards against humanity (now with some Zero Sum cards that we made ourselves).