Total Drama Academy
The Reboot Paradox
a Total Drama fan fiction story
by Lord Akiyama
Author's Note: This is a reboot, or reimagining, of my original Total Drama Academy story, which is still active mind you. This universe is developed on the idea that there had been only three shows that were made roughly at the same time: Total Drama Island, Total Drama: Revenge of the Island, and Total Drama: Pahkitew Island.
Chapter Four
"Good day, students!" Chris McLean announced.
Everyone looked up to find that the handsome host was now present in the living area. By what means he was present they weren't sure. They figured he was probably a hologram and would remain so for as often as he could. Reasonable given how badly Dakota wanted to cause him physical harm despite being apparently told she wasn't allowed by her father.
"Hope you kiddies had a good night's sleep, cause today will be the day we kick-start your lives into overdrive," Chris continued.
It was roughly noon. The time Chris had said the other day that they would be meeting their academic counselors. The reason why they had all dressed up in their uniforms and gathered in the living area. How long they had been in the living area waiting for the inevitable and just wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible varied depending on the student. At most, all twenty-four had been waiting for at least two hours. The anxiety and anticipation forcing them to be here for so long.
As one would have expected, Sam had been playing a video game on the wall television. Dakota was leaning in and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend from behind. Joining in on the gaming with Sam had been Ezekiel, Cameron, and Beardo. Serving as spectators were Courtney, Duncan, Izzy, and Owen. Izzy munching from a bowl of popcorn while perched on her hefty boyfriend's shoulders. Dawn was present there as well, though she was more focused on her mediation. Gwen, Trent, Bridgette, Geoff, LeShawna, Harold, Jasmine, Shawn, Ella, and Sky were all hanging out in the dining area. Lighting, Heather, Max, and Staci had seemingly been exploring the internet while in the computer lab.
"Allow me to introduce to you your academic counselor for the next two years, Mademoiselle Caine," Chris announced further.
Emerging from the entry hallway and into the living area was a mature woman, seemingly just years away from being considered middle-aged. Slender build and about as tall as Chris, if not an inch or two taller. She wore the same navy blue school uniform only with a business skirt that went down to her ankles. Her chestnut hair bundled up beneath an academic beret in the same navy blue and slightly tilted to the left. The smile she wore seemed pleasant enough, which was certainly more expressive than their introduction to Mlle. Brisé. In her right arm she held several files, no doubt each belonging to all of them.
"There was supposed to be a second dude, but apparently he got shuffled to another group at the last minute," Chris noted. He gave out a fairly nonchalant shrug. "Funny how that works. Any way, Mlle. Caine will be interviewing you one by one here in the study. You're gonna wanna be as honest as can be because she's here to help guide you into realizing your dream career. Not to mention she's already seen your transcripts, audition tapes, and highlight reels, so she's fully aware of what kinda troublemakers you guys really are."
"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance," Mlle. Caine said. She had a light voice with an accent that seemed fairly common within North America. Hardly a hint of French-Canadian, certainly in comparison to Mlle. Brisé. "I will try my best to get you through this as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Though this can be achieved if you are, as Mr. McLean said, honest with me. And do try to take this seriously. We're going to be having these interviews many more times over the next two years. For your future could be at stake." She gave them all a nod and then made her way into the study area.
"So, who wants to be first?" Chris asked. He chuckled with amusement at the rather incredulous looks he received from just about all of the students.
(Confession Cam)
Chris - "One of the concessions with the school is that we aren't allowed to video tape any meetings with Mlle. Caine or any other counselor the kids might speak with." /Shrugs./ "Dunno why. Probably something to do with privacy. We are allowed, though, to provide snippets of the audio transcripts. You'll just have to use your imaginations with these, folks."
Owen:
Am I in trouble?
Mlle. Caine:
No, you are not in trouble. I just want to get a good idea of who you are and what you want to do for a living. This is so we can best put together what classes you will be attending and the kind of jobs you could work.
Owen:
So... is this like a test? I'm not very good at tests. I get all nervous and sweaty.
Mlle. Caine:
This is not a test.
Owen:
Then what is it?
Mlle. Caine:
Think of it as an evaluation.
Owen:
But isn't that like a test?
Mlle. Caine:
This is not a test.
Owen:
I'm confused.
Mlle. Caine:
Just tell me what you would like to do for a living. We'll go from there.
Owen:
Um, okay. Uh... I never really thought about what I would like to do for a living, actually.
Mlle. Caine:
Why is that?
Owen:
I dunno.
Mlle. Caine:
Alright. Then what do you like to do in general.
Owen:
Having fun!
Mlle. Caine:
Alright. Is there anything in particular you like to have fun doing?
Owen:
Not really. I just like to have fun.
Mlle. Caine:
So you're the type to enjoy the moment. Having fun no matter what is happening.
Owen:
Uh-huh.
Mlle. Caine:
I see. Well, you seem pretty open to doing just about anything for a living so long as you're having fun. Would you mind if we tried to put you through an experimental program? One that could help better determine by the end of the first year what you might end up doing for a living?
Owen:
I guess. ... Is that the right answer?
Mlle. Caine:
This is not a test.
(Confession Cam)
Owen - "Man, that was so scary! The counselor kept telling me that it wasn't a test, but I still couldn't figure out if what I was saying was supposed to be right or not. I don't even know what happens if I answered wrong!"
Sam:
I like to play video games. That's kinda my thing, you know.
Mlle. Caine:
There's nothing wrong with that.
Sam:
Most people seem to think so. I mean, I do play video games pretty much all the time when I can. It's kinda hard for me to function without video games some times.
Mlle. Caine:
So video games are a 24/7 thing for you. Would that best describe you?
Sam:
Sure does. ... Well, nowadays not as often.
Mlle. Caine:
Oh?
Sam:
Yeah. Ever since Dakota and I got together, I haven't been playing video games as much as I used to. I mean, I still play them a lot and she likes watching me playing them. But I like being around her more these days. She's the most awesome person in the world.
Mlle. Caine:
What do you two do when you're together?
Sam:
Well, until we had to come here, I would watch her kick all sorts of butt in the monster fights she was in.
Mlle. Caine:
Monster fights?
Sam:
Yeah. Because of what happened back on the island, she got mutated into Dakotazoid. But that just made her all the more awesome. She was like a video game character come to life, you know. Until she had to turn back before we came here.
Mlle. Caine:
Fascinating. I take it you think of things in terms of how they compare to video games when you're not playing them.
Sam:
Guess you could say that. Until Dakota, it's all I ever thought about.
Mlle. Caine:
Have you considered wanting to make video games for a living?
Sam:
Kinda. It's more about playing them and understanding how to play them. Never put that much thought into how they were made so long as I could play them.
Mlle. Caine:
I see.
Sam:
But it would be cool to make my own video game one day. So yeah, it would be great if I could make video games for a living, not just play them. Maybe Dakota will let me make one about her as Dakotazoid. That would be the most awesome video game ever!
Mlle. Caine:
I'm sure it would.
(Confession Cam)
Sam - "I wonder how I'm gonna make video games. I'm not much of an illustrator and I'm only okay at doing things on the computer outside of gaming. But I'm getting more excited about the idea of making a video game about Dakota. That would be the most awesome accomplishment! More awesome than getting 4,738 Impossible Awards on GameGuy games!"
Izzy:
You're not with the RCMP, are you?
Mlle. Caine:
I'm not with the RCMP.
Izzy:
You know you're supposed to identify yourself as such if you are.
Mlle. Caine:
I'm aware that you're number eight on their most wanted list, but I'm not with the RCMP. They have no jurisdiction here.
Izzy:
Is that so... Curiouser and curiouser...
Mlle. Caine:
I'm not interested in your criminal record... yet. I'm more interested in what you wish to do for a living.
Izzy:
Oh, loads of things! I wanna be a snake charmer. I wanna be an actress. Oh, I wanna be one of those daredevil aerial acrobats who jump outta planes and do complex ballet routines in free fall. That would be a cool thing to do!
Mlle. Caine:
That's quite a lot for you to do for a living.
Izzy:
That's just right after I get outta high school! There's so many things I wanna do for a living after I graduate college!
Mlle. Caine:
So there's no one specific thing you would want to do for a living?
Izzy:
Why stick to one thing and one thing only? That seems so boring.
Mlle. Caine:
I see.
Izzy:
It's like grampy used to say. "Ya only get one life, lassie! Make tha most outta it!" So that's what I'm gonna do for a living. Making the most outta my one life.
Mlle. Caine:
Sounds like you received some sage wisdom from your grandfather.
Izzy:
You bet your bottom dollar it is. Even if it came from a cranky old man who spent his entire life on a dinghy trying to catch Nessie so he could groom her in being his house pet.
Mlle. Caine:
Is that so? Well, you may not be fond of the idea of sticking to one thing to do for a living, but perhaps you would reconsider for one thing that could offer multiple other things to do for a living.
Izzy:
Really? Izzy's listening...
(Confession Cam)
Izzy - "Grampy definitely had a way with words, uh-huh. One time, he told my cousins 'Ya canna go 'alf cocked, ya gotta go all tha way!' Such great advice from the old man." /Giggles./ "So instead of just painting a bicycle pink that day, my cousins vandalized the post office it was parked up against, as the newspapers described it."
Ella:
I must admit that I wouldn't know the first thing of what I would like to do for a living.
Mlle. Caine:
Why is that?
Ella:
Well, back at Aurora Belle Academy, we had a particularly stern teacher who taught us a valuable lesson about fate.
Mlle. Caine:
And what would that valuable lesson be, if I may ask?
Ella:
The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.
Mlle. Caine:
That's quite a valuable lesson to learn.
Ella:
Indeed. How we took it, though, was not to think too deeply about our future as we should instead look upon how we lived our lives in the present.
Mlle. Caine:
So you're more concerned about the here and now than what might be down the road.
Ella:
Precisely. If I enjoy myself and all that happens in the present then there's no need to worry about how things will happen in the future.
Mlle. Caine:
Interesting way of looking at it.
Ella:
Which is why I'm quite excited to be here, actually. Chris said that the purpose of this school would be to set me for life so that I wouldn't have to worry about my future.
Mlle. Caine:
That's right. But for me to help you achieve that, I would like to get a better idea of who you are and what you would like to be.
Ella:
Quite the conundrum, I agree. Well, I do have a great love for singing. So much so that I wish to sing all the time. However, it appears my singing is seen an annoyance to many. My apartment neighbors back home as well as Chris. Sugar, too, though I'm still not sure why. But yes, I often have to hold myself back from singing so that I won't be a bother.
Mlle. Caine:
Well, you don't have to worry about being a bother. We have programs that will allow you to sing as much as you would like here. If that is what you would like to do.
Ella:
Really? Oh, thank you so much! If I may, I would like to sing right now!
Mlle. Caine:
By all means.
Ella:
The window is open, so's that door
I didn't know they did that anymore
Who knew we owned eight thousand salad plates?
(Confession Cam)
Ella - /Happily surrounded by birds and small woodland creatures./ "Oh, it's so wonderful to sing freely. Don't you agree, little friends?" /Animals respond in agreement./ "I'm going to enjoy being here, I just know it!" /Sings./
'Cause for the first time in forever
For the first time in forever
Nothing's in my way!
/Animals happily cheer./
Trent:
Before finding out I was coming here, I was kinda hoping the next two years would help me figure out what I wanted to do for a living.
Mlle. Caine:
Oh?
Trent:
Yeah. I'm stuck between being a musician and running my own motorcycle shop.
Mlle. Caine:
Ah. Two different paths.
Trent:
Hardly one with a comfortable middle ground either.
Mlle. Caine:
Could you elaborate on this struggle you're having between the two?
Trent:
Well, my music skills sorta came naturally and were immediately recognized by others to where it was through their encouragement that I managed to get so good that its like breathing. On the other hand, I just really liked motorcycles since I was a little kid. I studied up on them growing up, eventually got my own bike about a year ago, and it's been heaven. I really like both and would be happy to take on either as a career. It's having to choose which of the two I want to pursue that's a problem.
Mlle. Caine:
You mentioned you felt there wasn't a comfortable middle ground.
Trent:
It's not easy being passionate about them equally enough to see if they could work hand in hand. Both are kinda time consuming if you wanna give it your all for them to be a career. You sorta have to pick one and make the other a hobby.
Mlle. Caine:
You're not wrong with that assessment.
Trent:
Thus I was planning to spend the next two years working out which was the path I wanted most.
Mlle. Caine:
I see. Well, if you're willing to put in the work, we can put you through a program where you'll be educated in both paths equally.
Trent:
Sounds like I would be giving up any free time I might have just trying to determine if I wanna career as a musician or running a motorcycle shop.
Mlle. Caine:
Fortunately, that's not what I'm suggesting. Your studies and work would be divided between the two paths through as much of the first year as you're willing. You'll get equal time between them so you can get a proper feel for them. The idea being that by the end of the first year, you'll have a better idea of which of the two you would prefer to be your career while having gotten enough satisfaction from the other to have it be a hobby, if you desire.
Trent:
Suppose I'm still undecided by the end of the first year.
Mlle. Caine:
Best case scenario, you'll have found a comfortable middle ground.
Trent:
Really? ... Okay, you got me interested.
(Confession Cam)
Trent - "Most folks keep trying to pressure me into making a career outta music. Saying that running a motorcycle shop would be a travesty and complete waste of my talents. Only a few friends back home were supportive of the idea of running a motorcycle shop, though thinking a music career would be more trouble than it's worth. Gwen's been the only one to at least help me try to reconcile the two interests. Maybe this school will do the same. That best case scenario Mlle. Caine mentioned is too tempting to not shoot for."
Max:
So, this city-school is to provide me, Maximillian, the education of a lifetime?
Mlle. Caine:
That is the goal.
Max:
Good. Very good. The knowledge I will gain here will put me one step closer to the greatest evil of them all: world domination!
Mlle. Caine:
World domination, eh?
Max:
Yes! For when I'm done here, there will be no one and no thing that will be able to withstand the might of my... EVIL!
Mlle. Caine:
I see.
Max:
You dare mock my evil, heathen?
Mlle. Caine:
Not at all. It's not often we have aspiring megalomaniacal rapscallions attending White Rose Academy.
Max:
There's nothing aspiring about it! I am a megalomaniacal rapscallion!
Mlle. Caine:
Indeed you are. You may be surprised to know, though, that you're not the first megalomaniacal rapscallion to have been here.
Max:
I'm not?
Mlle. Caine:
Nope. We've had a rare few over the past century, actually. It's still a career, albeit not a morally acceptable one. Nevertheless, we will be able to provide you with the means of becoming one as soon as you graduate from here.
Max:
This pleases me. You shall be spared from my evil wrath when I take over the globe!
Mlle. Caine:
Much appreciated. I must warn you, though, those who have become super villains tend to fall short of achieving the ultimate prize. We set you up for life, that doesn't necessarily mean you're guaranteed to dominate the world.
Max:
Is that so?
Mlle. Caine:
And if we're willing to educate the likes of you, then you have to expect that we will surely be educating your opposition. As it were, we have had more than enough aspiring super heroes attend the school over the years.
Max:
Curses! Then I must be cunning with my studies. I cannot let someone like Super Donkey continue to foil my evil schemes!
Mlle. Caine:
Super Donkey, eh? Interesting.
(Confession Cam)
Max - "At last! I can finally get rid of the stink that traitorous infidel Scarlett defiled me with! When my education here is done, she and the rest of the world will gravel and beg for forgiveness in underestimating my evil!" /Laughs manically, but then descends in a coughing fit./ "Still need to work on that..."
Heather:
Oh, what do I want to do for a living? How about being queen of the world? Anything you can do to make that happen?
Mlle. Caine:
The sarcasm is greatly appreciated. You're sure to go a long way with that.
Heather:
Look, I've met your kind more than enough times to know that what you really offer is all talk and no substance. I'm only here because of the stupid show. I don't need any patronizing.
Mlle. Caine:
Of course not. So allow me to be just as blunt with you. You haven't got a clue who you are. You lack proper direction. You have no comprehension of what you want to do in life to the point that you fear what your future will become as a result. Which is why you behaved the way you did at Camp Wawanakwa.
Heather:
You think this psycho-babble is gonna break me into changing myself for the better?
Mlle. Caine:
Not at all. Not when you've already put up a defensive barrier as a means of preventing yourself from getting any more hurt than you already have. The reality is you're locking yourself away from actually growing up.
Heather:
Sure. Whatever you say.
Mlle. Caine:
Let me ask you something. Why did you want to win the prize money in the first place?
Heather:
Excuse me?
Mlle. Caine:
From watching the highlight reel the show provided us, you were clearly determined to win by any means necessary. But why did you want the prize money? Your family is rich enough as it is that you didn't need to worry about money in general.
Heather:
I just... I just wanted it. I don't need a reason why.
Mlle. Caine:
You sure about that?
Heather:
... I dunno...
Mlle. Caine:
You're not the only one uncertain about their future, Heather. That's perfectly normal. But you're letting that scare you into not doing anything about it. Into not growing up. To become something. Anything.
Heather:
So do you have a remedy for that? Can you back up that same crappy talk I've heard others before you say to me about what my future could be?
Mlle. Caine:
That depends. What are you willing to do to make a future for yourself?
Heather:
Whatever it takes.
(Confession Cam)
Heather - "How did she do that? How the hell did that counselor get the best of me and convinced me to do something I'd never do willingly?" /Pauses and scratches back of head./ "That's never happened to me before..."
Dawn:
This land upon which this school sits... The spirit energy is unlike any I have ever felt...
Mlle. Caine:
Ah, I see you're quite the naturalist.
Dawn:
That is one of many things I have been called ever since I've been able to connect with the world beyond human understanding.
Mlle. Caine:
How long ago was that?
Dawn:
When I was but an infant, as my parents have told me.
Mlle. Caine:
Were they encouraging or discouraging of your abilities?
Dawn:
They were encouraging, so long as I was careful with how to use them. By being cautious, I focused more on communicating with animals, reading my tea leaves, and having a sense about others through their auras. They appealed to me more than the others.
Mlle. Caine:
What about making contact with the spiritual realm?
Dawn:
I've done it a few times in the past, but each of those experiences never quite satisfied me. What I'm experiencing here, though...
Mlle. Caine:
Do you feel content with your abilities that you would want to make a living utilizing them?
Dawn:
I already am, in a way.
Mlle. Caine:
Have you met others who could similarly connect with the world beyond human understanding?
Dawn:
No. But I believe you're about to introduce me to such.
Mlle. Caine:
Would you have a problem with that?
Dawn:
Not at all. In fact, this is the most I've ever been so fascinated. Being somewhere that would seemingly be ideal for someone like me.
Mlle. Caine:
All the more reason you probably have an odd sensation about this place, I take it.
Dawn:
You would too if you were me listening to someone like you managing to understand and comprehend my abilities so well.
Mlle. Caine:
It's what I have to do as your counselor.
Dawn:
So it would seem.
(Confession Cam)
Dawn - /Eyes closed in meditation, hovers a foot off seat./ "Great Earth Mother, what do you see? The spirit energy of this place is beyond comprehension, even for me. I fear there is a shroud of darkness invisible to the naked eye. Yet it curiously has little to do with the school itself. More like there may be something... disturbing within..." /An orange glow begins to suddenly emit around her./
Duncan:
Alright, let's hear it.
Mlle. Caine:
Hear what?
Duncan:
How my rap sheet will be a hindrance to just about any prospective career outside of law enforcement. Either that or I'm bound to spend the rest of my days in jail.
Mlle. Caine:
Why do you think that?
Duncan:
C'mon! You think I'd make it as anything other than either a prisoner or a cop? With my history, I'm not suited for even bagging groceries.
Mlle. Caine:
You seem certain about this.
Duncan:
There is no future for me elsewhere. That much I'm certain.
Mlle. Caine:
Okay. Is either of those two career paths what you want?
Duncan:
Hell no! Living in a family that's pretty much nothing but police officers, it's a no brainer I'd rebel against the system. Being a cop is the last thing I ever wanna be. Certainly don't wanna give my old man the satisfaction. But I don't enjoy being locked up as much as the next guy. That's not my idea of peaceful living.
Mlle. Caine:
Then what would you like to be instead?
Duncan:
What's the point? It's not gonna happen.
Mlle. Caine:
So you believe. You're committed to this notion that you can't be anything other than a cop or prisoner, the two occupations you don't want to have, that you've resigned yourself to the worst scenario possible without making any sort of attempt to change it.
Duncan:
Because nothing will change it.
Mlle. Caine:
Why? Because you have a rap sheet? That's the excuse you're going with?
Duncan:
... I'm not changing who I am just so I don't have to be a cop or prisoner.
Mlle. Caine:
I'm not saying you should. I simply would like to know if there's something you'd like to be so we can set a course for how you can achieve it without changing who you are.
Duncan:
... Wasn't expecting the push back. ... Best I can think of for now is that, whatever it is, I'd like for it to keep me around Princess as much as possible.
Mlle. Caine:
Ah, maintaining a close relationship with Courtney. That's rather romantic of you.
Duncan:
If nothing else, I won't have to travel so many miles to sneak into her bedroom. With a good enough career, I might finally be able to get into her pants.
(Confession Cam)
Duncan - "I'm trying my damnedest to keep myself in check with my expectations. I should have no illusions about my prospective future. But how that counselor pushed back at me..." /Pauses and sighs./ "And here I thought Princess was the only one who could do that. Makes me all the more concerned about who else in this place might be able to pull that off."
Cameron:
You know, I kinda figured I'd spend the rest of my life in a bubble. Even when I was able to convince my mom to let me onto the show, I expected to be right back where I had been before.
Mlle. Caine:
But now you're here.
Cameron:
Yeah. Isn't that something?
Mlle. Caine:
It sure is.
Cameron:
Yet I still don't quite know what I'd like to do for a living. Outside of no longer being in a bubble, of course.
Mlle. Caine:
Is there anything in particular you like to do in general?
Cameron:
Well, I think I was rather figuring things out when I was on the show. Having never experienced being in the outdoors and all. I did rather like being able to build my own mach suit in the finale.
Mlle. Caine:
A mach suit you say.
Cameron:
Yeah. Even I was surprised I managed to pull it off given all the not-so-high-tech junk that littered the island.
Mlle. Caine:
How well did it work?
Cameron:
Enough that I was able to win my show. Barely.
Mlle. Caine:
Impressive. Have you considered building other things in your spare time?
Cameron:
In a way. I mean, I kinda have ideas spinning around in my head. But I'm having trouble figuring how to start.
Mlle. Caine:
Ah, the first hurdle.
Cameron:
Yeah, something like that. Makes me feel like building the mach suit was a fluke.
Mlle. Caine:
Well, if you have an interest in building things from scratch, there are programs here that can help you figure out how to overcome that first hurdle and to keep moving forward.
Cameron:
That would be great! Now I'm wondering if I've been missing out from having never been to a school before until now. Mom made it seem like they were almost all infested with disease-carrying vermin. And the rodents would be just as problematic.
Mlle. Caine:
I can assure you that we're not infested with disease-carrying vermin. And the rodents won't be a problem either.
Cameron:
Well, alright then. I'm ready to try out this whole school thing now.
(Confession Cam)
Cameron - "Who would've thought that a school would be far more adventurous than Camp Wawanakwa? I'm getting to find out more about myself and build things! The sky's the limit! I may never ever go back to being in a bubble ever again!" /Raises arm in victory, causing a cracking sound to be heard. Winces and cautiously pulls back arms./ "Okay, not broken. Just haven't... stretched enough. Yeah, that's it."
Bridgette:
I kinda figured Chris was joking when he said that this school could conceivably make surfing as an actual career.
Mlle. Caine:
It's not as common as say being a model or a farmer. But there are viable paths to take with which you could make a living as a surfer.
Bridgette:
That wouldn't include having to flip burgers, would it?
Mlle. Caine:
Fortunately, you don't have to flip burgers.
Bridgette:
That's good. Outside of being an instructor, I wasn't seeing many options that were to my liking. I figured I'd have to make surfing a hobby and do something like be a marine biologist to support me financially.
Mlle. Caine:
Would you have minded being a marine biologist?
Bridgette:
Probably. But I'm not sure I'd like to be one if it meant having to adjust myself to fit the role.
Mlle. Caine:
How so?
Bridgette:
Well, most marine biologists I've met, while managing to spend some time in the water, generally focus on sitting in front of a computer to conduct their research and studies. Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of surfing the internet almost as much as I'm surfing the waves.
Mlle. Caine:
You'd rather your life be out in the water more times than on land.
Bridgette:
Yes! And when I'm surfing, it's all about the water. The beauty, the dangers, the serenity of it all. I'm more at ease, I'm relaxed. My heart is pumping whenever I tackle particularly big waves and the rush I get when I take on the challenge. I'm alive! ... To have to designate that as a hobby and not as a living just seems so... so...
Mlle. Caine:
Wrong?
Bridgette:
And unfulfilling and unsatisfactory. I kinda wish others would see how I see it so they can understand why I feel this way and why I would love for surfing to be a career.
Mlle. Caine:
Ah, now that's what I wanted to hear.
Bridgette:
What's that?
Mlle. Caine:
The passion. Knowing now just how passionate you are about surfing, I think there's a path in particular that might be what you're looking for.
Bridgette:
Oh yeah?
Mlle. Caine:
I believe so.
Bridgette:
I feel like there's a catch to this.
Mlle. Caine:
That depends. How are you with cameras?
(Confession Cam)
Bridgette - "So... I could legitimately take on surfing as a career by also being a documentarian, eh? Well, those amazing camera shots in magazines and videos don't make themselves, I guess. If I can pull it off, it might actually amplify the fun I get from surfing!"
Sky:
Competing in the Olympics. That's the goal.
Mlle. Caine:
No hesitation, I see.
Sky:
It's what I've dedicated myself towards. And after winning my show, I feel I'm that much closer to getting there.
Mlle. Caine:
Well, I'm sure we'll be able to help you pull that off.
Sky:
As I understand it, from what little I overheard at the colleges I've visited, this place will seal the deal.
Mlle. Caine:
You could say that. And you certainly have the mindset to succeed without issue.
Sky:
I can almost feel the exhilaration. Just have to stay focused.
Mlle. Caine:
You're really committed to this, aren't you.
Sky:
Yeah, definitely. ... Maybe a little too much, I will admit.
Mlle. Caine:
Oh?
Sky:
Well...
Mlle. Caine:
It's perfectly fine if you don't want to talk about it. Just know that we take such things pretty seriously and the restraining order will be upheld.
Sky:
Okay. ... Hard to imagine needing to uphold it all that much when we're apparently off the grid.
Mlle. Caine:
We don't let ourselves rest on our laurels just because we are off the grid.
Sky:
I see.
Mlle. Caine:
Let's get back to the Olympics.
Sky:
Yes, let's.
Mlle. Caine:
Good. As I understand it, you were looking to possibly compete in every sport in both the summer and winter Olympics?
Sky:
Absolutely. I want to be in the Olympics so bad, I trained for years in every one of them so that I know I'd be able to get in on at least something. I've been getting real good at juggling them all, though, that perhaps I might be able to get into all of them.
Mlle. Caine:
Interesting. Well, there have been a few Olympians here and there who have competed in multiple events. Usually, though, they stick to a particular grouping of sports. That many events overlap one another will make it difficult to fulfill doing every single one.
Sky:
I get that and I do understand that it's not possible to compete in every sport in one year. But I'm certain I can pull it off over the course of several years. And when it comes time for me to no longer be a competitor, I'm sure I can transition into being a coach and train the next generation of aspiring Olympians.
Mlle. Caine:
Well, you've definitely put together a fairly decent game plan. Guess the issue then would be to set up a comfortable schedule for you to pull this off.
(Confession Cam)
Sky - "I meant it when I said it on Pahkitew Island and I still mean it now. I plan to compete in every one of those events. The challenge is great enough and, by being in this school, I feel like I can pull it off now more than ever." /Pauses and exhales./ "If nothing else, it'll help me focus so heavily that it'll distract me enough to possibly put me at ease over this whole stupid mess with Dave."
Ezekiel:
I'm... kinda nerv'oos, eh.
Mlle. Caine:
Adjusting to a school setting so suddenly after being home-schooled is challenging. While we've dealt with only a few cases before, we can still help ease you in comfortably.
Ezekiel:
'ookay. ... 'oom, s'oo am I s'oopp'oosed t'oo kn'oo what I wanna be already? Did I 'oonderstand that right?
Mlle. Caine:
Not necessarily. The purpose is to get a good understanding of what you would like to do for a living and help you make it a reality through the classes and work we'd set you up on. If you don't already have a career in mind, we look at your interests and what you enjoy doing. We would accentuate that into something that you could make a career out of.
Ezekiel:
'ookay. ... I still d'oon't get it, eh.
Mlle. Caine:
It's nothing drastic. We'll take it in steps so you won't feel overwhelmed, okay? For starters, tell us what you like to do in general.
Ezekiel:
'oom... I like bein' 'ootd'oors.
Mlle. Caine:
Alright. Do you do anything in particular when you're outdoors?
Ezekiel:
'oom... I d'oon'oo. W'ootever dad tells me t'oo d'oo, eh.
Mlle. Caine:
I see. Do you mind if I ask about your relationship with your parents? Specifically since the show ended.
Ezekiel:
'ooh... It hasn't been g'ood lately.
Mlle. Caine:
Oh?
Ezekiel:
Yeah. When I said w'oot I said 'oon the sh'oo, f'ooks started bein' mean to my dad. And bec'oose 'oof that I d'oon't think he's been happy with me 'oor my m'oom. Kinda hasn't been d'ooin' much either, eh. J'oost been sittin' h'oome and drinkin' al'oot. D'oosn't even talk t'oo 'oos. M'oom and I d'oon'oo what t'oo d'oo. J'oost al'oot 'oof n'oothin', eh.
Mlle. Caine:
I'm sorry to hear that. If you would rather not talk about it any further, that's fine with me.
Ezekiel:
'ookay.
Mlle. Caine:
So, you like being outdoors. Well, if you're willing, perhaps we can put you through a program that will explore this interest. From it, you might land on something in particular that you'd like to do for a living.
Ezekiel:
That w'ood be nice, eh.
Mlle. Caine:
Indeed it would.
(Confession Cam)
Ezekiel - "I never g'oot a chance t'oo be in here, eh. I'm n'oot s'oore it's all it's cracked 'oop t'oo be, either." /Shrugs./
Lightning:
Lightning is here to compete, not study.
Mlle. Caine:
So it would seem.
Lightning:
You dare mock tha Lightning? Lightning don't need yer schoolin'. Lightning is tha whole sha-bang and you know it!
Mlle. Caine:
Perhaps. Well, since it's clear that you're here to, as you've said, compete and not study, you'll obviously be set up on programs that emphasize athletics over academics.
Lightning:
As it should be.
Mlle. Caine:
Quite. So is there a particular sport that you're more interested in?
Lightning:
It don't matter to tha Lightning. Lightning will dominate them all.
Mlle. Caine:
All-around athlete, I see.
Lightning:
Lightning will take whateva you dish and eat it good, you dig?
Mlle. Caine:
I believe I dig. Clearly you view the likes of Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders as inspiration.
Lightning:
You know Bo and Prime Time, eh? Lightning is impressed.
Mlle. Caine:
Thank you. You're not the first to be here wanting to play multiple sports at the same time. There are a lot of issues that make it difficult for any one to make through to achieve the level of recognition and success you seek.
Lightning:
Issues mean nothin' to Lightning. Just waste of paper, they're so small. Can't even wipe Lightning's sweat properly.
Mlle. Caine:
So you say. Be that as it may, it's going to take more than just the will and confidence to be in the same conversation as Bo and Prime Time.
Lightning:
Nothin' will stop tha Lightning. Not school, not sharks, not some girl pretendin' ta be a guy, not some scrawny midgets who musta cheated to win their shows. Nothin'!
Mlle. Caine:
Well, I guess you're that determined to achieve your goal beyond reason. So be it. Fortunately for you, we have a program or two we can put you through that will help facilitate your desire to successfully compete in multiple sports at the same time.
Lightning:
Like Lightning would do anythin' else. I bet that one midget who thinks she can be an Olympian will be jealous of tha Lightning, like she should already be.
Mlle. Caine:
This won't have anything to do with Sky.
Lightning:
Oh, it sha-will.
(Confession Cam)
Lightning - "Tha midget thinks by bein' an Olympian she gonna do better than tha Lightning? Sha-please! She gonna find out when I get through this so-called school that tha Lightning is all that and a bag of chips. Tha good kind of chips, not them cheap-o stuff they serve in school cafeterias. Which Lightning is sure this school is one of them. No matter how all fancy it is with its stadiums and flowers and sh-/censored/."
LeShawna:
So this school gonna help set me for life with my chosen career, huh?
Mlle. Caine:
That's the goal.
LeShawna:
What kinda careers are we talkin' here?
Mlle. Caine:
Whichever one you would like.
LeShawna:
You'll hafta pardon me if I don't buy this right off tha bat.
Mlle. Caine:
No offense taken. It's perfectly understandable for new students to doubt our being able to help them achieve their desired living.
LeShawna:
Is this tha part yer gonna tell me virtually every student who eva studied here ended up bein' some kinda success story?
Mlle. Caine:
Not every student makes it, admittedly. We can only do so much to provide the help needed to get them rolling. And while we do make modifications to the system whenever such things happen, it ultimately comes down to the individual to learn from the lessons taught and turn their dream into a reality.
LeShawna:
Uh-huh. Then lemme see if yer good with this one. I wanna open my own community center.
Mlle. Caine:
That's wonderfully admirable and noble.
LeShawna:
Think this here school can make it happen?
Mlle. Caine:
As I said, we'll do what we can to help you bring it to life.
LeShawna:
Alright. I'm listenin'.
Mlle. Caine:
Am I correct to presume that you've done some volunteer work and have a pretty good idea of what your community center would provide?
LeShawna:
Hell yeah. I wouldn't be wantin' it if I didn't have some experience already on my belt.
Mlle. Caine:
Good. How about the business side of it?
LeShawna:
That's tha part that I'm concerned about. And what I mean is I'm concerned about the business side wantin' me ta do things I ain't comfortable wit'.
Mlle. Caine:
Perfectly understandable. We can't make guarantees, but we can help you learn how to best navigate the tricky waters of trying to maintain the integrity of your community center and keep it afloat.
LeShawna:
Hopefully it ain't borin'.
(Confession Cam)
LeShawna - "We need one back home. We need a good one. I know I can make a good one. It's tha business side that's always been concernin' me. If this school can help me out wit' that then it'll make all the crap I had to go through on tha damned show worth it. Cause I'm runnin' outta ideas on how ta make it work otherwise."
Staci:
I'm reminded of my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Auntie Louise, yeah. She conducted the first person to person interview. Before her, people would just shout out their discussions in an alleyway.
Mlle. Caine:
Is that so?
Staci:
It's true! Just like how my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Uncle Theodore invented the polygraph test. Prior to that, police used to have suspects blow in plastic bags with crystals changing color to determine whether or not they spoke the truth.
Mlle. Caine:
I see. You seem to be quite proud of your... family heritage.
Staci:
I sure am. There's my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Auntie Elanor, yeah. She was the first to make mashed potatoes. Without her, people would still be stuffing them in fish and deep frying them before eating.
Mlle. Caine:
Interesting. If I may ask, do you see yourself being part of this family heritage?
Staci:
Absolutely.
Mlle. Caine:
Doing what?
Staci:
... Um...
Mlle. Caine:
You never thought about what you could do so that years from now your descendants could proudly look back on your accomplishment the same way you do for your ancestors?
Staci:
... I guess not...
Mlle. Caine:
Is there anything you're doing these days? Other than talking about your family history?
Staci:
Well... I made my first friend ever in Max! He's, like, the only person to actually listen to me talk about my ancestors, yeah. And he wants me to keep talking about them. He seems to find inspiration from everything they've done.
Mlle. Caine:
Fascinating. You know, Max may be on to something that you might do for a career. If, at any point, you find yourself needing to make a living outside of offering him ideas. It might be a way to add your name to your family heritage.
Staci:
Really? What's that?
Mlle. Caine:
It would require you to a great deal of challenging work and you would mostly be helping others with their family histories. But I have a pretty good feeling that being a genealogist would be something that would fit you like a glove.
Staci:
Genealogist?
Mlle. Caine:
Someone who charts family trees and heritage for a living. Has there been anyone who has done that within your family.
Staci:
... No. No, there hasn't. I could be the first, yeah! Centuries from now, my descendants will talk about how their Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Auntie Staci was the first genealogist! That would be better than having to put together our family history making dioramas out of my cat's fur balls.
(Confession Cam)
Staci - "My first time in the confession cam! This is so amazing, yeah. It reminds me of my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Uncle Jean Claude. He invented the first confessional. Before him, people would have to climb to the top of trees during thunderstorms to confess their sins."
Geoff:
Many dudes and dudettes know that I'm a pretty chill bra, ya know. That I kinda take things one step at a time and sorta live for the moment, if ya know what I mean.
Mlle. Caine:
You certainly seem to be the type.
Geoff:
Sh'yeah, really. It's like, to me, we should all be enjoying ourselves. Don't wanna spend our lives looking back and feeling like we didn't get to do that enough, ya know.
Mlle. Caine:
Sounds like you don't want that to happen in your future.
Geoff:
Totally. Guess that's why I wanna see other folks have fun now while they have the chance. And when they're having fun, then I'm having fun.
Mlle. Caine:
Is that so?
Geoff:
Sh'yeah, for sure.
Mlle. Caine:
Well, I think there's way you could make a living doing that.
Geoff:
Oh yeah?
Mlle. Caine:
I believe so. Would I be wrong to assume that you're the type to throw parties for any reason whatsoever?
Geoff:
Absolutely! No better way to have fun for something than to have a party celebrating it! That's the best kind of having fun, ya know.
Mlle. Caine:
Indeed. Then have you thought about a career as a party planner?
Geoff:
Not yet. But that totally sounds like my thing.
Mlle. Caine:
I'm sure it is. It may require you to do a little more work than you're probably used to, but I can't imagine you would enjoy it any less, all things considered.
Geoff:
So I could make a living encouraging folks to have fun by partying, eh?
Mlle. Caine:
I think it's safe to say that one would be hard-pressed to imagine you doing anything else, frankly.
Geoff:
I would be hard-pressed to imagine doing anything else. Dude, I guess Chris wasn't kidding about how this school would set me up for life, yo.
Mlle. Caine:
Think of it as our way of us having fun, in a sense. Helping students make their dreams into a living.
Geoff:
Sh'yeah, really. I so can't wait to start rolling. Let's party on, bra!
(Confession Cam)
Geoff - "Dude, that shoulda been a no brainer, yo! How did it take til meeting this cool dudette fer me to realize I could be throwing parties for a living? That's totally up my street, ya know. Even cooler if we can make a living throwing beach parties so my schmoopy-schmoo can up it with her surfing gig."
Shawn:
It's the inevitability that drives my fears, you know.
Mlle. Caine:
The inevitability of what?
Shawn:
The apocalypse! When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth.
Mlle. Caine:
Ah, I see.
Shawn:
I admit, I kinda take it a little too seriously. That much was apparent back on Pahkitew Island. But how can I not take it seriously enough knowing it will happen?
Mlle. Caine:
You're just afraid it'll happen when you least expect it during your lifetime, I take it.
Shawn:
Precisely! That's why I need to be ready should that end up being the case. Because once it happens, there's no turning back.
Mlle. Caine:
Well, sounds like you're pretty much already doing what you plan to do for a living.
Shawn:
You can never start too early. Picked up on that pretty quickly.
Mlle. Caine:
Same could be said about teaching others your craft.
Shawn:
You're right. Others need to prepare as well. I kinda realized that it would be a whole lot better to not be alone when trying to survive each day as if it could be our last. I'm glad Jasmine will be there with me should the end come.
Mlle. Caine:
It's good to know that you're thinking less about just your safety and that of others.
Shawn:
It's been hard to break some habits, I'll admit. But Jasmine is worth it, though. It's because of her that I'm trying to at least be open to letting more folks in so that it won't just be us. So yeah, teaching others the skills needed to make it through the apocalypse is the next step for me.
Mlle. Caine:
Nice way to bring it back to what more you could do for a living.
Shawn:
Really? Huh. Even I know I'm terrible at speech stuff. That's more of Jasmine's thing. I usually just get to the point and explain only enough information when needed.
Mlle. Caine:
Perhaps we can help you in making you more eloquent when teaching others how to survive.
Shawn:
Maybe, I dunno. I've always felt that being eloquent was useless when it came to skills needed to avoid getting trapped by a walker horde. You can't talk your way out of that, after all. Not when they specifically want to eat your brains, not admire it.
(Confession Cam)
Shawn - "I dunno, man. I haven't added up all the variables yet to determine if this would a good place to hole up when the apocalypse goes down. But it's a good thing there's survivalist training. Only I'm still uncertain about it being off the grid. We'll see what happens."
Courtney:
Oh my God, this is real. Oh my God, this is real. Oh my God, this is real.
Mlle. Caine:
As real as it gets.
Courtney:
Sorry. It's just that I've been so intrigued about Académie de la Rose Blanche and what being a student here will do for my career ever since I first heard about it.
Mlle. Caine:
Well, we can certainly help you in making your career a successful one. That much we can at least do for you.
Courtney:
Right. So, what I want to do for a living.
Mlle. Caine:
If you may.
Courtney:
My aspirations definitely lie in politics. I've done extracurricular work at the mayor's office back home and I've been signing up for internships for government offices prior to coming here.
Mlle. Caine:
Is the end goal to eventually become Prime Minister of Canada then?
Courtney:
I guess that seems a little obvious. I mean, if my chosen field is politics, I obviously want to shoot for the top position possible. Why else would I be willing to endure the hardships and challenges that come with the territory?
Mlle. Caine:
Completely understandable. You're definitely coming in quite prepared to make your prospective future a successful one.
Courtney:
It's what I have to do.
Mlle. Caine:
So it seems. You mentioned your willingness to endure the hardships and challenges associated with being in politics. I'm afraid I have to ask, but have you considered how having been on the show will multiply them in spades?
Courtney:
I... I have, kinda...
Mlle. Caine:
No doubt you did the best you could under the circumstances. Nevertheless, you did display some behavior that might give you problems on the journey through politics. I'm sure you know as well as any one else that the opposition will use that against you at every turn.
Courtney:
This wouldn't have anything to do with... my relationship with Duncan, would it?
Mlle. Caine:
Not necessarily.
Courtney:
Could it still be a problem?
Mlle. Caine:
You might be surprised at how beneficial it could actually be depending on how it gets played out.
Courtney:
Oh. ... Oh wow...
Mlle. Caine:
But no, I'm thinking more of how you took to being eliminated, albeit illegally. And how you've seemingly been unwilling to let go of that anger since.
Courtney:
Oh... That...
(Confession Cam)
Courtney - /Groans./ "I should have known. I should have known this beef with Harold is gonna curse me. And I doubt that to suddenly accept his apology now would bury the hatchet to any one's satisfaction. He'd probably wouldn't buy it for a second. Goddammit! This is so infuriating! I get into White Rose Academy, the best place to truly build my life into adulthood, and it's threatened because that motherf-/censored/-er had to get me booted illegally!" /Buries face in hands and lets out muffled scream./
Jasmine:
Ya know, I kinda figured my life would be in tha outback. It's kinda tha one place I felt comfor'able in, even wit' all tha thin's that can kill ya.
Mlle. Caine:
I take it being on the show might've changed your mind?
Jasmine:
Maybe a lil'.
Mlle. Caine:
Shawn?
Jasmine:
Yeah. It's like I've said, I tend ta naturally intimida'e folks wit' my size an' can get a bit stubborn. Shawn's a lil' diff'ren' tho'. Not intimida'ed by my size at all. Maybe a lil' wit' my stubbornness. But he can be thickheaded too, wit' 'is fear of zombies an' all.
Mlle. Caine:
So as a result of your relationship with Shawn, how do you now see your future?
Jasmine:
Kinda 'ard ta answer, mate. Funny thin', really. Shawn knew exactly what 'e wan'ed ta spend tha prize money on. Me... I still dunno what I woulda done. Just like what I wanna do fer a livin'.
Mlle. Caine:
Have you discussed with Shawn the idea of setting up a zombie bunker in the outback?
Jasmine:
I 'ave. 'e gets concerned about bein' in to'al isolation. Sayin' thin's like too many variables an' what ta do if supplies get lo' an' all. Yer on yer own if ya try ta make a livin' in tha outback, believe me. So it's probably not a good place ta set up shop, ya know.
Mlle. Caine:
I see. Well, given that you're both pretty good survivalists, perhaps you both could make a living together as that.
Jasmine:
There is that. But...
Mlle. Caine:
You're curious if there's something more for you than just being a survivalist.
Jasmine:
That's kinda tha problem fer me. It's that feelin', only I dunno what else I could be interested in. Survivalism is aparta my life, but it canna be tha only thin', can it? 'ookin' up wit' Shawn is proof of that.
Mlle. Caine:
So it seems. You're concerned that you might to do something else for a living, but don't want to completely abandon being a survivalist in case nothing pans out.
Jasmine:
Sounds about right.
Mlle. Caine:
Then perhaps you would consider a program that let's you figure things out while hanging onto your survivalist background. It'll go at whatever pace is comfortable for you so that you can better determine if there is something that catches your fancy.
Jasmine:
Well, if I ain't got nuttin ta lose than I'm game fer anythin', mate.
(Confession Cam)
Jasmine - "It's because I'm so used ta bein' on my own that I'm uncertain about doin' anythin' else. But now I got Shawn wit' me. An' I really wanna see if there's anythin' else I can do besides bein' a survivalist. I dunno. At least I got somethin' ta fall back on should it come ta it. Ya don't get that often in tha outback, believe ya me."
Harold:
I am quite fond of the mad skills. Enough that I could comfortably make a living from any one of them, if I wanted.
Mlle. Caine:
What kind of mad skills are we talking here?
Harold:
There is the magic tricks I have learned from Magic Steve's Magical Magic Camp. The lock picking skills from Picky Steve's Lock Picking Camp. I help found Inventive Steve's Junior Inventors Gizmo League-
Mlle. Caine:
Ah, it seems you learned a lot from one of our more eccentric alumnus.
Harold:
Really? Magic Steve studied here?
Mlle. Caine:
Quite the fellow, as I understand it. Admittedly, I wasn't here when he attended. But he is fairly well know. Particularly if you manage to find things he left hidden around.
Harold:
Gosh. That is pretty cool.
Mlle. Caine:
You looking to follow in his footstep?
Harold:
I guess. ... Well, maybe not exactly in his footsteps. Not unless he had a music camp I was not aware of.
Mlle. Caine:
You're more interested in music, then?
Harold:
Perhaps. I think about tunes a lot. Possibly a little more than any of my other mad skills. Though it is kind of funny that I think about them when I do not have access to my keyboards. And by the time I am able to get to them, my mojo kind of goes flat and I forget about the tune that I had thought about earlier.
Mlle. Caine:
You don't write down the melodies?
Harold:
If I am honest, I do not think I even know how to read music sheets. I just have this grasp of knowing the melodies and recreate them on my keyboard or with my beat-boxing skills.
Mlle. Caine:
I see. Well, if you are more inclined towards making and producing music, we have some programs we can set you up on in which you would be able to read and write melodies.
Harold:
That would be awesome. Now if only Courtney would hear out my apology, then I might be able to have a good time here.
Mlle. Caine:
This tension between you and Courtney not easing any time soon, I take it?
Harold:
Gosh, it is really frustrating that I cannot move on because she wants to stay mad at me. I just know it is going to affect my enjoyment attending this school.
(Confession Cam)
Harold - /Sighs angrily./ "I think for one minute that I can concentrate on something else and then I see her dumb face and it gets me all angry. I would be willing to do a lot of things if it means we can put this stupid thing behind us. I want to move on. I want to really build my future through this school. What is it going to take?"
Beardo:
I feel comfortable making sounds.
Mlle. Caine:
I can see that. That was certainly an impressive mimicking of a fifty piece orchestra performing the 1812 Overture.
Beardo:
Thanks.
Mlle. Caine:
No doubt you'd like to make a living producing sounds.
Beardo:
That would be cool.
Mlle. Caine:
Indeed it would. ... I must say, though, you're not very talkative. Is that because you're resting your vocal cords as much as you can?
Beardo:
Kind of. I'm rather shy.
Mlle. Caine:
Ah, I see.
Beardo:
Yeah.
Mlle. Caine:
I think I get what you're really saying. That, because you're shy, it takes you a while to warm up to others. And since you're comfortable making sounds, that's what you use to communicate.
Beardo:
You got it.
Mlle. Caine:
Though I imagine most folks may not understand this right away and might instead be put off by your always making sounds. Thereby increasing your shyness around others.
Beardo:
Yeah.
Mlle. Caine:
Interesting. Well, we can for sure set you up on a program in which you get to make sounds for a living. But if you're willing, I'd like to add on a supplement. Think of it as sort of like extra curricular work.
Beardo:
I dig.
Mlle. Caine:
It's something experimental we've been meaning to try out and you might be the ideal student to give it a whirl. A social experiment that, if all works out, will help you be more open and accepting around others. If things get too uncomfortable, just let us know and we can take you off it without any harm to your education.
Beardo:
Intriguing.
Mlle. Caine:
Since it's a supplement, you don't have to answer right away. You can spend as much time as you need to think on it.
Beardo:
No need. I'm game.
(Confession Cam)
Beardo - /Has been spending a minute vocalizing all sorts of chaotic sound effects from explosions to animal screams to police sirens, ending with a rumbling crash./ "And then they made me their chief."
Gwen:
You'll have to forgive me if I'm not a hundred percent sold on that claim that this school will set me for life with my chosen profession.
Mlle. Caine:
Admittedly, there have been a few here and there that ended up not making it, as it were. But that shouldn't dissuade you from at least trying and seeing for yourself how well off you could be after graduating from here.
Gwen:
Perhaps. How are you with those whose chosen career is art?
Mlle. Caine:
Not bad, all things considered.
Gwen:
Not bad, huh? I know for a fact it's a profession that has little guarantee of making a comfortable living off of.
Mlle. Caine:
As do we. Fortunately, our programs have been designed to ensure you don't have to worry about how financially stable you are while maintaining your passion for art.
Gwen:
Oh yeah? Suppose I want my stuff to be exhibited in galleries on a regular basis.
Mlle. Caine:
We have a program that will help understand how galleries determine if one's body of work is worth displaying and how they go about scheduling and promoting them.
Gwen:
I see. What if I just wanna draw for the hell of it? Not care at all what other people think or want, they get what they get and they better live with it?
Mlle. Caine:
We have programs that cover that as well. And if I may say, it's nice to meet someone who has the kind of understanding and concerns about the difficulties of their chosen profession as you do.
Gwen:
Kinda have to if you wanna be an artist.
Mlle. Caine:
Indeed. You're obviously keeping your expectations in check and are going into this with as much caution as you can. It's admirable and appreciative.
Gwen:
Is it now?
Mlle. Caine:
It is. Students like you keep us on our toes and enable us to constantly re-evaluate our education processes, fine-tuning where needed.
Gwen:
Huh. Intrigued to be someplace that isn't irked by my bluntness right off the bat.
Mlle. Caine:
You're not the first and you won't be the last.
Gwen:
Well, alright then. Tell me more about the programs focused getting my work exhibited in galleries. Specifically, just how comfortable they would be with Gothic and cosmic horror.
(Confession Cam)
Gwen - "I'm not trying to be Andy Warhol, Georges Seurat, or Jackson Pollock. Hell, I'm not even trying to be in the same ballpark as that misogynist Pablo Picasso. I could give a crap about whether or not my art finds an audience. Just lemme be me and not have to worry about anything else. That includes having to be financially secure to live and do what I want to do. If this place can help me pull it off, great. One less thing to worry about."
Dakota:
I just... wanna be happy again. That's what I want my future to be.
Mlle. Caine:
Again?
Dakota:
I was happy. I mean really happy.
Mlle. Caine:
You were happy being Dakotazoid?
Dakota:
I know, I'm surprised too. But I was happy. I got to be in the public eye, albeit when in monster fights. I actually liked competing in those fights. Daddy eased up at work so we could spend more time together. And I have the sweetest boyfriend in the world.
Mlle. Caine:
Fascinating.
Dakota:
Then that sonuvabitch Chris and the other producers forced daddy to try to change me back so I could come here.
Mlle. Caine:
Ah, I see.
Dakota:
Daddy nearly went bankrupt and it only worked to a certain degree, as you can see. I have to be really pissed to be Dakotazoid, but that only lasts for so long.
Mlle. Caine:
I'm assuming because it was so expensive to try to change you back that it would cost even more to reverse it.
Dakota:
That and there's concerns the mutagens aren't stable, so I'd risk becoming something else if we tried. Something... bad. I'm kinda stuck in this current thing for now.
Mlle. Caine:
I'm sorry you had to go through that.
Dakota:
All because it was necessary for me to be apart of this...
Mlle. Caine:
Then let's try to make the most of this unfortunate situation. Do you feel you need to be Dakotazoid to be happy again?
Dakota:
I dunno. I'm not really sure about what will make me happy. Besides being with Sam.
Mlle. Caine:
Okay, let's build off that. Is there something about yourself that Sam likes?
Dakota:
He likes me for me. Sweetest boyfriend in the world, remember?
Mlle. Caine:
Indeed he is. Well, with that being the case, how about we go through what you would've liked to have done for a living before you went onto the show? Merely to set a foundation upon which we can figure out what will make you happy in the end.
Dakota:
I feel like that's a whole different person, though.
Mlle. Caine:
Maybe. But if Sam likes you for you, then perhaps it won't be too troubling to revisit what you wanted to be before so we can shape what you want to be now. He'll still like you no matter what.
Dakota:
... I guess I can give that a shot.
(Confession Cam)
Dakota - "I know Sam liked me from the start. But he's liked me even more since. And I know he likes me for me. But why am I so uncertain that he would not like me any less if I started being... the old me again? Yes, I want to be happy again. But I don't think I'd be happy if I start doing those things I did before and it ends up pushing him away. I can't bare the thought of losing Sam. Or worse, I lose him by being the one to push him away."
Dakota threw herself onto Sam from behind. He was in the middle of playing a video game again with Ezekiel, Cameron, and Beardo, but willingly looked away to look at her. Seeing him smile at her made her smile in return. Whatever worries she had over the last few minutes melting away as their foreheads connected together.
"I thank you all for enduring your time with me today," Mlle. Caine said as she exited the study area. "We managed to average thirty minutes with each of you and the time spent was most certainly illuminating. It will be a few days before we craft together your schedules and the jobs you will be working. Not everything is set in stone, though. If you feel things are not to your liking, contact me and we'll see about how we can help facilitate improving your educational experience in a satisfactory manner. Until next time, I bid you all adieu."
She gave one more nod and then headed out of Rue Plumet through the entry hallway. The students barely had time to unwind and relax even a little bit before Chris returned. For sure a hologram materializing upon the second floor balcony.
"Wasn't that fun?" the handsome host asked. Chances were he was being sarcastic, though the chuckle that followed seemed to contrast that theory. "Welp, you'll know soon enough how your two year venture might go. In the meantime, a reminder that we booked you lot a tour guide to properly show you around the school tomorrow morning at around ten. You probably won't need your uniforms for that, but I recommend having it ready just in case."
There was some low grumbling from the students, mostly the males. Since it had already been understood that they were likely to be wearing the uniforms through a large portion of their stay, it was having to wake up in the morning for a tour of the school that annoyed them. Duncan, in particular, let out quite the elongated exhale as an expression of his disinterest.
"Check you folks later!" Chris proclaimed. He clicked his tongue, shot out a pistol finger at the students, and winked. Seconds later, his hologram vanished.
Now they were all able to let out sighs of relief. Time to finally unwind and relax. And probably use the bathroom, having figured out soon enough the other day that it was situated right next to the confession cam. Another reason why the smell in there was fairly awful.
It was fortunate there was a large bucket next to the seats before the wall television as, without warning, Ezekiel grabbed it and puked into it.
Next Up: The Grand Tour
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Total Drama and its characters are copyright © of Fresh TV, Teletoon and Cartoon Network (and soon Max). This story was created purely out of sheer enjoyment so please don't sue. Or throw me off a thousand-foot high cliff into a shark-infested lake. That would so smarts.