Total Drama Pizza Party Chapter 4: Everything Is My Business, a total drama series fanfic

Chef and Chris stood before the fountain in the plaza.

"Last time, on Total Drama Pizza Party!" Chef began. "Our newly-formed pairs, still reelin' from the waves the last round made, did what they could to get a foothold in the game! Alliances was formin' left n' right, though some of 'em look a lot weaker than others, heh heh."

"Feeling like they were on the outs, Alex and Lazarus split up to cast a wider net," Chris continued. "And, like anyone could have predicted, the charming actress found a lot more success than the seedy hippie, though not for lack of trying on his part."

"Sunshine decided it was her mission to help Orson make some friends," Chef recounted. "Veronica made it her mission to win the carnival games around the park, and Jenna made it her mission to make it through the game with as little legwork as possible."

"It truly takes all sorts in Total Drama, right Chef?" Chris chuckled.

"That it do, Chris. That it do," Chef agreed. "The challenge was a good-ol'-fashioned obstacle course, made o' giant breakfast foods for extra, heh, flavor. Bacon Pink got a respectable lead early on, but Mushroom Blue n' later Sausage Brown ended up pullin' ahead, grantin' Brynleigh n' Pavel the coveted Pineapple."

"Well, it's not the Pineapple itself that's coveted, rather, the power to inflict it on another team," Chris clarified.

"They know what I meant, Mr. Know-It-All!" Chef scolded. "The uncertainty of what the pair might do with that power riled up the players, n' they went scramblin' like eggs. In the end, despite her claimin' loyalty to Pepperoni Red, Brynleigh never forgave 'em for takin' the Pizza Slice she'd found in the last challenge. Pavel saw the chance to weaken a threat, n' the Pineapple was used on Sawyer n' Orson, givin' them a huge disadvantage in today's challenge!"

"They were not happy about that, hehaha," Chris snickered.

"Tonight, we see our first pair exit the game!" Chef enticed. "How will the Pineapple affect Pepperoni Red's game? Will any new alliances come outta the woodwork? What delectable dangers have we cooked up for our players tonight? Stay right there! It's Total! Drama! Pizza Party!"

Orson walked up to the women's sleeping quarters and began to knock on the door when he heard a loud rumbling behind the door. He stopped and put his ear on the door.

"God dammit!" A voice that sounded like Sawyer's roared. "Stupid petulant brat, I will make sure that she pays!"

A loud crashing noise rang out from behind the door followed by a loud yell. Orson recoiled from the door. He sighed and knocked on the door. The door then swung open and revealed Sawyer, who was fixing her suit.

"What?!" Sawyer barked.

"Well, I thought we should probably talk about how to approach the following round," Orson winced. "If you're busy, I can always come back later…"

"No, no this is a fine time," Sawyer rubbed her temples. "Let's just get this over with."

The two walked out into the main fairgrounds toward the main fountain, where Orson sat down and Sawyer paced in front of him.

"So, what do you think we should do now?" Orson asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We need to find new allies," Sawyer grumbled. "Considering that good for nothing gave us the Pineapple, it'll be significantly harder to win this challenge. We need people who will cover us in the very real possibility we lose this one."

Orson rubbed his chin. "We could always try again with Panic and Jenna?"

"They're worthless, not worth the time," Sawyer dismissed.

"Well maybe if you come at them like that, they are," Orson said. "How about I try with them, and I'll let you know how it goes. Who knows? Maybe we'll just get new allies."

"Well I think it'd be a waste of time," Sawyer crossed her arms. "But, if you insist, you can. It's not like there's very many other choices for allies around here."

"Did somebody say allies?" A voice called out from the crowd, and out walked Lazarus. "I couldn't help but notice you guys were talking strategy. Perhaps I could join, maaan?"

"I don't see how that would help anything," Sawyer replied.

"Well you were just saying that we needed new allies," Orson countered. "So I mean, Lazarus is right here."

"New allies?" Lazarus asked. "I was hoping to talk to you because you ARE in my alliance?"

"Wait, what?" Orson asked.

"Oh, did Sawyer not tell you?" Lazarus smiled at Sawyer. "We have an alliance and it will be controlling the game, guaranteed. Best to get on the same page now."

"Well, yes," Sawyer admitted. "Lazarus did approach me and simply stated that I was in his alliance. I hadn't gotten the opportunity to tell you, I suppose."

"Well that's no big deal now, I'm here to help you out," Lazarus continued. "What's important is that now Orson does know and he can adjust accordingly, right Orson?"

"...Right," Orson hesitantly said.

"Alright, well, just figured I'd touch base, I have a lot to do, very busy keeping our alliance together, you know? Peace out," Lazarus waved in the two's general direction and walked back into the crowd.

"Well, it sounds like we have more allies than I thought," Orson said.

"If you can call it that, he's a complete loose cannon, I didn't put much stock into it," Sawyer rolled her eyes.

"An ally is an ally, right?" Orson smiled. "We gotta take what we can get now, I think. So let's get to work and split up from here."

Sawyer grumbled to herself.

Sawyer: "That idiotic hippie is already making me look bad in front of my partner! How am I supposed to keep control if my own partner doesn't even trust me! I'll be having a word with Mr. Peace and Love, very very soon. He'll learn to not do things like that."

Orson: "I'm not really surprised that Sawyer is making deals behind my back. I figure that I need to develop some relationships myself though if I intend on making it through this game, especially if Sawyer seems keen on burning bridges."

Panic gathered Jenna and Peter in a secluded spot of the park.

"We're not even going to bother keeping Aoi in the loop?" Jenna asked.

"If you want to look for him, you can feel free," Peter told her.

"Nah, I'm good, I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page with that," Jenna clarified.

"Peter can fill Aoi in as needed during the challenge," Panic figured. "For now, I wanted to go over plans to branch out. If we want to make a real impact, we need to look to the future!"

"In English?" Peter pressed.

"I wanted to brainstorm what other pairs we should work with," Panic sighed. "Full disclosure: Lazarus tried to get me and Sawyer into some sort of thing. If you hear anything about that from him, it's not happening."

"Wow, he just left me out of that completely," Jenna chuckled.

"It's astounding what conclusions people will reach in their attempts to escape the holes they've dug for themselves," Peter commented.

"Well, I wanted to get that out of the way, because it contextualizes the ideas I do have," Panic articulated.

"Why pick just one pair?" Jenna shrugged. "Why not tell all the other pairs that you'll watch their back if they watch yours? At that point, nobody will target us."

"Mm, it could work," Peter said. "I've opted to do something similar by not engaging with people if I don't have to. That way I'm making no commitments, and nobody will go out of their way to take me out."

"I've already done it for Purple. I don't think they'll be any the wiser," Jenna smirked.

"Wait, you wha-?!"

"What's the haps, chicks and chaps?"

Panic's objection fell short, interrupted by Dede as she approached the three.

"Talking about who to work with. You know how it is," Jenna informed her.

"Cool beans, cool beans," Dede nodded. "Actually, I wanted to do the same thing. I haven't had much of a chance to connect with you guys yet."

"You've had three days or so, but that's neither here nor there," Peter snarked.

"Haha, yeah, so true," Dede rubbed the back of her neck. "So hey, how about that Pineapple? Red's probably going to gun for Brown, hard."

"Most likely. I doubt that bureaucrat Sawyer can handle any sort of pushback, lest her ego shatter into a million pieces," Panic claimed. "But don't forget that the reverse is also true. Brown knows that Red probably won't let this blow over, so they'll try to repress them even more while they're already down. That's just what people in power do."

"So you want to work with Red?" Peter scoffed. "Doesn't seem like the smartest idea to me."

"For what it's worth, I'm down to watch you and Sunshine's backs if you watch mine and Panic's," Jenna told Dede.

"Oh, yay, that sounds copacetic to me!" Dede agreed.

"Most I can do is say I probably won't vote for you," Peter added.

"Thanks, I'll try not to vote for you too," Dede offered.

"So who are your sights set on?" Panic inquired.

"Me? I'd need to win a challenge first, and that's never going to happen," Dede chuckled.

"Doesn't stop Panic from going over every little detail," Peter claimed.

Panic shot him a look. "Perhaps we should carry on this conversation another time."

"Oh, my bad, I didn't mean to cramp your style," Dede apologized. "I'll still hold up those deals, though!"

"Mhm, I look forward to it," Panic said dismissively.

Panic: "I cannot believe Jenna is just going around offering deals to everyone! That is not how this game works at all! And Peter was basically no help whatsoever, only really shrugging and telling me I'm stupid despite offering nothing helpful of his own! I still don't have much of a read on Dede or Sunshine, so I don't want to commit anything to them just yet. Although I might have to at this point." They groaned exasperatedly.

Dede: "I read magazines, not rooms, heheh... I know I've still got Blue and Brown on my side, and they are good at challenges if yesterday's any indication, but what if that means they see me as a liability? I wanted to make sure I'm... well, not a liability. Or an easy target. On account of the whole 'stinking at challenges' thing. So I can avoid gunning for Green and Gray right now, easy! I think the plan is to go all-in on Red and Pink anyway, so hey, it works out!"

Peter: He stretched his arms lethargically. "Yeah, call me when the game becomes difficult. Even with Aoi holding me back in challenges, I can still get by just through not firing any shots."

Meanwhile, Alex strolled through the park, aimlessly. She looked around and spied Remi and Veronica standing in line at a ferris wheel. She smiled and walked up to the pair.

"Hey there, guys!" Alex greeted with a wave.

"Oh hey!" Remi smiled back. "What's up, Alex?"

"Nothing much, really, just going for a walk," Alex replied. "I was actually hoping to find you guys, so that's lucky!"

"Remi, the line is beginning to move!" Veronica said, tapping Remi on the shoulder and moving forward.

"Oh right, thanks Roni!" Remi said, sliding forward in the line. Alex followed.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you guys about the whole thing with Lazarus," Alex continued. "You know how you said he hated you?"

"Uh, yeah," Remi said, fumbling around in his pockets. "Where'd I put those tickets…"

"Well, I went to talk to him about it and he said that he didn't really care who my friends were," Alex said. "So it seems like he might not really care if we work together? I'll try to keep getting him on board. We might wanna meet up, the four of us!"

"Lazarus has been avoiding me like the plague ever since the incident in the first challenge," Veronica scoffed. "My wager is that he is worried he'll have to admit he was wrong about slices of pizza falling from the sky!"

"Given how he is, I wouldn't be surprised," Alex chuckled. "I know he can be difficult, but I hope you guys know I'm looking out for you."

"Hey, appreciate it Alex," Remi offered a high five. Alex returned it. "I gotta say though, you seem to stress a lot about the game, man."

"You think so?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, definitely!" Remi smiled. "I think that it'd do you good to just take a second to relax and let loose, do something fun!"

"Absolutely! It is a delight to be able to do all these common forms of 'entertainment'!" Veronica clapped her hands together. "The working class really do know how to have fun! Like this contraption right here!"

Veronica motioned to the ferris wheel, which was stylized to look like a donut. It rattled as the people in line got into their pods.

"A ferris wheel does seem like it'd be cool to go on," Alex replied. "I don't typically get the opportunity to go on stuff like this…"

"Ah, the joys of amusement parks," Veronica continued. "I will be asking my parents to build one for me when I return home for sure!"

"That sounds so cool!" Remi excitedly replied. "It could be called… Remi Land! For when we win! My band could come visit and play there! We pull quite the crowd!"

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'Veronica Valley'," Veronica said. "But I would absolutely allow your band to come play there! Just make your crowd clean up after themselves, we don't want Mortimer working himself to death attempting to tidy up the place!"

"Haha, no promises!" Remi laughed.

"Maybe you guys are right, maybe I should have a little more fun," Alex nodded. "I guess… maybe I could join you guys on the ferris wheel?"

"Sounds like a plan to me man!" Remi put an arm around Alex and pulled her into a side hug. "Say… you haven't seen any tickets anywhere have you?"

"No, why?" Alex replied.

"Oh I just… may or may not have misplaced my tickets I bought earlier," Remi admitted.

"Do not worry, my friends, I have plenty!" Veronica opened a small purse she was carrying and tickets began flowing out onto the ground in front of them. "I wanted to make sure that I always have enough of these strange tokens. Since it seems we aren't allowed to do any of the fun activities without them!"

"Aw, Roni, you're the best!" Remi replied.

Alex: "Remi's right, since we all paired up I've spent so much time worried and stressed about what Lazarus is doing and how he's feeling that I've not even really given myself much time to spend getting to know people and having fun being just Alex! I need to get out of my own head and just let people get to know Alex the person, not Alex the strategist."

Remi: "Man, I'm so lucky to be able to meet people as cool as Alex and Veronica on this show! It's stuff like this that makes me love Total Drama! People from all walks of life, people who wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet normally getting to become friends! Shows that we're all not so different after all, huh?"

Charlie sat on a bench in the plaza, smiling to himself.

"Lovely weather we're having," he commented to no one in particular. "Today's going to be a good one, I can feel it."

"Me too!" Sunshine enthused.

"Geez!" Charlie jumped, not realizing she had suddenly appeared right next to him on the bench. "I didn't see you coming, haha."

"Surprise affection is the best kind!" Sunshine claimed.

"There are a lot of implications with that which I don't really want to unpack," Charlie chuckled awkwardly. "But besides that, how have you been? I don't think we've had much of a chance to talk, despite being aligned."

"Oh, I've been splendid-tastic!" Sunshine bubbled. "I've been making so many friends in this game! What about you?"

"I like to take things slow," Charlie told her. "A bit of residual trauma from my sudden and life-changing injury, perhaps, but trying to rush things is certainly no healthier than hesitating too much. Besides, I trust Ichabod and the others."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Sunshine told him. "Are you people-watching?! I found Orson doing that yesterday! You two can totally become friends!"

"I am people-watching, yes," Charlie confirmed with a friendly smile. "Anyone with even a passing interest in psychology sees the benefit in studying the way others dress, their posture, their facial expression. It's fun."

"Well, I think all people are special, no matter how they look," Sunshine beamed.

"Oh, I'm not judging these people," Charlie denied. "Just making guesses as to what kind of person they are, based purely on surface-level details. Obviously, people are a lot more complicated than that... but sometimes one's appearance can portray a shocking amount of insight about them."

"Chef told me I had to stop trying to make friends with people who aren't part of the show," Sunshine mentioned. "He said he'd kick me out of the game if I kept it up! Which, normally I wouldn't care about, friendship is what matters most. But I think he said that also means he'd kick Dede out, which wouldn't be fair to her!"

"It might be best to stick to the friends we have in the game for now," Charlie agreed. "That could make all the difference. And to bring it back to something you said before, I don't think Orson is someone I should be too concerned about. I get the feeling the Red Pair won't maintain much of a foothold in the game, at the rate things are going."

"They can if we're there to love and support them!" Sunshine resounded.

"Exactly. Hence why I won't be loving and supporting them," Charlie said. "Your pursuit of making others' lives better is very admirable. I, too, aim to help others and make them happier. But all's fair in love and Total Drama, I'm afraid, and people are going to have to lose. A million dollars can do too much for both me and Ichabod for us to just hope for the best."

"I know," Sunshine said, her smile getting a little smaller. "I can be friends with everyone after the game is over, but I want to cherish my time with them now, too. That's why I want to leave the mean parts of the game to people like Ichabod and Brynleigh, who like doing that kind of thing." She regained her smile. "After all, that way everyone is happy!"

Charlie tilted his head as he noticed Sunshine starting to shake.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"Always!" Sunshine blurted.

Charlie smiled. "Well, I'm happy I got the chance to talk to you one-on-one. We should do this more often."

"Me too!" Sunshine agreed.

Charlie tapped his cane on the ground twice before hobbling to his feet. "Well, I should probably use the bathroom. I'll see you around."

He tipped his hat and walked off. Sunshine's eyes darted from person to person in the crowd, and she put on a serious face as she tried studying them.

Charlie: "Most cases of people forming a compulsive need to help others generally stem from parent issues. But considering her parents outright named her 'Sunshine', I'm inclined to guess that other factors are at play here. It's too early for me to say for sure, but I will keep an eye on her. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, after all, and I worry that things may go very, very wrong for the poor girl if she gets too carried away."

Sunshine: "I'm glad Charlie and Orson like people-watching so much, because I just can't do it!" She giggled. "I just know that every person is a story, a beautiful complex human being deep down! I can't reduce people to simple concepts like that! I love everyone too much to do that!"

Aoi sat down at an outdoor table in The Breakfast Nook. A waitstaff set a plate of pancakes stacked several feet high before him.

"Thank you," he said, not even looking at the waitstaff.

He reached up with his fork and knife and began cutting down the entire stack, when Pavel approached him.

"Oh hey, Aoi, there you are," Pavel greeted.

"Have we met?" Aoi asked.

"I... It's Pavel. From Total Drama," Pavel said.

...

"If you say so," Aoi responded.

"That's a lot of pancakes," Pavel chuckled.

"Correct."

"Aren't you a model? Pancakes are really fattening."

"I will simply not get fat."

"I guess you'd know what you're doing better than I would," Pavel twitched. "But actually, I was curious about your gameplan."

"I have a very good metabolism," Aoi explained.

"No, I mean in Total Drama!" Pavel exasperated.

"I will win the game."

"That's the thing, though," Pavel continued. "You don't talk to others, you outright don't try in challenges, you don't even listen to your partner. What's the deal?"

"I don't need to."

"What do you- Of course you do! You have to actually play the game if you want to win!" Pavel insisted.

"Do you have anything important to say? I'm very hungry," Aoi responded.

"Oh my g-!" Pavel took a deep breath. "What would it take for you to actually engage with Peter?"

Aoi did not respond, instead opting to eat his giant stack of pancakes.

"Hello?!" Pavel urged.

Aoi continued to ignore Pavel.

"For crying out loud!" Pavel ranted. "Fine, ignore me! Whatever!"

He stomped off.

Pavel: "I was kind of hoping that talking to Aoi might give me some insight on why Brynleigh refuses to listen to me. So much for that plan. What's that guy's deal, anyway? What makes him think he's too good for actually trying?!"

Aoi: "...Those were the most delicious pancakes I've had in my life." A single tear fell from his eye.

Ichabod sojourned through the park with a determined gait.

"She must be around here somewhere," he muttered to himself. "I've circumnavigated the premises thrice over, yet nary hide nor hair presents itself."

Ichabod: "Pavel has informed me that the motion to use the Pineapple on the Pepperoni Red Pair was largely the idea of Brynleigh. The move intrigued me, so I hope to pick her brain if I have the chance."

Ichabod stopped to look around, only to pause when he noticed three teenage girls struggling to contain their laughter amongst themselves as they looked at him. Ichabod sighed and approached the three.

"Good afternoon," he greeted. The three girls laughed even harder. "I am in search of a compatriot."

"Oh, I bet you are~" the tall blonde lilted.

"But we don't offer ourselves to just anyone," the curvy redhead winked.

"Of course, you're not 'just anyone', are you?" the petite brunette cooed.

"I fear you misunderstand my intentions," Ichabod denied. "I'm in search of a particular girl."

"Most men are~" the tall blonde lilted.

"We've heard it a thousand times," the curvy redhead winked.

"Who's your type, hm?" the petite brunette cooed.

"I must apologize for making myself unclear," Ichabod sighed. "The girl I'm looking for is short, has light blonde hair, and a noticeably large forehead."

"Ooh, you're two out of three~" the tall blonde lilted, nudging the petite brunette.

"Oh? Are you saying I should dye my hair?" the petite brunette cooed to Ichabod.

"Hardly. I'm asking if you've seen anyone who already matches that description," Ichabod frowned, beginning to lose patience.

"She can match that description and more, if you treat her right," the curvy redhead winked as she rubbed the petite brunette's shoulders.

"The girl I'm searching for is not any of you," Ichabod established.

"Aw, you wound us~" the tall blonde lilted.

"I like men who play hard to get," the curvy redhead winked.

"Why don't you give us a chance? What's the worst that can happen?" the petite brunette cooed.

In the distance, Ichabod saw Brynleigh snickering at him.

"There you are!" he called.

Brynleigh immediately turned on her heel and speed-walked away.

"Brynleigh! Brynleigh!" Ichabod shouted as he followed after her. "I know you can hear me! I've specifically trained my voice for maximum clarity and perceivability!"

The three girls watched as Ichabod left. Then he returned.

"For the record, your forehead is of average size," he informed the petite brunette before walking away again.

The petite brunette swooned, falling backwards for her equally-lovestruck friends to catch her.

Brynleigh: "What? Far be it for me to deny those lovely ladies a chance to spend time with a good-looking fella like ol' Icky Bod. Heh heh heh."

Meanwhile, Orson saw Panic sitting alone at a table near the food trucks. He smiled and walked up to them.

"Hey there, Panic," Orson greeted. "How's it going?"

"Huh?" Panic looked over at Orson. "Oh, it's you. Did Sawyer send you to hound me about something?"

"Oh, no, Sawyer is too busy losing her mind right now to bark orders out," Orson laughed. "I just figured I'd just go and check in on other people."

"Huh, that tracks," Panic nodded. "Sawyer does seem like the type to freak out at the slightest pushback. Those corporate America types usually do."

"Yeah she had a lot to say about Brynleigh after the whole ceremony," Orson continued. "Most of which I imagine they'll have to not show on the edited show, if I had to guess."

"No kidding?" Panic chuckled slightly. " I wish I could've been there to see that."

"Yeah, it was something," Orson smiled. He then sat down across the table from them.. "So, I wanted to ask you something."

"Uhuh…" Panic muttered.

"What exactly brought you to Total Drama?" Orson asked. "I mean this with no disrespect, but you don't really seem like the type that would do a show like this…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Panic raised an eyebrow.

"Just, y'know, you seem like you'd think that a show like this is mindless drivel or something," Orson explained.

"Well, you're right about that," Panic crossed their arms. "A show like this is pretty much sensationalized trash that people use to distract themselves from the real issues that life has."

"I suppose I can't entirely disagree with you on that," Orson concurred. "It does give a distraction from the difficulties of life."

"See, I'm glad that someone else can see the same way that I do about it," Panic said. "And to answer your original question, the reason I'm here is to get the funding I need to bring forth the changes I wanna see to the political landscape back where I'm from. As much as I hate to say it, change does require money and I don't really have the money to do what I want to."

Orson nodded his head.

"That's a pretty noble reason, really," Orson said. "Not playing for personal gain, but for the benefit of those around you that you care about. I can respect that."

"Wow," Panic said, surprised.

"What?" Orson asked.

"I'm just surprised that someone didn't dismiss my ambitions as 'unachievable' or anything," Panic replied.

"I mean the reason I came here was to try to find myself," Orson replied. "So I guess in a way, we're both here for different reasons than just the money.

"Finding who you really are is a good thing," Panic smiled slightly. "Your unique self is in there."

"I hope so," Orson said. "It'll be difficult, but I still struggle to stand out in a crowd. That's another reason I figured I wanted to talk to you, considering you're so unashamed of being yourself despite what others might think. I admire that."

"Well, I guess I… appreciate it," Panic replied.

"Likewise," Orson said.

Orson: "I'm glad that Panic didn't balk immediately at the idea of talking to me, and I think that in talking to them we seemed to actually bond a little bit. I think that moving forward I hopefully will be able to depend on them."

Panic: "That was strange, I didn't really expect much out of Orson other than being a mindless sycophant for Sawyer, but he actually seemed to have some genuine interest in my cause! I guess I'm glad that someone around here does. Feel's kinda good."

Charlie lounged on a couch in the cast quarters. A visibly winded Ichabod hobbled into the room. He hurried over to Charlie.

"Charlie, I am irate," Ichabod said.

"Oh? What's up?" Charlie smiled.

"I spent hours searching for Brynleigh, hoping to gain insight on her strategy and see if we can reach an agreement. Yet the moment I should happen across her, I found myself already occupied in conversation with three young women who - if I may put it somewhat less-than-politely - did not seem to be very attentive listeners. Brynleigh then took the opportunity to, I suspect, avoid me with purpose and intention."

"Sounds rough," Charlie empathized. "But hey, at least you seem to be popular with the ladies."

"I beg you, please do not pursue that avenue of conversation," Ichabod sighed. "Further misunderstandings will only serve to worsen my mood. I'd like to be of sound mind when the challenge occurs, if you don't mind."

"Gotcha, gotcha," Charlie nodded, sitting up.

"Quite frankly, I don't know what I expected from Brynleigh," Ichabod huffed. "Nor do I understand what Pavel expected, though that hardly bears repeating. Though I do find it irksome that not even he can decide if he's proud of partnering with her, or if he regrets it. Has he said anything to you on the matter?"

"Honestly, he doesn't talk to me a whole lot at all," Charlie admitted. "I suspect insecurity in the face of a known psychoanalyst which stems from his anger issues."

"Well, I'd prefer it if you kept that hypothesis to yourself. The last thing we need is for such a phenomenon to become exacerbated," Ichabod lectured.

"Yes sir," Charlie grinned casually. "Do you ever wonder about branching out beyond our initial alliances with Brown and Yellow?"

"I don't see why we should," Ichabod denied. "The Sausage Brown Pair have already proven themselves effective in challenges, and the Cheese Yellow Pair - for all their faults - have presented no indication of disloyalty."

The two heard the door open.

"Hey guys. What's going on?" Jenna greeted.

"Nothing much," Charlie waved. "How about you?"

"Also nothing much. They give you way too much time between anything interesting happening," Jenna sighed.

"Ordinarily, this show takes place in locales yet further detached from civilization," Ichabod mentioned. "We should consider ourselves lucky to be granted shelter and food in the first place."

"Eh, I have shelter and food at home, it's not that impressive," Jenna dismissed.

"Have you nothing to discuss with your partner?" Ichabod leered.

"Believe me, they've tried," Jenna said. "Most of it just goes right over my head."

"Most of it?" Charlie inquired.

"I mean, I get the basics," Jenna admitted. "Like, uh, finding people you trust so you can group up or something. Panic's talked a lot about that."

"Have they found anyone they trust?" Charlie wondered.

"Well, Peter hangs out with us, though I don't know how thrilled Panic is about that," Jenna snickered. "He's kind of a dick, but if letting him tag along means he won't vote us out, then it's like, whatever."

"That sounds like trust to me," Charlie laughed.

"In a sick, twisted way, I guess," Jenna laughed along with him. "But hey, I already feel like I get along with you guys better than him. What if we grouped up? Just my pair and yours?"

"If you truly expect us to-"

"-To turn down such an amazing offer, you're out of your mind," Charlie interrupted Ichabod.

"The longer I wear this uniform, the more I can feel my soul drain out of my body," Jenna jested. "So maybe I am out of my mind. But hey, I'll watch your back if you watch mine. For real."

"You got it," Charlie agreed.

Ichabod glared at Charlie.

Charlie: "Sometimes, listening is more important than talking. It's how you let other people know that they can be open around you... In other words, that they can trust you. It got Ichabod to calm down a little bit. I don't know if listening to Jenna is what prompted her to form an impromptu alliance, but hey, if it works, it works."

Ichabod: "Is Charlie daft? Every second I have spent around Jenna indicates to me that she has no idea what she's doing, has no intention of finding out what she's doing, and will freely share any information she comes across to anyone who happens to be nearby. She is quite possibly the least qualified person in this game to be an ally of mine! And oh, how there are many vying for that title." He shook his head in disapproval.

Later, Peter walked through the park, scowling at everyone around him. Suddenly from behind him came loud, fast footsteps.

"I found ya!" A voice yelled from behind him as they tackle-hugged Peter.

"What the fuck?!" Peter exclaimed as he fell to the ground.

Peter turned around and was then face to face with Sunshine, who beamed down at him.

"Sunshine? What the Hell?" Peter gasped.

"I haven't been able to find you anywhere! So I've been looking all around for you to try and get to know you better!" Sunshine giggled.

"Will you get off of me?" Peter sighed.

"Oop! Sorry friend!" Sunshine apologized as she got to her feet and pulled Peter up with her. "I was just so excited to have finally found you! We have sooooo much to talk about!"

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do less right now," Peter brushed her off as he tried to walk away.

"Aw come on! We haven't gotten to get to know each other at all!" Sunshine cut Peter off as he tried to run away.

"Yeah, and that's on purpose," Peter rolled his eyes.

"Why though? Don't you want friends?" Sunshine asked.

"No," Peter dismissed.

"Why not? Everything's better with friends!" Sunshine continued.

"Well I don't want things to be 'better', then! You're irritating, so I don't want to be around you," Peter snarled.

"I think you just don't know how good things can be if you just open up your heart!" Sunshine's smile faded slightly, before correcting back to a grin. "I'm sure it can be hard, but you don't have to be alone all the time!"

"Oh for God's sake, I'm not planning on opening up to you," Peter groaned. "This is all pointless, and I bet most people feel the same."

"Well that's not very nice at all," Sunshine whimpered slightly. "I don't think that's right at all, people do appreciate friendship!"

"Didn't mean to burst your bubble, but it is what it is," Peter shrugged. "Notice how most of the other people here aren't all that interested in friends?"

"How do you do, friends?" Another voice rang out, as the two turned around they saw Veronica running towards them. Sunshine smiled at Peter.

"Oh come on," Peter sighed.

"Hey there Veronica!" Sunshine waved at Veronica before running in for a hug.

"Why does she get a wave and I get a damn divebomb?" Peter asked, annoyed.

"Great news!" Veronica exclaimed, ignoring Peter. "Earlier I finally decided to buy some of those strange tickets that they give out to let you try out attractions!"

"Oh that's great!" Sunshine replied. "I know that you were looking so forward to trying out our challenge from yesterday again!"

"Absolutely! I will not let silly breakfast foods best me!" Veronica balled her fists with conviction. "I'm glad I found you, would you be willing to help cheer me on while I try again?"

Sunshine jumped up in the air, giddily.

"Oh of course I will!" Sunshine gleefully cried. "I bet I know someone else who would love to too!"

Peter, who had slowly begun trying to sneak off, was dragged back by Sunshine to Veronica.

"I know Peter here would love to cheer you on!" Sunshine grinned.

"I would not, actually," Peter crossed his arms indignantly. "I'd love to go do anything else right now!"

"Come on, don't be like that, it'll be fun!" Sunshine said.

"I will try my best to conquer it today!" Veronica exclaimed. "Although I feel like this could end up taking many, many hours! The woes of working for a living…"

"Hours you say?" Sunshine asked. "Then let's waste no time, to The Breakfast Nook!"

Sunshine and Veronica began walking towards The Breakfast Nook, dragging Peter behind them, who scowled.

Peter: "One of them was bad enough, now there's two of them?! I've spent my entire time here avoiding Sunshine because I knew she'd irritate me, but now I gotta add Veronica to that list. No more faux positive nonsense for me, thank you."

Sunshine: "I just know that deep down, Peter definitely longs for a friend! Whether he wants to admit it or not! And even when he doesn't, I'll always be there for him! Never leave a friend behind, I always say!"

Sawyer marched through the park when she came across Alex.

"Aha! Alex!" she called.

"Huh?" Alex turned her attention from the Burger Boy mascot show she'd been watching. "Oh, hey Sawyer. Here to watch Burger Boy?"

"You and I both know the answer to that. Please don't waste my time with stupid questions," Sawyer glowered.

"Oooookay," Alex frowned. "What's up?"

Sawyer dug her fingers into Alex's shoulders. "Have you seen Lazarus recently?" she demanded.

"Not really, sorry," Alex admitted. "I can pass a message if you want."

"Tell him he'd better not make a fool of me in front of Orson ever again," Sawyer snarled. "I understand that Orson and I are in a precarious position today, and that is the only reason I'm still dignifying Lazarus as a possible ally."

"Hey, I get it. Lazarus feels like he's in a weird position, too," Alex smiled.

"I couldn't imagine why," Sawyer remarked. "How do you retain reasonable stress levels around him? Especially knowing you have no choice but to work with him."

"Well, it hasn't been easy," Alex confessed. "But there's two sides to the Bacon Pink coin. He's better at strategy than I am, and I'm just happy to make friends and enjoy the ride. That's not to say that I don't know how to strategize too. It's just a different kind of strategy. If we ever have to make a big decision together, I think we'll both bring some valuable insight."

"Focus groups and market research must take into account all kinds of point-of-view," Sawyer nodded. "Maybe I underestimated you."

"You want to know the real secret to keeping stress levels down?" Alex leaned in and whispered scandalously. "Completely foregoing your responsibilities and doing something fun, completely unrelated to any obligations!"

Sawyer's smile dropped. "Never mind. You have been perfectly estimated."

"Can you stop squeezing my shoulders please? It's starting to hurt," Alex winced.

Sawyer let go. "One last question. Do you have any insight on whether Jalapeno Green intends on sticking with this alliance?"

"I haven't talked to either of them as much as I'd like," Alex recalled. "I'll check in on them and get back to you on that."

"Splendid. My pair could use numbers, even if those numbers include people like Panic," Sawyer nodded. "...I really just said that out loud as if it were logical or even worth entertaining. I really am losing it."

"You could always indulge in the park attractions!" Alex suggested. "It might help you de-stress a little." She looked at the mascots dispersing as the show concluded. "The next Burger Boy show probably won't be for a while, but there are rides and games you can try."

"Oho, sweet, sweet Alex," Sawyer scoffed. "The minute you rest on your laurels, you've already lost."

"I'm not sure that's the same thing, but I get the sense you're not exactly open to the idea either way," Alex noted. "That's too bad."

Sawyer groaned as she saw Alex's disappointed expression. "I don't suppose you had anything in mind?"

Alex's face lit up again. "Oh, you are interested? Because I've been thinking about trying the roller coaster, but I'm a little scared to go alone. Wanna come with?"

"I will not hold your hand," Sawyer established.

"That's... alright with me," Alex notified, tilting her head.

Sawyer: "Uggghhh... I am not in much of a position to alienate the people who have my back, even in light of the Pineapple hindering me. Roller coasters are an objective waste of time, and I loathe Lazarus, but if appealing to Alex's childish sensibilities makes the difference down the line, then I'll bite the bullet. For now."

Alex: "I know she won't admit it, but don't think I didn't notice Sawyer easing up a little. Maybe I played up my disappointment a little bit, but it wasn't on purpose, I swear! I just wanted her to relax. I haven't seen anyone that tense since the big fight between the head writer and the director of the sweeps week episode of '21!"

Later that day, Lazarus reclined on a sofa in the rest area. He put his hands behind his head and sighed loudly.

"Alright, time to relax," Lazarus said to himself.

Almost immediately, the door to the rest area flew open and Remi walked in. Lazarus quickly flew off the couch.

"Oh, my bad man!" Remi apologized. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yeah!" Lazarus immediately yelled, before scratching his chin. "Well, I guess not really… I was planning on relaxing for a bit."

"I see, just wondering… is it cool if we talk real quick my man?" Remi asked.

"...Sure," Lazarus slowly said, sighing.

"Alright, sick!" Remi nodded. "So, I know that we didn't really like, start off on the right terms during that opening challenge or whatever, but I've gotten to know your partner pretty decently! I figured that maybe we could get to know each other a little better!"

"Somehow I knew this would be her fault…" Lazarus muttered under his breath.

"But yeah man," Remi said. "Obviously we don't know each other too well, but you look like the type of guy who can appreciate a little bit of good old fashioned rock n' roll! Maybe we can bond through music!"

"What… gives you that impression?" Lazarus inquired.

"Well you know, the whole afro and peace and love type stuff you got goin' on!" Remi smiled. "C'mon, man, I know a rocker when I see one! Trust me. It is my forte after all!"

Lazarus's face started getting visibly irritated before it contorted into an extremely forced smile "Yes, yes I love rock music!"

"Awesome! I knew it!" Remi cheered. "Alright man, what kinda rock music do you like bro? You likin' new stuff?"

"Oh, you know," Lazarus said. "I like a little bit of it all."

"Actually, I bet you're a classics guy!" Remi exclaimed. "Kickin' it old school with some Hendrix or something, right?"

"Hendrix is good," Lazarus said, disinterestedly. "His guitar playing is, uh, pretty cool."

"Hell yeah it is!" Remi said. "Although, I'm a drummer myself so I have tons of favorite drummers. You got the classics like Peart and Bonham and Moon… but then you have a lot of other less appreciated guys like Clyde Stubblefield and Jimmy Chamberlain!"

"This is all absolutely riveting stuff," Lazarus rolled his eyes. "Oh, please do go on…"

"Sure! I'd be glad to!" Remi exclaimed, not noticing the eyeroll. "Man, when I saw you I was worried we wouldn't be able to find common ground, but I'm so happy there's someone else to talk about music with! I'd talk with Veronica and Alex about it but Veronica's only heard classical music and Alex said she 'wasn't able to properly appreciate music' because she's 'too busy' or something! Can you imagine being too busy for music?!"

Lazarus's eyes went wide.

"What's wrong, man?" Remi asked.

"Oh, nothing," Lazarus shook his head. "It's just in the field of music you almost sound… intelligent!"

"Thanks!" Remi smiled, before looking confused. "Wait…"

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" Lazarus forcibly corrected himself.. "I just meant… you seem very knowledgeable about music… is all."

"Oh, well thanks then!" Remi's smile returned. "Well, anyway, I'm glad that we got to talk for a bit about something like this. I know I did most of the talking, but maybe next time you could talk about some music that you really vibe with!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Lazarus winced.

"Alright man!" Remi got up and started to leave the room. "I'll let you get back to relaxing, just wanted to check back in!"

Lazarus waved half heartedly and flopped back on the couch, face down. As Remi left the room, he heard a loud, muffled scream. He turned back in concern before shrugging and walking off.

Remi: "Y'know, Lazarus is a really hard to gauge guy. Sometimes he's all peace and love but then he'll just get in a mood and start acting real crappy towards everyone! Alex is one of my closest friends here, so I was worried that me and her partner being on the wrong foot would mess stuff up, but it seems we can at least bond on something, music!"

Lazarus: "Alex really picked the most infuriatingly air-headed allies possible, huh?! She couldn't have bonded with anyone even remotely competent?! I spend the first days of this competition trying to make alliances and she ends up bonding with Dumb and Dumber?!" Lazarus buried his face in his hands. "If I have to keep humoring Remi and his stupid nonsense to keep his vote off our back, I will, but I will not enjoy it!

Ichabod, Charlie, Pavel, Dede, and Sunshine met up at their usual spot on the outskirts of the park.

"I see we're all in attendance," Ichabod nodded.

"Huh?" Sunshine looked around. "We're not all in attendance, Ichabod! Brynleigh isn't here yet!"

"She's not comin'," Pavel groaned. "Trust me, we've tried to get her to come to alliance meetings. It ain't happenin'."

"I haven't tried yet!" Sunshine insisted. "Where is she? Right now?!"

Brynleigh sat in front of the caricature artist, posing coyly on the stool.

"I know you don't usually get a chance to draw someone this beautiful and awesome," Brynleigh boasted. "I know it's a big privilege, but nothing you say will convince me to let you keep the drawing. I paid good tickets for this."

"Alright, if you insist," the artist played along.

"How's it look? You almost done?" Brynleigh pestered.

Aoi, who happened to walk past the two, peeked over the artist's shoulder. The caricature put extreme focus on Brynleigh's forehead, exaggerating it to even greater, shinier proportions.

"It's perfect," Aoi said before walking away.

"Ha! Tell me something I don't know!" Brynleigh grinned.

"If any mondo developments rear their heads, we can always give Brynleigh the 411 later," Dede assured Sunshine.

"Okay..." Sunshine tentatively agreed.

"I simply wanted to make sure we're all in agreement regarding the path we shall pave towards the future," Ichabod established. "We keep focus on the Pepperoni Red Pair as our primary targets, and the Bacon Pink Pair as our secondary targets."

"Works for me," Pavel nodded. "Those were the two I was torn between when pickin' who to use the Pineapple on anyway."

"They're no star athletes, but they may just be our biggest competition in challenges," Charlie figured.

"And once those pairs are gone-zo, that makes it totally easier for us," Dede agreed. "Maybe in another world, I could have found love with them. But here, it's just not so!"

She started plucking the petals off a flower she grabbed from a nearby bush.

"Any particular reason you're doing that?" Charlie wondered.

"Oh, just wondering who loves me, and who loves me not," Dede said airily.

"I love you!" Sunshine offered.

"We're losing focus," Ichabod interrupted. "Does anyone hold any preference regarding tertiary targets, once the Pepperoni Red Pair and Bacon Pink Pair are no longer options?"

"I doubt we have to think that far ahead," Charlie mentioned. "The best-laid plans, and all that." Charlie tapped his cane on the ground to emphasize his point. "Red and Pink are good starting points. We can cross the next bridge once we get to it."

"I agree with Charlie..." Dede said in a creepier tone than she intended. She shook her head. "Er, I mean, yeah, it's a complicated game, and a lot can happen between now and then. If we plan too far ahead, we run the risk of sticking rigidly to something that isn't quite there anymore."

"If a plan is worth making, it's worth maintaining," Ichabod posited.

"Maybe when it comes to running the student council or whatever it is you do," Pavel disagreed. "But Total Drama's way more volatile than that. Hell, life's way more volatile than that!"

"Hey, we don't need to fight!" Sunshine beseeched. "We're all friends, on the, the same side! Now, everyone hold hands, and don't let go until we all agree on everything!"

...

"I would like to propose the Jalapeno Green Pair as the next priority target," Ichabod said.

"Whatever works," Pavel half-agreed.

"If no better option comes along, then I support this," Charlie added.

"They're both so cute... but so hard to talk to..." Dede hummed.

"I don't want to vote anyone out, but for the sake of us all agreeing, I'll say yes!" Sunshine cried.

"Good. This meeting is dismissed," Ichabod stated.

He, Charlie, and Pavel went their separate ways. Dede took Sunshine's hand.

"Dede, I don't think I like going to these meetings," Sunshine sniffled.

"Hey, no need to cry, superfly," Dede smiled. "I think the challenge is soon. Better get ready for that."

"You're right!" Sunshine declared. "We're gonna kick the HECK out of this challenge!"

Charlie: "To wit: Ichabod has a chronic need to be in control, Dede's in love with the concept of love more than anyone in particular, Pavel will take any opportunity to remind us that he's had a tough life and how it's affected his outlook... and Sunshine is really just not cut out for the strategy of the game whatsoever." (He laughed fondly.) "That's my alliance for you. But hey, we're a more cohesive group than I think anyone else has going on. If anyone plans on stopping us, I'm interested in seeing what they have up their sleeves."

Dede: "I think I see why Ichabod was so hesitant to let Sunshine in on the alliance meetings. She's got a pure, beautiful soul, and that's just not what we need when we're scheming to move on up in the game. Any other time, I think we could all use a little more Sunshine. But, uh, I think we can all agree she should sit out of strategy talk."

The sixteen contestants met up at the Breakfast Nook, having been called for the challenge. As instructed, they stood before a restaurant called Jack's Flaphouse.

"What do you think it'll be this time?" Remi asked eagerly.

"Something cartoonish and humiliating, I'm sure," Panic claimed.

"Hell yeah!" Remi beamed.

"Why is that exciting?!" Panic reacted.

Pavel turned to Brynleigh, who stood with her arms crossed, back hunched, and face pouting. "What's with you?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," she huffed.

"Alright, contestants!" Chef called as he and Chris stood before the players. "Follow us inside the Flaphouse, n' we can get started on our next cartoonish n' humiliatin' challenge!"

Remi pumped his fist. Panic rolled their eyes.

The players followed the hosts into the restaurant. All the patrons dining at the establishment had plates of pancakes in front of them, with varying colors and flavors of both pancake and syrup.

"Hey, the food here actually looks pretty groovy," Dede noted.

"It's alright," Aoi stated.

Everyone made it to the back, and through an Employees Only door. On the other side, they found themselves in a large room with a huge, conspicuous pool of brown liquid.

"Please tell me that is not what I think it is," Veronica shuddered.

"If ya think it's a big ol' reserve a' maple syrup, then I ain't gonna lie: it's a big ol' reserve a' maple syrup!" Chef cackled.

Jenna saluted.

"Here's how the challenge is gonna work," Chris began.

"See that thing over there?" Chef pointed to a crane which carried a circular frame with sixteen T-bars hanging from it. "Y'all will be holdin' onto those bars for as long as ya can. That's the challenge! It's a simple test of endurance, but if ya mess it up, well... heh heh heh..." he gestured his head at the pool of syrup.

"That seems incredibly unsanitary," Ichabod frowned. "Are we to believe that this is the same syrup which will be served to attendees of this eating establishment?"

"Believe what you want, bro. Whatever's funnier," Chris shrugged.

"This is a last-man-standin' challenge," Chef continued. "Meanin' that if someone drops out, their partner isn't out until their partner drops! So even if your partner is the first one outta the challenge, you can still win it for your pair if you're the last one hangin' on in the end!"

"And winning this one's going to be kind of important," Chris smiled.

"That's right! Since this is an elimination day, the winning pair gets Invincibility... and a special ability we'll explain once the time comes," Chef confirmed. "Oh, and as for the Pineapple... Pepperoni Red Pair, since y'all have been inflicted with the disadvantage in today's challenge, your T-bars are gonna be slathered in syrup. It'll be sticky, it'll be uncomfortable, and it'll make it a lot harder to keep your grip."

"As if I'd let something so petty stop me," Sawyer scoffed.

"If there ain't any more questions, then it's time ta get started!" Chef announced.

Sawyer: "Don't think for a second that I'm going to let the Brown Pair forget that they crossed me! In business, there are consequences to every action. Any position a company takes, any lawsuit they might file, anything that might ever be construed as controversial will come with a huge gouge in sales! And if there are two people who have no business running a business, it's Brynleigh and Pavel! I'll make them regret standing in the way of my position as the rightful winner of this game!"

Charlie: "A challenge that requires thorough use of your upper body muscles? You spoil me." (He laughed.) "I still hold an underlying fear that any physical activity can cripple me, but even I can't help but feel a little optimistic about this one."

Veronica: "Oh, if my dress didn't appreciate the obstacle course, there's no way it will ever be the same if I lose this challenge! But I knew what I signed up for, kind of, and I am determined to overcome any... any..." (She took a deep breath.) "any... challenge..."

Jenna: "For the record, not every restaurant in this park has a big weird pool of whatever hiding in the back. Jack's Flaphouse is just freaky like that."

The players grabbed hold of their T-bars, and the crane moved the circular frame up and over the pool of syrup.

"The challenge has officially begun!" Chef announced.

Aoi let go of his T-bar.

"And... ugh... Aoi is out," Chef groaned.

Aoi simply lied in the syrup.

"Fifteen of y'all left. Who's gonna be the last one hangin'?" Chef wondered.

"Well it's probably not gonna be Gray," Peter rolled his eyes. "Because someone thinks he's above the challenges."

Aoi started making snow angels in the syrup.

"Who cares if you win it?" Sawyer piped up. "You two aren't the ones with syrup on your bar!"

Brynleigh stuck her tongue out at Sawyer. Sawyer grit her teeth together.

"I'm just gonna try to ignore her," Orson said. "I'm already kinda struggling…"

"Do not show any weakness," Sawyer hissed.

"Um, we can hear you dude," Jenna interjected.

"Dammit, Orson!" Sawyer exclaimed.

"Oh? Is Orson messing up again?" Brynleigh mocked. "Man I guess you messed up with such a weak as shit partner!"

"Brynleigh, stop mockin' them man," Pavel sighed.

"Nah! I think they deserve it!" Brynleigh argued.

Bryneligh then began laughing loudly, losing her concentration and losing her grip on her T-bar. She went tumbling into the syrup below.

"Ew!" Brynleigh exclaimed.

"Never lose concentration," Ichabod said, looking straight forward.

"You staring directly at me is gonna make me lose concentration," Dede stuttered, blushing.

"And Brynleigh's the second one out! Sausage Brown is now down to just Pavel! Only seconds into the competition!" Chef announced. "Will anyone else drop?"

"I'm already starting to lose my grip," Orson said, resigned. He struggled to hold onto his T-bar.

"You keep holding on, Orson!" Sawyer yelled out. "Do not drop yet, that's an order!"

"Yeah, 'cause barking orders at him is gonna make him more likely to work harder…" Panic shook their head. "Classic 'manager' mindset."

"It is, because it works!" Sawyer barked back. "Unlike people like you!"

"I have an idea! We should all do a group bonding activity!" Sunshine interjected. "Who wants to sing a song together?!"

"Oh, spare me," Peter muttered.

"As good of an idea as that is, maybe we could participate later?" Charlie asked.

"There's never a bad time for a good sing-along!" Sunshine grinned.

"True that, girl!" Remi replied.

"Ohhhhh, mi-mi-mi-mi-miiiiii!" Sunshine began warming up.

Suddenly, Orson lost grip on his T-bar and fell into the syrup face first.

"Ooh, that's gotta hurt!" Chris chuckled.

Orson: "As bad of timing as that was… I didn't throw to get away from Sunshine Sing-along time. I really did just lose my grip, I promise!"

Sunshine: "I'll just have to get Orson to sing songs with me later! Maybe we can go skipping along the main pavilion too!"

"With Orson down, Pepperoni Red is now just down to Sawyer!" Chef announced. "Can she push through the dreaded Pineapple disadvantage, or will she also fall victim to it?"

"Theeeeeeere's aaaaaaaa hole in the bottom of the sea! There's a hole in the bottom of the sea!" Sunshine sang.

"Chef, man, I don't think Sawyer is the only victim here," Lazarus twitched.

"Hey, Sunshine, if you want to sound even better, try flexing your diaphragm and singing through your nose!" Remi offered.

"Huh?" Sunshine asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means you should save your vocal talent for later when you can make the most of it," Charlie told her. "Maybe Remi can coach you after the challenge."

Sunshine gasped. "You can make my singing even better! Yay, I can't wait!"

Panic breathed a sigh of relief.

"But in the meantime..." Sunshine cleared her throat. "There's a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea! There's a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea! There's a hole, there's a hole, there's a hole, there's a hole! There's a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea!"

Panic's face twisted in anguish.

"Come on, everyone, we're just getting started!" Sunshine encouraged.

"It might be better if we all concentrate on holding on, sweet pea," Dede managed. Her arms trembled as she tried to maintain grip on her bar.

"I disagree," Sawyer said. "Sunshine, if you let go of the bar right now, you can go sing for all the nice people in the restaurant."

"Really?!" Sunshine gasped.

"No, not really!" Dede cried, shaking even more. "Ahh!"

Her grip slipped, and she fell into the syrup below.

"Dede!" Sunshine called.

"And Dede is out!" Chef announced.

"I'm fine, just make sure you keep holding on," Dede told Sunshine. "We can still win if you're the last one up there."

"Yes ma'am!" Sunshine nodded, putting on a determined look.

"How are you holding up?" Jenna asked Panic.

"It'll take more than this to bring me down," Panic claimed. "You don't change the world by giving up at the slightest hardship."

"Guess it's a good thing I'm not trying to change the world then," Jenna smirked.

"What does that mean?" Panic asked. "You'd better not drop until your body gives out, Jenna!"

Jenna let go of her bar and fell into the syrup.

"Oooh, Jenna's out!" Chris announced. "And with hilarious timing, no less!"

"Jenna!" Panic scolded.

"My body gave out. Sorry," Jenna said nonchalantly.

Alex looked over the others, when she noticed Veronica staying perfectly still.

"Nice form, Veronica!" she complimented.

Veronica did not respond.

"Either she's in a state of complete zen, or she's even haughtier than I thought, maaaan," Lazarus commented.

"I will not mess up my dress again!" Veronica called. "That is all I'm saying on the matter!"

"Surely you have the means to effectively clean it later on," Ichabod brought up.

...

"Well, you have to admire her dedication, if nothing else," Charlie chuckled.

"Hardly. If the others can speak whilst holding onto the frame, surely she can as well," Ichabod frowned.

Jenna: "Alright, so my body didn't give out give out, but there's no chance I was going to hold on until it did. I knew I wasn't going to win this one, and I'll probably need my arms for another challenge down the line. How's that for strategy, Panic?"

Remi: "You'd be amazed what some vocal training can accomplish. I'm not a singer myself, but I've picked up a thing or two from my band. If Sunshine wants to sing, I'm going to make her the best dang singer she can be! You know, after the challenge."

"Man, this sucks," Peter grumbled. "Feels like my shoulder's getting pulled out of its socket."

"Never worked out much, eh pal?" Pavel asked.

"No," Peter flatly responded.

"Hey man, it's never a bad idea to invest in yourself, you know," Pavel replied.

"I don't need you to tell me how to live my life," Peter scoffed as he rolled his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pavel narrowed his eyes. "I'm just trying to help ya, that's all."

"This sucks enough without someone trying to preach at me about dumb bullshit I don't care about," Peter sighed.

"Well that's just stupid," Pavel said. "If someone gives you good advice, why not take it?"

"Awww, I love how you're trying to help our friend!" Sunshine squealed.

"I don't think they're gonna be friends," Ichabod stated. "They seem to be engaged in quite pointed conversation, actually."

"You don't say?" Lazarus asked rhetorically.

"Yes," Ichabod replied.

Lazarus rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm not really one to be friends with people like that," Peter said. "I'd rather have no–"

Suddenly, Peter lost his grip on his T-bar and fell into the syrup below.

"Ouch…" Peter grumbled as he laid in the syrup.

"And Anchovy Gray is the first duo to be fully eliminated!" Chef announced.

"Too busy yapping, not enough time concentrating," Lazarus scolded. "Rookie mistake."

"Any of us could fall at any time, it didn't have to be that," Alex said, shifting uncomfortably. "This is hard work! I don't blame anyone for falling."

"That's facts!" Remi agreed. "Luckily for me, I got the arm strength of a drummer on my side!"

Remi flexed his arms slightly and not muscles showed.

"It's probably harder to see them from this position," Remi chuckled. "I'll show ya later!"

"I keep forgetting you play drums," Panic said. "I'm just surprised they'd cast two entire musicians on the same season, given reality tv's tendency to shove everyone into the smallest boxes possible!"

"Guess we both were just cool enough to break the mold!" Remi smiled.

"Very cool and subversive, I bet your parents are so proud," Sawyer mocked.

"Yeah, they are!" Remi smiled proudly. "My parents are like, my band's biggest fans! They come to all our shows!"

"Sounds about right," Sawyer smirked.

"You think your parents are proud you grew up to be a heartless asshole?" Panic asked.

"Oh Panic, you wound me," Sawyer chuckled. "My parents are also CEOs of big, important companies. I think they'd be quite happy that their daughter is following in their footsteps."

"Sounds like a bunch of crap if you ask me," Panic spat. "Bunch of dragons hoarding the wealth all for yourself."

"Isn't it wonderful?" Sawyer confirmed.

"No, it's not actually!" Panic yelled. "I think it's not wonderful at all! It's the type of thing I aim to stop!"

"So you intend on beating me then?" Sawyer laughed. "I'd love to see you try."

"Oh, I will!" Panic exclaimed.

Panic then lost their grip on the T-bar and fell into the syrup below.

"Maybe… next time…" Panic groaned.

"And with that Jalapeno Green is out of the challenge!" Chef announced.

Sawyer smugly looked down at Panic.

Sawyer: "It's people like Panic, people who always balk at the idea of an organized society with rules and a hierarchy, who need a swift dose of reality. I'll be happy to deliver that to them as soon as possible."

Panic: "Sawyer thinks that just because she lasted longer than me on some stupid hanging from a bar challenge that she beat me! Well, guess what! I may have lost this stupid, insignificant battle, but the progression of society past these bygone ideals is a war, and I intend to win!"

"Our remaining contestants are holding strong as the promise of Invincibility hangs over their heads," Chris commentated.

"Right ya are, Chris, n' with Bacon Pink, Mushroom Blue, n' Onion Purple all chillin' with both members intact, Sunshine, Sawyer, n' Pavel are gonna hafta dig deep into their energy reserves if they wanna take it for their pairs!" Chef added.

"You guys have to reserve your energy?" Sunshine asked innocently.

"With you around? Absolutely," Lazarus said under his breath.

"Energy management is an important life skill," Alex offered. "Sometimes, when we're bustling to get an episode filmed before a deadline, I barely even have a chance to have a coffee with my friends or something."

"That's the price of success, baby!" Remi whooped.

"The obvious solution is to not have friends. That frees up more time than you may think," Sawyer smirked.

"Not have friends?!" Sunshine gasped.

The sudden burst of noise was enough to catch Alex off guard, and she let go of her bar.

"Down comes Alex!" Chef announced.

"Shoot," Alex cursed. "It's all you, Laz! You've got this!"

"Yeah, we'll see maaaaan," Lazarus groaned.

"If you feel unqualified to persevere longer than the rest of us, you are free to drop out," Ichabod told him. "No one would think any less of you."

"You know what, just for that, I'm going to stick around until your condescending ass drops out," Lazarus said.

"Condescending?" Ichabod blinked. "I merely offered assurance that you may put your health before what ultimately amounts to a small part of a game. I fail to understand what part of that could be construed as-"

"Just ignore him, dude," Pavel interrupted. "He's only tryin' to get to you."

"Regardless, I must apologize if my words offended," Ichabod maintained. "I'd be remiss not to learn from my mistakes."

"See, making friends is important!" Sunshine proclaimed.

Charlie noticed Veronica's face twisting in pain.

"What about you, Veronica? How are you holding up?" he asked.

Veronica forced a smile, but did not speak.

"Attagirl, Roni! Don't let them psych you out!" Remi encouraged.

"Yes, it would be horrible if intrusive thoughts of how the sticky, fragrant syrup would permeate her expensive dress and shoes took over," Sawyer grinned. "Oh, not to mention her hair!"

"You cease that this instant!" Veronica cried.

"Remember why you're here, Roni!" Remi called. "To get out of your cushy bedroom, make mistakes, and get messy!"

"I don't want to be covered in syrup!" Veronica sobbed.

"Listen to me, Roni! I know you're strong! I know you can do this!"

Remi let go of his bar, dropping into the syrup below.

"Huh?! Remi?!" Veronica called.

"And Remi... drops out on purpose, I think?" Chris announced.

"Veronica's gonna hafta hold on tight if the Onion Purple Pair wants a shot at winnin' this one!" Chef added.

Veronica: "What on earth was Remi thinking?! He very well could have held on longer than anyone in this competition! Does he really think someone like me can hold out better than these strong people with actual life experience?! The nerve of that boy! Making me work harder than I normally would have! ...Wait a minute."

Lazarus: "Ichabod's pair is the last pair with both people at this point, and they both look like they're made of stone, man. But there's no way in hell I'm letting them beat me, maaan. If they're stone, I'm gonna be, uh... iron, or something. That's harder than stone, I think."

Almost immediately, Lazarus lost his grip and dropped into the syrup below.

"Aaaand jus' like that, Bacon Pink's out of the game!" Chef announced. "Only six people are left in the game!"

"Dammit!" Lazarus yelled as he tried to stand up out of the syrup.

` "Wow!" Sunshine marveled. "Last six standing! Awesome job everyone, I think we all should give ourselves a pat on the back!"

"Somethin' tells me that isn't the best idea," Pavel said.

"It wouldn't be, as you would more than likely fall," Ichabod said. "You should have known that."

"I'm sure that they did know that, right guys?" Charlie smiled and looked over at Sunshine, who was holding onto her bar with one hand and attempting to pat herself on the back. "Sunshine?!"

"What?" Sunshine said, as she struggled to hold herself up. "I was just trying to give myself a pat on the ba–"

Sunshine then lost her grip on the bar and fell.

"And after that boneheaded move from Sunshine, she's outta the challenge!" Chef announced. "And with her down, Cheese Yellow is out!"

"Aw, fiddlesticks!" Sunshine exclaimed. "Oh well, best of luck everyone!"

"Pathetic," Sawyer shook her head.

"She's just tryin' her best, man," Pavel replied.

"Don't talk to me," Sawyer snapped at Pavel.

"What?" Pavel looked at Sawyer. "Is this about the Pineapple or somethin'?"

"What do you think?" Sawyer growled at Pavel.

Suddenly, Veronica screamed loudly. Everyone turned to look at her.

"I don't mean to alarm anyone, but Remi!" Veronica cried out. "Find something for me to fall onto! I don't want to fall into the syrup!"

"Why?" Remi called back. "Don't you want to face your fears and stuff?"

"One step at a time! I'll do that later!" Veronica yelled. "Besides, you left me up here to do this! The least you could do is find me something graceful to fall on!"

"Good point!" Remi yelled. "Alright, hold tight Roni! Remi to the rescue!"

Remi then turned around and ran out of Jack's Flaphouse to find something.

"The likelihood of him finding something to support the weight of falling from this height that would allow her to escape the syrup is exceptionally low," Ichabod pointed out. "She should simply give up that illusion."

"Shhh," Charlie shushed. "Let her keep that positive energy, even if it is misguided. Allow people to be happy."

"I'm simply pointing out that–" Ichabod began.

"I totally understand where you're coming from," Charlie assured Ichabod. "I know it's not feasible, but she doesn't, and she's clearly scared out of her mind right now. No need to cause her undue stress, right?"

"...I suppose you're correct," Ichabod admitted. "I'll concede this one to you."

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Sawyer asked. "Trying to plan your next move, thinking you'll be the ones to win Invincibility? If so, you're sorely mistaken."

"Well it appears you're the one who is sorely mistaken," Ichabod said. "That is not what we were discussing at all. I'd appreciate it if you minded your own business."

"Everything is my business," Sawyer narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't know the first thing about business."

"We were simply talking about how brave Veronica is for staying up here as long as she has," Charlie smiled.

Veronica squirmed as she started to lose her grip on the T-bar.

"Remi, hurry!" Veronica screamed. "My dress!"

"It's alright, girl!" Pavel said. "I'm sure he's almost back."

Veronica then dropped from the T-bar and into the syrup below, she then screamed out loudly.

"My dress!" Veronica cried.

Remi then rushed in from the entrance carrying a pillow.

"Have no fear, Remi's here–" Remi cheered, before noticing Veronica in the syrup. "Oh, crap. My bad."

Veronica whimpered.

Veronica: "The first two challenges as pairs involve extremely sticky, difficult to remove substances that we must fall into? Is this some sort of sick joke?! I'm going to run out of dresses at this point! If only I could call my butler to do some laundry…"

Ichabod: "With Veronica's elimination that only leaves two people in the way of Charlie and I's victory. One of which is Pavel, whom I trust. However, I must gain control here. Making sure the power does not leave our hands here is paramount to our success. I've failed before in this game, I will not fail again."

"Onion Purple's out, leavin' just Sausage Brown, Pepperoni Red, n' both members of Mushroom Blue to win it!" Chef announced.

"After Brown used the Pineapple on Red, I can't blame Sawyer or Pavel for wanting to hold on this long, Chef," Chris added. "But they'll have to beat not just each other, but both Ichabod and Charlie if they want to secure their safety tonight."

"Not to mention the additional benefit of winnin' the challenge, which they don't even know the details of yet!" Chef laughed.

"I don't need any incentive to win beyond showing Brynleigh and Pavel that they made a dangerous enemy," Sawyer grinned.

"The safety also sounds nice, for the record!" Orson chimed in. "Please give us safety if she wins."

"When I win!" Sawyer corrected.

"Yeah, when she wins," Orson clarified.

"Do you honestly think she can do it?" Panic asked Orson. "Up against three big, strong guys, plus she has syrup all over her hands."

"She's lasted this long, right?" Orson figured.

"You know, I'm not sure why I asked, I'd prefer it if she fell," Panic huffed.

"Sawyer, Pavel, the odds of beating my pair are not in your favor," Ichabod claimed. "You have to outlast not only each other, but both Charlie and myself. Charlie and I only need to outlast the two of you. That's one fewer opponent we need to wait out. There is little sense in delaying the inevitable."

"The sense is that Pavel thinks he can hold me back with a silly disadvantage!" Sawyer laughed.

"Yeah, and if my pair ain't safe, she's probably gonna try and vote for us, so..." Pavel reckoned.

"Honestly, I admire both of your convictions," Charlie smiled. "I'm curious to see whose conviction will win out in the end."

"Ours," Ichabod told him.

"I mean, probably, but I meant between the two rivals," Charlie explained.

"'Rivals' implies that he's anywhere near my level," Sawyer scoffed.

"And thankfully, I ain't," Pavel grunted.

Ten more minutes passed in relative silence. The four remaining wore determined - if pained - expressions as they held tightly onto their T-bars. Everyone's mouths dropped when someone finally let go of their bar and fell into the syrup below.

...

"Sawyer is out, n' so is Pepperoni Red!" Chef announced.

"Fuck!" Sawyer growled.

"Hey, you held on for a pretty long time, especially considering the disadvantage you had," Orson told her as he offered her a hand out of the pool.

"Don't patronize me!" Sawyer snapped, climbing out on her own and walking past him. "I need a towel. Where are the towels?"

"Well, Pavel, looks like it's just us," Charlie mentioned.

"Do you believe you can hold on for longer than both Charlie and I?" Ichabod challenged.

"Maybe, maybe not," Pavel said. "But what I do know is that I trust ya, and I don't wanna make myself look like a threat by winnin' two in a row. So I'll probably drop within a couple minutes."

"A sound strategy," Ichabod nodded.

After forty seconds passed, Pavel let go.

"Sausage Brown is out! The Mushroom Blue Pair wins the challenge!" Chef announced.

"A victory well-earned," Ichabod nodded.

"The first of many, I hope," Charlie nodded back.

The two let go.

Charlie: "Part of the reason I signed up for this game was to prove that I could still do it. To show myself and others that the accident doesn't define me, even as far as physical capabilities go. So yeah, winning a challenge feels amazing. And hey, it should give us some good initiative going into the vote. That certainly doesn't hurt."

Orson: "I'm not sure where the Blue pair stands with the others, but I'm glad the Brown pair didn't win. If Sawyer will push for them to leave - and she probably will - then keeping them vulnerable helps a lot. I'll talk it over with Sawyer once we have a better idea of what's going on."

Pavel: "I know it's a risk, droppin' out when I mighta won if I stuck it out. But Brynleigh's already makin' my pair a target. I don't wanna give people another reason to target me by bein' a big obvious challenge beast! Besides, like I said, I trust Ichabod and... Charlie too, I guess. We can work with this through synergy and teamwork!"

Dede: "Man, I've heard about 'hanging out', but this challenge was ridiculous! Eh? ...Okay, no, as soon as I said it, I realized that was mega lame. I really have to work on my jokes. Future soulmates love girls who can make them laugh, I think."

After mostly cleaning themselves off, the contestants stood before Chef and Chris.

"Congratulations, Mushroom Blue Pair!" Chef reiterated. "Y'all toughed it out, n' the two a' you are safe from elimination tonight!"

Ichabod and Charlie shared a smile and nod.

"But that's not all!" Chris beamed. "Tell them what else they won, Chef!"

"Here's how this is gon' work," Chef began. "Eliminations this season ain't as straightforward as they usually are. We will have a vote, o' course, where each pair casts a vote for another pair. But the pair that gets the most votes ain't necessarily out right then n' there."

This sparked murmurs from the cast amongst themselves.

"The pair with the most votes will participate in a challenge for their survival!" Chef continued. "N' they will be competin' against another pair. Another pair who will be chosen outright by the pair who wins Invincibility! We call it our Half n' Half Challenge!"

"Huh?!" a number of contestants expressed.

"That seems really overpowered!" Pavel noted.

"The rich truly do get richer," Panic scoffed.

"Calm down, calm down," Chris handwaved. "For what it's worth, the pair with Invincibility won't vote in the traditional vote. Since, y'know, they already picked an entire pair to be at risk of going home."

"Will we make this decision before or after the group vote?" Ichabod inquired.

"Great question!" Chef acknowledged. "Y'all will make this decision here n' now, before we disperse."

"Interesting." Charlie rubbed his chin.

"Since we're springing this news on you out of the blue, we'll give you some time to talk it over real quick," Chris assured them.

Ichabod and Charlie whispered amongst themselves before coming to a swift decision.

"We would like to select the Pepperoni Red Pair to partake in tonight's elimination challenge," Ichabod stated.

"You too, huh?" Sawyer laughed, holding back harsher emotions. "Don't make this game too fun for my accord!"

"Pepperoni Red will be fightin' in tonight's Half n' Half Challenge!" Chef announced. "Until then, y'all have the evenin' to discuss who y'all're gonna vote in to face 'em. Dismissed!"

Sawyer: "Ha! This is hardly the first time a group of big men have felt emasculated by me walking up to them, unafraid to make the hard decisions in order to make my way up in the world. They can underestimate me all they want. It'll just make it that much sweeter when I come out on top in the end!"

Ichabod: "Sawyer has proven herself rather capable in challenges up to this point. She's also made little effort to level with me in the game. Ergo, she is likely to get in my way, and it would prove prudent to nip that possibility in the bud. Thankfully, Orson has proven himself rather incapable in challenges, so there's still a very real chance that the pair loses the Half and Half Challenge."

After everyone split up to discuss the vote, Sawyer and Orson met up in the plaza.

"They really don't want to see me succeed," Sawyer laughed. "Luckily for me, there's one expert they forgot to consult: me!"

"So what's the plan?" Orson wondered.

"Well, we have to take into consideration our overall power level," Sawyer began.

"Yeah..." Orson accepted.

"In light of that, we need to consider which pair we can beat, and which pair others are willing to vote in," Sawyer explained. "As very tempted as I am to say we pick Brown outright, I don't think Brynleigh's inability to do anything makes up for Pavel's well-established strength."

"Good points," Orson nodded along. "So a pair like Yellow or Gray?"

"I was going to suggest Jalapeno Green, actually," Sawyer corrected. "I don't see Panic or Jenna talking to the others much, plus they're both petite and clearly don't drink their milk."

"Is that the secret?" Orson asked. "Er, that aside, what about Lazarus's alliance?"

"What about it?" Sawyer scoffed. "I dislike literally everyone involved."

"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but no one else is exactly busting down our door to work with us," Orson frowned. "If we can convince Green and Pink to vote for a weak pair, it could be just the security we need to make it past all this."

"Do you really want to be indebted to those clowns?" Sawyer questioned.

"I'd rather be indebted to clowns than eliminated," Orson stated. "Look, I've been getting along alright with Panic. If I tell them that, say, Anchovy Gray is going to leech off everyone else's hard work by lying low, maybe that'll convince them and Jenna to vote for the two."

"If you have faith in your networking abilities, then you might as well use them," Sawyer sighed. "It's not like our position can get much worse at the moment!"

"So you're okay with pushing Gray as the target?" Orson made sure.

"Honestly, I forget those two are even in the game 90% of the time," Sawyer claimed. "They aren't exactly threats, but then, we don't want to face threats in the Half n' Half."

"Exactly," Orson nodded.

"Alright, we know the plan. Let's put it into action!" Sawyer shook Orson's hand, and the two split up.

Orson: "Honestly, I'm still a little wary of the fact that two different, strong pairs both seem to have it out for my pair. I'll keep an eye on them if I survive tonight, but for now, Sawyer and I should take advantage of the connections we have, even if they are kind of weak."

Ichabod, Charlie, Pavel, and Dede met in the rest area.

"Are we sure it's copacetic for us to meet up where anyone could barge in on us?" Dede asked.

"With the vote looming over everyone's heads? No way they'd stop and rest," Charlie assured her.

"Besides, if anyone has earned a rest, it is Charlie, Pavel, and I," Ichabod claimed, rubbing his sore tricep.

"It's good to make sure we're all on the same page anyway, right?" Pavel offered. "Communication is important!"

"We had mentioned the Bacon Pink Pair as secondary targets," Ichabod reiterated. "I see no reason why we shouldn't remain solid in that decision."

"Don't forget though, you and Charlie can't vote," Dede brought up. "So we'll have to pick up some more cats to pave the way."

"I can't imagine it will be too hard to find people willing to vote for the Pink Pair," Charlie figured. "Lazarus has been rubbing people the wrong way for a while."

Dede let out a quiet, perverted giggle.

"That works for me," Pavel nodded. He looked at Ichabod. "You two rest up. The last thing we need is for people to think you're bein' overbearin' by pushing the vote your way when ya can't even vote."

"Hm, I hadn't considered that. A strong point," Ichabod nodded.

"Look at Pavel, thinking big picture like the rest of us," Charlie complimented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pavel growled.

"You're always talking about positive thinking and things like that, right?" Charlie brought up. "Which is a great mindset to have in general, but in a game like this, I'll admit I was a little worried it might dull your strategic edge."

"I ain't Sunshine, for cryin' out loud! I know how to play the game!" Pavel shouted.

"Hey! Don't you dare insult her, especially behind her back," Dede frowned.

"I'm outta here," Pavel spat, heading for the door.

The others sat and watched as he left, slamming the door behind him.

"He really should work on that temper of his," Charlie thought aloud.

"And you should work on your tact," Ichabod said sternly.

"Have I not been tactful this entire time?" Charlie frowned.

"You... could be a little more so," Dede admitted.

Pavel: "I'm not about to let an ally of mine bring out the worst in me. Not Brynleigh, not Charlie, not anyone! I'm beyond that, now. Anger only starts problems, it doesn't solve them." (He took a deep breath.) "...Nope, still kinda pissed."

Charlie: "My psychiatrist has told me in the past that I speak in a very straightforward manner. She said that can be a good thing or a bad thing, but I always want to help others, so it should be a good thing. Like back there with Pavel, I paid him a compliment, and he still got upset. And Ichabod and Dede took his side. That is incredibly frustrating. I'll have to figure out what the deal is there."

Meanwhile, near the food trucks, Jenna, Panic, and Peter sat at a table. Orson walked towards them.

"Is this seat taken?" Orson smiled, motioning towards an empty chair.

"It would be, if Aoi didn't just immediately take off on me after the challenge," Peter rolled his eyes.

"No, it's not," Jenna said. "Go for it."

Orson nodded and sat down in the chair.

"So, I wanted to talk to you guys about the whole Half n' Half Challenge," Orson said. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you guys thinking about doing in regards to the vote?"

"Well, we hadn't had a chance to really discuss it yet," Panic replied.

"Yeah, besides, why should I even bother talking to you about it?" Peter asked. "You're already in."

"I suppose you're right, but my pair still does vote," Orson noted. "So why not discuss it?"

"Honestly, I don't think much'll come of a conversation about it with you," Peter shrugged. "We haven't talked before, and you'll probably just want my vote for whatever better suits you anyway. I don't really care about who goes in, if I'm being real."

"Oh, I see," Orson said.

Peter got up from his chair.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go try to find Aoi I guess," Peter waved to the three. "I have no idea what he's even up to so I gotta track him down before the whole vote thing. Panic, let me know if anything Orson says is remotely interesting, okay? Thanks."

Peter walked off into the crowd and left the three sitting there.

"Why is he even gonna bother asking me if he just assumes I'm gonna do whatever he asks before he asks?!" Panic shook their head.

"Honestly, Peter leaving there is perfect," Orson smiled. "What I really wanted to talk to you guys about is a plan I came up with."

"Oh yeah?" Jenna raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, no need to beat around the bush, I guess. The plan is that we send Gray into the Half n Half Challenge," Orson said. "But we need your guys' help to do it."

"Hmm," Panic thought. "I'm not sure."

"Yeah, we've been talking to Peter a lot lately," Jenna pointed out. "There's plenty of duos out there to vote for otherwise."

"That's fair," Orson conceded. "I will say though, just from what I saw there, it doesn't really seem like Peter's a very reliable ally. He doesn't really seem to be willing to do much of the actual legwork to make things happen, you know? And that's not even mentioning Aoi, who doesn't want to do anything having to do with the game at all."

"You do have a point," Jenna nodded.

"And while he seems perfectly willing to just sit idly by and let you two do all the work for him, I know that myself and Sawyer are gonna be working hard the entire game," Orson continued. "If you do this for us now, we'd certainly look out for you two later on down the road."

"Y'know, you've got a convincing argument," Panic said. "But Sawyer… I can barely stand to look at her, let alone work with her! There isn't much that can be done about that."

"I know that Sawyer can be a lot," Orson chuckled. "People like her just don't understand the plight that regular people go through and that's probably why she is so averse to your cause. I'll do my best to try to get her off your back, though."

"Well, this is a lot all at once," Panic sighed. "I will say, you do make an enticing offer, but we gotta talk it over for sure first."

"That's totally fine," Orson said. "I didn't expect you to just give me an answer right here and now. By all means, you two just decide what's best for the two of you. Whatever decision you two make, I'll accept. I just wanted to run this by you guys first because I do want to work with you moving forward."

"Well, uh, thanks man," Jenna gave a half smile. "We'll think about it."

"Awesome, thanks," Orson smiled, and got up from his chair. "I'll be off now, give you two some space. See ya around."

Orson walked off, leaving the two at the table.

Orson: "I do hope that Panic and Jenna can see the value in working with me here. We're not especially close, but I do feel like me and Panic did sort of hit it off earlier. It's a bit of a long shot, especially since it seems they're close to Peter too. Worst case scenario, they don't take it and vote against us. There's always the Half n' Half."

Panic: "Orson does make some good points, I will concede. But Sawyer?!" Panic gagged. "She's everything I work to stand against in my real life! What will I look like if I double back on my morals now?! However… Peter also just seems keen to sit back and do nothing, while people like myself and Jenna are doing all the work! Inaction is also something I don't stand for! Ugh, decisions, decisions…"

Alex and Lazarus walked towards the rest area, silently. Suddenly, stepping into their way, Sawyer appeared from around a corner.

"Ah, Alex and Lazarus," Sawyer commented. "Just the people I wanted to see."

"Oh, really?" Alex asked, surprised. "I guess us going on the roller coaster together made an impact after all!"

"Roller coaster?" Lazarus asked. "Sawyer having fun? Talk about a shock, maaaaaan."

"Yes, it was," Sawyer said curtly. "Anyways, as I'm sure you are aware, I am in the Half n' Half Challenge coming up."

"Uhuh," Lazarus nodded.

"And despite that, there is still a vote coming up," Sawyer continued. "I came to ask you two about perhaps forming a more formal agreement moving forward."

"So you… need help?" Lazarus's face twisted into a large smile as he began laughing. "The strong, independent Sawyer needing help from me of all people, what a delightful twist of fate."

"I am still strong and independent," Sawyer's eye twitched in irritation. "Do not get the wrong idea."

"Even the strongest people need help sometimes," Alex smiled. "Nothing to be ashamed of."

"I do not need your guys' help," Sawyer asserted. "I simply felt it would be to your benefit to have a more concrete plan for this game beyond 'hoping for the best', which is what you two seem to be doing right now."

"Oh, so this is for us then," Lazarus stifled his laugh. "It just so happened you want to help us the second you become vulnerable. Do you expect us to believe that?"

"Look, do you want an alliance or not?!" Sawyer balled her fists in anger. "I could very easily go to another pair right now and solidify something."

"What would you like to do?" Alex said.

"Vote Gray," Sawyer said. "They are by far the weakest duo in the game. Since Aoi doesn't even seem concerned with playing in any of the challenges, I could very well see him not trying in the Half n' Half Challenge either."

"Ah, I see," Lazarus nodded. "You just want the easiest possible opponent to come back in."

"That would be the idea, yes," Sawyer said. "Seems logical to want the weakest opponents."

"That makes sense," Alex interjected. "Truthfully, I've hardly spoken to either of them, so I have no real reservations there."

"Maybe we should make Sawyer here beg for our help," Lazarus laughed. "Considering she didn't even tell her own partner about our alliance before, she should give us a show of her actual loyalty!"

"I will not beg at the feet of some dirty hippie!" Sawyer asserted. "So if that's what you're looking for, do not waste my time."

"I don't think that's necessary…" Alex shook her head, then turned to Lazarus. "We don't have many options here, Lazarus. If Sawyer wants to work with us, why not take the opportunity?"

"Geez, Alex, why not spill all of our secrets!" Lazarus sighed. "Alright, Sawyer, you know what? You got yourself a deal."

"Excellent," Sawyer nodded, then stuck out her hand.

"Glad to have you as an ally, Sawyer," Alex smiled, and then shook Sawyer's hand.

Sawyer retracted her hand.

"Likewise, however, we will have to work on your handshake," Sawyer noted.

"What's wrong with my handshake?" Alex asked.

"It's too weak, a limp handshake will do no good in the world of business," Sawyer criticized.

"Right," Alex looked down.

"Anyway, I have plenty of things I need to do before the Half n Half challenge, so I will take my leave now," Sawyer hurried off in the opposite direction, leaving Alex and Lazarus standing there.

"Bye, Sawyer!" Alex waved. Lazarus rolled his eyes.

Sawyer: "As odious as I find Lazarus, I must concede that Alex does seem rather level headed. More so than I would've expected from someone like her, especially after our last meeting. If making a deal with her ensures myself another round in this game, then that's a deal that I'm willing to cut."

Alex: "As an actor, I'm used to working with big personalities. Lazarus and Sawyer both are larger than life, and I do tend to feel comfortable with people like that. At least, more comfortable than the average person. Hopefully Sawyer actually does intend on working with us moving forward, since other than Purple, we don't seem to have many avenues."

Remi and Veronica stood in line at a cotton candy stall.

"Man, I didn't think the wait would be this long," Remi noticed. "I wonder what's holding us up."

"Well, whoever or whatever it is should cease immediately! I am growing impatient!" Veronica huffed.

"Hey, that builds character, right?" Remi offered.

"I am not interested in building character right now, Remi!" Veronica insisted.

"Hey, you two," Charlie greeted as he and Ichabod approached.

"Whoa, no cutting, pal!" the guy behind the Purple Pair objected.

"We do not intend to purchase the junk food on offer," Ichabod stated. "We are merely conversing with our compatriots."

"Then do it on your phones, that's all you kids are good for these days anyway!" the man ranted.

Charlie looked over the line, which stretched back several yards. "This is a long line."

"Smell my hair!" Veronica demanded.

"What?!" Charlie blinked.

"My hair still smells of maple syrup, does it not?" Veronica sniffled. "I must rectify this immediately, so Remi and I sought to obtain the sweetest-smelling substance we could find to counteract the smell!"

"And putting something even stickier into your hair is the solution?" Charlie wondered.

"I am desperate! Simply desperate!" Veronica cried.

"While I hope your endeavors end in success, I suspect we have more pressing matters to discuss," Ichabod said.

"What could possibly be-"

"The vote," Ichabod interrupted.

"We can figure that out later, can't we?" Veronica pouted. "Wait a minute, didn't Chef say you two won't vote tonight anyway?!"

"I dunno, Roni. It's not a bad idea to see what everyone else is thinking," Remi admitted. "That way we can get the jump on things, which could help us down the line."

"Exactly," Charlie agreed. "Are you two leaning anywhere in particular?"

"We've kinda had more pressing matters on our hands," Remi admitted, lifting some of Veronica's hair up.

"I'll say!" the man behind them shouted.

"Quiet," Ichabod scolded. He looked back at the Purple Pair. "Let it be known that others have expressed a desire to vote for the Bacon Pink Pair. I believe Lazarus needs no explanation, but others are worried that Alex's down-to-earth charm may yet succeed in keeping the target off of them. With their adequate challenge performance up to this point, the two may be bigger threats than we may realize."

"Really? Who's voting for Pink?" Remi asked.

"...Charlie, do you remember?" Ichabod passed.

"Can't say I do, bud," Charlie denied.

"That's cool. I can talk it over with the others later," Remi decided.

"Ah! The line is moving!" Veronica exulted.

"Sorry, everyone. We're out of stock," the lady working the cotton candy stall apologized as she hung a Closed sign.

"What? How did they run out of stock so quickly?!" Veronica cried. "It's the one product they sell here!"

Aoi walked past the four with a cone of cotton candy about twice as large as he was.

"Baseborn cur! How dare you deny me that which I have built so much character to obtain!" Veronica accused as she chased after him.

"Roni, hold up!" Remi chased after her.

Ichabod and Charlie shared a look.

Ichabod: "Of all things to neglect, I failed to word my pitch in a way that would keep Remi's interest away from who else may be voting for the Bacon Pink Pair. I'd be remiss to throw my allies under the bus, of course. Remi's a touch more perceptive than I gave him credit for. If he weren't attached to such a basket case, I dare say he might have been a worthy ally."

Remi: "Huh, so the Blue pair's gunning for the Pink pair, eh? Well, joke's on them: Alex's down-to-earth charm is totally the reason I want to keep her around! That, and she's the only one I've been able to honestly talk strategy with so far. Maybe I should branch out a little more. Especially if Alex is the target right now! Good thing Ichabod reminded me to check in on who Alex is voting for!"

Dede and Sunshine met up at another spot in the park.

"So what did they say in the meeting?" Sunshine wondered.

"They're still keen to vote for Bacon Pink," Dede relayed. "One of the better-looking pairs to be sure, but also one we can't really sway. You know how Lazarus is..."

"I think he's just scared that opening up will leave him vulnerable to being hurt!" Sunshine decided. "That's usually how it is with people who are kind of mean. I'll be his friend, though!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea when he might go home tonight?" Dede asked.

"There's never a bad time for friendship!" Sunshine cheered. "One time I made a friend when I attended her dad's funeral! I didn't know the guy who died, or his family or friends, but when I saw there was a memorial service, I knew I just had to cheer everyone up! So I just walked in, and then I- OH HI ORSON!"

Orson turned and saw Sunshine and Dede. "Oh, hey you two. What's up?"

"A lot, apparently," Dede laughed awkwardly.

"Are you nervous about tonight?! I would be!" Sunshine pressed.

"I mean, yeah," Orson admitted. "I certainly don't want to go home at any point, let alone this early. Has anyone discussed the vote with you at all?"

"Are you and Sawyer voting? I forget," Dede asked.

"We are. It'd be kind of lame if we couldn't, considering it's our butts on the line," Orson figured.

"Well, the only targets I've heard about are the Pink Pair," Dede told him. "What's the vibe on that idea?"

"Pink Pair, huh?" Orson asked.

"Yeah, you know, Lazarus is kind of rude, and doesn't really listen to others. That kind of thing," Dede explained.

"Well, as someone who's going to compete in the Half n' Half Challenge, I'd prefer to go against a pair that'll be a little easier to beat, personally," Orson admitted. "That's why Sawyer and I have been circling Anchovy Gray around as an idea."

"You think you can beat Aoi?!" Sunshine asked, awestruck.

"God willing, I just might be able to," Orson laughed. "Who did you hear about voting Pink from?"

"Oh, Ichabod and Charlie and-"

Dede put her hands on Sunshine's shoulders. "I don't think it matters that much. Voting for Gray sounds better in the end, right?"

"We'd still be upsetting two of our friends! What's the difference?!" Sunshine cried.

"You mind if Sunshine and I talk this over?" Dede asked Orson.

"Go for it. I want to touch base with some of the others, anyway. I really am kind of anxious about all this," Orson smiled.

"Bye bye!" Sunshine waved as Orson took his leave.

Dede let out a breath.

Dede: "That was way too close for comfort. If Sunshine sold out the alliance, Ichabod would be so mad at me! Which is not how potential soulmates are supposed to..." (She shook her head to snap out of it.) "For the sake of the game, maybe I shouldn't even tell Sunshine how we're voting. It sounds like it doesn't make a difference to her anyway."

Sunshine: "Lazarus, Peter, Aoi, they're all just shy boys who need someone to pull them out of their shell and into the real world! You get a lot warmer when you're surrounded by Sunshine, hee hee! I don't want to vote any of them out, but then, I can't think of anyone who I do want to vote out. So I'm just not going to think about it! Yaaaaaay!"

Brynleigh walked through the park, scowling.

"Freakin' stupid caricature jackass," Brynleigh mumbled to herself. "Like I have a big forehead, it's normal sized! Everyone else just has small foreheads…"

As she walked through the park, Pavel ran up from behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Where the hell've ya been?" Pavel asked. "I've been lookin' all over for you!"

"Beat it, asshole!" Brynleigh exclaimed. "I'm not in the mood!"

"Well, that's tough," Pavel shook his head. "We need to discuss our vote tonight."

Brynleigh waved her hand dismissively as she walked off.

"Hey, come back here!" Pavel called, chasing after Brynleigh. "Look, I'm not trying to be an asshole, but we don't have a ton of time until the challenge tonight, we need to make a decision!"

"Just go make a decision with all your stupid friends!" Brynleigh exclaimed. "The pair I want out is already in the challenge, so I don't care!"

Pavel sighed.

"What's going on anyway? Any way I can help?" Pavel asked. "I am your partner, after all. I got your back, man!"

"You wouldn't even begin to understand the insulting situation that I went through earlier!" Brynleigh yelled..

"Did someone yell at you or something? Do I need to give someone a talkin' to?!" Pavel cracked his knuckles.

"It was some shithead caricature artist!" Brynleigh crossed her arms.

"Huh?" Pavel looked at Brynleigh, confused.

"My forehead is not that big!" Brynleigh blurted out, angrily.

"Wait, did you go to a caricaturist and they drew you with a big forehead?" Pavel started smiling slightly.

"...It was that idiot Aoi's idea!" Brynleigh huffed.

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Pavel asked. "Lemme see it!"

"No!" Brynleigh balled her fists.

"C'mon, I'm sure it's fine!" Pavel smiled.

Brynleigh sighed loudly, reached into her pocket, and handed Pavel a folded piece of paper. As he unfolded it, he saw a caricature of Brynleigh with an extremely large, shiny forehead. He stifled his laughter.

"It's o-okay!" Pavel stammered. "I don't think it's that…"

Pavel began laughing at the caricature, and Brynleigh angrily snatched the paper from his hands.

"You asshole!" Brynleigh stomped her feet angrily, as she began to walk away again.

Pavel: "Alright, I won't lie. That caricaturist did a great job capturing her essence there. I get why she'd be mad, but I thought it was hilarious!"

As Brynleigh walked away, she got cut off by Sawyer, who stood directly in front of her.

"Oh great," Brynleigh said. "Now Ms. Stick Up Her Ass is here!"

"Charming as always, Brynleigh," Sawyer remarked. "We need to talk."

"What'd you wanna talk about, Sawyer? Pavel grimaced.

"Oh you know, a certain fruit that was so graciously given to us, courtesy of you," Sawyer said. "Honestly? A very bold move. Extremely stupid, as Orson and I are returning from the Half n' Half Challenge, but bold. I will give you that."

"Did you just come here to berate us or somethin'?" Pavel sighed. "Because I don't really need to listen to that, honestly."

"No, there is always a method to the things I do," Sawyer disagreed. "I was here to offer you a deal."

"A deal?" Brynleigh giggled. "Are you really in a position to be giving out deals?"

"If you want to do what's best for you in this game," Sawyer continued, ignoring Brynleigh. "You'll send Gray into the challenge tonight. Then perhaps we can reevaluate this misuse of the Pineapple."

"So you want us to put in a weak team for you?" Pavel asked. "Even though you seem to hate us already? What's in it for us?"

"You'd be on the road to me forgiving you for trying to eliminate me first, of course," Sawyer smiled. "I'm eventually going to wrestle power in this game for myself, wouldn't you like to be on the right side when it happens?"

Pavel smiled. Brynleigh started laughing loudly.

"Thanks, but no thanks!" Brynleigh exclaimed loudly. "I don't know if you realized this, but nobody likes you here!"

"I wouldn't put it like that, necessarily," Pavel quickly said. "But you are a threat, and since we already put you on the block there, I don't really see the worth in putting Gray in there just for them to get booted and you come back."

"Well then," Sawyer scoffed incredulously. "Just know you're making a massive mistake! You'll regret this eventually, just remember that."

"Fat chance!" Brynleigh grinned widely. "You're probably going home tonight anyway!"

Sawyer turned around and stormed off.

"You didn't have to go in so hard," Pavel scolded.

"Yeah I did!" Brynleigh defended. "You see how she wanted to just walk all over us there?! I had to show her who's boss!"

Pavel pondered for a minute.

"Y'know what? Good point," Pavel nodded. Brynleigh put her arms on her hips, proudly.

Sawyer: "I offer a lifeline to those two imbeciles and look how they treat it!" Sawyer shook her head angrily. "It's like they want to get voted out as soon as I get power in this game! No matter, I don't need their votes anyway. If myself and Orson's plan goes off correctly, we already have the numbers." She smiled smugly.

Brynleigh: "Man, the second that dumb idiot gets put on the ropes, she starts to fall apart!" Brynleigh laughed. "Putting that bitch in her place is exactly what I needed today! I already forgot what got me so upset in the first place! Ah, I love a good day." Brynleigh's forehead shined brightly.

After closing time, the sixteen contestants met up in front of the Burger Boy statue in the plaza. They looked uneasily at one another as the tension of the ceremony loomed over them.

"Y'all have cast ya' votes n' made ya' decisions," Chef prefaced. "The team with the most votes against 'em will face off in a Half n' Half Challenge against the Pepperoni Red Pair for the right to stay in the game!"

"This season, we'll reveal each vote cast one by one," Chris snickered. "So you'll know exactly how many pairs voted against you. Not necessarily who, but how many."

The players nodded. They stood ready for the ultimate reveal.

"First vote... Anchovy Gray," Chef began.

"Tch," Peter scoffed.

"Second vote... Bacon Pink," Chris continued.

"Oh..." Alex frowned, worried.

"Third vote... Cheese Yellow," Chef revealed.

"Huh?!" Sunshine gasped.

"Fourth vote... Bacon Pink," Chris smiled.

"Give me a goddamn break... maaan..." Lazarus reacted.

"Fifth vote... Anchovy Gray," Chef said.

Aoi stood perfectly still.

"...Last two votes are for the same pair," Chef informed the players. "The pair facin' off against Pepperoni Red will be..."

...

"Anchovy Gray!"

"Seriously?!" Peter snapped. "I didn't even do anything! And I know Aoi sure as hell didn't!"

"Correct!" Veronica confirmed.

Peter threw his hands up. "Whatever. What do we have to do against Red again?"

"We're gettin' to that!" Chef scolded. He snapped his fingers, as if signaling a command.

Peter: "What the hell? I went out of my way to not piss anyone off, and they still vote for me? Why?! I barely even know what I'm doing, aren't you supposed to vote for the strong players so they don't kick your ass or something?"

Orson: "I can't believe we actually got enough pairs to vote for Gray! I mean, that was the goal, but I genuinely didn't expect to have that much sway. But hey, they should be easy opponents. You know, assuming Aoi doesn't suddenly start trying now that his entire game's on the line..."

Two interns wheeled in a cart each. White sheets covered the carts, obscuring whatever they were carrying.

"Why don'tcha take a seat?" Chef offered as he guided the Pepperoni Red and Anchovy Gray pairs to some nearby outdoor dining arrangements. The four players sat next to their partners.

"Your Half n' Half Challenge is... this!" Chris tore the sheets from the carts, revealing plates upon plates of pancake stacks.

"Of course it is," Sawyer grumbled.

"Here's how this'll work:" Chef said. "When I say 'go', a ten-minute timer's gon' start. Y'all will have those ten minutes to eat as many plates o' pancakes as ya can! That's it! The pair who's got the most empty plates when time runs out will win the Half n' Half Challenge, n' stay in the game! Losers... are outta the game!"

Peter looked to Aoi. "You like these pancakes, right?"

"Yes," Aoi confirmed.

"Good. Then you have no reason not to pull your weight," Peter told him.

"You're not one of those gluten-free boys who drinks soy milk and eats veggie meat, right?" Sawyer asked Orson.

"That's an oddly specific question. Do I give off that vibe?" Orson asked. "I mean, the answer is no either way."

"Good. Then crush them!" Sawyer commanded.

"On ya' marks... get set..." Chef led up. "GO!"

Sawyer, Orson, and Peter each grabbed a plate and began eating. The timer began its countdown.

Sawyer: "Hold on, is Aoi still not even trying here?" (She laughed.) "Oh my god, how is it that even when others try to screw me, things still turn out in my favor?!"

When Peter noticed Aoi sitting still, he slammed his fork on his plate and glared angrily. "Aoi! If we lose this, we lose the entire game! You like these pancakes, what is the deal?!"

"I don't need to win challenges to win this game," Aoi claimed.

"Yes! Yes you do! That's why they're there!" Peter snapped.

"Then you should focus less on me and more on eating if you want to stay," Aoi stated.

Peter gritted his teeth and reluctantly picked his fork back up. He began shoveling pancakes into his mouth at double speed.

"Try not to choke!" Sawyer taunted with her mouth full.

Orson swallowed a mouthful of food. "You'll definitely choke if you talk with food in your mouth."

"Don't tell me what to do," Sawyer dismissed, her mouth still full. She let out two loud coughs, then swallowed her food. "That didn't happen."

Aoi watched as Peter frantically ate his pancakes. Just as he finished his plate, both Orson and Sawyer finished their own plates. Peter scowled at Aoi, refusing to give up. Aoi nodded.

"Wow. Aoi has to be really confident to leave it all up to Peter," Dede commented from the sidelines.

Aoi: "...I have a tummyache."

After five minutes passed, Peter, Sawyer, and Orson had all finished four plates each. Aoi continued to sit still without so much as taking a plate for himself.

"This feels like a waste of time," Jenna muttered. "It's two against one."

"Any truly skilled individual can overcome such odds," Ichabod claimed.

"Yeah, but we're talking about Peter here," Brynleigh snickered.

Peter slammed his hands against the table, picked up his plate of half-eaten pancakes, and tossed it aside.

"Fuck this!" Peter shouted. "I did absolutely nothing wrong, and I still end up losing with nothing I could have done about it! Why even keep up the charade?!"

"Challenge don't end 'til the timer's up," Chef reminded him.

"The challenge ended when my pair got the most votes!" Peter screeched. He pointed at Aoi. "Because this big idiot thinks he's too cool to actually try! 'Oh, look at me, everyone! I'm Aoi! I think I can just avoid talking to people, and everyone will just let me win eventually!' It's infuriating!"

"He has to see the irony, right?" Lazarus chuckled.

"What do you think?" Panic sneered.

"Keep going, Peter! I know you can do it!" Sunshine encouraged.

"Don't you even start with me!" Peter warned.

"Should we bother eating any more?" Orson asked Sawyer.

"Do you want to give up like Peter?" Sawyer challenged.

"I mean, I'm getting kind of full, and-"

Sawyer raised her eyebrows, daring him to finish his sentence. Orson sighed and kept eating.

"It's not giving up if it was rigged against me from the fucking start!" Peter yelled.

"Didn't you pick Aoi?" Ichabod pointed out. "How can something be rigged when one has full control of their destiny?"

"Well I-I did, but…" Peter stammered. "I didn't know he'd be this useless sack of crap who did absolutely fucking nothing!"

"I don't appreciate that," Aoi said.

"You know, maybe this shit means absolutely nothing to you, but it means something to me dammit!" Peter banged his fist on the table loudly, causing the plates to rattle. "Whatever, man."

Peter crossed his arms and slumped back in his seat as Pepperoni Red continued to eat.

"Should we keep this goin' man?" Chef whispered to Chris. "Looks like Gray's out for the count here man. They got like four minutes left…"

"Let 'em stew, Chef," Chris smiled. "Gotta get as much juicy drama as possible out of these kids while we got them."

"Alrigh' then," Chef said.

Peter and Aoi sat, wordlessly, for the next four minutes as Sawyer and Orson continued to eat pancakes. The rest of the cast, Chef, and Chris sat there awkwardly waiting for the timer to finally tick down to zero.

"Aaaaaaand, that's time!" Chef raised his hand. "The winner of the first Half n' Half Challenge, with a score of fifteen plates to four plates, is the Pepperoni Red team!"

Sawyer crossed her arms and looked at the others smugly. Orson fell out of his chair and clutched his stomach.

Sawyer: "See? This is what happens when you try to screw me over, I come back, and when I come back? I come back ten times stronger. They don't even know what is about to hit them, I can assure you of that."

Orson: "It was a risk to assume that Aoi wouldn't even participate in a challenge if his life in the game depended on it, but luckily it was one we were willing to take, and it paid out in the end. Also goes to show we have a little more social cred in this game than expected. Go figure!"

"Unfortunately, that means that Anchovy Gray, Aoi and Peter, you two have been officially eliminated!" Chef announced. "Come join me n' Chris over here."

"Pfft, whatever," Peter stood up from his seat.

"Bye Peter, bye Aoi!" Sunshine waved to the two as they made their way towards the hosts.

"I never want to see you again in my life," Peter shook his head.

"Aww, that's too bad!" Sunshine frowned. "I hope we get to be friends after the season anyway!"

"She really doesn't take no for an answer, huh," Peter muttered.

"You know, Peter," Aoi said, looking at Peter. "I am disappointed you didn't try harder."

Peter's face went red and he began shaking in anger.

Peter: "Well that turned out to be a complete disaster, striking out first one up to bat is extremely demoralizing. And to think if fucking Aoi had just tried, maybe we would've had a chance! Oh well, at least this shit's over now."

Aoi: Aoi clutched various stuffed animals and souvenirs and smiled. "I had fun."

Two of the Burger Boys of Shame hustled towards the cast and picked up Aoi and Peter, throwing them over their shoulders.

"Weeee," Aoi cheered flatly as the two were escorted out of the plaza.

"Man, those guys still give me the creeps," Remi shivered.

"Kicking Gray Team while they're down, eh?" Lazarus raised an eyebrow. "I like it."

"No I meant–" Remi began to explain.

"I know," Lazarus interrupted.

Chef turned his attention back to the remaining cast.

"Alrigh' everyone!" Chef boomed. "That's all for tonight! Y'all are dismissed! Tomorrow mornin' y'all will face your next challenge!"

The remaining fourteen contestants split up into their respective groups and left the plaza.

Chef and Chris stood in front of the Burger Boy statue, now alone in the plaza.

"And with that, the first pair has been eliminated!" Chef said.

"A bit more dramatic than I was expecting from Gray," Chris chuckled.

"True that, Chris man," Chef nodded in agreement. "Anyway, what's in store for our remaining contestants? What horrible challenges do we got in store for them? And who will end up winning the power next time? Find out next time on Total Drama Pizza Party!"

Votes:

Gray: Red, Purple, Green, Pink

Pink: Yellow, Brown

Yellow: Gray

Pepperoni Red Pair:

Sawyer - The Businesswoman

Orson - The Ordinary Guy

Onion Purple Pair:

Veronica - The Sheltered Heiress

Remi - The Superfan Drummer

Jalapeno Green Pair:

Jenna - The Last-Second Recruit

Panic - The Disillusioned Punk

Cheese Yellow Pair:

Dede - The Retro Romantic

Sunshine - The Lover of All

Sausage Brown Pair:

Pavel - The Reformed Gangster

Brynleigh - The Brat

Mushroom Blue Pair:

Charlie - The Aspiring Therapist

Ichabod - The Terse Perfectionist

Bacon Pink Pair:

Lazarus - The Offbeat Hippie

Alex - The Friendly Actress

Anchovy Gray Pair:

Peter - The Surly Cynic

Aoi - The Complacent Model

Not Picked:

Flick - The Isekai Survivor

Jacqueline - The Proud Nerd

Kiko - The Mushroom VTuber

Toby - The Optimistic Reporter

A/N:

Asujoll: If you're familiar with Endurance - the show that greatly inspired this season's format - you may be familiar with the Gray Team Curse, where the Gray Pair is almost always the first pair to lose. We didn't go into this season intending to follow it, I promise. Peter and Aoi were meant to make it a fair way into the game during planning stages, just being useless wastes of space who weren't worth targeting. It could have been funny. As we fleshed out our plans and started setting things into motion, though, we came to realize that Anchovy Gray were the pair with by far the least plot relevance (none), and by design, they couldn't really gain much more. Ultimately, we determined it wouldn't have made any sense for the story we have in mind for them to last much longer than this, especially over the others.

I know Aoi was a fairly popular character, and we had a ton of fun writing him. The idea of a big dude who would be a huge challenge threat in most contexts... simply not trying and preferring to go off and do something silly instead was a fun concept to work with. If there's a big downside to losing Gray this early, it's not being able to add another "Aoi does something stupid" moment in future episodes. Peter, on the other hand, was not very popular from what I could tell. Makes sense: someone who just complains and isn't very fun usually isn't. We toyed with the idea of fleshing him out, but it didn't seem worth asking the readers to start giving a damn about Peter when we struggled to make him engaging as-is.

And so, our first pair falls. What did you think of Gray, and what do you think will happen next?

Max: And another episode down! This time Gray is the one leaving the game and like Asujoll said, it's for good reason in the plot. Unfortunately, there just isn't much room for characters with no relevance in this format.

Aoi in his short time in the season was honestly one of my favorites to write for. Just so many stupid goofy jokes we could throw in there. He is a man of mystery, a true enigma. Why does he not wanna try in challenges? Who knows, but I know it was fun writing a guy so completely uninterested in the concept of the game in general. In a different format, Aoi probably would've stuck around at least a little while longer while we used him for gags every now and then, but here, he just couldn't progress further.

Peter was a much different story. While he was fun to write as a little hater who just bitched about stuff, we realized quickly that we had plenty of characters that fill just about every niche a character like Peter could. He just didn't really gel with the cast in the same way a lot of the others did. He could've had some development, we did have a possible idea for it, but especially within the context of what we had planned, it really just wouldn't have ended up fitting in the story very well, and in this slot they ended up in, development would've come a little too out of nowhere and would've felt forced, in my opinion, so having his go down with the ship and let his inaction be his downfall worked best.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with their arc, and excited to show you guys what we have planned moving forward, so stay tuned for more!