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.
"Little teams mean little wiggle room, and our contestants are still adjusting to that fact. Hehaha," Chris laughed. "Some are getting the hang of it, while others seem to have trouble integrating."
"Which really describes Total Drama in general, but it's funny seeing people have to readjust after they were so comfortable with the initial teams," Topher added.
"This is true. I hosted a whole season about it," Chris nodded.
"My favorite team I was on is the Killer Grips because all my friends were on it," Lindsay smiled. "Except for Courtney. She was mean."
"Er, thanks for sharing," Topher responded.
"You're welcome!" Lindsay responded sunnily.
"On the Fighting Wyverns, Vladimir did what he could to cover his bases with Cyan and Frita," Chris recapped. "Cyan seemed receptive, while Frita was about as receptive as she usually is. Nolan also threw Vladimir under the bus to Frita, who, again, was just as you'd expect."
"I like that team because it's mostly people from my seasons," Topher contributed. "I do make the best casting calls."
"Like Amir?" Chris asked flatly.
"I'll have you know Amir is well on his way to becoming a chess grandmaster," Topher boasted.
"Cool. Wish he was that interesting when he was on our show," Chris quipped. "Anyway, with the Grand Gryphons, Bailey and Kiki discussed shifting their vote onto Kun after realizing he was trying to play both sides. Shadya also called Quentin out about his weird projecting his issues with Tori onto her thing."
"He's getting better! And they're getting closer!" Lindsay insisted.
"I'm not sure Quentin is in any kind of headspace for a relationship," Topher doubted.
"Let me dream," Lindsay sniffled.
"On the Proud Pegasi, Brittany and Dalit found each other not getting along, while Louise remained conflicted on whether or not she'd be willing to vote for Dalit if it came down to it," Chris continued. "Also, Hugh found the Franklin Statue, which will let him remove one person's right to vote in one elimination."
"Lots of statues have been found but not played. I'm excited to see how things will play out when they are," Topher said as he rubbed his hands together.
"The challenge was a rousing bout of water sumo," Chris brought up. "Three players entered and one player left, and this continued until the Grand Gryphons took enough victories to place first, and the Proud Pegasi took the last one to keep themselves safe. Thus sending the Fighting Wyverns straight back to elimination!"
"Tori was the guest judge! It helped Quentin work through the hurt!" Lindsay added.
"Yep," Chris acknowledged. "At elimination, the players had no qualms with putting all their cards on the table right out of the gate. Nolan actually rolled a Vladimir vote on his die, and urged Frita to follow suit even after Cyan and Vladimir outright said they'd voted for Nolan. With the threat of a tie imminent, the team argued intently about how things should go, until Vladimir convinced Frita to vote for Nolan... somehow."
"He said something that took her by surprise, that much is for sure," Topher said.
"And now we're at twelve," Chris said. "How did Vladimir convince Frita to vote for Nolan? Will the Grand Gryphons settle on a target? Will any more conflicts arise on the Proud Pegasi?"
"The answer to all three sounds like a resounding 'maybe' to me," Topher said.
"...Wait, the first one wasn't a yes or no question," Chris pointed out.
"I'm confused..." Lindsay admitted.
"It's all happening right now, on Total!" Chris began.
"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.
"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.
It was still the night of Nolan's elimination when Frita dragged Vladimir into her motel room.
"What the fuck?" Frita asked through tears. "What the fuck?!"
"Frita, I'm willing to talk, but I need you to take a breath," Vladimir told her.
Frita began hyperventilating.
"Hey. Hey," Vladimir said softly. "Innnnnnnhale."
Frita took a deep breath.
"I understand that this is a lot," Vladimir said. "What's the first thing on your mind?"
"...Devlin, or Tristan?" Frita asked.
"I can't tell you," Vladimir said solemnly. "I'm sorry, but there's a reason I've been keeping my identity under lock and key."
"But... we were best friends in elementary school?" Frita confirmed. "How else would you know about that very specific inside joke?
"You can make whichever inferences you want," Vladimir said.
"I thought you said you were going to talk," Frita scowled.
"I can talk, but there are several things I can't tell anybody. Especially when the cameras are rolling," Vladimir clarified. "Is there anything else you want to know?"
"...Why didn't you talk to me before? In Explore Party?" Frita welled up. "I've missed you for years, you know?!"
"I wanted to, but you kept your distance from everyone, and I had to keep up with the rest of the team, too," Vladimir explained. "I didn't want to vote you out, either, but my alliance insisted, and I didn't want to make waves. ...Or let my guard down around you."
Frita wept. "I can't believe it. I haven't made any close friends since you and your brother. And neither of you have reached out to me on social media or anything!"
"I'm sorry, Frita," Vladimir apologized. "I needed to leave my previous life behind. I shouldn't even be telling you any of this."
"So why are you?" Frita asked.
"Frita, I need you to trust me," Vladimir sighed. "I needed you to trust me last night, and I need you to trust me now."
"How can I trust you when you're hiding so much from me?!" Frita accused. "When you've lied to me all these years?!"
"Because you're the only person I've told anything to," Vladimir said. "Frita, I wouldn't be telling you any of this if I didn't trust you. Maybe someday, I can tell you more. I just need you to believe that I've thought everything through and that this is the best for both of us."
Frita fell into Vladimir's shoulder. He held her as she cried. "I can't believe this."
"I missed you too, French Fry," Vladimir told her.
Frita held him tightly as she sobbed. "Never leave me again..."
Confessional:
Frita: ...When I was in elementary school, my two best friends were Devlin and Tristan Pralus. The three of us were close. They called me French Fry because of my name. We played together, we hung out at their house... Those two were my first crushes. Then, after we graduated, my family had to move across the country. I'd never heard from either of them ever again. I never clicked with anyone the same way I did with them, for obvious reasons. So to hear what Vladimir said last night... Our fifth-grade teacher was named Mr. Hunter. He was a dick, so my friends and I would always say "I wish he'd get hunted." There's no way anyone would remember that but Devlin or Tristan. (She smiles.) I'm... so glad he's back.
Vladimir: I'm still not fully convinced that giving Frita any hint was the best idea. I needed to make sure Nolan went home instead of me, sure, but there were other ways I could have done that. I cannot slip up like that again. I must win this game.
The following morning, as Shadya cooked breakfast in her penthouse, she caught a knock on the door. She went to open it and found Bailey on the other side.
"Ah, Bailey. I'm nearly finished making the most delicious breakfast you'll ever eat," Shadya told her. "Come in."
"O-Oh. I wasn't expecting breakfast," Bailey admitted as she let herself in.
"You should know by now that I defy expectations," Shadya said simply. "Now, what business do you have here?"
"Well, I wanted to be sure that you were aware of Kun's position on the team," Bailey began as she sat down at a table.
"I am. Are you?" Shadya challenged.
"Well, it seems to me as though he's told both you and Quentin, and me and Kiki that he is willing to be the third vote," Bailey laid out. "That could be a problem for both of us."
"It sounds like it will only be a problem for one of us," Shadya said as she laid out an entire English breakfast in front of Bailey.
"Oh my," Bailey gasped. "Erm, well, the problem is that nobody knows which pair he wants to side with."
"Is that the case?" Shadya scoffed as she set down her own breakfast and took a seat. "Because I see little reason why he would side with two people who have actively worked against him over the best asset you can have in the game and someone close with his eliminated ally."
"But how long can you really trust him?" Bailey challenged. "If he makes it to the merge, do you think he'll stick with you?"
"I don't see what other viable options he has," Shadya said. "You and Kiki have a lot of options, though. Options that do not include me. If you want to appeal to my game logic, you'll have to try a lot harder."
"Alright," Bailey sighed. "And if you do make it to the merge with Kun and Quentin, and don't have any further options, then how do you plan to make it any farther than the first few rounds?"
"You're joking, right?" Shadya sneered.
"If this season has proven anything, it's that you cannot rely on challenge wins alone," Bailey said firmly.
"That is what the Grand Gryphons proved before the team shuffle," Shadya leered. "Without the likes of Lilith, Isidora, and Ernie holding me back, I have not lost a challenge since. And besides that, you're discounting my game abilities outside of my ability to perform in challenges."
"Nothing in life is guaranteed," Bailey frowned. She stood up to leave. "You of all people should know that. Also, the breakfast was delicious, thank you."
"Of course it was, you're welcome," Shadya returned.
Confessional:
Bailey: It seems it isn't Shadya's trust in Kun that's keeping her from voting for him, but her distrust for me and Kiki. There must be some way to earn that trust. I just need to figure out what it is.
Shadya: Bailey's offer to vote out Kun reeks of insecurity that he would even consider siding with her. I cannot fathom why I should dignify that when doing so would mean eliminating someone who actually wants to work with me. People I can truly put my faith in have been in unforgivably short supply this season. Kun's not quite there, but he's closer than most.
Dalit and Louise had gone to the clothes warehouse. Dalit dashed back and forth across the place finding clothes to hand to Louise. The coach already had a big pile of apparel in her arms.
"Do I really need all of these?" Louise asked. "Actually, are we even allowed to take these?"
"Yes. You dress like a homeless and that is not okay!" Dalit asserted. "No woman should let herself settle for looking anything but her best!"
"H-Hey, I'm happy with the way I look!" Louise frowned, insulted. "I mean, sure, I wish I could pull off long hair, but that has nothing to do with my clothes anyway!"
"Sure it does," Dalit said. "A hairstyle is part of your look just like clothes are. You just need to find clothes that make long hair look good on you! Like a sundress!"
"But I don't want to wear a sundress," Louise said flatly.
"If you want to look good with long hair, then you'll have to put in the effort!" Dalit scolded. "Beauty is not easy!"
"I'll say," Louise murmured. "Look, I don't want it that badly. I'd rather just keep wearing comfy clothes. Besides, this is still Total Drama, and we're still going to have to do challenges. You should always dress appropriately for the occasion." She started moving her hands for emphasis. This sent all the clothes she was holding to the floor.
"Ah! Look what you did!" Dalit cried.
"That wasn't on purpose, I promise," Louise chuckled.
"Don't just leave them there!" Dalit pouted.
"I wasn't, I wasn't," Louise insisted as she bent down to pick the clothes back up.
"Also! Did you talk to Hugh about voting for Brittany yet?" Dalit inquired.
"Oh, no, I haven't, sorry," Louise apologized. "I'll check in with him today now that Brittany's at Isolation Park."
"Good," Dalit accepted. "I don't want to talk to him myself. He'd never listen."
"Yeah, I can't imagine that conversation would end well," Louise agreed. "I'm not very good at, like, manipulating people though. I can't even get Elmer to bring home a six-pack on the way home from work even though there's a convenience store right next to his building."
"A beautiful figure does not come to someone overnight," Dalit said.
"Uh... Not that kind of... never mind," Louise discarded.
"You'll be better at convincing Hugh of something than I am," Dalit said. "That's why it has to be you."
"Right. I'll do what I can!" Louise smiled as she stood up, all the clothes she'd dropped now recovered.
"Good!" Dalit grinned as she plopped even more clothes into Louise's arms.
Confessional:
Louise: (She is wearing a girly blouse.) Alright, the entire team's depending on me to do what's best for them! That's already my job at home, right? But that's the thing: usually, members of a team are all working towards the same goal. On this team, there are two pretty clear sides that want to screw the other over. I remember things were like this on the Luscious Lollipops, too. Hesitating got me eliminated. I can't do that again!
Dalit: I wish we could just vote out Hugh instead, but if it's him or Brittany, Hugh is the one I think would backstab his ally faster. I did try to get on Brittany's good side yesterday, but she just got mad. So she can go for all I care.
The marquee outside of Hatchet's Diner read "The bloody mary mix is for me only! Go bug Jayne!" Inside the diner, Cyan and Frita ate breakfast together.
One couldn't miss Frita's demure yet wide smile from a mile away.
"Well, you seem to be doing better than you were last night," Cyan commented playfully.
"Vladimir and I talked," Frita blushed. "Turns out he was one of my best friends from childhood all along."
Cyan paused. "Is that the truth?" she asked skeptically.
"Yeah," Frita giggled. "I haven't seen him in over a decade. Well, I saw him a little bit in our first season, but... You know what I mean."
"Frita, I..." Cyan sighed through her nose. "I don't think Vladimir is necessarily trustworthy. Either in a game context or outside of it."
"You didn't think that way last night. Or the night before," Frita accused.
"That's because I trusted him more than Irving or Nolan," Cyan made clear. "But we can't ignore the fact that he is willing, ready, and able to lie about anything if it suits him."
"...He told me the truth," Frita frowned.
"He showed you his face?" Cyan asked.
"Well, no. The cameras are still running, even in our bedrooms," Frita excused. "But I know it's him! Nobody but Devlin and Tristan knows about that inside joke he mentioned last night!"
"And which one of those is Vladimir?" Cyan asked.
"...Devlin? Maybe? One of them for sure!" Frita insisted.
"Frita, sweet thing," Cyan sighed. "I'm only telling you this because I don't want to see you get hurt. I don't think Vladimir is one of your friends."
"How else would he know about that inside joke?!" Frita challenged.
"How does he know all this stuff about Barry?" Cyan asked. "The look, the mannerisms, everything that happened with Rachel, and House Party in general. Frita, this man knows how to do some digging on people. Hell, for all I know, he could have studied up on all of us and just isn't revealing anything. So he could have found out all about your friends before the game even started. I just don't want you to get your hopes up and then find out you're getting used."
"I'm not getting used!" Frita shouted. "You don't know him! You don't know Devlin, or Tristan, or anybody! Stay out of this, Cyan! You don't know what you're talking about!"
Frita could not have stepped out of the booth and left the diner faster if she'd tried. Cyan sighed and shook her head.
Confessional:
Cyan: I don't know how much longer until we merge. Maybe it's today. Maybe it's tomorrow, or the day after. It's got to be soon. I'm not trying to lose another challenge, but if we do, I've got to come prepared. But it sounds like Vladimir's come even more prepared. I don't know what that man's doing to mess with Frita's head, but I don't like it one bit!
Frita: Maybe Cyan can afford to let friends come and go as she pleases, because she's cute and charming and extroverted and able to make as many as she wants, but I'm not like her! I don't have friends! Real, honest, true friends! So I'm not going to let Cyan's paranoia get to me. This is the best thing I've had in years, and I won't let her take it away!
Kiki found Quentin playing video games at the nice garage hangout.
"Heyyyyy, Quentin. How are you?" Kiki greeted awkwardly.
"Huh? I'm fine," Quentin answered, a bit confused.
"That's good. With Tori being at the challenge yesterday, I wasn't sure how you were holding up," Kiki explained.
"Oh. That," Quentin chuckled. He paused his game. "Yeah, it messed with me for a bit, but I figured that, if she didn't even want to talk to me, then how can I let her live in my head, you know?"
"That's good. And correct," Kiki encouraged. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Look, not to change the subject too drastically, but I'm sorry that we haven't had a lot of game talk since the team shuffle."
"Well, you got kind of mad at me after our last vote," Quentin pointed out.
"Yeah, that's on me and my deep-seated desire for control over everything in my life, no biggie, hahaha..." Kiki admitted. "I don't really want to get into it, but the point is, I want to reconcile with you."
Quentin smiled. "Me too. I hate losing friends."
Kiki smiled back. "I've been talking with Bailey, and Bailey's been talking with Shadya. Kun's been playing both sides, and I don't think any of us can trust him. We want to band together and take him out."
"Shadya said that?" Quentin asked.
"Well, Bailey's talking to her right now," Kiki admitted. "But this is the best idea for all four of us, so I doubt she'd say no."
"I guess," Quentin ruminated. "What makes you so sure he's been playing both sides?"
"Because he told me that he wanted to vote Bailey out, and Bailey that he wanted to vote Shadya out," Kiki explained. "It wasn't even a little bit subtle."
"It sounds like he just wants Bailey gone," Quentin shrugged. "And with all her connections, I can't really blame him. Shadya and I feel the same way."
"But... But..." Kiki struggled.
"If anything, the fact that he told you shows he trusts you, right?" Quentin figured. "It sounds pretty straightforward if you ask me."
Kiki prepared herself to respond but found no words forming. After a pause, she finally spoke.
"I just can't trust him as much as I trust Bailey," Kiki stated. "We've made this clear to one another. We can't trust each other because the other doesn't trust us. For all I know, he could just be messing with me."
"That's what Shadya said about you when I told her that you were helping me through my troubles," Quentin frowned. "I'll tell you the same thing I told her: that's just not Kun's style. Someone's got to trust the other one first, right?"
"Not if we just vote him out," Kiki sighed.
"Is that the best move for us, though?" Quentin questioned.
Kiki groaned and lowered her eyes to the floor.
Confessional:
Kiki: It's... really annoying. Part of me does feel like siding with Bailey might be a bigger risk than Kun. But it's a risk that I have in my own hands. If I vote out Bailey, then I leave myself at the mercy of Shadya, Quentin, and Kun. If I could get the others to vote out Kun, then I'd have the initiative that I need in this game! But that's a big 'if'. Arghhhh, what do I do?
Quentin: Honestly, I'm kind of glad that nobody really expects me to take charge or anything. It sounds like a lot of pressure that I probably couldn't deal with. I'm happy just being supportive. As long as what you're doing works and makes you happy, then that's true luck right there. I hope Kiki figures out what she wants to do. I gave my input, but it's her call at the end of the day.
Louise knocked on Hugh's motel room door with her football in the other hand. He creaked it open.
"Louise? What's up?" Hugh asked groggily. "And what's with the blouse?"
"Hey! Dalit made me wear this. Want to throw the ball around?" Louise offered.
"Eh, sure. I wasn't really doing anything," Hugh agreed. He stretched his arms as he left his room.
After a few minutes walk, the two made their way to McLean Park. They began throwing the ball back and forth.
"So, have you talked to Dalit recently?" Louise asked.
"Huh? Not on purpose," Hugh answered. "Why would I?"
"I don't know. I feel kind of bad just leaving her out to dry," Louise told him.
"She's the one who chose to be impossible to be around," Hugh scoffed. "Besides, didn't you say she had a bunch of allies on the old Wyverns? At this point, I'd be fine with losing a challenge if it meant we could just drop her already."
"Well, she's been talking to me, and it sounds like she wants Brittany gone now," Louise elaborated.
"Brittany? Not me?" Hugh doubted. "I'd be insulted, if her opinion mattered."
"She realizes that you're more willing to make a big power play than Brittany is," Louise explained. "And really wants to make a power play happen."
She hesitated when she noticed her ally's face, a grimace of affronted confusion.
"...Don't tell me you're actually considering a Brittany blindside," Hugh said seriously.
"I'm trying to look at all my options!" Louise insisted as she tossed him the ball. "Brittany's cool, but she is a threat."
"What's threatening is numbers," Hugh scowled. "And Brittany doesn't have numbers outside this team. Dalit does. Somehow." Hugh narrowed his eyes and held onto the football. "What's the deal?"
"What do you mean?" Louise asked, hurt.
"What do you mean 'what do I mean'?!" Hugh accused. "You're in a clear majority alliance with people you get along with, and the one person on the outs is someone who has allies on other teams and doesn't get along with us! Where's this 'Oh yeah, Brittany's a threat' thing coming from?! How is she a bigger priority to get rid of than Dalit?! What's the problem, here?"
"Take a deep breath, and I'll tell you!" Louise frowned. "I need to know that you're listening."
Hugh took a breath. "What could possibly justify this?" Hugh challenged.
"Look, I'm not even entirely on board with the idea myself," Louise told him. "It's something Dalit's been pushing, and I kind of get where she's coming from, but everything you just said about why it's a bad idea is pretty much what I was thinking too. I wanted to run it by you, because maybe it could have been a big move. I don't know. I'm not good with this stuff!"
"Well, I'm glad you told me, if nothing else," Hugh sighed. "Sorry I jumped the gun."
"I've got to be honest, I didn't think Mr. Backstabber would be so against the idea," Louise giggled.
"Tch. I only backstab when I deem it necessary," Hugh claimed. He threw the ball to Louise. "And it's definitely not when Dalit's still here."
"Fair enough," Louise smiled.
Confessional:
Louise: I guess a part of me does want to make a big move just so someone doesn't beat me to the punch and screw me over because I didn't get there first. I knew Hugh and Brittany were good before the team shuffle, but I didn't think they were that close. Should I be worried about that? I feel like I should. But then, what can I really do about it?
Hugh: The cojones on Louise. Was that supposed to be a gesture of trust or something? "Oh, I'm no good at strategy, but you are, so let me know if we should backstab your closest ally for no reason." Like? What the hell is Dalit telling her that makes her think that's a good idea?! It had better not be that sad backstory shit, or I'm going to be pissed!
Cyan found Vladimir strolling the streets of Drama City.
"There you are!" Cyan accused as she marched up to him.
"Good afternoon, Cyan," Vladimir smiled. "We haven't seen each other all day, have we? Congrats on last night, it was-"
"Cut the BS," Cyan interrupted. "This whole 'hiding who you really are' thing is cute, and I'm willing to play along, but when you start using it to hurt people, that's where I draw the line!"
"What do you mean?" Vladimir asked.
"I said to cut the BS!" Cyan repeated with a finger in his face. "Frita told me all about how you're claiming to be her childhood friend or something."
"Did she, now?" Vladimir's eyebrow twitched. "I'd have hoped that she of all people would respect my privacy with that information in mind. That's on me for not being more clear. I should also make clear, since she already told you, that my claims are the truth."
"Mhm," Cyan responded doubtfully. "And you expect me to believe that you're just willing to give me your real identity, just like that?"
"I'm not giving you anything," Vladimir told her. "I'm telling you that I am not lying about who I am to Frita. So neither of you have anything to worry about."
"She's already a fragile woman," Cyan warned. "Some things go beyond the game."
"Why do you think I'm hiding who I am, to begin with?!" Vladimir protested. He cleared his throat, and his tone reverted to its usual placidity. "It would not benefit anyone involved for me to hurt Frita. Please believe me, Cyan."
"It doesn't benefit me to believe you," Cyan said point-blank. "No matter if you're lying or not, Frita is never going to leave your side now, and you know that. So who am I to you at this point? What if we lose again? Are you just going to toss me aside like some kind of orange scarf my uncle thought I would like?!"
"The right shade of orange would probably suit the rest of your look well, actually," Vladimir smiled.
"Don't dodge the question," Cyan scolded.
"Listen, I never intended to give Frita even the smallest hint," Vladimir said solemnly. "Nolan was putting up more of a fight than I expected, and I acted rashly. I couldn't be sure what she was going to do, how she was going to vote."
"You're dodging the question," Cyan accused.
"I'm building up to my answer," Vladimir insisted. "Look, if she's already telling you about what I told her, then that's already a massive risk for me. I can't let her stick around. I would love to be able to keep talking to her freely about who I really am, but I don't have that luxury. I only told her what I did so she understood why I gave her the hint in the first place, and even then, I didn't tell her much. So, yes, I will still vote for Frita if we lose again."
"So you are willing to hurt her," Cyan surmised.
"If we lose, I'll have to hurt one of you," Vladimir stated. "That's just Total Drama, I'm afraid. I accepted that five years ago when I played for the first time. When I voted Frita out the first time. You have nothing to worry about, Cyan."
"There's always something to worry about," Cyan denied. "That's just Total Drama, I'm afraid."
Vladimir laughed.
Confessional:
Cyan: (She gives off a sound between a groan and a sigh.) The worst part is? I still trust him more than I trust Frita. As a game ally, not as a person. He's done more good for helping me and my game than Frita ever did, and I've only been on a team with him for a few days! Still don't buy a single word out of his mouth as far as his identity goes or whatever it is he's telling her, but at this point, what else can I do but hope he's willing to vote her out if it comes down to it?
Vladimir: This is troubling. I've already had so few reliable allies throughout the game, and losing Cyan as a stable ally could make a pretty big difference. Heh. You'd assume that letting a hint about who I am slip would make me seem less untrustworthy, but I guess not.
Kiki sat herself down directly across from Kun at a booth in Hatchet's Diner.
"Hm? Hello, Kiki," Kun greeted.
"Why did you tell me you wanted to vote out Bailey?" Kiki asked.
"Huh?" Kun blinked. "Because, um, you made an offer to make a move with me, and, um, I wasn't comfortable with anyone else taking the fall for Quentin's statue."
"So you were genuinely willing to flush Quentin's statue if Bailey ended up going home?" Kiki pressed.
"Yes?" Kun answered. "That sounds, um, reasonable, no?"
"But you knew I trusted Bailey. Why would you just tell me that?!" Kiki interrogated.
"B-Because a part of me still wants to trust you!" Kun spilled.
In an instant, Kiki's face went from distraught to flustered. She cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry," Kiki sighed. "I just came up and started yelling at you and accusing you. That's not going to help anything."
"Believe me, you're, um, not the worst teammate I've had in that regard," Kun chuckled. "I appreciate the apology."
"Kun, do you mind if I ask you something personal?" Kiki requested.
"How, um, personal?" Kun winced.
"Do you feel like people in your life generally respect you?" Kiki asked.
"That is kind of a deep question," Kun squirmed. "Well, I, um... I have yet to earn most people's respect. I'm doing what I can, but, um, I'm not there yet."
"I see," Kiki nodded. "We're really not that different, huh? We both feel like we have something to prove, and we're both scared when the power to prove it might be in jeopardy. Would you agree?"
"I, um, I suppose," Kun mumbled. "I... I have a lot of expectations for my future. I, um, have to be able to uphold them."
Kun hadn't attempted eye contact since the initial question about respect.
"I have to apologize again. I didn't mean to corner you into psychoanalysis," Kiki told him. "I just... don't understand you, and it's frustrating the crap out of me!" She laughed awkwardly.
"I get that a lot," Kun laughed in return. "I'm sorry, too. I'm not trying to be frustrating."
"A classic clash of egos," Kiki assured him. "...How many allies do you think Bailey and Shadya had on the old Gryphons?"
"It's, um, hard to tell without another account," Kun admitted. "And even if we got one, how much could we trust it?"
"Trust can be a leap of faith," Kiki told him. "Sometimes it really doesn't pay off. Sometimes it really does."
"...That's true," Kun agreed.
Confessional:
Kiki: I just... don't know. Obviously, we both have a thing about needing control, and that's always caused conflict between us, even though we both want to trust each other! I don't even know why I want to trust him when he'll always want to keep his own control over everything. Or why he wants to trust me when he knows I'm going to want to keep mine. Besides, I can't trust Shadya at all, so why would I keep her over Bailey? It just doesn't make sense!
Kun: I'll need leadership skills if I'll take over the, um, pencil company someday. That means I can't let anyone step over me. Which Kiki's routinely, um attempted. ...And yet, somehow, I feel like she respects me more than most people. Definitely more than any of the Knights of Goodness ever did, but not as much as Joseph or Jean-Marie did, if that makes sense. I don't understand her either, and it's, um, kind of frustrating me, too. (He chuckles.) We need to be on the same page somehow, but we both already have our own page. One of us must make that change, but neither of us wants to. It's become, um, routine, at this point. What to do?
Brittany sojourned through the forest of Isolation Park with a note in hand.
"I'm glad Irving liked me enough to do me a solid, but wow this is a big forest," Brittany grumbled.
She half-heartedly scanned around the area, weariness evident in her stride.
Brittany checked the note again. "'For extra help in the game, find the tree with extra roots'," she read.
She stopped walking and scanned around the area in a full circle.
"It's definitely one I'd have to notice at a glance, right? One of those trees where the roots show above ground?" Brittany guessed. "Come on, where could it be?"
She stopped to take a drink from her water bottle.
"You'd think I, of all people, would be better at exploring," Brittany joked.
Confessional:
Brittany: I didn't realize there was an Aftermath show, let alone that the people in each one would get a chance to help one of their allies who's still in the game. That's neat. And I'm pleasantly surprised that Irving chose me. I mean, we got along, but I had no idea I was his favorite ally. Whatever works, I guess.
The contestants met up with Chris, Topher, and Lindsay at McLean Park.
"Good afternoon, everyone!" Chris greeted. "And a good afternoon to Brittany, returning from Isolation Park."
Brittany hobbled to the rest of the Proud Pegasi.
"Are you alright?" Louise asked.
"Just a little dehydrated, didn't sleep well..." Brittany dismissed. "It's Isolation Park. I'll be fine."
"I hope you guys are ready to flex your creative muscles today!" Topher announced.
"I'm excited to see how you guys do in this one!" Lindsay echoed.
"Creativity sounds like something I could do," Bailey giggled.
"Yeah... me too..." Frita smiled.
"What, no defeatist point about how creativity is subjective or how we're all going to have to appeal to the lowest common denominator?" Hugh commented.
"I'll just do my best," Frita blushed.
"That's what I like to hear!" Chris grinned. "Let's meet up at the amphitheater to find out more!"
"We have an amphitheater?" Kiki questioned.
"I'm more concerned about, um, what going there is going to entail for the challenge," Kun gulped.
Confessional:
Cyan: I mean, I'm happy that Frita is happy, but I'm still scared that what goes up has to come down. I'm keeping a sharp eye on those two.
Kun: An amphitheater implies we may have to, um, do some sort of performance. The last time I did a challenge like that, my team lost horribly. I'm, um, hoping that I can do better this time... hopefully.
Louise: It's getting noticeable that the Grand Gryphons still haven't lost since the team shuffle, since they still have all five members. They've got brains and brawn on their side for sure, but do they have creative muscles? Whatever the case, I'm jazzed up! Let's give 'em hell!
The contestants and hosts arrived at the amphitheater: a large open stage before a few layers of stone steps. To the sides, the remnants of a river cascaded like two watery snakes.
"Why wasn't this place used for eliminations? It's, like, unnecessarily gorgeous," Brittany inquired.
"Because we already had Elimination Station built before we had this built," Chris told her flatly. "I wasn't going to waste a good location we already had."
"Thrifty budgeting is very important," Topher corroborated.
"Then why is this place here at all?" Shadya questioned.
"Because it looks pretty!" Lindsay chirped.
Shadya and Brittany exchanged doubtful looks.
"Anyway, for today's challenge!" Chris segued. "Your job as a team is to write and perform your very own original song!"
"What?" the entire contestant base responded at once.
"Hehaha. I knew this one would get a reaction out of you guys!" Chris boasted. "Yes, you will have two hours to write and rehearse your song. We'll be rating your performances on Lyrics, Melody, and Singing Ability. The three judges will give you either zero, one, or two points in each category, for a maximum of eighteen points. After all three teams have been judged, the team with the lowest point count will be sent to Elimination Station to vote somebody out!"
"Dare I ask who the judges are?" Bailey gulped.
"I'm glad you asked!" Chris said disingenuously. "First judge will be yours truly. Naturally. Second judge will be Chef, because he's been getting bored!"
"I used to be the co-host on this show! I think I know what I'm doin' better than Blondie over there!" Chef barked as he approached the group.
"Then how did you manage to lose that job? Huh?" Chris punctuated his last word with bitter condescension.
"Want another demonstration?" Chef growled.
"Hey now, hey now, hey now!" a young lady with bright magenta hair intervened as she popped up between the two. "You know your girl likes to see people throw down on the dance floor, but I don't want to see any of this kind of throwing down!"
"Jilly," Chef acknowledged.
Chris cleared his throat. "Our third judge, everybody," he said to the contestants. "Former contestant, House Party's Jilly."
"What's popping, everyone! It's your girl, DJ Fuchsia, here to let y'all know what's hype," Jilly greeted.
"It's gonna be us!" Louise declared.
"Yeah! I'm feeling it already!" Jilly whooped.
"With all that out of the way, any questions?" Chris asked the contestants.
"Do we get any instrumental accompaniment, or...?" Cyan asked.
"Hehaha. Nope!" Chris grinned. "What, are we supposed to just have a fully-produced backing track for whatever you guys throw together?"
"You could have had three pre-made and had us make songs around those," Kiki offered.
"But where's the challenge in that?" Chris dismissed. "If there's nothing else, I'll start the challenge officially. Oh! Actually! I almost forgot, but the Grand Gryphons will have to sit out two members, and the Proud Pegasi will have to sit out one. Gryphons can't sit Kiki out."
"I'm competing," Shadya told her team.
"I've heard her, um, sing. She should compete," Kun agreed.
"When did you hear her sing?" Quentin asked.
"I have countless performances committed to video online," Shadya bragged. "No doubt he's listened to several of those."
"Um, yeah," Kun admitted.
"Bailey, you're a poet. Have you ever dabbled in songwriting?" Kiki asked.
"Honestly, I wouldn't even call myself a poet," Bailey shrunk. "That's what I've dabbled in, if anything. I'll do what I can to win, either way."
"So you'd have Kun and Quentin sit out?" Shadya asked.
"I'd be, um, fine with sitting out," Kun acquiesced. "I'm not much of a singer."
"Judging by everyone's reactions to my bird calls, maybe I should sit out, too," Quentin chuckled awkwardly.
Bailey gulped. "If this is what it takes, then I'll do it."
"Alright, who here has no confidence in their singing?" Hugh asked his team.
Dalit's face grew uncharacteristically anxious. "I..."
"Cool. Brittany, Louise, that work for you?" Hugh asked.
"Works for me," Louise agreed.
"I'm good with playing in this one," Brittany accepted.
"I-It's not that I don't think I can sing!" Dalit insisted. "But my, uh... my English is still not... too much the best. The pru-prenounciating, sometimes. I don't want to mess it up on the stage. I will be better someday though!"
"Alright, looks like we have our decisions!" Chris recognized while Topher, Lindsay, and Jilly passed out notebooks and pencils to everyone. "And with that... time starts... now!"
Confessional:
Vladimir: I don't usually get a chance to practice my singing. It's not a skill that I tend to have to use. I did warm up quite a bit when trying to get Barry's voice down, though, just in case I had to lead worship. So things could still work out.
Shadya: If any challenge has tempted me to use my David statue, it's this one. I can sing immaculately, but if Bailey and Kiki cannot, then that could still prove troublesome. Granted, I can't imagine any of the other teams can match my singing ability to begin with, so I'll continue to hold onto it. There's no way Bailey or Kiki can be that bad.
Hugh: I mean, I know how singing works, I just don't do it that often. At least not loud enough that people can hear. I'm not so good that I could break out into song apropos of nothing and get away with it. Maybe someday, but not today... (He clears his throat.) Either way, we're winning this!
The three teams had split off to begin the songwriting process. The Fighting Wyverns went to Hatchet's Diner and sat at the same booth.
"Y'all ain't singing in here, I hope y'all know that!" Chef called out to the three.
"We know, but this place has air conditioning and a place to sit down," Vladimir assured him. "We'll only be here for the songwriting process."
Chef grunted and returned to the kitchen.
"Well then, I guess our first point of discussion is what the song should be about," Vladimir addressed his teammates.
"I'm not saying the song has to be about various things that are various shades of blue, buuuuut I will be a much bigger help if it is," Cyan offered.
"If you already have ideas, then by all means," Vladimir encouraged.
"Oh, nothing concrete, just, you know, an idea," Cyan admitted. "What about you, Frita?"
"Me? I'm the last person who should be writing lyrics to anything..." Frita flushed. "Or singing, for that matter. I'm just here by default."
"We'll need the strength of all three of us if we want to overcome the strengths of the other two teams," Vladimir insisted.
"Do you have anything in mind?" Frita requested.
"I think it should be something all three can agree on," Cyan figured. "What's something we all like?"
"Navy blue?" Vladimir joked.
"I'll have to think of a rhyme for 'navy' that isn't 'gravy', but I can work with that," Cyan accepted as she began writing ideas on the notepad.
Frita and Vladimir glanced at each other and shared a silent laugh.
Confessional:
Frita: I haven't felt this comfortable in a group of people in a long time. I guess that's the difference having one trusted friend makes. I'm still kind of in shock that this is even happening, but it's a good shock.
The Grand Gryphons retreated to an empty clearing north of the amphitheater.
"The basis of any good form of literature, prose or poetry, is a central theme into which to tie everything," Shadya stated. "Anyone who just writes whatever they feel like off the cuff and expects it to be any good is just fooling themselves."
Several feet away, an intern sneezed.
"Bless you," Bailey condoled.
"What should our theme be? Victory?" Kiki offered.
"That's the theme of my everyday existence. I want to be a little more creative than that," Shadya turned down.
"I find that things that occur naturally are great subjects for poetry," Bailey contributed. "Physical things like trees and birds, or abstract things like love and youth."
"We could use metaphors! Comparing our victory to... two young birds in love in a tree!" Kiki brainstormed.
"It doesn't have to be about those things specifically," Bailey giggled.
"I thought it was a good idea," Kiki huffed.
"And that's why all three of us are here in the writing process," Shadya claimed.
"Well, what's your idea, then?" Kiki challenged.
"A song that's ambiguously - but not confusingly so - from the point of view of a cocoon weathering a snowstorm. A relatable concept where we can employ 'show, don't tell', and allows us to tap into the theme of overcoming adversity, a concept with which we are all familiar," Shadya explained.
"...Damn it, that's actually not bad," Kiki relented.
"There is a lot of poetic symbolism we could take advantage of," Bailey nodded. "We can do well with this idea. Now, let's figure out a meter and rhyming scheme. Something not obvious but isn't trying too hard to be different."
"Now we're getting somewhere," Shadya nodded.
Confessional:
Bailey: Writing a song is one thing, but we can't forget that we'll have to sing what we're writing as well. I don't believe I've ever sung in public a single time in my life, but then, Total Drama's always had me do things I never thought I'd do. I-It can't be that hard... right?
After finding out that practice at the amphitheater itself went against the rules, the Proud Pegasi reluctantly moved to a nearby empty garage.
"Like, literally who cares?! The other teams weren't there to ape off of us!" Hugh groused as he shook his legs out.
"The judges were there," Brittany pointed out. "It's probably for the best that they don't get sick of our song after hearing us rehearse it over and over."
"Our song will be an all-time classic that people will want to listen to ad nauseum," Hugh claimed.
"So where should we start?" Louise asked. "I've never actually written a song before. It sounds easier than it is, now that I really have to stop and think about what to do."
"Well, the most important part of a song is how it goes," Hugh determined. "You can write the most powerful lyrics of all time, but if the music part itself sucks, then who cares? It's like Neutral Milk Hotel."
"Should I know who that is?" Brittany whispered to Louise.
"Yes, you should," Hugh tsked. "That take was spicy as hell and neither of you appreciate it!"
"Bold opinions have never been out-of-character for you," Louise attempted.
"That is true," Hugh boasted. "Anyway, do either of you have a melody you've been sitting on, by any chance?"
"Nothing that hasn't been used before," Brittany admitted.
"I mean hey, with a good variation, maybe combining a few catchy tunes to where it's unrecognizable enough, we can make it work," Hugh figured. "Nothing is truly original."
"That's probably about what they expect from us to begin with," Brittany agreed.
"We should go beyond their expectations, though, right?" Louise asked readily. "That's how you win games!"
"Let's start with the groundwork for now," Brittany suggested. "The first steps are always the hardest to take. Once we get the ball rolling, we can make any changes we feel like we need to."
Confessional:
Brittany: All three of us have the drive to win, it's just figuring out what exactly we need to do that's the tough part. Running around the city to find various stuff is one thing, but this challenge is out of all our wheelhouses. I'm sure we can do it, but it won't be easy.
Cyan had continued to brainstorm ideas on the team's notebook while Frita and Vladimir pitched concepts.
"I think loneliness is something that'll resonate with everyone a little," Frita suggested. "Some more than others, probably, but if we're writing what we know, then..."
"That could work," Vladimir agreed. "They never said it had to be a happy or upbeat song. If there's no backing track, then loneliness could suit an a capella song pretty well, actually."
"Oooh, I hadn't even thought of that," Cyan admitted. "Something slower, more somber..."
"More blue?" Vladimir joked.
"I've been doing everything in my power to remove the association between the best color and sadness," Cyan huffed. "Please be a better person."
"Sorry," Vladimir chuckled. "Did you come up with any rhymes for 'navy'?"
"Just 'wavy'. It's not as rhyme-able as you'd think," Cyan admitted. "Would you say your brain feels wavy when you're lonely?"
"It mostly just feels like a black hole of self-loathing and depression," Frita answered.
"Hmm, you're right, maybe we shouldn't involve blue in this one," Cyan conceded. "Now, what are some synonyms for 'black'?"
"You mean 'rhymes'?" Frita made sure.
"What did I say?" Cyan asked.
"Synonyms," Vladimir told her.
"Oh. Yeah, rhymes," Cyan clarified.
"Lack? Hack? Slack? Wack?" Vladimir suggested.
"Should we be using a word like 'wack' in a serious song?" Cyan questioned.
"Sorrow knocks me out with a powerful whack..." Frita suggested.
"It can work," Vladimir smiled.
Confessional:
Cyan: I think we've all reached an unspoken agreement that none of us want to have to go to another vote, so I'm glad we're all able to focus on the challenge and not whatever weird stuff Vladimir's been feeding to Frita. We can worry about that when our games aren't currently on the line.
"I've always been partial to the ballade, myself," Bailey told her teammates. She wrote something on the notepad. "A rhyme scheme of ABAB, BCBC. Oftentimes, the last line of each stanza is the exact same, too, or at least similar."
"That sounds like it'd be good for a song with a story, like ours," Kiki grinned.
"What would you say to each of us singing the lyrics in a different stanza, with the other two singing backup, and having all three of us sing the last stanza?" Shadya suggested.
"Oh, that, um, that would take some practice," Bailey stammered.
"Success generally does," Shadya told her. "You weren't expecting for us to keep the judges engaged with just my singing, were you? Obviously, I can do it, but they may dock us points if they notice you two only singing backup the whole time."
"Kun and Quentin sat out because they're no good at singing. We are going to have to do what they can't," Kiki nodded.
"I'm not saying I won't do it. I'm just... readying myself for the idea of singing lead in front of... people," Bailey fretted.
"At worst, they should appreciate the ambition of our project, and my flawless singing will make up for any hiccups," Shadya assured her.
"For now, let's get going on lyrics," Kiki suggested. "If each of us is going to sing a different part of it, should we all write our own part?"
"So long as the narrative, theme, and quality stays consistent, I see no reason why we can't," Shadya accepted.
"Well alright. Bailey, why don't you kick things off?" Kiki offered. "You have the most practice with poetry if I'm not mistaken. If you set the tone, we should be able to follow."
Bailey gulped. "Alright. I shall begin."
Confessional:
Kiki: I was half-expecting some quip from Shadya about how we won't be able to keep the quality consistent and to just let her do all the writing work. She is quite prone to trying to make others feel like she is superior to them. I don't know her well enough to delve into her psychology, so I won't. Though I do find it odd that she's so willing to let me and Bailey do our parts considering that sort of thing cost the Gryphons a lot of challenges before the team shuffle.
Brittany hummed a tune experimentally.
"Ooh, I like that!" Louise encouraged.
"This is just that Flo Rida song that always gets stuck in my head," Brittany told her.
"Yeah, if we're going to probably end up, uh, being inspired by a song that already exists, we should probably shoot more obscure than that," Hugh figured.
"It's an awful song, but it hasn't left my head since I first heard it as a kid," Brittany added.
"Well, we don't want our song to be awful. Yeah, let's think of something else," Louise agreed.
"How about we do a-" Hugh began vocalizing a different tune. "Instead?"
"Ooh, what's that?" Louise asked.
"It's, uh, better for everyone if I don't get specific," Hugh passed off.
"It sounds like a cute pop song," Brittany noted.
"Well, maybe it is! Those catch on for a reason!" Hugh reacted.
"How much did it catch on?" Louise asked. "We still don't want to be too obvious."
"It's, uh..." Hugh mumbled the rest.
"It's what?" Louise asked.
"It's not going to be well known in this... country," Hugh blushed.
"Oh my god, is it K-pop?!" Louise teased.
"What?! God, no, it's from an anime, what do you take me for?!" Hugh objected.
"You watch anime?" Brittany asked, surprised.
"Look, you guys liked the melody and that's what's important!" Hugh redirected. "Are we going to work on lyrics or not?!"
"That will probably also be important, yeah," Brittany agreed.
Confessional:
Hugh: And for the record, that anime is about post-apocalyptic naval battles and war and stuff! And I only checked it out because some dumbass friend of mine told me it was cool! It wasn't even that good, but if that's going to help us in the end, then sure, why not?!
Nelson sat in his office, making his way through a small mountain of paperwork.
"I swear, nobody actually reads their contracts," Nelson grumbled. "It explicitly said that we aren't obligated to show any of the interns onscreen. How is that so hard to understand?"
A knock at the door gave a brief reprieve from the doldrums.
"Come in," Nelson invited.
Greg and Jayne entered the room.
"Oh, you two." Nelson's tone deflated slightly. "What do you need?"
"We wish to know where Ginger and/or Godfrey are presently located," Greg explained.
"We have searched the entire city and have seen no results," Jayne added.
"You're supposed to be working, go back to your posts!" Nelson scolded.
"Nobody has been in the barcade in days," Jayne mentioned. "The Grand Gryphons have placed first in the most recent challenges, and none of them seem to be drinkers."
"And I have finished cleaning all of their rooms," Greg told him. "None of them are particularly messy, either."
Nelson groaned. "Ginger and Godfrey are not in the city. They're in the small town where the Aftermaths are being held. If you don't have any work to get done, then occupy yourselves in other ways."
Greg and Jayne shared a glance, then a nod.
"Understood. Thank you for your time," Jayne smiled.
The two left without another word.
Nelson took a second to process what had happened before dialing a number on his phone.
"Hey, Topher, you're not doing anything for this challenge, right?" Nelson asked. "The robots are probably going to try and escape. Make sure they don't, 'kay? Thanks."
Confessional:
Louise: Well, we've got our song figured out. Not bad for amateurs, I'd say. I think we've got this!
Shadya: Victory is inevitable. With the Grand Gryphons' effort, I cannot fathom the other teams doing any better than what we have.
Cyan: Bring it on! I'm ready to perform my heart out!
The contestants returned to the amphitheater after the designated preparation time passed.
"I'm excited to see what everyone came up with," Quentin smiled.
"I'm excited to get back to the Blaising Towers bedroom," Dalit commented.
"Don't you have to, um, win in order to do that?" Kun smiled.
"Was that supposed to be garbage talk?" Dalit asked, mildly confused.
"Yyyyyyyeeeeeeesssss?" Kun forced.
"Don't do that. You're not good at it," Dalit told him.
"I appreciate the attempt," Quentin laughed.
"Alright, everybody!" Lindsay announced. "It's time to start the singing part of our singing challenge! Yaaaaaaaaaaay!"
Chris, Jilly, Kun, and Quentin all clapped.
"The Grand Gryphons asked if they could go first, and the other teams were okay with that, soooooo, give it up for the Grand Gryphons, everybody!" Lindsay announced.
Bailey, Kiki, and Shadya took the stage. Shadya hummed to establish pitch, and the other two hummed, matching it. Kiki stepped forward and began her song.
My mind begins to flood with fear
I see the clouds begin to gray
My time alive is ending here
Should Mother Nature have her way
But I shall not be blown away
Cower not from threatening roar
That which I can, that what I may
I won't leave sore from hoar's damned war
She stepped back, and Bailey stepped forward. She began to sing.
In such a frigid time of year
There is no time for vain delay
The future's bleak but yet so clear
I'll plant my bulwark here today
Build in defiance my display
A fortress with no gate or door
Resolve more hale than stone or clay
I won't leave sore from hoar's damned war
She stepped back, and Shadya stepped forward. She began to sing.
Oh, was that meant to be severe?
I greet Apollo's first new ray
Several months I'd persevere
Now gorgeous wings I shall portray
Did you think I'd just obey
When that's all you had in store?
Did you not hear me say
I won't leave sore from hoar's damned war?
Bailey and Kiki stepped up and harmonized with Shadya.
When the fray leads you astray
Of yourself, you must implore
Repeat 'til it becomes cliche:
I won't leave sore from hoar's damned war!
The three took a bow and made their way off stage.
"Well hold on, we're going to judge you to your faces!" Chris called.
The three returned to the center of the stage.
"Alright, let's start with Lyrics," Chris said to Chef and Jilly.
"I'm not sure what whores had to do with it, but the rest of it was pretty dope," Jilly said.
"'Hoar' like 'hoarfrost', ya nincompoop!" Chef told her.
"I don't know what that is, but Lyrics get one point from me," Jilly said.
"I thought that shit was beautiful," Chef said indignantly. "Rhymes like that are why music is here to stay! Two outta two points from me."
"Sure as hell better than I could have done," Chris shrugged. "Kind of artsy-fartsy, but that's about what I'd expect from you three anyway. I could tell it was about something, so screw it, two points from me, too. Now, the Melody."
"I gotta be real, I wasn't feeling it so much," Jilly admitted. "Maybe I'm just too much of a party animal at heart, but it just felt too slow and moody for your girl. It just wasn't for me. I hate to do it, but it's a zero on my end."
"Put some respect on their names!" Chef objected. "Everyone knows you don't go hard on the melody when the lyrics are the important part of a song. And it was still in iambic tetrameter, which worked for what it was!"
"What-ic what-ameter?" Chris asked.
"You never listen to rap, do you?" Chef figured.
"I'm more of a pop-punk kind of guy. Sue me," Chris shrugged.
"Two points!" Chef declared.
"I thought it was okay. One point from me," Chris concluded. "Now, the fun part, we get to judge them as singers! Singing Ability, let's go!"
"Now, I think we can all agree Shadya killed it up there," Jilly smiled. "I wasn't expecting to hear that much soul from someone so ice-cold, but damn! I could tell the other two were nervous, but you know what? They did what they could, and I respect that. I'll give 'em two points."
"See, I gotta give 'em one point for the same reason," Chef said. "Shadya carried this team. Bailey's and Kiki's parts just felt like formalities. The song was about comin' out of your shell, and I didn't feel like they did!"
"I'm with Chef on this one," Chris nodded. "I appreciate the effort, but this felt like a Shadya and the Pussycats joint, not a Grand Gryphons joint. One point."
"'Shadya and the Pussycats joint'?" Jilly laughed.
"I'm hip! Shut up!" Chris objected. He checked his spreadsheet. "Anyway, it looks like the Grand Gryphons close out with twelve points out of a possible eighteen! Not bad by any stretch. Now you three are dismissed."
Confessional:
Bailey: I did my best, and it still wasn't enough. I... I can't let that abide. I need to do better!
The Fighting Wyverns offered to go next, thus, Cyan, Frita, and Vladimir all took the stage next. They all sang in unison.
Drowning in a sea of black
And I don't know if I'm ever coming back
I must return to the blue
But I can't without you
And I think I'm going to crack
For years I swim alone
In this sea of black, I'm soaked to the bone
I'm going to slip
Unless you and your ship
Emerge from the places unknown
For a decade I heard your voice
Whispering, haunting, and I had no choice
You were so sorely missed
Now I no longer exist
And nobody will mourn nor rejoice
This is what I truly believed
And I don't know if I could have conceived
You'd emerge from the light
Save me from the night
Out of the sea, I am retrieved
You emerged from the light
Saved me from the night
From the darkness, I have been reprieved
The three took a bow.
"Alright, well done, Wyverns," Chris said. "I guess."
"You guess?" Jilly asked. "What's that mean?"
"Well, let's start with Lyrics," Chris said. "I could tell Frita wrote all of them. It was transparent to a point where it was distracting."
"There was that part about returning to blue. Bet Cyan wrote that," Chef commented.
"It sounded like it was about God," Jilly mentioned. "Vladimir's doing a Barry shtick, right?"
"That is true," Chris conceded.
"It don't matter who wrote them! What matters is if it's any good," Chef maintained. "And I thought the Lyrics were okay. One point."
"I could tell it came from the heart, but it wasn't anything I haven't heard before, you know?" Jilly figured. "One point."
"I wasn't impressed. Nothing from me, brah," Chris affirmed. "Anyway, the Melody. I'm not going to lie, all I could think of was There Once Was A Man From Nantucket. Hehaha."
"God damn you, Chris!" Chef exasperated. "I actually liked how that song went and you had to go and ruin it forever!"
"What, were you going to listen to the playback?" Chris scoffed.
"I thought it worked for what it was," Jilly said. "Wasn't a bop or nothing, but I liked it. One point."
"I'm giving two points just to spite Chris for that Nantucket bullshit," Chef snorted.
"Hey, I didn't say that was a bad thing. It was hilarious, in fact!" Chris laughed. "Not super original, but it stood out. Two points. But will the Singing Ability be enough?"
"I thought it was weird how they all sang at once when the song was about bein' lonely," Chef mentioned.
"Isn't that a knock against the lyrics?" Jilly asked.
"They coulda done what the Gryphons did and have one of 'em sing lead and the other two sing backup," Chef shrugged.
"Nah, I'm glad they didn't chicken out like that," Chris claimed. "I could barely hear Frita, so I will knock a point off for that, but otherwise, solid singing. One point."
"I thought it was dope how they all sang the same note in different ranges. Love that stuff," Jilly beamed. "Two points."
"It was fine. One point," Chef said.
"Alright, counting it all up..." Chris wrote on his spreadsheet. "Eleven points total! Not enough to guarantee safety, so we'll see how the Proud Pegasi end up doing! You're dismissed."
Kun and Quentin high-fived at the news that their team was guaranteed Invincibility.
Confessional:
Frita: That was a very personal song. I guess I'm better at drawing than writing. (She sighs.) At least Devlin liked it. That's what's most important to me.
Brittany, Hugh, and Louise took the stage. The three would take turns singing individually or as a trio.
Louise- To win, to win, that is why are here
Hugh- And nobody is gonna interfere
Brittany- It's us, yes us, who'll come out on top in the end
All- Who will it be? Yes, the Pegasi!
Brittany- The Gryphons will all crash and burn
Louise- The Wyverns have nowhere to turn
Hugh- We're here to show why the four of us all returned
All-
You and me
On the wings of glory, we are going to fly, so high
Show the world we deserve to be proud
The four, chosen by destiny, you cannot nullify
You and me
We were perfect strangers, now we cannot give up the fight
"Victory" is the song we will sing so loud
As we head up into the light
Hugh- Never
Louise- Falter
Brittany- We'll make it through with all our might
The three bowed as the song concluded.
"...Alright, what's this from?" Chris doubted. "There's no way you guys came up with that on your own."
"That tune is definitely too catchy to not be a song that already exists," Jilly agreed.
"Are we judgin' the Melody already?" Chef asked. "Because if we are, that shit was damn catchy. Ain't a song I ever heard before, though, and I sure as hell ain't combin' through no camera footage to check if they said it was already a song. Two points from me."
"Screw that. I don't buy for a second that you guys came up with that," Chris leered. "Nada from me, brah. On Melody and Lyrics."
"Without receipts, I'm going neutral with one point on the Melody," Jilly considered. "Far as the Lyrics go... I dunno, after the last two being about personal growth and all that, this didn't really resonate for your girl. One point there, too."
"I'm with Jilly, there. The Lyrics were about as passable as it gets," Chef nodded. "Also, it was weird that y'all sang about the four of you when there was only three of you up there. One point."
"Alright, but the singing was dope, right?" Jilly mentioned.
"So they switched back and forth between each other, and all at once," Chef dismissed. "Jilly, you're a DJ too, yeah? You know that's some basic-ass shit."
"Well, I'm a producer, not an actual DJ, but you ain't wrong," Jilly admitted. "Still, for amateurs, I dug it."
"Louise definitely got better since the talent show in Shuffle Party," Chris snickered. "I will admit, you guys did a decent cover of this song which definitely exists. I'll give you one point."
"Two from me, to be honest," Jilly bestowed.
"Just to spite Chris, two points," Chef sneered.
"Alrighty then," Chris said as he filled in his spreadsheet. "Huh, this challenge was a lot closer than I was expecting. But how well did the Proud Pegasi do?"
"Gee, I couldn't know," Dalit remarked.
Chris glared at her for a second before returning his attention to those on stage. "Ten points! Sorry, but this puts the Proud Pegasi in last place!"
The three disappointedly left the stage.
Confessional:
Dalit: I don't know if we could have done better lyrics or singing with me playing, but even I could have figured out that we were supposed to come up with our own melody! How did none of the others know that?!
The tribes had all taken spots on the stone steps as Chris and Lindsay stood on stage.
"Congratulations, Grand Gryphons, on another first-place win," Chris beamed. "And nice job, Fighting Wyverns, on dodging a third consecutive elimination. Hehaha. Proud Pegasi, tough luck. If you'll all follow me to Elimination Station, we can get to the fun part!"
Chris hopped off the stage and made his exeunt. The Proud Pegasi reluctantly followed him.
"Alright, you other guys!" Lindsay called. "It's time to do the Best/Worst vote, too!"
"Where's Topher?" Kun asked.
"He had to go do something."
Meanwhile, Topher found Greg and Jayne standing before the gate that stood between Drama City and the outside world.
"Can I, uh, help you two?" Topher asked.
"Yes. We are trying to reach Ginger and Godfrey," Jayne explained. "If you'd be so kind as to open the gate for us. Greg is taking longer than anticipated to run through potential scenarios on how to open it."
Greg stood motionless and stared blankly at the gate.
"What do you need to see them for?" Topher asked. "If it's an emergency, I can call them."
"We want higher brainpower on a level equivalent to organic humans," Jayne stated.
"Why?" Topher asked.
"So that we may better understand the contestants and better fulfill our duties to them," Jayne answered.
"And you think traveling miles away from the city is going to make you fulfill your duties easier?" Topher asked.
"...The information that the two were miles away was not made explicit to us," Jayne admitted. They turned to Greg. "Greg, you can feel free to abort whenever possible. Our task of expanding our capabilities seems to come with more drawbacks than benefits at the moment."
After a few seconds, Greg snapped out of his trance. "I see." He turned to Topher. "So you will contact them to come to meet us, then?"
"Sure. Just don't try to get out again, a'ight?" Topher requested.
"Understood," Jayne agreed.
Back at the amphitheater, Lindsay had finished counting the votes.
"Alright, it's time to find out who's the best and who's the worst!" she announced.
"You're the best, Lindsay," Cyan complimented.
"Aw, no, thanks," Lindsay blushed. "Okay, but the person who won the best vote was..."
...
...
...
...
...
"Shadya!"
"Three in a row? You all spoil me," Shadya droned. "At this rate, people might start to see me as a threat."
"Aaaaaaand, the worst vote," Lindsay segued. "That one was..."
...
...
...
...
...
"A three-way tie, actually."
"Huh?" Cyan, Frita, and Vladimir all reacted at once.
"Did they ever tell us what happens if it ties?" Bailey questioned.
"Ohhhhh... Let me think," Lindsay struggled. "I think it's supposed to be a revote like in eliminations, but I don't know if that really works here..."
"Wait, De- Vladimir, why didn't you vote for Cyan?" Frita asked.
Vladimir cleared his throat and spoke quietly to her. "I want a chance to find a hidden statue if I can."
"That does make sense... I don't want you to leave, though," Frita sighed.
"You'll get by," Vladimir assured her. "You're stronger than you realize."
"Alright," Frita conceded. "I change my vote to Vladimir."
"That works!" Lindsay allowed. "Follow me, Vlad! Everyone else can leave."
Confessional:
Kun: Well, um, my heartfelt congratulations go to my teammates. I, um, wish I could have been there to lead them, but let's be honest: if I was, I'd botch it. I'm no performer. Still, it doesn't reflect well on me that they took first without me. I suppose it was, um, close. I'll take solace in that.
Cyan: Oh, Vladimir is so full of it! I'm the one who voted for Vladimir, and if Frita really voted for me, then that means he voted for her! I am so over that guy, I swear to turquoise!
Best:
Shadya - Bailey, Shadya
Bailey - Kiki
Worst:
Cyan - Frita
Frita - Vladimir
Vladimir - Cyan
The Proud Pegasi arrived at Elimination Station and set foot into the underground ceremony room. They each took a podium as Chris took his elevated seat.
"Welcome back to paradise, Proud Pegasi," Chris began. "As always, you'll have half an hour, or until all votes are cast, to discuss amongst yourselves who's going to get the ol' heave-ho."
"Can I vote for you?" Hugh scowled. "Because what the fuck was that judging?! Who the hell is gonna come up with their own completely original melody, you didn't say we had to do that! Also, we did come up with our own lyrics, and did a damn good job!"
"I told you I was judging you on Melody, what did you think that category was for?" Chris scoffed. "How good a song you ripped off was? This was supposed to be a challenge, and I stand by my ratings."
"There isn't anything we can do about it now," Louise said. "Like I always tell my students: all games are going to have people who don't win. As long as we had fun, that's what matters."
"I didn't have fun," Dalit commented.
"Yeah, and you're going to continue not having fun," Hugh told her.
He cast his vote.
"Now, Brittany, didn't you have something you wanted to tell her as well?" Hugh taunted.
"Before that, I have to ask Louise something," Brittany said. "Did you really throw me under the bus to Hugh while I was in Isolation Park?"
"I... brought the possibility up to Hugh, because Dalit made a decent case for it," Louise answered. "I wasn't sure if it was the right move or not, but Hugh convinced me it was a pretty bad idea."
"So you're just going to vote me out?!" Dalit cried. "You'll tell me you're my friend and you want to help me, and then just help these two who you weren't even on a team with until the other day?!"
"Look, nobody wants to be in a position where they have to vote anyone out," Louise said. "And I do genuinely like all three of you. This isn't going to be easy no matter what I do. And Hugh's pretty clearly already voted for you, so..."
She cast her vote.
"I'm really sorry, Dalit," Louise apologized. "It had to be someone."
Brittany pinched her chin and gazed at the floor.
"Brittany? You there?" Hugh asked.
"I am, yeah," Brittany confirmed. "Dalit, you hinted at a connection with Louise on the Wyverns, yeah?"
"We never worked that closely," Louise admitted. "There's a reason Frita went out of her way to save her with that statue."
"I do remember hearing about that," Brittany recalled.
"So, wait, you told them you were going to vote for me, and told me you were going to vote for Brittany?" Dalit accused Louise. "Liar!"
"I'm sorry, Dalit," Louise sighed. "This isn't easy for me, either. I did like hanging out, don't get me wrong, but... it's still Total Drama. Hugh and I have already voted, so once Brittany makes her decision, well, that's that."
"That's more true than you may realize," Brittany stepped in.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small wooden effigy of Godfrey's head.
"What's that?" Louise asked.
"Heh heh. Yes, Brittany, do tell," Hugh laughed, clearly already privy.
"This is the Godfrey Statue. I found it this morning," Brittany explained. "Should I choose to play it, the value of my vote is doubled. So, ostensibly, there would be five votes cast tonight instead of four."
"What's so special about that if you're just going to vote me out anyway?" Dalit derided.
"Who said I was going to vote you out?" Brittany asked.
"...Huh?" Dalit and Louise asked in unison.
"The way I see it..." Brittany told her team. "Dalit has not gotten along well with me or Hugh, and has actively plotted against us. On the other hand, Louise seems to have been playing both sides of the team from the start, so I don't know if I trust her, especially going into a merge. Both of you sound like compelling targets right now. Please plead your cases for me, to help me reach a decision. I can either play my statue and take out Louise, or keep it and take out Dalit."
"Well, that's something right there," Louise told her. "If you vote for Dalit, you get to keep your statue, and that could come in a lot of handy in the future."
Dalit cast her vote. "Since it looks like to be either me or Louise, I should get my vote in," she mentioned. "And did I mention Louise is allies with Cyan and Kun, too? They're both smart, and she never threw them under the bus, unlike you."
"Well if we're talking allies, you have Kiki, Frita, Quentin, and Bailey," Louise pointed out. "You two said you're good with Bailey, right? Do you want to risk her siding with Dalit over you? She could be costing you an ally, here."
"That just sounds like a reason to keep me," Dalit surmised. "We have a... what's the word that starts with M? We have the same ally, is what I mean. We can work together! I know it's been hard before, but we got rid of Steve Jenkins together, right? We can keep going!
"I don't think she was actually that close with Bailey. It was mostly Frita, now that I think about it," Louise corrected. "And Dalit has been actively mean to both of you. Brittany, I know how much she upset you the other day when you tried reaching out to her. Can you really trust her more than me?
"I'm... s-s-soooorry about that," Dalit forced.
"Brittany, I never wanted to vote you out," Louise told her. "I only even considered it because I wanted to make a big move. And I realize now that, if we work together, we can make big moves for the rest of the game. We can get Bailey in on it, which should be easier if Bailey doesn't have Dalit to turn to."
"I thought you said they weren't even that close," Hugh pointed out.
"This isn't making things much easier," Brittany admitted. "You're both kind of bad at this. Hugh, if I were to vote for Louise without playing my statue, forced a tie, and went to a revote, what would you do?"
"I mean, the way I see it, I don't trust either of them to actually stick with us," Hugh said. "But Louise at least seems like she actually could, vaguely. Besides, if we just drop Dalit, you get to keep the statue. That's pretty huge."
"If you vote for Louise, you can both vote for her without using the statue!" Dalit mentioned.
Brittany hummed. She considered her options thoroughly, then cast her vote.
"That's all four votes!" Chris announced. "Let's see how it all turned out, shall we?"
"First vote... Dalit!"
Dalit chewed on her thumbnail.
"Second vote... Louise!"
Louise drummed her hands on her lectern.
"Third vote... Dalit!"
Dalit shut her eyes and took a deep breath.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Fourth vote, and the ninth person voted out of Total Drama Party with the Stars: Dalit!"
Dalit exhaled, and tears fell from her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Dalit," Brittany told her. "I just don't see us getting along in the future if we can't even get along now on a small team like this."
"I'm not sorry," Hugh jeered. "We haven't liked each other since Alpha Party. Did you really think I'd want to work with you? Ever?"
"This isn't fair," Dalit wept. "I finally get to play the game, and I go home after the teams get messed with for no reason!"
"Hey, you put up a good fight," Louise consoled. "I honestly thought I was going home, here. And you turned things against Steve Jenkins, too. You played a great game, Dalit."
"Don't talk down to me!" Dalit snapped. "You backstabber!"
"Dalit..." Louise emoted, hurt.
"If anyone has any final words before Dalit gets yanked on out of here, now's the time to say them," Chris mentioned.
The others glanced at a crying Dalit with varying levels of concern. She refused to look any of them in the eye.
"Alrighty then!" Chris acknowledged.
The ceiling opened up, and the Shackle of Shame grabbed Dalit by the waist. The metal arm yanked the model off her feet and dragged up above ground. Once she was out of sight, the ceiling closed back up.
"On a team with a former winner and a former first boot, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised which one went home first," Chris chuckled. "Those things worked out the way they did for a reason. Anyway, that's all I've got for you. Enjoy the rest of the evening."
Confessional:
Brittany: I was genuinely torn, because I don't know if I can trust Louise at all anymore. I've never been able to trust Dalit, though, and she never really wanted to get friendly with me until it was her neck on the line. Statue or no statue, I think I made the best call, here.
Louise: That was way closer than I wish it was. And now neither of my allies trust me. I... I guess I did backstab Dalit, huh? I hadn't really thought about it like that, but... yeah. I mean, I did come here to play a better strategic game, and this is that. I think. I need to mend bridges, fast, I know that for sure.
Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all stood outside the limits of Drama City.
"Another one bites the dust, and another statue's been revealed!" Chris grinned. "And the drama just won't stop."
"Heh. I just got why the Godfrey Statue is a vote doubler," Topher chuckled. "Cute."
"Because the Topher Statue being a vote tripler was too strong, right?" Lindsay smiled innocently.
"Be glad the Lindsay Statue that makes you forget how to push things was never put into place," Topher glowered.
"Yeah, that wouldn't be very helpful, huh?" Lindsay figured.
"Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty," Chris condescended.
"Aw, thanks, you too!" Lindsay complimented.
"Anyway, will the Proud Pegasi recover from losing a teammate and gaining a lot of tension?" Chris asked. "Will Vladimir's stint in Isolation Park affect Frita's new opinion of him? Will the Grand Gryphons ever not be safe?"
"Do you think we can get ad revenue whenever people post clips of today's songs on YouTube?" Topher thought aloud.
"We'd better!" Chris reacted. "But the answers to the rest may or may not be answered, next time, on Total!"
"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay added.
"Party with the Stars!" all three finished in unison.
Votes:
Brittany - Dalit
Dalit - Louise
Hugh - Dalit
Louise - Dalit
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
Hugh - The Head Villain
Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher
12th: Dalit - The Social Media Model
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: This is always about the spot where I was going to let Dalit go. I really liked the idea of bringing a first boot back for an All-Stars season, and Dalit's surge in popularity after Alpha Party's losers episode and finale made her an easy choice to come back. It was fun to have Dalit be kind of a fun, vaguely cantankerous rando in a season full of strategic powerhouses and developing characters. Despite how much has changed since her first season and now, she could never have changed completely, and I liked bouncing that off of the rest of the cast. Let me know what you thought about Dalit this season!