"Last time, on Total Drama Revenge of the Film Lot..." Chris began the recap, this time sitting on a wooden bench in a room with old fashioned stone walls, with a water bucket by his side. "Heloise and I used the teams as test subjects as we dived into the body swap episode that most shows seem to have. Just about no one was happy with their swaps, except for Bonnie who was having just a wonderful time in Kylie's! King especially didn't like being stuck in Trina's body, and was pretty vocal about it as well! Delanie tried to sneak her way through the challenge as Flynn, but Jack caught on and dropped her from the top of the studio, as did Jim, knocking King down and injuring Trina pretty bad. The Award Winners had to send someone home, and that someone was King! Despite his challenge strength, dude's attitude just wasn't gelling with the rest of the team. Now back in their own bodies, it's time to give the teams a more relaxing challenge! Or will it be as relaxing as it seems? Find out right here, on Total, Drama, Reeeeeeeeevenge of the Film Lot!"
Intro Sequence:
The rock tune of I Wanna Be Famous started up, with high-grade film cameras popping out of different places. First out of the chimney of a trailer, then out the window of a soundstage, a toxic waste barrel after that, and finally a sewer manhole before a movie clapper came in and closed, letting the full shot begin.
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind
The camera zoomed onto the film lot, passing by Chris in a dingy golf cart being pushed by Irene, Elroy, Oliver, and Ted, while Virgil was stuck to the cart itself. Going past several soundstages, the camera weaved between a few movie backdrops, before going up the large hill that led to the soap opera sets on top. The shot then dove down into a pool of water below where King was swimming inside. He saw Fang swim up behind him, so he turned around and punched him right in the face, sending the mutant shark flying up.
You asked me what I wanted to be, and I think the answer is plain to see
Flynn was above the water, now in a soundstage, commandeering a pirate ship floating on it while Delanie copied his behavior. Fang landed on their ship though, forcing both of them to dive off of it. Trixie had watched the two jump down, smirking at their misfortune.
I wanna beeeeeee famous!
The shot now panned out of this soundstage, passing up Kahlin running out of one of the dressing booths, with Sasquatchanakwa right behind him. Jack was looking over some outfits on a rack, although Lilac jumped out from behind some of the clothes, showing her teeth and scaring him.
I wanna live close to the sun
Beck was relaxing on a lounge chair on a beach set, his hands behind his head. He winked at the camera, while Flaky and Bonnie were ogling at him from behind a bush.
So pack your bags cuz I've already won
Panning to the right and into the makeup trailer confessional, Kylie was doing her makeup, applying lipstick at the moment. Trina walked inside, carrying a basket of different foundation. Kylie looked them over, then shooed Trina away.
Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day
Klaas and Vergil were in a boxing ring together, both of them glaring at each other. Vergil threw a punch, as did Klaas, with their fists colliding as they did so. Both of them fell back because of this, although Esteban was quick to run in and help them up.
Cuz I wanna beeeeeee famous!
Toby and Luis were in the kitchen with Chef, with Athena preparing some kind of soup. She seemed to be having trouble with it though, so Toby walked over to help her out. Maxine was watching this from a monitor in Chris's office, then pressed a button to try and blow up the kitchen.
Na na na nana, nananana, nananana
This blew up a different set though, where Thomas, Nanashi, and Jim were inside. A bear had taken the brunt of the explosion though, and it let out a roar at the three of them. Jim pointed at the other two and ran off with a guilty look, although Thomas ran away as well, leaving Nanashi to get chased by the bear.
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!
Diamond and Melissa were sitting at the outdoor theater on the benches when Jim and Thomas ran by. They didn't pay much mind to it though, but Freddy popped up from behind them both with a puppet mask on, startling them both. Diamond laughed, while Melissa rolled her eyes.
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!
A flash from the outdoor projector transitioned to the Aftermath studio, where Donna was sitting in between Geoff and Bridgette. Mittens the monkey hopped up from behind the couch, scowling at the aftermath hosts. This confused both, with the shot then zooming out to show the rest of the contestants sitting in the peanut gallery benches, whistling along with the last notes of the intro while the season logo was shown on a TV above.
After the intro ended, the episode began in the morning, this time in front of the trailers, where Beck, Kahlin, Melissa, and Toby were sitting together in folding chairs. "So that's how you guys got disqualified from the meet? Wow, that's just lame." Kahlin remarked to Melissa, who was telling a story at the moment.
Melissa nodded her head with a small frown. "Yep, all because our former captain wasn't there. I tell you, before I stepped in and got things in order, things were pretty lackadaisical for the girls. Coach certainly didn't care enough to keep them in line." Melissa replied dismally.
Beck shrugged his shoulders, sitting with his hands behind his head at the moment. "That kind of thing doesn't really happen where I'm from. At our school, pretty much everyone gets an understudy if they're important. My ex was usually an understudy, she got pretty crabby about it, but half the class was understudies, so what can you do." Beck gave his take, not all that invested.
"Half the class? Geez, everyone had to fight to be in the good half huh?" Kahlin asked him, chuckling a little.
Beck shook his head, then pointed at himself. "Not really. Most people who were understudies didn't care, it was an easy grade since you didn't have to act most of the time. Plus our acting teacher always picked his favorites for lead roles, and I was one of those." Beck responded casually.
Melissa raised an eyebrow, not a fan of this. "That doesn't seem very fair at all. How are you supposed to get better at acting at an acting school if you never act in the first place?" Melissa questioned Beck.
"No idea. But the shruggers will probably just go into other fields anyway. I've got all the roles I need. Once I head home after this season, I actually have a role lined up in a teen drama. Supposed to be playing the lead guy who guides his friend group through a zombie apocalypse." Beck explained, still seeming apathetic to this.
Melissa crossed her arms, looking at Beck with disapproval. "So you don't even try to help these 'shruggers' get into roles? You've got a whole future lined up, why are you on this show if you've got it made? I really don't get how you operate." Melissa further questioned Beck.
"I'm more interested in this zombie show honestly..." Kahlin added, although he got a quick glance from Melissa that shut down that train of questioning.
Beck again shrugged, not at all bothered. "Nope. Not my place to do anything about it. I just came here to get away from everything for a while. My talent manager said it was either this or a camping trip with my class. So yeah, Total Drama it is." Beck brushed off Melissa's concerns.
"Perhaps when you return home, you can share your experience with your class. Assuming they aren't all watching the show of course. I just know they're cheering you on." Toby chimed in cheerfully.
"Nyeah! I bet they're itchin' their paws just waiting to hear ameowt it!" Luis added.
Melissa nodded her head, smiling briefly when she took in the idea. "Yeah, I already know the girls back home are watching these episodes. They won't let me hear the end of it if I don't at least merge. But hey, our team is doing well, so I think I'll be fine." Melissa agreed with Toby.
"Not if I have anything to say about that!" Kahlin joked, laughing afterward, getting Melissa to laugh as well.
"Yeah, because you of all people would turn on me. If I ever fail as a leader, then I'd say I deserve it." Melissa sarcastically replied, then went back to normal.
Athena stepped out of the girls' trailer while they talked, passing by them after doing so. "Hi. Bye." Athena greeted and waved goodbye as she passed.
Beck gave a quick wave to Athena as she did this. "Don't really know what's up with her, but she's the only girl here so far that hasn't hit on me, so she's cool." Beck commented.
"Well can you blame us?" Melissa giggled, blushing now that Beck had brought it up.
"He has a girlfriend." Kahlin reminded Melissa.
"Yeah, and I hate her. Had to run the team since she ditched us without saying anything yesterday." Beck added firmly.
The other three just stared at Beck for a moment. "Just kidding. She's great, just Jack is really good at spotting tropes." Beck corrected himself for the others, chuckling briefly.
Toby got up from his seat, then gestured to where Athena was going with his thumb. "I think I'll catch up to Athena. I do hope things get better with you and Delanie. Relationships can be pretty rocky at the start before you smooth things out. That's just how it can be sometimes. But if you love each other, I'm sure you'll push through it." Toby told Beck, then waved goodbye to the three of them as he left.
Kahlin waved goodbye, then looked to the other two. "When did we invite him to sit with us again?" he asked them.
"No clue." Melissa answered.
-Confessional: Victorious Award Winners: Beck-
Beck had one arm on the vanity, leaning back slightly. "Not much for me to say honestly. Kahlin and Melissa are the kind of people that I wish actually went to my school. It's all weird theatre kids and and band folks. Wish I was on their team."
-End Confessional-
Athena walked by herself, not seeming to have a set destination. "Hey Athena! Where are you headed to on this lovely day?" Toby asked Athena, with him and Luis waving as he caught up to her.
Athena looked towards Toby with a blank look, then shrugged her shoulders. "Nowhere really. Just going for a walk, pip pip." Athena answered monotone.
Toby shared a worried look with Luis, then faced Athena again. "Nyow, how come nya ain't purrsuin' a chat with anyone else? You're missin' out!" Luis questioned Athena curiously.
"Oh. I just didn't see a need to. No one wanted to talk to me, so I didn't talk to them either." Athena answered bluntly, then kept walking.
Toby walked right by her side, shaking his head briefly. "Now Athena, how do you expect people to talk to you if you don't put yourself out there? There are plenty of people here who would love to be your friend if you just talked to them." Toby told her, gesturing back to where Kahlin, Beck, and Melissa were sitting.
Athena scratched the back of her head for a moment, then shrugged again. "Are you sure... they didn't really seem excited to see me. No one does really." Athena remarked, looking down at the ground.
"Because they don't know nya, ya silly goof! Meow is the time to introduce yourself! I'm sure you'll be able to make purrfect friendships in no time, anyone can!" Luis advised, chuckling slightly.
Athena raised an eyebrow, then brought a hand to her chin as she thought about it. "You really think so? Hmm... who would I start with though... I don't think they really care for me." Athena asked Toby, looking for anyone else to talk to.
Toby looked over at the guys' trailer, then saw Flynn step outside. "Oh hey, there's Flynn! Why don't you go and introduce yourself to him? I'll go with you so you don't have to do it alone okay?" Toby suggested, pointing to the pirate.
Athena hesitated, but once Toby added the last part, she nodded and walked over to Flynn, who was currently on his way to the craft services tent as well. "Hello Flynn." Athena greeted the pirate, giving a formal wave.
Flynn tipped his hat to Athena, then also gave a quick wave. "Ahoy there Athena! What'cha need from me lassie?" Flynn asked Athena, figuring something was up.
"My name is Athena Marsden. It's a pleasure to meet you." Athena introduced herself bluntly, confusing Flynn a little.
"Uhh, I already be knowin' that lassie. Guess I know yer last name!" Flynn laughed it off, unsure of what else to say.
Behind Athena, Toby was making a circular motion with his spare hand to Flynn, trying to keep it rolling. Flynn took the cue and dropped the confused look. "Well it's nice to meet ya properly! Feel like you're a new member even though you've been with our crew the whole time!" Flynn joked with her.
"Oh you do? Oh... well I like classical music, tea too." Athena said out of nowhere.
Flynn blinked, before turning to walk away. "Good for you lassie. I'll be off then, see ya at the challenge!" Flynn told her hurriedly, then fast-walked away from her and Toby.
Athena watched Flynn leave, then looked at Toby. "How did that go? He seemed, happy. I guess." Athena asked him curiously.
"Nya did wonderful! I have a feline he'll be more willin' to talk and hang out with nya!" Luis praised Athena, tipping his top hat to her.
Athena giggled, but kept her straight face. "Thanks. I hope so. It's better than feeling as lonely as I do. I'll go get breakfast now. Goodbye Toby." Athena thanked the puppeteer, then headed for the craft services tent.
-Confessional: Toxic Film Critics: Athena-
Athena looked slightly confused, rubbing her head. "I don't understand. Why is Toby being so nice and social-able with me. We're on different teams. Is it sabotage? I hope not..."
-End Confessional-
In the craft services tent, Delanie and Kylie were again sharing breakfast together. This time Chef had served neon orange soup with moon rune noodles, which looked close enough to the normal meal for the others to eat. "Still beats cafeteria food back home." Kylie remarked after tasting the soup.
Delanie giggled, nodding in agreement. "Omg you're so right. Same for the meals the sets I visit provide. They always go super cheap. At least with Chef's meals they're creative!" Delanie added after taking a spoonful of the soup as well.
Bonnie walked over to the two of them, carrying her tray with her bowl of soup on it. "Hey. Meeting of the team hotties, am I right? One from each." Bonnie greeted them, pointing at herself as she sat down.
"Not right. Scram." Kylie told Bonnie coldly, right away offput by her.
"Huh? Why the long stare? I thought we were cool. We really got to know each other better last challenge." Bonnie tried to reason.
"You mean you got to know my body well. You know nothing about me. Beat it perv." Kylie retorted, glaring at Bonnie.
"Yeah, beat it!" Delanie chimed in, making a shooing motion with her spoon.
Bonnie rolled her eyes, then turned around. "Fine fine... I'll leave." Bonnie gave in, letting out a sigh as she walked away.
Once Bonnie left them alone, the two girls looked at each other once more. "Ugh, I just can't stand her. I deal with so many pervs as a cheerleader back home, I just do not need to put up with them here. You get what I mean?" Kylie complained to Delanie.
Delanie nodded in agreement, stirring her soup aimlessly with her fork. "Oh I so get it. When you're an up and coming actor, you get all kinds of pervs who wanna see things that they have no right to. I just can't stand those plebians." Delanie complained in agreement.
"Glad I have someone who gets me. Some people are crazy enough to think I'm lucky to have that many boys come after me!" Kylie stated, in a bewildered tone.
"Mhmm, they just don't know how it is because they haven't experienced it yet. Sucks to be them." Delanie figured, then got a big sip of her soup.
Trina walked up to the table, giving the two a friendly wave. "Hello ma'am, you're enjoying breakfast with Kylie again? I had you scheduled for a nice breakfast date with Beck actually." Trina greeted Delanie, pulling out her notepad after sitting down.
"When did I say you could schedule things for me like that? Besides, Beck is my boyfriend, I don't need to have dates with him right now! We're already doing just lovely!" Delanie responded defensively, dismissing the notes.
"But ma'am, you asked me to-" Trina began, flipping to another page in her notepad before Delanie cut her off by putting a finger to her lips.
"Well I don't need it now. Quit being a nerd and leave us alone. My bff and I are trying to have a good time!" Delanie ordered, turning that finger on her lips into a flick on Trina's forehead.
Trina wasn't sure what else to say, so she just did as told and got up. "Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am." Trina hurriedly apologized, then walked away to sit somewhere else.
-Confessional: Victorious Award Winners: Delanie-
Delanie had her hands behind her head, smiling at the camera in the same hoity way Kylie does. "Things are going like, so great with Kylie! We're basically inseparable now! Once the merge comes around, me, her, and Beck can totally kick butt! Wonder who else I can bring with me... Trina is an easy one to string along, she's such a loser, she just wants to help out the popular girls like me and Kylie! I'll see who else I get along with on the other teams!"
-End Confessional-
Esteban had his tray with his soup bowl on it as well, looking for somewhere to sit when he saw Nanashi and Klaas eating together. "Hello, mind if I join the two of you? The people I usually eat with aren't here right now." Esteban asked them politely.
Nanashi and Klaas looked up at the father figure, then nodded at the same time. "Sure! We could actually use your input on something we were talking about!" Nanashi gave the go ahead, patting the seat next to her for Esteban to sit down.
Esteban set his tray down and took a seat, right away getting curious. "My input? What for? I'd be happy to give my take." Esteban questioned, scratching his head.
Klaas chuckled, resting his head on his palm. "Oh it's nothing serious. Nanashi thinks that checkers is better and I think that chess is better. The age old board game question." Klaas informed him, with Nanashi giggling awkwardly a little.
"Oh. I haven't played much of either honestly. Never really had time for board games back home. I think my brothers know more about those games than I do." Esteban replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well which one do you think is better than? Just based on what you know so far." Klaas asked, not bothered by Esteban's lack of topic insight.
Esteban thought for a moment, then got his answer. "I'd have to say chess then? I feel like I enjoy managing pieces with different roles more than what you do in checkers." Esteban answered, not entirely sure.
Klaas pumped his fist on this, while Nanashi just laughed a little and playful slapped the table. "Oh darn, unlucky for me there!" Nanashi exclaimed, while Klaas gave Esteban a quick fist bump.
"That's 2-1 for the Klaas Man. I like it for the same reason. Trying to keep a straight face as you wait for your opponent to mess up or fail to catch something you set up, it's the most fun part." Klaas explained his reasoning.
Nanashi shook her head in disagreement still. "I'm just saying, I think the little bit of randomness in checkers makes it a bit more fun. Plus all the pieces do the same thing, so you can always catch up if you get lucky! Not like chess where losing your queen is a death sentence." Nanashi gave her explanation.
Esteban tapped his chin for a moment, taking in both sides. "Now I'm not so sure. Checkers sounds a bit more beginner friendly if anyone can catch up like that. I might go with that honestly." Esteban changed his mind.
Now Nanashi cheered, while Klaas gave it a wave of dismissal. "You're lucky you have such a way with words. I had him at first there." Klaas complimented her, not at all bothered.
"Aha! I was lucky too! And I got him in the end, so that's what matters! Thanks Esteban!" Nanashi thanked Esteban, then gave him a quick hug.
Esteban just let her give the brief hug, giving them both a thumbs up. "No problem? I just find talk like this interesting. It's nice hearing people not talk strategy." Esteban dismissed the thanks.
Klaas snorted. "Well chess has a lot of strategy, guess that's why you don't like it." Klaas joked.
"Maybe. If I'm gonna sit down and play with some friends, putting in a bunch of strategy isn't what I'd like to do. More of a casual game player myself." Esteban responded to the joke, just in case.
"If you say so, I'll just remember your strategies are really simple." Klaas again joked, getting small laughs from the three of them.
-Confessional: Victorious Award Winners: Esteban-
Esteban had a confused smile, rubbing the back of his head. "Man, those two are really cute to watch honestly. I'm just a little annoyed I can get along so well with the Munchers, but I can barely make a dent with my own team. If there's a chance to swap teams, I'm definitely taking it."
-End Confessional-
Cutting ahead a bit, everyone was in the craft services tent, spread out amongst the two tables while enjoying their glowy soup. That was when Chris walked inside, wearing a dark blue kimono and having a red and white headband on. "Konichiwa! Hello honorable castmates, are you feeling a bit dreary now that we're 9 episodes in?" Chris greeted the teams, giving a quick bow.
"Our health is still adequate. Perfettamente a posto as they say in Italian." Thomas answered, putting on a slight accent.
Trixie had her head on her palm, giving Chris a doubtful look. "Let me guess. Today's challenge is about to make us think the past challenges were even easier. Based on the outfit, we've got some brutal samurai training or something coming huh?" Trixie figured, talking in a droning tone.
Chris shook his head, then gestured for everyone to follow him. "Nope! You're all a quarter of the way through the game, I figured a relaxation day is in order! So today's genre is hot spring episodes! They're a staple in Japanese film and television, so I'm sure you'll all enjoy this one!" Chris stated, which got some hopeful looks from the contestants.
"Hot springs? You have a set for that? Or are we just gonna hang in a kiddie pool?" Beck questioned Chris, fully prepared for the latter.
"Nope! We'll actually be visiting my private springs! I blew the food budget on my own private resort, so this technically counts as the money going towards you still. There are towels by the entrance, so once you arrive, get changed and meet with me inside!" Chris ordered, then bowed again before leaving the tent.
Bonnie had a devious grin on her face, which Melissa right away noticed. "Oh you've got to be kidding me... you're getting really lucky with these genres." Melissa commented with a dreadful look.
Jack scratched his head, looking a little bothered. "Huh, usually you've got some blurb about the genre to tell us. What's wrong?" Trixie asked Jack curiously.
"I don't watch a lot of anime honestly. Most of my experience with springs comes from Japanese horror flicks and the occasional episode in my action shows where they do one of these. I think we'll still be fine, I'm just not as prepared." Jack explained.
Kylie heard Jack, then pointed at herself with her thumb. "Oh I know a good bit! Well, there's some nerds on our cheer squad and whenever we have parties at their houses, they pretty much always put that crap on. So I know what to do today." Kylie stated, which lifted Jack's spirits a bit.
Everyone else now began to get up from their seats and head out, heading for Chris's quarters. "Not surprised he blew that much money. But if it's for himself, at least we know for sure it's going to be good." Kahlin joked, imagining what the hot springs would look like.
"You know, that does get my hopes up that this won't be a complete dump." Jim commented, now adding Kahlin's idea into his thoughts.
"Oh I do know, it'd be pretty dumb if you heard that and thought otherwise. But hey, I guess there's always the chance of that! Maybe Athena would buy it." Kahlin retorted, right away ducking as Jim went for a slap.
Kahlin saw Jim's hand as he stood back up normally while leaving the tent. "Woah there! We're about to go and relax, not get fired up even more! Keep it cool yeah?" Kahlin told Jim, holding up both hands innocently.
"Then don't get me fired up." was all Jim responded with, then fast-walked ahead.
-Confessional: Mutant Movie Munchers: Kahlin-
Kahlin had his usual smile on his face, rubbing his chin. "Hmm... Jim is getting his temper in check, good for him! Normally he'd go for a punch there, but you saw his open hand. If he somehow hit me, it would have just been a harmless slap. Don't think I'd miss something like that Jimmy boy! With him wising up, wonder what he's gonna do next. He was pretty good yesterday, so it's just really fun to guess what comes next y'know?"
-End Confessional-
Now later in the day at Chris's quarters, there was indeed a small hot springs resort constructed. All of the contestants were now changing into just towels, of course color-coded to their teams. Some were more embarrassed than others like this. "Ugh, gray really isn't my color." Kylie complained, not a fan of her gray towel as she stepped out of the locker room.
Chris was waiting for everyone outside the locker room, holding a megaphone. "Okay everyone! After you change, head to the spring of your gender for your first challenge! Boys on the left, and girls on the right! Legal says we have to keep you separated still. Part 1 of your challenge is to just sit back and relax here until the evening comes around!" Chris laid out the rules of the challenge, then walked away.
Beck stepped out of the locker room after Chris said that, raising an eyebrow. "Just enjoy the hot springs for a few hours? Sounds easy enough." Beck commented, then walked to the large wooden gate that led to the springs.
The ground was just dirt with cobble path throughout the resort, and the hot springs themselves were bordered by a 20 foot tall wooden fences. There was also a massive wall between the two sides, being the same height as the fence for safety. Beck opened up the door, which just functioned like any other door. "Wow, so these are the real deal sir. Cool!" Trina exclaimed, seeing the water as she stepped out of the locker room in her yellow towel.
Jack was hesitating to enter the guys' spring, looking at the water with fear after Beck waded through it. "Yeah... but... there's spirals in the water." Jack pointed out.
"Huh? What do you mean sir? The water looks pretty still to me." Trina questioned him curiously.
Jack shook his head, then picked up a pebble and tossed it into the guys' spring. When the water ripples came from the pebble, Jack shuddered. "Those ripples make spirals. And I don't like spirals, not one bit... they consume you. They're unnerving... they're 𖦹." Jack explained, not making any sense to Trina.
"Ohhhhkay... I'll keep that in mind? Just don't look at the water? A lot of people close their eyes when relaxing anyway. Good luck with that fear sir!" Trina advised, then skipped away to head to the girls' side.
-Confessional: Toxic Film Critics: Jack-
Jack only had a gray towel around his waist, looking plenty nervous. "So I have a case of bathmophobia... and no it's not a fear of baths! I get that one a lot. I dunno, spirals just get to me. More than anything else I've ever seen really. Unlike slashers, zombies, or ghosts, what measure is there to deal with spirals? None! They're such a mysterious shape, you could easily get lost in one. Spirals are an entrancing phenomenon of which we know frighteningly little."
-End Confessional-
Eventually, almost all the guys were in their side of the hot springs. It was decorated pretty minimally, with potted plants in the fence corners, a few benches on the cobble ground, large stones both inside and outside of the water. There was a zen shrine off to the side, having some incense burning near it. Both sides were decorated the same, and the pool was large enough for everyone to be relatively spaced about at around 40 feet long and 20 feet wide.
"This place is really pleasant. I thought Chris would be messing with us here." Esteban stated, sitting near Beck, Kahlin, and Klaas.
Kahlin chuckled, resting both of his arms on the ground while sitting in the water. The steam in the water went up just a foot above it, relatively obscuring everything below. "I thought so too, but color me surprised. Chris definitely uses these himself." Kahlin agreed, then closed his eyes.
Beck let out a relaxed sigh, resting one arm on the ground behind him. "There's nothing like this near L.A., this is much simpler and nicer than it's made out to be on TV." Beck commented, looking around at the decorations.
"What do you mean? I've seen a couple of these at casino resorts, but they definitely aren't as bustling as they are on TV. It just doesn't seem like you'd bring a beach ball and play around in one of these." Klaas asked Beck, just leaning back and enjoying the hot water.
"Yeah pretty much that. Any movie or show make them seem like party places. This is just chill." Beck replied.
Klaas slowly nodded, also really calm. "Yeah, what I figured. Wonder why Chris thinks this is a challenge though. Maybe he thinks we'd be uncomfortable wearing nothing around each other?" Klaas guessed.
"I'm wearing a towel still, there's plenty to spare so I can use this one for decency." Esteban chimed in, briefly looking down.
"So am I." Beck added, gesturing down to his towel.
Kahlin just nodded in agreement, keeping his eyes closed as he listened to the conversation. Klaas chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Guess it's not that then. I figured we'd all want to keep our decency. Chris probably can't force us to not wear towels either. Guess this'll be smooth sailing and relaxation until the evening rolls around huh?" Klaas remarked, now closing his eyes as well to relax.
Beck started to nod in agreement, but stopped when he saw Jack on the other side of the spring. "I don't think Jack's having a good time. Wonder what he's so worked up about." Beck told them, prompting Kahlin to briefly open his eyes and look.
Jack was hugging himself, having his eyes shut tight and shuddering. "He's a little crazy, but maybe he just can't swim? I think he has some normal fears." Kahlin guessed optimistically.
"Are the spirals gone!?" Jack blurted out, unhugging himself to feel around the water.
"I take it back. He's not on our teams at least." Kahlin right away dropped the optimism, then closed his eyes again to relax.
Flynn and Thomas were sitting near Jack, both giving him questioning looks. "Spirals? Laddie, what ye be on about?" Flynn questioned Jack.
Jack opened his eyes, looking at the sky. "Nobody move. Not one of you. It makes more spirals..." Jack begged, sounding rather desperate.
"Understood." Thomas did as told, remaining perfectly still on command. Flynn was a little surprised to see him do this, as Thomas practically turned into a statue.
"Aye laddie, we ain't movin', we just be sittin' here." Flynn told Jack calmly.
Jack then looked at the water, letting out a huge sigh when he saw that the water was perfectly still. "That's more like it..." Jack said with relief, putting a hand on his forehead.
"Why are you so stressed over these? We're supposed to be relaxing here ya see." Flynn asked, then leaned back.
Flynn leaning back made a ripple come from him shifting his body though. Jack let out a scream when he saw the ripples move further out and swirl around with the flow of the water. "GAH! 𖦹! No no no no NO!" Jack cried out, then jumped out of the water.
He thankfully had his towel around his waist still, but he ran faster than he ever had before right out the gate of the hot springs. "Aaaaand Jack is the first person to leave!" Chris announced through an intercom.
Flynn watched Jack leave with both confusion and disappointment, then looked to Thomas. "Ah well. Least he said he didn't know much about this genre to begin with. Losin' him ain't so bad right?" Flynn tried to look on the bright side.
"Every member matters." Thomas responded coldly, still sitting like a statue.
Flynn frowned, although it was hard to see behind his beard. "I suppose so, nothin' we can do 'bout Jack now. Wonder how the ladies are doin'. I don't think any of 'em are the types to up and leave like that." Flynn wondered, getting more comfy now that he didn't have to stay still.
-Confessional: Toxic Film Critics: Trixie-
Trixie was wearing a gray towel around her body, groaning and clenching her fists. "Ugh... I thought Jack was supposed to be helpful! Ever since I actually sank time into getting him on my side, he's just been fumbling and fumbling! I do have Thomas on my side as well, so at least Jack doesn't put me at any risk yet. Won't blame the rest of our team if they boot him though."
-End Confessional-
Over in the girls' side, when Melissa and Kylie entered first, they were surprised to see someone waiting for them in there. "Greetings fellow onsen enthusiasts, I am Dawn." Dawn greeted them, introducing herself.
The steam obscured her body, although she was sitting on a rock just above the water in the lotus position. "Huh? Weren't you the villain in season 4? Don't know why Chris would be so willing to bring you back." Melissa asked, keeping her towel on as she got in the water.
"I thought you were like, really badly hurt after that shark mauled you too!" Nanashi chimed in, having just stepped inside.
Dawn nodded her head, having a small frown at Melissa's words. "That much is true. Over the year while I've been recovering, I've been on a path of self-improvement. Ridding myself of my poor ways. Being invited here was just another opportunity to find what I lost, myself. A chance to reflect on my life once more and improve, as is the case for my friend here." Dawn explained, then gestured behind her.
"Your friend? Oh you brought Beebee? I remember her from that season. Crazy she made it that far." Kylie remarked, thinking back on season 4.
Instead of seeing a bunny pop out though, they got a skunk instead. Petunia waded through the water, waving to the others. She was wearing a blue towel, and avoided looking Dawn's way. "Oh. Hi. Umm, you're all properly sanitized right?" Petunia greeted them.
Kylie frowned when she saw Petunia, just rolling her eyes and getting in the water. "Oh it's you. Yeah, just leave us alone while we relax. We don't need the place stunk up." Kylie told Petunia, then took a seat.
Trixie stepped into the girls' side, quickly noticing the Reloaded veterans. "Oh great, Chris left us guests to deal with. And a racist one too. Got a problem with me?" Trixie complained, glaring at Petunia.
Petunia right away shook her head, putting both hands up. "Huh? No no no! Of course not! I've realized how bad the way I acted was, I've been traveling with Dawn to improve myself actually." Petunia defended herself, gesturing to Dawn.
"It wasn't very difficult. Showing someone the truth is the cure to ignorance. I may not be able to read her aura, but I believe her heart is in the right place now." Dawn added.
"Hmph. I'll believe it when I see it. Doesn't change that B got done dirty." Trixie told Dawn, then sat down in the water. Petunia was about to say something else, but Dawn just patted her shoulder.
"Let your behavior speak for you." Dawn told her, which got Petunia to stay quiet and just relax normally.
Trina and Athena stepped into the water together, although they both quickly split off to sit by themselves. "Hey Athena, what do you think of the springs?" Nanashi asked Athena, sitting down near her.
"Oh. Hello Nanashi, it's nice to meet you. I'm enjoying these springs yes. Very relaxing." Athena answered, just as monotone as ever.
"Relax any more than you already do and your heart probably stops beating." Trixie joked, also moving to sit down near Athena and Nanashi.
Bonnie walked into the girls' side with a huge grin on her face, seeing all the towel clad girls in front of her. "Ahhh, now this is my kind of challenge! Relax in a hot spring with a bunch of babes? Nice." Bonnie exclaimed, pulling out a camera.
"HUH!? Where did you get that!?" Melissa let out, gasping when she saw the camera and crossing her arms.
"Swiped it from the camera crew on the way here. Guess none of the interns feel like stopping me." Bonnie answered, now turning it on.
Trina sank a little further into the water, letting the water and steam go up to her neck. "Most of the interns are guys, they can't even come in here to stop you ma'am." Trina pointed out with a blush on her face.
Right as Trina said this though, Irene stormed into the girls' side. "Hand that over now. You can't juth take it like that! Ethpecially for this!" Irene scolded Bonnie, holding a hand out.
Bonnie groaned, then handed Irene the camera. "Ugh, forgot about you." Bonnie let out as she handed it over.
"Don't do that again!" Irene just scolded her further, then stormed out of the area.
Soon after Irene left, Delanie finally arrived... without a towel. "Delanie!? Put some clothes on will you!? What is wrong with all of you today?" Melissa let out, covering her eyes.
"That's not the naturalist way... in order to truly relax, you have to be comfortable in your own skin." Delanie argued, speaking in a very relaxed tone, almost as if she was high.
"She's correct. That's how you find your inner self, beneath what you hide yourself under. Welcome to the springs." Dawn agreed with Delanie, smiling at her.
Delanie smiled as well, sitting down one of the rocks and crossing her legs. "Thank you for the welcome. I am Luna, naturalist and environmentalist, it's a pleasure to be here~" Delanie introduced herself.
"At least this one isn't bossy..." Nanashi whispered to Melissa, looking at the positive.
"I think she's trying to weird us out and make us leave. Smart, but nice that she isn't aggressive yes." Melissa agreed with Nanashi. Bonnie wasn't listening to a word they were saying, her eyes just glued to Delanie.
Delanie looked over at Trina sitting alone, then gestured to one of the rocks poking up from the water. "You seem uneasy, why don't you join us for some meditation. It will surely cleanse your spirit." Delanie invited her.
"Yeah you definitely should join them yep totally do it." Bonnie told Trina hurriedly, drool dripping from her mouth.
Trina gulped, reluctantly taking off her towel and joining Delanie, letting the steam obscure as she took the same lotus position as Dawn. "Oh the indecency..." she muttered to herself, closing her eyes to avoid the looks of everyone else.
-Confessional: Victorious Award Winners: Delanie-
Delanie laughed a little, now having her yellow towel on in the confessional. "Yeah I just did that to mess with her. Something about her just annoys me, so consider this her karma. She's already pretty stuck up, she could use some meditation anyway!"
-End Confessional-
Back on the guys' side, their guest now made their arrival. "Chris and Chef? Oh great, and here I thought we were going to have a relaxing time." Klaas complained, seeing the two enter.
"Relax dudes, we're just here to relax as well. Nothing wrong with that." Chris dismissed the complaint, sitting down right next to Chef.
"So this is where the money has been going instead of my paycheck?" Chef asked in a hostile tone, already enjoying the water.
"Uhh, nope. Just took a small bit out of the food budget!" Chris replied, laughing a little nervously.
"The food budget I'm supposed to make meals with." Chef added.
"Wait, this place is why our food sucks? Oh you've gotta be kidding me. Can't say I'm surprised." Kahlin put two and two together, laughing a little about it afterward.
Chris waved his hands in dismissal, then moved over and sat next to Beck, wrapping an arm around him. "Oh I wouldn't say that! The meals here are just fine, and you all love this place right?" Chris tried to spin it in a positive way.
Beck pushed Chris's arm away though, now moving away. "Not really. Just let us relax man." Beck told Chris as he moved to the opposite side of Esteban.
"Okay okay, geez. Talk about ungrateful." Chris laid off the topic, while Chef just rolled his eyes.
Over on the other side of the guys' side, Jim was just sitting by himself, watching the others from afar. He just had his arms crossed, keeping a very close eye. "So Chris and Chef are trying to weird them out into leaving? Creepy, but sounds effective. Can't imagine relaxing with that weirdo." Jim observed with disgust on his face.
Toby saw Jim sitting by himself and waded over to him though, offering a friendly wave. "Hi Jim, how come you're not sitting with everyone else? We'd love to have you over there." Toby greeted Jim, sitting down 6 feet away from him.
"I choose not to. I don't need constant company like some people here do. Relaxing alone helps me deal with stress better than surrounding myself with chatterboxes. So leave me alone." Jim answered, making a shooing motion.
Toby raised an eyebrow though, staying where he was. "Hmm? What kind of stress are you dealing with if you don't mind me asking? I won't tell anyone else what you have going on, I promise." Toby promised.
"Nyeah, no one will hear a peep from us!" Luis chimed in, currently in a plastic bag that was sealed with rubber bands around Toby's wrist.
Jim looked over Toby skeptically, before just letting out a sigh. "Y'know, I'd normally try and question someone on if they'd spill secrets or use them against me, but you're way too soft to actually do that." Jim half-insulted Toby, unable to really grill him.
"If that's a positive to you, I'm happy to hear that. Could you share what's troubling you then please?" Toby asked with a smile.
Jim looked down at the water for a moment, just being silent as he gathered his thoughts for a minute. Toby didn't rush him either, just sitting patiently and relaxing while Jim thought of a way to word things.
"Okay..." Jim began, taking a deep breath. "This tough guy thing I do? Bullying the others, shaking my fist at Kahlin and getting all angry? That's an act. It's just guilting to keep it up all the time, it's been eating away at me ever since Vergil left. Now with King gone, I'm worrying I already set up my elimination since we acted somewhat similar." Jim vented, lowering his arms.
Toby took all that in, bringing a hand to his chin. "All an act? I can't say I'm surprised. I knew that you were good at heart, but why play up this tough guy act? Is there something you feel you may need to make up for? King left because of how he treated everyone and his attitude, you haven't quite alienated your team yet." Toby questioned Jim, tossing in some reasoning.
"You don't get it. I need to win this game. Or at the very least make it extremely far so my acting career can take off. What better way to do that than play the bad guy. Use others to get ahead, have a cutthroat attitude, people like that always get far. My family is really poor, so we really need the money. I don't like using people and putting others down, but if I have to do it to get further in the game, then so be it." Jim explained, still somewhat keeping the façade up.
"I do get it." Toby replied, looking right into Jim's eyes. "You have a lot of passion. Getting through life must have been tough already, but you've gotten through it. My family is... less fortunate as well, but my mother taught me that we should always show kindness regardless of where we are in life. We'd want the rich and powerful people to be kind to us, so we should show that same care and compassion towards others while we can. You're doing this for your family, I'm sure they already appreciate that enough. Regardless of how you play, they'll be proud of you for doing all this for them." Toby consoled Jim, reaching over and patting his shoulder.
Jim didn't stop Toby, chuckling at what he said. "You? A poor kid? No way. You act too proper for that. It can't be as bad as me then. I've been trying to get acting roles ever since I was a kid just to support them." Jim added, in slightly disbelief.
Toby nodded his head, letting out a small sigh. "Yes. But I don't see it as being poor. We're quite happy where we are. My father left my mother when I was young, but I did as well as I could in school for her and took up puppeteering gigs just to help support her. If I win this game, she'll have the money she needs to live comfortably and treat her... condition, then the rest can just go to our local school. It was tough when I went there, but the better funding the prize money would bring would surely make those kids happy. It's what grandpa George would have wanted." Toby elaborated, with Luis solemnly nodding.
Jim blinked, a bit surprised. "Oh. You have all that going on? Jeez, I'm sorry for calling you annoying last challenge. With how you act, I figured you were some snooty rich snob, just giving advice because they think they're better than everyone." Jim apologized, slightly ashamed.
"Ah, no need for apologies. I'm not worth much, but I like to help people whenever I can. Just leave the world a little better of a place than when I entered. I think you have the ability to show the same kindness too. I believe in you Jim. This is simply a game show, and you're playing it. You're not malicious." Toby assured Jim.
Jim mulled it over a bit, before nodding his head. "I guess so. It is just a game. A game with a massive prize, but a game nonetheless. I don't think I can let my guard down with the others just yet, but I'll work some compassion into my strategy." Jim figured, leaning back a bit.
"Nya-huh! With the right catitude, anything is pawsible for ya! As long as you're okay with who you are, that's all that matters!" Luis exclaimed confidently.
Jim let out a small chuckle at Luis, but quickly wiped it from his face. "I am, just I don't like where my act is heading. It's doing what I want, getting me further in the game, but I'm still digging myself out of a hole right now. And if our team loses again, it's going to be rough voting any of them off. They've all grown on me. I feel like Marlon Brando's role in the Godfather. I'm where I am because of the dirty things I've done, and plenty goes against my moral code, but I just have to keep up the act." Jim further explained, rubbing one arm.
Toby thought over the situation for a moment, still offering Jim a smile. "Hey, you're an actor, the people watching at home know, and there are other actors in the game. I don't think anyone would hold your toughness against you here, especially if it's only an act. King's behavior... that wasn't an act. But he's working on it. You have morals already, so as long as you stick to that balance and don't take it too far past your moral boundaries, you'll be fine. Thanks for confiding in me, none of the others will know this." Toby assured Jim, while Luis crossed a paw across his chest to swear.
Jim nodded, then got up. "Thanks for the advice too. If I act brutish towards you in the future, well you get why. But I need to sit on my own now, I'll definitely look soft if I stick around you for too long." Jim told Toby, then waded away to another part of the pool.
Toby and Luis just waved to Jim as he left. "Good luck to nya." Luis wished, before Toby just leaned back and relaxed in the water.
-Confessional: Mutant Movie Munchers: Jim-
Jim had his fists clenched, with one resting on the table. "Toby is weird. He's kind, too kind. I just said all that to him, but... will he actually keep that to himself? I really don't need my gameplay ruined cuz he makes me out to be a sensitive softy. I'm already taking my team by the horns, no one is or will be stopping me there!"
-End Confessional-
Back on the girls' side, Bonnie had gotten out of the water and stood looking up at the massive wall separating the guys' side and the girls' side. Things had calmed down with the rest of the girls, with Delanie, Trina, and Dawn meditating peacefully and everyone else just having small chat. "I think Chris put Dawn and Petunia here to make us want to leave, but I think it backfired, since I really like them." Nanashi commented.
Petunia got a small smile on her face hearing this, as she was now sitting near them. "Thanks, I think Chris thought I still held onto my old beliefs and that I would stink up the place. As for Dawn, yeah it's a bit uncomfortable but it's harmless." Petunia explained, avoiding looking over at the meditators.
Trixie nodded her head, just having a neutral look. "Glad you've grown, otherwise you would have gotten a serious beatdown. But you've got the stink under control? Cool, because I would have absolutely left the moment that went off." Trixie told Petunia, pointing at her tail.
Petunia hugged the large tail behind her, chuckling slightly. "Yeah, I've gotten much better with it since last season. Dawn has a way with nature, so she helped me control it." Petunia elaborated.
"But how did Staci handle it? You two are still together right? I imagine it's tough having a relationship when you're mutated." Kylie asked curiously, which seemed to strike a nerve.
"Ah... yeah, I cut things off with her. She made other friends during her time on the show, so she didn't need me anymore. And with how I behaved, I definitely didn't deserve her. Maybe if we meet up again now that I've worked on myself we could get back together, but for now we're just friends." Petunia answered, just a bit saddened.
Trixie just shrugged though. "Eh, there's plenty of skunks in the woods. Better for you to end it than drag her down with you." she reasoned, closing her eyes to relax now.
"At least you're still friends." Athena chimed in, surprising Kylie.
Nanashi nodded in agreement with Athena, taking off her glasses since they were getting fogged up. "Yeah! I'd say you're pretty lucky you were able to change for the better. At my dad's casino, there's some people who don't think too kindly, and I don't really see them ever changing." Nanashi looked at the bright side as always.
Kylie snorted, crossing her arms. "It's always the old geezers who think like that. But just ignore them, you go to a casino for money anyway. That's all you should really focus on, like in this game. Try to ignore what you don't like and focus on the prize." Kylie told Nanashi confidently.
"Money money money, that's not what we're here for. Not me at least." Bonnie now tuned in to the conversation, still looking up at the wall, having her hands on her hips.
"What else would you come to Total Drama for? Because it sure isn't for the food or challenges." Kylie questioned Bonnie.
Bonnie looked back at Kylie with a frown for a moment, then up at the wall. "You're so lucky to be hot. You can just look in the mirror and get an eyeful. But for some of us, if we want an eyeful, we have to find it. You're here to win the money, I'm here for whatever is beyond that wall!" Bonnie declared, stepping closer to the wall.
Trixie raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was going. "Oh great, what are you on about now?" Trixie asked, sharing a worried look with Kylie.
Bonnie pressed her face against it, letting out a pleased sigh. "Now this is relaxing. I can almost hear them in there. Just sitting in the springs in peace, with nothing on. If only I could see..." Bonnie said to herself, closing her eyes and just imagining what was going on in the guys' side.
Melissa stood up from the water, glaring at Bonnie. "Stop. Just get back in the water and stop behaving like this. You're creeping everyone out and ruining the relaxing atmosphere. You'd make the boys leave too if they saw you acting like this. Plus it's just plain wrong." Melissa chastised Bonnie.
"Is that so?" Bonnie responded, then looked around the hot springs. She walked over to the pile of towels, with there being dozens of them for spare use. She grabbed two of them, then tied them together. She stretched them a little, then got a big grin when the knot held them together.
The rest of the girls watched as Bonnie continued to tie towels together, very quickly making a 14 towel chain all tied together. "What are you doing with the towels? Gonna make a banner to woo them over? Because that's surprisingly the tamest idea you've ever had." Kylie remarked, watching Bonnie walk back over to the wall.
Bonnie held the chain by the first and third towel, then began swinging the rest in a circle. "Walls..." Bonnie began, before throwing the towel chain up with as much force as she could. The towel chain went over the wall by a couple towels, hooking on to the corner ridges of the wall. "...are meant to be climbed over!" Bonnie declared, giddy with excitement as she began climbing up the wall with her towel chain.
Melissa saw what was happening and now quickly waded through the water over to the wall. "Bonnie you better freaking not! This is crossing so many lines!" Melissa yelled as she hurried over.
Bonnie wasn't listening though, just climbing surprisingly fast and then reached the top of the wall. Melissa tried to pull the towel chain down, but it was too late. Bonnie was already at the top and sat on the wall. "Oh no..." Melissa muttered to herself, knowing what was about to happen.
The girls heard a loud splash from the other side of the wall, followed by confused yells and maniacal giggling. All the girls just shared looks of discomfort, knowing full well what was going on over there. "Beck, Flynn, Esteban, and Thomas have all left the hot springs! Bonnie left the girls' side, so she's out as well!" Chris announced through the intercom, making Melissa facepalm.
-Confessional: Mutant Movie Munchers: Klaas-
Klaas had a frown on his face, but just shrugged his shoulders. "Wish I could get as upset as the other guys over this. But we're used to Bonnie. You just get used to her perving over you for existing."
-End Confessional-
Time flew by, and neither side seemed to be having anyone else leave. 5 o'clock rolled around, and Chris frowned when he saw the remaining guys still enjoying themselves while relaxing. "You're all still holding on. Hmm, how can we spice this up for ratings?" Chris asked the guys in the water with him.
Jim crossed his arms, frowning at Chris. "Can you not mess with us? At least pick on the girls if you're going to do something. The only one who has left over there is Bonnie." Jim requested in a very bothered tone.
"I don't know if we can even say she lost honestly. She seemed pretty happy." Kahlin joked, still having his eyes closed.
Chris rubbed his chin, then looked over at Chef. "The boys do have a point, the girls have it pretty easy right now. We've still got an hour to go, so there's time do something. Chef! Get the bath bomb!" Chris ordered.
Chef nodded with a grin, then got out of the water and walked away. As he did so, the remaining guys all looked away. "A bath bomb? That sounds pleasant. Is the scent extremely strong? I can see that being somewhat bothersome." Toby asked, trying to figure out what Chris was up to.
Chris shook his head, leaning back. "Nope. Just be glad you're on this side of the wall! Cuz it won't be pretty!" Chris responded, laughing to himself.
"And that's why you're staying here too huh?" Klaas guessed, still sitting a good distance from Chris.
Chris nodded, shooting a finger gun. "Yup. This is the side I use normally anyway. The other side can air out, won't be using it for a while!" Chris told them, to which the remaining boys gave each other concerned looks.
The girls were still relaxing, albeit much more peacefully now that Bonnie was gone. Athena had taken a nap in the water, and everyone else was having a pleasant time. Even Trixie and Trina had now eased into the environment. "I think I see why people enjoy this. The steam brushing on your skin is nice..." Trina commented.
"Yeah, maybe if it was a bit more private I'd join you. I know it's a common practice in some places." Melissa replied, debating on sitting on one of the rocks there.
Before she could think on it further though, the girls heard Chef's laughter coming from behind the gate. "Huh? Is Chef trying to scare us?" Nanashi asked, looking towards the gate.
A purple ball flew over the gate after that, landing in the water with a massive splash. It got everyone's attention, although it then exploded into a bunch of purple sparks. "GAH! What was that!?" Kylie let out, having been close to where the ball landed.
Nearly every girl had been startled, except for Delanie, Athena, and Dawn who barely seemed to notice. The explosion didn't set anything on fire or cause any damage though, so everything looked fine. "I think it was just an attempt to scare us. We should be in the clear." Melissa stated, sitting back down normally.
Trixie looked around as well, then sniffed the air and gagged, quickly covering her nose. "Oh god... what's that smell?" Trixie asked the others.
Petunia meekly waved, chuckling nervously. "So... when I get startled it still happens... but I've gotten better with it I swear! Just that bomb going off got me okay?" Petunia defended herself, with the fumes coming from her.
Trixie got out of the water though, shaking her head. "Nuh uh. I ain't putting up with this. Later." Trixie gave up, quickly leaving the girls' side.
Nanashi also got out, followed by Delanie. "It's hard to appreciate and find myself in this environment, I must take my leave." Delanie stated, with all of the girls looking away as she walked by.
"I just think it smells too bad. Sorry Melissa!" Nanashi apologized, having her nose plugged.
"No I get it. I'll stick it out for us, don't worry." Melissa assured Nanashi, waving to her as she left.
"And that's three more down!" Chris announced through the intercom as he was now waiting outside the gate to see who would leave. "Nanashi, Trixie, and Delanie are out!"
The rest of the girls just had to plug their noses to put up with the smell, moving far away from Petunia. Except for Athena, who was still napping. "My condolences Petunia, but such is the consequence of the mutation." Dawn told her.
"I know, maybe it's payback for how I was for so long. I deserve this..." Petunia mumbled, sinking into the water a bit.
-Confessional: Mutant Movie Munchers: Nanashi-
Nanashi had a small smile on her face, sitting with her arms crossed. "We were having a good time in there, it's a shame Chris had to do that! But I've been having pretty good luck lately, so this was bound to happen. Just how it is! Good luck Melissa!"
-End Confessional-
No one else left over the course of the next hour, so as soon as 6 o'clock rolled around and the sun had gone down, Chris blew his whistle through the intercom. "Alright! Those of you still in the water can leave now! It's time for part two of today's challenge!" Chris called everyone over, while everyone who had failed the challenge was dressed normally again and sitting on the benches outside the springs.
From the guys' side, it was just Klaas, Toby, Jim, and Kahlin. While out from the girls' side came Kylie, a retoweled Trina, Melissa, and then Athena a little bit later. "An even number, perfect! That makes this a lot easier." Chris noted, seeing who was left.
"Uh, the teams aren't even. It's 4 to 2 to 2. Those ain't even crews." Flynn pointed out right off the bat.
Chris shrugged his shoulders, having his hands behind his back. "If you wanted the teams to be even, then you shouldn't have left the springs. Simple as that dude! As for the rest of you, go ahead and get changed into the yukata for your team's color!" Chris commanded the remaining players.
Melissa walked over to the guys, fist bumping the three of them. "Way to stick it out guys, I say this challenge is already good as won for us as long as we try." Melissa complimented them.
"Yeah, judging by who's left, we've got this. None of them stand a chance against us." Jim stated confidently.
Trina gave Toby a worried look, but he just gave her a comforting smile. "We've got this, don't worry." he told her warmly.
Kylie looked at Athena, who was half awake at the moment. "Great, so I'm basically on my own here." Kylie muttered.
-Confessional: Toxic Film Critics: Athena-
Athena rubbed one eye, now dressed in a gray yukata with a gray ribbon pinned to her hair. "That was some nice relaxation time. But what did Kylie mean she's on her own? There are two of us. Was it supposed to be an insult? Not nice Kylie, not nice."
-End Confessional-
Inside of the resort building, the remaining 8 players were now all dressed in yukatas matching their team colors. "How come you put the ribbon in your hair? I thought that was for just the girls sir." Trina asked, noticing he had a yellow ribbon in his hair along with his yellow yukata, while Luis now had a mini yukata on as well.
"I just thought it looked nice. You look great too." Toby complimented Trina, who smiled back at him.
Chris walked into the room, wearing his dark blue kimono while Chef walked in with a matching dark blue yukata, followed by Dawn and Petunia in green kimonos. "Konichiwa! You have all advanced to round 2! Another tradition of hot spring episodes on the less fanservicey side are indoor games for the characters to reflect and have a good time playing." Chris began to go over what the second challenge was.
The rest of the currently out contestants were inside the room, just sitting on the bamboo benches to watch. Chris pulled back a screen, revealing 4 ping pong tables, with glasses of milk and ping pong supplies on shelves throughout the room. "What better way to get the blood going than milk and ping pong? It's a staple in these kind of episodes. So you guys will be having a ping pong tourney for immunity!" Chris declared.
Bonnie raised an eyebrow, shaking her head. "I never saw these in any anime. I think you're just making up stuff." Bonnie called Chris out.
"You probably only watched pervy shows, so you never saw the more laid back scenes." Petunia rebutted.
Dawn nodded in agreement. "Someone with such dirty tastes would fail to identify the wholesome elements of a genre they are an expert in. It's a shame how much lust blinds some." Dawn added, which shut Bonnie up.
Chef then pulled out a scroll and rolled it, showing a bracket. "Here are the matchups! Whichever team loses all their members first sends someone home, and whoever wins the whole thing takes first for their team, and they get to rock the hot springs for the rest of the night!" Chris stated, with the remaining players looking over who was facing who.
After seeing their matchups, the 8 players walked to the ping pong tables, all grabbing a glass of milk and a paddle that matched their team color. "For round 1, we have Kylie vs Klaas, Toby vs Jim, Kahlin vs Athena, and Melissa vs Trina!" Chris announced the matchups as they took their positions.
Kylie flipped her gray paddle in her hand, smirking at Klaas. "I hope you know I'm pretty good at ping pong. We had a table in the club room, I wasn't the best, but definitely good enough to kick your butt right now." Kylie told Klaas confidently.
"Your club room had a ping pong table? Cool, so did the poker club I go to." Klaas replied with his poker face, not giving away any expression.
Toby took a sip from his glass of milk, then set it down on the shelf as he grabbed his paddle, still holding Luis with his right hand. "Good luck, and I hope you have fun!" Toby told Jim with a smile.
Jim looked conflicted as he grabbed his paddle, but still had a serious face. "We'll see about that." was all he responded with.
Kahlin twirled his paddle in his hand for a moment, looking at Athena with a smirk. "Don't think I forgot what happened in the vampire challenge. I know you have something up your sleeve. The one who caught me off guard." Kahlin told Athena.
"Oh. Okay." Athena responded, not sure what to make of it.
Melissa chuckled, getting a good grip on her paddle while she looked at Trina. "Sorry to do this. But a challenge is a challenge." Melissa apologized in advance.
"Don't worry ma'am, I understand. But I won't go down easy. Dad's break room had a ping pong table, I can take care of myself!" Trina tried to remain optimistic, but she looked beyond worried.
Petunia and Dawn brought the ping pong balls over to the tables, handing one to each of the remaining Munchers, then stepped away as Chef prepared to hit a gong at the end of the room. "You'll be playing to 3 points, and we'll be watching, so no funny business! Begin!" Chris started the challenge, with Chef then banging the gong.
Right away, Melissa served and started her game, whacking the ball with plenty of spin. Trina could barely reach her paddle over by the time it got to her, so it just whizzed right by. "1 love. My serve again." Melissa stated the score, holding her free hand open for Trina to toss it back.
Trina sighed, tossing the ball back to Melissa. "Great, losing to a jock again..." Trina muttered to herself.
Jim served for his game, and despite hitting it fairly hard, Toby was able to return it by just softly tapping the ball. "Huh?" Jim was caught off guard by this, and thus let the ball go right past him as he didn't have enough time to return it back to Toby.
"It's meow or never Toby, keep it up!" Luis cheered Toby on, with the two high fiving each other.
Jim tossed Toby the ball, putting a serious face on again. "That won't happen again. I need to beat you so I can kick Kahlin's butt next round." Jim stated firmly, waiting for the puppeteer to serve.
Toby didn't say anything back, just tossing the ball and then gently hitting it across. Jim again went for a hard hit, sending the ball rocketing towards Toby. Yet again though, Toby was able to just deflect it with a soft tap, taking away most of the momentum. "Come on! Take it seriously!" Jim shouted, smacking the ball with great force again.
Toby tapped the ball back after Jim smacked it, prompting Jim to smack it even harder the next time. This extra power was too much though, and the ball missed the table. "That's two to zero. Maybe don't hit super hard? It's about control, not strength." Toby advised, picking the ball up from the floor, while Jim just scowled at him.
Kylie and Klaas were at 1-1 at the moment, both fairly evenly matched and having a good rally going. Every hit that Klaas put power into, Kylie just returned it with a curve. "Hmph. Not bad." Klaas commented after Kylie managed to get the ball to bounce off the table and hit his chest thanks to the curve.
"Like I said, I know what I'm doing." Kylie said with a smirk as she prepared to serve again.
Kylie tossed the ball up to serve it, then scraped it with her paddle and sent it towards Klaas. "Hit this!" Kylie shouted as it looked like a hefty swing.
Klaas waited for the ball to reach him, but as soon as the ping pong ball hit the table, it faintly bounced and then just rolled to him. "Topspin baby! I win!" Kylie cheered, setting down her paddle and pumping a fist.
Klaas let out a huff, crossing his arms while Kylie continued to cheer and drink her milk in celebration. "Guess I was outplayed. Congrats. Jim will probably take care of you." Klaas figured, then walked away to go sit with Nanashi.
-Confessional: Mutant Movie Munchers: Klaas-
Klaas only look mildly bothered, scratching the back of his head. "So ping pong wasn't really my thing. I was just saying that to try and intimidate her. You don't give away your hand. I just drew unlucky here. I've been having good luck lately, so figures something like this happens."
-End Confessional-
Melissa finished off Trina with an easy 3-0 score to no one's surprise, leaving the secretary to just sigh in defeat. "Good game ma'am!" Trina still kept a bright spirit, holding a hand out to shake.
Melissa smiled at this, shaking Trina's hand. "Good sports conduct, love to see someone who can take loss well. This just wasn't your thing, made sense I'd win." Melissa told Trina, lightly chuckling.
Trina giggled with her, then set down her paddle. "Good luck with your future matches ma'am!" Trina wished Melissa, then walked over to the benches to sit with Delanie and watch.
Melissa looked over at Kahlin, who slammed the ball across the table, making it fly by Athena. "And that's game!" Kahlin declared, although Athena didn't show much of a reaction to this.
"Oh, good game I guess." Athena told Kahlin, then just walked away with her milk, not dwelling on the match whatsoever.
"What was your score?" Melissa asked Kahlin curiously, leaning against her table and then taking a sip of her milk.
"3-2. She really had me for a second there. Did not expect her to be that good." Kahlin answered, taking a deep breath.
Melissa's eyes widened a little, making her look back at Athena walking away, then back at Kahlin. "Really? Did not see her being much better than Trina. I bageled her 3-0, figured you'd do the same." Melissa commented.
Kahlin shrugged, rubbing one arm. "Guess not here. But looks like we'll be playing each other next round. We're already safe from elimination." Kahlin pointed out.
Melissa looked over at the bracket, getting a relieved smile. "Sweet. And Jim plays against Kylie. So looks like that night in the hot springs will be ours." Melissa said confidently.
The two looked over to Jim's game, seeing Jim score on him by putting a harsh curve on the ball. "2 points for me, guess that's it for you!" Jim taunted Toby, having even things out.
"Toby! Don't lose this! Trina lost her match, so it's curtains if you lose!" Esteban called to Toby.
Jim got ready to serve his ball, then looked and saw that Kylie, Kahlin, and Melissa won their matches. "Alright, final point, good luck!" Toby told Jim, ready for him to serve.
Jim hesitated to serve, looking at Toby smiling ready to play this next point. "Hmph." Jim just grunted, then hit the ball to Toby's side.
Toby returned the ball with a soft tap again, slowing its momentum. Jim swung at it, but ended up missing it completely, much to Melissa and Kahlin's surprise. "That was a slow one, how did you miss that?" Kahlin asked.
Jim slammed his paddle down on the table after that, glaring at Kahlin. "I don't wanna hear anything from you. This dweeb probably does nothing but small games like this, I didn't think he'd slow it down that much." Jim replied with venom, then stormed off.
Chris watched Jim lose, and Chef banged the gong. "Kylie, Toby, Kahlin, and Melissa move on to the next round! It's still any team's game to win!" Chris announced, with Dawn and Petunia folding up two of the tables and rolling them away.
Kylie looked over at Toby with a smirk, who just happily waved back at her, while Kahlin and Melissa got competitive grins. "I'm gonna kick your butt here, I hope you know that." Melissa told Kahlin playfully.
"Right back at ya!" Kahlin responded, with the two fist bumping.
-Confessional: Mutant Movie Munchers: Jim-
Jim had a scornful look, clenching his fists. "I threw that. Now we're even. He helped me out with that talk, I let him move on. I owe him nothing now, so my game isn't in jeopardy anymore. If our team being safe wasn't guaranteed, then yeah I would've curbstomped him. But for this case, just this once, I played nice."
-End Confessional-
The four remaining players were now stationed at their tables, with Dawn and Petunia handing the pairs their ping pong balls. Dawn handed a ball to Melissa, and Petunia handed one to Kylie. "Round 2, this one decides which team is sending someone home tonight! You may begin!" Chris started the next round, and Chef banged the gong again.
Melissa quickly served the ball, and was pleased to see Kahlin easily return it. The two got a rally going quickly, slamming it back and forth with mild curves to try and mess the other up. "If I win this, I'm taking the role of captain~" Kahlin proposed as he swung.
Melissa gasped at this, before just getting a fiery look in her eyes. "Oh it's on!" Melissa took up the offer, swinging back harder now.
The other match was less thrilling, with Kylie hitting the ball hard and Toby just gently returning it over and over. "Come on! Get aggressive!" Kylie shouted, getting frustrated.
In her frustration, she smacked the ball just a bit too hard and made it miss the table. "You might want to calm down. We're just playing a fun game of ping pong, no need to get upset." Toby told Kylie calmly, picking the ball up and getting ready to serve.
Melissa and Kahlin were in a furious rally, each hit just making the ball go faster and faster. It could only go so fast though, and Kahlin was able to get the upper hand by suddenly putting a drastic curve on the ball. Melissa had to nearly dive to get it, which gave Kahlin the chance to hit it the other way when she returned it. "That's 1-1! Uh oh Melissa, it's even still, worried I'll take your spot as captain?" Kahlin remarked, getting ready to serve.
"No, because I'll w- HEY!" Melissa was caught off guard as Kahlin served while she talking, making her react too slow and miss the ball.
"Now that's 2-1! Feeling worried now?" Kahlin asked again, snickering a little.
Melissa still shook her head, getting a more serious face. "Nope. Bring it." Melissa replied, gripping her paddle tighter.
Kylie was growing more frustrated, as Toby was still playing soft and returning every ball with little force. "Knock it off! This is getting stale!" Kylie complained, hitting the ball with as much force as she could right at Toby.
Toby just deflected it again though, slicing the ball with his paddle and sending it back. The ball bounced on Kylie's side, then bounced right back onto Toby's side before she could hit it. "No! Where did that come from!?" Kylie let out as she flopped onto the table trying to hit it.
"No need to get stressed meowt! Just take a deep breath, paws, and play it calmer!" Luis advised, with the score now 2-0 between them.
Kylie groaned, just gripping her paddle again as Toby got ready to serve once more. "Not gonna happen, you'll just smack it when I do that." Kylie replied, dismissing the advice.
Melissa managed to get the upper hand on Kahlin in their match, smacking the ball hard enough downwards so it launched towards his face and hit him in the forehead. "Woah! Now that was vicious! 2 to 2! Here we go!" Kahlin rubbed his forehead after losing the point, then just tossed the ball back to Melissa so she could serve it.
Melissa didn't laugh like he did though, serving the ball with ferocity. Kahlin was still able to receive it though, casually hitting it back at the same speed. "Ooh, struck a nerve did I? Oops." Kahlin chuckled as the two broke out into another long rally.
Kylie had created a fierce rally as well, although the intensity was pretty one sided, as Kylie was basically playing against a wall with how Toby just kept softly returning everything. Both the Award Winners and Critics were watching closely, cheering on their teammates. The Munchers had checked out, since they were already safe. "Keep at it, letting the peaceful playstyle guide you to the win..." Delanie encouraged Toby.
"Come on lass! Don't let this landlubber get the best of ye!" Flynn cheered Kylie on, pumping a fist in the air.
Kylie continued to hit strong hits with an angry look on her face, and Toby continued to just deflect them with a smile. "Return this!" Kylie shouted, gripping the paddle with both hands and swinging it like a bat.
The ball certainly flew faster than it ever had before onto the table, throwing her off balance for a second after hitting it. Seeing that she threw herself off, Toby just binked the ball to the side, letting it bounce off the table and to the floor before Kylie could reach it.
"NO!" Kylie and Melissa cried out at the same time, as Kahlin hit another extreme curve and put it just out of Melissa's reach.
Chef banged the gong, and Chris clapped his hands. "Kahlin and Toby move on to the final round! Color me surprised!" Chris announced.
Toby walked over to Kylie and offered a hand to help her up, which she took. "Hey, a loss is a loss, but it's just a game, so don't let it claw ya down!" Luis tried to comfort Kylie.
"Ugh, it's hard to stay mad at you... good game." Kylie told Toby, then stormed off.
Melissa groaned, and Kahlin walked over to her to give her a playful elbow. "So... about team leadership..." Kahlin began.
"All yours. You won it. Good game." Melissa told him, holding a hand out to shake.
Kahlin reached to shake her hand, but then just high-fived it instead. "I was just playing with you. You lead this team much better than I would. Just wanted to get a game out of you putting full effort y'know? That was fun." Kahlin told her, giving a wave of dismissal.
Melissa blinked, cracking a smile and taking a deep breath when she processed what he said. "Oh. You were just... okay. You really got me going there! Good luck in your final match then, but it shouldn't be too difficult." Melissa told Kahlin, then walked away to join the rest of her team.
-Confessional: Mutant Movie Munchers: Kahlin-
Kahlin laughed to himself, before just sighing with a smile. "Ah Melissa, she's pretty fun. Seeing her get fired up like that, not even my baseball coach gets that worked up over a game. I feel pretty confident in our captain after that. It's funny, nothing was on the line there, yet she gave it her all. Gotta respect that."
-End Confessional-
Kahlin and Toby were now stationed at the only ping pong table left in the room, with Dawn and Petunia having wheeled the other one out. "Final match! This one decides who gets to enjoy the hot springs for night! You may begin!" Chris started the final match, and Chef banged the gong.
Kahlin had the ball to serve, with both boys smiling at each other. "Heh, didn't expect my final opponent to be you. Would have loved a match with Jimmy, guess I gotta whoop you for taking that." Kahlin remarked, then tossed the ball up.
Toby readied himself for a hard shot like the other matches, but Kahlin instead sliced the ball on the serve, putting it out of Toby's reach right away. "Aaaand 1-0!" Kahlin exclaimed as Toby failed to hit it.
Toby chuckled as he grabbed the ball, getting ready to serve. "Nice one. I was telling Jim and Kylie to hit it soft for shots like that, but they didn't really listen. Good on you!" Toby complimented Kahlin, tossing the ball to him for the serve.
Kahlin then served the ball, with Toby tapping it back over, although Kahlin right away slammed it with a harshly curved return. Toby again tried to reach, but he just wasn't fast enough. "2-0! Man, Chris really should have seeded these matches better." Kahlin remarked as Toby grabbed the ball.
Toby just carried a smile though as he handed Kahlin the ball. "I guess so. I'm not that great at this, I just got kinda lucky with my matches. You're really good though, congrats!" Toby praised Kahlin.
Kahlin smirked, then just served the ball as hard as he could, which whizzed right by Toby. "I can tell. But you've got a long way to go. Good game." Kahlin told Toby, who already held out a hand to shake.
The two shook hands, and Chef banged the gong. "Well that was anticlimactic. But it was just for a reward anyway. Munchers! The hot springs are yours for the night!" Chris declared, prompting the team to erupt into cheers.
"Nice one Kahlin!" Nanashi high fived Kahlin, as did the rest of the team except for Jim.
Chris then looked over at the Critics, who already had for the most part accepted their lost. "Critics, you didn't make it to the final round, so you'll be sending someone home tonight. I'll see you at the award ceremony tonight. Award Winners, you'll have to leave the resort as well, but you can rest easy tonight at least." Chris told the teams, then left with Chef.
While the Munchers remained inside, the Critics and Award Winners left the building with a mostly gloomy atmosphere. Except for Trina, who hurried over to the Critics. "Hey! Thanks for letting us win Kylie! I know it was probably tough to throw the match to Toby ma'am." Trina thanked them, which earned both her and Kylie some weird looks.
"Huh? What she be talkin' about lass?" Flynn asked Kylie sharply.
Trina gestured to Delanie with a thankful smile, then back to Kylie. "Kylie, Flynn, and Luna have been talking in private for a couple days now, usually with just one or the other, so I figured a team alliance like the one you tried to form in the vampire challenge was made. Since we had less members than you, Kylie threw so we wouldn't have to send someone home. Thank you so much for your kindness ma'am!" Trina further thanked Kylie.
Kylie shook her head right away though, seeing the glares she was now getting from her team. "What!? No that's not what happened at all! Toby is just really good at ping pong for no reason! Athena lost too! Does that mean she threw?" Kylie defended herself.
Trina raised an eyebrow, a little confused. "Oh? Sorry, I misspoke then. I just didn't quite understand how you lost. Best of luck next challenge then!" Trina still wished them good luck, then walked away to rejoin her team in their walk back to the trailers.
Kylie rolled her eyes as Trina left, then looked to the rest of her team. "Can't believe that. She really thought that I would throw. Ugh, even I wanted to throw, it definitely wouldn't have been to Toby." Kylie remarked, almost in disgust.
Trixie got a grin though, shaking her head and then quickly put on a straight face. "Actually, you and Delanie have been talking quite a lot lately, more than you with anyone on our team. You locked us out of the girls' trailer just yesterday to talk to her." Trixie pointed out.
Jack looked surprised by this, giving Kylie a worried look. "Is this true?" he asked.
Kylie shook her head. "I mean, most of it's wrong. Delanie was also a cheerleader, so we just have chats sometimes. Not gonna make an alliance like that when the teams are so close in numbers. Trina just filled in the blanks wrong." Kylie explained.
Flynn nodded in agreement with Kylie. "Yeah, she thought I was talkin' to Delanie too when we ain't even spent more than a second in the same room. I say we just cut our weakest link and try our best next time." Flynn suggested, with them all already knowing who he was talking about.
"Yeah, sure." Trixie agreed to the suggestion, while Jack looked a bit conflicted still.
Kylie and Flynn then walked ahead together, while Athena just lagged behind. "I guess it is just overanalyzing things... gotta avoid doing that. Makes you wonder who you can really trust if you pay attention to the details like that. Sure Delanie and Kylie talked alone, but that doesn't automatically make it a bad thing." Jack reasoned positively.
Trixie shrugged her shoulders, not too worried about the situation. "Whatever happens, we'll just vote together yeah? I don't think either of us is at risk. So just follow my lead." Trixie directed Jack, who gave a thumbs up.
-Confessional: Toxic Film Critics: Thomas-
Thomas rubbed his chin in thought, before looking at the camera. "Today was surely interesting. I got to understand Flynn a bit better, same for Jack. I know Trixie and I have a pact, but I never said I had to vote with her, just not for her. I think I know where my vote falls tonight."
-End Confessional-
Grandiose music played after the confessionals, showing a highlight reel of all of Chris's best moments and expressions from throughout the series. Fireworks could be heard, and the reel panned out to show a giant Gilded Chris in the center of it all. Fireworks went off behind the statue and the music got louder, signaling that the award ceremony was about to start.
The six members of the Toxic Film Critics were gathered in the stands, seated in three rows of two. Flynn and Thomas were in the front, Athena and Jack in the middle, and Kylie and Trixie sat in the back. They all had their voting devices, while Chris walked on stage still wearing his kimono, as was Chef while he carried the tray of Gilded Chrises. "Welcome Critics! Here I thought you'd be done with losing for a while, but you're right back here once more! Guess today wasn't so relaxing after all." Chris joked as he greeted them.
"It'd have been more relaxing if you didn't drop a bomb on us and made that skunk stink up our side." Trixie responded coldly with her arms crossed.
Chris just laughed at this though. "Oh come on, that was a good one and you know it. It got you out of there fast! But nonetheless, it's voting time! Cast your vote on your devices and we'll be through this fast so all but one of you can get back to relaxing for the night... in your crummy trailers." Chris directed everyone.
Jack bit his lip as he voted, making sure his screen was hidden. Thomas voted without hesitation, as did Athena. Trixie tapped her vote in quickly, then flipped her device to keep it hidden. Kylie voted with a bothered look, and Flynn thought for a second before finalizing his vote.
Once all the votes were in, Chef prepared to throw the statues while Chris looked over the results on his tablet. "Hmm... interesting! Not surprising, but interesting! The Gilded Chrises go to..."
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"Thomas."
Thomas nodded, effortlessly catching his statue when it was tossed to him.
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"Flynn."
Flynn let out a pleased grunt, also catching his statue with little effort.
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"Trixie."
Trixie smirked, lazily holding up one arm to catch her statue.
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"Jack."
Jack sighed with relief, then caught his statue with both hands.
That left the bottom two, who had very different reactions to being here. Athena looked apathetic to it all, while Kylie grumbled to herself. "I go the furthest today and this is my thanks? Some people. Unless it was you Athena, then I get it. You gotta vote for someone." Kylie chastised the rest of her team.
Athena just shrugged her shoulders, only glancing at Kylie for a moment. "Athena, you're on the chopping block for not really contributing much, plus you're just plain weird. Kylie, even if you didn't throw today, you still got your butt kicked by Toby in ping pong, not the best look for you either way." Chris explained why they were here, grabbing the last Gilded Chris from the tray.
Kylie crossed her arms, fiercely eying the statue while Athena's face didn't change at all. "Now, the final Gilded Chris goes to..."
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"Athena!"
Kylie gasped as Athena caught her statue, still not showing any real reaction. "Are you kidding me!? You kept Athena over me!? I literally outlasted all of you in the water and the ping pong challenge! You're throwing me away to let this Brit who doesn't do squat stick around?" Kylie let out angrily.
"Oh. I made it to the ping pong challenge too." Athena reminded Kylie.
Jack looked guilty still, rubbing his arm. "I just didn't know if you threw or not. You still might've." Jack defended his decision, although this just made Kylie focus on him.
"Might've!? You voted me out because you thought there was a chance I threw!? Oh my god, you're so paranoid it's sickening. I don't know how we had that winning streak with you in charge. It had to be have been a miracle. I'm out of here, can't stand stuff like that." Kylie scolded Jack, then stormed out of the stands to head to the Walk of Shame.
As she walked away, Kylie looked back at her former team one last time, glaring at Jack. "You all better stop going along with his delusions! You threw away Lilac, now me, you'll just keep throwing away your good players until there's nothing but him and Athena! So watch out!" Kylie warned them, then stormed down the red carpet.
Chris watched Kylie leave, then looked back at the remaining Critics. "Harsh, but I'll let you all decide what to make of that. For now, you can head back to your trailers to rest up for the night! Wouldn't want to fall to last place would you?" Chris dismissed the Critics with a smirk. This prompted the remaining 5 Critics to get up and leave one by one, none of them really in a good mood except for Trixie.
-Confessional: Toxic Film Critics: Trixie-
Trixie had a smug look on her face, clenching one fist proudly. "I don't know what exactly Delanie and Kylie had going on, but whatever it is, it's over. Whatever Kylie was planning didn't pan out and Delanie lost an ally. Those two were getting dangerously close. I should start weakening the other powerhouses before we hit the merge as well. That way my alliances will be the only ones that rule. I've got my work laid for me now..."
-End Confessional-
With the Critics and Kylie gone, Chris faced the camera while standing on stage. "And there goes our cheerleader! What a beauty she was. Will the Critics get some sense finally? Just how will Melissa continue after her brutal loss? And what kind of character will Delanie play next time? Find out these and more next time, on Total, Drama, Reeeeeeevenge of the Film Lot!" Chris concluded the episode, then took a formal bow.
Teams Remaining:
Mutant Munchers: Melissa, Nanashi, Kahlin, Bonnie, Klaas, Jim
Award Winners: Delanie, Beck, Esteban, Trina, Toby
Toxic Critics: Jack, Trixie, Thomas, Athena, Flynn
Placements:
17th: Kylie
18th: King
19th: Freddy
20th: Lilac
21st: Vergil
22nd: Diamond
23rd: Flaky
24th: Maxine
25th: Donna
Author's Note:
Kylie is gone, yeah, I didn't initially peg her as 9th boot initially, but with the team politics and Trixie seizing control, this was bound to happen. Once she lost Lilac, it was only a matter of time before this wound to her social game took her down. But is she a victim of Delanie's or a victim of Trixie's? Both? I'll leave that up to interpretation. I enjoyed writing her, her dynamic with Bonnie was one of my favorites so far. Thank you to xxPrincxssxx for allowing me to use her! I hope you all enjoyed the episode, be sure to join the Discord for bonus content, and I'll see you all next time! Have a great day!