AN: Here's the next one guys, sorry it took so long.
Let go!
Premiere Eve
Sexy.
This single word sums up the girl named Zara Croft.
Currently she's swimming in the pool of their house, wearing nothing but her red two-piece swim suit. Her entire body was submerged in the temperate water for about 15 minutes or so before she stepped out of the pool.
Her brown hair and olive-skin were drenched in water as she remained standing near the pool. Her olive eyes fixed towards the white towel neatly folded on the nearby lounge chair situated underneath the umbrella, protecting it from the hot sun above. Lastly, the most eye-catching part of her body is her well-proportioned chest; one could guess this as an extension but the truth is that it's simply a natural development of hers.
Her house takes the form of a mansion. Basically, a luxury you get when you have a wealthy industrialist for a father. Another luxury she has is her looks, which she gained from her mother, a very beautiful Italian model her father had an affair with. Her entire existence was a result of a one-night stand between these two adults. Her mother used the accidental pregnancy into blackmailing her father to marry her since it would incite a huge scandal that would permanently stain his prestige; the man had no choice but to concede to her threat.
Her relationship with her own father is tense, given how he continually disapproves of her sultry antics; it was often for her to use her sexy figure to manipulate people to do her bidding. Heck to the man's added dismay, his wife approves it enough to teach her how to pole dance as well as the art of seduction. With excellent manipulation and good looks, there is no man she couldn't manipulate and not get anything she wants.
All-in-all, Zara is what street-smart persons would call a selfish slut.
She was alone with the maids and butlers as of now. Her father is in attendance with a business meeting while her mother left for a fashion show.
Zara had dried herself after a minute or so. Though the chlorine still remained ebbed in her skin. It would be very bad if she didn't removed it quickly, her pristine skin would be ruined – a great nightmare for any and all models.
"A cold bath will do"
With that said, she went towards the mansion. She has a personal bathroom in her own room just like her parents, complete with a tub and shower; this ensures that they could reach it with little time as possible.
Along the hallway, she walked past the indoor gym. If she's using sex appeal, she has to maintain her body shape as well. Zara monitors her weight on a daily basis and devotes an hour in the morning for exercise, which is followed by a cold bath that soothes her sore muscles.
Once inside the bathroom, she opened the shower and let the cold water drench her body, throwing her bikini away to the sink as this happens.
"Mmm... soooo good" Zara remarked in a somewhat seductive tone as she slowly closed her eyes and hugged herself, embracing the cold touch of the water.
Amy Deauxma was never a social person; she was always the typical shy secluded girl. But perhaps this contest could help make a difference.
Her petite frame simply sat on the chair facing her laptop. The device bore the frame of pink, suiting her gender as a girl and the symbol of a bitten apple can be seen behind the display.
Amy has a neck-length reddish-brown wavy hair and visibly insecure baby blue eyes. She wore a blue-green hoodie that doubles as a sweater and short shorts with a pair of leg-encompassing purple socks. Lastly, she has blue-green shoes and a white beanie on her head.
Since the past two hours, Amy has been delving in the website of Pinterest - a popular photo-sharing website. She had been searching for photos to add to her collection. The said collection being what people would call weird and different.
She took a moment to gaze at the small rectangular terrarium just behind her laptop, housing the green vegetation that mimicked the earth. The center of her attention is the sole inhabitant hanging on the tree prop placed a few weeks ago, its eight legs attached to the trunk. This creature goes by the name of Emily - her pet tarantula.
Though having an irrational fear of animals, arachnids were an exception. She found them comforting since she shares their preference for solitude.
Amy looked at Emily as if she's forgetting something, then it clicked.
"Oh my gosh!" with widened eyes, Amy looked at the time in the computer "its 1:30 PM, her feeding time" the wallflower jumped from her seat and darted to the drawer on the other side of the room.
As this happens, Emily crawls down to the 'floor', massive fangs clicking in anticipation of her meal and red eyes glued at her owner.
Amy came back holding a small white case.
"Here you go" she opened the terrarium and dropped an adequate amount of green pellets at her food bowl. The tarantula immediately started gobbling the treat.
Amy smiled as her pet ate. These pellets were specially designed for the diet of arachnids, consisting of grounded insects they commonly eat in wildlife.
"Good girl" she reached out and caressed Emily's black hairy body before turning her face to the duffel bag on the bed. She's prepared for the contest. And of course, she's bringing Emily with her.
After all, the application forms never said anything about bringing a pet.
Calling it a mansion would be a severe understatement. The term is not even worthy of describing the dwelling despite its denotation for large impressive houses.
It is more of a palace given the grandness of its craftsmanship, with evident traces of Victorian-era architecture. Adding to that was its colossal frame. Surrounding it is an equally large garden stretching for dozens of meters, composed of variable yet beautiful flowers and trees with long lines of bush dividing the entire area into sizable sections. Fountains were of course present, with the largest of all situated in front of the gate.
On the contrary, the owners of the house weren't even of British or any European background. This is simply a lavish method of expressing their wealth in an architectural manner. After all, Victorian-style architecture is still appealing in the eyes of men even though they had faded from prominence ever since the rise of modernism.
Any passerby will find themselves entranced by the sheer beauty before them.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"
Unfortunately, even with the entire mesmerizing aura the entire house radiated, they failed to quell the rage that came from within.
Valerie Gauthier could do nothing but scream at her parents. She had just stomped inside the living room upon learning that her parents signed her off for some stupid contest.
Valerie's overall appearance is not one you'll expect from a young lady, let alone a heiress to a family of billionaires. She wasn't clothed in the immaculate clothing of the rich, but rather that which befits her pastel Goth persona. She wore a white loose crop top; ending just above her stomach, engraved on the chest is the vulgar word 'FUK'. For her lower body, she wore pink pants littered with the designs of bats with white or pink outlined stars and knee-high leather boots with heels. Her physical appearance was no better; her fair-skin and waist length black hair were dyed light-violet and violet respectively and she even has a tattoo on each shoulder. Piercings were present as well two beneath her lip and one on her belly button. On her head is a flower-crown adorned five pitch-black cones that resembled as horns given its placement on her forehead.
"Oh yes we can" Mrs. Gauthier gave her daughter a smug look while a maid does her manicure. She and her husband are seated in two red comfortable sofas with a small-circular glass table between them. The living room was littered with a small cadre of maids and butlers dusting the furniture.
"You refused to change your ways and we see it fit to punish you. In fact, this has already been set in motion for the last two weeks"
Valerie's only response was to growl, baring her pearly white teeth at her parents.
"You could've chosen something less harsh. What you're doing is too much; you're sending me to an isolated island with those... Peasants!" She's referring to the other contestants. It was a plain indication of her disdain for the 'common' people."Unlike these fools here..." She gestured at the maids and butlers all over the room. "... They will show not even an ounce of obedience"
Even as they proceeded with their tasks, the housekeeping felt their eyes twitch and teeth clench in indignation. Underneath the stoic façade of theirs is the strong distaste for Valerie. Every day in the household, they have to experience the excessive snobbery and whiny tirades of their owners' only child. Sure, Mr. and Mrs. Gauthier may be uncaring employers but they preferred to leave their servants be and are even kind enough to let them take breaks from duties. Unfortunately, the scioness is very demanding and mean-spirited to even care for their wellbeing; adding to their ire is her blunt insults and opinions that continually offend them.
All in all, Valerie is the worst form of the upper-class, primarily in their sphere of scions.
So it was a miracle when they learned that she will be leaving the household for some months. They were secretly rejoicing at the fortuitous event. In fact, they plan on throwing a secret party tonight in the large, extravagant basement of the house.
Mr. Gauthier lowered his newspaper to cast his daughter an annoyed look. "Even if we did, nothing in you will change Valerie; just understand that this is just to teach you a lesson. You're a Gauthier for godsake; the only heiress to our generations-long fortune. Start acting like a lady instead of that gothic nonsense of yours!"
A butler approached Valerie's father."Master Gauthier, Mr. Hatchet has arrived."
"Send him in" Mr. Gauthier watched as the butler exited the room.
Mrs. Gauthier looked turned her head towards the twin maids who have just finished dusting off a vase. "Esperanza... Esmeralda, go to our daughter's room and pack up all of her things"
Valerie found herself taken aback by what she just heard. "WHAT!"
"Of course, señora" the two Mexicans dropped their dusting tools at a nearby table and began heading for the door.
"W-Where the hell do you think you're going!?" Valerie made a desperate attempt to assert her authority. "Get back her and leave my room ALONE!" Mr. and Mrs. Gauthier could only chuckle at their daughter's desperation - an act that didn't escape her ears. "This isn't funny!"
Soon after, the butler came back with a large man behind him.
"Mr. Hatchet" Mr. Gauthier greeted the co-host of Total Drama with a bright smile. He rose from his seat and shook hands with the ex-military man. "Pleased see that you've arrived"
"Pleased as well Mr. Gauthier" Chef Hatchet returned with a smile of his own before his gaze swiveled towards the Pastel Goth, who gave him a deep glare. "So... This is your lil girl..." Valerie crossed her arms before intensifying her glare at the recently arrived man "... Honestly, wasn't expecting' her to look like that"
"FUCK OFF!" Came Valerie's response, the two words toned with absolute disrespect.
Ignoring the insult, Chef returned his attention to the billionaire with a smirk. "Lemme guess, you didn't tell her until now?" It was the only reason why the heiress is pissed-off and Mr. Gauthier just nodded his head in equal amusement. "So that's why you kept insisting me to bring a tranquillizer gun.
Valerie's eyes went wide like saucers. "A TRANQUI!-" What Chef Hatchet did next was a testament of military training. With lightning-fast hands, he snatched a relatively small pistol hidden beneath his apron and shot a dart at the scioness, hitting her left shoulder.
The effect itself was instantaneous, Valerie stood shocked for a single moment before succumbing to unconsciousness and fell backwards to the ground. Mrs. Gauthier summoned two maids to carry her pacified daughter to the limousine soon after.
"The tranq will keep her asleep for about five hours, by the time she even wakes up she's already in her respective yacht" Chef Hatchet explained as Valerie is carried out of the door.
"Excellent!" Mr. Gauthier jubilantly clapped his hands while his wife stood from her seat and joined him. "Now, why don't you join us at lunch. We had it postponed just so you could join us at the table"
"Really?!" Chef said in shock, given their generosity and the fact that he hadn't eaten lunch yet given how Chris made him drive back and forth from each newbie to the studio. To top it off, it's already 1:00 AM. "Thank you very much, I greatly appreciate it"
It was then Chef Hatchet and the Gauthiers departed for the dining room.
Neil Hazelton is a man with great determination. He pursues a goal with great tenacity until its completion then repeating the process at another, his mind constantly outlining plans to reach his aims. Distractions were ignored as best as possible, if not, suppressed by any means he had deemed necessary. But he knew that as a human, even he has his limits – the complete immersal towards one thing is unhealthy, the accumulated stress would affect his body and mind which is why he had made sure to dedicate 2-3 hours for recreational purposes and ease his mind.
But within lies an icy heart.
Logic triumphs above emotion, the heart has no place for the conclusions made by the mind. Neil has embraced this creed in all its glory; never letting his heart to ever argue with his mind.
As such, he is willing to reach his goals even if it comes at the expense of others. He had lost count of how many times he had tricked and lied to people for his ends, but he knew it was quite many. He bore neither guilt nor shame for his own actions, or even empathy nor sympathy for the people he tricked. The only thing that matters was that they have served their purpose; even more was that he had developed an amusement in both mocking and criticizing his tools for any misgivings.
The young man lies inert above his own bed, brown eyes closed and hands behind his head, touching his black buzzcut hair. His apparel consisted of a white undershirt, blue jeans and white shoes. A grey hoodie lay draped over a nearby chair beside his duffel bag, one he would wear upon the limousine's arrival.
Though his body lay at rest, his mind was buzzing with activity. For the past hour, he had been pondering over the competition tomorrow. Of course, after he had made his audition, he bought and watched all episodes of Total Drama in an effort to observe the behavior of the contestants and the relationships between them, assessing them for any advantages he must took notice of and vulnerabilities he could exploit.
The only thing that he could consider a problem would be his fellow newcomers. Their identities were undisclosed to each other but he knew that there are 25 of them in total if he included himself. They would be unpredictable, he would have to dedicate much time observing them to discern any behavioural patterns.
"Neil!" His eyes opened at the recognition of his mother's voice. "Your ride is here!"
He pulled himself from his bed and walked towards the door… but not before he grabbed both his hoodie and duffel bag.
"About time"
Guitar and video games are two separate things. But in this circumstance, the two are one.
Guitar Hero MAX is the latest addition to the Guitar Hero series. After a year of hiatus, FreeStyleGames have finally released a new one; which is significantly much better than the previous incarnations since this allows you to input songs through the use of Internet.
Kai Roth used to be a member of a band consisting of merely 4 individuals including him. He filled the occupation of guitar, while the others were the drums, piano and voice. He left because of the egomania that has consumed them. In fact in one of their concert, he watched them descend into a brawl for fighting over attention. Disgusted of what the band had become, he quietly left and severed all ties with them; them moving to another city was a great aid.
But that doesn't mean his skills have faded as well.
As a master guitarist, he utilized the guitar-shaped game controller with utmost proficiency; his flawless performance earning him and increasing score. There were no signs of excitement or struggle on his face, just a simple deadpan expression that was already there when the game started.
He has a black hair that is neatly comb to the left side and grey eyes that remained focused to the screen. His clothes were the trademark outfit he and his band wear during concerts; an unbuttoned jet black high-collared trenchcoat with a red shirt underneath bearing a heavy metal guitar symbol in black, grey jeans and a pair of black Sk8-hi vans. It served to remind him of the good times with his bandmates before their fall from grace.
The game itself was finished after a minute. He was about to go downstairs, an electric guitar and duffel bag on his hands, when his phone rang.
"Hello?" he asked dully as he dropped his bag and picked the phone from the desk, not bothering to know whoever it is.
"Heeey little brother" came a cheerful voice.
"Ryan" it was his older brother, who is back at the university yet behaves as a lax party-animal. "Why did you call?"
"Just saying my good luck to my little bro. Too bad you auditioned for TD man, I'm gonna throw the largest and loudest party here and I was thinking of inviting you"
He found the offer to be generous despite considering it uncomfortable. He allowed a small smile crept on his lips. "Well, I'd rather walk to a lion's den than join a noisy orchestra"
It produced the intended result as laughter emanated from the phone. "Good one Kai. Good to know that your dry sense of humour is still with you" Ryan remarked. "Anyway good luck in TD, you have my support"
"Thanks and have fun in your party" with that he ended the call and placed the phone to his pocket before proceeding downstairs.
"Did I make the right choice?"
Again, he asked himself why he auditioned for this contest in the first place. It's been about a week since he had received a message bearing the acceptance of his audition, and now it the long awaited return of Total Drama starts tomorrow. Now he feels very nervous and contemplates yet again why did he even sign up for this.
Ivan Lewis is a tall yet lanky teenager with a slightly-tanned skin and shaggy brown hair that reaches his nape. He wears white long-sleeves underneath a black T-shirt with the phrase 'Don't quit. Restart.' written on white coupled with white jeans and black sneakers. If one would look at him, the most striking part of his body would be his eyes since it is heterochromic given how the right is blue and the left is hazel.
He knelt down as he stuffed the last of his things to his suitcase and double-checked its contents. After a few seconds, it is clear that all of his belongings are already here save for one. Ivan pushed himself upward and stretched his arms to ease his sore joints before walking to the table where his most important of his belongings lie.
Grabbing it, Ivan starred at the pair of hearing aids on his hand; these two small devices are what exhibited his condition to other people.
He's deaf. It's a short word but has a long meaning. He was born on this world incomplete, having all senses that make people whole save for hearing. This condition was genetic as the doctor said, but not an inherited trait since none of his parents or even anyone in their extended family has the same condition.
Now these hearing aids are what acted as his actual ears, without it the world around him is nothing but pure silence.
"I just hope I can do this" Ivan placed the medical devices on his ears before relaxing on the bed, awaiting the arrival of the limousine.
"After all, Chris Mclean said that I'll be the first deaf contestant of Total Drama"
AN: Ivan Lewis and Zara Croft sections in the 1st chapter has been altered. The former, I changed his appearance because it makes him eerily similar to his Author's other OC in his fic, who is deaf as well (Total Drama Cycle). The latter has changes in personality; I decided to make her into the stereotypical manipulative hot girl villainess for character development. But over the course of the story she'll undergo a gradual change as she begins to fall for a fellow contestant.
With the... astronomical amount of contestants participating this season, I'm contemplating on altering the group mechanics. Interactions are bound to happen due to the hundred-plus competitors, but it will be limited by one factor – team assignment. The ongoing team model employed in the series and most local fics restricted, if not severely limited, several interactions from fostering due to the competitive nature of the contest.
Which is why I have come up with a solution; but first let me tell you the two forms of teams:
STATIC TEAMS: the 'traditional' model used in both the series and most fics. As I have explained above, team members will have difficulty in having meaningful interactions with those outside their team, what's more is that alliances made outside the group would put the said member in a dangerous position for the reason of 'fraternization with the enemy'. The advantage of this is that stronger loyalty amongst the group is developed and a strong leader could easily assert power and maintain their position for long periods in the contest, meaning that cohesion is possible as long as no friction is formed (see Gwen and Courtney during World Tour).
DYNAMIC TEAMS: this here is my solution. The phrase 'Change is a constant' lives up here, for after some challenges every team will have their members RANDOMIZED! – meaning a contestant's previous team or even team member could their opponent after a few challenges. Only a few highest performing contestants would be spared from this fate, allowing them to continue as a member of the team though they could be challenged by another for the right to remain in a tie-breaker challenge.
This model is an antithesis to the one above.
In here, loyalty is much difficult to form or even be nonexistent given how the team composition is short-lived and cohesion would be feeble due to their teammates either in a neutral or hostile relationship with them, they are forced to work with constant unknowns and hostiles for some time. Furthermore, leaders will find it harder to assert and maintain their position – every team is basically unstable to the core due to the constant shuffling. There is an advantage however that is quite appealing; alliances are not bound by teams and could grow exponentially, by the time the shuffle happens 'sleeper agents' would sabotage their own teams for the interests of their respective alliances.
This pretty much imposes a very cutthroat nature in the competition, you have allies and enemies but in reality everyone has different allegiances. In this model, my aim is to explore interactions amongst the large collection of competitors, but relationships might take longer to form compared to the Static model.
Right now, I don't know why but I suddenly had a gut-feeling that my solution might be a bad idea. I can't decide on what to use, stay on the same team model or use the solution I developed. This why I'm asking 3rd party individuals like you readers to help me out – there's a poll on my profile for you to choose what should it be: STATIC or DYNAMIC.
PS: Whatever the result would be, you should know that the Black Round Table will remain a static team, unified and unshuffled for the entire competition - Damian has his 'ways' to convince Chris if the teams became Dynamic.
Till next time...