Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.
"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.
"The desperate struggle for power raged on, as more and more deals were made behind the backs of people's closest allies," Chris recapped.
"It's getting harder to tell who actually trusts each other at this point," Lindsay admitted.
"Well you know how they say actions speak louder than words," Topher mentioned. "The votes speak the loudest of all."
"But before then, some of the season's power players showed why they were the power players," Chris grinned. "Cyan gathered her old teammates Frita and Vladimir for a Bailey vote, while Bailey tried to get Cyan in on a Kun vote. And then Vladimir started a whole different deal with Brittany, Hugh, and Quentin!"
"People will do anything if it means making it just that much farther," Topher chuckled. "From Harold rigging the votes against Courtney, to Rhiannon stabbing Shadya in the back, all's fair in love and Total Drama."
"Courtney successfully sued us when that happened. Nothing about that scenario was fair," Chris groaned.
"I don't like to think about it," Lindsay whimpered.
"Anyway, the challenge took advantage of the illustrious O'Neal Barcade, and our contestants played games against each other in a tournament-style three-round affair."
"Some people got really lucky. Other people were Kun," Topher remarked.
"Frita and Vladimir won safety, and Frita's weird new hobby of playing Street Fighter clinched the penthouse for her," Chris explained.
"When I pick up new hobbies, people just call me a poser who's latching onto trends," Topher complained.
"Imagine that," Chris quipped. "We cut to the chase once elimination started, with Kun and Bailey throwing each other under the bus. Thanks to her aggressive gameplay - and her aggressive attitude during the ceremony - Bailey made herself more and more of a target. Brittany used her Godfrey Statue, but to little avail. Thus leaving House Party as the first season to lose all its reps."
"I can't believe Hugh would just turn on Bailey like that!" Lindsay objected.
"...You were there for Alpha Party, sweetheart. I know you can believe it," Chris said.
"He seemed like he got better. Right?" Lindsay claimed.
"Well, right or not, the final seven are going to have to pull out all the stops if they want to make the final six. Hehaha," Chris chuckled. "How will Brittany adapt to the script being flipped? How will Kun adapt to being sent right back to Isolation? How will Chef adapt to nobody caring that he went on strike?"
"Wait, Chef is still here?" Lindsay gasped.
"It's all happening right now, on Total!" Chris began.
"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.
"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.
Brittany and Hugh met up outside the motel.
"Alright," Brittany sighed. "Fill me in."
"Sorry. I'm flattered, really I am, but sadly I'm taken," Hugh declined.
"Now is not the time for gross jokes, Hugh!" Brittany scolded. "You left me and Bailey out to dry, and I'm giving you one chance to defend that decision."
"Huh? Oh, that's easy," Hugh claimed. "Bailey was making herself more and more of a target. And we were targets by extension. You remember how I almost went home because people were scared of our alliance! By cutting Bailey, it makes us look more open to working with the others, and less like we're some impenetrable clique."
"It makes you look like that. You're the one who turned on her," Brittany corrected.
"And it's my fault somehow that you didn't?" Hugh scoffed. "I get you're all about loyalty and stuff this time, but you of all people know when to cut your losses, Brittany! You've got a million pieces of evidence in your bank account to prove it."
"Well, the fact of the matter is, I didn't turn on Bailey," Brittany redirected. "Where does that leave me? On the outs, as the only person who voted in the minority! Did you consider that when you cast your vote, knowing full well I voted for Kun?"
"That's not for me to consider!" Hugh argued.
"How is it not?!" Brittany ranted. "Bailey could still be in the game if you had just voted with us and played your statue! I had no reason to believe you suddenly wouldn't stick with us!"
"Because people would hate our asses even more and it'd just bring them even closer together to take us out!" Hugh debated. "Look, did Vladimir give you the same offer he gave me?"
"Us three and Quentin?" Brittany asked.
"That's the one," Hugh nodded. "Despite what you may think, I still trust you. I wouldn't bet my life on Quentin and Vladimir-"
"No, just Bailey's life," Brittany interrupted.
"-but I don't think they're in any rush to screw us over, either," Hugh finished. "I know Vlad won't rest easy with Cyan still in the game. We can push that angle."
"And the fact that Quentin's close with Frita and Kun doesn't concern you?" Brittany mentioned. "Because if you combine that with Frita being close to Vladimir, and Cyan being close to Kun, it sounds a lot like they could have a strong five going."
"Well, even if that was true, what happens next after they boot the two of us?" Hugh brought up. "All we have to do is sow discord among them and make them realize that they can't trust each other that much. Shouldn't be that hard."
"You had better be right about that," Brittany stressed.
Confessional:
Brittany: I don't regret the game I've been playing, not even now that it's put me in an awful position. I've come this far, and I'm not going to give up just because things are a lot less certain. I just need to recalibrate, take a look at where everyone stands, and position myself from there. That's something I know for a fact I can do.
Hugh: You don't win a game this big without making moves that are just as big. Every winner of this game has backstabbed at least one person. Eh, except maybe Dunstan, but he's the exception. Point is, I've made it through worse patches in this game. I can make it through this.
The marquee outside Hatchet's diner had not changed since yesterday. Inside the diner, Cyan and Quentin ate breakfast at the same booth.
"So... How about last night's vote?" Quentin brought up.
"I never knew Bailey that well," Cyan admitted. "She tried to get something going with me, and by 'tried' I mean she dropped an alliance offer in my lap without so much as asking me how my day was going."
"Right?" Quentin agreed. "I was sketched out by her ever since the team shuffle. Honestly, she probably would have been voted out if we had lost a challenge."
"Well, after Kiki, Shadya, and now her, the merge has more than made up for it," Cyan teased.
"Yeah, I'd better watch out," Quentin played along. "But hey, how's your day going?"
"Is that the lead-in to an alliance offer?" Cyan laughed.
"Doesn't have to be. I do want to know how you've been doing," Quentin claimed. "I don't think we've had the chance to talk too much."
"Yeah, I guess it is only halfway through the merge," Cyan giggled. "Honestly, I'm a little shocked I'm still here, but I'm doing what I can."
"That's been me for a while," Quentin admitted. "But hey, after I got Shadya out, and you got Bailey out, it's not our fault if people still underestimate us."
"You've gotten pretty confident," Cyan noted. "Also... You're giving me credit for the Bailey vote?"
"Aren't you the one who brought her up first?" Quentin asked. "That's what I heard, anyway."
"It's hard to say for sure if I was the first to put her name out there, though I did make a push for her yesterday," Cyan explained. "Even back before the shuffle, when she joined our team, I could tell she was playing to win. Her leaving should make things easier on all of us."
"So what are you thinking now? Brittany and Hugh?" Quentin inquired.
"There it is," Cyan smirked. "Hugh or Vladimir is where I'm leaning right now. Vladimir's a bigger threat, but Hugh is more annoying. Either/or works for me."
"There's a good case for both of them," Quentin agreed. "Hopefully one of them wins Invincibility so we don't have to think too hard about picking."
"I guess," Cyan laughed.
Confessional:
Quentin: Of course, I've got an alliance with Hugh and Vladimir, so I'm not in any rush to vote them out. At least not before I have to. Actually, I think Cyan is the biggest threat to my game at this point. I've never had anything against her, but I'd say she's playing a pretty good game. So she might be my best target right now. Weird how that works out.
Cyan: I don't know, I've just never gotten the impression that Quentin's told me everything. Not at the start, and definitely not now. I don't think he's a bad person, but after the Shadya vote, he's seemed sketchier and sketchier to me. So hey, I wouldn't be against losing him if it comes down to it.
Vladimir found Frita playing Street Fighter at the barcade.
"I'd say you're the person here who needs to practice the least," Vladimir joked.
"Please. If it was me and Quentin in the top two of that challenge, he would have won," Frita denied. "You need something?"
"Well, since you asked," Vladimir smiled. "Yesterday, I set up an alliance with Quentin, Brittany, and Hugh. I want to let it be known, though, that you're still an incredibly valuable ally to me. The only reason I didn't include you was because I wanted to avoid making it look to Brittany and Hugh like they were fourth and fifth wheels."
"That makes sense," Frita sighed. "I don't think any of us beat Brittany in the end."
"You're 100% right about that," Vladimir nodded. "But we can get rid of her easily once Cyan and Kun are gone. Maybe before then if Invincibility gets in the way."
"They could both win today," Frita highlighted.
"True. Good thing we're already prepared, huh?" Vladimir chuckled.
"Anything can go wrong. Hyping yourself up is only going to set yourself up for failure," Frita claimed.
Her character in the video game ran out of HP.
"Sorry for distracting you," Vladimir apologized.
"It's the boss. I've never been able to beat him," Frita said. "And I didn't expect to. So I'm not disappointed."
"As long as you're having fun, that's all that matters," Vladimir shrugged.
"That's big, coming from you," Frita sneered.
"Who says I'm not just having fun out here on Total Drama?" Vladimir proposed.
"You've got a weird way of showing it," Frita grumbled.
"Any weirder than your own hobbies?" Vladimir questioned.
"...Can't argue with that," Frita sighed.
"What I'm trying to say is there's no shame in enjoying something you enjoy, even if other people aren't the biggest fan," Vladimir clarified.
"You can keep saying it, Dev, but I'm not going to believe you," Frita dismissed.
"I thought I told you not to call me that," Vladimir leered.
"Oh, sorry, Barry," Frita corrected herself.
Confessional:
Vladimir: Frita's become a lot more comfortable in the game than I'm used to her being. Certainly, that's not a bad thing on its own, but I'm going to have to watch my back with her. I think she still trusts me, and I want to keep it that way. Hence why I told her about the alliance at all. Like I said, she can easily replace Brittany down the line.
Frita: Yeah, Devlin's clearly obsessed with his own image. I don't think he has any reason to turn on me, though, so I might as well take advantage of that. ...Watch, now that I said that, he's going to throw me under the bus again.
Kun wandered through Isolation Park.
"What am I supposed to do?" he asked the aether. "If people keep voting for me because they think I'm unable to fight back, I either lose or end up back here. Either way, I won't be able to fight back."
He moved a branch aside and peered past it.
"Maybe they'll stop gunning for me now that, um, Bailey's gone," he hoped. "If I'm such a non-threat to them, you'd think they'd put priority on taking out the people who are threats."
He sighed.
"I guess that is what happened with the Bailey vote," Kun conceded. "Hugh probably made some waves by turning on her. Hopefully that takes some heat off of me. Not to mention Vladimir's still here. And Brittany. They've both had, um, targets for a while."
He stopped to catch his breath.
"There has to be a statue around here somewhere, right?" he coped. "Please?"
Confessional:
Kun: Pretty much my entire day yesterday consisted of being stuck in here, doing poorly in the challenge, being told I'm barely a factor in the game, and then being sent back here having to process all of that. I'm hungry, I'm tired, and I'm upset. But I cannot give up. I'm going to be hungry, tired, and upset when I'm in charge of the company my father worked so hard to maintain. ...Okay, probably not hungry, um, I can eat while working in this day and age. ...The point stands.
Brittany, Cyan, and Frita headed to the nightclub.
"Isn't the point of these that you're supposed to go at night?" Frita questioned.
"That's how we know none of the guys are going to bother us," Cyan winked.
"My disdain for the company of others is irrespective of gender," Frita droned.
"Come on, at least give it a shot," Brittany urged. "If you don't like it, you don't have to do it again."
"There's a lot of things I've never done again," Frita pointed out.
"Well if you go in expecting to not like it, you're just going to look for reasons to not like it," Cyan huffed.
The three arrived at their destination, and Cyan opened the door for the others, who entered behind her. Immediately, loud house music began to play; Frita flinched at this.
"Dancing is an underrated form of stress relief," Brittany offered as she and Cyan headed to the dance floor.
"Enhhhhhhhhhhh," Frita groaned, following reluctantly.
Once she made it to the floor, she stood perfectly still. She looked around, as if looking for someone's assurance. The only ones there were Brittany and Cyan, both dancing better than she knew how to. Then she scanned the area for drinks. The bar area from the challenge was present, so she headed over there. Nothing alcoholic. She hesitantly moved back to the dance floor.
"I love this song!" Cyan raved. "...Do you know what it's called?"
"Nope!" Brittany laughed.
Frita began to awkwardly move her arms and torso. Brittany and Cyan didn't pay any more attention to her.
Confessional:
Frita: At least I tried? (she sighs) I don't know.
Hugh, Quentin, and Vladimir met up in the shoddy garage.
"So none of us could find Brittany?" Hugh asked.
"It's a big city. There are a lot of places she could be," Vladimir shrugged.
"Damn, it's almost like putting this season in a stupidly big location like this was a bad idea or something!" Hugh huffed.
"If she would object to any of our plans, you'd know, right?" Quentin offered. "You can speak up in her stead."
"I guess?" Hugh half-committed.
"Well, let's look at our options," Vladimir began. "Cyan, Frita, and Kun."
"Yeah, there's a pretty clear target here, in my opinion," Quentin chuckled.
"We're finally getting rid of Frita? Yes!" Hugh cackled.
"...I meant Cyan, dude," Quentin clarified.
"Heh?" Hugh reacted.
"I mean, she's a social, strategic, and challenge threat, right?" Quentin listed. "I'm pretty sure I've seen her hanging out with Brittany, even."
"Actually now that you mention it, Bailey told me something similar yesterday," Hugh considered. "But won't that just make Brittany less likely to vote for her?"
"If Cyan's a threat to win, that should be reason enough to vote for her," Vladimir reckoned.
"I hesitate to even say it, but in lieu of Brittany, I know Frita doesn't like Cyan that much," Hugh brought up. "You two spend time with her for some reason, right? That can work."
"I've wanted to distance myself from Frita as much as possible, and I believe that feeling's mutual," Vladimir admitted.
"Fair," Hugh accepted.
"I don't think we should dismiss Brittany so easily. And I say that as the one here who's the least close to her," Quentin said. "We've already officialized the alliance with her. Betraying that before we even get to vote together probably won't reflect well on us."
"I know. I'm just saying," Hugh said. "It pays to keep our options open."
"You're preaching to the choir, believe me," Vladimir chuckled. "But hey, bottom line: Cyan's a pretty enticing target, yeah?"
"Yep," "Sure is," Hugh and Quentin responded in unison.
Confessional:
Vladimir: I helped Cyan split up the Terrible Trio like she wanted. That doesn't make her any less of a threat to me. There's little doubt in my mind that she's throwing me under the bus as we speak. And hey, fair enough, but it's my prerogative to give back in kind. That's Total Drama for you.
Hugh: I said before and I'll say again that I don't want to ditch Brittany. I've always felt secure with her as an ally, and that's never happened with anyone else before! But I've got to be realistic here. The end's coming closer and closer, and I'm here to win. And all you really need to do there is make it to the end, and convince people to vote for you. Which would be a lot easier against Frita than Brittany, is all I'm saying!
Quentin: Heh, who would have thought that'd I'd be working closely with two of Total Drama's bigger villains? Well, I guess it's not my first time working with Hugh, but still. I actually feel like it can go somewhere this time. It's kinda nuts, right?
Brittany and Cyan still bopped energetically as they - alongside Frita - left the club.
"Did you have fun?" Cyan asked Frita.
"That's not the first adjective I'd use," Frita murmured.
"Well hey, this might perk you up," Brittany led. "Vladimir tried roping me and Hugh into a final four with him and Quentin."
The others double-took at this news.
"I really shouldn't be surprised by this," Cyan sighed. "Thanks for letting us know."
"I've never trusted him. Not last time, and not now," Brittany claimed.
"Also, wait, that was supposed to perk us up?" Frita winced.
"I'm telling you two because I trust you more than him," Brittany explained. "I want to take this alliance down, not enable it."
"So, what, us plus Kun against Vladimir?" Frita guessed.
"Any of the three would work, though I think Vladimir's the most straightforward option," Brittany figured.
"Guess I can't argue with that," Frita figured.
"You'd vote for Hugh if Quentin and Vladimir were Invincible?" Cyan questioned.
"I wouldn't want to. But if he's willing to throw me under the bus to get ahead, then I think I'm entitled to a move of my own," Brittany declared.
"After how loyal you've been to Hugh this whole game? You're entitled to so much more than that, hon," Cyan encouraged. "Loyalty is one thing, but you've still got to play the game for you."
"He's not that bad if you're on his good side, I promise," Brittany laughed.
"Well, you're the first person to ever be on his good side, so we wouldn't know," Frita commented.
Confessional:
Brittany: Truthfully, I'd rather see Quentin gone than Vladimir, if only because I see him as the least likely of the boys to help me out in a pinch. Vladimir at least has the original Gryphons connection with me. My biggest concern is that, if I do make a selfish move, the jury won't respect it after how much I've touted loyal gameplay. I don't really owe Quentin anything, but I also realize that I should rally people behind someone they'll actually vote for. Sadly, I don't think Frita or Kun would vote for Quentin. (she rubs her temples) It'll all work out, Brittany. Just give it time.
Cyan: I'm not as close with Brit as I am with some of the others, but I don't think she's misleading us, here. And hey, if she's willing to help out when Vladimir isn't, I'll gladly take it! The challenge is probably going to throw some things off, but that's for future Cyan to worry about. For now, I'm just going to encourage Brittany to stick with me, because that's a good idea for everyone involved! (she beams)
Chef sat facedown at the bar area in the barcade, a half-finished beer in his hand.
"Though the drink limit applies only to contestants, I am becoming increasingly concerned about your wellbeing," Jayne mentioned.
"Well that makes one of you," Chef grunted.
"May I also get drunk and have you concern for my wellbeing?" Greg asked as he approached.
"You cannot get drunk," Jayne noted.
"I can pretend," Greg claimed.
"I can be concerned for your wellbeing without you pretending to get drunk," Jayne pointed out.
"Perhaps, but I wanted to make it more authentic," Greg explained.
"I can show you a real bar experience and beat your ass outside," Chef growled.
"That would increase the level of concern towards my wellbeing," Greg considered. "Okay. I'm ready when you are."
"I'll... meet you outside," Chef lied.
Greg accepted this, and left.
"The hell's his deal?" Chef asked Jayne.
"He feels inadequate in his Turing degrees," Jayne said.
...
"You know what, I don't actually care that bad," Chef handwaved. "Having insecurities don't make ya special."
"If I recall, yours led to you kidnapping Chris and hijacking the show for a season," Jayne highlighted.
"The best summer I had in a decade," Chef groaned. "Finally got my own damn way for once. All it took was forcing McLean out of the picture. And it was the season that brought the show back! We wouldn't be here if it weren't for me!"
"If I recall, the season was not greenlit until after filming, and only because former executive producer Gabe Lynch liked the final product," Jayne mentioned. "By all accounts, you should have gotten in trouble."
"I thought you was supposed to make me feel better about all this!" Chef shouted.
"I'm just here to run the bar. That is my job description," Jayne clarified. "If you want a bright side, you are right in saying that House Party helped the show's brief return. However, nobody owes you anything beyond that, given the circumstances in which this was brought about in the first place."
"Does your smart ass at least know why they paroled me just for me to do jack shit out here?" Chef leered.
"Unfortunately, that is beyond my understanding," Jayne denied. "You'd have to ask them yourself."
"Eughhghughughgh," Chef groaned.
He finished his beer, got up, and left the barcade. Greg stood perfectly still outside the door. Chef shoved him over and left.
"Thank you," Greg responded from the ground.
Confessional:
Chef: I really don't wanna do this, mang. But I gotta know what the damn deal is. (he takes a sip of coffee) Sweet Jesus, my head hurts. I'll do this shit tomorrow.
The marquee outside Hatchet's Diner now read 'Eggs'. Inside, Vladimir took a seat across from Brittany.
"It's lunchtime and he's still making eggs, huh?" Vladimir asked.
"They were probably close to expiring," Brittany said. "At least he's making food again."
"Too true," Vladimir agreed. "Well hey, we couldn't find you earlier, but Hugh and Quentin chatted with me about options for tonight."
"Oh, really?" Brittany asked. "Yeah, sorry, I was just kind of killing time by myself. What'd they say?"
"Quentin was interested in gunning for Cyan in particular," Vladimir relayed.
"He's on pretty good terms with Frita and Kun. That's not surprising," Brittany figured.
"You almost sound concerned," Vladimir noted.
"Well, if we do vote out Cyan, that puts him in a pretty comfy spot right there in the middle, doesn't it?" Brittany claimed. "And after he turned on Shadya with no warning, he's not someone I'm entirely confident in giving that much power to. Especially if he's choosing between, say, me and Frita."
"On the plus side, if he does flip on us at final six, the best he can do is tie. Unless Hugh's statue might affect anything," Vladimir thought aloud.
"Right, that," Brittany winced. "I guess since Bailey already outed its existence, I might as well tell you. The Franklin Statue can nullify one person's vote."
"And that could make a difference," Vladimir nodded.
"But only if Hugh is on our bad side," Brittany said.
"Is he on yours?" Vladimir asked.
"I'm... still not happy about the Bailey vote, but that's the game," Brittany sighed. "I'm not going to abandon him that easily."
"Then we shouldn't have that much to worry about, as far as I can tell," Vladimir encouraged. "If Hugh has no reason to turn on us, then neither should Quentin."
"You and I both know it's not that simple, though," Brittany tutted. "We can pretend everyone's equal all we want, but you and I are bigger threats to win than someone like Frita or Kun. Those two have to be considering that."
"I'm flattered that you think I'm a threat, given how most of the jury feels about me," Vladimir smiled. "But it sounds to me like you aren't really thrilled about any arrangement with Quentin."
"He's too well-connected and too well-liked. We can't underestimate him," Brittany debated.
"And Cyan isn't a big threat, too?" Vladimir asked.
"Quit that. We both know she's got the jury on lock," Brittany said. "But she's also in a much more precarious position among those still in the game. Letting her stick around one round longer isn't going to change much for her."
"A decent argument," Vladimir admitted. "Guess you had a lot of time to think about these things while you were killing time on your own."
"Not much else to think about, I guess," Brittany responded.
Confessional:
Vladimir: I am under no delusion that Brittany cares about this alliance outside of Hugh's involvement. Ironic, considering Hugh was the first one in the group to throw her under the bus. I still think Cyan's a bigger threat overall, and honestly Brittany's point about Quentin was fairly sound. But I won't hesitate to eliminate her if it comes down to it. (he shrugs casually)
Brittany: I don't trust Vladimir, and I'm fairly certain he realizes that on some level. I can't just push him away, though. Like it or not, I need to play nice with the others, because otherwise, I'm hosed. But I also need to make active moves, because otherwise, I'm hosed in the finals. It's a tough balance, but I think I can strike it.
Hugh lay on a bench at McLean Park with a magazine on his face. Cyan approached him.
"You doing alright there?" she asked.
"Eh? Wha?" Hugh scrambled, took the magazine off his face, and sat up. "Bored, mostly. You need something?"
"Also bored," Cyan admitted. "Somehow, even though the city is so much bigger than the testing facility, I feel like that just makes it worse."
"There is less shit to do per capita than Neo Wawanakwa, too," Hugh agreed. "Shit, man. I miss TV! I miss weed! I miss Kaylin!"
"God, mood," Cyan agreed. "Except Kaylin. I don't know her."
"My girlfriend. She's tight," Hugh explained. "Never took you for the weed type, though."
"Hey, I know how to party, don't underestimate me," Cyan scolded teasingly. "Honestly, I never took you for the weed type, if anything."
"Blame Kaylin," Hugh smirked.
"Right on," Cyan laughed.
"What about you? You got someone?" Hugh asked.
"Huh?" Cyan blinked. "No, not right now. Focusing on studies, you know?"
"Fuck, you're only young once. Focus on bullshit once you've actually graduated and you're too old to get away with doing dumb shit," Hugh told her.
"Oh, I do dumb... stuff," Cyan assured him. "That's exactly why I'm not committing to anyone right now. Gotta establish my own life first before I get too deep in anyone else's."
"Fair, fair," Hugh nodded. "I'm a one-woman man, though. Sleeping around was never for me."
"Too bad your gameplay isn't that simple," Cyan ribbed.
"Alas," Hugh played along. "Too bad I haven't made top seven in both my seasons. Then it might look like I'm a decent player."
"Yeah, it only took help from statues in both seasons. None of which were actually yours," Cyan bantered.
"I guess you would be bitter at free Invincibility when you're not getting it," Hugh chuckled. "It did cost you Virtual Party, yeah?"
"And look how it cost Irving this season. It all comes around," Cyan sassed.
"I'll have you know that made our close mutual friend Brittany quite upset," Hugh provoked. "She told me just yesterday how badly she misses him, you know."
"Mm, well I'll try to sleep tonight despite that," Cyan dismissed.
"Fingers crossed," Hugh shrugged as he took his leave. He stopped and looked back at her. "Also red is better than blue."
"You get back here this minute!" Cyan snapped. Hugh cackled as he ran away.
Confessional:
Cyan: Hugh is so weird. One second, he's like... an actual human being? And then he goes and pisses you off on purpose for no real reason. Though I am concerned that he thinks I'm close with Brittany. I mean, I'm trying to be, but he shouldn't know that!
Hugh: She almost got me there for a second. Cyan's cool. I'd hang out with her outside the game. But right now, she's a huge-ass obstacle to me, and I can't let my guard around her. If I want to bitch about how bored I am, I can just do that with the friends I already have out here!
Frita and Quentin sat in the nice garage, playing Street Fighter.
"...So, Vladimir told me about your alliance. And so did Brittany," Frita mentioned.
Quentin laughed. "Well dang. Vladimir isn't too surprising. Honestly, if he hadn't beaten me to it, I would have told you. Brittany selling us out, though? Dang."
"She told me and Cyan," Frita said. "At least they're more concerned with getting rid of Vladimir than you. I told them I'd join them in that, but... you know."
"I know," Quentin chuckled. "I threw Cyan's name out to Hugh and Vlad. She's a threat, and not one I trust a whole lot."
"Cyan probably is a bigger threat than him, huh?" Frita mused.
"If Brittany trusts her enough to try to make a move with her? After she outright made moves against Brittany's alliance yesterday?" Quentin shrugged. "I'm just saying."
"No, I agree," Frita made clear.
...
"Are you... doing alright?" Frita asked.
"Huh?" Quentin reacted. "Do I seem like I'm not?"
"It sounded like something was on your mind the other day," Frita admitted. "And then you backstabbed Shadya, and now you're all in on the game talk... I just want to be sure, you know?"
"I mean, Shadya backstabbed me first," Quentin said. "And you've been big on the game, too. I just want to be sure things go well for us, you know?"
"...Us?" Frita asked.
"I mean yeah, we've been pretty close from the start of the game," Quentin said casually. "I trust you more than anyone."
"See, I still feel like there's more to it than that," Frita said uncomfortably. "You want to keep helping me. If something's on your mind, I want to help you, too."
Quentin's face fell.
"You're always saying nobody can understand you? I don't think you'd understand this," Quentin claimed. "Believe me, if I did, I'd tell you. It's just something I need to work through."
Frita sighed through her nose. "...Fair enough..."
"I'm sorry. Maybe someday I'll be willing to talk about it," Quentin said.
Frita knocked out Quentin's character in the video game.
"But hey, you're getting better at this. Yesterday's challenge must have lit a fire in you," Quentin laughed.
Frita did not respond, despite her quiet attempts to.
Confessional:
Frita: L-Look, if Quentin gets distracted by whatever's going on in his head, it'll make it a lot harder for him to do what he has to in the game. That's all it is. This is the best I've done at anything in a long time, and I don't want to squander it.
Quentin: Ah, you know. Classic insecurity about being adequate in my masculinity in light of everything involving Shadya, everything involving Tori, my general inability to provide for either of my teams, that weird touchy subjects challenge, and realizing I probably like guys. I'm definitely overcompensating for everything, haha! ...It's not rational, but that doesn't make it any less real. But it's working! I'm making game moves and getting people on my side! There's a real chance I can win this! I'm flattered that Frita's concerned, but feeling inadequate as a man is one insecurity I doubt she can relate to, you know?
Kun trudged through Isolation Park, taking heavy steps and heavy breaths.
"Need... water..." he rasped.
He looked around to find zero water in the immediate area.
"P-Please...?" he begged.
Kun collapsed onto the ground.
Confessional:
Kun: When I came to, I was in a medical tent that they apparently had set up in the park this whole time. I, um, I have to say, that was rather embarrassing. I should not get exhausted this easily. I-I'm almost to the end. Not, not that I should be looking forward to getting it over with! That's not how real life works. (he sighs defeatedly)
The contestants met up with the hosts at McLean Park.
"Man, it hardly feels like this is everyone," Chris commented. "It's almost like we keep losing someone every day or something, huh?"
"Wait... are they not?!" Lindsay gasped.
"They are, they are, I'm just joking," Chris assured her. "Oh yeah, hi Kun, almost didn't notice you returning there."
"Hello," Kun waved weakly.
"Dude, did you get enough rest?" Quentin asked.
"Oh, more than enough, don't you worry," Kun laughed awkwardly.
"That's the spirit!" Topher encouraged disingenuously.
"Today's challenge will be performed... right over there!" Chris announced as he gestured to a large plexiglass cube set up in the middle of an open field. "It's a simple one, but no less entertaining."
He led the others towards the cube.
"Please don't tell me the challenge is just to be locked up with these artards for hours on end until I can't take it any more," Hugh groaned.
"I mean... it's not just that. Hehaha," Chris implied.
Everyone exchanged concerned looks as they arrived just in front of the cube. Inside the perimeter were seven buttons, and in the middle was a turntable with six closed boxes atop.
"This is going to be fun," Frita sighed.
"Yeah. For me!" Chris laughed. "The challenge is simple: stay on your feet, and keep your button pressed. The moment your button isn't pressed, you're out of the challenge. The moment anything but your feet touch the ground, you're out of the challenge. The last person standing will win Invincibility."
"'Person'?" Brittany questioned. "We're done with two people being safe?"
"I didn't say that," Chris said innocently. "Oh also, whenever someone drops out of the challenge, they'll get to pick one of those boxes in the middle and open it up. Some of them have cool prizes. Some of them will just make things harder for the people still playing in the challenge."
"Betcha one of those prizes is the other Invincibility," Quentin theorized.
"You can always drop out early and find out," Chris said flatly.
"Ah, I'll just see how long I can last," Quentin declined.
"I was being faceti- Never mind! Any questions?" Chris exasperated.
...
"Good, you're all smart, let's get it going!" Chris beamed.
Confessional:
Quentin: An endurance challenge, huh? Fun fact, birds can survive colder temperatures by focusing the blood flow in their legs and feet, which aren't covered in feathers. I've just got to circulate like a bird. Only... the glass box is actually pretty hot inside because it's standing in direct sunlight. ...This metaphor is sounding less and less cool the more I think about it.
Brittany: I'm in a precarious spot right now, so guaranteed safety sounds pretty darn good. I can guarantee you this challenge will be harder than it sounds, though, and it already sounds pretty hard. I just have to do everything I can, no matter what.
Frita: Every day of my life is an endurance challenge. How bad could this really be?
The contestants took their spots, each holding down a button equidistant from the others. The turntable began spinning.
"This challenge is officially underway!" Chris announced.
"Loss conditions have been established. Now all you have to do is not lose," Topher provoked.
"Wow, everything sounds a lot easier when you put it like that," Lindsay realized.
"How about you guys just not be annoying?" Hugh asked.
"Huh, I hadn't thought about it like that..." Lindsay considered.
"I have, and I choose to be annoying anyway," Topher boasted.
"You don't say?" Cyan remarked.
"Someone has to, since you guys keep voting out all the annoying people!" Topher accused. "Ratings are as important as ever."
"You hear that? We aren't annoying, apparently," Frita drawled to Hugh.
"I can start singing," Hugh threatened.
"Okay, okay, most of the annoying people!" Topher corrected.
"How long do you give him until he starts singing anyway?" Cyan asked Kun.
"Eh? Huh?" Kun shook his head rapidly. "Sorry, I, um... I'm a bit out of it."
"I don't blame you," Cyan empathized. "Don't push yourself too hard."
"That's the kind of, um, mentality that doesn't befit a leader," Kun countered.
"Kun, sweetheart, you aren't leading anything right now," Cyan told him.
"Maybe not now, but, um, that's no reason to get complacent," Kun mustered.
"Kun, you're swaying," Cyan worried.
"I'm... not sure what that... means," Kun responded.
Kun fell backwards.
"Kun!" Cyan cried.
"Oh shoot, did he pass out?!" Chris gasped. "Awesome!"
"How is that awesome?!" Lindsay objected.
"Because I was hoping we'd get to open a box soon," Chris explained.
"You know, whenever he wakes up," Topher added.
"Lindsay, go wake him up," Chris instructed.
Lindsay ran into the box and shook Kun.
"Hey! You're still alive, right?! If you're alive, say nothing!" she panicked.
...
"Okay, good, he's alive," she said with a sigh of relief.
"Ughhhhh..." Kun groaned as he woke up. "Darn, did I pass out again?"
"Open one of these boxes, then go to your room and get some rest this instant!" Lindsay pleaded.
"Is that allowed?" Kun asked.
"I'm making it allowed!" Lindsay insisted. "I'm just as much a host as Chris and Topher, and I say you can rest!"
"That's definitely not true, right?" Topher asked Chris.
"Eh, she's let us get away with a lot. Let her have this," Chris told him.
Kun opened the closest box, and confetti shot out of it.
"Ah! What happened?!" he jumped. He leaned in close to read text on the inside of the lid. "'Congratulations, you have just won Invincibility'. Oh... Neat."
"Wait, what?!" Hugh gasped. "He lost first and he's still safe?!"
"Hey, I said you guys could always drop out early and check the boxes for safety," Chris shrugged smugly. "Not my fault he beat you to it."
"I don't think it's even Kun's fault," Vladimir chuckled.
Confessional:
Kun: It's... horribly embarrassing letting myself succumb to exhaustion this easily. I can't even feel good about, um, guaranteed safety tonight. If I can't last two nights without rest while playing a game, how am I meant to r-run a company?
Cyan: I'm still not entirely sure why he insists on making things so hard for himself. I get he has high expectations, but there's a difference between that and punishing yourself for no reason!
The six remaining players stood with their hands against a button.
"I forget, can we change which hand is pressing the button?" Quentin asked.
"As long as it never gets un-pressed," Chris said.
Quentin pressed his hand on top of his occupied hand, then slipped his hand out from underneath.
"Smart technique," Vladimir complimented. "Though, if you have to switch hands already, I worry that doesn't bode well for you later down the challenge."
"You'll have to try harder than that to psych me out," Quentin dared.
"Oh, you thought I was trying?" Vladimir asked.
"It's true, he can really get to you if he tries," Cyan chimed in.
"I haven't been trying with you, either," Vladimir stated. "Do I just get on people's nerves that easily?"
"There's a reason you keep talking game with me even though I'm an active detriment to your position," Frita stated. "I'm just saying."
"This is going to be a fun one," Chris told the other two hosts.
"How long did you say it'll go on?" Lindsay asked.
"Estimated? Somewhere between twelve and seventeen hours," Chris chuckled.
"You really think they're going to stand still for that long?" Topher doubted.
"With one Invincibility on the line? I wouldn't be surprised if some of them stood there for twenty," Chris grinned.
"Better than being stuck in a mine shaft with Jasmine, I guess," Topher figured.
Hugh scraped his elbow against the wall of the cube.
"What are you doing?" Brittany asked.
"My freaking elbow itches and I can't scratch it!" Hugh whined.
"You can switch hands," Quentin reminded him.
"Yeah, but then Vladimir will make fun of me," Hugh countered.
"He has a good point," Vladimir nodded.
Confessional:
Vladimir: Actually, I am trying a little to get on people's nerves here. Just enough to make a difference without it being noticeable. Hey, making them want to leave can be the key to victory, here. I'm just taking a proactive role in the challenge.
Hugh: (he is scratching his elbow furiously) Did I get a bug bite or something?!
An hour and a half elapsed. Everyone's knees were bent, and their heads started to hang.
"Is it over?" Kun asked as he rejoined the hosts.
"Kun? That's your definition of a nap?!" Topher asked in disbelief.
"Nap? I spent this whole time, um, recording all the innovative ideas I have for the future of wood pencils," Kun explained. "I had a lot of time to think while in Isolation."
"How do you innovate wooden pencils beyond just going mechanical?" Chris scoffed.
"Oh, Chris. You poor, naive soul," Kun condescended.
Chris did a double-take. Hugh laughed at him from inside the cube, but by doubling over, accidentally let his hand slip off the button.
"Ohhhh, Hugh, you're out," Chris patronized.
"What?! No fair, Kun interfered from outside!" Hugh objected.
"Yeah, like you've never done that," Topher brushed aside. "Open a box and get out."
Hugh grumbled as he walked up to a box and opened it. As soon as he did, he gagged and ran out of the glass room, eyes watering and face pale.
"Why, what's in the-" Cyan had to stop once the turntable had moved the box closest to her. Her face twisted.
"Ah yes, the rotten eggs box," Chris acknowledged. "Chef let those things turn during his strike, but I didn't want them to go to waste, soooo..."
"So that thing's just going to keep passing us and filling the box with that smell?" Brittany shuddered.
"There are air holes at the top of the glass. You'll live," Chris told them.
"This is just a mild version of a rotting corpse stench," Frita offered. "Barely an inconvenience."
"How many rotting corpses have you smelled?!" Cyan reacted.
"Enough to be able to say that with confidence," Frita replied. "Research is very important when it comes to artistic niches."
"I was just going to assume a pet died and you didn't bury it properly," Vladimir said. "But that makes sense, too."
Frita sighed.
...
"These eggs really are just the worst," Quentin groaned. "And that's just one of the dummy boxes open. Who knows what the other ones might have in them?"
"Is that what trying harder to psych us out looks like?" Vladimir asked.
"I don't know. Is that response you trying harder?" Quentin countered.
"Is your own response trying harder?"
"What about that response?"
"You're both tryhards, okay?!" Cyan interjected.
Confessional:
Brittany: I'm mostly just trying to space everything out. The more I let myself get distracted, the easier it'll be for me to slip up like Hugh did. Of course, that's a lot easier said than done, but that's why I said 'trying'.
Frita: I guess if you think about it, expired eggs are just small rotting corpses. ...That's an interesting angle I hadn't thought of before. I'll have to make use of that somehow. Er, w-when I'm drawing!
Three hours had elapsed since the start of the challenge.
"Usually the challenge would be over by now," Quentin said. "Maybe we'd have already voted someone out, too."
"You want to speed things up for us? I know you're really bored," Vladimir teased.
"I can start singing," Hugh threatened from outside the room.
"It sounds to me like you just really want to sing," Cyan noted.
"Someday I'll have the courage to let out the song in my heart... someday..." Hugh lamented.
"Didn't you lose the singing challenge?" Vladimir asked.
"Only because they didn't say the melody had to be original!" Hugh shouted.
"Cheaters never prosper, Hugh," Topher condescended.
"I prosper like fuck, I don't want to hear it!" Hugh stormed off.
"Thank you, Topher," Frita said quietly.
"Never say I don't do my job as a good host," Topher boasted.
"I don't know. We still have to do this challenge, don't we?" Cyan commented.
"You don't have to do anything. You are free to leave whenever you want," Topher told her.
"Alright, then come in and press one of these buttons, since it's not such a big deal," Cyan huffed.
"I'd rather not get rotten egg smell in my hair, but you guys have fun, okay?" Topher smiled.
"You're all, um, doing great," Kun encouraged.
"Yeah, what he said!" Lindsay agreed.
"I'd say this challenge is more grating than great," Brittany grunted. "But we all knew what we signed up for."
"If this show has taught me anything, it's that pride and a million dollars are worth way more than people give them credit for," Chris chuckled.
"Really? Because a million dollars sounds pretty... uh, worthy," Quentin argued.
"What's pride? Never heard of it," Frita commented.
"You're all lame and I have no idea why I cast any of you," Chris pouted.
"For my positive Christian values?" Vladimir offered.
"If I ever meet the actual Barry, I swear I'mma assume the worst about him through no fault of his own," Cyan claimed.
"Aww, thanks," Vladimir smiled.
Confessional:
Quentin: Usually in these merge challenges, it's not as tense because there's two chances to be safe, but that's not the case here! And everyone really wants that Invincibility, hell, everyone probably needs it. But man if this isn't a rough one to fight out.
Cyan: Despite everything, dealing with the others is still way easier than not being allowed to sit. I deal with the others every day. Staying in this awkward-ass position for hours is not something that gets easier over time, I can tell you that for free.
Frita, head to the ground and knees shaking, removed her hand from the button willingly.
"I can't do this anymore..." she said inaudibly as she walked up to the turntable and opened a box. Suddenly, a blast of music started playing.
"What the?!" Brittany reacted.
"Oh hell no... I'd know this grating voice anywhere!" Hugh complained.
"Yep! Hope you guys are fans of Stormy~, because her greatest hits are going to play on loop until the challenge is over!" Chris taunted.
"This seems a lot more expensive than just playing generic elevator music or getting her to cameo in person," Brittany figured.
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Chris said bitterly.
"I hope she's doing alright. She took retirement pretty hard last I heard," Quentin mentioned.
"Retirement? When was this?" Vladimir asked.
"I don't remember the exact point," Quentin admitted.
"Because I'm curious exactly how many great hits she would have if her career was so short," Vladimir smirked. "How many songs are we going to hear on loop, exactly?"
"That's for us to know, and you to look forward to finding out!" Topher informed.
"Is this really the strategy you're sticking with, Vlad?" Cyan tutted. "It ain't worked yet, and it ain't gonna work later."
"You've heard of the straw that breaks the camel's back, right?" Vladimir rebutted. "I'm just saying, I wouldn't want to be stuck in a room with egg stench, bad pop music, no seats, and me."
"And yet you're still here," Brittany said.
"Just because I don't want to be doesn't mean I'm not strong enough to be," Vladimir said politely. "You all must be pretty strong, too, to make it this far."
Confessional:
Brittany: The worst part is, it almost worked. He was getting to me, and I almost walked right out. But I knew that if I did, I'd probably be walking right out of the game as a whole. He can make us mad all he wants, but it's not going to make his position any better.
Kun: Once it got to be about, um, dinnertime, I went over to Hatchet's Cafe. Seems like he's back! I'm glad our talks helped him out. Even though he denies that they did. But hey, Chef is back on his feet, and that's what's, um, important.
Five hours had passed since the start of the challenge. None of the four remaining players had smiles on their faces, nor healthy posture.
"Know what? Y'all can keep at it!" Cyan decided. She took her hand off the button and headed for the door. "My mental health is worth more than one night's Invincibility!"
"Bold stance, but don't forget to open one of the boxes on the turntable," Chris told her.
"Oh, right," Cyan remembered.
She opened one of the boxes, and saw a small stack of brown papers.
"This ain't what I think it is," Cyan said. She took them out and confirmed that they were hundred-dollar bills.
"Free money?!" Hugh reacted.
"A thousand clams. For no other reason than she picked the right box!" Chris explained.
"Wish it could have been in fives, but hey, I'll take some," Cyan grinned.
She dropped a bill each at Brittany's, Quentin's, and Vladimir's feet.
"Aw, you don't have to," Brittany told her.
"You think people will respect my ass if I take it all?" Cyan doubted. "Besides, it's not like I really earned this."
"Well thanks, I-" Quentin bent over to pick the bill up, removing his hand from the button for half a second. "...I wish it didn't have to end like this."
"I promise I was not trying to trick you!" Cyan pleaded.
"Don't worry, I believe you," Quentin said with a disappointed smile. "Guess I ought to open the last box."
He did so. Immediately, a swarm of flies escaped the confines of the box.
"I see," Quentin nodded.
He followed Cyan out of the room.
"You're just going to leave us with flies as if it's no big deal?!" Brittany scolded.
"Sorry," Quentin shrugged.
"It's down to Brittany and Vladimir for that final Invincibility!" Chris announced. He noticed Cyan pocketing her money after handing a bill each to Kun, Hugh, and Frita. "Hey, don't the kindly hosts get one?"
"If you can hand these out as a random prize in a challenge, then you don't need them," Cyan insisted.
"You wound me, Cyan," Topher reacted, dramatically putting his hand over his heart.
Confessional:
Vladimir: My biggest worry about this challenge is that people would try to take advantage of my compromised position and remove my mask. They wouldn't be able to, because it's spirit glued tightly, and I'd catch them by the wrist if they tried, but that hasn't happened. If nothing else, at least they respect kayfabe.
Hugh: (he is scratching his elbow even more furiously) It's definitely a stupid bug bite! I am becoming racist against bugs, I swear to god!
Seven hours had passed since the start, and the sun began setting. Brittany and Vladimir looked haggard as the egg smell, buzzing flies, and bad j-pop wore away at them.
"You guys should study for a doctorate," Topher snickered. "You, you know why?"
"Because we have lots of patience?" Brittany groaned.
"I don't know what that has to do with anything. My dentist loses her patience with me all the time," Lindsay chimed in.
"Dentists are just doctors with a weird fetish," Topher claimed.
"Tyler told me that joke, too. My dentist didn't think it was very funny," Lindsay said.
"Sounds like she was getting defensive," Topher said.
"Also, are you telling me you don't think doctors have weird fetishes?" Hugh doubted.
"I don't think labels define people beyond the most literal definition of said label. Any associations we might make with those labels are just our brain's pattern-seeking tendencies trying to fill in gaps for its own comfort, if not our desire to build up or tear down labels we already have preconceived opinions towards," Lindsay answered.
...
"Or at least that's what the guy at the memory therapy meetings said. I remembered it!" Lindsay smiled sunnily.
"Making fun of labels is way more fun, though," Hugh denied.
"True!" Topher laughed.
"I label those two as morons," Cyan murmured to Quentin.
"How are they getting more restless than we are?" Vladimir commented to Brittany.
"They already lost for a reason," Brittany proposed. "Perhaps we're just more resilient than they are."
"True. They didn't have to brave the Jungle of Treachery or the Ruins of Discovery," Vladimir nodded.
"Don't even get me started on the Ruins of Discovery," Brittany winced.
"Hey, that's the round I was voted out, I'm right there with you in sour memories of it all," Vladimir chuckled.
"Unlike you, though, I've had to climb the face of a mountain and run through the lava of a volcano," Brittany continued. "So I wonder who's really more resilient, here."
"I guess that depends on what my keeping up with you despite having not done any of that implies," Vladimir shrugged.
"Guess so," Brittany non-answered.
Confessional:
Brittany: You start to lose grasp on what time is when you're stuck in the same place for a noticeable fraction of the day. If Vladimir wants to reminisce, then you know what, that's something to take your mind off the flies and the music.
Vladimir: Today I learned that our dear Stormy~ has roughly an hour and a half of musical content. Split between two albums, if I had to guess. I've certainly heard worse, but anything played on loop will erode at you over time, so I'll be perfectly content to never listen to her ever again.
The challenge had gone on for nine hours. The skies had grown dark, and cicadas sang their songs. Brittany looked wistfully at the catering table Chef and Jayne now ran. Even those who got to eat and drink appeared fatigued and spiritless under the light of the dim light posts adorning the park.
"You know you're safe," Vladimir told his opponent. "Even without Invincibility, you have me, Hugh, and Quentin."
"I know," Brittany acknowledged. "But after... however long it's been, it wouldn't feel right to just give up."
"I respect that," Vladimir accepted. "Of course, I feel the same."
"Then may the best of us win," Brittany coaxed.
"Agreed," Vladimir smiled.
"Can the best of you win faster?" Hugh grunted. He peered over his shoulder, then lowered his voice. "It truly does not matter who wins. Cyan's going home either way."
"Hmm..." Vladimir emoted. "If, say, we were to take our hands off at the same time, surely whatever sensors are in these buttons would be able to tell who did so first. Right, hosts?"
"Who knows?" Chris shrugged innocently.
"We know. And that is right!" Lindsay helped.
"The longer we keep going, the more likely one of us passes out," Vladimir said. "And that's hardly how I want this challenge to end. So I'm willing to take my hand off at the same time as you, and let the milliseconds decide."
"That would require an awful lot of trust between us," Brittany said.
"Do you not trust me?" Vladimir asked.
"I'm employing a healthy amount of skepticism," Brittany insisted.
"In whether or not you'll win the challenge? Or whether you'll still be here if you don't?" Vladimir pressed.
"...Like I said, a healthy amount of skepticism," Brittany repeated.
"Fair enough," Vladimir accepted. "If I weren't so concerned for my own safety, I'd let you have it here and now, but I suppose we all have to be a little selfish at this point."
"I appreciate your noble intentions regardless," Brittany responded.
Confessional:
Kun: I don't know how those two did it. Even beyond my rough couple of days, I'd have a very hard time lasting as long as they have.
Frita: Psychological torture is the most boring kind of torture. That kind of thing happens to the average person on a daily basis. This challenge just kind of proves that, honestly.
Lindsay had turned off the challenge timer because it was depressing her, so nobody was exactly sure how long the challenge had gone on by this point.
"Our last two competitors are fighting it out!" Topher narrated. "Keep going! You don't sleep until you get back to your room! And I'm not talking about the hotel, I'm talking about your actual house!"
"Topher, what the hell are you on about?" Chris asked.
"Honestly I was hoping going all drill sergeant would annoy one of them enough that they'd quit, because I am very bored," Topher admitted.
"You know what?!" Brittany snapped. She took her hand off the button. "I can't do this anymore! I am losing my mind, my back is killing me, and I've had to go to the bathroom for probably two hours! So I'm sorry you didn't think through your challenge enough and you forgot to bring your Game Boy, Topher! Let's just go to elimination!"
"Allllllllrighty then!" Topher reacted.
"Brittany is out. Vladimir wins Invincibility and the penthouse!" Chris announced. "And, uh, I actually have to go to the bathroom, too, so let's meet up at Elimination Station in thirty, alright? Alright."
Confessional:
Brittany: Well, that was embarrassing. I want to say I could have won if Topher hadn't said anything, but... I don't even know. I'd rather not think about it any more than I have to. That challenge was one of the most miserable experiences of my life.
Vladimir: Heh, thank goodness that ended when it did. I was one fly on my arm away from breaking. I'm not really a fan of being touched, by anyone or anything. Keeping a poker face... well, I can't say it wasn't easy when they can't actually see my face, but you know.
Cyan: And of course he's safe again, why wouldn't he be?! I guess there's Plan B, but I don't know how feasible that actually is. Guess it's time to find out.
The contestants exited the elevator in the ceremony room of Elimination Station. Chris had already taken his usual elevated seat, and Kiki, Louise, Shadya, and Bailey stood at their usual lecterns. Likewise, the contestants took theirs.
"Welcome back to the most fun part of my evening!" Chris opened. "Once again, I have to apologize to the jurors for starting this later than usual. The challenge... went on a bit long, hehaha."
...
"Well anyway, same rules as always. Don't address the jurors, have your votes submitted in under thirty minutes," Chris reminded the players. "You can't vote for Kun or Vladimir, but the other five are all fair game."
"I'm just glad I can't, um, go back to Isolation tonight," Kun joked awkwardly.
"Chris, can he transfer his Invincibility to me?" Hugh asked.
"I won't even if that is allowed," Kun made clear.
"Worth a shot," Hugh shrugged.
"Well, seeing as I'm safe, and also unwilling to give that up, I'll start things off by taking a hard stance," Vladimir avowed. "I've made plans to vote for Cyan, and I intend to stick with those plans."
"Wow, I'm shocked, no really, this is so unexpected," Cyan responded monotonously. "Anyway, as much as I'd like to be coy and trust that everyone knows how I plan to vote... the person I was going to vote for just so happens to be safe."
"Sorry," Kun apologized.
"I meant Vladimir!" Cyan clarified.
"Oh. That makes a lot more sense," Kun conceded.
"So in lieu of that... I'm going to vote for Quentin," Cyan announced.
"Oh wow. That actually is unexpected and I am kind of shocked," Quentin reacted. "So, uh..." He cast his vote. "Might as well make things official."
Cyan cast her vote. "Might as well."
Everyone looked at Vladimir, who cast his vote.
"Huh. That's half the votes already," Brittany commented.
Frita cast her vote. "If it's between Quentin and Cyan, I know who I'd rather have stay."
"Good grief," Cyan sighed. "Brittany, Hugh, Kun, before any of you vote, I want y'all to really think about this decision."
"Yeah, there's a lot of benefits to keeping me," Quentin agreed.
"I want y'all to remember these last couple of rounds," Cyan said. "Quentin turned on his closest ally, got zero flak for it, and now he's out here making new alliances like it ain't no thing!"
"Hey now," Quentin frowned. "Shadya turned on me first. And I don't know what alliances you think I'm making, but I promise I'm not. If you're going to throw me under the bus, at least give honest reasons."
"Come off it," Cyan groaned. "We all know you're working with Vladimir and Frita."
"Oh, well you said new alliances," Quentin brushed aside.
Brittany let out a small sigh of relief at Cyan not implicating her.
"And if voting for a threat is the road you want people to take, then look in the mirror, huh?" Quentin continued. "You've been playing a pretty tough game from the very beginning. Making connections, flipping on those connections, turning the momentum in your favor. It's how we lost Joseph and Jean-Marie, even though those were your friends."
"Not to mention Irving and Nolan. She pushed pretty hard for them, too," Frita added.
"So I had a decent streak pre-merge, but you'll notice I've been in the minority this entire merge except for the Bailey vote," Cyan refuted. "You know who hasn't?"
"I was in the minority for the Kiki and Louise votes too, what are you talking about?" Quentin asked.
"I think she's talking about me again," Vladimir joked.
"I was," Cyan confirmed. "If you count Hugh as the majority vote when Shadya went home, he has been in the majority every single round this merge."
"Well to be fair, if you count that as the majority, then you would have voted in the majority even more than Quentin did," Vladimir pointed out.
"Yeah, at least keep your logic consistent," Frita scoffed.
"Let's be charitable and assume that Cyan's point is that Quentin and Vladimir have had more success than she has in the merge," Brittany opted. "And that these things make them bigger threats than she is."
"Yeah, but if that was the case, then wouldn't letting her succeed make her the bigger threat by wrestling logic?" Hugh asked.
"Um, wrestling logic?" Kun asked.
"Yeah. Like, you know how wrestling is scripted, right?" Hugh explained. "When they want to generate hype for a new guy, they'll have him beat an established badass. It makes him look stronger than the guy we already know can wreck house."
"I really don't think I'm that big of a threat to where I'm that worth getting rid of," Quentin interjected.
"It's easy to say that now, but y'all know that tune is going to change if he makes it to the finale," Cyan denied.
"Well, you're coming up with a pretty good narrative for me," Quentin insisted. "The way you tell it, it's like I'm this big under-the-radar rags-to-riches type who's taking advantage of big players like Vladimir to get ahead."
"Are you telling me that's wrong?" Cyan challenged.
"I think it's an exaggeration," Quentin said. "What isn't an exaggeration, though, is that you're a fighter. And that's badass, and I respect it a lot, but when you're fighting me, I'm not just going to take it."
"It's not like I want to," Cyan sighed. "I respect you, too, but this is just what's best for my game in this moment."
"I really must stop winning those pesky challenges," Vladimir laughed.
"I'm curious as to where Kun's head is at," Brittany brought up.
"M-Me?" Kun blinked.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're friendly with both Cyan and Quentin, right?" Brittany explained. "You're going to have to pick one."
"Well, um, hold on," Kun insisted. He looked over the players and took note of who had voted. "We can assume Cyan voted for Quentin, and Quentin, Vladimir, and Frita voted for Cyan, yes? What if the three of us voted for, say, Frita?"
"What?!" Frita reacted.
"Then it would tie, genius," Hugh pointed out. "And then Cyan would break the tie, and... Huhhhhhh." A twisted smile crept on his face.
"There's no way I'm more of a threat to you than Cyan is!" Frita cried. "Have you met me? I couldn't make a move if my life depended on it."
"I dunno. Sounds like that tune could change if you make finale," Hugh said smugly. "As much as I just want to vote for her and try to force Brittany and Kun's hands, this is a delicate split, so I need to know both of you are 100% here."
"Well, um, it was my idea, so..." Kun highlighted.
"Oh boy..." Brittany reacted. "Ball's in my court now, huh?"
"I can't imagine it's that hard of a decision," Vladimir assisted.
Brittany cast her vote. "I voted for Quentin."
"Huh?!" Quentin gasped.
Hugh cast his vote. "All I needed to hear."
"Huh?!" Quentin gasped.
"At the end of the day, it's really just a matter of who I feel I can trust more in the long-term," Brittany explained. "And while I appreciate the offers, I don't trust a Vladimir/Quentin/Frita trio any more than the rest of you could trust a me/Hugh/Bailey trio. Only seems fair to me."
"Not to sound bitter, but why me over Frita, then?" Quentin chuckled nervously.
"The Shadya vote is a pretty big feather in your cap. Nobody can deny that," Brittany told him. "It also makes you seem less trustworthy, to be honest."
"Well... at least Kun can still vote for Cyan, right?" Quentin mentioned. "He knows he can trust me."
"Or he could still vote for you," Cyan countered. "Because he knows for a fact he can trust me."
"Well, I suppose this was inevitable, wasn't it?" Kun gulped. He cast his vote. "I, um, apologize in advance."
"I have the votes!" Chris announced. "If anyone has a Statue they want to play, now's the time."
Everyone looked at Hugh expectantly.
"I didn't even bring it!" Hugh exasperated.
...
"Alrighty then. I'll reveal the votes," Chris declared. "First vote... Cyan."
Cyan shook the tension from her arms.
"Second vote... Quentin."
Quentin scratched the back of his neck.
"Third vote... Cyan."
Cyan put her hands together in a prayer position and raised her fingers to her lips.
"Fourth vote... Quentin."
Quentin cracked his neck.
"Fifth vote... Cyan."
Cyan took a deep breath.
"Sixth vote... Quentin."
Quentin also took a deep breath.
"Seventh vote... and the fifth member of our jury..."
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"Quentin."
"Damn," Quentin shook his head. "I really thought I could win this, you know?"
"What? I thought you were such a non-threat," Hugh snickered.
"Yeah, Cyan was right on the money there," Quentin admitted. "And for what it's worth, gunning for me was definitely the right move for her. I guess we'll see where she goes now that she's succeeded."
"I am a massive threat, it's true," Cyan played along.
Frita, head down and face stained with tears, walked up to Quentin, and squeezed him tightly.
"This isn't fair," she sniveled. "This isn't fair!"
"Hey, you're still here. You still have a decent chance, here," Quentin assured her. "And it's not like you need me or anything."
"It should have been me!" Frita cried.
"Not even. I just got careless, that's all," Quentin excused. "Just don't get careless, and you should do fine."
"Why'd you do it, huh?!" Frita snapped at Kun.
"W-Well, I, um, you see..." Kun stammered.
"Let's leave it alone for now," Vladimir suggested. "We've all had a very long day, and frankly, I'd like to get some rest. I imagine we all feel the same."
"Got that right," Chris yawned. "Anyone else got any sappy goodbyes, or can I yoink this dude out of here?"
"Chris likes yoinking dudes, huh?" Hugh snickered.
"You want to be next?" Chris warned.
"I'm good, I'm good!" Hugh insisted.
Frita let go of Quentin. "See you soon."
"But not too soon," Quentin smiled. He swallowed a lump in his throat and wiped a tear from his eye. "I'm ready."
"Cool. Adios!" Chris grinned.
With a press of a button, the ceiling opened up, and the metal arm grabbed Quentin by the waist. As the arm dragged him up, he kept a big smile on his face as he waved goodbye. Once he was out of sight, the ceiling closed again.
"Well, one thing's for sure. The longer you guys last, the fewer people you still have to beat," Chris said. "Or the fewer bodies to hide behind, if you're so inclined. But that's all I've got for you tonight. Cyan, you'll be headed to Isolation Park. Everyone else can head to your rooms!"
Confessional:
Frita: Damn it... That idiot was the one person I really trusted. And I put myself in the minority just to try to save him... (she starts to cry again) Why'd he have to get himself voted out, huh?
Kun: Having to choose between Cyan and Quentin was like, um, having to choose a favorite child. I voted for Quentin quite simply because I don't trust Vladimir, so if he's working with Vladimir, then... yeah. It still feels bad, but I think I made the right call here.
Brittany: I'll be honest, I fully expected to go home the second I lost the challenge. Somehow, I didn't even get a vote. At the risk of tempting fate, I'm going to bed feeling pretty good tonight. It will be a well-earned rest, that's for sure.
Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood outside the limits of Drama City.
"And Quentin's out at lucky number seventh!" Chris announced. "You can't write this stuff."
"See, that phrase never made sense to me," Topher disputed. "It always describes things that line up so well that it would make more sense if someone wrote it."
"I think that guy who smoked cigars all the time said someone is writing everything we do," Lindsay shuddered. "I hope not."
"Depends on how tryhardy you want to be in your existentialism," Chris said. "But now we're down to six! Will Brittany and Hugh be able to navigate past being an obvious pair? Will Frita and Vladimir stop pretending they aren't an obvious pair? Will Cyan and Kun become a more obvious pair?"
"This is the third round in a row one of them is isolated, so probably not," Topher snickered.
"All this and more, next time, on Total!" Chris began.
"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.
"Party with the Stars!" all three concluded.
Votes:
Brittany - Quentin
Cyan - Quentin
Frita - Cyan
Hugh - Quentin
Kun - Quentin
Quentin - Cyan
Vladimir - Cyan
The Merge:
Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell
Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue
Frita - The Morbid Artist
Hugh - The Head Villain
Kun - The Awkward Team Leader
Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor
7th: Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist
8th: Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet
9th: Shadya - The Genius Athlete
10th: Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher
11th: Kiki - The Strategic Hipster
Eliminated Pre-Merge:
12th: Dalit - The Social Media Model
13th: Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler
14th: Irving - The Chaotic Pirate
15th: Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon
16th: Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman
17th: Ernie - The Lazy Law Student
18th: Joseph - The True Bro
19th: Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm
20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest
A/N: The very last addition to the cast, and I'm glad I did. The season was gearing up to be pretty strategist-heavy due in large part to strategists being some of the biggest characters - stars, even - of their casts. More emotional presences were necessary, and I think Quentin struck a decent balance of both in this season. It was fun exploring his relationships with other characters in the cast and having him take a bit more of an active role in the plot. I had to think about whether I wanted to give him a finale spot, but I reckon this is probably the best spot for him to go. What do you think?