Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.
"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.
"Everyone scrambled to make sure they got a foothold on their new team," Chris recapped. "The change from two teams to three meant even less wiggle room for everyone involved, meaning the contestants all had to bring their A-game."
"A worthy twist if I do say so myself," Topher boasted.
"On the Grand Gryphons, Bailey and Kun discussed the possibility of flushing Quentin's statue and getting rid of Shadya in the process, after Bailey finished reminiscing about her boyfriend," Chris continued.
"She loves Franklin sooooooo much!" Lindsay swooned. "Even after all these years of separation, they're always together in their hearts..."
"Why do white girls think murderers are hot? Genuine question," Topher asked.
"Oh, also, Quentin talked to Kiki about him missing Tori!" Lindsay added.
"I don't think 'missing' is the right word," Topher remarked.
"On the Fighting Wyverns, Irving reached out to Frita and tried to connect with her through video games," Chris segued. "While Vladimir reached out to Cyan and tried to connect with her through a mutual disdain towards Irving."
"Nolan talked to the robots about weird existential stuff," Topher mentioned. "Is he even playing the game? Genuine question."
"On the Proud Pegasi, Louise made it a point to secure a working relationship with Brittany and Hugh in the wake of Steve Jenkins' elimination," Chris continued. "Dalit, for what it was worth, conspired with Louise to potentially get Hugh to flip on Brittany."
"A surprisingly big play from someone who can't stand Hugh," Topher commented.
"Maybe she realizes that, deep down, her feelings for Hugh burn a little differently," Lindsay winked.
"Dalit and Hugh are both already dating other people," Topher pointed out flatly.
"That just makes it even more star-crossed!" Lindsay gushed.
"Does it now?" Chris doubted. "Anyway, the Fighting Wyverns took the L for the day, thanks in no small part to Cyan and Irving being forced to work together. Vladimir might have also tried to throw it, still not entirely sure with him."
"That's what made him such a brilliant casting decision," Topher bragged. "You never knew what he's really thinking."
"Do you know what I'm thinking right now?" Chris asked, visibly annoyed.
"That you miss the glory days of your youth," Topher answered.
"...Despite Nolan's efforts to throw Vladimir under the bus, the vote came down pretty quickly between Cyan and Irving," Chris continued. "Surprisingly, it was Frita, not Nolan, who was tasked with breaking the tie. She didn't really trust either of them, but Irving got on her nerves more, so the dread pirate was left to swim with the fishes. Or at least with the rest of the losers."
"Cyan even refused to take on the title of Dread Pirate from him as he left," Topher brought up. "I know blue is the color of cold, but damn!"
"To be fair, she was right: he looked like he hasn't washed his hair in months!" Lindsay gagged. "I wouldn't want his hat, either!"
"The game presses on, whether the contestants are ready for it or not," Chris said. "Who will press back, and who will crack under the pressure? Only one way to find out! It's all happening right now, on Total!"
"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.
"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.
Cyan and Vladimir met up in the former's motel room.
"Well, I suppose I'll begin with the congratulations that are in order," Vladimir told Cyan. "You got Irving out."
"As much as I want to, I don't know if I can even take full credit for that," Cyan denied. "Frita's the one who cast the deciding vote."
"Exactly. She could have voted for you, but she chose not to eliminate you," Vladimir pointed out. "It's a testament to your social gameplay."
"That, or it's a testament to how annoying Irving is," Cyan tsked.
"You seem upset," Vladimir noted.
"I'm still just... really embarrassed about yesterday," Cyan admitted. "I let Irving get to me, and it was not my best look."
"Everyone has their buttons, and Irving knew how to push yours. I don't think anyone can blame you for that," Vladimir assured her. "Besides, even if it wasn't your best look, it's not a look you're going to wear again anytime soon."
"That's true," Cyan accepted with a small smile. "So, now what?"
"I think we can both benefit from extending our game relationship," Vladimir offered. "And, should we lose again, I think getting rid of Nolan may be for the best."
"I was able to put up with his dice thing when the teams were bigger and the risk wasn't as high, but yeah, I almost went home last night because of him!" Cyan realized.
"My thoughts exactly. He's an entirely unreliable factor, and with only three or four people he can randomly select on this team, that factor becomes more of a problem with time," Vladimir echoed.
"I'm pretty sure he said he ruled himself out when he's randomly choosing who he votes for, so it's just us two and Frita he can vote for at this point," Cyan clarified.
"Even worse for us," Vladimir nodded. "It's a cute gimmick from an onlooker perspective, I'll admit, but it's not something I think we can allow sticking around much longer."
"You may be right," Cyan acknowledged. "It's just not something you can feasibly plan around. Not that I want to lose another challenge anytime soon."
"Of course not, but it pays to come prepared," Vladimir figured. "Whatever happens, I think we can keep each other safe."
"I'm not sure there's such a thing as safety in a team of four. Especially if there's a random vote at play," Cyan claimed.
"Relative safety, then," Vladimir chuckled.
Confessional:
Vladimir: Out of everyone on this team, Cyan is the most potentially reliable. She's the one I think I can count on the most. Nolan is... well, Nolan, and Frita... operates entirely by her emotions. I do still want to make sure Frita's on my side, but Cyan's someone I think I can trust the most to not vote for me should our team lose again.
Cyan: I'll work with Vladimir as needed, but I don't know exactly how needed that's going to necessarily be. As much as he wants me to, I'm not going to forget that he was the sneakiest player in his season. I am going to have to check in with Frita for sure. I've underestimated her before, and I need to stop doing that.
Kun watched Quentin playing video games at the nice garage hangout.
"So you're just, um, practicing the same combo over and over until you can get it right?" Kun asked.
"Yep. Being able to even use attacks in the heat of the moment can be tough, so it's establishing muscle memory," Quentin explained.
"I'd play with you, but I'm definitely not good enough at video games to stand a chance," Kun chuckled.
"It just takes practice. That's what I always told Frita, and she's been enjoying it," Quentin told him.
"Perhaps if I had the time, but, um, there's a lot on my mind already," Kun admitted.
"I feel you there," Quentin smiled. "If you're stressing, Kiki's always happy to talk about things."
"Kiki's, um, one of the things I'm stressing about," Kun admitted.
"No kidding? What's up?" Quentin inquired.
"...Kiki, and Bailey too, want to try and get rid of your statue," Kun confided. "And they want me to help them with that."
"Oh geez, really?" Quentin sighed. He paused his video game. "I guess this is about the Jean-Marie vote, huh?"
"Kiki did call you a wildcard in light of that," Kun confirmed.
"Aw man, thanks for letting me know," Quentin winced. "That's so weird. I talked to Kiki yesterday about whatever's stressing me out, and she was happy to help me. I just... wow."
"She's smart. We can't, um, underestimate her," Kun noted. "Although truth be told, I'd rather see Bailey go home than Kiki."
"Catching feelings for Kiki?" Quentin teased.
"N-No! It's nothing like, um, that," Kun insisted. "Bailey, even before the team shuffle, was on both original teams. She, um, has been able to make connections with whichever players she chose. I'm worried about the implications of keeping her around, especially into the merge."
"That does make a lot of sense," Quentin thought aloud. "I don't really love Bailey, either. Once she joined the Wyverns, I felt like Kiki kind of drifted away from me and towards her."
"Do you know how, um, Shadya feels about her?" Kun asked. "They were on the same team at the start of the game."
"I'm not sure how Shadya feels about a lot of things," Quentin admitted.
"She's not the type to let her emotions betray her unless they start eating away at her," Kun recalled. "We'll, um, figure something out."
Confessional:
Kun: I think my working relationship with Kiki will always be, um, awkward, but Bailey is someone I've never really been able to click with. Combine that with her widespread influence in the game, and I'm just not sure I want her to stick around. I made that known to Kiki, and I'll make it known to Quentin and Shadya as well.
Quentin: Man, Kiki really didn't like me standing up for JM. So now I have her to worry about on top of my whole weird thing with Shadya. Lucky me, huh? (he laughs, stressed.)
The marquee outside Hatchet's Diner read "I don't even know what ligma is, stop asking if I'm going to make it!" Inside the diner, Brittany sat across from Dalit as she ate breakfast.
"Morning," Brittany smiled.
"Good morning," Dalit returned.
"I feel like we're never in the same place at the same time. You're not avoiding me, are you?" Brittany joked.
"No?" Dalit answered sincerely.
"I didn't think you were," Brittany assured her.
"I have actually been meaning to ask you something," Dalit brought up.
"Oh?" Brittany blinked.
"You're a noticeably pretty girl. Do friends usually come to you for beauty advice?" Dalit asked.
Brittany sighed. "Sometimes. I guess."
"You seem annoyed," Dalit noted. "Why?"
"Why? I've never liked having looks define me. I hate it on principle," Brittany made clear. "Didn't you see Explore Party?"
"That doesn't make any sense. If you have a gift, you should make use of it," Dalit disagreed. "I'm using my beauty to be successful and help support clothes brands I like and help them be successful too."
"Well, I'm glad it works for you, but throughout most of my life, it's been the first and sometimes the only thing people notice about me," Brittany denounced.
"What are your other gifts, then?" Dalit challenged.
"I'm smart. I just... I'm still figuring out how to channel that," Brittany admitted.
"It sounds to me like Total Drama is the best place to be smart and pretty," Dalit commented. "And you proved that by winning. And I'll prove it when I win this one."
"So, what, playing this game is all I'm good for?" Brittany scoffed. "Because last I checked, people were jumping down my throat and telling me I shouldn't keep playing it because I already won!"
"That is not what I said!" Dalit denied. "Who do you think you're talking to?! All my life, I thought all I was good for was cleaning a rich man's dirty, disgusting feet! I never dreamed I'd make it here! But I am! And just because you don't know what your other gift is doesn't mean it isn't there!"
"I know that..." Brittany sighed. "I'm just frustrated that right now my only gift is so superfluous and not even something I'll be able to keep up forever."
"I don't know what that first word means, even though Bijou uses it sometimes," Dalit admitted. "But if it's not going to be there forever, then you should enjoy it while you can."
"That's what people usually tell me," Brittany exasperated. "But just because I have a gift doesn't mean it's one I wanted."
The two continued to eat breakfast in awkward silence.
Confessional:
Dalit: And here I thought I could get her to help me convince Frita to let me work on her hair and makeup. Frankly, I am sick and tired of hearing her complain that she doesn't know what she wants her career to be or whatever it was. She's lucky she even gets to choose!
Brittany: I get where Dalit's coming from in some aspects, but I don't know if she'll ever get just how exhausted I am with being the object of people's affections and nothing more. I know there's so much I can offer the world. I've gotten straight A's all my life to this day. I've got to have a knack for something.
Frita and Nolan played cards at McLean Park.
"I feel like this is leading up to some kind of strategic proposal. Are you even allowed to do that?" Frita questioned.
"I'll say that the statute of limitations on my previous roll saying I couldn't has expired," Nolan said. "What's important is, I'm concerned about Vladimir, and I think you should be as well."
"Is this related to you accusing him of throwing the challenge yesterday?" Frita guessed. "Because Cyan confirmed that she did do it. If you're going to throw people under the bus, at least be consistent."
"You're assuming a lot about me that I don't really appreciate," Nolan frowned. "What concerns me is that he was able to deny it and pass it off and get away with it. Cyan was close to getting voted out."
"I don't trust anyone on this team, but Irving annoyed me more than Cyan," Frita made clear.
"Well, what is your stance on Vladimir, then?" Nolan asked.
"Less annoying than Cyan," Frita answered. "Plus, Cyan nearly got Dalit eliminated the other day, don't think I forgot about that."
"I just don't feel good about letting him stick around," Nolan said uneasily. "I never know for sure what he's thinking or what he's going to do."
"I could say the same about you, though," Frita mentioned.
"I... I suppose," Nolan admitted. "Only out of a desire to play with a self-imposed challenge. It doesn't benefit me much at all. Vladimir is only out to benefit himself."
"I thought you said you didn't know what he was thinking," Frita pointed out.
"Well, I know that much," Nolan claimed.
"You're not really making a good case," Frita told him.
"What would it take to convince you that Vladimir needs to go, then?" Nolan asked.
"An outright admission from him that he wants to eliminate me," Frita figured.
"Do you know who he wants to eliminate?" Nolan asked.
"...Not right now, no," Frita sighed. "Do you?"
"Not right now either, but if the both of us ask him, we can compare notes," Nolan proposed. "We should ask Cyan if she's heard anything from him, too. It's the best way to know for sure where things stand."
"I guess," Frita sighed. "This team sucks."
"The game's always had its share of random elements, even without me," Nolan chuckled. "You just have to be able to roll with the punches."
"I want to punch whoever decided to mess with the teams like this," Frita griped.
Confessional:
Nolan: Last night proved that I can't keep playing passively. Sure, my vote will always be random, but that doesn't mean I can't talk to people and sway where their votes might go. I'm still aligned with Cyan, and I want to make sure she can stay safe, especially if I can kill two birds with one stone and get rid of the second-most-uncertain factor in this game.
Frita: Even Nolan is talking down to me at this point, huh? Figures. I really am just a vote to these people. They can play games with me and pretend to enjoy spending time with me all they want, but at the end of the day, their intentions are clear. At least they make for good subjects when I'm drawing.
Bailey and Kiki met up in the former's room.
"Kun approached me yesterday to talk about the vote," Bailey began. "He seems interested in the plan to get rid of both Shadya and Quentin's statue."
"Oh really?" Kiki doubted. "Because last I heard from him, he wanted you to take the fall for Quentin's statue, not Shadya."
"...I can understand why he wouldn't want to disclose that detail to me," Bailey hummed. "He did tell me that he'd be more open to the initial plan if he knew for sure that I was on board."
"You said he approached you?" Kiki asked. "That doesn't make any sense. Unless he's really trying to play us."
"Maybe he is interested in the idea," Bailey suggested.
"Then why did he insist so much that you take the fall when I asked him about it?" Kiki brought up.
"Maybe he changed his mind?" Bailey guessed.
"I don't buy it," Kiki denied. "He's trying to play us. It's the only explanation."
"Well, what should we do about it?" Bailey asked. "It's not as though Quentin or Shadya have been in any rush to work with us. Kun has at least approached us."
"Well then, we'll have to take initiative with them," Kiki decided. "Progress was never made by people who sat around and waited for their opportunities."
"I suppose you're right," Bailey agreed. "...This may be tough when they're the two people we're trying to get rid of."
"Honestly? I'd be fine with Kun taking the fall instead of Shadya," Kiki said. "Shadya's a bigger physical threat, sure, but I think getting rid of Kun may be better for us in the long term. Although... No, never mind, that's not something I should be talking about."
"Mm... At any rate, I'll talk to Shadya if you'll talk to Quentin," Bailey arranged. "I don't think either of them is too close to Kun, so if we want to shift the target onto him, I think we can."
"House Party is back," Kiki smiled proudly. "Man, imagine if we were on the same team back then."
"I think we'd both still be too shy to get much done," Bailey admitted.
"Probably," Kiki conceded.
Confessional:
Kiki: There's always been this part of me that's wanted to make Kun work, but realistically, it's just not going to happen. So why not just cut him at this point? It's not as though Shadya won't still be a target later down the line.
Bailey: Back when I watched Shuffle Party, I felt that I understood Kun's mindset. Wanting to put on an air of confidence in spite of not being great with people or confident in yourself. A part of me still sympathizes with that, but I can't let sympathies get in the way of the game. I can feel sorry for people after I've won.
Brittany and Louise had just finished tossing the football at McLean Park and stopped to take a breather.
"How am I exhausted just from throwing and catching a ball?" Brittany panted.
"To be fair, it is pretty hot today," Louise vindicated. "Come on, let's go see if Chef will give us some Cokes or something."
"Coke? No. I learned that the hard way," Brittany warned. "He's a Pepsi believer."
"Whatever works," Louise giggled.
"Speaking of the diner, I had breakfast with Dalit this morning," Brittany informed as the two set off in that direction.
"Oh really? How did that go?" Louise asked curiously.
Brittany sighed. "We don't see eye-to-eye on some pretty basic things. So that turned out about as well as you'd expect."
"She has a lot of hurt in her," Louise acknowledged. "I don't think taking it out on others is the best play, but I can't necessarily blame her, either, you know?"
"She wasn't even angry with me. She just kept making me feel bad about, well, being me," Brittany sighed. "I try to get along with people as best as I can, but I feel like Dalit is making it a point to not get along with me."
"Yeah, she's tough," Louise agreed.
"But anyway, how have you been? I hope Hugh hasn't been giving you any grief," Brittany segued.
"Hugh? No, actually we get along pretty well," Louise beamed. "I wouldn't die for him, but he's cool."
"I get along with him alright, too, but I know how he can be if he doesn't gel with someone," Brittany admitted.
"Don't worry! I try to get along with everyone as much as I can, too," Lousie assured her. "He's probably the type who keeps others at arm's length if he doesn't know if he can trust them with vulnerability, or something."
"That would explain a whole lot, yeah," Brittany laughed.
"Ah, we shouldn't talk too much crap, though. He hasn't done anything against us," Louise figured.
"Doesn't stop Dalit," Brittany remarked.
"Well, Dalit's not the one in an alliance," Louise mentioned. "Don't let her get to you too much, alright?"
"I won't," Brittany smiled. "Thanks."
"It's what I'm here for," Louise beamed.
Confessional:
Brittany: Irving went home yesterday, and I have to imagine Cyan played a big part in that. I know Louise is tight with Cyan, which may make things potentially awkward down the line. What would Cyan think of me and Hugh being allies with Irving? How would that affect our alliance with Louise? I'm not going to overthink it, but I am worried about how things might play out if we all make the merge.
Louise: It's hard for me to condemn Dalit when I think about how she spent most of her life, and how she probably just doesn't understand social intricacies because of it. But then it gets to a point where I don't know how much I should excuse. Either way, Brittany's really cool, and I already feel like I'm closer to her in a couple of days than I have been to Dalit this whole game.
Vladimir knocked on Frita's motel door.
"Hey, Frita, are you in here?" Vladimir summoned.
Vladimir heard some slow footsteps approach the door until it opened, revealing Frita on the other side.
"What do you want?" Frita sighed.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Vladimir told her. "Surely you must be up to something interesting if you've been in here all morning."
"You underestimate how much time I can kill staring at the ceiling," Frita denied.
"Have you been?" Vladimir asked.
"...You really don't want to hear about it," Frita insisted.
"It's nothing inappropriate, is it?" Vladimir jested.
"N-No!" Frita made clear. "Just drawing."
"What makes you so sure I don't want to hear about it? I asked you, didn't I?" Vladimir questioned.
"That doesn't mean anything," Frita frowned. "Lots of people are interested until they actually see or hear about what I'm drawing."
"You're into guro, right?" Vladimir asked.
"...Why do you know what that is?" Frita winced. "Also, I'm not 'into' it, I'm doing something completely different. So don't call it that."
"Can I ask what I should call your art, then?" Vladimir requested.
"'Guro' is a fetish. The things I draw are violent and gory, but not erotic, so just call it gore. It's not a sexual thing for me," Frita explained.
"I see," Vladimir nodded. "I imagine it gets old when people assume it is."
"People already assume I'm a freak. What's one more reason?" Frita sighed.
"People fear what they don't understand, it's true," Vladimir mused. "But I'm not here to wax philosophical."
"Right, your game plan. Might as well hurry up and tell me what that is," Frita told him.
"Tell you what," Vladimir offered. "I'll tell you what I'm thinking as far as the game goes if you show me the last picture you finished drawing."
"Wh-What?!" Frita cried. "That's not fair!"
"Why not?" Vladimir frowned.
"You're forcing me into an embarrassing situation for no reason!" Frita accused.
"...That was not my intention. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds," Vladimir apologized.
"Just go away," Frita glowered.
"Alright. I'll see you around, then," Vladimir complied.
Vladimir made his leave. Frita shut her door gently. Vladimir returned to the now-shut door.
"By the way, for the sake of clarity, I did not come to you just to talk game, either," he claimed.
He made his leave once again.
Confessional:
Frita: Stupid Vladimir pretending like he's interested in my art. How does he expect me to trust him when he's the person who can't trust anyone to show his own face? And then blackmailing me? What the hell?!
Vladimir: I'm still trying to work out how exactly I can get Frita to trust me. She's already someone who isn't open to others, and I'm admittedly someone who doesn't come off very trustworthy, to begin with. Her art is the one thing I know she's passionate about, though she's understandably hesitant to let that passion show. How can I convince her that she can show that passion to me?
Shadya had brought Quentin to her penthouse room.
"I'm not in trouble, am I?" Quentin laughed awkwardly, unsure of if he really was or not.
"No, but you could be if you don't listen to what I have to tell you," Shadya made clear.
Quentin swallowed a lump in his throat.
"I don't have anything against it when people have feelings for me. I'm a catch and a half; these instances are inevitable." Shadya prefaced. "But what I don't appreciate are the sorry attempts to be coy, especially when we're in a competition with money and glory on the line. Who do you think I am?"
Quentin chuckled nervously. "That's kind of the problem. I've been thinking a lot about my ex recently - you remind me of her a lot - so I've been trying to focus on parts about you that don't really apply to her. It was Kiki's idea."
"...That's right, you did use to date Tori Hotate," Shadya recalled. "I'll give her this: she made me put in more effort than usual to beat her in that strongwoman competition." Shadya shook her head. "That's not the point. The point is: stop openly fawning over me. It's distracting and inappropriate."
"Oh geez, I wasn't trying to- I don't like you like- Ah, you're right, sorry," Quentin apologized. "Thanks for telling me how you felt. Tori would never do that, either."
Shadya leered at Quentin.
"I promise I wasn't trying to do it that time," Quentin scolded himself with a light laugh.
"You said Kiki inspired you to do this?" Shadya mentioned.
"Yeah, I asked her for advice on how to reconcile my issues with Tori and how I'm reminded of her whenever I see you," Quentin admitted. "She's looking into being a therapist, so I figured that if anyone could help me out, it'd be her."
"No doubt she's resentful of the fact that you had already started getting along better with me than with her in the wake of Jean-Marie's elimination and she's doing whatever she can to keep us separate," Shadya scoffed. "Don't think I haven't been paying attention to everyone in this game as best as I can."
"There's no way," Quentin denied. "Kun said the same thing, but I just don't know if I buy it. She genuinely wanted to help me, I could tell. I think she and I both just didn't think you'd be upset by the whole thing."
"Regardless, you'd do well to not take her advice at face value. Look what happened here," Shadya recommended. "Do not forget that she is your rival, competing for the same thing you're competing for."
"Doesn't that make you both of our rivals, too?" Quentin pointed out. "How come I can trust you?"
Shadya blinked. "I suppose that's a fair point. Do you trust me?"
"I try to trust everyone as much as I can," Quentin smiled. "If you mistrust others, they'll start to mistrust you. Avoiding mistrust makes things a lot easier."
"It also makes you a lot easier to take advantage of," Shadya warned him.
"Eh, fool me once," Quentin figured. "But yeah, I trust you. We both want to lose Bailey still, right?"
"We do," Shadya confirmed.
Confessional:
Quentin: It is true that Kiki and I have kind of grown apart since the Jean-Marie vote, but she wouldn't try to trick me into making Shadya mad. That's not Kiki. I'm glad Shadya talked to me about this before things got worse, though. I do not need to alienate any more of my friends, haha.
Shadya: I didn't handle things with Jeremy well in Shuffle Party. It's one of my few regrets. I will not fall victim to my own pride getting in the way of communication for the sake of progress. Quentin and I want to work together, and I will not let his baggage get in the way of that. If Kiki can't help him with it, then I will.
Hugh was on the ground at Isolation Park, doing sit-ups.
"Twenty-eight... twenty-nine..." Hugh struggled. "... ... ...Thhhhhhhhirty! AGH!"
Hugh collapsed. He took some time to stand up.
"Having nothing to do but look for statues frees up a lot of time," Hugh commented. "I keep meaning to start working out. This was as good a chance as any."
He looked around the area.
"Where are the cameras, anyway? Hey! Can you hear me?!" Hugh called.
He began marching in some direction.
"Let's see if I can find the spot where I found the statue I could find," Hugh decided. "There has to be a camera there. No way they'd miss out on capturing the moment where someone finds a statue."
Hugh stopped in his tracks.
"I feel like this is the wrong way," Hugh thought aloud. "I definitely don't remember that rock being there."
Hugh approached the rock.
"Hey, artard! Where did you come from?!" Hugh interrogated the stone. "Why weren't you there before?!"
...
"I need to get out of this place soon," Hugh groaned. "I'm hungry!"
Confessional:
Hugh: Oh, right, the statue I found. (He pulls a small wooden head out of his pocket, as well as a note.) "Congratulations, you have found the Franklin Statue. If you play this statue at any point between the start of an elimination ceremony, and the time the votes are read, you may select one contestant and remove their right to vote for the remainder of the ceremony. Any vote they've already cast will not count." So that could come in handy. (He snickers deviously.)
The contestants met up with Chris, Topher, and Lindsay at McLean Park.
"Good afternoon, dudes and dudettes!" Chris greeted. "Oh, and here's Hugh back from Isolation Park."
Hugh rejoined his team. He did a double-take at the Fighting Wyverns.
"They got rid of Irving?" Hugh whispered angrily to Brittany.
"Seems like it," Brittany confirmed.
"Today's challenge will take place entirely at the gymnasium," Chris told the contestants.
"And it's the one our fans have been looking forward to the most!" Topher added.
"How come?" Lindsay asked.
"Because this challenge requires them to change into their bathing suits!" Topher grinned.
"I have plenty of bathing suit pictures online if people want to see me wearing one that badly," Shadya claimed.
"Yeah, me too!" Dalit added.
"Change into your suits and meet us back at the gymnasium," Chris told the contestants.
"Do we have to wear swimsuits?" Frita gulped.
"I guess you don't have to, but you'll be getting wet either way. Hehaha," Chris laughed.
He and the other hosts made their way towards the gymnasium. The contestants headed back to their rooms to change.
Confessional:
Vladimir: I did actually come prepared with a wetsuit, just in case. It covers my neck, so there's no chance of my mask coming off. My heavy use of makeup on my arms and hands to make my skin tone match Barry's may prove unfortunate, though. I guess it's a blessing in disguise that people already know it's me.
Louise: Alright, another athletic challenge! Swimming isn't my best sport, but I'm no slouch. There's no way it's just swimming though, right? This is Total Drama, and that'd be too simple. Eh, whatever it is, I'm willing to face it head-on!
Shadya: I've been in one or two women's sports calendars. I'm quite proud of my January 2019. I'm winter swimming in that one - this was right after I'd won a local competition for that. I say this as someone who's done nearly everything: few things are as invigorating as proclaiming to the elements that they hold no power over you by swimming in the middle of the night in the dead of winter.
The contestants, all in proper swimming attire, met up with the hosts in the gymnasium. The pool was uncovered, and there was a circular platform in the center of it, with a gold-, a maroon-, and a mint-colored spot at three equidistant points of the circumference.
"Looking good, everyone!" Topher complimented.
"Yeah!" Lindsay agreed.
"I take it we aren't just swimming," Nolan surmised as he looked at the circular platform.
"Right you are, Nolan!" Chris confirmed. "In fact, why don't we let a friend of ours who will help us watch over the challenge explain everything?"
A tall, muscular woman entered the gymnasium. Quentin's face paled.
"Today's challenge is water sumo," the woman told everyone.
...
"Are you... going to elaborate, Tori?" Chris asked.
"What is there to elaborate?" Tori asked. "Push your opponents in the water. Don't get pushed in yourself."
"Well, there's the whole format of how the challenge is set up," Chris reminded her.
"Mm," Tori acknowledged. "Each team will send one person up at a time. If you're the last one on the platform, you win your team a point. If your team gets two points, they win the round. We will be holding five or six rounds. If a team wins three rounds before all rounds are finished, we will keep going without them in order to determine second- and last-place. If we end up with a two-two-one score, the team who won a single round will lose by default, and the other two teams will fight for first place."
"Does that make sense, everyone?" Chris asked.
"I think so," Bailey nodded.
"The basic principle is pretty straightforward," Topher told the contestants. "There isn't much to overthink."
"Just to be sure, does everyone need to go once before we can use people again?" Nolan asked.
"Yes, that is the case, thanks for asking!" Chris confirmed.
"Good to know, so we can plan around that," Bailey nodded.
"The Grand Gryphons will have to sit somebody out, though," Chris brought up. "Since Kun sat out of the last one, it cannot be him."
"...I'm the smallest and the lightest one on the team," Kiki acknowledged. "I'm not too proud to know where I may be at a disadvantage compared to the rest of you."
"That is the objectively correct decision," Shadya agreed.
"You don't need to be so nonchalant about it," Kiki huffed.
"Alright, it sounds like Kiki's sitting out," Chris accepted. "If there are no further hangups, let's get started! Round one, match one!"
Confessional:
Quentin: Oh man, why does Tori have to be here now? Should I be talking to her? Is that even allowed? Would that just make things worse for me? I'm not good at split-second decisions! Come on, man, why now?
Nolan: Everyone on our team is relatively tall, actually. I want to say that should bode well for us, but I know better than to underestimate people like Dalit or Louise who aren't tall but can still kick your ass. My wife's a little firecracker, herself. Size doesn't matter as much as one might think. ...W-Wait, that came out wrong! Take two!
Dalit: (She is still wearing her swimsuit, a sunset gradient bikini.) I brought a few swimsuits, just in case, but this one is my favorite. This one, or the coral-colored one. I still can't decide. I look great in both of them. Let me know which one you guys like better on my Instagram!
To start the challenge off, Shadya, Frita, and Louise all took their spots on the platform.
"Everyone ready?" Chris asked. "Set?"
Tori blew a whistle she'd worn around her neck, beginning the challenge.
Shadya and Louise immediately went for one another, locking hands as they tried to push each other off the platform.
"Oh... okay," Frita commented.
She tried to push her opponents, but, with a single movement of Shadya's arm, Frita was swatted away and off of the platform. Frita sighed as she surfaced from the water and swam back to dry land.
"Frita's out," Tori mentioned.
Frita glared at Tori.
Shadya inched Louise closer to the edge of the platform. Louise pushed back as hard as she could, but to no avail, and ended up in the water.
"Grand Gryphons take the first point!" Chris announced.
"Naturally," Shadya nodded. She left the platform and, as well as Louise, returned to her team.
"Everyone, send in your next players!" Chris instructed.
Bailey, Nolan, and Dalit all swam to the platform.
"Let's have a good game," Nolan offered.
"It will not last two minutes," Dalit claimed.
"Uh, yeah, let's have a good game," Bailey agreed.
Tori blew her whistle, and Dalit immediately came after Bailey, who stood her ground. Nolan saw an opportunity and assisted Dalit in pushing Bailey.
"Huh?! What happened to a good game?!" Bailey cried.
"A good game is one where the players do whatever they can in order to win," Nolan claimed. "That's a universal truth."
Bailey pushed back as hard as she could, sending Dalit and Nolan backward. Dalit stumbled off of the platform and into the water.
"Hey!" Dalit objected.
"You're right, Nolan," Bailey said quietly.
She ran up to Nolan and pushed him just as he had regained his balance, sending him backward and off of the platform as well.
"Grand Gryphons take their second point of the round! That's Round One!" Chris announced. "The Grand Gryphons take a strong lead right out of the gate!"
"Whew. I didn't think Bailey had it in her," Nolan commented, impressed. "That's on me for underestimating someone for any reason."
"We're doomed," Frita sighed.
"It's only been one round. We can still turn things in our favor," Vladimir claimed.
"Well done, Bailey," Kun complimented his teammate as she joined back up with them.
"We've all got something to fight for. It's... good to remember what that is," Bailey said modestly.
"A good mindset to hold," Shadya nodded.
"That was so dumb!" Dalit complained to her teammates.
"It's all about technique," Louise laid out. "Though a height advantage doesn't hurt either, in Shadya's case."
"Don't worry. Brittany and I will catch us up in the next two rounds," Hugh claimed.
Confessional:
Frita: Well, you can't say I didn't try. (She sighs.) I probably shouldn't have bothered, because I weigh about as much as Shadya's bicep, but hey, it's the thought that counts, right?
Bailey: It's... easy to forget how much someone can be suffering if they're not right in front of you. Just because they're not here doesn't mean they aren't there. I... can't keep going easy on everyone else. I just can't.
Round Two had begun, and Quentin, Cyan, and Hugh had already taken their spots on the platform.
"Everyone ready? Set?" Chris asked.
The three players eyed each other readily. Tori blew her whistle.
Hugh ran for Cyan right away, but she was able to grab onto his shoulders before he could reach her thanks to her long arms.
"Grahhhhh! Come on!" Hugh shouted as he struggled to move forward.
"What did you expect, running after me right away like that?!" Cyan responded.
Quentin suddenly began pushing against Hugh, sending the punk into the water.
"Hey!" Hugh objected. "Ganging up on me isn't making you look any cooler in front of your ex!"
"That... That was not necessary," Quentin frowned.
Quentin stood on the platform, a little spaced out. Cyan looked at him with concern before pushing him into the water.
"Cyan takes the first point for the Fighting Wyverns!" Chris announced.
"Sorry," Cyan said to Quentin as she left the platform and the two returned to their respective teams.
Quentin didn't respond.
"By default, this next round is Kun versus Vladimir versus Brittany!" Chris announced. "Get on up!"
The three contestants took their spots on the platform. The bronzer on Vladimir's arms had already started to wash off.
"Why didn't you clean that off before you went swimming?" Brittany asked Vladimir as she glanced at his arms.
"I'd still be doing so if I tried," Vladimir chuckled.
"How long does it take to, um, put that on every day?" Kun asked.
Tori blew her whistle before Vladimir could answer.
Brittany and Vladimir both immediately ran for Kun, and the aspiring leader, despite his efforts, was not able to stand up to both contestants pushing him into the water.
"They..." Kun coughed up some water. "They really don't want the Gryphons to keep up our momentum."
Brittany and Vladimir sized each other up, circling the platform.
"What's wrong?" Brittany bantered. "You're not scared of little old me, are you?"
"Terrified," Vladimir smiled.
"I won't touch your mask if that's what you're worried about," Brittany assured him.
"Believe me, I know you know better," Vladimir told her.
"Well alright then," Brittany acknowledged.
She ran up to Vladimir, stopping right before she reached him. Vladimir pushed forward, not expecting her to stop, so Brittany was able to sidestep and catch Vladimir off guard. She pushed him into the water.
"Not terrified enough, I guess," Brittany said.
"A point for the Proud Pegasi!" Chris announced.
"Well played," Vladimir complimented before returning to his team.
Confessional:
Hugh: No, I don't feel bad for what I said to Quentin. He snuck up on me! It's not like he wasn't playing dirty!
Vladimir: I won't pretend like I haven't considered just not bronzing my arms anymore, but I feel like the less attention I call to the fact that I'm still in disguise, the better. Maybe I should have shown up as Vardaman, huh? (He laughs.) Or at least brought a long-sleeved shirt.
"Since everyone has gone once, you may now go back to choosing whoever you want," Chris reminded the teams.
After some deliberation, Shadya, Cyan, and Louise were selected to go next, and they all swam up to the platform.
"All three teams are going strong for this one," Chris commented. "Ready?"
All three contestants stood readily at their starting spots. Tori blew her whistle.
Cyan and Louise both ran for Shadya immediately. Shadya weaved past the both of them and pushed them both. Cyan fell into the water, but Louise was able to keep her balance.
"Ready for round two?" Louise grinned as she and Shadya immediately grabbed hands in an attempt to push each other off the edge.
"Who do you think I am?" Shadya scoffed.
With a strong shove, Louise was sent backward, but the coach refused to let go of Shadya's hands. Shadya's stance remained firm, leaving Louise in a state of leaning back on her heels. Louise pulled to regain her footing, but Shadya did not budge.
"How much longer do you plan on doing this?" Shadya asked impatiently.
"Until you end up in the water, of course!" Louise said determinedly.
"I cannot fathom where so much arrogance could come from," Shadya stated. "To think you have any chance of defeating me."
Shadya let go of Louise's hands and delivered a strong shove, sending Louise into the drink.
"Shadya takes a point for the Grand Gryphons! That's one point per team!" Chris announced. "Whoever wins this next one will win the whole round for their team!"
The teams decided to send Bailey, Vladimir, and Brittany to participate. The three glanced at each other readily upon taking their starting positions.
"Ready... set...?" Chris began.
Tori blew her whistle.
Vladimir and Brittany both immediately went for Bailey, who in turn had started for Vladimir. Bailey was not able to surpass the efforts of her two opponents, and, despite her attempts, quickly found herself stumbling backward into the water.
"Eager for a rematch?" Vladimir asked Brittany.
"Eager to catch up to the Gryphons, just like you are," Brittany corrected.
The two circled the platform, refusing to take their eyes off of each other. Vladimir made a sudden move, but it was only a feint. Brittany had sped up her own movement in anticipation of Vladimir's attack, which Vladimir took advantage of by approaching her during this state. Taken off guard and focusing on evasion, Brittany was not able to push back in time, and Vladimir pushed her into the water.
"The Fighting Wyverns take Round Two!" Chris announced.
"The others are ganging up on us," Bailey frowned.
"With our lead now no longer so clear-cut, maybe they'll, um, stop," Kun offered.
"Perhaps we should hold back and let the other teams take another round or two," Shadya proposed. "Give them less reason to go after us. We'll still win in the end."
"Well done, Vlad," Cyan complimented her teammate.
"Don't get your hopes up. Nolan and I have to take the next two matches," Frita sighed.
"Hey, I'm no slouch!" Nolan objected. "Going into a game with a losing attitude won't help you win, anyway."
"Alright, Dalit, Hugh, you guys can do this!" Louise encouraged her teammates.
"Oh, I know we can," Hugh sneered cockily. "Round Three will be ours."
"Just don't underestimate your competition. That can be a killer," Brittany warned.
Confessional:
Shadya: Holding back so your opponent doesn't see you as a threat isn't my MO, because my status as a threat is uncontested and undeniable, but if the other teams are going after my team, then it wouldn't hurt to disincentivize that as much as possible. I'll still be winning any matches I participate in, of course.
Louise: Just because we don't have the lead going in doesn't mean we can't still take this! The best victories are the come-from-behind underdog victories, after all! We'll show everyone that the Proud Pegasi have every reason to be proud!
"Round Three, ladies and germs!" Topher announced.
"You guys are still here?" Chris asked as he noticed Topher and Lindsay.
"Well yeah. Why wouldn't we be?" Lindsay frowned.
"I don't know, you don't really have anything you need to do for this challenge," Chris shrugged.
"That's why I gave myself something to do," Topher said proudly. "Alright, contestants, send one of your remaining reps up!"
Quentin, Nolan, and Dalit all made their way up to the platform.
"Alright, guys! I hope you're ready!" Lindsay called.
"Always," Nolan claimed.
"Even more always!" Dalit insisted.
"Not possible," Nolan told her.
"I've done the impossible before!" Dalit countered.
Tori blew her whistle. Dalit immediately ran after Nolan, though he was ready for this, and grabbed onto her shoulders right before she could reach him. He took advantage of her momentum and pivoted her into the water.
"Hey!" Dalit objected.
Quentin had stood and watched as all this went down. He gingerly approached Nolan, who had already turned his attention to him.
"We don't have to make this messy, right?" Quentin offered.
"If that's a concession on your part, I'll gladly take it," Nolan chuckled.
The gambler ran up to the ornithologist and delivered a strong push, sending the latter into the water.
"It's just that easy," Nolan said as he rejoined his team.
Tori scoffed a bit to herself. Quentin took notice and looked to the floor.
"Match two is coming up!" Topher announced. "By default, it'll be Kun versus Frita versus Hugh."
"Easiest challenge of my life!" Hugh laughed as he, Kun, and Frita all came up to the platform.
The three took their positions at the edges of the platform.
"Ready?!" Lindsay asked. "Seeeeeeeet..."
Tori blew her whistle.
Hugh ran up to Kun and immediately pushed him into the water.
"Oh boy..." Frita sighed.
She walked up to Hugh, who immediately grabbed her by the arm and flung her into the water as well.
Hugh cackled loudly at his victory as Tori blew her whistle again.
"And Hugh takes a pretty decisive W on this one," Topher commented. "Point for the Proud Pegasi!"
"Well, I think I can say we're, um, not in the lead anymore," Kun commented to his team.
"Hardly. We still hold a one-round lead over the Pegasi," Shadya told him. "Let one of the other teams take this round, then we can get back into the swing of things."
"What an unconventional strategy," Bailey thought aloud. "Well, if it works, it works."
"I tried. I know it didn't look like it, but..." Frita sighed.
"I believe you," Vladimir told her. "Though if that round proved anything, it's that hesitation can be a killer."
"He's right. We need to play tough if we're going to win this challenge," Cyan agreed.
"This round's as good as ours, ladies," Hugh told his team pridefully.
"Yes! We will break them until they are too exhausted to think again!" Dalit echoed.
"That seems excessive," Brittany winced.
Confessional:
Quentin: Knowing that Tori is watching me this whole time is definitely throwing me off my game. But it's not like I can talk to her during the challenge. Ah, geez. I really just need to stop caring what she thinks about me. We haven't talked in years!
Nolan: An air of confidence is important. That's basically what a poker face is. If your opponent thinks you aren't worried about winning, then they'll start to worry that you know something they don't. It can make all the difference in any kind of game.
With the cycle of all players competing having come back around, the teams chose Kun, Cyan, and Hugh as their representatives for the third match of the round.
"Just couldn't get enough of me, eh?" Hugh taunted Kun. "Sorry, but I don't like you like that."
"You'll, um, you'll like me even less... After I beat you!" Kun attempted.
Hugh guffawed in response.
"On your marks!" Topher called.
The contestants stood readily.
"Get set!" Topher continued.
Tori blew her whistle before anyone could get set.
Hugh immediately ran for Kun once again. This caught both of his opponents off guard - in Cyan's case because she had immediately run for Hugh. Kun took a ready stance, but Hugh was still able to push him into the water easily.
Cyan, with a little course correcting, came up to Hugh, who moved out of the way, expecting this. He tried to leg sweep Cyan, but she stepped back to avoid it. Without realizing it, however, Cyan stepped over the edge of the platform and fell backward into the water.
Tori blew her whistle. Hugh laughed once again.
"The Proud Pegasi take Round Three!" Chris announced. "With one point a team, it's still anyone's challenge to win! Or to lose. Hehaha. Pick your players for the start of Round Four."
"Alright. Time to get serious again," Shadya told her team as she cracked her neck.
"R-Right on," Kun agreed.
"Would you mind horribly if I stepped in to pick some momentum back up?" Vladimir offered to his team.
"You might as well," Frita figured. "Though Cyan couldn't even do that much..." she added under her breath.
"They're probably going to send in their strongest people," Brittany figured. "Should we try to match them, or save our stronger people for their weaker people?"
"You can go ahead," Dalit smiled.
Brittany gave Dalit an unsure look, but she, as well as Shadya and Vladimir, made her way up to the platform.
"The start of Round Four, everybody!" Chris announced. "Contestants ready?"
Tori blew her whistle anyway.
Brittany and Vladimir both ran for Shadya immediately. Shadya bent down and grabbed Vladimir by the legs, using his momentum to hoist him over her shoulder and into the water. Brittany tried to push Shadya as she performed this action but to no avail.
Shadya tsked. "Cute try," she condescended.
"How did that not work?!" Brittany reacted.
"You cannot overcome human perfection. No matter how many times you win this game," Shadya told her.
Brittany tried to push her again, but Shadya grabbed Brittany by the wrists and guided her over the edge and into the water.
Tori blew her whistle.
"Point for the Gryphons!" Topher announced.
Shadya spat into the water.
Confessional:
Brittany: I think Shadya's won every match she's played so far. I'm not surprised that she's doing well, but for her to get Vladimir out that easily... She's definitely not someone I want on my bad side. That comment about me winning isn't giving me much confidence in that regard.
Cyan: Is Kun even trying? I feel like in both of those matches, he just let Hugh push him in. I get not being ready the first time, but he had to have seen it coming the second time. Ah, it's none of my business. What I need to focus on is winning this challenge, because things are kind of dire right now.
Bailey, Frita, and Louise had taken their spots on the platform for the second match of the round.
"You guys ready?" Lindsay asked.
Tori blew her whistle.
"How come you keep blowing it before they're ready?!" Lindsay objected.
"They should be ready before you ask. Life does not wait for you to be ready," Tori said monotonously.
Sure enough, Bailey and Louise had already headed straight for one another and were locked in pushing one another. Louise gained traction and pushed Bailey backward. Frita gingerly approached the two and pushed Bailey in the opposite direction from behind.
"What are you doing?" Bailey and Louise questioned in unison.
"Preventing me from being against the stronger of you two one-on-one?" Frita guessed.
"I'm not sure that's going to work," Bailey said uncomfortably.
"No worries. I can just push both of you in at once!" Louise beamed.
She pushed even harder. Bailey took a step backward and pushed harder as well, though she was unable to match Louise's raw power, even with Frita pushing in the same direction.
"No..." Bailey said through her teeth.
She switched tactics from pushing to pulling and pivoted so that the inertia from Louise's pushing would send the coach into the water. This also sent Frita stumbling away from Bailey and towards the center of the platform.
"Oh boy..." Frita mumbled.
She made her way up to Bailey and attempted to push her, but Bailey grabbed Frita by the wrist and swung her into the water as well.
"Haha! And that's that! Grand Gryphons take Round Four!" Chris announced.
"Should we, um, keep up the momentum?" Kun asked Shadya.
"We're guaranteed not to get last place," Shadya nodded. "We should still shoot for first, though. It sends a message to the others."
"The sad part is, I think Frita was trying there," Nolan murmured to Cyan before Frita joined back up with them.
"Bailey's kind of pulling out the stops. I didn't think she had it in her," Cyan commented.
"Whew. I'm kind of getting my ass kicked out there," Louise exhaled as she joined back up with her team.
"That is fine. I will show them next," Dalit claimed.
"Alright, everyone pick your first players for Round Five!" Topher announced.
By default, Quentin, Nolan, and Dalit were selected and made their way up to the platform.
"Is there any reason to let the Gryphons keep playing?" Nolan questioned. "At this point, it's pretty much just the Wyverns and the Pegasi fighting for safety."
"Uh, yeah. Three people means more chaos!" Chris grinned. "Besides, like Tori said, they're fighting to see if they get first or second place."
"You can just fight each other and I'll fight whoever remains," Quentin offered.
Tori blew her whistle. Dalit and Nolan immediately ganged up on Quentin and pushed him off the platform.
"Overweight chance!" Dalit laughed.
"'Overweight'?" Nolan chuckled.
"Yes, even fatter than fat," Dalit maintained.
"Alright," Nolan accepted.
The two locked hands as they struggled to push one another. With Nolan's height and muscle advantage, he was able to make a bit more progress than Dalit. Dalit clenched her teeth and thrust her knee into Nolan's groin.
"ACK!" Nolan squeaked.
He could not maintain a steady position as he reflexively covered the area, allowing Dalit an easy avenue to thrust him into the water.
"Proud Pegasi take the first point!" Chris announced.
Confessional:
Nolan: I can't even be mad that Dalit did that. It was a trick she used to gain the advantage, and it worked. I'm more mad at myself for not seeing it coming. Nobody did that the entire challenge up to that point; I just clean forgot that was a thing someone could do. (He shakes his head.)
Kiki: Even from the sidelines, I can tell that Tori being here is bothering Quentin. That's not good. I want to just step in and fix things, but I know there's no way I can feasibly do that, both from a logistical psychological perspective, and a "that's definitely against the rules of the challenge" perspective. (She groans, dissatisfied.)
Shadya, Cyan, and Dalit had taken their spots on the platform.
Tori blew her whistle immediately before a host could ask if the players were ready.
"Heh. She knows we're ready," Shadya said cockily.
She jumped over Dalit's charge attack and clotheslined Cyan on the way down. Dalit was able to stop herself from falling into the water, but not from falling on her rear. Cyan also could not prevent a similar fate thanks to Shadya's direct attack against her.
"Hey! That's no fair!" Dalit objected as she tried to stand back up, though the slippery-when-wet platform made that harder than it normally would have been.
"You're right. Any competition with me in it is inherently unfair," Shadya told her.
She shoved Cyan into the water as the blue enthusiast tried to stand up.
Dalit charged towards Shadya once again but stopped right before she reached her. Shadya did not react with a jump this time, and simply grabbed Dalit, picked her up, turned around, and dropped her into the water.
"A stylish win for Shadya!" Chris announced. "Who will be next?"
Bailey, Vladimir, and Brittany were all chosen, and all headed up to the platform.
"Have we faced each other every time we've gone up?" Brittany asked Vladimir.
"It must be God's will," Vladimir jested.
"Surely." Brittany rolled her eyes.
"I prefer 'Vladimir'," Vladimir smiled.
Tori blew her whistle.
Bailey and Brittany both ran towards Vladimir immediately, catching the master of disguise off guard. He stumbled backward and corrected his balance, but the two did not relent and managed to get him into the water with a second push.
"How confident are you that you can survive a vote?" Bailey asked Brittany.
Brittany blinked. "I'm not throwing if that's what you're implying."
"Fair enough," Bailey sighed.
She began to push against Brittany, who was prepared for such an attack, and readied her stance to push back. The two struggled to keep their footing on the wet platform without sacrificing their own power. Brittany's foot slipped, which cost her her balance and ended with her falling into the water.
"The Grand Gryphons win the match, the round, and first place in the challenge!" Chris announced.
Quentin cheered, alongside Kiki as she joined up with her team. Kun clapped for Bailey, and Shadya simply nodded.
"We're down to our final round, and it's the Fighting Wyverns versus the Proud Pegasi," Chris commentated. "One of these teams will have to vote a second member out tonight. The pressure. Is. ON!"
Confessional:
Dalit: That was not fair! It's not my fault she's a foot taller than me! I couldn't do anything about that!
Vladimir: It's really coming down to the wire. And I don't think our cycle of who we send in resets just because it's the last round, so we'll have to count on Nolan and Frita to beat Hugh and Louise. (He chuckles.) Never say never.
Nolan and Louise stood on opposite ends of the platform.
"You ready to fight?" Louise challenged readily.
"I was hoping for a spot of tea, but since we're already here..." Nolan responded.
Tori blew her whistle, and the two contestants ran for each other.
Louise got the initiative, sending Nolan back a few steps before he regained his composure as the two pushed against one another. The two grinned through the strain, both looking determined to get one over on the other. Nolan managed to get Louise to take a step back. Louise returned in kind and forced Nolan to take a few more steps back.
"Shame it had to come to this," Nolan told Louise. "We were working together so well before."
"We're on different teams now. You understand," Louise responded.
"I understand more than anyone. I'm just trying to get you to let your guard down," Nolan chuckled. "Doesn't seem to be working."
"I guess we weren't that close after all," Louise played along. "If we were, you'd know I'd never let my guard down in a challenge!"
With one final, powerful push, Louise sent Nolan into the water.
"A point for the Proud Pegasi!" Chris announced. "If Hugh can beat Frita in the next match, the Proud Pegasi win Invincibility! If Frita beats Hugh, we go to our final match for game!"
Hugh laughed. "You can just back out now and save us all some time!" he called to Frita.
"...Can I?" Frita asked Chris.
"No," Chris smiled.
Frita sighed, and she and Hugh swam up to the platform.
"You got this, Frita!" Cyan encouraged.
"Yes, you have got this!" Dalit added.
"Should you really be cheering for the other team?" Brittany asked.
"Hugh understands why," Dalit said.
Tori blew her whistle.
Frita gulped and ran towards Hugh. Hugh readied his stance but did not react in time to Frita decking him across the face. The onlookers all reacted to this.
"Is that allowed?" Topher asked.
"It was allowed when Dalit got me in the crotch," Nolan winced bitterly.
"What? No, I meant Frita putting in effort," Topher clarified.
"Are you not supposed to be an impartial host?" Tori asked.
"I'm supposed to be a host," Topher said.
Hugh looked at Frita with malice in his eyes, but Frita followed up with a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of Hugh. She moved to push him, but Hugh responded with his own punch to the gut. This took the onlookers by even more surprise.
"If she can fight dirty, then so can I!" Hugh shouted.
"I can't watch this," Kiki decided as she stood up and left the gymnasium.
Frita fell to her knees.
"You can dish it out, but you can't take it, huh?" Hugh sneered scornfully. "I haven't eaten more than a handful of berries all day! You can take me! Come on! Get up and fight!"
Frita slowly stood back up.
"You threw the first punch. Don't start fights you can't continue!" Hugh glowered.
He shoved her before she was able to look him in the eye. Frita did not resist and ended up in the water.
"And that! Is that!" Chris announced. "The Proud Pegasi win Invincibility!"
Confessional:
Frita: I thought that, if I could reach into my... bad side... at least a little, I could get the fighting spirit I needed. Of course, when I draw, I'm in full control. That's not the case in a fight with real people. How did I not realize that before I started attacking him? I'm pathetic.
Hugh: I kind of admire the guts on Frita to even try to fight me, but she should have known better. I'm not just going to take that kind of thing lying down! (He rubs his cheek.) Damn if she can't punch, though.
The teams had reconvened and all stood before the hosts.
"Congrats to the Grand Gryphons and the Proud Pegasi for winning Invincibility!" Chris announced.
"Our victory was inevitable," Shadya stated. "Congratulate me when I've done something difficult."
"Fighting Wyverns, you guys get to see me again at Elimination Station! Hehaha," Chris chuckled. Let's get going, shall we?"
The four losing players, all perturbed, followed Chris out of the gymnasium.
"And you know what that means!" Topher told the rest of the players. "Time for the Best/Worst vote! The Grand Gryphons will be giving someone penthouse privileges until the end of the next challenge, and the Proud Pegasi will be sending someone to Isolation Park."
Lindsay handed out paper and pencils to the eight contestants. Quentin watched Tori make her way out of the gymnasium.
After everyone had submitted their votes and the votes were counted, Topher and Lindsay stood before the contestants.
"Alright, these were fun votes," Topher said. "The Grand Gryphons' vote was unanimous. Shadya was deemed the best in this challenge, and has earned her way back to the penthouse!"
"I'm happy to be on a team that recognizes my ability," Shadya smiled.
"For the Proud Pegasi..." Lindsay began.
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"It's a tie! Two votes for Brittany, two votes for Dalit," Lindsay revealed.
"Oh. Uh, I'll go ahead to Isolation Park, in that case," Brittany offered. "No need to complicate things."
"It's your choice," Topher allowed. "Alright, I have nothing else for the rest of you. Take it easy!"
Confessional:
Quentin: I never got the chance to talk to Tori. And honestly? The fact that she didn't seem to want to talk to me at all speaks volumes. I can't let her live in my head if she can't even say hi, you know? I... I think I can let her go. Hopefully. (he chuckles.)
Brittany: We probably could have organized our Worst votes better. I'm not thrilled to go back, but there's always the chance to find a statue. Or, if nothing else, making sure our target doesn't get that chance.
Votes:
Best:
Shadya - Bailey, Kun, Quentin, Shadya
Worst:
Brittany - Brittany, Hugh
Dalit - Dalit, Louise
The four Fighting Wyverns took equidistant spots at the circle of lecterns in the underground ceremony room at Elimination Station. Chris sat in his usual elevated seat just off to the side.
"Welcome back, Fighting Wyverns!" Chris greeted. "As always, you'll have half an hour, or until everyone has cast their votes, to discuss plans, throw each other under the bus, all that fun stuff. Once all the votes are cast, I'll reveal the results, and the person with the most votes will be out of the game for good!"
Nolan rolled his die and cast his vote immediately.
"As luck would have it, I rolled to vote for Vladimir," Nolan smiled.
"So much for withholding the identity of your target out of respect for the random nature of your vote," Vladimir frowned.
"I don't have respect for you," Nolan stated.
"I don't know what I did to you," Vladimir said. "And it's not like playing a multi-layered game is something you're against. So what's the problem?"
"I just don't trust you," Nolan explained. "I still believe you threw the challenge yesterday in order to get rid of Irving. For all I know, you could have done so again to get rid of another one of us."
"For what it's worth, he refused to tell me who he was voting for when I asked him earlier," Frita brought up.
"Not necessarily," Vladimir denied. "I said that I'd tell you if you'd show me what you'd been drawing."
"What kind of stipulation is that?" Nolan ribbed.
"I was curious to see what she was drawing," Vladimir claimed. "She's never shown me, not even back in Explore Party."
"If you want to see it that bad, look it up on the internet or something," Frita tsked.
"Well, Vladimir told me who he planned on voting for, and I think we should cut to the chase," Cyan brought up.
"We may as well," Vladimir agreed. He turned to Nolan. "I'd apologize for this, but even if I did, I doubt you'd respect it."
Vladimir cast his vote.
"I guess that's fair," Nolan figured. "It's cute that you trusted Cyan with that, though."
"You trust her that much, huh?" Vladimir noted. "I suppose it's not my place to judge. Cyan's vote will speak for itself. She is the one who brought it up first, though."
Cyan cast her vote. She didn't look up from the screen. "I know I said I wanted to work with you, but there's only so much I could trust you."
"Wait, that was vague, who did you vote for?!" Frita panicked.
Cyan sighed. "I voted for Nolan."
"I-Is that so?" Nolan asked. "Well, Frita, we can still get rid of Vladimir, but now it's going to be a bit tougher."
"That's what you take from this?" Vladimir asked. "Your closest ally just voted for you."
"I voted for her last time. I'm the last person who should be blaming her for that," Nolan said. "But the way I see it, if Frita votes for me, then that just leaves her on the outs on the team against you two."
"The way I see it, if Frita votes for me, then she leaves herself on the outs against someone who has a fifty-fifty shot of voting for her next time," Vladimir countered.
"I don't hate you, by the way," Cyan told Frita. "Since that seems to be what people think. I don't have anything against you."
"Not one thing?" Frita doubted. "I don't believe anyone in this room has nothing against me."
"And let's continue that line of thinking where you supposedly can vote me out," Vladimir continued. "If she votes for me, that's a tie. We'd go to a revote, of course, and... I see."
"You see?" Frita asked.
"Nolan seems to be under the assumption that Cyan would flip her vote on a revote," Vladimir explained. "Which makes a lot of sense, given that it's a fifty-fifty coin flip that either Cyan or Frita goes home if it ties again. And Cyan has her storied history with this scenario."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk for me," Cyan chimed in. "And what everyone's forgetting here is that Frita could always change her vote to Nolan if she doesn't just vote for him in the first vote to start with."
"But why would she?" Nolan asked. "If I'm gone, she's up against two strong players who, if I may be so bold, seem to be comfortable working together. If Vladimir's gone, there's at least a chance that I will vote for Cyan next time."
"Assuming Frita doesn't just go home in a deadlocked tie," Cyan added.
"Will you deadlock the tie?" Nolan asked. "Do you want me gone that much?"
Cyan sighed. "Listen, Nolan. You're cool. I have nothing against you as a person. But I cannot trust you if you're just going to randomly vote every time. It makes you an unreliable ally."
"And Vladimir is reliable?" Nolan doubted.
"More than the whims of fate, yes," Cyan answered.
"We don't need to make this any more complicated than it has to be," Vladimir stepped in. "Frita, all you have to do is vote for Nolan, and we can get back to our rooms and not have to worry about any of this any longer."
"Sure, except you're completely omitting the long-term implications of me going home," Nolan scoffed. "You and I both know it would not benefit Frita for her to get rid of me over you or even Cyan."
Vladimir sighed and turned to Frita. "I wish he'd get hunted, you know?"
Frita's eyes went wide, and she fell backward onto her rear. "No... There's no way..."
"What did you just say to her?!" Cyan asked accusatorily.
Frita stood back up and cast her vote.
"And the votes are in!" Chris announced. "A lot of the votes are already out in the open, but I'm going to draw it out a little for the sake of suspense anyway. Hehaha."
"There's no way..." Frita shuddered.
"First vote... Nolan," Chris began.
"Did you just dog-whistle her? What's the deal?" Nolan asked.
"Second vote... Vladimir," Chris continued.
"I guess neither of us will be here long enough for you to find out," Vladimir told Nolan. "Pity."
"Third vote... Nolan."
Nolan and Vladimir exchanged cocky smirks.
"Fourth vote..."
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"...and the eighth person voted out: Nolan!" Chris concluded.
"Tch. Agggggh," Nolan groaned. "Well, I made it farther than last time. I wish I'd made the merge, but I did all I could."
"I'd be down to hang sometime after this game, but as far as the game goes, I just couldn't rely on you. Sorry," Cyan apologized.
"No, that makes all the sense in the world," Nolan assured her. "I went into this knowing I was going to be impossible to work with. I look forward to hanging out. Hopefully not too soon. Who knows what Vladimir told Frita to convince her to vote for me?"
"Why does it have to be my influence that caused her to vote for you?" Vladimir asked. "It was her decision."
Frita's eyes were glued to the floor, and she hugged her body.
"You'll have to excuse me if I don't entirely buy that," Nolan snarked.
"Anything else to say before Nolan goes all in... to the Van of Losers!?" Chris laughed.
"It definitely took you all of this elimination to come up with that one, didn't it?" Cyan commented.
"Not relevant," Chris said.
...
"It's been good, everyone," Nolan grinned. "I look forward to seeing how the rest of the game plays out. Do whatever it takes!"
"You know it!" Cyan declared.
The ceiling opened up, and the Shackle of Shame grabbed Nolan by the waist. He held onto his hat and glasses as the device hoisted him off the ground and carried him above the ceiling. Once he was gone, the ceiling shut again.
"Well, you guys are down to three," Chris told the three remaining players. "I've seen teams do worse, but you should probably do what you can to make sure you don't become the next Team Victory. That's all I've got for you guys."
The contestants made their way back to the elevator.
Confessional:
Cyan: I don't know what Vladimir said to bug Frita out like that, but I don't like it. He knows something I don't, and he's using it to his advantage. And it looked like it really freaked her out, too. He'd better not be threatening her! It's a tough game, but that'd just be taking things too far!
Vladimir: I didn't want to give Frita any kind of hint if I didn't have to. But I needed to gain her trust. We can talk through the rest of it tomorrow, but for now, I've gotten rid of Nolan. It really shouldn't have taken that much, but if nothing else, I guess he knows how to play games.
Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all stood outside the limits of Drama City.
"Another totally dramatic vote, and another totally dramatic elimination!" Chris beamed.
"I, for one, am excited to see where things go from here," Topher boasted. "If Virtual Party proved anything, it's that teams of three can be goldmines of drama."
"I still don't know what Vladimir said to get Frita to vote for Nolan," Lindsay admitted.
"The mystery! The intrigue! That's Total Drama, baby!" Topher gesticulated.
"I liked the part where Quentin came to terms with Tori treating him badly," Lindsay smiled. "Maybe he and Shadya can get closer, now!"
"Honestly? Who knows?" Chris figured. "How will things proceed for the Fighting Wyverns now? What direction will the dynamics go in the boiling point that is the Grand Gryphons? And will Dalit get any kind of foothold on the Proud Pegasi?"
Lindsay gasped. "Do you think this is the start of a Frita/Vladimir romance?!"
"I want to say I've heard of weirder ships, but none are coming to mind," Topher chuckled.
"Anyway, next time, we'll meet up with Lester and River as they talk to our four most recently eliminated contestants about the game, their lives, and anything else that's interesting!" Chris announced. "After that, the game rests for nobody! We'll see you soon! On Total!"
"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay added.
"Party with the Stars!" all three finished in unison.
Votes:
Cyan - Nolan
Frita - Nolan
Nolan - Vladimir
Vladimir - Nolan
Grand Gryphons:
Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet
Kiki - The Strategic Hipster
Kun - The Awkward Team Leader
Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist
Shadya - The Genius Athlete
Fighting Wyverns:
Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue
Frita - The Morbid Artist
Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor
13th: Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler
14th: Irving - The Chaotic Pirate
Proud Pegasi:
Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell
Dalit - The Social Media Model
Hugh - The Head Villain
Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher
15th: Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon
Eliminated Pre-Shuffle:
16th: Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman
17th: Ernie - The Lazy Law Student
18th: Joseph - The True Bro
19th: Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm
20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest
A/N: I think I said as far back as the House Party days that Nolan was always going to be a lock for All-Stars because I liked his gimmick and had wanted to do more with it than I had. I think I did as much as I could have with it this go around. I actually was back and forth on whether I wanted to include Nolan over power players like Preston or Chappy, but at the end of the day, Nolan is a one-of-a-kind character that I wanted to make use of if given the chance. I know he wasn't ever anyone's favorite this season, and I probably could have made him more proactive than I had, but I feel I justified his inclusion in the season. What do you think, though?
Oh, and next episode is indeed another Aftermath! If you have questions to ask Jean-Marie, Steve Jenkins, Irving, and/or Nolan, let me know, and I just might include them in the episode!