Total Drama Intrabet CH 1, PT 2: A Slightly New World, a total drama series fanfic

Total Drama Intrabet

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama or its characters.

Note: Looks like I've found something for me to focus on in the upcoming weeks. The introductory episode has been completed, and we get to see a little more from the newly docked cast members. Hopefully you'll find someone you like, as much as you'll likely spot ones that you don't care for.

Always...no. Never go outside under a sweltering hot sun.

The contestants had now begun a long trek by foot to reach camp, as they were following the instructions Chris had provided them with minutes earlier. Very quickly into the long walk the large mass of twenty-six people had separated into several smaller groups, many due to figuring that this would be a prime opportunity to form early bonds with their fellow competitors.

A small group consisting of April, Citra, Quorin and Tovi walked through a heavily forested part of the island so that they could reach camp.

"Wow, this island is beautiful!" Exclaimed Citra in awe. "Look at that tree, and look at that bird! That grass sure is something too, I tell ya!"

Not even a few seconds later, Citra had already turned on her camera and begun taking numerous photos of any remotely interesting-looking piece of the environment.

"For a place that is designated for a terrifyingly unsafe reality show, it sure does have its charms." Agreed Tovi as he swiftly ducked under a branch in front of him.

"I thought that, uh, it was a lot dirtier than this." Said April, clearly impressed. "Is it possible that Chris actually did…what's the word…clean it up?"

"It's more likely the case that he hired someone else to do it." Guessed Quorin. "Though even if so, it was indirectly him accomplishing said cleanup, albeit through funding and not direct action."

"Yeah! I initially suspected that he hadn't actually cleaned the entire island the way he claimed he had." Added Citra before she continued to snap photos.

"Either way, I not going to complain because there aren't any mosquitoes sucking my blood right now." Said Tovi with indifference.

"Serious question, is there actually any good reason for mosquitoes to, you know, exist?" Asked April. "I mean, couldn't they in theory go extinct and there'd be no serious consequences?"

"Dude, I betcha nobody would be lamenting it." Said Tovi excitedly. "I ain't for killing off species, but I'm sure you'd have millions of people who wouldn't be complaining. They aren't exactly benevolent."

"Actually you two, mosquitos provide food for many species of fish and birds. There could be some imbalance in the circle of life created if they were entirely killed off." Explained Quorin.

"I guess you have a point there, buddy." Shrugged Tovi. "Though is it worth all the diseases? What do you think, Citra? …Citra?"

April, Quorin and Tovi suddenly noticed that Citra was missing. They halted for a moment and looked behind where they were standing, noticing immediately that Citra was currently a few dozen feet behind them. She was kneeling down by a bush with her camera pointed at a colorful flower.

"Yo, Citra! Hurry up, or you'll get lost in the woods foreeeeveeeer!" Called Tovi.

This grabbed her attention immediately, and she gasped when she noticed how far ahead of her they were.

"Oh my! Sorry, I'm coming!" Called Citra as she scurried to regroup with them.

Eventually she caught up to the others after a brief dash, and looked slightly winded upon coming to a halt.

"I'm really sorry guys, but sometimes I just get so into what I'm doing with my camera that I'll get lost in it." Apologized Citra.

"It's okay, but you should be glad we noticed you falling behind." Stated Quorin.

"You're right, uh, you wouldn't want to be spending the night alone in these woods. Especially when you consider that, well, let's be real here, there are dangerous creatures that come out…only at night, of course." Mused April.

"That's enough to convince most people to never visit the woods." Said Citra while wincing.

"Say, this may be off topic, but what do you all think about the other contestants?" Asked Quorin.

"I think that tall girl with the sunglasses seemed pretty mean." Frowned Tovi.

"Yeah! She tried to take my camera from me, without my permission!" Pouted Citra. "Although I can't say I condoned that one guy fighting her over doing it."

"True, violence only ends up creating more problems that it solves." Agreed Quorin.

"I won't lie, some people really intimidated me." Admitted April. "However, the three of you are all, I've got to say, pretty cool and easy to talk to, which I greatly appreciate…y'know."

"Oh, well thanks." Smiled Citra. "You've also made a good first impression in my opinion…April, was it?"

"Yes, and to you I give the 'First Guess Award'." Smiled April as she held out a fern leaf in front of her.

Everyone had a good laugh over this gesture.

"I think Citra and I will have an easy time with everybody's name because we were the first two people to arrive." Noted Tovi after the laughter ended. "Consider it an advantage we acquired through luck."

"Can you tell me everybody's names that arrived before me? I'd like to know them." Requested Quorin.

"Okay. You have Tovi, that's me, and then Citra, that's her here, Kanapi, Ree, Vern, Zenith, Forrest, Wentworth…Benatar, Paige, Okoth…Joyce, Gavin, Effie, Meera…Yusuf, April, that's her right there, Hayden, and then after that you showed up." Listed Tovi.

"Thanks a lot, I appreciate it." Smiled Quorin as he looked ahead of their path.

"You remembered all that?" Asked April with wide eyes.

"It's not too hard to recall, because they're letter coded. Remember?" Explained Tovi. "I'm sure it'll be the same for Quorin, now that he knows them."

"You guys are such chatterboxes." Teased Citra, before gasping. "Oh, look! It's a rare Guaiacum officinale, the lignum vitae!"

As Citra sped up and pulled ahead of the other three with her camera in tow, they could only give each other a look of wordless yet powerful amusement.

(Confessional: What is in a photograph will technically always exist in some form. Even longer if it's digitally preserved.)

Citra: The cool thing about me is that I'm able to shift my focus between cameraman mode and social mode on the fly, meaning I'll be able to document everything I want to, all while enjoying the company of others! That being said, I'm quite glad they didn't leave me behind, because boy could they have.

Tovi: I can't really complain about much yet, because I'm already having lots of fun! I like associating with fun, easygoing people such as these. And they're ripe with diversity, too. April for example was noticeably weirder in her speech patterns, but I liked what she had to say regardless.

April: This is reassuring. I was able to hold conversation with an actual group of people for at least five minutes, which should be a good sign. Hopefully they're not just pretending to like me though…

Quorin: It was very helpful to have the names of those who arrived before me to be listed off by Tovi, as I now will have names to go with every face. He's seems like a nice person and so do those two girls, but hopefully they're ready to deal with the more…difficult people here. After all, the real game hasn't even begun yet.

Meera, Wentworth and Yusuf had decided take a different route through the woods. Currently, they were walking alongside a small river while travelling upstream. Meera had figured that this would lead them to camp eventually.

"Wow, the breeze out here feels really nice." Said Wentworth enthusiastically.

"You're right, it feels pretty amazing." Noted Meera. "Say, I don't think I got your name, what was it again?"

"They call me Wentworth." He said, before adding. "It seems to make people think I'm from a rich family or conglomerate of sorts, but in reality I was raised as a lower-to-upper middle class kind of gentleman."

"Hmm, I can see how that would grow rather annoying to hear. Perhaps I should be glad that the worst I tend to face is people misspelling my name on paper." Mused Meera.

"And how are you doing yourself, little fellow?" Asked Wentworth while looking Yusuf's way.

"I, um…I-I'm Yusuf. Hi." He began. "…What was the question again?"

"Oh, no worries lad. I merely was curious as to how you're feeling right now." Assured Wentworth with a smile.

"I'm somewhat nervous, that m-much is true…some of those people were quite scary." Admitted Yusuf.

"I don't blame you, little guy. There were weird vibes radiating all throughout that crowd, especially when we got to the bar area." Mused Meera.

"That's kind of interesting, actually. Using a bar-like setting to hold the elimination ceremony seems like a highly unorthodox idea…" Said Wentworth.

"I know! Do we, like, get shots of straight whiskey if we're safe? Some of us probably aren't even of age to drink yet." Chuckled Meera.

"I'm not of age…it s-sounds absolutely horrifying anyway." Said Yusuf.

"Perhaps Chris will give that dashing young lass from earlier some apple juice instead." Guessed Wentworth.

"What, does someone have a crush already?" Asked Meera with a wry smirk.

"No, I wouldn't say that mate." Denied Wentworth. "Though I stand by the claim that she was a sight for sore eyes, and- "

"Hey g-guys, look!" Interrupted Yusuf.

A giant patch of thorns and prickly plant overgrowth now blocked their path. It was so large that walking around it seemed like it'd take way too long and possibly result in throwing them off course.

"Oh my goodness, this thorn patch is so large! Walking around it would take way too long and probably end up just throwing us off course!" Exclaimed Meera.

"Funny, that's almost down to the very letter exactly what I was thinking myself." Stated Wentworth thoughtfully.

"What do we d-do?" Asked Yusuf. "We can't go through it, or over it…probably not under it either."

"Damn! This is a harder conundrum that the one those two fish faced at the trench…and where's a Snorlax when you need one?" Sighed Meera. "I mean, is there any way around this obstacle?"

The three stood around silently, Yusuf looking more worried with each second of silence that passed by. They each looked around where they were standing for something to help with their current situation, until one of them spotted something useful-looking.

"…around…hold on! I just had an idea, chaps." Stated Wentworth.

Wentworth led the other two to a tall, dead-looking tree. It had several cracks near the base of its trunk, and was leaning slightly towards the river.

"Here's the deal, you two. The thorn bush is not in our way on the other side of this here river, so if we can get this hardwood to fall, it might create a bridge." Explained Wentworth.

"You sure that it's rotted enough for us to try kicking it down?" Asked Meera.

"I'm certain. That wood is way too soft to be standing up straight, so we can easily knock it down." Said Wentworth.

"Don't forget, the wood needs to b-be thick enough so that it doesn't snap in two when we put our weight on it…just a s-sec." Added Yusuf as he walked a few feet away.

"Shouldn't be difficult." Stated Wentworth. "Now, as for getting it down, all we need is to do is apply enough force so that the potential energy in the tree is actuated by gravity and then we'll- "

Before he could finish, Yusuf ran up to the tree from several feet a way and delivered a powerful kick to the base of the trunk, resulting in it falling perfectly into a position that gave them access to the other side of the river.

"…Whoa, nice job bringing down that tree Yusuf!" Exclaimed Meera. "No offense or anything, but I never suspected you had that much brute strength."

"Oh, it's n-nothing. I just did what you guys wanted, judging by the implications and all…it was s-sort of an obligation, for me. Brute or no." Explained Yusuf sheepishly.

"Whatever it was, that was just plum extraordinary! Good job, lad." Complimented Wentworth.

"Agreed. You slayed that hardwood like a champ, buddy." Smiled Meera. "Anyway, I think I should go across first, just so I can see if it's safe."

"Are you s-sure?" Asked Yusuf. "I'd rather get hurt potentially t-than you."

"Thanks for the concern, that's really sweet of you. I've got this though, because I'm pretty skilled when it comes to keeping balanced. You'll see." Smiled Meera.

"You mean you'll deal with the wood f-first so we don't have to? Okay, if y-you want." Conceded Yusuf.

"And I'll go last, because I certainly have the most funnel cakes in me." Laughed Wentworth, earning a chuckle form the others.

"That makes me the m-middleman, then." Stated Yusuf knowingly.

Wasting no time, Meera began inching her way across the fallen tree on all fours, making sure that she put as little pressure on it as possible and to steady herself so she wouldn't fall.

"Let's just hope she's skilled when it comes to hardwoods." Smirked Wentworth. "Or in this case, one more soft."

"And let's hope the wood is ready t-to handle her, admittedly rather meager, weight." Agreed Yusuf. "…If n-not, none of us can cross after she does."

As Meera made steady progress Wentworth watched and sighed to himself, while Yusuf suddenly looked up at the sky and noticed something peculiar.

"Whoa, t-that's intriguing. I can see the moon in broad d-daylight, Went. How cool is that?" He asked.

"You have no idea, lad." Smiled Wentworth.

(Confessional: One small step for Meera, one nice view for Wentworth.)

Yusuf: It seems like I've done a few things right so far. I showed I was strong and that I could follow a conversation without much trouble. There are still butterflies in my stomach though, so I hope to slowly release them from within over time…

Meera: Those two boys I walked with today are quite different. Wentworth was relatively talkative, a little on the heavy side, and rather thoughtful about the game. Yusuf on the other hand was skinnier, quieter, and a little more fickle…but he also seems quite sweet. Hopefully they'll both view me as someone they can work with down the road.

Wentworth: It will be very labyrinthine, this game. Luck will play a huge role, yet I'm of the belief that much of what happens to you can be influenced by what you do. I can think what I want, but what I say and do will be carefully devised to prompt others so they corral me into their circles. If you're not playing to your audience, then what can you possibly get done?

Forrest, Joyce and Ree were strolling through a treeless area of the island, seemingly on a bit of an incline. Forrest was currently snacking on a granola bar from his snack pack, and Ree sipped some water while wiping some sweat off of her forehead.

"Damn, the sunshine we're getting is sweltering hot!" Groaned Ree.

"Tell me about it. If only Chris had the forethought to pack sunscreen in our daypacks as well…" Agreed Forrest while observing the path ahead.

"It doesn't surprise me too greatly that Chris would make us suffer a little bit before things truly warm up." Stated Joyce. "That aside, isn't it surreal to finally be on Total Drama for realzies?"

"As a matter of fact, it has already surprised me." Admitted Forrest. "The entire introductions and pre-game talk by Chris felt like a ridiculously long seminar. On TV I imagine a myriad of what's happening now won't be shown."

"I think I feel the same way, now that you mention that." Said Joyce while scratching her head.

"You put into words perfectly what I was going to say!" Exclaimed Ree. "I'm just personally hoping that Chris doesn't grind us into dust right off the bat…"

"It wouldn't surprise me one bit if he's upped the ante since last time, given how long he's been doing his job." Warned Forrest. "That chode."

"Language." Frowned Ree.

"Who knows? He was very nice to us for the most part when we were gathered together at the very start, so maybe he'll cut us some slack for the first few days?" Asked Joyce while holding her arms out and walking atop a mossy log.

"That's super adorable." Thought Forrest before clearing his throat loudly. "Anyways, I have a question to ask you both. Just hear me out…"

"What is it?" Asked Ree curiously.

"Would the two of you like to be in an alliance with me? I've been thinking a bit since we started walking, and after talking with both of you I think it'd be really cool if we had each others' backs in this game." Proposed Forrest.

"That sounds like a really good idea; I'm in!" Giggled Joyce.

"What's in it for me?" Asked Ree with a fringe of doubt.

"Like I just said, we can have each others' backs if we go to elimination, and warn each other if someone is after us." Explained Forrest.

"Besides, who ever says no to an alliance?" Asked Joyce.

"Exactly." Nodded Forrest. "So, what do you say?"

Ree thought to herself for a moment, considering if this was a good idea. Very quickly, she made her choice.

"…Fine." Decided Ree reluctantly. "Just know for a fact that if you screw me, I will bring you down with me."

"Wouldn't dream of it, not for a second." Assured Forrest with a grin. "Anyways, glad to have you on board. I'll let you know that I've got you both covered."

The group continued walking a bit further, before passing through a several trees and exiting the clearing they were in previously.

"Yo guys, dead end at twelve o' clock." Said Joyce.

In front of them was a view spanning the vast majority of the island. They had been walking up a massive hill the entire time, and had now found themselves atop a cliff face that looked to be about twenty-five feet high. Ree nervously peered over the edge to catch a glance of the ground below.

"Yikes, we're up quite a ways." Observed Ree. "What do we do?"

Joyce took a look for herself over the edge. She winced upon looking straight down, and immediately backed up.

"Ooh, bugger. That's awfully dangerous looking. Although, it'll take us a very long time to walk back down to ground level…" Mused Joyce.

"Let me see." Said Forrest as he peered over the edge himself, stroking his chin in thought. "Hey, you know what? Call me crazy, but it looks like we might be able to climb down this bad boy."

"Whoa! Are you nuts?" Asked Ree.

"No, I'm quite serious." Smirked Forrest.

"I'm sorry dear, but I'm not very fond of heights…though, my feet are beginning to outright kill me…" Contemplated Joyce.

"And falling twenty-five feet won't?" Countered Ree.

Forrest only laughed and shook his head in amusement.

"Trust me, there's a section of the wall I saw that we can safely descend. Besides, it's a lot faster than turning around and going back the way we came." Explained Forrest calmly. "Just watch, I'll go first to prove it."

Without further warning, Forrest carefully began his descent down the cliff face. Since it was a fairly flat surface, Forrest was able to easily find a crack or a solid protrusion upon which he could place his foot. This did not put the girls at ease, however.

"Please be careful!" Warned Ree.

"I know you can do it, but still. What she said." Added Joyce.

Slowly but surely, Forrest was able to climb down the wall without any noticeable trouble, and cackled with delight once he reached the bottom safely.

"WHOO-HOO!" Cheered Forrest proudly.

"…Wow. I guess he not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk as well." Smirked Joyce, grinning while quite impressed.

"I guess he knows what he's doing after all." Sighed Ree thankfully. "I'll go next."

"Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall!" Shouted Forrest from below.

"…Think he would?" Asked Ree.

"Heck, I believe we can trust him; he doesn't seem like someone who'd let us get hurt." Assured Joyce.

Ree nodded, then took a very deep breath before meticulously descending the cliff herself.

(Confessional: If one of them did happen to fall off, couldn't Chris just say he prepared everyone a delicious fruit salad?)

Joyce: What a way to start the game! Seriously, I thought I was going to die. That craziness aside though, it looks like I've already won myself two allies. Ree has been tolerable so far, and Forrest…well, what can I say? He certainly means well, but he really seems like the kind of guy who prefers everything to be done his way. Plus, he went on this tangent about an ex of his after we continued, and it seems pretty clear to me that he still isn't over her yet. Oh well; I know I'm capable of grinning and bearing anything I have to in order to secure my place in this game.

Ree: The walk was pretty interesting, and climbing down that wall of rock and dirt wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. I'm feeling really anxious about the future however, so I'm somewhat comforted by the fact that I have two people on my side already. Joyce is simply a delight, and while Forrest is reckless he's proved himself capable of facing adversity. It was a long, hot walk but I managed to get a few things done along the way too.

Forrest: All right! The game is afoot, and I've already made a few new friends…well, I guess "allies" is more appropriate. If I get the chance to lead them with me through this game, I'll definitely make sure we're here for the long haul. Now from here I just need to keep tabs on them from time to time in order to keep our unity strong.

Gavin and Zenith trudged through the woods together, being careful not to trip over any giant roots that were protruding from underground everywhere. Zenith had pulled him aside earlier so that she could walk and talk alone with him.

"I suppose there is a reason you decided to accompany me on this walk, ma'am." Stated Gavin. "Would you like to make me privy to it?"

"First of all, don't call me ma'am. I feel like an old lady when you do. Don't be so formal." Ordered Zenith. "And secondly, unless I'm mistaken I heard you mention that you plan on being a follower in this game. That right?"

"You'd be quite correct." Confirmed Gavin with a nod. "That being known, what exactly is your name, dear?"

"Zenith. Zenith works just fine." Answered Zenith.

"Very well, that's quite superb to know." Noted Gavin. "So then, Zenith…if it's a partnership you want, how exactly is it going to work?"

"Allow me to let you in on a few things, Gavin." Asserted Zenith as she turned to face him. "See, I've got plans. Big plans. What I'm going to need is for you to help me see those plans come to fruition, from which we'll both benefit greatly. If you agree to become my ally, I'll ensure that we both get to the end of this game together. All I need for you to do is meet with me regularly, feed me information regarding anything and everything you know, and vote the way I tell you to at ceremonies. Above all else however, I'm going to need you to have complete and utter trust in me. Capiche?"

Gavin was silent for a few moments, thinking over what Zenith had explained to him.

"Hmm, you sure do know how to make a good pitch…okay then, I'm in." Decided Gavin with a brief nod. "Quick question though, what if we are on separate teams during a challenge?"

"In that case, we'll discuss our options after the challenge is over, depending on who is part of the losing team." Explained Zenith. "Just know that I'm all about winning, so hopefully at least I will avoid having to lose often."

"I can understand wanting to avoid elimination." Said Gavin. "Also, what if one of us finds an idol?"

"You are to tell me immediately if you find one of the idols." Stated Zenith. "If one of us gets our hands on one of them, it could greatly turn the tables in our favor."

"That's true, the idols all sounded like they each had useful powers in some way." Noted Gavin.

"Don't forget, this alliance between us is to be kept purely a secret. I don't want people knowing we're working together, or they could see us as threats." Warned Zenith.

"You can count on me to keep things under wraps, Zenith." Stated Gavin. "Now, will we be able to expand our alliance in the future?"

"Oh trust me, there will be expansions once I talk to more people later." Assured Zenith. "Just remember real good, I'm in charge here between the two of us. And no matter who we recruit along the way our strongest commitments are going to be to each other."

Suddenly, Gavin tripped over a root that was sticking out of the soil. Before he fell to the ground, however, Zenith caught him by grabbing onto his wrist, and quickly pulled him back up to his feet.

"See? I'm gonna take reeeeeeal good care of you, Gavin." Said Zenith with a smirk.

"You're the boss." Declared Gavin as he and Zenith continued.

"…and don't you forget it." Muttered Zenith.

(Confessional: Zenith could really be an ace at Shark Tank.)

Zenith: And that, ladies and gentleman, is how you get people on your side. While the others in this game are probably just chatting about the weather and how much they dislike Chris, I've already started adding cards to my deck. Since I've now got a foundation for my future alliance, I simply need to add more people in the next few days once I have time to corral them into my corner.

Gavin: …Well, this is a good sign. I was initially planning on waiting a little longer to spot the leaders amongst this crowd and join the one I thought would be the best. However, it seems that I already have an ally in Zenith, and I actually feel quite chipper about it. I'm getting the sense that she likes to be in control, so I'll ride this wave and see where it takes me. If I find her leadership skills to be proven adequate, then perhaps this will be exactly what I need in order to succeed.

In another part of the woods, a group consisting of Effie, Niko, Vern and Xipil was taking their time by slowly treading their way through a field of flowers.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Asked Effie out loud. "Who knew that God's beautiful creations had found a cozy home upon this island, too?"

"Reminds me of the Brave Little Toaster, when they leave the cabin for the first time." Observed Vern.

"I guess you could consider flowery fields as their own type of biome." Noted Niko. "I would with absolute certainty live in one, if I didn't love the city so much!"

"Isn't it a lot less clean in the city?" Asked Effie.

"Sure, but there are plenty of reasons that I can overlook it." Shrugged Niko. "You don't want to go throwing out the baby with the bathwater."

"…The hell does that mean?" Asked Vern with a confused look.

"It's a common phrase." Stated Xipil. "He means you don't rule out something entirely or get rid of it because one small aspect of its entirety is flawed or needs fixing."

"Okay, good thing it isn't literal." Sighed Effie.

"See guys? Zippy knows what's going on." Smiled Niko.

"Don't call me that." Frowned Xipil. "It's not my name for one, and I'm actually rather indignant of that one in particular."

"Sorry, I'll remember that now." Apologized Niko quickly.

"Don't worry, you didn't know that before now." Assured Xipil. "…I'm not going to hurt you over something minuscule little like that, anyway."

"1 Samuel 2:9…it is not by strength that one prevails." Smiled Effie. "I respect you highly for committing to nonviolence."

"Keep in mind that our contracts do not allow exorbitant violence against other contestants. I combed through it before coming on here, just to be safe." Explained Vern. "It's good to hear that you're a woman of peace, of course."

"Does professional fencing count as a peaceful activity?" Asked Xipil. "There's some combat involved, yet it's never really to harm your opponent, just to strike them for points."

"I'd say there's nothing at all wrong with that." Guessed Effie. "If nobody is hurt, then I'd gladly watch any sport."

"Spectators sports aren't usually my forte, but whenever I've gone to one they've been pretty fun." Admitted Vern.

"I LOVE spectators!" Exclaimed Niko suddenly. "Having an audience is the first step to creating change, so when you've got a crowd, that's when everything goes down!"

"On a level, he's right. Having an audience is an incredible motivation to perform well." Stated Xipil.

"Being heard is also a great aspect of that; whether they choose to listen is another thing, but it's still a wonderful feeling." Mused Effie.

"I don't know what you guys are saying- I'm quite the opposite of that." Said Vern. "When I'm put on the spot in front of everybody, I feel a lot of pressure…which usually stops me dead in my tracks. Like a deer caught in front of headlights."

"I don't know what business you have on national television, then." Smirked Xipil devilishly.

"Eh, to each his own color of the rainbow, I guess." Shrugged Niko.

"I'd pick red any day of the week." Smiled Effie.

"Blue is better than red, though." Pointed out Xipil with a raise of her finger.

"Based on what, exactly? Color preference is quite arbitrary anyways." Groaned Vern.

"You'd be surprised how there are a folks out there who disagree, man." Said Niko. "Come to think of it, one dude tried to shank me because I disagreed with him on orange being the nicest one to look at."

"How on earth did we from talking about flowers to discussing crazy color-preferring lunatics?" Asked Xipil in confusion.

"Looks like we're conversationally dynamic." Shrugged Niko.

"Which is the perfect opportunity for me to ask you all about something else." Continued Effie. "What did you think about the rest of the people we'll be competing with?"

"I arrived here on the boat last, so there wasn't much for me to witness." Stated Xipil. "However, the dirty blond man looked a bit like trouble to me."

"I really didn't like that girl who was…in the business suit." Added Niko. "Was she…what area from Asia was it? Whatever it is, she clearly didn't like me so that's a problem."

"I don't know, but I didn't like her either." Frowned Vern. "It's not really her fault, but…she reminded me a bit too much of my ex."

The others winced at this revelation, in sympathy.

"Yikes, that must have been a real mood killer right out of the gate. Sorry man." Said Xipil.

"Yeah amigo, do whatever you can to separate them in your head." Advised Niko.

"…I've never had an ex, so I can't say I know what that's like." Apologized Effie. "Sorry."

"Sorry to bring it up, forget about that part." Sighed Vern. "In fact, forget I said anything. I've never met anyone here, and I'm going to like them all!" He proudly declared.

"That's the spirit!" Urged Effie.

"Hey, I can see the other edge of the island guys!" Shouted Niko suddenly.

"About damn time." Declared Xipil with pride.

"FLOWER DANCE!" Shouted Niko as he did a cartwheel and then pranced through a patch of flowers that led them further down their path.

"That little kook." Smiled Xipil. "I think I like him already."

"…Alright." Shrugged Vern. "I swear though, he's incredibly random."

"Those poor flowers." Winced Effie.

(Confessional: Careful, you dummy! You might've massacred millions of Whovilles just now!)

Vern: I suppose the oddity factor is strong with this season, but luckily I'm capable of giving most people what they want. Of the people I know right now, all have a unique code in life that seems to define what they believe in. Be it a fairly religious sweetheart, rugged swordsman, and spastic motor mouth, I can adapt to my audience just fine.

Xipil: It's a fitting metaphor, I think. We passed by tons of flowers, which represent the peaceful calm before the inevitable storm that is the strategy and paranoia of this game. I excel at combat, but my English-speaking ability is only fairly recent. Hopefully people don't misunderstand what I say when I need to talk to them.

Niko: What can I say, besides that I'm infinitely behooved just to be here? I want to stick around as long as I can, but damn is it easy to get lost in the moment. With there being plenty to talk about and all the natural beauties of this island, what won't I enjoy about this experience?

Effie: Funny how I'm used to confessionals perhaps more than anyone else. I strive to redeem myself of the mistakes I made which led me to being here…no. That makes it sound like a bad thing. Let's have fun in the sun, Chris!

Benatar, Lana and Sawyer were travelling through another part of the woods, and had happened to choose a path that was scattered with dead laves and pine straw. The dead plant life rustled loudly as they made their way through it, but at least they were in the shade of the trees as opposed to being the scorching sunlight.

"Good gravy, we sure chose a messy path to take." Observed Sawyer.

"At least it's a bit cooler under the shade." Stated Benatar. "Though personally, I do enjoy being in the sun more."

"There's a very particular balance between wind and sun exposure that results in the optimum weather conditions." Said Lana. "We're not quite there yet, but it's pretty darn close. If anything I'd simply appreciate being in a good mood by the time we make it to camp tonight."

"That would be nice." Agreed Benatar. "Though is it a realistic expectation?"

"Perhaps as long as we keep trudging forth, we'll be alright." Guessed Lana with a sway of her hips.

The others raised an eyebrow at this, believing what they saw to be a bit forced on Lana's behalf.

"I wonder if she's in a bad mood." Wondered Benatar.

"What do you guys think of our competition?" Asked Sawyer to continue the conversation, and perhaps lighten things up.

"If you ask me, some of those people looked like mere recruits. It wouldn't surprise me if we have some fodder whose main purpose it to look good on TV…not that I'm complaining." Suggested Lana.

"And to merely serve as pawns for others." Added Benatar.

"Don't you need to send in an audition in order to sign up for Total Drama?" Asked Sawyer. "I don't think they recruit people randomly they way they do for Survivor and others shows like those."

"If that's the case, they probably chose a few people they thought were dumb." Guessed Benatar.

"By the way Sawyer, you share a name with that one kitty cat from the movie Cats Don't Dance." Noticed Lana. "Surely it's a coincidence, but that's the only ever time I've known of a Sawyer until I met you."

"That film is a classic in my book, so I'm flattered you made that comparison." Smiled Sawyer.

"It's probably better than hearing people mention that author who wrote during the 1900's." Said Lana with a smile. "And you're welcome."

"Tom Sawyer? I can relate to some of his characters." Stated Benatar. "I say that because I fish a lot."

"Thank goodness that's the similarity you cited." Replied Lana.

"Do you have a favorite fish to catch, or to eat?" Asked Sawyer. "Mine is the Roundjaw Bonefish, to eat."

Benatar's faced brightened ever so slightly at hearing this bit of info.

"Ah, the Albula vulpes." Stated Benatar. "I myself like to catch the Couesius plumbeus, the Lake Chub."

The two both suddenly noticed that Lana was snickering loudly behind them.

"What's up with you?" Asked Benatar as Lana managed to stop herself.

"Oh…it's nothing really. I was just remembering a funny joke my sister once told me." Lied Lana.

"I suppose there's no harm in that." Shrugged Sawyer. "Laughter is the best medicine they say, notably if the 'disease' in question is boredom."

"Funny you should mention that, because I've chatted with several doctors in my line of work. I'm certain that my brains come from getting to meet so many intellectuals…" Explained Lana.

"Tell me more." Smiled Sawyer.

"…Way to steal my conversation away from me." Mumbled Benatar as he and the two girls continued, with him now leading the way further.

(Confessional: One of the worst feelings ever is when you're interrupted like that, and the one you were talking to forgets to come back.)

Lana: The walk itself wasn't so bad, even if most of it was through ankle-deep leaves. I'm admittedly not a nature's gal but I can deal with it if I'm going to be this season's winner. A lot of the mastery in one's game comes through more subtle tactics, and not outright big moves or gestures. Right now I'm working my magic on Sawyer, because as a fellow Asian woman I bet she'll relate to me pretty easily.

Benatar: It's not usually in me to be a social butterfly. I had a brief chance to talk about fishing and form a bond with Sawyer, but Lana must've seen that and distracted her intentionally to halt our chat…even though it hadn't really even begun. Frustrating yes, though there will be others I can speak to later. If Lana wants to have Sawyer to herself, so be it.

Sawyer: Call me pumped! I came a long way from my home in central India to play Total Drama, thanks to the new rule allowing international contestants to participate on the show. While I want to make my folks and friends proud, I'll need to take things slowly as to not draw attention to myself. Judging by things so far, I'm doing a pretty good job!

Hayden, Paige and Utara were currently walking along the sandy beach of Wawanakwa. They figured it'd be a quick, easy path to camp since they wouldn't get lost wandering through the forest.

"I could watch the waves wash in and out of the shore for ages." Smiled Paige.

"It's truly a sight to behold. Looks like a good place for swimming should any of us choose." Observed Utara.

"There's a chance that the shore is different near camp, but I whole heartedly agree." Said Hayden. "So, what do you two think of this walk so far?"

"I'm enjoying it quite a bit, admittedly." Said Utara. "Even if this takes longer than we're expecting it to, I can say that I had a nice trip across a very extravagant section of the island.

"I feel pretty stoked about the game, if I'm being honest." Added Paige. "Do you guys think we're in for a crazy experience, or what?"

"There'll surely be pandemonium happening really fast." Guessed Hayden. "Let's just pray that despite what lies ahead, we'll all have a shot at going far."

"Chris wouldn't have it any other way." Laughed Paige.

"Say, sorry to interrupt but what were your guys' names?" Asked Utara. "I'm pretty sure I arrived on the dock after you both did."

"I'm Paige." Smiled Paige. "Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Hayden." Greeted Hayden warmly. "Just curious, but where are you from, Utara?"

"My home is in Norway, which is much lower in temperature than this place." Giggled Utara. "Sometimes I wonder what it's like to have the sun rise every day and fall every night, as opposed to six month intervals being the norm."

"I have no idea what that must be like." Admitted Paige. "All I can say is, you can look forward to lots of sunshine!"

"That I will." Stated Utara with a nod.

"What do you girls think of all the idols Chris brought up earlier?" Asked Hayden to move the discussion forward.

"Seems to me like it could lead to several people splitting the votes at elimination." Guessed Paige. "Other than that, I don't know what could happen."

"I believe that you'd have to go through a ton of trouble just to find one, so I'm not sure if I want any yet." Mused Utara.

"It'd certainly raise the entertainment factor for viewers, but be stressful and unpredictable for us players." Noted Hayden.

"That's true, poor us." Laughed Paige. "Say, Hayden. I'm pretty sure that Chris said you were the oldest contestant this season, is that right?"

"It sure is, Paige. I'm twenty-five, to be exact. It's kind of a cool piece of trivia if you ask me, but I doubt it's any kind of advantage if that's what you were thinking." Explained Hayden.

"Just checking to see if I was right." Said Paige. "That's cool, because I'm the youngest! In fact, I'm only barely legal."

"Bruh! Isn't this show rated PG?" Asked Utara with a smirk.

Everybody laughed after a few moments of silence, and if one looked closely then they could see that Hayden had a blush on his face.

(Confessional: Since previous casts had contestants under eighteen, doesn't that technically make all those seasons illegal?)

Paige: Okay, so that was my own ham-handed attempt at flirting back there. Urgh, so stupid! Whether or not it worked though, I would like to form an alliance with Hayden once I have the opportunity to get him alone later. I didn't do it yet because I felt I should get to know him a little better first, and I'm not as sure I have a very good read on Utara just yet.

Hayden: It looks like I got to walk with the girls who had the craziest hairstyles of the season! There were the long blonde dreadlocks of Utara, and the equally blonde spiral of hair for Paige. I don't mean it in a bad way at all, it's just they were just very unique. Now, call me crazy, but was Paige flirting with me? I hope she doesn't like me because I'm already taken outside this game, but I'd be glad to get an alliance started early before things get crazy later on.

Utara: The beach reminded me a lot of my home, only without the snow. It was a nice relaxing stroll, a nice calm before the storm that is coming later. In other news, it's clear to me that Paige has it bad for Hayden, though there's a pretty good chance he's already taken. Call it a hunch. I may model for a living, but I'm pretty brainy and I would have totally done a better job than Paige.

A party consisting of Desiree, Ianto, Kanapi and Okoth was currently traveling over a more rocky section of the island. While the path was mostly a level one, they had to ascend a few inclines along the way. Kanapi led the other three along a semi-established trail.

"…A few hours have gone by, and I doubt even a third of our trek will be shown in the final edit." Said Ianto. "Although I suppose nothing extraordinary happened along the way."

"You'd be right about that entirely, Juan." Agreed Okoth.

"…Juan? Who's Juan?" Asked Desiree in confusion.

"Oh dear, do you mean me? My name is actually Ianto." Laughed Ianto. "I'll just be glad that I told you before we were already at camp."

"Oops, heh-heh…sorry." Apologized Okoth.

"No sweat, buddy. It's only the first day after all." Smiled Ianto.

"I can understand that Chris may not have pronounced the names loudly enough." Noted Kanapi. "He got mine wrong too in fact, yet now he should know how it is said."

"What's in a name?" Asked Okoth. "All I know is that Ianto means golden in Welsh."

"That's true." Smiled Ianto. "Of course, I don't think my parents were thinking about that when they named me, but it's a cool little nugget of info regardless."

"…I noticed that joke you made there. Very clever." Smiled Kanapi.

"…What does your name mean?" Asked Desiree to Kanapi, while he stepped over a medium-sized rock.

"My name is a shortened form of the word which means one who is talked of." Explained Kanapi.

"Though, hopefully that isn't what happens to you early on, since that could mean people want you out." Stated Okoth.

"Then I will make sure I give them no reason to do such a thing." Declared Kanapi.

"…That's smart." Added Desiree dryly.

"Not only smart, but wise." Nodded Kanapi.

"I sincerely hope that none of our early challenges involve walking over a bunch of rocks." Said Ianto. "I say that because I'm starting to get sick of doing it now."

"Admittedly, I am used to walking very long distances." Stated Kanapi. "If there was a challenge that involved travelling far stretches of this island, I would have no issue with it whatsoever."

"Me neither, by and large." Added Okoth. "We're getting to camp by travelling through a bunch of rocks, which does not in fact, rock."

"…I see what you did there." Remarked Desiree with no emotion.

"Look. The top of this hilly landmark is near." Observed Kanapi. "After we pass over, there should be a long downhill stretch leading to camp."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Smirked Ianto. "Looks like the hardest part of this voyage is about to be over."

"How far have we even gone so far?" Asked Okoth.

"It seems that we're at least halfway, if not two-thirds to camp." Suggested Kanapi.

"Then it'll be a hello directed at Chris and dinner very soon." Smiled Ianto as he undid a button on his shirt.

"It's pretty hot out here. I'd just like to cool off." Added Desiree.

"Worry not, we are not too far away." Assured Kanapi as they reached the peak and looked ahead.

"Looks like you were right." Smiled Okoth.

(Confessional: If you've ever gone hiking before, that's one thing. Backpacking on the other hand, now that is something else entirely.)

Kanapi: I should remind the audience that I have been on a spiritual journey for the last four years or so, most of which consisted of walking for many long hours a day. That initial walk across the island threw me right back into my element, which was a nice start to this adventure.

Okoth: I made it a goal to converse with the people I chose to walk with, but not create any waves when doing so. I'm quick to agree to anything, even if it's not truly what I believe. And yes, I know it's taking the easy road when conversing but in this game it could work to some extent.

Desiree: …My legs feel pretty sore after all that walking. Despite that, I was able to witness some riveting conversation. Besides, I tend to hang more with guys than other girls, which hasn't changed obviously.

Ianto: Ugh, that walk completely wrecked my feet. On the bright side, I seem to have made a few connections with my competition, an important task if there ever was one. They were all quite different from one another, but I appreciate diversity more than most do. All things considered, this day appears to be going quite well for me.

Gavin and Zenith continued walking through the forest together, and were currently making their way through an area that was scattered with small ponds and teemed with marshy wildlife. They hopped across stones scattered around the area to avoid getting their feet wet.

"You're pretty agile, Gavin. Almost as much as I am in fact." Noted Zenith. "How does a guy like you find the time?"

"I've always had a small amount of time set aside for personal training on the estate." Remarked Gavin. "Besides, the amount of distance I cover in one day is quite lengthy, so I must always be quick on my feet."

"I'm already feeling confident that I made the right choice in picking you." Smirked Zenith. "Maybe if we had a race between the two of us, you'd actually be able to beat me…I mean, I'd probably kick your ass if you ever did, but still."

"Dully noted." Said Gavin. "Now, in the beginning days you mentioned we need to recruit, so is that going to be our MO?"

"Yes, we need some pawns that we can make good use of." Replied Zenith. "I'd recommend leaving most of that to me, though if you happen to click with anyone else, definitely make sure to tell me."

"One other question related to that, what if you don't like someone, but they end up liking and trusting me?" Asked Gavin. "Not to suggest you wouldn't be capable of the same, of course."

"It's inevitable that I'll piss someone off." Shrugged Zenith. "If that's the case however, just convince them to do what I want without them knowing we're connected."

"Perfect, I'll keep that in mind." Said Gavin while giving a brief thumbs up. "…Why, I do believe I can see camp from here."

Both campers looked ahead to see Chris and Chef Hatchet standing in a large foyer, clearly waiting for everyone to arrive where they'd positioned themselves.

"Yo, McLando!" Called Zenith. "We've pulled in full speed at Grand Winners' Station, you're welcome!"

Chris turned to see Gavin and Zenith walking towards him, and put on a smile once it registered in his mind that this was the first of the cast members arriving on site.

"Buenos Dias, you guys." Smiled Chris. "Congratulations on being the first two people to make it to camp. Surely you both must be proud of yourselves."

"Damn right I'm proud." Beamed Zenith. "So, do I- I mean, we get a special prize for making it here before everybody else?"

"I can confirm that there is no special prize for me to dole out." Stated Chris. "However, our inaugural self-serve dinner is currently waiting in the mess hall for you both. It's first come-first serve, so go get what you want while you can!"

Despite the disappointment over there being no reward or advantage, Zenith simply shrugged and then rubbed her tummy.

"Eh, at least I won at dinner." Declared Zenith. "C'mon, Gavin. Let's go and enjoy our victory feast, because we sure earned the bitch."

"With pleasure, Zenith." Nodded Gavin. "What would you like me to get for you?"

"Don't worry man, it's self-serve. I'll get my own." Assured Zenith before patting her ally on the shoulder.

As the two walked inside, Chef raised an eyebrow.

"There's somethin' definitely goin' on between those two." Muttered Chef.

(Confessional: In other news, lava melts stuff.)

Zenith: If nothing else, the empowering feeling I got from beating the others to camp has invigorated me with the sheer motivation needed to carry forth with my game plan. A reward would've been nice, but it's understandable that we'd be expected to find, say, idols on our own. Also fantastic was all that damn food to pick from; I felt like a bigger woman after that feast.

Gavin: Things seem to be going rather swimmingly, as it looks like Zenith and I arriving first gave her a morale boost. While there was sadly no advantage, I really needed to eat- those snacks in our day packs only gave both of us so much sustenance. It's been about as good as the day could've gone, though. So am I content? Yes.

"Are we close to reaching our destination yet?" Asked Wentworth. "This bloody hike sure has wreaked havoc on my soles…"

"Don't worry Went, we should be almost there." Smiled Meera. "You've had a fantastic attitude about the whole thing, which I greatly appreciate in an alliance-mate."

"Ooh, you mean it? Thank you, I'd be very happy to be exactly that." Smiled Wentworth.

"I think I can see Chris up ahead, guys." Remarked Yusuf as he pointed his finger straight ahead.

"Eureka! I wonder if we're first you guys." Voiced Meera optimistically.

"If not, I suppose it's tolerable. There isn't an elimination after all." Shrugged Wentworth.

"Yeah, you're feeling hungry aren't you Went?" Asked Meera with a smile.

"Indeed I am. Also, it sounds like Went is certainly catching on as a nickname for me with the two of you…I really am warming up to it." Said Wentworth with a cheerful nod.

"It'll be a common courtesy from us, then." Assured Meera.

Chris noticed out of the corner of his eye that the group of three had arrived to camp, and put on a smile in response.

"Good job on making it here, guys!" Complimented Chris.

"Thanks Chris." Replied Meera humbly. "Say, are we the first ones to arrive?"

"You guys aren't the first ones to show up here, I can confirm." Stated Chris. "However, I'll add that the people who did show up first got no special prize of any kind, so hopefully that's compensation enough."

"It is." Shrugged Yusuf. "…I guess."

"Dinner is being served though, so you don't want to miss out!" Added Chris. "There's still plenty left, now go ahead and chow down!"

"Ooh, I'm famished." Grinned Wentworth as he licked his lips. "I need something to satiate the void known as…air?"

"Close enough." Laughed Meera.

As Wentworth stormed into the mess hall, Meera and Yusuf slowly brought up the rear and sighed in satisfaction that they'd made it.

"Isn't it great? We're finally at Camp Wawanakwa, Yusuf!" Cheered Meera.

"It'll be exciting, there's n-no doubt about it." Stated Yusuf as he held the door for Meera, and then followed inside after her.

(Confessional: The way to a mans heart is through his stomach…which, if you think about counts as Fridge Brilliance because the bloodstream absorbs nutrients through the stomach linings and subsequent villi in the small intestine, eventually providing the heart with nutrients. This troper thinks that whoever came up with that sure was clever.)

Wentworth: All in all, it was a riveting day. Got in a decent walk, and bestowed food in my admittedly rotund belly after it all. Plus, I've acquired some pretty exquisite new friends. Yeah buoy!

Yusuf: Am I new to long walks? No. Am I new to having a feast at the end of one? Yes! I'm just hoping the first day was a good indicator of the overall picture here.

Meera: My legs are definitely going to be sore tomorrow, but I loved the sightseeing all the same. Consider this the start of an epic adventure, because I'm in it for everything!

"Unbelievable." Muttered Benatar.

The Japanese fisherman trudged on with immense frustration, as Lana and Sawyer trailed behind him and been talking the entire hike since they'd begun their conversation from earlier.

"And that's why they need to have John Turturro in another Coen Brothers film." Stated Lana.

"I guess you can't really make another one unless he's in it." Agreed Sawyer casually.

"Can't forget John Goodman either." Added Lana. "Oh the things I'd let that man do to me…"

"You and the Johns today." Remarked Benatar dryly.

"Certainly, and I surely wouldn't have it any other way." Smiled Lana.

"Not sure who I'd choose for such a task." Joked Sawyer. "Allow me to put that choice on the backburner for now, actually."

"Fair enough. After all, we are on TV playing for one million big ones." Shrugged Lana.

"Sounds you're looking for a different kind of thing that's big, it seems." Said Benatar.

"Excuse me?" Gasped Lana.

Before an argument could break out, however, Sawyer noticed that Chris was standing several feet ahead of them.

"Guys, look! We found our camp, there's Chris right there." Announced Sawyer proudly.

Both Benatar and Lana quickly bit their tongues as Chris gave a quick clap for their group and smiled brightly.

"Nice work, you three." Smiled Chris warmly. "You've found camp, and earned yourself the chance to eat a healthy, wholesome dinner. There's still plenty left for you guys to choose from."

"I assume that based on what you just said, we aren't the first to arrive here." Guessed Benatar.

"That would be quite the correct thing to infer." Confirmed Chris. "There was no prize for first place though, so there was no advantage given to anyone."

"Thank goodness, because I'd be simply livid if that were the case." Stated Lana.

"It still would've been wasteful to feel that way." Shrugged Chris.

"Let's eat, you two. I'm feeling pretty desperate for a bite of something to eat." Said Sawyer. "Onwards!"

Benatar and Lana gave each other a peculiar look before finally turning to walk with Sawyer inside the mess hall.

(Confessional: There's that silent understanding that both know the other is trying to screw with their opponent's head.)

Lana: It was a deliberate move on my part to keep Benatar from talking to Sawyer, because I want her as an ally in this game. As in, I want her to be my ally. While he isn't a threat, I want to make things as hard as possible for Benatar because he seems like he'll crack easily once I push his buttons enough.

Benatar: That woman means nothing but trouble. I know nothing about her outside this game so I don't want to throw any shade that way, but what Lana did to me today was absolutely infuriating. Also detrimental to my game is that I can articulate easily to a camera, but not while in front of actual people…

Sawyer: What's funny is that myself, Benatar and Lana are all from the same region of the world. There are plenty of differences between us three and where we're from specifically, but perhaps that common link will unite us! Fantastic nature walk we had, by the way.

The clicking of a camera sounded off, and from Citra's camera came the photo of a rare breed of the Wawanakwa-native dandelion gecko.

"Sweet! I captured one, a real one, during that precious moment in time!" Cheered Citra.

"Nice one Citra." Complimented Tovi. "Before you know it, you'll be making official documentations for stuff like that all across the globe."

"There's surely, the um, merit to having that sort of job, who wouldn't though, because the more we know the better we can make our, you know, whole world." Rambled April.

"That's exactly what I plan on doing someday." Smiled Citra. "It's a work in progress yes, but maybe my exposure through national television will get my name out there."

"Dedication is the word of the day." Laughed Tovi.

"There are things we don't know that if we did learn, our world would be a much more advanced place." Stated Quorin. "It'd be an entirely new world filled with hover cars and cancer cures. That is a world I want to see before I die."

"That sort of makes the, um, animal photography thing kind of pale in comparison dude." Said April.

"True, though I wasn't dismissing the idea of what Citra's been doing. I actually find many layers to how it's quite compelling, too." Explained Quorin.

"Care to elaborate?" Asked Tovi. "I'm pretty intrigued by this entire angle you've brought to the conversation…"

Quorin opened his mouth to speak, but before he could he noticed Chris standing in the opening up ahead. He instead kept silent, and pointed to show the others where the host stood.

"Whoa, there's the big man." Observed Tovi as the group approached Chris.

"Welcome to camp, you four!" Announced Chris, followed by a hearty laugh. "Congratulations on walking it out and making it here. You all are probably starving about now!"

"Literally now that you say that, yes. I am." Remarked April with surprise.

"The snacks sure were pretty darn good though, Chris." Added Tovi.

"Thanks bro, we're glad you enjoyed them." Smiled Chris. "Trust me, some people who got those needed to have some before they made it this far."

Chris suddenly noticed Citra was standing right next to him, giving him a slight startle since he never noticed how she possibly made it there without him noticing.

"Can I please have a picture with you, Chris?" Asked Citra, as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and leaned into him.

"…Absolutely you may." Nodded Chris as Citra pressed the button on her camera…producing a quite good photo of the two smiling into the lens.

"It's perfect! Thank you so much for this, bro." Smiled Citra as she retreated to rejoin the other three.

"Trust me, the pleasure was all mine." Said Chris sincerely. "Anyways, go ahead and give me your guys' day packs from earlier before you grab some chow from the mess hall."

As the four did so and proceeded into the mess hall to grab dinner, Chef did a double take as he noticed a growing pile of emptied daypacks beside him.

"What? When the hell did that get there?" Asked Chef in confusion.

"Chef, I've already tossed those things right next to you. Several times." Stated Chris dryly. "…What goddamn planet were you on, dude?"

"Um…seriously. I don't know what the hell is goin' on, Chris." Stated Chef with a scared look on his face.

(Confessional: So you're asking yourself, why is it that just NOW the pile of empty daypacks is being referenced? Why hasn't the writer made note of the others taking theirs off until these people came along? How about shut up.)

Quorin: A lesson I've learned from a very young age…there is no such thing as knowing too much. I feel like the people I've met are being written as characters into my storybook of a mind, so hopefully said "characters" will become far more detailed along the way.

Citra: That was really sweet of Chris to let me take a selfie with him! Now I can scratch that off my bucket list. (She takes a piece of paper out of her pocket, and unfolds it several times until it's nearly three feet by four.) And…check. Up next is to try Chef's legendary bean curry, with cinnamon.

April: I need to quit mumbling within certain sentences, because it'll surely seem quite annoying before long. That said, I had a fantastic first day…far better than I expected. Guess I got lucky with the people I chose to roll with.

Tovi: No mosquitoes in sight, and no elimination for today…all in all nothing short of the perfect start to this game.

"I wonder if we'll have to walk across the entire island for every elimination ceremony we attend." Pondered Okoth.

"It would not deter me in any way whatsoever." Stated Kanapi.

"It'd be a perfect incentive to not lose any challenges." Laughed Ianto. "Though I'd really rather clone myself, and have Ianto 2.0 go in my place."

"You mean Otnai?" Asked Okoth jokingly. "I'm sure it's a rule that your clone has your name only backwards."

"Than I will feel very bad for that Lana girl's clone, should she be able to create one." Laughed Ianto mischievously.

"…WHOA! That's really gross, man!" Grimaced Okoth upon realizing what had been implied.

"…An argument against science that makes sense." Pondered Desiree tonelessly.

"Science has its place." Stated Kanapi. "I have managed to live happily without much of it, but I am likely the exception and not the norm."

"That's a good point. Were you ever seriously injured in your travels?" Asked Ianto.

"Only a couple of times." Recalled Kanapi. "Back then I simply rested for a few days before continuing on my path, as it was likely just some kind of swelling or pain."

"Guess you'll be harder to break in this game." Shrugged Okoth. "Not saying that I would try to, of course."

"I understand." Smiled Kanapi, before he noticed something up ahead. "Why look, Chris is right over there."

"…Finally." Said Desiree as the group of four caught the eye of the host.

"Well would you like at that!" Smiled Chris. "It's the three caballeros, along with a single caballera."

"If you refrain from requiring exorbitant amounts of walking of us in the near future, I'll be perfectly content with how today went." Stated Ianto.

"Great! Then I can assure you we'll hold off on that for at least a while." Promised Chris.

"How many people showed up before us?" Asked Okoth.

"Let's see…I think it was about twelve people." Guessed Chris. "There was no reward for coming in first though, so it's not like you missed any kind of grand opportunity."

"A very calming fact." Stated Kanapi. "I did not want the spotlight on me if I had it anyway."

"Feed me." Demanded Desiree.

"Oh, right. Please tell me there's some food prepared Chris, because Desiree has been telling us how hungry she is throughout the entire hike." Pleaded Okoth.

"I'd argue that she's downright on the verge of starvation." Smirked Ianto.

"I gave her all my snacks, though." Stated Kanapi in confusion. "So did Okoth."

"Well worry no more you four, because dinner is as a matter of proven fact served." Said Chris.

"Made by yours truly, self-serve style and all." Smiled Chef.

"…I love you." Declared Desiree before bolting into the mess hall doors, leaving her daypack on the ground where she stood.

"…Hopefully there isn't a 'going-without-eating for days' challenge." Said Okoth with wide eyes.

"Who knows?" Laughed Chris. "Go on ahead inside and join her, but hand me all of your day packs first."

After doing as instructed, the three walked through the doors for a well-deserved meal.

"Good thing you finally went to culinary school before we started this season, eh Chef?" Smirked Chris.

"Looks like it was an investment worth having made already." Stated Chef with a smile.

(Confessional: A true gentleman doesn't eat if there's limited food on hand; he should satiate a hungry woman's appetite before his own.)

Kanapi: I am lucky that the first task we were faced with on this show was something that I have done for years. Walking is not only good for my mind, body and soul, but it also allowed me the chance to converse with some interesting people. Fasting for the day did not hurt to try, either.

Ianto: Technically everybody wins today, but I'm aware that it isn't going to be like that after we wake up in the morning. Tomorrow we play for immunity, which is something I really want to win in the early days, just in case. I simply expect a lot of myself, y'know?

Desiree: The hike was long, and my stomach was ready to begin feasting on my gallbladder…dinner was the true prize of the evening for me.

Okoth: I spent time with some weird people, but what matters is that they were fairly nice to me. Ianto is pretty normal yet also a tad crude, Kanapi speaks properly in every way, and Desiree hardly speaks at all. The name of the game is making these differences a positive, which I definitely shall.

Forrest currently led Joyce and Ree through a small lowland area, which teemed with the sounds of birds.

"The call of the mourning dove is my favorite." Smiled Joyce. "It's supposed to be sad-sounding, yet I find it to be quite beautiful."

"That's certainly true." Agreed Ree. "I'd love to be a bird so I could have wings of my own."

"Surely new laws concerning human fliers would need to be quickly drafted." Chuckled Forrest.

"True, but there's no need to think about all that complicated stuff while pretending." Replied Ree.

"Guess I'm different in that way." Shrugged Forrest.

"As much as I'm enjoying the walk, I hope we reach camp soon." Said Joyce. "We all ran out of water half an hour ago, and I tend to get really thirsty in a very short timespan."

"I know what you mean." Agreed Forrest. "Being thirsty is pretty hard to deal with then you're working in the hot sun and are forced to grin and bear it."

"Thirst makes hunger worse when you're hungry." Added Ree.

"I steer clear of caffeine for that very reason." Admitted Forrest. "While I'd never ban it for other people, there's just no good outcome when I have any. Especially if it's coffee."

"Truth." Agreed Ree.

Joyce gasped when she noticed that Chris was straight ahead of them.

"Look guys, there's our host, unless I'm hallucinating…no, it's really him! Let's go." Urged Joyce as she sped up her pace a bit.

"Can't argue with that notion." Said Forrest as he and Ree kept pace with her.

Chris spotted them as they eagerly entered the camp area, and cracked his knuckles before clearing his throat to speak.

"Good on you three for getting yourselves here, and with barely a scratch!" Complimented Chris.

"What? Were you expecting that we'd be in tatters?" Asked Ree suspiciously.

"Only after seeing you all climb down that cliff face. I was NOT expecting you guys to do something like that, at all, but I was thoroughly impressed when you pulled it off." Admitted Chris sincerely.

"It was Forrest's idea." Smiled Joyce.

"It's a good thing your impromptu method worked out." Noted Chris. "Looks like you've set the bar high for yourself, dude."

"Wouldn't have wanted it any other way, Chris." Stated Forrest proudly.

"I'm starved. Did you mention we'd get dinner?" Inquired Ree.

"I did, as a matter of fact." Nodded Chris. "You may go ahead and join the rest in the mess hall, and pick form the options we have inside for dinner."

"Good thing I can take this off." Sighed Joyce with relief as she removed her pack and handed it to Chris.

Forrest and Ree did the same before following her inside the mess hall, and proceeded to wipe the sweat of their brows as a rush of cooler indoor air hit their faces.

(Confessional: Perhaps the title of this chapter should've been It's a Cool World, It's a Cool Start. Spirit, anyone?)

Ree: Things went better than expected. I enjoyed the trek over the island, and even the wall climbing. Perhaps tomorrow I can continue my good fortune…yes. I'll make it a conscious goal of mine.

Forrest: Today sort of felt like a 'Day Zero' of sorts, if you catch my drift. While it involved a lot of hard work and social bonding, not much else was truly of consequence. I'll enjoy tonight though, while things remain relatively calm.

Joyce: That was a very taxing hike, so hopefully Chris halts the shenanigans until tomorrow morning. While tiring though, it was somewhat productive all the same. And I must add, Chef really improved his cooking this season. Kudos.

"My sweat has practically glued my shirt to my skin." Moaned Vern as him, Effie, Niko and Xipil were sweating profusely along with him on their journey to camp.

"It's not something I tend to like, myself." Frowned Xipil. "Though I feel for the fact you have on a cotton shirt."

"Leather gets hot real quick, man." Winced Niko as he briefly touched his dark-colored jacket. "I'm roasting."

"You should look at her, then." Stated Vern as he pointed to Effie, who had lowered her headpiece to let her hair dry in the breeze.

"Please, let us have some cooling winds. There needs to be some kind of change." Pleaded Effie as she wiped a large amount of sweat from her forehead. "If only I had been able to wear more lightly colored linens…"

"It'd be all good n' stuff man, if only our waters weren't all depleted." Lamented Niko. "I shoulda known better."

"That is likely why we're suffering so." Said Xipil. "It should be sunset soon however. Also, we're likely close to Chris and camp."

"He'd better be somewhere nearby. Or else I'll be one unhappy camper." Asserted Vern.

"This weather went berserk very quickly." Said Effie while wincing. "Though I doubt we have very far to go…"

As if on cue, Niko spotted Chris up ahead in a clearing. Rubbing his eyes to make sure the heat hadn't gotten to him, his eyes widened, certain now that he was really there.

"Guys, right ahead of us! We made it alive to camp, yo!" Exclaimed Niko as the others happily followed behind him in running up to the host.

"…Wow. Looks like the sun's rays decided to pick on you in particular." Chuckled Chris as he saw their reddened, sweaty faces.

"Ever heard of sunscreen, you jerk?" Barked Xipil while clearly frustrated.

"I'll admit I should've." Apologized Chris. "There is some lotion for that if you need it, but otherwise you're all okay?"

"Sure, whatever." Groaned Vern. "It only got this bad towards the last third, anyway."

"Still doesn't excuse Chris from his mistake." Frowned Xipil.

"I say we move on." Declared Effie. "I'm tired and grumpy too, but I say we should go get some dinner and not worry about this anymore."

"Sure, let's go ahead and chow down broseph." Suggested Niko.

"…Alright. I suppose we should just go on inside and rest with the others." Agreed Vern. "I can get over it."

"Me too." Agreed Xipil. "Here you go Chris."

Xipil gave the host her daypack, as did the other three. They looked like they'd reached the pearly white gates of heaven as they ascended some stairs and entered the mess hall.

"…Those four really need to shower tonight." Frowned Chris as he shook his head and grimaced.

"You don't need to tell me twice." Stated Chef in agreement as he held his nose. "Absolutely putrid."

(Confessional: Not even Febreeze™ can combat the sweaty stench of those campers.)

Effie: Though the blazing sun was unforgiving later in the afternoon, I enjoyed spending time getting to know some of the others. Everyone was fairly nice, even if Vern was getting grouchier towards the end. Needless to say, I don't blame him one bit for feeling that way.

Xipil: I'm just happy to eat. Where I come from, a good wholesome meal is the reward you get after a good hard day's work. I like to feel that I earned it, you feel me?

Vern: And my clothes are already ruined before not even the inaugural challenge! Unless there's some way to wash them off later, I'm going to have to compete in the buff. Guess I'll go ask Chris about laundry…because if you think about it, everybody in past seasons looked like his or her clothes were being kept clean constantly. Right? Maybe if I go eat I'll feel better.

Niko: The afternoon being muy caliente and all, I almost forgot about how excited I was to make it to camp! Now that I'm part of the Total Drama 'family' it's time to take a look around here, see what I can have fun doing. And might I add, Chef's food was really satisfying bro!

The sun was now beginning set, and displayed a beautiful orange hue as the party of Hayden, Paige and Utara were still moseying along the edge of Wawanakwa Island Beach.

"We've been out here forever." Whined Paige.

"Guess choosing to walk this way was the longest one we could've chosen." Agreed Utara. "Surely everyone else is at camp already."

"Don't worry about it though, you two." Said Hayden. "After all it was my idea to go the long way, as we now know it is, so I'll take any blame if you're feeling unhappy right now."

"Oh, don't worry." Smiled Paige. "I may complaining, but it's not directed at any one of you. It's just that we've been out here for so long…and I'm starving."

"I'm feeling pretty hungry too, but I'm mostly fine otherwise." Mused Hayden. "What about you, Utara?"

"I will say that I have been working up an appetite." Smiled Utara. "Otherwise, nothing else bothered me much, not even the heat from earlier. Besides, this walk to camp was designed to create bonds and conflicts. I don't want to start any of the latter by being upset over something small."

"A wise point to make." Nodded Hayden. "Making enemies is a bad idea, specially in the blazing sunlight."

"I guess that's the downside of having wool comprise my outfit." Chuckled Paige. "As well as general dark-colored footwear and hair."

"It suits you rather well." Smiled Hayden, causing Paige to blush slightly.

"Thanks. Lovely straw hat yourself." Replied Paige with a goofy grin.

Utara rolled her eyes in amusement, and in doing so spotted the older Dock of Shame and worn down Camp Wawanakwa sign not far away.

"Guys, we're almost there! I can see camp!" Exclaimed Utara excitedly.

"We are? Aw shucks, then let's pick up the pace girls." Smiled Hayden as they did exactly that.

It took no more than about two minutes for the trio to step foot into camp, and perhaps ten seconds or so to see Chris standing in the middle of it, waiting for them to arrive.

"Chris, dawg! Here we are, we made it!" Called Paige, causing Chris to notice their slow approach.

"Ah, at last." Smiled Chris. "You three had a good time walking around out there today?"

"I'd say so." Suggested Hayden. "We had to chance to spend some time and chat about stuff together."

"Not a bad use of your time." Stated Chris. "I should probably tell you all though that you are the last people to arrive here."

"Darn it." Frowned Hayden.

"Oh no! Is there some kind of penalty on us because of this?" Asked Paige worriedly.

"No, not at all." Assured Chris. "There wasn't even a prize for coming in first."

"…That's a relief." Sighed Utara.

"Still, sorry y'all." Apologized Hayden.

"No sweat." Said Paige, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"Though we were quite roasted." Joked Utara.

"Enjoy your snacks that we gave you?" Asked Chef.

"We definitely ate them all before long." Chuckled Utara. "Just enough to hold our appetites off before the big meal you told us of."

"Good, I made them especially for y'all to enjoy." Smiled Chef with a wink.

"Funny that both the youngest and oldest of you would group together on day one." Smirked Chris.

"What are the odds?" Shrugged Paige with a quick laugh.

"Ha! Probably two out of twenty-six or something." Guessed Chris. "Anyways, I'm not going to hold you three in front of me for much longer, as you're likely yearning for a bite to eat."

"Damn right." Stated Utara.

"Feed me!" Smirked Paige.

"It's chow time." Stated Hayden as he adjusted his hat a bit.

The last three contestants threw their empty daypacks into a pile as they headed into the mess hall to get their share of the food Chef had made.

"Notice anything weird going on in that group Chef?" Asked Chris with a smirk.

"I think so." Said Chef, who paused before continuing. "…That dreadlock chick wasn't even sweatin' a bit."

"Right." Deadpanned Chris. "Looks like we have everybody, because I counted twenty six heads. Let's join the little rascals and see how they're doing."

Both hosts entered the mess hall as the last of the sun set below the horizon, leaving behind a darkening orange-tinted sky.

(Confessional: Not quite what he had in mind, but that's also kind of weird, too.)

Hayden: I feel bad for making the journey to camp needlessly longer, but it allowed me to form a bond with those two girls so I guess it wasn't all bad. I feel like I'm fairly good in social situations with women, so hopefully I endeared myself to them.

Utara: I can't be too mad. It isn't like last place means automatic elimination. After all, I learned a little bit about the other two and saw some beautiful beaches. Paige seems like somewhat of an airhead but she's fairly young and inexperienced so I'll give her a pass for now. Hayden isn't as difficult to figure out, but he's undoubtedly both strong and smart.

Paige: Last place, dang it. I'll have to make sure this isn't a habit I develop during the game, because losing reminds me of how disappointed I am when I used to not keep up with my life responsibilities in general. At least there's no ceremony though, and I can certainly turn things around by tomorrow.

After a short while, the contestants who'd arrived later in the evening were eating the last of their dinner. The contestants who'd arrived much earlier were in the meantime either chatting or relaxing after the long hike they had experienced earlier.

However, the attention of everyone was quickly drawn to Chris as he clapped his hands loudly and whistled so everybody was looking his way.

"Good evening campers. So, how would you say your first day in the competition was?"

"Exhausting." Stated Paige.

"I thought it was very enjoyable." Smiled Kanapi.

"Surprisingly productive." Said Gavin.

"Quite the adventure." Stated Sawyer.

"Sweaty." Frowned Effie.

"I wouldn't do it again anytime soon, but I witnessed some rather lovely sights." Said Joyce.

"Sounds like only a few people didn't like it." Shrugged Chris. "I suppose that is to be expected, as it is for anything."

"Hold the phone. Normally you just ignore anybody who says something you don't want to her." Remarked Forrest. "Why the sudden change?"

"I guess I'm not so bad all the time." Smirked Chris. "Trust me, I'm only going this easy on you since it's your first day. You'll see soon enough how grizzly both I and the competition can be."

"Way to go, Forrest." Remarked Lana dryly.

"You totally just brought out his bad side, dude." Chastised Vern.

"If that's the case, could you please wait until tomorrow to do that…please?" Pleaded Citra.

"Sure, I will wait since you asked nicely." Smiled Chris. "Anyways, it's starting to get really late and dark outside so I'd like to finish things off for the day by showing you all where you'll be sleeping tonight. Follow me."

Slowly but surely, all twenty-six campers rose from where they were sitting and followed after Chris as he led them out of the mess hall and into another area of the camp.

(Confessional: Hope you all got your fill! Because the kitchen is now closed.)

Xipil: I guess Chris is going to bring us to bed now, because what else is there to do at this hour?

Desiree: Who's complaining? That food sliding down my esophagus felt so good, I couldn't help myself. Never sleep hungry, viewers.

Quorin: The mess hall is a wonderful venue to listen in on peoples' conversations.

Chris brought everybody over by two single-story buildings, the one on the right being red and the one on the left being a darkish blue.

"This is where everybody will be sleeping tonight." Explained Chris. "Men have the blue building, ladies have the red building. Inside each building contains four rooms, each with two bunk beds inside, in addition to two other smaller single-bed rooms, if you decide you'd like to be alone. Because of this, there should be plenty of room for everybody to sleep and there is no excuse if we find someone lying miserably on the ground outside. Both genders are allowed to walk into the buildings of the opposite gender, but they will need to ask permission first before going into any of the rooms. Since you guys are legally adults and all, this shouldn't' be too difficult to follow. Everybody got it?"

A chorus of affirmative answers that showed complete understanding was Chris' response.

"You have all our stuff, right?" Asked Meera.

"Yes, everybody has their bags gathered in the main hall of their building." Confirmed Chris. "Might I add, some of you probably should shower before bed. You know who you are."

"The only reason that happened was because you didn't tell us to avoid the sun on our hike." Frowned Niko.

"Speaking of the hike, will we have to walk back across the island after every elimination?" Asked Hayden.

"Good question." Said Chris. "The answer is no, because we have the Railway of Regret that leads all the way back across the island. Our high-speed railcars will transport you there lickety-split."

"Good, because I think the bottoms of my feet were nearly destroyed today." Stated Ianto in relief.

"Lets allow bygones to be bygones." Smiled Chris. "Now, go forth and get some rest you weary travelers! Tomorrow is going to be big, and you won't want to be the first voted off because you were too tired."

The contestants all did as instructed, and wandered over to their gender-specific cabin for the night. Once all were inside and the doors had been shut, Chris turned to face the camera directly.

"And with that, we've concluded the first episode as well as day of the newest Total Drama adventure. As intended, the initial hike has created both friendships and conflicts amongst our twenty-six young adults. There are already plans being made, and moves being planned. With the random teams that will be decided tomorrow, there are endless arrays of possibilities for what can happen next." Rambled Chris. "What is our inaugural challenge like? Will someone find an idol? Which alliances are built to last, and which will crumble to bits before they even begin? Perhaps the most burning question…who will be the first person voted off of this season? Find out next time on Total Drama Intrabet!"

(Confessional: Today was a great start, but the action truly begins in the morning…)

Gavin: I'm not used to getting this much potential rest in my normal life, so perhaps that will be extra enriching. If I can avoid getting stuck with a group of boisterous roommates, that is.

April: In essence, this first day is what you'd call a prologue. Before the beginning. Almost like a…day zero. Yes, not quite the beginning at all, even. I feel like I'm mostly totally ready at this point, so it's kind of exciting to be on the eve of elimination number one. Which isn't going to be me, mind you.

Meera: Too bad I don't have any girl allies right now, because if I did I could make plans ahead of time. Whatever, a nice sleep is likely going to be just as good for me.

Benatar: You know what? Bring it on.

And that's a wrap! I feel like if I put more time into this story than I already do, this could be updated even faster and be even better! Hopefully ya'll have enjoyed this premiere episode.

Next Time: The contestants get divided into two teams, and are tasked with constructing a massive dinosaur skeleton puzzle! Before they can do that however, they must find the pieces in different areas of the woods…