Welcome to the first part of the first episode, fellow reader! You've been waiting for it, and now I'm gonna give it to you! I know you want to see your character(s) come to life, so this will be the beginning of their journey! Of course, there'll be more scenes of Chris McLean to help him develop, so there's that if you're still interested in his story.
School and work have prevented me from getting this done sooner, so I do apologize. I will start maintaining a routine schedule and not procrastinate on my work anymore.
So let's get right into the chapter! Enjoy!
A little over a week had passed since the day Chris McLean got hired as the host of a new reality television show that was set to premiere in the summer called, Total Drama. It was now Saturday, July 7th, and the concept had finally begun to take shape into reality. The host had taken time to not only study about the contestants that would be competing, but spend quality time with his boss, Matthew Westwood, Trish, Norbert, and a little bit with Thomas.
As Matthew had mentioned, the show would be taking place at a summer camp that's located on an abandoned island. Today would be Chris's first time at the island, as the others had already visited it before. When they all arrived early in the morning for setup, the host got a glimpse of what the summer camp would be like…
Needless to say, it was definitely different than what he had imagined. It appeared to be mediocre at best, with flies and bugs occupying some of the areas. The camp was still clean enough for a human to live at, but the smell would make it unbearable at times.
The island itself had more than a summer camp; it had an old dock that was surrounded by a small beach. There was a large forest behind the summer camp, a mysterious atmosphere following into the area of unknown. Next to the forest was an uphill that would lead to a cliff; if one dared to go off the edge, they would have a great fall into the water below.
Of course, there was more to the camp and island than one could describe, but only those who dare to explore would find more details and new stories to tell for the others.
Chris was currently near the dock, resting on a lawn chair with black shades over his eyes. He was in an attire that was more comforting for the outdoors: a short-sleeved, modern blue shirt with a long-sleeved, white shirt underneath — the sleeves of the undershirt poking out, cargo shorts, and blue-and-white sneakers.
There was a cooler next to him, as he grabbed a water bottle from it and drank a good amount, "Ahh! Nothing beats cold water on a warm, sunny day!"
"I think I'll have to disagree on that one, Chris!" a familiar voice came from the background. As Chris took off his shades and looked behind him, he saw Matt walking towards him with a grin. "Nothing is better than drinking juice or soda that's fresh from the refrigerator!"
Matt also appeared to be in casual attire, wearing a light green hawaiian shirt with white flower designs all over, blue pants, and green sneakers. It was noteworthy to point out that he was sporting a brown, money bag necklace.
"Are you enjoying this place?" Matt asked Chris with curiosity, noticing that he wasn't smiling. "I understand that you had high expectations of the summer camp, but don't put yourself down! There's a good reason why we chose this specific location!"
He walked around back-and-forth as he began to explain, "You see, my father wanted this show to be unique and different from the other reality television shows. The people already want to watch a group of strangers be forced to live together and socialize with each other under certain circumstances. That's what our show will be about… for the most part, at least."
He stopped and gave Chris a smirk, "However, there is one big difference between Total Drama and the other reality television shows. The answer? Intensity!"
"Intensity?" Chris repeated and asked.
"Yes, Total Drama will be much more intense than the other shows in many aspects!" Matt announced with excitement. "The challenges? Their limits will be tested! The living conditions? Not for the faint of heart! The drama? Absolutely explicit!"
"And of course," he was ready to conclude his speech. "They'll be protected under our safety and medical team, so everything will still be in good hands! There won't be any serious consequences, I can assure you that!"
After Matt had finished talking, Chris could only stare at him blankly before replying, "Mr. Westwood, I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but I never cared about the quality of the summer camp. Just as long as I don't have to live here, that's all."
Matt chuckled and gave him a pat on the back, "No worries! You'll only be around this area when you're doing your job! There's a special building that you'll be staying at! You're gonna love it!"
Suddenly, Matt's phone started ringing and as he picked up, he told Chris, "Good luck today, Mr. McLean."
And from there, he took off to answer. Given his reaction, it must've been someone important, but Chris didn't pay attention to the details. It could've been his father, or it could've been someone else. Either way, Chris could finally continue to relax in peace while enjoying a bottle of cold water.
But just as he was putting his shades back on, another person had decided to converse with him as well.
"Mr. McLean?" an unfamiliar voice asked for him. Much to his annoyance and slight confusion, he took off his shades again and looked back. "I'm right in front of you, sir."
Chris turned and saw someone in front of him holding a camera, startling him for a second, "Gah! What's with the camera?!"
"I'll put it down." the person simply replied, putting the camera down before staring at him.
The person was assumed to be male, as implied by the voice, appearing to be mysterious and strange. It was mainly because he was wearing a golden mask that covered his entire head and face, but there were small holes around the mouth area. The mask made him appear to have large black eyes, and his hair was possibly covered by the mask. His current attire consists of: a yellow tracksuit with black stripes running down the arms, golden sneakers, and of course, his golden mask.
Chris felt uncomfortable with the cameraman staring at him with a mask on, "Um… can I help you?"
The masked man continued to stare at him before replying with a short question, "Were you talking to Matthew Westwood?"
Chris still kept his guard up, but began to communicate with him, "Uh… yeah, I was. Why do you -"
"And what was he talking to you about?" the masked man interrupted and asked, having no emotion on his face.
Chris looked really skeptical and uncomfortable with him asking questions, but the masked man continued, "Whatever it was, I'm gonna be straightforward with you. He's not a trustworthy person, and you're just his little puppet that'll get toyed with until you're no longer useful to him."
"What makes you so sure?" Chris quickly asked before he could let the masked man interrupt him again.
The masked man simply shrugged, "I could be wrong about what I said. He could turn out to be a complete sweetheart or an absolute monster. But whatever the case may be, just do yourself a favor and keep your guard up around him."
As he picked up the camera, Chris wanted more answers from him, "Who the heck are you, anyway?! And what's with that camera?!"
The masked man began to walk away, but stopped to answer his questions without turning around, "Trish wanted to tell you that you'll be on set in ten minutes. So I'd suggest getting ready right now before I film you."
And then he walked away, leaving behind one Chris McLean with a lack of answers and more confusion. The masked man was most likely working for Total Drama as a cameraman, but his appearance wasn't the only thing that made the host raise an eyebrow. It was what he had told him about Matt, and how he couldn't be trusted deep down. Chris had only known him for a little over a week, but he never had a problem with him.
They weren't buddies or anything like that, but that could change in the future once they've gotten to know each other better. Despite his friendliness, Chris still pondered to himself about Matt. Who was more trustworthy between his boss and the cameraman? Could he even trust either of them?
He sighed and got up from the lawn chair, "What a weird dude." From there, he walked off with the water bottle to get prepared.
About five minutes later, Chris came out of a building with a smile on his face. He was definitely ready to go! And shortly after, Trish came out with him as well, sporting a white dress and teal sandals.
"So you remember what to talk about, right?" Trish asked him with a stern look. "I expect you to be at your best today, so don't mess up too much."
Chris gave her a smirk, "It'll be child's play! I've already studied the blueprints for the last two days! I'll get all of it in a few takes or less!"
Trish rolled her eyes at his arrogance, "Let me remind you that I'm at a rank that's higher than yours. I may not be your boss, but I'd suggest watching how you speak to me. Now do both of us a favor and tone down that arrogance."
Chris held his hands up in defense, "Hey, I just wanted to make sure you don't have any doubts about me. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being arrogant about something if you're good at it and can back it up. I'm not putting anyone else down, so it's all good!"
"I'm just saying," Trish replied to him. "I don't doubt you for a second, but if you keep up with your arrogant attitude, then your performance will go downhill."
"Like I said, I'll get it in a few takes or less." Chris gave her a genuine smile to assure her. "This isn't my first time being a host for a television show, you know."
"Well, a lot of people are having high expectations for you," Trish said to him. "Maybe I'm -"
"Mr. McLean!" a voice called out to him. "You're on set in two minutes!"
Before heading towards the voice, Chris wanted to say goodbye to Trish, but she beat him to the punch, "Good luck and do your best, okay? I'll see you around once you're done."
The two said their goodbyes and parted ways, as Chris had arrived to the person who called for him, who was standing near the dock. The guy was presumed to be a cameraman because of the camera that was similar to the masked man's.
"I'm here," Chris said to the cameraman.
"All of the cameras have been set up to fit all angles," the cameraman told him. "And there will be a distinct difference between which camera you'll be looking at and all of the other ones."
"Thanks, man!" Chris gave him a thumbs up. "All of our hard work is gonna pay off!"
"Let's hope so…" the cameraman said quietly to himself before calling out in a loud voice, "Gold! Hurry up and get out here to set up the main camera!"
"I'm right behind you," a voice said to the cameraman, startling him as he turned around and jumped back to see the masked man named Gold right behind him.
"Gah! When the hell did you -" the cameraman sighed and got back on topic. "Never mind… just start setting up the camera."
He walked away to set up another camera as Gold decided to converse with Chris while working, "I'm surprised you didn't take a boat and quit."
Chris shrugged, "Look, I'll just give it time and see what happens. Besides, you said it yourself, dude; you don't know if he's actually a good person or a piece of shit."
He decided to change the subject, "Let me know whenever you're ready so I can charm the audience!"
Gold held up his hand and started counting down, "We're ready at five… four… three… two… one…"
The moment Gold finished counting, Chris gave a bright smile for the audience, "Yo! What's up, everyone?! I hope you're doing well right now because we're here to provide you with a new source of entertainment! Hold on to your seats for a moment, because you don't wanna miss out on this!"
Chris saw the hand signal, indicating that he had to move towards a different spot. As he turned and moved, so did the main camera, and now part of the camp and island were part of the background. Before that, it was the dock that was part of the background.
After Gold gave him the thumbs up, Chris continued to speak, "We're coming at you live from Camp Wawanakwa! Located on Wawanakwa Island, an island that has been abandoned for quite some time before we came by to turn it into a place for competition."
He crossed his arms, "And speaking of competition, we've decided to have a group of strangers compete against one another in an elimination game, where one by one, they'll be eliminated from the game until there is one left remaining. That person will walk away with not only fame, but a cash prize of one… million… dollars!"
"I'm your host, Chris McLean!" he made sure to emphasize his name for the audience. "Dropping season one of the newest reality television show right here, right now!"
Gold then pointed at the dock, gesturing for Chris to walk towards there. The host nodded and reached the horizontal part of the dock where there was a sign next to him. It read, "Camp Wawanakwa" in red paint, and the sign was close to falling off into the water.
To film the next part, Gold simply got onto a small boat and a boat driver rowed it so they were in the correct position. The main camera was still standing, and the masked man gave a thumbs up after some quick adjustments.
"So here's the deal about the competition; twenty-four contestants have signed up to spend several weeks at Camp Wawanakwa, a traditional summer camp in Muskoka, Ontario that has been around for years, but has been infamous for its low quality," Chris continued to explain. "And they'll compete as teams and individuals in extreme challenges that'll push them to their limits!"
He began to pace back-and-forth while explaining, "But that's not all! They'll also have to endure the lifestyle of a camper, as they'll live together and take on the terrible quality of the camp! And of course, with a diverse group of young adults comes the high chance of drama and brutal judgment!"
He chuckled upon mentioning the last part, "After each challenge, there'll be a campfire ceremony to determine which person will be eliminated from the competition. And once they're eliminated, they'll have to walk down this Dock of Shame, take the Boat of Losers, and leave! Once you're gone, that's it!"
"There's a lot more to talk about in regards to the game," it was then that he decided to switch to a different topic. "But I think it's time we meet the contestants! Just to avoid confusion, there'll be a total of six boats arriving — four people per boat for the math fanatics!"
"So let's meet them, shall we?" Chris gave a wink to the camera, and the filming session for his introduction ended there.
Over at a docking station in Muskoka, there appeared to be many boats and ships of different sizes and models. From wooden boats to cruise ships, it was definitely a place for water vehicle lovers. The dock itself was very wide and there were multiple vertical parts pointing out to store all of the water vehicles safely.
There appeared to be six motorboats in total, each of them looking similar to one another. For each motorboat, there was a person watching and protecting it, as presumed to be part of their job. They were all wearing their uniforms, and they all appeared to be waiting for someone or something to arrive.
"What's the current time right now?" one of the male workers asked into the walkie-talkie. "My phone died a while ago so I lost track of the time."
He got a response from another male worker, "It's currently 11:12 and the first bus should arrive in about three minutes, and the last bus should arrive at 11:40. If all goes well, it'll be a span of five minutes for each bus."
This time, a female worker spoke into the walkie-talkie, "I definitely appreciate you doing the math for us, dude! Apparently, our boss didn't explain it well enough."
"Would you lay off with sarcasm?" a third male worker spoke into the walkie-talkie. "He's just trying to help by reminding us about the bus schedule."
"Can you two not fight right now?!" a second female worker yelled into the walkie-talkie. "Have you forgotten that none of the contestants have eaten lunch yet, and the boat ride will take thirty minutes to get there?!"
A third female worker spoke into the walkie-talkie with a calm and relaxing voice, "Let's not worry about it too much; I'm positive they can bear an empty stomach for almost another hour. And besides, I've been told that the food they'll receive at the island will be five-star quality because of Chef Hatchet."
"Isn't his name Norbert or something like that?" the guy with a dead phone asked.
"That's his real first name," the chill girl answered his question. "But whenever he does anything as a cook, he likes to be called Chef Hatchet. My dad had worked with him before, so that's how I know about him."
"So you're sure that this Chef Hatchet dude is on the same level as Rordon Gamsay?" the sarcastic girl asked uncaringly.
"Definitely not," the chill girl admitted. "But believe me when I say his cooking is delicious."
The sarcastic girl didn't respond, and it was at the right timing too because the first bus had finally arrived. And as the doors opened, two came out through the front and two from the back. In total, there were four people with a balanced gender ratio of two guys and two girls.
"Well, looks like I'll get to leave first," the guy with a dead phone said. "Wish me luck, everyone."
"Good luck, bro." the positive guy told him.
The guy with a dead phone picked up a clipboard and said, "Alright, let's get this out of the way. If I call your name, come forward and step onto the boat."
"Abigail." he called out.
"I'm here, sir." Abigail responded and came up to the dock, sporting a small smile as she boarded the boat.
She appears to be slim and slender like a model, having a diamond-shaped face and a fair skin tone. Her auburn hair appears to be at waist-length, currently styled into one of the fancy hairstyles that is popular in current society. Her current attire consists of: a white blouse, a lilac skirt, white leggings, and black flats.
The worker called for the next person, "Al… Al Bean or something like that?"
"Albienne is how ya pronounce it!" Albienne stepped up to the dock with a cheerful tone. "It's a pleasure to be selected for this show!"
She appears to have a pleasantly-plump appearance, having blue eyes and a rosy-pale skin tone. Her red hair appears to be long and currently styled into one that's straight for the top-half and curly for the bottom-half. Her current attire consists of: a beautiful yellow dress that's embroidered with flowers, complete with a full skirt. She's also wearing a matching sun-bonnet with a satin ribbon under her chin, a pair of kitten heels, and white kid-gloves. There appears to be an opened parasol in her right hand and a sachet on her left wrist.
He merely ignored her appearance as she boarded the boat and moved on, "Alex."
"I have been summoned," Alex came up the dock with a grin on his face. After noticing that the worker's face remained serious, he let out an awkward chuckle. "Sorry, I'll save the jokes for another time."
He appears to have a slight triangular body with sloping shoulders and being slightly choppy with normal length arms and legs. He has an oval shaped head with light green, hood-shaped eyes, medium-sized ears, and a medium-sized roman nose. It was also worth pointing out that he has a short stubble over his face. His chestnut brown hair appears to be mostly covered by his green beanie, and he has a light tan skin tone. His current attire consists of: a green beanie, an orange hoodie that's zipped up halfway, a white short-sleeved undershirt, blue sweatpants, gray socks, and white sneakers that are slightly worn out. There appears to be a mole on his upper right philtrum as well.
After Alex boarded the boat, he called for the last person, "And Charles."
"Here." Charles walked up to the dock. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out. After a quick moment of hesitation, he gave up and boarded the boat with a sigh.
He appears to have a normal body build, not being too muscular or too skinny. He has hazel eyes, a pointy chin, and some small pimples on his forehead. His short brown hair appears to be combed to the back of his head, and he has a very pale skin tone. His current attire consists of: a dark blue t-shirt with a gray unbuttoned shirt over it, beige shorts that reach his knees, and gray sneakers.
"Time to get this over with." the guy muttered to himself. He got to the front of the white motorboat, started up the engine, and it was now heading towards the island.
The four were sitting next to each other in silence, not knowing anything about each other besides being contestants for Total Drama.
Then, Albienne decided to break the ice, "Well howdy, y'all! It looks like I ain't the only one who looks ready to compete! I must say, it's a pleasure to meet y'all!"
Alex lets out a chuckle, "It's a pleasure to meet you too. My name is Alex, and I hope we'll all get along."
As he extends his hand out, Abienne ends up being the one to accept his handshake, "The name's Albienne! I am positive that we'll become good friends throughout this summer! But I must warn y'all, I ain't gonna go easy in this competition!"
Alex lets out another chuckle, "I do like a challenge myself. It would be a bit boring if there weren't any fierce competitors that are in it to win it."
As Alex and Albienne engaged in a conversation, Charles was sitting in silence and looking at the two talks. He wanted to join in and introduce himself, but he was interrupted by a female voice.
"Hello," the female voice said, causing him to turn and see Abigail with a small smile. "How are you doing today?"
Knowing that she was talking to him, Charles put on a small smile as well, "Oh, I'm doing good. How about you?"
"I'm doing very well," she replied to him. "I'm very excited to get an opportunity to compete in this show."
"Yeah," Charles agreed. "It feels like a once in a lifetime chance to experience being in a reality show."
"I believe it'll be a fun and memorable experience," she added and then held out her hand. "My name is Abigail."
"Charles." he shook her hand and then decided to look out at the water, seeing the beauty of it.
"The water looks beautiful," he heard Abigail's voice, causing him to turn and see if she was talking to him.
However, she was actually talking to Alex and Albienne, who had finished their conversation. All three of them looked out at the water and the background, admiring the view. While Charles was sitting down, the other three stood up to get a better view.
"My goodness," Albienne had an excited expression. "I ain't ever seen water that's cleaner and more beautiful in my life!"
"The weather feels great too," Alex added, enjoying the balanced combination of warmth and breeze.
"It sure is!" Albienne replied to him, not having to worry about her parasol being blown away.
"I wonder what the weather will be like on the island…" Abigail commented. "I'm hoping it's warm like right now, but I won't complain if it's cold."
"Same here," Alex gave Abigail a smile. "By the way, I never got your name yet."
"It's Abigail," she shook his hand before deciding to compliment him. "You seem like a really nice person."
"Nice to meet you, 'It's Abigail'." Alex joked with a chuckle.
Abigail couldn't help but let out a small laugh as well, "Are you going to call me that from now on?"
Alex grinned and replied, "That depends if you're cool with it or not."
"That's completely cool with me," Abigail responded.
As the two continued to talk to each other, Charles was still staring out at the ocean, sitting down and admiring the view. He didn't want to bother anybody, especially if they're conversing with one another. Albienne decided to slip away from the two and enjoy the sunlight beaming down on her parasol. The warmth and silence was enough to keep her happy.
She glanced out at the sea as the boat kept moving, waves forming and colliding with one another, not to mention a few air and water creatures appearing every now and then. As she looked around to analyze her surroundings, she noticed Charles sitting and looking in silence. It was an opportunity for her to form a new bond with another person, so she decided to approach him.
"Howdy there!" Albienne greeted. "This view must be a blessing, am I right?"
Charles turned his head a bit and saw Albienne with a smile, and not wanting to get on her bad side, he turned his whole body around and replied, "Yeah, it looks nice."
"Mind if I sit here?" she asked him politely, gesturing to the open spot next to him.
"Sure," Charles responded and Albienne sat down, her parasol now covering part of his head.
"So what's your name, darlin'?" she asked him before giving her name. "I would love to make some new friends!"
"Charles." he simply answered with a small smile.
"Why, that's an awesome name!" she complimented him, causing his smile to grow more. "It reminds me of Uncle Charles, a kind and smart man!"
"Thanks," he replied to her. "It's cool to be reminded about someone that's been a positive influence."
As all four continued to converse and look out at the water, none of them realized that they were about to reach the island soon. It was still gonna take a little while, but it was becoming more visible.
Meanwhile, back at the dock with the motorboats, the workers were waiting for the second bus to arrive. All of them were conversing with each other through their walkie-talkies, hoping to make time go by quicker.
But their conversing would have to wait because the second bus had finally arrived a little over five minutes later. Similar to the first bus, four people came out — two guys and two girls. This time, one of the female workers was going to take them to the island.
"I'll take it from here," the chill girl said to the others, grabbing a clipboard and seeing them approaching her.
"Alright, let's not waste any time and get onto the boat when your name is called," she said to the four.
"Is Callie here?" she called out for the first person.
"I'm here!" a female voice called out to her as the girl turned to see Callie approach her with a smirk and crossed arms. "I'm definitely ready to play this game!"
She appears to have a lean body with a good amount of muscle, having a white skin tone and blue eyes. She also has brown eyebrows, a hooked nose, and pink lips. Part of her straight, brown hair appears to be covered by her black beanie, but one can assume it could reach her shoulders. Her current attire consists of: a black beanie, a white hooded jacket with a black game controller design on the back, green pants, and black shoes.
As she hopped onto the boat, the worker called for the next person, "Next up, is Ciara here?"
"The one and only!" Ciara stepped up with a small smile, whose expression suddenly changed into one of seriousness. "I ain't gonna hold anything back, and that's nothing but the truth!"
She appears to lean towards the pear body type, being stocky in the thighs and a little bit in the stomach, not to mention muscles that are above average. She has vibrant green eyes, white teeth, some makeup on her face, and somewhat thin lips. Her brunette hair appears to be soft and wavy that reaches down her mid-back; it has volume and frizzes slightly, but not too much. She has a fair skin tone with a slight tan, and has a rose tattoo on her wrist. Her current attire consists of: an oversized graphic tee-like sweatshirt, black leggings, black socks that blend in with her leggings, silver-like mini hoop earrings, a small silver fitbit, and matching pink adidas shoes.
"Two confident people on one boat… interesting," the worker said to herself before calling for the third name. "Alright, is Drake here?"
"Here." Drake approached the dock. "Um… it's nice to be here."
He appears to be tall and lanky, having a pale peach skin tone. His light gray eyes appear to be oval shaped, and his raven black hair appears to have a few spikes jetting forward. His current attire consists of: a dark blue jacket over a purple t-shirt, red faded jeans, and a pair of green sandals.
As he got onto the boat after an awkward moment, the female worker got to the last person, "And lastly, is Eliade here?"
The last of the four was standing still, gazing at the motorboat in front of him as the worker looked confused, "Are you Eliade by any chance? Or do you want me to call you by a nickname?"
His focus then shifted to her, a soft smile appearing as he responded, "You may call me Eli if you want to."
He then gazed at the boat again, "Just like this boat, it has an official name, but it may have other names as well."
He appears to be thin, but has an elegant, strapping figure. He has a square jaw and a prominent nose, complemented by sloping cheeks and a string chin. His face has a carved appearance, as if it was made of wood. His hair appears to be long, thick, and dark; it's styled like a loose, wavy curtain that falls to his shoulders. He has a burnished shade of olive for his skin tone, and his current attire consists of: a pair of form-fitting trousers made of green twill, a white, linen tunic that exposes his chest, a dark pashmina that's embroidered in yellow flowers around his shoulders, and a pair of light-brown mid-calf boots.
After Eliade got on the boat, the female worker let out a sigh of relief, "Alright, let's hope these four aren't too much trouble." She starts up the engine after getting to the front, and begins to drive the motorboat towards the island.
As it began to move, Ciara quickly stood up and broke the silence, "Listen up, y'all! The name's Ciara and let me make one thing clear! By the end of this summer, I'm gonna walk out as the winner of the competition!"
"Is that a challenge I hear?" Callie heard her and stood up with a smirk. "You think you can beat me in this game?"
Ciara's expression was serious, "I would like to see you try! Your ass is gonna be gone if you think about taking me out!"
Callie's smirk grew wider, "Not if I make myself useful to the team!"
Ciara crossed her arms, "What makes you think you're gonna walk out as the winner?"
"My skills," Callie merely responded before holding out her hand, much to Ciara's confusion. "The name's Callie, and I'll admit I respect your confidence. You have potential to be a challenging opponent, but that'll just make it more satisfying for me!"
Ciara shook her hand, "We'll see what happens then. But it's very obvious what the outcome will be."
The two sat back down, Ciara giving her a glare and Callie giving her a smirk. Both of them had confidence and determination, but only one would emerge victorious. In fact, would either of them emerge victorious? They were both ready for the competition, that's for sure.
Meanwhile, Eliade was staring out at the water, but had a blank expression. Drake was sitting next to him, not conversing with anyone and was watching the whole confrontation between Callie and Ciara. He didn't feel like talking to either of them, but after what happened, it was guaranteed he wasn't going to converse with either of them.
As he turned to view the beautiful background, he managed to hear Eliade murmur something, "Waves of life…"
Drake could only listen to him murmur the same thing again, causing him to speak, "Um… were you… talking to me by any chance…?"
Eliade turns and slightly focuses on Drake, "What?"
"Oh, um… I heard you saying… something…" Drake responded.
Eliade's neutral expression turned into a soft smile, "The water waves in front represent life…"
Not wanting to be rude, Drake went along with the conversation, "How so?"
"The waves are formed at random times, just like how people are born at certain times." Eliade told him. "Some waves keep growing bigger and bigger, while others stop growing at a certain point. Like the bonds and conflicts we have, the waves can merge or destroy each other. And at the end, they all face death by hitting the shore… some more impactful than others."
The storyteller concludes, "We see the waves as beauty, and life is a beauty that can be appreciated."
Drake had listened to the whole thing, and he simply said, "That's a nice way... to put it. You do have an awesome sense of creativity…"
"Thank you," Eliade nodded. "You seem like a very kind man…what is your name?"
"I'm Drake…" he forms a small smile. "What's yours?"
"Eliade…" he answered before quickly continuing. "If it's easier for you to remember, then Eli."
"Alright…" Drake extends his hand out. "It's nice to meet you Eli…"
But Eliade didn't return the handshake, as he was now gazing at the water again, the view of its surroundings still looking beautiful as ever.
Out of concern, Drake decided to ask, "Are you okay… Eli?"
But Eliade didn't respond, for as he had a blank expression again. Drake decided to leave him alone and not provoke him any further. He sighed quietly before attempting to fall asleep. It was gonna take a little while to get there, and the two girls weren't getting heated with each other at the moment.
But it wasn't long until Callie decided to make conversation with Ciara again, "So, how do you feel about this island we're about to stay at?"
Ciara raised an eyebrow and replied, "Why?"
Callie shrugged and said, "I can talk about other things, and it's not gonna reveal anything that I'll use to my advantage."
Ciara simply responded, "I've heard it's gonna have nice buildings and five-star quality food. It said so on the application, so I'm sure it won't be in a different environment. Either way, it won't affect my confidence or performance."
As she nodded in response, the island was becoming more visible for boat two.
Back at the dock, it was now down to four workers and four buses. Like usual, they were conversing with each other through their walkie-talkies. It seems that their boss wasn't there to monitor them, but none of them were misbehaving. And as if on cue, the third bus arrived right on time, five minutes after the second one. Just like the first two buses, four people came out, in which the gender ratio was balanced of two guys and two girls.
"Gee, this is gonna be a lot of fun…" the sarcastic girl rolled her eyes, implying that she was up next.
"You can do this," the positive guy told her through his walkie-talkie.
"That totally makes me feel better," the girl replied in an obvious sarcastic manner, causing the guy to frown.
She grabbed the clipboard and sighed quietly, "If I call your name, come up to the dock and get on the boat."
"Gabriel." she called for the first name.
"I am here," Gabriel walks up to the dock with a small smile and extends his hand out. "It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
He appears to be quite lean, not overly muscular but also not entirely lanky. He has brown eyes and a fair skin tone. His short black hair appears to be neatly styled, so much to the point that one can consider it to look unnatural. His current attire consists of: a white dress shirt, black dress pants with a brown belt around it, and black shoes.
"Likewise," she accepted his handshake with sarcasm before rolling her eyes after seeing him walk away onto the boat.
"Anyways," she called out for the next name. "Gabriela."
"Let's not waste time and get moving," Gabriela spoke with a serious voice and expression as she stepped up. "I'm not gonna tolerate bullshit from anybody."
She appears to have a straight body shape and ectomorph builds, more so lanky and thin. She has an oblong face shape with a pointed chin and a snub nose, also having a beauty mark in the lower left corner of her face with thin lips and bushy eyebrows. Her black hair appears to be at shoulder length and styled in thin dreadlocks that're pulled back, and she has a dark tan skin tone. Her current attire consists of: a brown tank top with imprinted vertical lines sewn into them, baggy green, black, and brown camo pants with a thick black belt around it, low top red converse shoes, four matching wristbands on both arms, and a red bandana with white polka dots that's tied around her forehead.
"Yeah, I'm totally taking my time with this…" the worker sarcastically remarked as soon as Gabriela got onto the boat.
"Moving on," she called for the third name. "Helena."
"Hi there!" Helena stepped up to the dock with a hand on her hip and a bright smile. "I am so excited to be on this show, and I can't wait to compete!"
She appears to be tall and curvaceous, having wide hips, somewhat thick thighs that don't touch, and a large, but not proportional bust and posterior. She has a well-formed face, not being too thin or rounded, and has a pleasant white tone to color, being neither excessively pale or tanned. She has bright, sparkling blue eyes that are rather intoxicating, lips that are full in pleasant and real manner, and a rather flawless complexion. Her silky and smooth blonde hair appears to reach down halfway to her neck, having a straight style and a side swept fringe. Her current attire consists of: a fashionable short denim jacket over a white v-neck shirt, a black pencil skirt, a small silver earring in each ear, and white shoes.
"You don't say…" she remarked as Helena boarded the boat.
She sighs again as she calls for the last name, "And Leon."
"Hello there!" Leon steps up with a grin and snickers before continuing. "What's the main reason people never smile?"
"Gee, that's a good question…" the worker rolled her eyes, not bothering to remark secretly.
"Because they got done running a mile!" Leon laughed at his own joke before seeing the worker with a deadpan expression. "Oh! It's because -"
"Just get on the boat." she facepalmed.
He appears to be relatively thin and skinny, having a tanned skin tone. He has a thin face with thin eyes and a small nose. His black hair appears to be neat while covering one side of his eye. His current attire consists of: a black t-shirt, black ripped jeans, and sneakers. It was also worth pointing out that he has glasses dangling on his shirt.
As he boarded the boat, the female worker sighed and muttered, "I really hate this job." From there, as she started the engine after reaching the front, the third boat would take off.
With the motorboat moving and the four sitting next to each other in silence, Helena took the initiative, "Hey, everyone! I'm Helena, and I hope we all get along and become friends during the competition!"
Gabriel nodded and held out his hand, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Helena. My name is Gabriel."
"Hi there!" Helena greeted and shook his hand. "Are you excited to compete on a reality television show too? It's gonna be a memorable experience!"
"Yes, I am rather eager to partake in the competition." Gabriel replied.
"I do wonder what the island will be like…" Helena wondered out loud. "The food, the environment, the other people who I'll compete against… lots of questions!"
"Yeah," Gabriel simply replied. "I hope the show will be safe for everyone and not put us into any sort of danger during the competition."
"I'm sure the producers will keep us safe!" Helena assured him before turning to look out at the water. "Wow! This view looks so beautiful! The water and the sky look amazing!"
Gabriel turned his body to observe the view, "I agree. This view looks magnificent."
As the two looked at the water and sky in almost complete silence, this left Leon and Gabriela by themselves. She had a neutral expression and looked like she didn't want to be bothered, while he still had a smile on his face and looked ready to go for the whole day.
Leon decides to talk to her, "Hey! Do you wanna hear a joke?"
"I would rather not," Gabriela bluntly replied to him.
Leon simply laughed in response, "Well, you haven't heard it yet! So give it a chance and see what happens!"
Gabriela sighed, "Just say it before I lose my shit."
"So why aren't boats able to fly?" Leon asked her with a grin.
"Because they're designed to float and move on water?" Gabriela answered the obvious.
"Nope!" Leon paused for a little bit for dramatic anticipation before giving his answer. "Because the designers don't want oats falling from the sky!"
As Leon busted out laughing, Gabriela groaned and facepalmed, "That doesn't make any sense at all…"
"Oh! It's because oats is a part of the word boats," Leon began to explain. "And oats is a cereal wheat that -"
"I get it," Gabriela interrupted him. "Now don't tell me another damn joke."
Leon shrugged with a grin, "If you say so! What's your name, by the way?"
"Gabriela." she told him.
"Oh, cool! My name is Leon!" he held out his hand.
After shaking his hand with reluctance, she told him, "Do me a favor and not bother me for the rest of this trip."
"Okay! I'll talk to you once we get there!" Leon decided to converse with Gabriel and Helena, leaving Gabriela to relax unbothered.
"What an annoying fucker," Gabriela muttered.
Meanwhile, Leon barged into the current conversation between Helena and Gabriel, "Hello! My name's Leon! And would you like to hear a joke?"
Helena had a bubbly smile and said, "Hi! I'm Helena, and I would love to hear a joke!"
Gabriel nodded and held out his hand, "Gabriel."
After Leon shook Gabriel's hand, he proceeded, "Okay, okay! So there's this person who tried to run me down on the same bike everyday."
Helena looked concerned, "That's terrible! I hope you didn't get hurt by this person!"
Gabriel nodded in agreement, "So what were the details of this situation?"
"All I can say is," Leon paused for dramatic anticipation. "It was a vicious cycle!"
Gabriel chuckled, "That is a rather good joke."
Helena started giggling, "It was really creative!"
Leon looked confused before asking, "So do you want me to explain the joke?"
"I believe an explanation is not required." Gabriel answered him. "It was very easy to understand."
Leon then busted out laughing from his own joke, Helena giggling along and Gabriel watching with a small smile.
Gabriela was simply observing the motorboat, "I'll try to kill time by inspecting this… that dude is getting on my damn nerves."
With all four occupied, none noticed that they were getting closer to the island.
Back at the dock, they were halfway done with only three buses to go. The intelligent male worker was sitting down, tired from standing for a while. With the last female worker nervously waiting and the positive guy walking around to keep himself active, it was only a short matter of time before the next bus arrived.
"So according to my memory, you're going next, she's going after you, and then I go last." the intelligent worker told them through his walkie-talkie.
"That's correct, bro!" the positive guy told him.
"Okay, okay. That'll give me time to avoid messing up the introductions." the nervous woman replied.
And right as she finished talking, the fourth bus arrived on time and on cue. Like the first three buses, four people came out and it consisted of two guys and two girls.
"Sweet! It's my time to shine!" the positive guy picked up his clipboard as the four approached him.
"Alright, the procedure is very simple! When I call your name, come up to the dock and step onto this nice-looking boat!" the positive guy told them before calling out for the first name. "So, is Mason here?"
"Someone's looking very positive today!" Mason walked up with a grin on his face. "So who was the person on their knees?"
The positive guy looked confused, "What do you mean?"
Mason still had a grin, "Unless if it's something you use as a coping mechanism."
He appears to be pretty small, not having much muscle so he's somewhat skinny. He has a small, round head; the same goes for his purple eyes which have a slight devilish gleam to them. His orange hair appears to be messy that goes all over the place, and he has a white skin tone. His current attire consists of: a purple shirt with a yellow swirl going towards the center, black shorts with the pockets hanging out, black shoes with one untied, and two different socks. One is white and the other is black, and both of them come up to different lengths along his legs.
"A coping what?" the positive worker looked confused. "I'm really sorry, but I am on a schedule so could you please get on the boat?"
As Mason got onto the boat, he called for the next person, "Alright, our next person is May!"
"Hi there!" she greeted him with a smile. "I can't wait to compete on this show and be on live television!"
"I love that optimism!" the positive guy shouted.
"Thanks!" May replied to him.
She appears to have a slim and slender body, pretty much well-fit. Her face is snowy white and somewhat slim, as her eyes appear to have a shine to it. Her black hair appears to be long and straight, reaching to the back of her chest and is held together by three hair pins. The lower tip of her hair is dyed a cool shade of purple, and she has a whitish tan skin tone. Her current attire consists of: a red shirt, a beige vest, jean shorts, and light purple running shoes.
Once she got onto the boat, he called for the third person, "Alright, it is Melissa's turn!"
"Aha! A new character!" Melissa runs up to him. "Hmm, after a quick analysis using my upgraded scanner, you appear to be harmless."
He chuckled, "I'm not gonna hurt you. I would get fired and go to jail."
She appears to be lanky, having a mocha skin tone. Her face appears to be oval shaped with blue eyes; her black hair appears to be really messy and frizzy. She has freckles on her face, and her current attire consists of: a blue beret atop her hair, a lime green shirt with the words "Dungeon Queen" on the front, blue jeans, purple framed glasses, a pink sweater tied around her waist, and red sneakers.
"So all monsters should go to jail?" the worker asked her curiously.
"Yes! The dreaded 'Steel Prison' that will bring justice for all of the brave heroes!" Melissa pumped her arm up with excitement before boarding the boat.
He chuckled again and looked at the clipboard again, only one person left, "And that means you must be Nikolai!"
"Yup, that's me." Nikolai nodded at the worker before boarding the boat, not having anything else to say.
He appears to be pretty lean, not super muscular but not super skinny either. He has a fairly round face with slightly thick eyebrows, a fairly small nose, brown eyes, small ears, and thin lips. His hair appears to be at neck-length and combed back, styled plainly straight. His current attire consists of: a red polo shirt, blue shorts, and black tennis shoes.
"I have a good feeling he'll get along with Pancake." the worker commented to himself. "I don't know why, but my gut says so."
He shook off the thought and focused on reality again, "Oh, shoot. I shouldn't leave them here for too long. Gotta get moving!"
He got to the front of the boat and started up the engine, letting it do most of the work as he started to drive towards the island.
For a short moment, the boat was silent and everyone was doing their own thing. From there, a voice broke the silence.
"Aha! I have rolled a six!" Melissa's voice can be heard as she was rolling a die. "My boat adventure will not encounter any dangerous obstacles!"
"My boat adventure is already dealing with an obstacle." Mason commented with a grin.
"And what is this obstacle that you may need help with?" Melissa asked him.
"It's someone I can hear right now." Mason answered.
"Hmm, this sounds very serious!" Melissa told him, not getting that he's referring to her. "I will restock my health potions before I begin this quest!"
"What kind of quest are you talking about?" May asked her with a smile. "I am curious!"
"I am on a quest to find someone!" Melissa told her. "I have already used my scanner on him, and he doesn't seem to have any evil intentions!"
"That's good!" May exclaimed. "As long as there isn't anything terrifying."
"I will be ready to bring the fight against the horror and terror!" Melissa shouted before looking at May. "My name is Melissa the Dungeon Queen! Melissa also works as well."
"Nice to meet you, Melissa!" May held her hand out. "My name is May!"
"Awesome!" Melissa shook her hand. "Now we must find clues!"
As Melissa and May were having their own conversation, this left Mason and Nikolai to sit in silence. Mason still had a grin on his face and was leaning back against his seat while Nikolai appeared to be listening on to their conversation.
"You know," Mason began to speak, catching Nikolai's attention. "We all lose brain cells everyday, but that girl with the die must be losing twice the amount."
"Yeah," Nikolai simply said.
Mason looked at him, "Looks like I have your attention! You seem awfully quiet right now, like you're being a creepy stalker. Is Norman Bates sitting next to me?"
"That's a unique way of describing me." Nikolai told him.
"Aha! So you're not denying that you're like him!" Mason exclaimed.
"Would you have taken 'no' as an answer?" Nikolai asked.
"Eh, probably not." Mason snickered. "But it's already too late for that, Mister Bates!"
"I guess it's too late for me then," Nikolai shrugged.
"Don't be such a hopeless person!" Mason patted him on the back. "That's out of character for Norman Bates to give up easily! And besides, he was successful in achieving his goals!"
"Yeah." Nikolai said to him.
As Mason was about to reply to him, Melissa beat them to the punch, "I have returned! I've gathered more information about this obstacle you're up against!"
"What are you talking about?" Mason looked genuinely confused.
"Aha! This someone you can hear can apply an amnesia spell!" Melissa exclaimed. "There was a fifty percent chance!"
While Mason was attempting to get an idea of what Melissa's talking about, Nikolai was watching and listening on to the conversation.
"Hmm, I have an idea of those two," Nikolai said to himself quietly before frowning a little bit. "But I'll probably end up forgetting some of the details once I get my bag back."
"Wow! This view looks beautiful!" May's voice can be heard as she was indeed looking out and talking to no one in particular.
"Check it out, Melissa!" May called for her, causing the roleplayer to quickly come to her. "The water looks so clean and beautiful! It's like we're in paradise right now! I wonder how the island will be as well!"
As the two girls conversed, Mason had decided to take a nap and Nikolai was staring off at a random cloud. All of them were doing their own thing, and there wasn't any tension between the four. It was peaceful, and all the way until they got there.
Back at the dock, while there was normally chatter among the workers, the last two were standing in silence. The nervous female worker was adjusting her hair and uniform to make sure she appeared spot-on. On the other hand, the intelligent male worker was staring at the clouds blankly, his brain not having to go into action all of the time.
After almost a minute, he checked his watch and spoke into his walkie-talkie, "Just so you know, you have less than a minute to get yourself prepared before the bus comes."
"You're not helping!" she yelled at him through her walkie-talkie.
"Panicking doesn't help either." he bluntly replied before seeing the bus arrive. "Well, I hope you do your best."
Four people came out as expected, two guys and two girls to keep the gender ratio balanced. The female worker grabbed her clipboard and stood like a professional that was ready to kick ass at her job.
"Hello, everyone! I hope you're all doing well!" the female worker greeted with a smile. "I don't want to keep you four waiting for too long, so when I call your name, come up and board this motorboat!"
She grabs her clipboard and calls out the first name, "If your name is Olivia, then come on up and onto the motorboat!"
Olivia walks up with a smile, "Hey, what's up? I gotta say, this is good weather to travel to an island!"
She appears to be tall and slim, having a slightly tanned skin tone. She has a round face, small nose, normal ears, and blue eyes. Her red hair appears to be long and in a ponytail, and there are three moles on her face that are positioned like the Orion's Belt. Her current attire consists of: a black top with a blue sleeveless jacket over it, blue short shorts, and green running shoes.
The female worker nodded in agreement, "That's why the competition will take place in the summer! It's the perfect time for warm weather! Now, whenever you're ready, you may hop onto the motorboat!"
After Olivia got on the boat, the female worker called for the next person, "Up next, if your name is Rosa, then come on up and onto the motorboat!"
"Hi, I'm Rosa." the girl with said name walked up to her with a small smile. "It's cool to be here."
She appears to be short and rather slim, having a slightly tanned skin tone. She has a slim face with small, blue eyes. Her pink hair appears to be long, straight, and flowing that reaches to about a little bit after her shoulders. On her left side, near her shoulder, is a yellow ribbon. Her current attire consists of: a black skirt that stops above her knees, white knee high socks, a light pink shirt with a star symbol around her right shoulder, and a necklace with a golden rose at the center.
"That's good!" the female worker exclaimed. "So how do you feel about the competition?"
To her surprise, when Rosa responds to her, the small smile is replaced by a serious expression, "I'll do my best to win the game."
"I like that confidence!" the worker told her, unfazed by the sudden change of expression. "Now go ahead and join Olivia!"
As Rosa walked away, the worker couldn't help but shudder a bit and mutter, "I hate being rude, but I felt uncomfortable with that look."
She quickly regained composure and her eyes darted back to the clipboard, "So with two more to go, the next person I'm going to call is Therion!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Therion walked up and told her with calmness.
"Nice to meet you too, Therion!" the female worker smiled at him. "Are you excited for the competition?"
"Yeah, I am excited." he simply told her.
He appears to have a slim frame and a muscular physique, having a warm beige skin tone. He has almond shaped, dark brown eyes with dark circles under his eyes and a stubble with a soul patch. His black, surfer-style hair appears to have long bangs that cover his right eye, a few layers of the back is slightly swooped outward, and it reaches to his shoulder. His current attire consists of: a black and red unzipped hoodie jacket that reaches just above his midriff, a dark gray shirt with a white wolf decal, black sweatpants, black and red checkerboard running shoes, prescribed long black-rimmed glasses, a wolf necklace, and a black bracelet on his wrist.
"That's good!" she told him as he got on the boat, allowing her to transition back to her clipboard. "So that means the last person on here is Thiago! Come on up!"
But her expression changes to one of worry and concern as Thiago approaches her, "Goodness! You look really tired! Are you okay?!"
"Yeah, don't worry about me." Thiago gives her an assuring smile. "I do appreciate your concern though."
He appears to be streamlined and angular, having a dark olive skin tone. He has a sharp, stubbled jaw and a pointed nose that's flanked by heavy, well-shaped eyebrows. His black hair appears to be scruffy that falls to the base of his neck. His current attire consists of: a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans, a black muscle tee, and a pair of circular camera-glasses that are currently on his forehead.
"A-Are you sure?!" she stutters out of concern.
"There's no need to worry about me," Thiago reassures her. "Getting us there should be your main objective."
And after Thiago joined the others, she shook off her nervousness and told herself, "Okay, you did a great job! Now just focus on driving and getting all of them there safely."
After she started the engine and got to the front where the steering wheel was, the motorboat was off and heading towards the island.
As it was moving, there was silence among the four, but it was the peaceful silence and they were all relaxing comfortably…
Except for Rosa.
She appeared to be slightly nervous and was holding on to the seat in case if something happened. It wasn't too bad that she couldn't or didn't want to move, but it was obvious that she wasn't comfortable on the boat. Thankfully, Olivia noticed this because she was sitting next to her.
"Hey, you okay?" Olivia asked her with a concerned look. "I know this is our first time talking, but I'm here to talk or help."
Rosa looked at her with a serious expression, "I'm fine."
"I won't judge," Olivia gave her an assuring smile. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"I'll be fine…" Rosa trailed off.
"Alright, let me know if you want to talk!" Olivia told her before officially introducing herself. "By the way, my name's Olivia in case you want my name."
Rosa nodded before looking away and down at the ground. She felt a bit better that Olivia was willing to be there for her.
"Thank you, Olivia…" she trailed off quietly.
Meanwhile, Therion and Thiago were sitting next to each other in silence, both of them relaxing against their seats. Therion had a blank look and looked like he was staring at the water behind Thiago. Speaking of which, Thiago was inspecting a couple of clouds and tilting his head occasionally to get better angle views.
As he reverted his head forward to face the others again, he noticed Therion's blank look and stare. It wasn't aimed at him, but he still felt a bit creeped out.
"Hey, are you looking at me by any chance?" Thiago decided to ask him. "Or are you looking at something else?"
Therion snapped out of his blank look and looked at Thiago, "What was the question you asked me?"
He decided to repeat the question, "Were you looking at me, or were you looking at something else?"
"I was looking at the water," Therion answered for him.
"Ah! I don't blame you for doing so," Thiago said to him. "Like the clouds in the sky, water is also a beauty. And there's a lot of aesthetics above water and underwater.
"Yeah, it does look nice." Therion told him.
Thiago nodded in agreement before asking him, "What's your name?"
"I'm Therion," he answered him. "How about you?"
"Thiago." the two shook hands before Thiago heard Therion yawning. "You're tired too?"
"Yeah, I am." Therion admitted. "I think this is a good time for a nap…"
Thiago chuckled, "You're not the only one."
The conversation ended and both guys went back to doing their own thing. But as they were about to most likely fall asleep and take their naps, another voice woke them up…
"Hey, guys!" Olivia greeted them cheerfully. "How's it going?"
Therion nodded, "I'm good. I was about to take a nap."
"Oh, sorry!" Olivia left him alone.
From there, Thiago and Olivia engaged in a conversation while Therion slept and Rosa was being herself.
Back at the dock, the intelligent male worker was the only one left there. The other five had already taken off with four contestants each, and it was obvious he was going to be responsible for the same amount of people.
He finally decided to sit down and relax his legs from standing for a while as he checked his watch, "Hmm, so if I'm not mistaken, the bus will be here in about less than two minutes."
It was clear he was talking to himself, but he didn't bother attempting to keep it quiet, "And if I'm not mistaken, the first boat should arrive at the island in under seven minutes, assuming nothing has affected it that would delay the arrival time."
He sighed and looked up at the clouds in the sky, "If only I was given social skills as well. I like being intelligent, but there's no point if you don't have anybody to talk to that cares. There must be a way for me to get out of this miserable job… I deserve better than this."
As he was venting out his thoughts, a honk from the bus thankfully got him to regain his composure. He stood back up and saw four people come out of it, two guys and two girls like the other groups.
Grabbing a clipboard, he began to speak, "If your name is called, then step forward and onto this 2006 white motorboat."
"First up, Theresa Valentine." he called for the first person by mentioning first and last name.
"Here." Theresa sighed as she walked up and got on the boat, not stopping to converse with the worker or even look at him.
She appears to be skinny on the upper part of her body, and curvaceous on the lower part. She has a makeup-free face with a small nose, thin lips, blue eyes, and small hoop earrings. Her brown hair appears to be slightly long and messy, strands of hair sticking out like she had just woke up. She has a fair skin tone, and her current attire consists of: a black hoodie, blue jeans, black socks, and white sneakers.
The worker sighed and muttered, "That was rude."
But he quickly shook it off and called for the second name, "Next up, Tom Nguyen."
The moment he called for Tom, he heard him shouting, "Whoo hoo! Let's do this!"
The worker turned his head and saw Tom running past him, and before he could say anything, it was already too late. Tom had decided to jump onto the boat and nothing was going to stop him. Theresa was sitting in a seat and not moving as Tom landed hard on his back onto the other seat.
But much to the worker's surprise, Tom sat back up after suffering a nasty landing that could've injured or killed him, like nothing had happened.
Seeing the disapproving look the worker gave him, Tom chuckled and scratched the back of his head, "My bad, bro!"
He sighed again and attempted to ignore what had just happened, but couldn't help but snark quietly, "What an absolute dumbass…"
He appears to be mostly slim, but also a little bit muscular, having a tanned skin tone. He has slightly small, brown eyes with a medium-sized nose, and thin lips. His black hair appears to be gelled with the front part spiked up. His current attire consists of: a short-sleeved, white polo shirt, long blue pants, white socks, and green Nike shoes.
"Up next, Velvet Ruto." he quickly went into professional mode and called for the third name.
Velvet walks up to the worker with a small smile, "Hey, what's up, dude."
"Everything seems to be going well so far," the worker answered. "After I'm done with this job, I am ready to go home and set up my new monitor. I would love to explain all of the parts, but I can't be here all day."
"That's pretty cool, dude." Velvet tells him before offering a fistbump, in which the worker gladly returns.
He appears to have a lean build with very defined biceps and a clear V-line. He has sharp, dark brown eyes with plump pink lips, a somewhat small nose, a dimple on both cheeks, and a three inch, thick black band tattooed around his entire right bicep. His scruffy, black hair appears to be in an unstyled, messy undercut with bangs that fall just above his eyes. He has a somewhat pale skin tone, and his current attire consists of: a black tank top, black jeans with a white leather belt around it, pristine white shoes, silver rings on both middle fingers, and black stud earrings on both lobes.
As Velvet walks away and gets on the boat, the worker feels a small smile coming to his face, "Finally, someone who is actually interested in what I have to say…"
He shook off the feeling and got back to his job, looking at the clipboard again, "And lastly, Xanthia Ranston."
Rather than walking up to him like Velvet did, Xanthia instead walked on her hands to approach him.
"Is there a reason you're hand walking to me?" the worker asked. "You should be careful since you'll risk fainting or becoming light headed if the blood rushes to your head."
"Ah, don't worry. I'm used to doing this anyways," Xanthia answered his question. "Besides, I've wanted to do this with someone."
"At least it's better than being rude or jumping onto a boat and landing on your back," the worker told her, referring to Theresa and Tom.
"Yeah, I do agree." Xanthia told him. "It's better to do something that's not worth risking your health over."
She appears to be very curvaceous and very tall, having a peach-colored skin tone. Her face looks both youthful and mature with relaxed brown eyes, a small nose, and a smooth chin. Her golden brown hair appears to be straight, and she has simple golden studs in both lobes. Her current attire consists of: a low-cut silver v-neck t-shirt, a black and yellow diamond patterned pleated skirt that's held up by deep red suspenders, red knee-high socks, and black Mary Janes.
After she reverted to standing on her feet and boarding the boat, the worker nodded and said to himself, "Let's hope nothing will delay my arrival time."
In a short time, the worker got the engine running and started driving the motorboat after reaching the front, the last group on their way to the island.
The four were engaged in their own thing in silence: Theresa looking down at the ground, Xanthia doing a handstand on the seat, Velvet relaxing against his seat, and Tom sitting on the edge with his legs dangling over the water.
Theresa sighed and said to herself, "Why am I even here…? This is gonna be a waste of time…"
Theresa then looked at Xanthia, not caring that she was doing a handstand, "I can tell you're gonna be better than me in this game."
"What makes you say that?" Xanthia asked her.
"Well…" Theresa trailed off. "You can do a handstand and I can't… I know I'll never be able to do one."
"I don't think a handstand is the only factor that goes into a competition," Xanthia told her.
"Yeah, you're right…" Theresa sighed again. "Why did I even say anything…?"
"There wasn't anything wrong with what you said," Xanthia gave her a small smile while reverting to sitting down.
"No… there was." Theresa told her with sadness. "But it's okay, I'll be fine."
Theresa sighed for the third time in a short period, "I'll be fine for this game… don't worry about me, okay?"
"I'll take your word for it," Xanthia gave her a promising smile.
Theresa turned away and continued to look down while Xanthia decided to take a nap on the edge. It didn't look comfortable and there was a chance she could fall off into the water, but Xanthia was already asleep. The sound of the motorboat and its movement didn't bother her at all.
Meanwhile, on the guy's side, Velvet and Tom had not said anything to each other, or in general.
That was until Velvet noticed Tom sitting on the edge, "You might wanna be careful, dude."
"Don't worry, bro." Tom assured him. "I'm not gonna fall off."
"Alright. Just be careful, dude." Velvet told him. "You did take a nasty landing earlier when you jumped onto the boat."
"I'll be careful in the future," Tom assured him. "What's your name?"
"The name's Velvet," he held out his hand. "And yours?"
"Tom." they shook hands before both went back to doing their own thing.
Tom was gazing out at the beautiful view while Velvet enjoyed the warm weather the sun was providing him.
At the front, the worker heard his walkie-talkie speak with someone's voice.
"The first group is about to arrive at the island," a male voice can be heard.
The competition was about to begin.
Let me start by patting myself on the back! After 12,000 words, the chapter is finally completed! All of the contestants have been introduced, and I believe all of them have a reasonable amount of reading time. I know it took quite a while, but through the writer's block, personal issues, and constantly going through all of the applications again to avoid making them out-of-character, I am proud of what I have written!
So it may seem like I'm being bias towards certain contestants because some have less dialogue than others. Let me clarify that not everyone is a talkative extrovert who can maintain a conversation for a long time that easily. Some are shy and some don't want to socialize that much, so please don't assume that I'm going to play favorites. I have a neutral standing for all of the contestants, and everyone will receive enough time to be developed. The elimination order will be based on what best fits the overall story, not because of me.
And when it came to the appearance description, just know that some parts got left out for a good reason. I didn't want to put every single thing from the application and put it into the paragraph... that would be essentially copying and pasting. So don't think I left out something on accident; no, I did it on purpose.
Now moving on to the question! In fact, I would like to ask two questions for you to answer in your review for this chapter. Of course, they're entirely optional, and it can be short or long.
Question 01: Which character from each boat group caught your interest? You cannot pick your own submitted character(s).
Question 02: How did I do with your character(s)? This is the time where you can give me honest feedback so I can improve and fix them.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and feel free to leave any positive feedback and criticism in your review or in private. If you have any questions or concerns, ask me privately. Until then, take care!