A/N: I am so sorry this took so long. I have been super busy with my mafia forums, college, extracurriculars, family, and friends, that ugh I just lost track of this story. I'm desperate to get this out as I'm typing it up, so no personal thanks, but just remember I appreciate each and every review. I've planned a little surprise to make up for how long this took. Sorry!
Welcome to Big Brother: Chai Kingdom!
Name: Jojora Teeheena
Age: 23
Occupation: Reporter
Name: Dry Bones Skelexo
Age: 24
Occupation: Cruise Line Chef
Name: Koops Shelle
Age: 21
Occupation: Letter Sorter
Name: Bowser Koopa Jr.
Age: 25
Occupation: College Student
Episode 22: Digging Up Bones
Jojora: Thank God I won! I cannot believe I actually pulled it off! These boys have another thing coming if they think I'm going down without a fight! I've just guaranteed myself a spot in the final three, I just can't believe it!
Dizzy with joy, Jojora bounced into the kitchen, positively radiant. In the back of her mind, Flurrie's departure gnawed at her thoughts, but for now, she reveled in her recent victory. Making sure he was there to congratulate her, Dry Bones hugged the blue fairy tight, whispering words of encouragement in her ear.
"Nice work, Jojora," Dry Bones commended her. "You really pulled that one out."
Nearby, Junior witnessed his ally butter up the recently crowned HOH, a pit of unsettlement brewing in his stomach.
Junior: This is literally the worst case scenario! Jojora wins HOH, and we're all screwed! Dry Bones is over there singing and dancing for Jojora, meaning Koops and I are in hot water. The more I watch Dry Bones play up his social game, the more I realize this kid is on the fast track to 500,000 coins!
In the hall, Junior urged Koops to pause. The letter sorter was changing out of his eviction clothing into more comfortable wear when the son of Bowser began talking.
"He's all over her," Junior hissed.
"I know," Koops rolled his eyes, "He's covering his ass is all he's doing."
"You think she buys it?" Junior asked between clenched teeth.
"Probably," Koops sighed, sounding a bit defeated. "She's weak right now, Flurrie's gone. She'll be clinging to the first person who comforts her."
"Dry Bones," Junior said at once, a flare of anger rising in his voice.
Koops: When Junior spoke with me, he seemed genuinely upset with the position Dry has pushed him into. If I can drive a wedge between Junior and Dry Bones, then I might find myself staying another week in the Big Brother house.
Sitting in the kitchen, Jojora snacked on some chips while staring at the memory wall. The faded photos stared back at her, and she made an offhand comment as Dry Bones walked by.
"Two more have to go."
Pausing, Dry Bones considered her statement. He gazed upon the wall, staring at each black and white memory. Diddy's monochrome face smiled at him, a pawn in his climb to the top. Spike's burly frame seemed to almost poke out of the picture, and Dry Bones considered the role Spike had played in his own game. Finally, he looked at Flurrie, the regal wind spirit just recently ousted. All of them had fallen so that he may reach this moment, but the war was far from done.
"Let's hope it's not you and me," was all he said, reaffirming Jojora's trust in him.
Dry Bones: This week, I have to ensure Jojora feels comfortable with me. If she and I are going into the Final Three with Koops, then I need her to trust me enough to take me with her if she wins HOH. If Junior comes with us, then I need her to do the same. By isolating her from Junior and Koops, I heighten my chances of getting a bit further.
The night was young, and though Jojora was delighted by her success, she felt alone without Flurrie. Sitting on the couch, curled up in a fuzzy blanket, Jojora wept.
Hearing her tears, Koops came into the room, sitting down next to her. Rubbing her leg, he offered a half smile.
"It just sucks," Jojora sighed, putting down the box of tissues. "I know I should be thankful that I'm guaranteed final three, but like, it's just so sad to look at that wall and see both of their pictures as blank."
Jojora: I'm so blessed to be HOH, because this is such a pivotal round…but when I look at the memory wall and see not just Di but Flurrie black and white too…it just really wrenches at my heart. They both helped me get this far…I wouldn't be here without them. Ugh…this sucks.
"Well, think about this," Koops smiled. "I was friends with Vivian, Shokora, and Toad. All of them are gone. Like you, I'm pretty alone in this game."
Jojora smiled at that, commiserating with the letter sorter. They embraced one another with a hug, and Jojora actually felt quite fond of Koops for the first time in weeks.
Koops: If I can use Jojora's grief to wiggle into her good graces, then that's great. I need to avoid the block this week, and if I have to pull a few heartstrings to do it, so be it.
Jojora returned to her room, wishing to be alone. While she experienced a mixed wave of emotions, Dry Bones and Junior met in the cabana room, discussing possible routes of the game.
"If Jojora nominates you and I, and either of us win the veto, Koops is gone," Dry Bones hypothesized. "We have to secure the veto, its imperative."
Junior nodded in agreement, feeling particularly uncomfortable in this new position.
Junior: The frontrunners to win this game are Dry Bones and Jojora. Jojora's got a lot of friends on the jury. Plum, Di, and Flurrie are all votes for Jojora no matter who she's sitting next to. Dry Bones has played a great social game. Koops and I? We've pissed off A LOT of people. I'm starting to think that maybe keeping Dry Bones another week wouldn't be the best move for my game…
As those two spent the night playing out several strategic routes the game could take, Koops decided to sit down at stare at the memory wall. Each face looked back at him, all smiles and no color. Emotion tugged at his heart, but he swallowed down the bile rising in his throat.
Koops: Looking at the memory wall…I realized how many people I made friends…and how few of them I actually treated with respect. If I had played my cards a bit differently…Vivian might be here. Heck, Toad could still be here! All of the houseguests that paved my path to success in this game are all gone…Vivian, Shokora, Plum, Toad…
The night fell upon the house, and soon only Dry Bones and Junior were awake. The two had been staying up pretty late the entire summer, mostly until 2 A.M. While Jojora slumbered in her room and Koops snored out on the couches due to exhaustion, the two decided to play a game of chess while talking about home.
"You have seven siblings?" Dry Bones gawked, still unable to swallow the story Junior had told him so many times.
"Six brothers, one sister. And she's more of a handful than all my brothers," Junior laughed.
"And your dad takes care of all of you?"
"Well, my mom died when we were very young. After she had Lemmy, she got very sick. My dad tried to find a cure to save her, looking to the Mushroom Kingdom for help. When King Toadstool waved a negligent hand, my dad vowed to upheave the Mushroom Kingdom in revenge for the death of my mom. No one really knows that, so…I guess you could say my dad is more out to fulfill a promise to my mom more than anything," Junior explained.
Suddenly, King Bowser didn't seem like such a bad guy to Dry Bones. Bowser must've loved his wife…so much so to a point where he'd do anything to save her. Her death must've left him destroyed…perhaps the bad rap he had wasn't deserved.
"Well, most people don't take time to realize that my species isn't undead. We simply aren't born with skin. We hatch like all koopas do, but when we first existed, we live in extreme environments of heat. The bones allowed us to not feel so hot, so we could live in locations like active volcanoes," Dry Bones explained.
"Like bacteria?" Junior giggled.
"Like bacteria," Dry Bones nodded. "So, I'm very much alive."
"I figured so, I mean, you're kind of smart," Junior let out another laugh.
Downstairs, Koops stirred in his sleep, and Junior couldn't help himself. Together, the two men laughed the night away, entertained by not just their stories, but their fortune in this game.
In the morning, Jojora wrung her hands together as she noticed the looming screen in the living room. Nominations were due that evening, and she had to decide which person she'd be keeping safe this week.
Jojora: This week, it's more about who I keep safe over who I nominate. I need to maintain the illusion I trust Dry Bones, so I might keep him off the block. Everyone competes in the veto anyway, so it's not like it particularly matters who I nominate. Throwing up Koops makes it seem like I don't want him to progress in this game, so I'm thinking about keeping Dry safe this time.
Nominations were unspoken. Jojora spent the day tanning in the backyard, chatting with people inside the house and biding her time until that evening. Dry Bones, Koops, and Junior all spent the day either working out, cooking food, or enjoying the backyard. Before nominations, Junior and Koops were engaged in a game of pool outside.
As Junior lined up the cue with the nine ball, he whispered to Koops.
"Do you think she's keeping him safe?"
"Dry Bones?" Koops asked.
"Yeah," Junior nodded.
"Well, I don't see why she would," he replied, "it's not like it matters really."
"The person she keeps safe is most likely the person she trusts," Junior explained, thinking he was smart.
"True," Koops nodded his head, satiating Junior's need for conversation. Koops didn't agree with his take on the meaning behind the nominations, but he said he did to avoid conflict.
"If she keeps Dry Bones off the block, I'm going to have to think twice about trusting him," Junior reasoned. This piqued Koops' interest, and the letter sorter tried to dig deeper into the matter.
Koops: This is one of those pivotal game moments where if I play my cards right, I can swing Junior to my side. Dry Bones is a huge threat, he's played the best social game behind Flurrie, and she's gone. If Dry Bones and I are sitting on the block at the end of the week, I have to make sure Junior votes to keep me.
"What do you mean?" Koops said with a feigned half-interest.
"Well, he hasn't really gotten any blood on his hands," Junior continued, "he's played a good game. If Jojora keeps him safe, he could have some sort of deal with her. See what I'm saying?"
Koops nodded, seriously doubting Jojora and Dry Bones had any sort of arrangement.
Junior: If we go into nominations and Dry Bones is safe, I know who my target is. Jojora wouldn't keep him safe unless they had some sort of final two deal. Dry Bones and I have made it this far together…but only one can win.
It was evening now, and Jojora poked her head out of the kitchen to call everyone inside for the nomination ceremony. Only three people remained, and when she brought down the revolving tray, only one key was positioned inside of it. Everyone was tense, wondering who that sole key belonged to.
A much smaller table occupied the kitchen, with just four chairs around it. Jojora placed the tray in the middle of the table, cuing the ceremony.
"This is the nomination ceremony," she began, "as Head of Household, I must nominate two houseguests for eviction. When I pull out the key, that single houseguest shall be safe."
She breathed loudly, nerves building inside of her. Reaching forward, she removed the golden key.
"Junior," she said, handing the chef the key, "You are safe."
Looking somewhat shocked, Junior accepted the key, placing it around his neck. Jojora then turned to Dry Bones and Koops.
"As you can see, I have nominated you Junior, and you Koops for eviction. I did this because I've always had a rocky relationship with Koops, since we find it hard to trust one another. Junior, you're a competition beast, and I expect you to win the veto. With that being said, I nominated Dry Bones with the intention of not having the veto pull any tricks on me. This nomination ceremony is adjourned," she explained herself, putting her hands to her side and sighing with an inward awkwardness.
Rising from the table, Junior and Koops seemed somewhat expectant of this result. Dry Bones hugged Jojora, and then Koops did in turn. When she was done whispering things to the nominees, she turned to Junior, hugging him tightly.
"Thanks," Junior whispered, and Jojora smiled in a sign of welcome.
Junior: I'm actually quite surprised I've been kept safe, and it makes me feel uneasy. I expected myself and Dry Bones to be nominated, so her keeping me safe makes me feel like they're aiming to backdoor me this week. I need to meet with Dry Bones and see where his head is at.
Dry Bones moved from the living room, seeking out Junior inside the cabana room. Upon entering the room, he was lambasted with an outburst from the son of Bowser.
"What the hell was that?" Junior barked, spooking Dry Bones.
"What? The fact that she kept you safe?"
"Yeah!" Junior stamped his foot in annoyance.
"I don't know what that was!" Dry Bones protested, losing control of the delicate situation he had framed, "There's nothing going on!"
"How am I supposed to believe that? If she has an alliance with Koops, then why isn't he safe? She'd only keep you safe if she could trust you!" Junior cried out in anger.
"She's obviously trying to drive a wedge between us," Dry Bones hissed in a much more calm, yet crass tone. Junior looked up at this comment.
"Of course she's in an alliance with Koops, do you think either of us would bail on one another?" Dry Bones furrowed his hairless brow. "By keeping you safe, she makes it look like we have something going on when nothing is. She's much smarter than we believe."
"What?" Junior looked shocked, "You're not in with her?"
"No! We've been in this together since the beginning, I thought you trusted me more than that!" Dry Bones raised his voice slightly.
Dry Bones: Junior attacking me like this when I entered the cabana room makes me feel like he doesn't trust me as much as he used to. Jojora's nasty plot has really done a number on our alliance, but I think I can reel him back in. If he wins the veto, I need him to evict Koops and not myself.
With their fight subsided, Dry Bones and Junior worked on cooking pizzas for dinner. Jojora was in the living room, chatting with Koops about home. Their game was almost at its conclusion, and all of them were eager to get back to their lives outside the house. The more they thought about it, the more they realized that soon, one of them would be crowned the winner of this game.
"Jojora's plan has driven a divide between Junior and Dry Bones, but will she be able to keep Koop's safe? Tonight, the houseguests will play in the Power of Veto live! Then, this special eviction episode will conclude as one more houseguest is sent packing! Will it be the strategist, Dry Bones? The ruthless competition king, Junior? Or the soldier of redemption, Koops? One of these three men will leave the house tonight, but first, let's see how the houseguests react when they receive the news," Chen T. announced, the floodlights beaming down on her.
She walked to one end of the stage, her ruby dress flowing with an elegant sheen. Raising the microphone to her lips, she flashed a dazzling smile and winked at the crowd, drawing quite the appeal. Cuing the JumboTron, she prompted the live feeds, and the studio audience looked in with awe.
Walking through the living room, Junior happened to look up at the television, nearly halting in his tracks.
"Guys! Come here!" Junior shouted, waving his arms frantically and gathering the other three houseguests. One by one, Dry Bones, Jojora, and Koops made their way into the living room, noticing the same thing Junior had.
EVICTION TOMORROW NIGHT
"What?" Jojora squeaked. "Tomorrow night? B-b-but we just lost Flurrie!"
"So it seems," Dry Bones folded his bony arms, "The veto must be soon. Today, most likely."
"Go see if production left the instructions in your room, Jojora," Koops suggested, and the blue fairy nodded. Everyone watched as she went upstairs, and she found the note left to go to the diary room. Coming downstairs with a smile, Jojora waved the note.
"Heading to the DR now," she laughed, dashing into the room, the idea of the competition flooding her with excitement. She had to win this veto to make sure she could keep Koops safe and backdoor Dry Bones.
When she emerged from the diary room, she clutched the laminated slip of paper in her hand. Showing it off like a trophy, she read the quote aloud.
"Houseguests! Suit up and meet me in the backyard, because it's time for the Power of Veto competition!"
Koops: Jojora or myself have to pull out the veto today. With the coming surprise eviction, either of us must win in order to secure the backdoor against Dry Bones.
Dry Bones: Something doesn't feel right in this house…I can smell a plot. Jojora would only want it to appear like we trusted one another if she had something sinister up her sleeve…
Jojora: Little does Dry Bones know that I'm gunning for him this week! He's the only threat to my game remaining, and if I can take him out, I'm guaranteed the five hundred thousand coins!
Junior: I honestly don't know if I trust what Dry Bones said to me in the cabana room. I've trusted him this whole time, yet I've witnessed him tell others what they want to hear. He's very tricky to get a read on, so I have to win this veto to make sure I'm the master of my fate this week.
The houseguests walked into the backyard to face the final veto competition of the summer. After this, only one competition remained. All four of them had hearts pounding with anticipation, wondering how this game would play out. However, their nerves and anxiety fell to a whole new wave of terror as they witnessed the décor for the veto competition.
The backyard was ghoulishly done up into the likes of Luigi's Mansion. An ornate gateway welcomed them, and they shrieked in terror as the lights went out. They only had a glimpse of the set up, and the initial shock of it all wiped their memories clean. Despite how many times they had been in the backyard, they were now in uncharted waters.
Suddenly, a light clicked on, or so they thought. A spectral pup, blindingly white and panting with an otherworldly salivation, bound his way over to the others. He gave off an eerie glow, and his happy bark filled the air with a ghoulish chorus of yips and yaps.
"This is so creepy," Junior shuddered, standing perfectly still in the darkness.
In the dog's mouth was a golden bone, shining with a lustrous gleam. He made his way to Jojora, who carefully removed the bone from his mouth with an uncomfortable grimace. She eyed it up and down, realizing it had a string of words etched into.
"Find five of my likeness and ring the bell," she read aloud, deciphering the clue. As soon as the words rolled off her tongue, a loud air horn sounded off in the backyard, signaling the beginning of the competition. The spectral dog disappeared with a wag of his tail, and the four houseguests stared at one another with unreadable expressions in the darkness.
As if a second horn had blown throughout the backyard, the houseguests all split up, running in each direction like mad animals. They tore up the ground beneath them, frantically searching for five ghoulish bones among the darkness.
Jojora: This was by far the scariest competition ever! We couldn't see anything, and you didn't even know what you were supposed to do! There were no instructions, and nothing really gave off any hints. It was so frustrating!
In the pitch black, the four remaining houseguests scrambled to find the glowing bones. Well, they thought they glowed. Little did they know, the bones they were searching for did not give off the ethereal glow that the one Polterpup held did. With no clue of this however, they stumbled around searching for some sign of light.
Dry Bones was the first to reach the wrought iron gate, realizing he had found the entryway to the mini-mansion he had seen for but a moment. Trying to reduce the amount of noise the creaky gate would make, he swung it slowly in and outward motion. The gate let out a soft groan, and Dry Bones cursed himself.
Hearing the hiss of the aged iron, Jojora made her way over to the location of the noise. Dry Bones stole into the arena, leaving behind the entryway and coming to the front of the miniature display. With Jojora close behind him, Dry Bones knew he needed to find those five bones as quickly as possible.
Jojora smiled. She knew she was close to someone. In the darkness, they were silent, until Junior let out a cry of anguish.
He had stubbed his toe in the corner, far away from the mansion and without a clue as to where he needed to go. Frustration seeping into his core, Junior turned around and went back the way he came from.
Koops dawdled about, not really sure of where to go and what to do. While the others made a cumulative effort to search for the bones, Koops seemed without a care. However, inside, he knew he had to win this veto to insure the plan he and Jojora were working on.
Koops: I can't see anything in this wretched darkness! How am I supposed to find anything at all?
Junior had reached the gate at the same time Dry Bones decided to fumble around in a potted plant he had found. He moved his skeletal fingers up and down the plants roots until he felt something long and slender fall into his grip. He felt it up and down, and smiled. He had found his first bone.
Jojora sighed inwardly with annoyance. She had to find a bone, and had no idea where she was going. The darkness swallowed her whole, much as it did everything else, and when she found the same potted plant Dry Bones had just raided, she felt a surge of hope inside of herself. Searching the plant, she knew she was close to something, but was horribly wrong.
Koops found his bearings, finally finding the gate to the mansion. In front of him was Junior, who was feeling every nook and cranny of the iron threshold. He knelt down in the dirt, and felt something protruding from the earth. Digging into the soil, he pulled up a long and curvy structure, his first bone.
Dry Bones couldn't find the stairs. He kept on bumping into the walls and furniture. He hit a sofa in the first floor hallway, and knelt down to inspect it. Running his hands along every crevice, the skeletal chef hoped to find something good within the couch.
Jojora was hot on his heels, and she bumped into the crouched Dry Bones. Crying out, she rubbed her knee and felt the object in front of her.
"Hey!" Dry Bones shouted, displeased with her hands all over his face. "Get off of me!"
"Oh!" Jojora cried, "I'm…sorry."
Jojora: When I bumped into Dry Bones, I had no idea it was him! That bag of bones yelled at me! He had no right to raise his voice!
Jojora knelt down beside him, greatly annoying the bony koopa. Like him, she too felt all over the couch, and procured better results. She found a bone lodged in the middle of the cushions, and she happily put in her hands, leaving Dry Bones silently to search the couch.
Koops was the only one without a bone at this point, and he frowned in the darkness. He stopped, and then spun around in a circle with his arms outstretched. He hit nothing, and deciding that nothing solid was in his radius, he stepped forward. His search was slow, but he was still in this game.
Junior came up on the house, and turned down the hall a different way than Dry Bones and Jojora had. Going left instead, he found himself feeling the walls for a guide. His hands struck a painting, and something clattered to the floor. He felt around on the ground, and he happily located his second bone. It had been lodged behind the painting, and was set free when he struck it. With two bones in his possession, Junior made his way over to the staircase, beginning his trek up to the second floor.
On the other side of the first floor hallway, Jojora found a door. Opening it up, she stepped inside a small cubicle filled with skeleton props. Among them was a single bone, hidden amidst the plastic skeletons. Not knowing a plethora of fake bones lay before her, the blue fairy thought she had found something when she bumped into the first skeleton. Wasting her time, Jojora began to try and pry the bones off of the skeleton, not realizing she was actually working on a fake bone.
Dry Bones huffed with anxiety as he rose from in front of the couch. His search had ended in vain, so he backtracked and went down the other side of the hallway. He bumped into a half-table, and felt it all over for a drawer of some sort. Finding what he was looking for, Dry Bones opened the drawer and felt around inside until he found the next bone. He now had two, tying himself for first with Junior.
Koops felt around the perimeter of the house, losing his cool. The letter sorter had found no bones, and he knew he had to do something if he wanted to win this game. Anger fueling his search, the young koopa laced the edge of the mansion with his footsteps, desperately searching for his first bone.
Junior reached the second floor, Dry Bones close behind him. Walking down the main hall, Junior searched for any piece of furniture he could find. His hands bumped into a column supporting the hallway, and he felt all over the column for clues. His hands searched the backside of the column, and he found a bone taped to the surface of it. Ripping off the tape, Junior didn't care about the noise he created as he added a third bone to his collection.
At the sound of the ripping tape, Dry Bones moved towards Junior's location. Thinking he had found something good, Dry Bones began to feel the pedestal Junior left in his wake. Yet again, Dry Bones was searching an empty location.
Jojora, frustrated with her lack of findings, stumbled around the massive room. She bumped into plastic corpses here and there, feeling around in the abyss of darkness. Finally, her blue fingers wrapped a sole bone on the floor, and she cried out in ecstasy. With two bones now in her possession, the news anchor left the room by feeling her way along the walls, hoping to add more skeletal pieces to her collection.
Pushing forward, Junior knew he had no time to waste. His loyalties weren't as secure as he'd like them to be, and in order to ensure he moved on to the next week, he had to pull out this veto competition. Coming to an impasse, the son of Bowser growled in frustration. There had to be some way to access the third floor without making a whole ton of noise. Feeling along the walls, Junior's eyes almost lit up in the darkness as he found a small button bolted into the structure of the mansion. Pressing down, he hoped for the best.
Dry Bones yelped. Something had released itself at the end of the hall. Facing the front of the staircase, Dry Bones was able to reach it before Junior could. Tentatively making his way up the stairs, Dry Bones winced as the stairs groaned.
"Ha! I knew someone was right with me!" Junior snarled. He lunged for the stairs, but Dry Bones scuttled up the steps. He almost tripped over something, and bent down to snatch it up. A bone had been lying on the recently unfurled stairs, and Dry Bones shot himself into first place yet again, tying himself with Junior.
Koops was enraged. He had no idea where he was, and how he was supposed to complete this challenge. He heard scuffling some distance from him, but he couldn't quite make out where to turn. Far off in the corner, he felt around until his hands curled around something. Production had hid a bone far from the mansion, and Koops felt a bit inspired as he finally found his first bone.
Jojora was closing in on Junior and Dry Bones, but was a bone behind them. She trailed the sections they had already been over, and she couldn't help but feel at a loss. Ahead of her, Junior dug around in a plant, finding his fourth bone while Dry Bones miserably waded around the darkness. Continuing along, Junior fished around the hall some more, locating a bedroom. It didn't take him long to bump into the bed, where he found his fifth and final bone hidden among the bed sheets. Now, all he had to do was ring the bell.
Dashing out of the bedroom, Junior made for the top floor. Dry Bones heard his heavy footfalls, but it was too late. Feeling along the walls in the void, Junior soon found the stairs, and made his way up until he bumped smack into the large brass bell. Victory surging within him, he felt around for the cord and gave it a tremendous pull.
The sound of the bell echoed throughout the backyard. Junior had won the final Power of Veto.
Jojora: This was a scenario I hoped would not come to pass. With Junior wielding the final veto, he can't make a move. If I can't convince him to evict Dry Bones, Koops is a goner.
The four remaining houseguests milled about, not much going on in between the competition and the veto meeting. Before they met for one last time to use the veto, Jojora made a point to meet with Junior in the cabana room.
"Congratulations," she said with a smile, prefacing the conversation lightly.
"Thanks," Junior replied. "What'd you need to talk about?"
"I was wondering how you're going to vote. You can't use the veto since you're not nominated, so would you be willing to evict Dry Bones?" Jojora asked. "I know you two have been in this together since the beginning."
"I know," Junior answered, swallowing his emotions. It was a hard choice to make.
Junior: Dry and I have been ride or die since day two in this game, but I have to think about what is best for me. If I evict him, there's a good chance I can beat Koops or Jojora for the final HOH.
"I think I could do it," Junior replied, "but I don't know just yet. I know this whole thing is going to be live, but I just have to do what is right for me."
"Fair enough," Jojora replied with a small smile. "Come on, the live show is about to begin." Her words lead the parade to the final three. Soon, only three of them would remain, and Junior had a crucial decision to make.
"Good evening!" Chen T. beamed, saluting the audience with a wave from the stage. She looked stunning as ever, in her pearl evening gown. Her black ringlets of hair shined in the stage light, and her white teeth glimmered like ivory piano keys.
"In just a few moments, we'll go to the live eviction ceremony, where Junior will decide who will leave the Big Brother House just before the final three. After winning the veto, Junior effectively cancelled out any remaining power in this game, unable to use the veto since he is not up for nomination. Let's check in with the houseguests, and get to tonight's live eviction!" She said with a dramatic flair.
"Hello houseguests!" Chen T. called, waving across the JumboTron to them. The four greeted her, all smiles.
"Before we get to tonight's ceremony, I have a few questions for you," Chen T. began. "Junior, how does it feel to have won the most vetoes out of any houseguest to ever play in two seasons? That must feel pretty good!"
"Well," Junior said, rubbing his clawed hands together, "it's a great feeling, but it puts a target on my back. If I make it to the end, I'll certainly use it as an excuse to propel me further."
"Jojora," Chen T. said, turning to the blue fairy after hearing Junior's answer. "You looked stunned when you won HOH earlier this week. How did that feel?"
"On the heels of Flurrie's eviction, it felt amazing!" Jojora cried, laughing a bit. "I felt alone in this house after she went, but now I know I can hold my own."
"Congratulations to you," Chen T. said with a nod. "Now, for our two nominees, in just moments, Junior will cast his sole vote to evict. Since he is not up for eviction, he cannot use the Power of Veto, and therefore the veto is null. Does everyone understand?"
After receiving confirmations, she continued.
"Before Junior casts his sole vote to evict, both of you have a few moments to state why you should remain in the game. Dry Bones, you're up first," Chen T. cued.
"Alright," Dry Bones began, rising from the rickety bamboo chair. "Junior, flat out, you're my main ally in this game. We've begin together since the beginning, and I know you'll make the right choice."
Dry Bones sat back down, allowing Koops to rise.
"Before I begin, I must say hi to my dad, Koopie Koo, Mayor Kroop, and everyone back in Petalburg! Junior, you're an amazing player and a strong competitor, but I know you've been loyal to Dry Bones since the beginning. I hope you'd find it in your heart to keep me around, but I don't expect it," Koops said, sitting back down.
"Alright," Chen T. picked back up the show, "Junior, you have heard their pleas. Please stand, face the nominees, and make your decision."
Nervous, Junior rose.
"Ok guys, I'm going to keep this short. I have to do what's best for me to win this game. I thought that meant reducing my chances of losing, but I think if I went behind Dry Bones' back, I'd look less loyal, and people would not respect my game. That being said, I must evict Koops," Junior spoke definitively, sentencing the letter sorter to eviction.
"Dang!" Koops cried out. "I was making such a comeback!"
"It's official Koops," Chen T. said across the television. "You have been evicted from the Big Brother house."
The television shut off, and Koops rose from the chair. Shaking hands with Dry Bones, he turned to Jojora, hugging her tightly.
"Win this game," he whispered to her, the remark undetected by Dry or Junior.
"Junior, good luck man," Koops saluted, shouldering his bag and stepping towards the door. "I didn't imagine I'd make it this far. Good luck, final three!" With that, he opened the door and plunged out into the stage, receiving a roar of applause.
Inside the house, the final three stared blankly at one another. They moved over to the memory wall, watching as production sapped Koops' photo of color. He was officially out of this game.
On stage, Koops blushed at the raucous applause he received.
"Hi Koops," Chen T. said, shaking his hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you as well," Koops said with a smile.
"Well, you made it to the final four, despite taking part in a lot of drama early into the game," Chen T. commented. "Are you proud of yourself?"
"Definitely!" Koops nodded in agreement. "I began this game so shy and meek, and I think the social experimentation of the game's format really helped me come out of my shell. Not literally, but you know what I mean."
Chen T. giggled at his joke, continuing her post-eviction interview.
"We noticed you bonded with Jojora in your last days. Was that genuine, or a ploy to stay in the game?"
"A bit of both, honestly," Koops confessed. "She and I had a rocky relationship in the house. She and Vivian argued, but she helped me out a few times."
"What was that you whispered to her on your way out?" Chen T. asked.
"I told her to win the game," Koops answered. "I'd hate to see Junior or Dry Bones win. They're both so polar from the rest of the houseguests. I don't respect how either of them played the game."
"Fair enough," Chen T. remarked. "Who do you think will walk away as the winner?"
"I hope its Jojora, like I said," Koops replied. "She's got the drive, and the jury votes. I think Plum, Di, Flurrie, and myself would vote for her, and that's enough. If she wins the final HOH, she's got this in the bag."
"Thank you Koops," Chen T. smiled. "In the event you were evicted tonight, we have some goodbye messages from the other houseguests that we'd like to play."
Dry Bones: It's you or me tonight, man. I think you've played a sporadic game, relying heavily on your emotions. I also trust Junior wholeheartedly, and in the event he or I win the veto, you'll be watching this video. I wish I could say I was sorry, but I'm not.
Junior: Koops! You've come a long way, brother. I know I play this game rough and manipulatively, but I think you did well if you're watching this. Upon meeting you, I certainly didn't expect you to make it this far. Adios!
Jojora: If you're watching this, I'm seriously screwed. I'm in the final three, and you're not. I know your final messages to me will give me enough strength to win this game…I'm so sorry, Koops. Say hi to Flurrie and Di for me.
"Was it everything you'd hoped it would be?" Chen T. asked Koops.
"Everything and more," Koops replied.
"Koops Shelle, you may not have won this game, but you are certainly a winner. We'll see you on finale night," Chen T. said, shaking his hand and bidding him adieu. As Koops left the stage, the crowd cheered for him one more time.
"Tune in next time to see who will win the Final Head of Household competition! Then, we'll visit the jury house and scoop up some hot drama! What does the jury think of the final three? Plus, we'll sit down with last season's winner, Rosalina Skye, and fan favorite, Peach Palgrini, to pan out some of the happenings in this season's twisted game! I'm Chen T., coming to you live outside the Big Brother house. Goodnight."
Whoops. That took a long time. I'm very sorry this took so long, but I tried to make up for it with a special surprise eviction episode. I bet no one expected Koops to make fourth place ;)
Thanks to everyone who reads, follows, favorites, and most importantly, REVIEWS!
-AdmiralBobbery