A/N: Probably a lot of you people expected me to write this. With a new season out, I wanted to write a new group of people with a new OC. I asked a lot of people for help, but I just had to work this out on my own. As always, there will be a few elimination changes (although they might take a while to begin), and there will be another challenge halfway as there's no way I'm adding another elimination, and it's not there just to get rid of my OC (although I won't say when she's going – you might be able to guess from her personality). Don't worry, I have not abandoned any of my other stories, this is just one I'm working on with the others.
Plot: When Total Drama is rebooted, Tansy Bentley thinks it might be a good distraction from a lonely summer, and the million dollars might also pay for something (or someone) she's always wanted. The "Awkward Animals' Friend" integrates herself into her new team fast, but how will she do?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Total Drama Island (2023) or anything else from earlier seasons, but I do own Tansy.
When I had first gone online to find the application sheet to become a contender for the reboot of Total Drama, a reality TV show looking for a new batch of seventeen teenagers, I just thought it would be a good distraction from Nefertiti's illness. My parents suggested the name of our cat, inspired by a book where a cat was named after Cleopatra (there's a picture book about it now, too, but it wasn't out at the time). We'd had Nefi from when I was five years old (I'd be sixteen in two months, the middle of August) and I'd first decided I wanted a dog (my parents compromised with Nefi because they thought a dog would be too much work and would cost more), and I was used to having her around. She'd never been the cuddly type (more regal-looking despite being a moggy), so I knew something was wrong as soon as she seemed content to snuggle beside me and then kept leaving her food, when she was usually always hungry and often asked for food when she'd just finished one meal. We'd adopted her when she was about seven, maybe eight in human years, so she was around eighteen now, which I knew was very old for a cat. So when she started being inactive, I knew, even though I couldn't admit it, that Nefi was going to die soon. The idea of being on a reality show was appealing, where I wouldn't have time to think and worry about Nefi.
I'd watched several odd episodes of Total Drama, mostly out of order. The show had been cancelled when I was a baby, but most of the episodes were somewhere online, so I had occasionally looked at the show when I had nothing else to watch. With that, I knew about Chris McLean, the host (who was returning and didn't look all that different from fifteen years ago, despite being in his forties) and how tough the challenges could get. But no one had died yet, and I wasn't going to take crazy risks just to win. Besides, some of the contestants I'd seen were meaner than anyone I'd ever met. There wasn't much chance I had only managed to avoid them – probably teenagers of now were just nicer people. As for the million dollars for the winner – well, I probably wouldn't win, but if I did, maybe my parents would let me adopt a dog (from the animal shelter, of course – I was much more open to a cross-breed than a pedigree), because I'd have all the money to pay for his or her expenses. If I didn't, I'd be no worse off.
Yeah, my parents knew I loved animals, and dogs most of all, although I'd done my best to dote on Nefi – but she didn't often let me cuddle her. They were people, too, after all, even if they weren't human and couldn't carry on a conversation. They had thoughts and feelings, and I knew dogs could act – I'd done some dog-walking last year and a schnauzer called Willow had the most adorable sad face, which I knew was her way of begging for treats and she wasn't really that sad. I'd even been mostly a vegetarian since I was eight, only eating fish occasionally, and I'd already wondered about several animal-related professions. I was hopeless at science, so I wouldn't get to be a vet, but I could easily run a shelter or professionally train or breed dogs. But my main longing for a dog was because I was often lonely at home.
At school, I had a few friends, and I didn't get picked on (I was teased, but then everyone was and that never lasted long because most of the teasing was about my hair, which made me giggle because I didn't want to be a blonde or a brunette, I was perfectly happy being a redhead). But at home, I'd always been an only child. My parents weren't absent or anything, but I needed someone on my wavelength who would actually choose to hang out with me. Nefi was too independent to be that to me. I knew that dogs were more social than cats, and I often daydreamed about having one, although I didn't have a clear idea of the kind – I just wanted one that would be my best friend, no matter what they looked like or their intelligence. I figured I'd just know when I found the right one. Dogs were like that. I would have liked one that was young so that we had a long time ahead of us, but it was more about just finding the one that clicked with me. Maybe, even if I didn't win, I might still be able to get a dog for my sixteenth birthday. That would make it a truly sweet sixteen.
The audition sheet required me to list what I thought my best qualities were. That was the hardest question, but I wrote: I care about people and animals, I'm flexible, I have good stamina and I like new experiences. No need to add that despite caring about people, I was a bit shy of super-confident types, and my flexibility and stamina didn't make me a fast runner, just good over long distances or gymnastic moves. I'd kept the habit of going on long walks after I stopped being paid for dog-walking, so I wouldn't have any problem on that front. I really did have stamina.
Good thing I didn't have to say what my worst qualities were. No one wanted to hear that I couldn't stand people who bullied others (general teasing was fine), that I was a bit awkward and spoke without thinking or that I was likely to get too attached to people I became friendly with. I didn't want any ideas to come up that would make me look weak to the rest of the team. I'd probably have to show my weaknesses at some point, but that could wait until the merge when threats were getting targeted and I didn't have to be on my best behaviour any longer. I'd seen merge episodes where all the votes went to strong people. I didn't expect to win, so I wouldn't bother. I mean, I already had strategy on my mind, but that was more about making connections and staying around for a while – the whole point of being on Total Drama was getting to actually play, so I'd want to be around the people I liked. If anyone I didn't like was available (mainly bullies, but there were other things that could irritate me) and there was no other obvious choice everyone else was going for (majority rules were first priority), I'd vote for them. Them, or super-confident people who were the most likely to win. It wasn't that I hated them or anything, but they made me nervous, so they'd make me more likely to screw up and get kicked out. I knew there would definitely be a few of them. That was the last thing I wanted.
When I made my audition tape, I followed the rules very carefully on the sheet. I had to wear what would become my signature outfit, down to my hairstyle. So I checked myself in the mirror, first, trying what I considered a good summery outfit that would look okay on TV. Jean shorts embroidered with little blue flowers around the pockets and a pale blue tank top (the colour of the flowers) with similar flowers around the neck, only in white, and cork sandals I owned, just because they were more comfortable than my nicer sandals. They spoiled the effect a little, but they didn't detract as much as I thought they would. At least I'd be able to run around in them and they'd still hold sturdy and stay comfy. The shorts weren't particularly tight or short, but they were short enough and I didn't want them to be too tight anyway. The tank top was clingy, but in a comfortable way, with soft cotton. It didn't add any pounds, at least.
Finally, I looked at my hair. It was, as usual, in a loose braid, with bits hanging past my ears and other bits not quite in the braid, which hung halfway down my back. I'd need something less likely to get in my way on the show.
Hmmm…I got an idea. I pulled out the hair-tie and rebraided my hair tighter than usual, making it nice and neat, no bits hanging outside of it. Then I wrapped the braid around my head, secured it with a couple more hair-ties, and there it was. My braid, much neater and wrapped around my head like a little crown or a headband. No hair was ever likely to get out of that and even my braid wouldn't get caught on anything. It was just lucky it was long enough to wrap around my whole head, so that I could secure the beginning to the end to make sure it held.
Then, finally, it was time to switch on the camera and go for it. I'd checked out some other Total Drama audition tapes online what they wanted, so I sat cross-legged with an unresistant Nefi in my arms. I was smiling, even though I was feeling nervous. "Hi, I'm Tansy. I'm not a Total Drama fan or anything, but I figured, there's a million bucks for the winner, and it's a new experience, you know? I have a few skills, but I'm not going to share them here – just know that I have the stamina for whatever you throw at me. And as you can tell, I have no problem with any island creatures, be they cute –" I gently hugged Nefi for a nanosecond, "- or nightmares, normal or mutant – yeah, I've seen the previous seasons. I love them and I'll get them to love me. If it's robot animals…well, I can deal with those." Then I smiled brightly and waved. "See you all soon!"
Then I just had to edit, download, and send it off with the application sheet. Two weeks later, the acceptance email came, along with my show label, the "Awkward Animal Lover". Apparently even they'd noticed I was awkward, even though I'd made sure not to put it on the audition sheet. "Please be aware that phones and other devices connected to the outside world are not permitted," the email stated. "While you must wear the same outfit and maintain the same hairstyle each day, you are allowed to wear any accessories you wish and may bring nightwear and any non-electronic items you may need. You will be picked up from the mainland in a motor boat, separate from your other competitors, so you will not meet them until you reach the island."
I had needed that email. Our vet had recommended that Nefi be put down the previous night, and I hadn't cried exactly, but I'd felt like crying. I kept feeling that way on and off throughout the next two weeks. I was almost glad it was the last week of exams, because I didn't want my friends to know and didn't have much of a chance to talk to them. I did WhatsApp them to let them know I was going to be on TV, and they were almost as excited as me, but I didn't tell them much about Nefi, just that she had died. They knew I made a fuss of their pets whenever I came over, but I knew they thought it was weird, how much I loved animals, especially since Nefi was very standoffish with them and would run away or hiss if any of them tried to so much as stroke her.
As it was, I had the rest of that week and one whole week more to think about it. I fixed my mind on the coming event, making sure to watch a few more episodes of the show before it was cancelled, just so I could remind myself of what to expect. As long as I didn't think about how much I was missing Nefi, I could handle it. This could be a really fun summer.
A few fun facts to talk about in this – naming the cat Nefertiti after a famous Egyptian queen actually comes from the book Cleo: How a small black cat helped heal a family, a memoir by Helen Brown. Her son Sam named their cat Cleopatra, Cleo for short. As Tansy mentions, it's since been adapted into a picture book called Cleo and Rob, about how she helped Rob, Sam's younger brother, when Sam was tragically killed in a road accident. Nefi's behaviour is based on the behaviour of my own cat, who became off her food and very sluggish as she got older, due to her hearing getting worse and her arthritis accelerating. She was from the SPCA adoption centre, and she was around 4 when we got her, 18 or 19 when we had her put down.
Finally, I have a few questions as always:
What team do you expect Tansy to be on?
Who do you think Tansy's friends/enemies will be?
How far do you think Tansy will get?
Finally, will Tansy fall for someone, and if yes, who?