First chapter of the new year! Here's hoping I can get more of these out and keep a more consistent schedule. Anyway, enjoy!
"Last time on Total Drama Glimmering Isles, our two teams took a little trip on the Slop-stacle Course. Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, the Emerald Eagles pulled through with a come-from behind victory thanks to the careful planning of Algernon and some really solid endurance from Walter. That's not to say it wasn't a close race though, as the Ruby Ravens did everything they could to score another victory. Unfortunately for them, Earnest just couldn't solve his part of the challenge fast enough, leaving Beatrice unable to catch up and potentially score the win for her team, leaving those two to be at risk for elimination. Ultimately, it was Earnest who was the one to ultimately got the boot. The numbers are even again and by tomorrow we'll be down to only nineteen! Can the Ravens possibly recover, or have the Eagles found their groove? Find out now on Total!
Drama!
Glimmering Isles!"
"Man, we should have had that challenge in the bag!" Butch whined as he plopped down onto his bunk. "Now we lost the lead!"
"I'd be more worried about the girls." Isaiah remarked.
"Why should we be worried about them?"
"Because now they outnumber us six to four." Brad began. "If they truly wanted to, they could start picking us off one by one until it's only them left."
"Huh, didn't really think of that." The brawler hummed to himself.
"The girls don't seem like the type to do something like that..." Ali said as he lay down on his bunk, looking up at nothing in particular. "Sure, Bea's smart and Tatiana's a pretty serious girl, but that doesn't mean they're going to start targeting us. Have a little more faith in them."
"Of course." Isaiah nodded. "I'm just speaking hypothetically, and I would also like to believe that most of the girls are too kind to do something like that. Still, it never hurts to be careful. For now, we should focus on winning the next challenge."
"Agreed." "Mhmm." "I hear that."
The four boys headed to their respective beds as they awaited the challenge in the morning.
*Confessionals*
Butch: "Those girls aren't really gonna go after us guys now, are they? On one hand they all seem too nice to do that but on the other, Tatiana could convince them since she's probably the most serious girl on the whole show right now. If they are, I guess I gotta convince them to leave me around as long as possible. But hey, I still plan on making sure we get back on track and keep winning!"
Brad: "Earnest being eliminated made the most sense and believing that the girls could pick us off after this isn't likely, though it is possible. Bringing this up to Butch and Ali could very well convince them to either put more effort in the next challenge to save themselves or try to get on the girls' good sides to coerce them into keeping them around. At the same time, they could try convincing the girls to vote off one of their own. Isaiah likely figured this out, too." A sharp look grew in Brad's eyes as he seemed to stare at nothing with a focused look. "Then there's Isaiah himself. He's definitely smart and observant enough to understand the ramifications of us having the numerical disadvantage against the girls and while I could talk to him and work with him, I have no idea what his intentions are. But if I confront him, I run the risk of getting on his bad side. Him being so chatty with that girl Melissa could mean I go next if we lose again. But if I wait too long, I'll miss my chance and risk losing control of my spot in the game. I need to think about my next move carefully..."
Ali: "I don't want to think about what the girls could do against us. That mindset leads to an 'us versus them' mentality against our own teammates and that's not healthy. We need to focus on winning the next challenge and making sure nobody on our team leaves. We can't afford to lose anyone else right now!"
Isaiah: "It's good to know Brad seems to be thinking the same thing I am. I will admit, I talked to the girls about voting off Earnest, though I should have expected them planning to vote him out anyway. His optimism was good for morale, but I don't think that's really necessary now. Still, he was a good eyzl for the short time he was here."
*End Confessionals*
Sapphire stood outside of the communal washrooms, as she leaned against the side of the building her mind couldn't help but wander as she thought about what she and her sister were doing on the island so far. Charlene herself was still in the bathroom, emptying her stomach of the contents of the tainted pancake she had eaten.
"Is she still sick?" The older sister heard as she turned her head to see the rest of the girls on her team walking towards her with varying levels of concern. Jenny was the only one who remotely looked worried while Lin looked more indifferent. Terra had a goofy smile on her face as she cleaned out the inside of her ears with a damp towel.
"Yeah..." Sapphire replied, remembering what she saw between Jenny, her sister, and Johan.
"She should be fine." Lin added. "She didn't eat anything for dinner so by now there shouldn't be much left to throw up. As long as she drinks a lot of water and gets some rest she'll be alright."
"Mhmm." The elder sister nodded. "But you girls should be proud of yourselves. All of you did good work to make sure we won. Even you, Terra."
"Yeah! Hamster wheel!" The rainbow-haired girl cheered.
"We managed to pick up the win today, but we need to keep up this momentum."
"The challenge today seemed to play into the strengths a lot of our team had." Lin stated. "We may have to hope the next one does the same, otherwise we need to plan accordingly."
"My thoughts exactly." Sapphire nodded. "You girls should go on and get some sleep, we're going to need it if we want to win tomorrow. I'll stay here and wait for my sister."
As the three girls nodded and began to walk away, Sapphire grabbed Jenny's wrist. As the cheerleader turned to look back at Sapphire, her confused look was met with Sapphire's icy glare.
"Hey, we need to talk about something."
Jenny gulped in fear while Lin and Terra continued heading back.
"Today was a fun day, wasn't it Lin Lin?" The clown girl asked.
"'Lin Lin'?"
"Yeah, I figured since we're besties, I should give you a nickname!"
"Since when were we-?" Lin began before sighing. The two girls arrived at their cabin but stopped at the front steps. "Whatever. Just don't wait up for me."
"You're going to go look for one of those statues or are you just going to explore again?"
"Maybe both." The shorter girl shrugged.
"Can I come?" Terra asked, her voice becoming a bit more soft. "I know you can take care of yourself, but maybe it won't be as lonely if you have a friend come with you?"
The street urchin raised an eyebrow as she looked at Terra before shrugging her shoulders.
"Fine. Just this one time."
Back at the washrooms, the cheerleader looked at Sapphire with an unsettled look in her eyes.
"Y-yeah?" She asked. "What do you want to talk about?"
"I wanted to ask you about Johan. What do you think of him?"
"Joey? He's a sweetheart!" Jenny replied, a fond smile growing on her face. She quickly remembered what she had overheard during the first challenge and her smile faded. "He hasn't been causing you any problems, has he?"
"A 'sweetheart', huh?" Sapphire said before raising a hand to her chin in thought. Jenny's eyes widened in worry as her frown deepened.
"H-He's not a bad guy, honest!"
"I'll be the judge of that."
"You're not going to hurt him, are you?"
"No. Not yet at least." Sapphire replied, her expression firm. "But if either of you hurt my sister, I'll make sure both of you pay! Now go on."
Without another word, the cheerleader slowly backed off before turning and running back to their cabin.
*Confessionals*
Lin: "I can feel some tension in Sapphire. I said it before and I'll say it again, as long as it doesn't involve me, I really don't care. As for Terra, she's... a handful. But she seems harmless. As long as she doesn't make me regret bringing her along, I'll consider keeping her around."
Terra: "Lin seems like she has trouble talking to people, which might explain why she's always off on her own. I have trouble making genuine friends, too, so maybe I can get her to open up a bit. It doesn't hurt to try, right?"
Charlene: "I heard some commotion while I was cleaning myself up. The rest of the girls don't seem like the type to push my sister's buttons unless Sapphire's noticed something I haven't. So she's either getting some information or Omari's trying to flirt with her again."
Jenny: "Oh man, Sapphire's as scary as Joseph is when she wants to be! She asked about Johan though, he isn't the type of person to cause problems with anyone! Right? I really hope he and I haven't done anything wrong!"
Sapphire: "Jenny's reaction tells me that she hasn't hurt Charlene, nor does she really intend to. Which means I need to talk to Johan next. If it turns out that he's playing with my sister's emotions, I'll send him home in a body bag!"
*End Confessionals*
As the morning came, the remaining teens headed to the mess hall for breakfast, attitudes and emotions certainly varied between both teams. The atmosphere of the Emerald Eagles' table was odd, to say the least. Sapphire's gaze was locked onto Jenny and Johan, the former of the two tried to avert her gaze while the latter simply looked at his food, knowing that the elder sister was giving her a look while subtly looking towards Charlene, who was just as confused as he was as she looked between him and her sister.
"Alright." Joseph began. "We've won the last challenge, but let's keep up this momentum and make sure we win this challenge as well."
"We should hope that whatever the challenge may be, it plays to each of our strengths in some way." Walter added. "Algernon, can we count on you to think of a good plan in case the challenge is something we may not be ready for?"
"W-Well, um, I can certainly do my best."
Carmen silently joined the Eagles' table as she sat down next to her cousin, a pout plastered on her face as she rested her elbows on the table. The moment he saw her, Omari put on the most suave face he could muster.
"Wassup baby, you look down. You alright?"
Carmen gave the boy an incredulous glare of disgust before answering.
"First off, if you call me 'baby' again, I'm gonna break your neck. But if you really want to know, I bet Chris and Chef that if the Ravens won the last challenge, they had to do whatever Chelsea and I wanted today, but if you guys won we'd do what they wanted."
"You bet against us?" Johan asked, finally getting a bit of his nerve back now that Sapphire wasn't looking at him anymore.
"Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against you guys and I would never want to root against my family, but considering who you guys have on your team, I figured you'd lose again." Carmen explained, looking right at Omari when referring to the weak link, which Omari himself seemed to somewhat pick up on.
"Aww, come on babe, you know I get sh*t done!" The brash teen huffed.
"If by 'get sh*t done', you mean 'do the bare minimum and then barf in front of two girls you were trying to impress', then yeah, you got it done." Lin scoffed with a roll of her eyes.
"Girl, ain't no one trying to impress you! Lookin' like you still ain't hit puberty yet..."
"Enough!" Joseph called out firmly, silencing the table. "Omari, just because we won yesterday doesn't mean I haven't forgotten what we agreed on. You're still on thin ice and are the next one to go if we lose. Lin, don't egg him on."
"Fine, but I'm just calling it as I see it." The street urchin shrugged.
*Confessionals*
Jenny: "Oh man, I can already tell today's going to be a long day..."
Johan: "I'm not sure why exactly Sapphire's glaring at me and Jenny like that, but I have a pretty good idea why, and I definitely don't like that..."
Sapphire: "Joseph is the type to keep someone around so long as they're useful, and creating unnecessary drama would lead to him wanting someone gone. As such, I need to talk to Johan alone."
Charlene: "Does my sister think I haven't been noticing the looks she's been giving those two ever since we woke up? Ugh, she better not be giving Johan a hard time!"
Algernon: "Sapphire seems awfully frustrated about something. Perhaps I should talk to her about it? That is, if I don't end up getting flustered and stutter my words or do something else to make myself look bad..."
Omari: "Tch, now they gotta make me look bad in front of Carmen! That kid is starting to get on my nerves too! She wants to have an attitude just because she's not good enough for a guy like me!"
Lin: "Omari really is a dweeb, isn't he. But hey, he's not a threat. This means that if we keep winning then I get to watch him inevitably get the crap beaten out of him, or he somehow screws things up for the team and we vote him off."
Terra: "Do you think this challenge will have a hamster wheel, too? Maybe Chris will bring chickens!"
Walter: "Omari's infatuation with that girl, Carmen, will only make things more difficult for us if he loses focus. That boy truly is in desperate need of some discipline!
Joseph: "He really thinks he has a chance with Carmen, doesn't he? Hah! I already heard that he insulted Johan and he just got a pretty blatant rejection from Carmen herself. Anyway, the challenge should be starting soon. Algie impressed me yesterday with his idea for doing his part of the challenge. If he can think of a good game plan for us then we can win this challenge, too!"
*End Confessionals*
From across the mess hall, the atmosphere at the Ravens' table appeared to be much more relaxed, if a bit awkward with its silence.
"So, um, I guess we should try talking about what we can do to win the next challenge?" Ginger piped up.
"We should wait until we actually learn what the challenge itself is first." Tatiana replied. Melissa played around with the grey slop she had on her plate. Chef told everyone it was eggs but it looked more like something he found on the side of the road, put in a blender and then boiled. A light tap on her shoulder snagged her attention away from the grime.
"Good morning, Melissa, I see you're enjoying Chef's, ahem, 'fine cuisine' this morning." Isaiah began, the two sharing a smile with one another.
"Hehe, hi! I don't know if I'd call this anything more than sewer muck though." Melissa laughed. "Also, the girls and I never really got to thank you for telling us about the vote last night. I mean, we were kind of going to vote for Earnest anyway but it's the thought that counts!"
"Of course!" Isaiah smiled. "I was also glad to see that we were on the same page. We'll need that if we want to get back to winning, and especially if the two of us are going to go far in this game. הגויים האלה לא יידעו מה פגע בהם!"
"Uh, yeah, let's do our best!"
Much like Carmen, Chelsea sat with the Red team with a sullen look on her face as the intern allowed her head to gently hit the table with a thud.
"What's with you?" Tatiana asked.
"Yeah, you seem down, anything we can do to help?" Butch asked, earning a few raised eyebrows from his teammates.
"I bet on you guys winning the last challenge. Since you didn't, I have to basically be Chris' slave for the day."
"Aren't you essentially his slave for the entire show?" Bea asked.
"Yeah, but I know what to expect as his intern." Chelsea began. "Plus he tends to treat Carmen and I better than most of the other interns, since I have history on this show and Carmen's cousin is competing. But with this bet he's been given a green light to go crazy."
"I'd say that's your own fault for making a bet like that to begin with." Ali shrugged, earning a glare from Marsha.
"Hey, it's not like she knew we'd lose! Besides, I'm flattered to know she's rooting for us to win!" The young chef replied, smiling at the intern.
"Attention campers!" Chris announced on the intercom. "Meet me in front of the docks in ten. It's challenge time!"
*Confessionals*
Ginger: "Ugh, my readers are definitely going to get a post on the food Chef serves! I don't know how some of the older players lived through multiple seasons of the stuff! Anyway, the mood hasn't been as down as I thought it would be. I mean we do miss Earnest's positivity, but I think we'll get by. I trust Tati and Bea enough for them to think of a good plan for the challenge, whatever it ends up being."
Tatiana: "The girls voting for Earnest was more than enough to send him out of the game, but what's still on my mind is why Isaiah went over to talk us into voting for him. It's confusing at best and suspicious at worst. I need to keep a closer eye on him from now on..."
Melissa: "I don't speak Yiddish or Hebrew so I have no idea what Isaiah said, but I'm more than happy to have an alliance with him! Hehehe, I feel so sneaky saying that!"
Bea: "My performance within this challenge today may have a heavy factor in the way my team can perceive me going forward, so it would be best to ensure that I exhume the highest level of physical performance that I am physically capable of, lest I risk another elimination. However, with other factors such as both Marsha and Butch showing signs of infatuation with the intern, Chelsea, along with a very acute level of suspicion from Tatiana towards Isaiah, the possibility of my elimination may decrease depending on the events of this upcoming challenge. This does not factor in other variables such as growing tensions between Ali, Brad and Isaiah, as the three have shown very minute signs of mistrust between each other and I'm rambling, aren't I..."
Marsha: "Oh, I hate to see Chelsea so upset like this! Maybe I can do something to make her feel better! I should totally bake her something when I get the chance to!"
Butch: "Ah man, Marsha's totally into her, too. I can tell! I overheard her saying that she's a good cook so she can do something I can't, but if I want to get her attention then I gotta do something!"
Brad: "Chris said that there are multiple islands around here. We've had two challenges on this main one so I'd imagine this next challenge will either introduce the others, or he's saving them for the more difficult ones. Time will tell, I guess."
Ali: "Even though it had to happen sometime, I still feel bad about voting Ernie off. But I have to take it as though it were like ripping off a bandage; the sooner it happens, the sooner we can get over it and move on. I just have to make sure we don't lose this next one!"
Tracy: "Y'know when my brothers told me about this show, I thought it would be harder, but things seem to be going pretty well so far. These challenges aren't too bad and the rest of the girls on my team seem to know what they're doing. I think as long as I stick by them, I'll be alright, nobody's really going after me right now anyway."
Isaiah: "Talking to the girls about removing Earnest was much easier than I thought. Every other member on our team offered more than him as a whole, and they seemed to agree. However, it'll be much more difficult convincing them to vote for one of the other boys. What with Butch being physically strong, Ali being agile and Brad being just as much of a planner as myself and Tatiana. While some of the girls, specifically Marsha and Ginger, don't really offer much either, keeping the majority on the girls may prove to be vital since it allows Melissa to get some more votes for us."
*End Confessionals*
Six canoes were stationed at the end of the dock behind Chris, who smirked as he saw the teens approaching.
"Glad you all could make it!" Chris began. "How was breakfast?"
"You know it sucked, Chris." Tracy replied.
"It was a rhetorical question. Anyway, let's get on with today's challenge! As you were all made aware of during the start of the season, this island has several smaller ones around it. This will be the first challenge to make use of those islands as your teams will split up into smaller groups. Three groups of two will go to each of the smaller islands while the remaining four of you will stay on this island. Your goal is to search all four islands for a gemstone matching your team's color. Once you've found your crystal, just bring them to the mess hall. The first team to bring all four gems wins, the losing team sends someone home. Since I'm such a nice guy, I'll allow you to pick your groups, this time."
With their objective now clear, the two groups immediately huddled up to form their groups.
"So, how do we do this?" Butch asked.
"Our greatest possibility for victory would be to separate into groups that allow us to utilize our skills to the greatest potential." Bea answered, pushing up her glasses.
"In English please." The brute groaned.
"We pair up with someone that fits with what we do best." Tatiana responded with a sigh.
"If I may." Isaiah interjected. "Melissa and I tend to work well together, as we've done in the previous challenge. While we weren't able to get the lead against the other team, that can be chalked up to them choosing players that were better for that part of the course. Please, let us make up for that."
"No need to apologize, it didn't work out yesterday. I'm sure you two can pull through for us this time." Ali assured.
"I'll go with Butch." Brad stated. "Who knows what he'll get up to without someone keeping him in check."
"Hey, I'm not that stupid!" The brute hissed.
"Tracy and I did decently back in the first challenge." Marsha added.
"Yeah, but we were kinda just running around trying to find a flag back then." Tracy added. "I think we might need a bit of help."
"Then the two of you can join me. We'll need a fourth person though." Tatiana announced, Bea raised her hand with a smile.
"Allow me. The four of us should be able to locate the gem on this main island fairly easily."
"I guess that leaves the two of us." Ginger noted as she looked to Ali.
"Guess so." The acrobat shrugged, giving the blogger a smile.
*Confessionals*
Brad: "Keeping Butch from getting lost or hurting himself isn't the only reason I want to pair up with him. I can't keep acting like a lone wolf forever, it would give the rest of the team a reason to vote me off. Butch may be an odd choice for an ally, but he's strong. As our team's best muscle, they're likely to keep him around and if I can keep him under control, I can make sure that he's an asset to the team while potentially keeping myself in a better position with the rest of the team."
Butch: "Brad's alright, not sure if he can keep up with me though."
Melissa: "It'll be nice to talk to Isaiah a bit more, we've basically been inseparable since the show started, but I don't mind. It's actually kind of sweet!"
Isaiah: "I prefer to be around the company of like-minded individuals, especially if they are as enchanting as Melissa. I'm not so sure I can really trust the others either."
Marsha: "Being in the biggest group means I get to stay on the main island. It's a stretch but hopefully I get to see Chelsea while we're looking!"
Tracy: "Maybe it's for the best that I'm paired up with Tatiana, she might be able to help me be more attentive in this game. I mean, if we lose again I don't see why the team would vote me out, but you can't be too careful, right?"
Tatiana: "With the main island being the largest, splitting up to look for the gem isn't necessarily a bad idea, but with who I have in my group that might not be smart. As long as we can find the gem at all we should be safe from getting booted off regardless. Neither I, nor anyone I'm with, has done anything specific to be targeted."
Bea: "It's a shame Ginger isn't able to join us, as we are likely going to discuss the next vote should our team lose again. Obviously that is the less desirable outcome, but it is important to assess all possibilities."
Ali: "Ginger's pretty cool, we haven't really talked all that much since the first day but this might be a chance to change that."
Ginger: "Hmm, getting to know Ali a bit more and how he's feeling in the game right now could make for a cool blog post."
*End Confessionals*
Over on the Eagles' side, the team formation appeared to be much more simple.
"I'll go with Lin Lin!" Terra exclaimed, grabbing onto the shorter girl's arm as she let out a quiet gasp of surprise.
"Any particular reason as to why?" Walter asked.
"Because the two of us are bff's! Two peas in a pod! Like chocolate and marshmallows! Like-"
"Alright, I've heard enough!" Lin sighed.
"U-Um, S-S-Sapphire, w-w-w-would you like to p-p-p-pair up, together?" Algernon stuttered, Omari watched him with a laugh trapped inside of him that he tried his hardest to contain.
*Confessional*
Omari: "Ain't no way that nerd, of all people, is trying to flirt with one of those punk chicks! Hahaha!"
*End Confessional*
"Oh, sorry, Algie." Sapphire replied, a sad smile on her face as she patted the bespectacled boy's cheek. "But I have some business I need to take care of." Her gaze shifted over to Joseph. "I'll be grouping up with my sister, Jenny, and Johan. The decision is final."
"Woah, wait! Don't we get a say in this?!" The guitarist remarked. Jenny gulped in fear as Charlene began to blush before she quickly covered her face, giving her sister a nasty glare underneath her hands.
The Tribal Chief raised an eyebrow in intrigue, but shrugged. Algernon sighed in disappointment, which prompted Omari to shake his head with a smug smile on his face.
"Ah man, you should've seen that coming." The brash teen commented, getting a glare from Sapphire and Joseph.
"If that's what you want to do, go for it." Joseph remarked as he turned back to the elder sister. "Algie, you'll be with me then. I don't have the patience to deal with Omari right now."
"Then I suppose that leaves me with Omari." Walter nodded.
"Ah, hell no!" Omari groaned as the soldier walked in front of him.
"Today you will be disciplined!"
*Confessionals*
Lin: "I'll admit, I would have liked to watch the drama going on with Sapphire and the others, but getting this challenge done comes first, I guess. Having Terra along will either be a way to alleviate some of the boredom I would have had doing this alone or the biggest mistake of this whole show."
Terra: "Woo, hanging out with the bestie!"
Walter: "Omari can voice his displeasure as much as he likes, but I will do what I must and what is in my power to turn him into a valuable team member!"
Omari: "Tch, man, they're really doing all they can to put me down and make me look bad. Ain't no issue though, I'll do what I always do and rise above the hate! Should've been me in that dork, Johan's spot though. Being grouped with the three hottest chicks on the team? That's the dream, I guarantee you he's gonna screw up his chance!"
Joseph: "I don't know what's gotten into Sapphire today, but if she wants to take control or has some kind of plan, she can go for it. She's proven to me that she does good work for the team, and as long as whatever she's doing doesn't hurt our chances of winning or affect me, I can let it slide."
Algernon: "Sapphire is certainly trouble about something. I was hoping to try talking to her and hopefully get her to open up and make her feel better, even if I struggle to talk to her, as you've seen. B-B-But now I'm paired up with Joseph, and I have to be with him... alone... where if I screw up I might just get pounded into dust with nobody there to help!"
Charlene: "Argh, what is Sapphy doing?! Now she's singling them out and forcing them to stay with us! Whatever she's doing, it probably involves hurting those two..."
Johan: "Aaaaand now I'm worried..."
Jenny: "This is going to be a looooong day, isn't it..."
Sapphire: "Having those two sticking close is a start, now I just need to get Johan alone."
*End Confessionals*
"Alright!" Chris continued. "Is everyone paired up? Perfect! Now, each of the groups will go to a specific island, which is currently dealing with their own specific weather pattern. Terra and Lin will be heading to the Western island against Brad and Butch, the island is warmer than the others so be ready to deal with that. Melissa, Isaiah, Omari and Walter will be heading North, it's cold up there so hope you can bundle up! Lastly; Ginger, Ali, Joseph and Algernon are going to the East island, this one's my favorite! The island is currently covered in fog, so it'll be tough to spot the gem. As for the rest of you, you'll be staying here and finding the gems on this island. Remember, you're bringing them to the mess hall. Your challenge begins... now!"
The twelve teens that were in groups of two each hopped into a canoe, some more eager than others. As the canoes began to drift off into the distance, the two largest groups exchanged a quick look between them before walking in separate directions. As the Eagles went, Jenny and Johan gave each other a nervous look before following the sisters.
"So, Bea, how can we find this thing?" Tatiana said the moment she was sure the green team couldn't hear them.
"Straight to business then, I suppose you're justified in wanting to complete this challenge quickly." The genius nodded before looking up to the sky. "It's not exactly a foolproof strategy, but we could try using the sun to our advantage and using it's light to reflect off of the gem. However this is assuming that it's located in a location where sunlight can reach."
"So we should try looking for anything reflecting light?" The redhead girl asked, getting another nod from the brunette.
"I also suggest that we start our search along the perimeter of the island. Doing so will allow us to cover a wider variety of land while simultaneously sticking together as a group."
"Good plan. I was hoping we could try sticking together anyway." Tatiana nodded.
"No offense, but wouldn't splitting up help us cover more ground?" Tracy asked. "I mean I get that we risk getting lost, but if we all stick together then our progress would be pretty slow."
"That is correct." Bea agreed. "Staying with the group is simply the safer method, however, being that we are on a time limit due to this challenge being a variation of a race, further separation into two groups may be necessary."
Tatiana huffed to herself as she brought a hand to her chin. "Alright." She sighed. "In a way I should have known we'd have to do this. Like I said, I'd have preferred if we stuck together. But it can't be helped. You two worked together for the first challenge, so just do what you did last time. I'll stick with Bea."
"Heck yeah!" Tracy cheered as she and Marsha shared a high-five. "Making moves again!"
"Just promise me you won't jump in a mud puddle again..."
"Alright, so we have a plan." Tatiana continued. "But before we split up, I wanted to ask you girls something." The three girls looked to the taller girl with intrigue. "Let's pretend we lose again, who do you plan on voting for?"
"Hmm... I never really thought of that." Marsha admitted.
"I didn't put much thought into that either." Bea shrugged, which Tracy did as well.
"I see. Well, we would need to talk to Ginger and Mel after the challenge, but we outnumber the boys six to four. We could easily vote one of them out if we wanted to."
"If that's what you want to do, I don't have an issue with that." Marsha shrugged.
"I think you might want to hold off on voting off Isaiah though, him and Melissa have been getting pretty close."
"True, but that's also a good reason to vote him off." Tatiana replied.
"Why?" The blonde asked.
"Melissa's infatuation with Isaiah could potentially cause her to lose focus on the challenge and end up being our team's downfall. This is especially true if Isaiah returns her feelings, as this only makes challenges more difficult for the team as a whole."
"So we vote off Isaiah?" Marsha asked.
"Let's not make any sudden decisions." Tatiana breathed heavily. "How about this, while we're looking for the gem, we can think about who we could vote for if we lose the challenge. Sound good?"
With nods of agreement from the other girls, the four split into smaller groups and walked in opposite directions.
*Confessionals*
Tatiana: "Picking off the boys is fairly simple right now, though this is assuming the Eagles somehow win. But if Isaiah wants to visit us again, he might try to sway the vote again. I'll vote for whoever I want to vote for, but with him sticking to Melissa like glue, he's bound to get her on his side, romantic feelings or not. My concern is if he'll somehow start convincing the rest of the girls."
Tracy: "This is another moment where I'm glad Tatiana and Bea are the brains of the team. At least on the girls' side. I don't think I could ever come up with plans like they do! But who would be a good choice to vote for. I don't want to break up Melissa and Isaiah so soon and Ali seems like a nice guy, so that just leaves Brad and Butch. One's super strong and the other's super smart, sort of like Tatiana."
Bea: "While I do believe the four of us will be able to locate the gem without too much difficulty, I am admittedly worried about the rest of the team. With the variance in the environmental conditions, it's likely that the objective will be much more difficult to locate. As for the potential vote for elimination, that requires much more forethought..."
Marsha: "I think if we do lose again, I'm going to have to vote off Butch. No hard feelings, but I don't want to risk losing Chelsea to some dumb boy."
*End Confessionals*
Further inside the island, Charlene, Jenny, and Johan walked together in silence. Sapphire stayed just a bit behind them, glaring a hole into the cheerleader and the musician as the two could feel her eyes burning into the backs of their heads.
"Okay, what's up with all of you? You're all way too quiet and it's weird!" Charlene groaned.
"Nothing's going on!" Jenny assured as she put her hands up in front of herself defensively.
"Bullsh*t." The firebug replied flatly.
"Hey, she said nothing's going on, so it's nothing." Sapphire shrugged. Her sister narrowed her eyes at her before grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from the two J's. Once Charlene felt as though they were far enough away, she released her sister.
"Alright, spill it." She began. "What's up with you? You've been giving those two death glares all morning!"
"I have a good reason to believe Johan's just playing with your feelings. If Jenny's flirting with him just to get to you then I'll throttle both of them!"
"They're not messing with me!" Charlene groaned, bringing a hand to her face. "At least I think they're not. Look, I appreciate you trying to look out for me, but I can handle myself. You don't need to keep beating people up on my behalf!"
"I can't let something like this slide, Charlie!"
"And if it's nothing?!" Charlene snapped. "What if you're pressuring them over something they're not even guilty of!" The two stood in silence for a moment before Charlene continued. "I overheard something when I was still in the washroom last night, was that you giving them a hard time?"
"I was talking to Jenny..."
"'Talking to?' So that was you..." The younger sister sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"And I plan on talking to Johan, too."
"Don't hurt him!"
"I'm not going to hurt him!" Sapphire assured as she placed her hands on her sister's shoulders. "I promise, I'll just talk to him."
With her face feeling warm and her cheeks now rosy, Charlene nodded. With a few deep breaths to regain her composure, the two returned to their teammates, who were startled by their return.
"Hey..." Johan began. "We, uh, looked around for the gem but couldn't find anything." Jenny nodded vigorously, visibly nervous around Sapphire.
"I see..." The elder sister replied, looking back to Charlene. "Let's keep moving then..."
*Confessionals*
Sapphire: "If Jenny wasn't out to get Charlene then that means Johan's playing them both. If that's the case then Jenny is guilty by association, which is why I'm still upset with her. But he and I still need to have a little chat for me to confirm that, his reactions will tell me all I need to know."
Charlene: "Ugh, she always does this! Anytime she sees me interested in someone or something Sapphire will get the wrong impression and raise hell for anyone involved! Now those two are at risk, and they've done nothing wrong to me. Jenny's a bit of an airhead but she's been straight with me, more or less. As for Johan... he's cute but I don't think he's a player or anything like that!"
Jenny: "Okay, so I was maybe a little bit nosy and listened in to what the sisters were saying, Johan wouldn't go on and play with Charlene's heart like that, would he? No... he doesn't seem like the type to do that..."
Johan: "We did look around for that gem, but Jenny also told me about what went down between her and Sapphire last night. I... still don't really know how I feel when it comes to both Charlene and Jenny, but I promise you, I'm not playing around with Charlie's emotions. I know how it feels like to have it happen to me, I'm not going to do that to someone else!"
*End Confessionals*
The air felt just a tad bit more humid as Terra and Lin paddled their canoe onto the beach of the West Island. Conveniently, a large sign was set up right on the beach with the words 'Blàth Island' on it written in orange.
"Blàth Island?" Terra asked. "Do they call it that because you feel like taking a bath afterwards? I feel like I'm fryin' like an egg over here!"
"It's Scottish Gaelic." Lin replied. "Which makes sense considering these islands are around the British Isles. Although I'm not sure how to feel about an island literally being called 'Warm Island'."
"Good to see you some of the different cultures of the Isles." Brad noted, his and Butch's canoe just a few yards away from the girls'.
"It's the enemy!" Terra gasped.
"Yeah, dude, I don't know if we should really be talking with the other team right now." Butch added.
"Relax, both of you, just because we're competing against each other doesn't mean we need to act like enemies." Brad assured.
"Still doesn't explain why you're talking to us." Lin said, raising an eyebrow as she gave the redheaded boy a suspicious look.
"Two reasons: First and foremost, I wanted to wish you luck; I consider myself to be blunt, but not rude. Second, while we may be on opposite teams, I want to propose an alliance. However, not right now."
"What do you mean, 'not right now'?" Lin's brows furrowed deeper as she began to glare at Brad.
"It's still very early into the game, after tonight there's going to be nineteen people still in the game, counting the four of us. If the four of us would be in some sort of alliance, it would be easier if we worked together following the merge. That is, of course, if you agree to this."
"And if we refuse?"
"Then that's your choice to make." Brad shrugged. "I can't force you to do anything, nor do I want to. But I have been keeping an eye on everyone since the first day. You left as soon as Chris said we were allowed to talk to everyone. Aside from Terra, I haven't seen you talk to anyone else. Eventually, this could put a target on your back."
Lin was silent as she truly listened to what Brad said, her eyes sinking to the ground. With a soft hum, she looked back at Brad.
"I'll have to think about it."
With a quick nod, the two turned their backs to each other and walked away. Butch and Terra remained quiet, looking to their teammate before turning to look at each other. With a shrug, they followed their partners.
"You really want to team up with those girls?" Butch asked, a confused look on his face.
"I do. We need allies."
"Woah, hold on! We?"
"Yes, we, as in both of us." Brad remarked. "You're a strong guy, Butch, but you're not the only muscle we have on the team. Ali may be more acrobatic than muscular, but he's physically fit, and that can be an asset to the team. If we wanted muscle, Tracy isn't a slouch either. What I'm getting at is that if you want to stick around, you need to give people a reason to want you around, and the people that would most want you around are allies. If you can get allies on the other team, they'll want to keep you around when the teams merge. See where I'm going with this?"
"Holy crap, dude, you've really thought about this!" Butch whistled.
"In a game like this, you have to."
*Confessionals*
Lin: "Brad's definitely put a lot of thought into this, especially if he's been watching everyone this closely since day one. It's actually kind of impressive! What's more is that he isn't exactly wrong, but he isn't exactly right either. Terra's definitely the person I've talked to the most, but she's not the only person I've been talking to. What with my chat with Charlene, Jenny, and Johan at the fire pit, but Brad doesn't need to know that. I wouldn't exactly call them all 'friends' yet, but as long as I can call them allies, I should be safe for at least a little while. An alliance though... I'll think about it..."
Brad: "An alliance with Lin would certainly be interesting, and that little chat I had with Butch afterwards gave me at least one more vote on my team. This puts me on a similar level to Isaiah, who has Melissa on his side. But I need to start talking to some of the girls on my team. Getting a good reputation with them could help in the long run."
Butch: "I thought Brad was alright, if a bit quiet, but now that he's told me that plan of his, maybe I ought to stick with him!"
Terra: "Now, I may be a clown, but if there's anything I can be serious about, it's people who I consider friends. I may act like an idiot, but I haven't said anything that's pushed Lin into snapping at me, and I hope I don't do that. I say this because if there's anything I can do, it's tell when people have bad intentions, and, surprisingly, I haven't gotten any from either of those boys. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, though. If Lin agrees to the alliance, then they can count me in to. Besides, if we join them then that means new friendos! WOOO!"
*End Confessionals*
"I think we're coming up on the island..."
"Are you sure? It's getting tough to see... Oh man, I hope we haven't gone too far, I don't want my last blog post to be Chef's gross cooking."
Ali and Ginger suddenly hit the beach of the East Island. It was tough to see, but there was a large sign similar to the one on Blàth Island, though the sign this time read 'Niwl Island'.
"Well I guess you don't have to worry about that blog post." Ali remarked with a bit of a laugh.
"Don't be so sure about that." Ginger replied. "It's still tough to see around here... How are we ever going to find that gem?"
"Not sure." Ali sighed. "But we'll have to start looking or- ... Wait, do you hear that?"
The two listened intently as the sound of voices echoed through the mist not too far from them...
"So, Algie, do you have a plan?" Joseph asked. "If there's anyone who could figure out how to find what we're looking for in this fog, I'd say you're the best bet."
"Hmm, well, quite honestly this won't be easy. It might actually be the hardest of the four islands to find the gem on if it doesn't have any color. Our best bet would be using some sort of light source and hoping it reaches the gem. If it's reflective then the light should bounce off of it."
"And that right there is why I'm glad you're on my team!" Joseph exclaimed. "Come on, let's move!"
As the two boys ran deeper into the island, Ali and Ginger both smirked at each other.
"Light, huh." Ali began.
"I never would have thought about that!"
"Well it is a good plan, but I don't really have anything that gives off light." The acrobat sighed.
"I do!" Ginger pulled out her cell phone and turned on its flashlight. "But it'll only last until the battery goes to safe mode, so we can't spend too much time here."
"I thought Chris said we couldn't use technology like cell phones in the game?"
"He said we can't use them to get outside help during challenges or for contacting anyone directly. He never said anything about using it as a flashlight or for other recreational purposes outside of challenges. Now come on, we've got a gem to find!"
"Sh*t man, it's cold!" Omari cursed as he and Walter arrived on the Northern island, labelled 'Reoite Island' by the sign close to them. A light snowfall pelted the island, leaving a thin layer of whiteness on the grass beyond the beach.
"Complaining will not solve anything. You should use that energy for something more constructive." Walter said as he looked around the beach, spotting a red canoe not too far from them and running deeper into the island. "We must move, the other team is already here!"
"Man, can't we just take a second to warm up?!"
"Sitting around and doing nothing will only widen the lead the other team already has on us! If they find the gem before we do and lose the challenge because of that, I can already guarantee you will be sent home! Besides, moving will warm you up, now move!"
From their special lodge back on the main island, Chris and Chef watched the four teams from a series of cameras. Carmen fanned Chris with an annoyed look on her face.
"Looks like everyone has reached the islands, want to make a bet on who's going to win this one?" Chris asked, looking to the young intern.
"Ugh, don't make this more painful than this already is..." Carmen groaned.
"Hehehe, that's what happens when you make a bad bet!" Chef laughed.
"Ain't that the truth!" Chris added. "Hmm, y'know some food would be really good right now. Hey, Chelsea!"
With a disgruntled look on her face, Chelsea approached the two men, the loathing she held for the host intensifying more.
"I am gonna regret saying this but, what do you need?" She asked.
"I'll take a turkey and bacon club sandwich with some lemonade. What about you, Chef?" Chris ordered, turning to his co-host. Chef placed a hand on his chin in thought for a moment before turning to Chelsea.
"I could go for a barbecue bacon burger, a large order of fries, orange soda with no ice and a piece of hot apple pie!"
Chelsea stood in silence, giving the two men an incredulous look as she wrote down the orders of food.
"Sure..." She finally spoke up. "I will deep-fry you an entire god-dang cow."
As Chelsea headed over to the mess hall, Carmen watched her leave with a hint of concern.
"Should... Should I go help her?"
"Did I say you could?" Chris replied with a smug grin.
"Just a little more..." Tracy said, her arm buried into a bush covered in thorns with her shirt's sleeve rolled up to her shoulder. The rest of her group watching her carefully and with a bit of worry from Marsha and Bea. "Got it!" Tracy exclaimed, pulling out a yellow, circular gem. Marsha sighed with relief while Tatiana nodded with a hint of a smile on her face.
"Good. That means we've done our part. All we need to do now is head to the mess hall."
"I'm glad you didn't hurt yourself, that could gone badly!" Marsha piped up.
"Eh, not really." the country girl shrugged. "I've done stuff like that a lot back home."
"Tracy's rural upbringing puts her in the best position to handle situations such as those, however it is only natural for us to at least show concern for your well-being." Bea added.
"Well, I appreciate that." Tracy laughed.
"Still, I'm fascinated to see that Chris appears to have imported various flora that isn't native to this part of the world and that the climate of this island is suitable enough for it to survive!"
"Maybe you can get a chance to study them later. For now, we need to hurry." Tatiana urged. As the four girls arrived at the mess hall, they noticed that it appeared to be empty, except for the sounds of someone working in the kitchen.
"Hello?" Tracy called. "Chef, are you there?"
"Chef's over at our cabin with Chris." Chelsea replied from the kitchen, not even going over to see them. "I'm over here being their own personal cook for the day. If you've got them gem you're supposed to find, you can put them over in that basket by your table."
The four contestants turned to see that, just as the intern said, a basket sat at the center of their table. It was painted red, just like their team color.
"Well then." Tatiana said. "Since we're done with our part of the challenge, what do we do now?"
"I don't know, just... wait I guess?" Chelsea shrugged from in front of the stove. "Unless you want to help me over here."
"I'll pass." "Ditto." Tatiana and Tracy remarked. Marsha gasped softly and looked over to Tatiana as if asking for her permission. The taller girl grinned a bit and shrugged, which seemed like a sign of approval to the young chef, who ran into the kitchen with no hesitation.
"Woah, you're actually taking me up on the offer?" Chelsea asked, raising an eyebrow to Marsha, who was sporting a wide grin as she nodded. "Well, I hope you know how to make some of this stuff." Marsha looked over the order Chelsea had been given and chuckled to herself.
"Is this it?" She asked. "Easy! I'll take care of this, you just relax."
"You sure?"
"Positive!" Marsha assured with a wink.
Back outside, the four members of team Eagle approached the mess hall with Charlene holding onto their gem. Just as they were about to head inside, Sapphire stopped them.
"Hold on." She began, as the four looked back at her, they saw the stern look she was giving them, specifically to Johan. "You two can go on ahead, I need to talk to Johan. Alone."
Jenny gave Johan a concerned glance, which he returned while Charlene gave off a low growl as she glared at her sister. Ultimately though, she relented, putting a hand on Jenny's shoulder and urging her inside.
"Uh, hey, Sapphire." Johan gulped. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"My sister. What are you trying to pull with her?" Sapphire hissed. If looks could kill, Johan knew he'd have died that morning, let alone then and there.
"I'm not trying to pull anything! I swear!" He insisted.
"You've got Jenny calling you a sweetheart and my sister getting flustered whenever she talks about you. Jenny doesn't seem like she's intentionally trying to hurt my sister. So either you two are working together to play with her feelings, or you're messing around with two girls! Which is it?"
"She called me a sweetheart?" Johan replied with a blush before putting his hands to his face and sighing in frustration.
"Well?!"
"Okay..." The guitarist began. "I'm going to be completely honest here. I... I like both of them. Jenny and your sister. I'm not trying to toy with their emotions, believe me, I know what that feels like because of an ex-girlfriend. When it comes to Jenny, she's pretty, we get along well, and her positivity is nice. As for your sister, aside from her looks, we just sort of... connected. She has a certain mystique around her that I like and when we talk I feel at ease. I know I can't be with both of them, and I know that you'd do anything to help your sister, but I do like her, and I would never want her to be in a position to get hurt. You don't have to believe me, but it's the truth."
Sapphire continued to glare at Johan, creating a silence that caused the musician to gulp in fear again. Ultimately, Sapphire sighed and walked over to Johan, grabbing him by his shirt collar and pulling him over to her at a distance to where all he could see was her face.
"So you need to pick one of them." She began. "You seem genuine, but you and I both know you can't just sit here and do nothing. Pick one of those girls and treat her right. But if you do anything that ends up with my sister crying over you, there will be hell to pay! Get it?"
"I get it!" Johan replied.
"Good." Sapphire huffed, patting the boy's cheek before pushing him away. "I'll see you inside."
*Confessionals*
Johan: "Man that girl's intense! But... I get where she's coming from. She wants to make sure nothing bad happens to Charlie and I can respect that. I was ticked off when it happened to Carmen. That doesn't mean I can't freak out when Sapphire tells me she'll whoop me if i do something to her sister though, which I won't. But, she's right. I can't just sit here and think about who I want to be with between Jenny and Charlene, I need to decide..."
Sapphire: "Well that's taken care of. I'm sure my sister will be happy to see that I didn't rough up Johan at all. As for Jenny, she's off the hook, I guess. It's all up to whoever Johan chooses to date now."
*End Confessionals*
"It's really beautiful out here, don't you think?" Melissa asked as she and Isaiah walked through Reoite Island, the snow and frozen grass crunching underneath their feet.
"I will admit that this is a rather nice and serene looking island, but I much prefer warmer places." Isaiah replied as he held a gem in his hands.
"Hehe, I totally know what you mean! Snow's really nice to look at, but I'll take a sunny beach and a pina colada any day!" Melissa giggled. The two walked back to their canoe in a serene silence. As they began paddling back to the main island, Isaiah broke the silence.
"I hope this sudden shift back to the game isn't too jarring, but I do hope we can vote together again. If we lose, of course."
"Totally! Is someone giving you a hard time?"
"No, nothing like that, thankfully." Isaiah assured. "But there does seem to be a bit of tension within the boy's side of the cabin. Specifically when it comes to a power struggle between Brad and Ali."
"Hmm, well Ali seems nice and Brad doesn't really talk much... How about I talk with the girls after the challenge. If we lose then we can decide who goes between the two."
"I would appreciate that."
*Confessional*
Melissa: "Even though it was really cold back there, getting to spend some alone time with Isaiah in a place as pretty as that was so nice!"
*End Confessional*
Ali and Ginger continued scavenging the island with no luck.
"Man this fog is as thick as oatmeal!" Ginger grumbled.
"Just stay calm, we're bound to find it sooner or later." Ali assured.
"Well, we better hurry, my phone's at eighty percent. That's still a lot but I'd rather not have it die on us."
"Don't worry! This island isn't that big so all we need to do is..." Ali suddenly stopped when he noticed that the two had made their way back to the beach, their canoe still sitting on the sand while they could see Joseph and Algernon just beginning to paddle into the deeper water.
"Oh man, you're kidding me!" Ginger called out.
"We need to move!" Ali urged, grabbing Ginger by the wrist and running back into the woods.
From a bit further away, Omari and Walter continued their search. The former continued to shiver while Walter appeared to be ignoring the temperature despite the lack of proper clothing.
"Man, how is this cold not getting to you?!"
"Proper training." Walter replied. "My father's boot camp helped me and the others who attended become accustomed to lower and higher temperatures. I can acknowledge that this coldness is uncomfortable, but I cannot waste time complaining about it."
Omari shook his head in disbelief. "Man, you're a-"
The brash teen suddenly tripped over something that caused him to land face first onto the snowy ground. As he stood up and brushed the snow off him, he let out a frustrated shout.
"Argh, I hate this!" Omari growled as he went to go kick the object that made him trip before his eyes widened. "Woah, check it out!" He said as he lifted up the gem from the ground.
"Hmm, perhaps you can be of help." Walter huffed. "We should head back to the mess hall now."
"Amen to that!"
"That was surprisingly easy." Butch noted as he held the crystal in his hands.
"Well this island is the most similar to the main one, just smaller. What we should be worrying about are the cold island and the foggy one. It'll be harder to find the gems over there, so I'd suspect that those two will be the deciding factors to which team wins."
"Well, we found ours, so I think we're in the clear." The brute shrugged. "Overall, I'd say this challenge was pretty easy."
"Easy-peasy, pizza cheesy!"
The two turned to see Terra and Lin also approaching their canoe.
"Looks like we're not the only ones who did what we needed to do." Brad commented as he looked over to Lin. "Have you thought about my offer?"
"I have, but I haven't made a decision yet." The street girl replied.
"Well you have time. Just know that it's important to weigh all the options you have." Brad shrugged. "Let's go, Butch."
The four teens each went into their canoes and began heading back to the island, keeping a fair distance from one another.
"I almost hate to ask, but what do you think about a potential alliance, Terra?"
"I don't really know if we can trust them." The rainbow-haired girl admitted. "But I do trust you. So whatever you end up deciding, I'll be there with you."
"I think you're putting a bit too much faith in me." Lin couldn't help but laugh.
"Maybe, but even though I've only known everyone here for a couple of days now, I do see you all as friends. So I'll stick by you and do what I can to help."
"But we've barely talked until now. Heck, a lot of us treat you as an annoyance at best and a burden at worst." Lin stated, looking back at the clown girl, who merely shrugged and gave Lin a big smile. Lin herself looked stunned before returning the smile.
"And... done!" Marsha exclaimed, handing Chelsea a tray of the meal she had prepared.
"Thanks... You know you didn't have to do this." The intern said.
"Don't worry, I'm happy to help you out!" Marsha smiled, her response coming just a bit too quickly.
"I... Well... Thanks, again. I don't think I can really pay you back for this though."
"No need, just..." Marsha gave Chelsea a quick peck on the cheek. "Good luck."
"I don't really need luck to give an annoying jerk food." Chelsea laughed a bit, blushing ever so slightly as she headed out of the kitchen.
*Confessionals*
Marsha: "Okay, maybe that kiss was a bit much, but I'm glad I got to help Chelsea. While I was cooking we talked a bit and... I really got to know her a bit better."
Chelsea: "Marsha's actually pretty okay. I definitely wasn't expecting that kiss but, y'know, I'm not really gonna complain about it.
*End Confessionals*
Walter and Omari entered the mess hall shortly after Melissa and Isaiah, both groups putting their gems into the baskets. The two Eagles spotted Joseph and Algernon with most of their team waiting for them.
"Mission accomplished." Walter greeted, saluting Joseph. The tribal chief nodded as he looked over at Omari.
"Did he behave?" Joseph asked, pointing to the boy.
"He was under control long enough to find the gem, though he did complain about the cold." Walter replied.
"I'm right here, you A-holes!" Omari growled, the two glowered at the brash boy as Joseph rose from his seat.
"You better pray that Lin and Terra get here first. Just because we're ahead doesn't mean you're safe." Joseph remarked.
"That's right." Walter added. "If we lose you will still be leaving."
"Come on! You seriously want to keep me over the little kid? Over the clown?!"
"That 'little kid' puts in work when she needs to." Joseph hissed. "As for Terra, she can be annoying, but she keeps quiet when she needs to and doesn't complain about putting in work. The same can't be said for you, so either put up or shut up!"
Just as Omari was about to say more, the door to the mess hall opened...
"Come on, come on! We have to keep running!" Ali urged as he and Ginger ran towards the mess hall. The two had landed back on the beach a few minutes ago and were sprinting to the mess hall, which was just coming into view. They had seen someone open the door and enter, but they weren't sure who it was. All they saw was one figure that was taller than the other.
"Running... as fast... as I... can!" Ginger replied as she struggled to catch her breath. The two eventually arrived at the mess hall, but just as Ali opened the door...
"And the game is over!" Chris announced. "The Emerald Eagles win!"
"Man..." Ali and the majority of his team groaned, the acrobat sank to his feet as Ginger walked past him. The blogger panted as she placed the last gem into her team's basket before collapsing in a heap onto the floor.
The four boys of the Raven team returned to their cabin, a rather dour atmosphere permeating the air of the room.
"Well that sucked." Butch said, breaking the silence. "So... who should we vote for?"
"We need to be smart about who it is." Brad noted. "Ali and Ginger were the last to get to the mess hall. While Ali's agility could still be useful, Ginger doesn't have any skills off the top of my head that makes her valuable to the team."
"Hey, even if she couldn't keep up with me, she used her phone's flashlight to help us find the gem. If it weren't for her we might not have even found the thing in the first place."
"What about Marsha?" Butch remarked. "She's kind of focused on Chelsea more than the game."
"We can say that, to an extent, so are you." Brad remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"Besides, her skills in cooking might just come in handy, somehow." Ali added before turning to Isaiah. "I know you said you two work well together, Isaiah, but I don't think Melissa's exempt from this either. It's bad enough that Butch and Marsha are focused on Chelsea, it won't help if you two become so attached to each other."
Isaiah gave the acrobat an offended glare before standing up. "Excuse me? Unlike some of us, we can control our hormones and focus on more important things! Hmph!" With a huff, the young man stormed out of the cabin.
"I mean, he's not exactly wrong." Butch replied, getting the remaining two boys to look at him. "Sure, I make gaga eyes at Chelsea, but Isaiah's been pretty chill about his feelings with Mel. I think they'll be alright. Maybe voting off Ginger's our best bet."
*Confessionals*
Isaiah: "Who does he think he is? Making assumptions about me like that! He will regret that!"
Brad: "Isaiah definitely took that to heart. I'd imagine Ali just earned at least one vote tonight, maybe two if Isaiah talks to Mipsy."
Butch: "Hmm... I know I said we should vote for Ginger, but I kinda want to vote for Marsha. I overheard she was really friendly with Chelsea earlier. I have nothing against her, personally, but I can't let that slide. Besides, I don't think it'll be enough for her to actually lose."
Ali: "I definitely made Isaiah mad back there, maybe I ought to talk to him if there's enough time."
*End Confessionals*
"So it's Butch then?" Tracy asked, looking around the room at the rest of the girls, receiving nods from them.
"Yup." Tatiana affirmed.
"Yeah." Mipsy added. "But I think Ginger shouldn't be surprised if she's in the bottom two." The blogger stopped typing on her laptop as a guilty look formed on her face.
"That's true. Don't take it personally, but you and Ali were the last ones to get to the mess hall. They only have four votes though, so it won't be enough to send you home." The bookworm added.
"Are you sure?" Ginger added. "I mean, none of you girls would vote me off, right?"
"We have no reason or intent to." Bea assured her. Ginger breathed a sigh of relief as a knock at the door caught the attention of the six girls. As Marsha opened the door, Isaiah invited himself in with a huff.
"Yeah, sure, just step right on in." Tatiana commented, rolling her eyes.
"Excuse the interruption." Isaiah greeted. "I was just wondering if you all decided on your vote."
"Yeah, we kind of did." Tracy replied.
"Then I hope we can agree on the same person. Because if not, I would like to make something known to you all..."
*Confessional*
Tatiana: "Well, what Isaiah told us definitely throws a spanner in the works if it's true. But that's the issue, 'if it's true', and I don't quite believe him. I'm sticking with my guns."
*End Confessional*
Charlene was just starting up the fire in her fire pit, with a sigh she sat down at her usual seat and watched the flames begin to rise.
"Hey."
The firebug looked up to see Lin and Terra in front of her, sitting down across from her.
"Hi." Charlene replied.
"So what's been going on with your sister?" The street girl asked, getting a sigh from Charlene.
"I don't know, but she's been giving Jenny and Johan a hard time this whole day. It looks like she's eased off of them after we got to the mess hall during the challenge, but I still see her giving Johan these stiff glances."
"And that bothers you because...?" Lin asked.
"Because she likes Johan and thinks of Jenny as a friend." Terra concluded, flustering Charlene.
"Well that reaction says a lot." Lin noted. "Listen, if he likes you he'll make a move. From the short time we've known him, Johan seems like a nice guy and if he's anything like Trent was all those years ago, he won't intentionally cause unnecessary drama."
"Thanks." Charlene replied before giving the two a curious look. "What made you come here and tell me that though?"
"Because friends help friends and we are friends who help friends!" Terra assured, running over and hugging the firebug.
"Uhh, thanks?"
"Let her go, Terra. Anyway, if you need me, I'll be going for a walk." Lin said, walking away as the clown released Charlene.
"Okey-dokey, Smokey!" Terra called out as she followed Lin. "See you later, Charlie!"
The ten Ravens made their way over to the campfire, tension once again rising in the air as they took their seats by the campfire. Chris and Chef stood by the podium with a bag of gems. Chelsea and Carmen stood behind them, looking more tired than usual. Marsha waved over to Chelsea, who waved back softly.
"Well, good news!" Chris began. "Our budget issue got resolved so we have the safety gems again! So we don't have to use marshmallows like last night."
"Honestly I didn't even notice." Butch commented.
"Whatever, anyway, it's time to make your votes. Tracy, you go first." The country girl was taken aback a bit before standing up and going to make her vote.
*Voting Confessional*
Tracy: "Well, if what Isaiah told us is true, it might be for the best to vote you out now."
Bea: "This vote is purely strategic rather than malicious. However I cannot deny that there is a bit of frustration within me if what I was told is to be believed."
Brad: "I'm sticking with the vote against Ginger, just as we agreed."
Tatiana: "While I'm tempted to listen to what Isaiah said, I said I would stick to my decision. So I'm voting for you."
Butch: "We agreed on Ginger but... I think I'm going with Marsha, just this one time."
Marsha: "Hmph, I'm surprised that him, of all people would go on and say something like that. I can't let that slide!"
Isaiah: "I did what I needed to do. All I need to do now is allow the chips to fall where they need to."
Mipsy: "Hmph, I do not lose focus when I talk to Isaiah! I mean, sure, he's smart, and sweet, and cute, and... Ugh, I do not lose focus!"
Ali: "I never got the chance to apologize to Isaiah, but I hope he's cooled down a bit. Maybe I got a vote from him though... For now, I'll stick to voting for Ginger. That means that we've got at least three votes on her. Unless the girls are thinking like we are, it might be one of us guys leaving tonight..."
Ginger: "After Isaiah finished talking to us I decided I'm still voting for this guy especially after today! But Tatiana said I should still expect me to be in the bottom two. She looked like she knew something I didn't. She's not planning on voting for me, is she?!"
*End Confessionals*
Once the votes were tallied, Chris looked over them with an intrigued smile and a raised eyebrow. "Well..." He began. "This is certainly an interesting set of votes. But nonetheless, after tonight, only nine of you will be left in the game. One of those nine is... Bea."
The shy genius smiled as she went up to grab her gem.
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"Tracy."
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"Mipsy."
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"Isaiah."
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"Brad."
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"Tatiana."
Some of the girls collectively breathed a sigh of relief as their designated leader collected her gem. "The rest of you received at least one vote." The same girls who were relived about Tatiana's safety immediately looked confused as they turned to Isaiah. Their confusion got Brad's attention as he raised an eyebrow. Tatiana's eyes narrowed, as if she had just been given some sort of confirmation.
"As for the rest of you..." Chris went on.
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"Marsha." The young chef sighed as she looked amongst the boys, specifically Butch. The brute shrugged when their eyes met, prompting a pout and an eye roll from Marsha.
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"Butch." The brawler gave a fist pump as he joined the others. Tatiana nodded slowly as she looked among the remaining two. "Ali, Ginger, you two were the ones that cost the challenge for your team. Guess they figured that was enough to send you two home."
"There's definitely more to it than that." Tatiana said in a hushed tone. The only person who appeared to have heard her was Brad, who looked in her direction before returning his gaze to the bottom two. Ginger gave an anxious gulp while Ali's eyes widened.
"But only one of you will be leaving us tonight, and this last gem will go to one of you. That person being..."
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"Ginger."
Ali sighed as the blogger hurried to collect her safety item. "Ali, the Boat of Losers is that way, friend."
"Well this definitely isn't how I thought I'd lose." The acrobat said. "I thought for sure I'd go farther than this! Before I go though, Isaiah, I never got to apologize about what I said about you and Mipsy. I hope you two, and the rest of you guys, do your best and win the next challenge."
As Ali began to walk towards onto Boat, Tracy called out to him. "You're not going to apologize about what you said about Tatiana?!"
"Huh?" He called out, just as the Boat of Losers began to sail away. "I never said anything about her!"
Tatiana and Brad each gave Isaiah a suspicious glance while the enigmatic boy began to walk back to their cabin, leaving everyone else confused.
"Looks like there might be some turbulence for the Ruby Ravens!" Chris began. "Will this lead to more division amongst them? Will Marsha get closer to Chelsea or will Butch have his day? Is Sapphire going to keep terrifying Johan and Jenny? Will Omari actually be the next person from the Eagles to get voted off? The answer to all these questions just might come in the next dramatic episode of Total!
Drama!
Glimmering Isles!"
Well this chapter both took longer than I was anticipating and is longer than I was expecting as well! But now we're getting into some of the juicier drama that comes with stories like this! I'd definitely love to hear thoughts on the characters and interactions so far, I know some developments and interactions are a bit slow, but they'll become more fleshed out with time and with the numbers in the game thinning.
On to the character eliminated this chapter: Ali in this story was meant to be the type that seems like he should have gone farther than this, as he had the skills in terms of physicality to do so. He most certainly could have made it to possibly around the merge in another SYOC story, but I didn't really have many plans for him for later on.
As for another interesting tidbit, I was actually considering using another female character named "Sasha" for this story. She would have been an a circus performer known for her trapeze act. But with Ali already being an acrobat, I felt that including her would have been somewhat redundant. As with the previously eliminated characters though, you'll be seeing Ali again later. For now, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and will look forward to the next one!