Last time, on Total Drama Nialasach…
Cherry snarked as she got dressed inside the shower before stepping out. "Now then, what's next?"
"Next?" Zaiyrin thought to himself. "Ah, of course, you mean our relationship! I still need to give you the pre-requisite amount of gifts before I unlock the next stage, so that should be remedied as quickly as possible!"
Oh! Speaking of~" Alison hummed as she saw Mark place himself upon their team's couch and begin to stretch and relax as he looked at the sky, "I have my own sucker to convince to this~"
"I…" Watts hesitated. "I'll need to think about this for a little bit. Why don't we just try to win the challenge instead, alright?"
Confessional: Jenae: Fudo Team
"Listen, Gabriel, I'm TRYING to have a complete control over this team, now everyone on the team is making it hard enough as it is, alright? I don't need it made any harder by some intervening Inari bitch!"
End Confessional
"I bring blankets!" Ellie announced…
Confessional: Simon: Team Hayaji
"This is it! This is it! This is my chance to get away from the rest of this team!...
"A villainous mastermind?" Mirai stifled a laugh. "Aaron? No way!"... … "Because." Mirai beamed sweetly as she picked up a fallen log. "If he ever did do that…"
Her grip bent and snapped the log as it fell to the ground. "I' him~."
"Wait, I don't remember agreeing to this…" Vanessa looked nervously at Raul and Aaron. "When was all this decided?"
"I'm not touching this one, dude." Aaron shook his head…
"Well, Chris... it appears I might actually be on the bottom." Gabriel gave Chris a nervous smile.
"WHAT?!" Jenae stood up and stomped towards Chris. "You CLEARLY counted wrong! If there were any CHANCE that I'd have gotten majority votes, I would have played this freaking thing!" She shoved the medal in his face.
"Well, I counted right!" Chris smiled. "And now you get a nice little souvenir to take home with you! Congratulations on being the first contestant voted out with an immunity item in their pocket!"
"That's right!" Chris announced. "We're moving from four teams to three!.."
"And we're down to our final 18! How will these new teams fair? Was this the break Simon needed? Can Fudo come together now that they have an outsider in their midst? And who will get what luxuries? Find out at the very least, that last thing...right now on Total! Drama! Niiiiialasach!
*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*
As the song starts, various cameras come out of the flora and fauna all around the island.
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind
The camera zooms around all of Crios Cath before finally entering into the Nialasach Ruins.
You asked me what I wanted to be and now I think the answer is plain to see,
Aaron is on his skateboard, skating through the ruins, and as he moves forward, Claude can be seen following him, cleaning up the dust left by his skateboard tracks so that he can clear a path for Monica, who smiles at him, but ends up rolling her eyes, annoyed, when she's sure he isn't looking, and begins to pay attention to another part of the ruins, which the camera then shifts to.
I wanna be famous
Watts is looking over Erin's shoulder at an experiment she is working on, and she seems to be attempting to hide it from him, when the ruins wall explodes, causing Erin to fall back into Watts's arms before shoving herself out of them, the two then look over to see that the explosion was caused by Ash accidentally triggering a tripwire. She smiles and waves in an attempt to make the situation less embarrassing for her.
I want to live close to the sun
Camera switches to show Alison sitting on a beach chair and relaxing before waves come crashing in and ruin her clothes. She stands up with a huff and takes the beach chair further inland, but the same event happens, and she appears to let out a scream.
Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won
Camera shifts up to reveal that Simon and Arnold both saw Alison's ordeal, and while Simon starts to snicker at it, Arnold begins to flamboyantly tell Simon off, and Simon plugs his ears and walks away with rolling eyes.
Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day
Camera shifts to Upper Ceol Fields, where Zaiyrin is seen showering Cherry with all manner of gifts and compliments, and Cherry somewhat scoffs at them before blushing with a smile once Zaiyrin leaves and heading over to Ellie to talk excitedly with her about it while Ellie is working on a costume.
'Cause I wanna be famous
Rashi and Phooko both see the events with Zaiyrin, Cherry, and Ellie, and quietly laugh to each other as they both tend to a small garden of growing plants, with Phooko's plants looking quite healthy, and Rashi's plants looking unnaturally perfect.
Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana
Camera shifts to the Glas Woods, where Raul and Vanessa are sketching each other with smiles. Camera first hovers over Raul's shoulder showing a brilliantly done sketch of Vanessa, then switches over to Vanessa's shoulder, where a sketch of Raul can be seen, but Vanessa needs to keep adding wolves to the sketch as they crowd around Raul like he's part of their pack.
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous
Mark is playing music in Cailleach Bog, but immediately rolls out of the way of a falling tree, he looks over to see an almost seething Mirai, who turns to him and begins to smile sweetly as she begs him to play. Mark is a little nervous at first but as he begins to play, Mirai begins to cheer peacefully as the camera shifts to Lower Ceol Fields.
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous
In Lower Ceol Fields, Donny and Gabriel are engaged in a rather heated argument, and Christa and Jenae both walk up to Donny and Gabriel respectively, Christa tries to comfort Donny, but he begins arguing with her instead. Meanwhile, Jenae begins to continue to argue with Gabriel, but he stops her when he notices she's moving her hand down his chest.
As the other contestants whistle the rest of the tune around the Tine Naofa Bonfire, Gran and Zaheen both attempt to make the fire grow larger. Upon Gran's attempt the fire blows up in his face, causing Zaheen to snicker as she pulls off the trick perfectly and the flames begin to form the season title: Total Drama Nialasach
Location: Cloc Mountain Range (Campsite of Hayaji)
Contestant(s): Alison, Erin, Gabriel, Mark, Rashi, Watts
The new team Hayaji, which consisted of the remaining Fudo members with only Rashi from Ebisu as a new addition, made their way to their campsite in the Cloc Mountain Range through the dead of night.
"F-f-f-f-freezing…" Watts shivered.
Alison tried to snuggle up to Gabriel but was shrugged off, and instead went to a much more happily receiving Mark.
"We should be at camp soon." Rashi noted. "I think I can see some light from...oh wow...is that…?"
"Hot-Tub!" Mark cheered as the new team arrived at their campsite. "We get to start with the hot-tub this time!"
"Interesting…" Watts mused. "In Zero Sum, teams got to spin the Wheel of Reward for luxuries when the shuffle happened. Although, I suppose they also didn't have the ability to choose their luxuries like we did in the first challenge."
"And we have a shower...and mattresses...and the outhouse...and…" Erin kicked the snorkeling equipment. "A dud item considering our biome."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait …" Alison realized. "You mean we have no food at all right now?"
"We'll just have to win some more right?"" Rashi tried to cheer everyone up, elbowing Gabriel, who didn't respond. "Eh . . . eh …" Rashi slumped. "Sorry, you guys are probably not in the mood, but, hey, at least now we can-"
"How many of you knew?" Gabriel asked, interrupting her. "How many?"
Alison, Erin, Mark, and Watts exchanged glances.
"Knew what, hun?" Alison asked.
"About Jenae's idol. About a Jenae blindside. Just...I need to know. I'm not mad, but I need to know."
Rashi watched anxiously as everyone raised their hand. She sheepishly put her own in the air as well.
Confessional: Rashi: Hayaji Team
"My first moments with these people have been filled with almost nothing but tension and that overwhelming feeling of lost trust. I don't want, for even a second, to appear to be on the bottom of this team, so yeah, I raised my hand with everyone else."
End Confessional
"I . . . see … " Gabriel sat down on one of the mattresses. "I-I guess it r-really is me next then, huh?"
"Gabriel, what are you talking about?" Watts rolled his eyes. "No one even came close to voting for you tonight, and I don't think anyone here is about to start planning against you."
"Yeah, but no one is planning with me either." Gabriel wiped a couple worried tears from his eyes.
"Guys, is this really the time-?" Mark began, but Alison shushed him.
"Gabey, there's no need to be so down. You weren't part of the plan because Jenae was always spending time around you."
"Oh, so you guys didn't trust me to blow your secrets?"
"Alright. I've had enough of Gabriel's inability to read the room." Erin sighed. "I'm taking my mattress towards that cave entrance there."
"What's her deal?" Rashi asked.
"She's just miffed that I totally saved her rump." Alison shrugged.
"I still can't believe that medal is gone …" Watts stared up into the stars. "And in front of everyone else, too. That puts every Fudo member at a huge disadvantage. People know that we don't have a hidden medal to pull out and play for each other."
"I don't like thinking what it might mean if the other two teams decide to work together to make us lose, for sure." Mark nodded along. "Guess we should probably come up with a game plan then."
"What?" Gabriel turned his head.
"What?" Mark nonchalantly asked back.
"NOW you want a game plan? You want a structure for the team to follow? You want orders to act under? You want them NOW?!"
"Gabe, dude, I don't see the prob-"
"You clearly don't see the probl- . . . *ahem* . . ." Gabriel regained his composure. "I have tried to act as a ringleader for this team, and I've been routinely met with apathy at best or utter disdain at worst, and you, you, Mark, just insulted me at Tine Naofa for it, but now, now that things aren't going our way because of course they aren't, you want leadership and proper planning?"
"Well, what makes you more qualified than any of the rest of us to be a leader?" Watts asked defensively. "As far as I can tell, you haven't even watched the season this one is based off of. You might say that's being honorable, but it's being stupid, Gabriel! It's unstrategic!"
"Damn it, this isn't about strategy! This is about character!" Gabriel shouted back. "I didn't think I was any more qualified to be a leader than anyone else, and I was perfectly open to constructive debate, but now, I want to revise that opinion. I am a more qualified leader than the rest of you because I seem to be the only person to realizes that since we're such a hodgepodge of personalities that we fucking need one, Watts!"
Watts, Rashi, Mark, and Alison all stood there in silence.
Gabriel sighed. "I'm going to bed. I need to get up early tomorrow to survey the landscape and see if there's anything to easily hunt or fish without tools, or if there are any good berries nearby. You guys get some sleep too."
Confessional: Gabriel: Hayaji Team
"That outburst was . . . embarrassing. It came from the heart though. This team needs leadership."
End Confessional
Location: Cailleach Bog (Campsite of Ebisu)
Contestant(s): Aaron, Monica, Raul, Vanessa, Zaheen, Zaiyrin
"Grill and charcoal . . . water bottles . . . dinner made by Chef . . . towels . . . and …" Monica pointed. "Couch."
"A little upset the chicken coop went somewhere else," Aaron sighed, "but this is a fair haul. As long as our dinner isn't taken away, we should be fine in terms of survivability. We don't want to overwork Raul here as a hunter." He patted Raul on the back.
Confessional: Aaron: Ebisu Team
"Yes . . . YES! Okay, Mirai, Phooko, and Rashi are all freaking gone! Now, I don't have that hormone enhancing distraction OR the wonder duo to worry about! All I have are a bunch of snakes from the other teams, my pawn, and his shy maybe girlfriend who probably won't be doing much chatting with these strangers in general. I can finally start doing some serious damage without fear of being discovered!"
End Confessional
Vanessa walked up to the charcoal bag near the grill and looked inside, making sure that there was plenty of charcoal before pocketing one of the small pieces.
Confessional: Vanessa: Ebisu Team
"I-it's just for sketches, so I don't think anyone will mind. I'll probably be sketching a lot more often for a while too, to get a feel for the new teammates and their proportions. I gotta say though, I really don't like this change. Monica, Zaheen, and Zaiyrin, I would trade any of them for any of Mirai, Phooko, and Rashi in a heartbeat. Yes, really. Mirai might have been a little...much? But at least she had a sort of bubbly personality along with it. Monica and Zaiyrin are just too much without any hope of bubbles."
End Confessional
"What a splendid locale!" Zaiyrin relaxed on the couch. "Ebisu, let us continue our amazing victory streak!"
"I hear that!" Aaron cheered.
"I'd love it if none of us had to go to Tine Naofa ever again until the merge!" Monica smiled as she joined in the conversation.
"Then here's to working together for a better Ebisu!" Aaron cheered.
"Here here!" Zaiyrin cheered as well.
"Woo!" Monica fist pumped.
Confessional: Zaiyrin: Ebisu Team
"And while, yes, I will support Ebisu as I am now a member, it is not lost on me that I am the lone original Inari here, and therefore either in a position of great power or great danger, likely both. However, Mama Yanagi didn't raise a quitter, and I'm skilled with every faction in civilization games. I merely need to adapt my strategy. And this team . . . this team is ripe with villains to put a collar on. Preferably one without an immunity medal, so my first target is to blindside either Monica or Raul, since I assume his Fish Medal clue has been deciphered and followed by now. It would be foolish to assume otherwise."
End Confessional
Confessional: Monica: Ebisu Team
"Okay, so I'm away from Simon, which is a plus. I'm on a team with people who might conceivably be bigger threats than me which is also a plus, but people know I have an immunity medal now which is a huge minus. I want this team to win, don't get me wrong, but I also want to be the woman running it, and no way am I going to let anyone else take that role from me, especially after what happened just last ceremony."
End Confessional
Zaheen stretched her arms as she too sat upon the couch. "A pleasant change from dirt and stone, darlings." She hummed.
Confessional: Zaheen: Ebisu Team
"Being in the bog is perhaps not well for my stomach. A whole world of horrid things make their homes in these swamps, but to have comforts again perks me right up, darling! Now all I need to do is either schmooze my way into the Ebisu majority, or bring Monica and Zaiyrin together. Oh, how I struggle to decide~."
End Confessional
Location: Upper Ceol Fields (Campsite of Inari)
Contestant(s): Cherry, Ellie, Gran, Mirai, Phooko, Simon
"Putain de merde!" Cherry exclaimed as the new team Inari all entered their cabin to see the writings on the wall and floor.
"The actual fuck is this?" Gran crossed his arms. "Damn, was it Hayaji or Fudo that forget to clean their fucking walls?"
"It was Fudo, none of this shit was here when it was with us in Hayaji." Simon responded as he looked over everything. "It's like a whole host of total drama strategies, but someone has been writing over them, almost like they're trying to improve some kind of recipe."
"Leave it to those Fudo savages to do this to such a lovely cabin." Mirai pouted. "Right, Phooko?"
"Well I'm sure they must have had their reasons to-"
"Right, Phooko?"
"Yeah, sure whatev-"
"Woo!" Mirai brough Phooko in close for a hug.
Phooko's dead eyes looked directly into the camera.
Confessional: Phooko: Inari Team
"I really don't want to be a replacement-Aaron for Mirai. On one hand, there's Rashi to consider, and on the other hand, Mirai is fucking terrifying regardless."
End Confessional
"We also have the chicken coop." Ellie opened the coop to find a couple of chickens inside, squawking and laying eggs. "Not that we'll need it that much anyways since we get breakfast."
"We have the canoe and the fishing spear!" Gran noticed as he picked the fishing spear up.
"Oh perfect, we can people canoe out to a lake or pond and grab fish for us to stockpile for dinner or something!" Simon smiled.
"We need to get started on a fire." Cherry realized. "Gran, show us a magic trick, since turning them into explosions is about all you're good for anyways."
"Ouch." Phooko cringed at the words.
"You'll be changing your tune when I save your life with one of these tricks one day." Gran mentioned to Cherry.
She rolled her eyes.
Confessional: Cherry: Inari Team
"So, being on Inari Team still is nice, I guess, it could be worse kind of sense." Cherry crosses her legs. "Still, it's hard not having Zaiyrin around as a clear enemy and unclear boyfriend minion gift-giver. At the same time though, it's a blessing because I don't have to feel bad about betraying Zaiyrin or Ellie right now. The game's biggest weight has been lifted from my shoulders."
End Confessional
Confessional: Gran: Inari Team
"Cherry can make fun of me all she wants, I'm not on the bottom of this team anymore! I'm not sure who it is, but it's clearly one of the non-Inari members. After all, only Inari knows how to best survive in this particular biome!"
End Confessional
Confessional: Simon: Inari Team
"Oh. Thank. The. Island. Gods. I am finally, finally, finally fucking away from Monica and Zaheen! This is what it feels like to be chosen for the rapture, right? Right? That has to be what it is! In any case, I need to evaluate my position now since I once again have a whole team of people I need to keep track of. Ellie, Cherry, and Gran are all original Inari members, and it wouldn't surprise me if they took the leadership role on this team. Mirai and Phooko are both from Ebisu, but as far as I'm aware are not any sort of romantic couple with each other, so if they are in an alliance, it's a purely strategic one and easy for me to work with. Just as long as I am not target number one, I should be able to last quite a while longer out of this shuffle."
End Confessional
Location: Nialasach Ruins
Contestant(s): All Remaining
"What on earth?" Monica woke up handcuffed to Raul, and sprawled out on the floor of the Nialasach Ruins. "Wake up!" she nudged her partner.
Raul groggily got up and stretched, causing Monica to blush as she noticed his muscles.
When Raul noticed Monica's awkwardness, he too became shy and embarrassed.
"What's going on?" Vanessa asked as she noticed herself tied to Zaheen.
"This certainly isn't one of my illusions, darling." Zaheen responded.
"Oh, great, why did I get you?" Rashi asked as she noticed Alison on her arm.
"I could say the same, you know!" Alison huffed.
"Oh." Watts noticed his connection to Gabriel.
"Oh." Gabriel responded back after he noticed the same.
"I guess there's worse guys to be handcuffed to." Mirai looked over Gran. "This is probably part of the challenge, so let's do our best alright?"
"Yeah, we'll make the other teams eat dirt!" Gran smiled back at Mirai. "Keep that attitude up, and I won't mind being handcuffed to you either!"
"It appears we have all been handcuffed for this challenge." Aaron announced from beside Zaiyrin.
"Indeed." Erin agreed from beside Mark. "And from the looks of it, we're also in the Nialasach Ruins again."
A slow applause was heard as a towering man with auburn hair and silver eyes stepped forwards.
"Congratulations!" He announced. "You have made it to the final 18 of Total Drama Nialasach. A quarter of you are gone, and the teams have been reshuffled. Now, I hope you're ready to work together. I am Isaac Vexx, and welcome to your newest Total Drama challenge. It's one I like to call: Sharing is Carrying. Your teams have all been put into three pairs, and as such, I have three challenges that each team must send one pair to complete. Each of these smaller challenges is simple, but finding them will be a challenge. Victor's traps are still down here after all, and to make matters more interesting...you are only allowed to move forwards or backwards along a ruin corridor if one member of a pair is carrying the other member, piggy-back style. If a pair is caught moving in a fashion other than one member piggybacking off of the other, that pair will be disqualified from the challenge. The amount of pairs to successfully return from their assigned tasks will become the score of the team they belong to. Meanwhile, pairs with tied scores will settle the tiebreaker by which pair has returned first. If all teams score 0 points, then all teams will head to elimination. Your three tasks are very, very simple. Task 1: Obtain an ancient ceramic vase and return it to this central location. Task 2: harvest 10 kale plants. They glow in the dark with firefly enzymes, so they shouldn't be terribly hard to track down. Task 3: Find an intern Chris and Chef hid down here and bring them back to the entrance."
"Where are Chris and Chef by the way?" Aaron asked.
"Oh, we're watching from the production tent, Aaron!" Chris announced with a laugh over a loudspeaker. "I had these installed while you guys were doing the earlier challenges, pretty neat huh?"
"Meh." Cherry shrugged.
"Well, if no one has any questions for Isaac, let the challenge….begin!"
Challenge: Sharing is Carrying
Rules: Teams are split into three pairs, each pair has to complete a specific task while one member of each pair gives the other a piggyback ride to move through the corridors, under threat of disqualification if they don't. The tasks are to obtain an ancient ceramic vase and return it to Isaac, harvest 10 kale plants, and shepherd an intern back to the entrance of the ruins. If teams have a tied score of more than 0, the team that finishes first will place higher overall. Lowest placing team heads to elimination. If all team scores are 0, then all teams head to elimination.
Task 1 (Ancient Vase) Pairs:
Hayaji: Gabriel and Watts
Ebisu: Vanessa and Zaheen
Inari: Gran and Mirai
Task 2 (Kale Plants) Pairs:
Hayaji: Alison, Rashi
Ebisu: Aaron, Zaiyrin
Inari: Cherry, Simon
Task 3 (Intern Shepherding) Pairs:
Hayaji: Erin, Mark
Ebisu: Monica, Raul
Inari: Ellie, Phooko
Camera Focus: Hayaji
Contestant(s): Gabriel, Watts
"Listen … " Watts said as Gabriel carried him through a corridor. "Dude . . . I . . . I'm sorry about the other night."
"It's fine." Gabriel sighed bluntly.
"No, it's not. I- I actually had a lot of trouble deciding on who to vote for and seeing you so upset over the outcome made me think, in the back of my mind, that maybe that choice was a mistake, and I just . . . there are no do-overs in this game, not normally, and I'd been busy pouring over the work of one of my favorite Zero Sum players, and I just . . . I didn't want to admit I'd made a social mistake. I still think I made the correct vote, but I really should have told you about it."
"James. Watts. It's fine." Gabriel looked up at Watts. "Maybe I acted a little too deserving of a leadership role right out of the gate and that turned you off or something. Maybe you were worried I'd just confront Jenae and ruin the blindside entirely, and I can't honestly say that I wouldn't have done exactly that if I'd been told about all this beforehand. But I'm glad we've been put together for this challenge."
"Why is that?" Watts asked.
"Because it gives me a chance to put my money where my mouth is. I don't expect you to hand your trust over to me willingly, but I'd at least like a chance to earn it."
"Fair enough."
Confessional: Watts: Hayaji Team
"I'm still not 100% on our team putting all our faith into a single leader. Most leaders let their power go to their heads, think they're untouchable. Jenae thought she was untouchable. Zastin, one of my favorites from Zero Sum, thought he was untouchable. The Ka Lani four thought they were untouchable. But Isaac, who just last season was voted off first, knew that he was touchable, and acted for the good of his team in spite of the trouble he was in. Right now, without even knowing it, Gabriel is acting like Isaac. If we can get through this challenge without too many hiccups, I think I've found my first true strategic ally."
End Confessional
Confessional: Gabriel: Hayaji Team
"If I win over Watts, just Watts, that will be enough for me. Alison, I'm still fairly sure, is only ever going after money, and Erin seems a little too prickly. If I can win over Watts, the two of us might then be able to win over Rashi."
End Confessional
Camera Focus: Ebisu
Contestant(s): Vanessa, Zaheen
"What are you doing, darling?" Zaheen asked below Vanessa as the latter dragged her charcoal along the wall.
"Marking our trail on the wall with charcoal." Vanessa replied. "That way we'll know if we've already gone down one corridor if we got lost."
"Ah, a wonderful idea, darling, simply marvelous~!" Zaheen sang. "So~, your teammates~, pretty handsome, aren't they? I know Monica's been eyeing that Raul fellow."
"Yeah, she has." Vanessa sighed. "Can't say I blame her though, he's got some muscle~."
The two girls laughed together.
Confessional: Vanessa: Ebisu Team
"I know that I don't have anything to worry about when it comes to Monica in terms of romance. Raul strikes me as an incredibly loyal person, but . . . that's what I'm more worried about. His complete loyalty to Aaron. I don't know, it feels . . . weird? I mean, sure, Aaron hasn't given me too concrete of a reason to suspect him yet, but now would be the perfect time for him to strike. It worries me more that Raul thought I'd just go into that alliance with him, and it worries me even more that Aaron wasn't too upset about me not wanting to be in it. Which is strange, because since the shuffle was happening soon, you might want to make sure you had as many people on your side as possible. Aaron was fine throwing me away, and I wonder . . . would Raul throw me away if Aaron asked him to?"
End Confessional
Confessional: Zaheen: Ebisu Team
"Vanessa is a cinnamon roll, darlings, and Ebisu has been sleeping on her for far too long. She is an artist, and art is, after all, one of the purest forms of illusion. We are cut from a similar cloth, she and I, and those threads will tie us together and help me get further in the game using her influence as an Ebisu member!"
End Confessional
Camera Focus: Inari
Contestant(s): Gran, Mirai
"There's one!" Mirai said as she pointed and Gran brought her into a chamber in the ruins. Because it was no longer a corridor, the two were free to rest and stretch, though they still stayed handcuffed together.
"Wow, look at all the pottery on these cavern shelves!" Gran looked over various pots, bowls, and vases. "Grab one of those vases and let's head back!"
"Problem." Mirai turned to face Gran.
He noticed the problem.
The vases were high up.
"Should I give you another piggy back?" He wondered aloud.
"We can try it …" Mirai said as she got on Gran's back again. "But I don't think it'll . . . yeah, we're still a little low. Let me on your shoulders."
"My shoulders?!" Gran blushed a bit. "I mean, not only would you have your . . . you know . . . right near my head, I'd also have to hold you by your ass thanks to the handcuffs."
"Well, we need to win the challenge!" Mirai snapped back. "I'm not in a fun and comfortable position on this team, so I can't afford to get squeamish about things like that if it will help us get a freaking vase!"
"Why don't I just bring it down with a magic trick instead?" Gran suggested.
"Because I need to be the one to complete this challenge!" Mirai countered.
Confessional: Gran: Inari Team
"Well, that's the first time I've heard anyone refuse my magic based on them just wanting to be the one who won the challenge for their team rather than my magic always going wrong." His face begins to redden a bit. "But man...Mirai is really not shy, like at all. I can see the appeal she has to someone like Aaron. Maybe she'll be sad when his team eliminates him, and I can catch her on the rebound. J-just a passing thought though, nothing more than that."
End Confessional
Confessional: Mirai: Inari Team
"And so, with Gran's support, I got one of those vases down off the shelves! Woo! Go Mirai! Woo Woo! Go Mirai! Woo!"
End Confessional
Camera Focus: Hayaji
Contestant(s): Alison, Rashi
"Faster, woman, faster!" Alison barked as Rashi hurried through the corridors.
"I'm going as fast as I can you British brute!"
"BRUTE?!" Alison shrieked. "I am a LADY of high social standing! You are the brute, you nature loving wild hippie *beep*!"
"You are so freaking lucky that I want to win the challenge, or I would slam you so hard into the ground right now. As a Brit, you are the last person who would ever get to insult my people's culture."
"Please, like the Romans didn't do away with your culture first."
"Rome, actually, historically, would adapt cultures and traditions into their society and pantheon and would 'Romanize' other deities." Rashi informed her. "Unlike the fucking British who only know murder, subjugation, and victim blaming."
"I am feeling so attacked right now for, like, no reason!" Alison gave an exasperated sigh, reinforcing Rashi's already poor opinion of her.
"You're feeling attacked? You're the one barking orders and kicking me like some kind of horse!"
"Well, I can't carry you! I'm too gorgeous to busy myself with that kind of gruntwork, and plus, it could ruin my hair, and if my hair is ruined, I will become murderous!"
Confessional: Alison: Hayaji Team
"Seriously. Do not touch my hair. I will kill you."
End Confessional
Confessional: Rashi: Hayaji Team
"This has just been the absolute worst weekend. Phooko is off on the other side of the island with Inari, none of my other teammates are on my team, all of my new teammates have been on the same team since the beginning of the game, and now I have to literally carry Alison through a challenge. If anyone wants to trade places and has the ability to, I'm so down for that. Thankfully, I've already picked up a few kale plants, but 3 out of 10 isn't anywhere close to done. I'm in for a long challenge."
End Confessional
Camera Focus: Ebisu
Contestant(s): Aaron, Zaiyrin
"Alright, villain, let's cut the crap and shoot the shit, what do you say?" Zaiyrin snickered as he brought Aaron into a room full of kale plants and tossed him roughly onto the floor.
"Argh …" Aaron groaned as he massaged his back. "What the heck man?"
"I said, 'let's cut the crap.' " Zaiyrin repeated. "I can smell your game from a mile away. Get rid of me to keep an Ebisu majority. There's just one problem with that. I won't let you. I'll be convincing Monica and Zaheen to vote off one of your OG teammates when the time comes for our elimination ceremony, and you're going to vote them off with us."
Aaron stared at Zaiyrin from the floor for a while before standing up and snickering.
"Unless you're voting for Vanessa, I don't think we need to worry about a tiebreaker." Aaron replied. "That's why you need my vote too. To tip it in your own favor. You don't have a leg to stand on."
"I have four." Zaiyrin shrugged. "These two …" He pointed to his two legs. "And the Inari women."
"You're . . . pimping out Cherry and Ellie? Don't get me wrong, sounds like a fun time, but I don't think you can deliver on that promise."
"If you're done misunderstanding …" Zaiyrin sighed. "Cherry and Ellie are allies of mine, and right now . . . they have both Mirai and Phooko hostage. And I know you're trying to act like Oswald Pamesi, but I know you're fond of Mirai. If she doesn't have to be voted off, you'll try to keep her around. On the other hand . . . it would be easy to just convince Cherry and Ellie to ditch Phooko instead. He is only a villager right now, after all, and letting him gain experience could be bad because that class tends to grow quicker than others, and the next opportunity might not present itself for quite a time."
"Simon can just side with Ebisu and vote an Inari off." Aaron bent down to pick up kale. "And we're back to a tiebreaker again. Face it Zaiyrin, I've already successfully dominated my team of Ebisu. We didn't go to elimination once. The only team to have ever done that. Now, I'm reaping the fruits of the seeds I spent so long sowing. I can send whoever I want home from Ebisu if we go to elimination. I can also send whoever I want from Inari home, or at least into a tie. The only team I don't have control over right now is Hayaji, and that doesn't matter. Rashi is useless to me if her muscle isn't on my side, and the more the rest of that team spends with each other, the more divided they'll be when it comes time for the next shuffle, but my alliance will stay strong through the whole thing. Because I have Mirai, who is head over heels for me, and Raul, who will do whatever I tell him to, almost without question."
"Heh." Zaiyrin snickered. "Gotcha."
"Got me how?" Aaron asked.
Zaiyrin pointed towards the door where a pair of contestants quickly took cover. Aaron tried to head out to see who it was, but Zaiyrin stopped him.
"No, no." Zaiyrin smirked. "That's a bad villain. Do not tug on your leash like that."
Confessional: Vanessa and Zaheen: Ebisu Team
"Oh my gosh . . . Phooko was actually onto something! Proof that I'm not safe either!" Vanessa gasps to Zaheen.
"Indeed, darling …" Zaheen tilts her fedora. "It would be best to get rid of Aaron right away so we can take Zaiyrin's toy before he gets too used to it, however …"
"We can't be sure Raul won't use the medal to save him." Vanessa realized. "Then I'm stuck voting with them if I want to stay safe . . ."
"Now, now . . . we'll think of something." Zaheen assured her. "We have all the time in the world to brainstorm."
End Confessional
Camera Focus: Inari
Contestant(s): Cherry, Simon
"And that's 10 pieces." Simon said as he finished picking up the last batch of kale that he and Cherry needed.
"Let's head out then." Cherry nodded and hopped up onto Simon's back. "Your back is stiff."
"Well, I'm just a little nervous about how this might look to my girlfriend Clio. She probably realizes it's a challenge, but still, trying to let her know there's no temptation here."
"Sounds like a healthy relationship." Cherry shrugged. "Wish I knew what one of those was like."
"Well, maybe you just haven't found the right person romantically yet." Simon shrugged. "Any of the guys on Inari strike your fancy?"
"Well, there's something about Zaiyrin's unabashed nerdiness that I really enjoy. Like he isn't trying to change himself for other people, and I like that about him."
"That makes sense." Simon nodded. "You clearly perform in some kind of circus as an acrobat, but you are about as far removed from the image of circus or clown in my mind as humanly possible because of that serious attitude of yours."
"It's just an honest attitude. If people suck, I'll tell them. If people are fine, I'll tell them."
"Yeah, but like your thing with Gran earlier today?" Simon noted. "That was a lot more biting than just saying that his magic tricks don't normally go over well."
"It's not that they don't normally go over well, Simon, they never go over well. Ever. Ever. You really suck at listening. You must put stories of your own in your head all the time."
Confessional: Cherry: Inari Team
"Simon is strange. He's an okay kind of strange, but he's still strange. I'm not entirely sure I'd want to get rid of Simon before I got rid of Gran. I'll bring this up to Ellie the next chance I get, but I also hope I don't have to make a decision like that soon. I'd rather win and live in comfort for this entire section of the game, you see."
End Confessional
Confessional: Simon: Inari Team
"Cherry is an odd one. She's really biting and kind of robotic in her speech, which is funny coming from me with the prosthetic leg."
End Confessional
Camera Focus: Hayaji
Contestant(s): Erin, Mark
"Almost outside now…" Erin said as Mark carried her while she led a tall, and scared, intern by the hand.
"Glad we found them when we did." Mark chuckled.
"Don't chuckle, dumbass, you wanted to quit the second you thought we were lost."
"Well, no point in fighting a battle you know you're going to lose, that's my motto."
"That's a shitty ass motto, and we didn't even lose. We fucking succeeded! Ugh, why can't it just be tomorrow already, so I can be uncuffed from you?"
"Well, you know what they-"
"What, Mark?" Erin asked. "What do they say? What do they fucking say, Mark?"
"I'm getting the distinct impression that you're still really upset about something."
"Yeah. I'm upset. I'm upset because fucking Alison was the one who would've gone home if it wasn't Jenae, and you can say whatever you want about me, but if the choice was really between Alison and Jenae, I think it's really fucking obvious that having someone with an immunity medal on your side is better than having someone without an immunity medal on your side. Like, the least anyone could have done was stolen the damn thing first. I'm surprised you aren't just as angry about this. We were used, Mark. We were used for our votes, and they can get rid of us whenever they want to now."
"I don't think that's necessarily true …" Mark looked around nervously. "H-hey . . . where's the entrance again?"
"Keep going straight, idiot." Erin snapped and pointed. "You know, the direction we came from?"
Confessional: Erin: Hayaji Team
"Seriously, Mark is completely useless. He exists only for Alison to seduce an extra vote out of him, and she doesn't even really have to seduce him for it, he just votes with her because he's that much of a lovestruck dumbass. It makes me worry about the future of this team. Hopefully, the new girl Rashi can bring a little more sense back into our lives."
End Confessional
Confessional: Mark: Hayaji Team
"I know there's no tomorrow without today, but today is one hell of a today to put up with to reach tomorrow. Erin is super pissed, probably because she voted thinking it was either her or Jenae going home last night. I'm not sure what her deal is though, Jenae was never going to be on anyone's side but her own, so isn't good we got her out of here early?"
End Confessional
Camera Focus: Ebisu
Contestant(s): Monica, Raul
"So . . . Raul …" Monica said as the duo led their intern back towards the entrance of the cavern. "You . . . uhh … you and Vanessa huh? I saw you guys kissing after the challenge that we lost the other day."
Raul couldn't really respond since it was too dark for anything he wrote down on his notepad to be visible.
He grunted instead.
"Hey . . . so . . . like . . . I just . . . I wanted to let you know that if there's any money leftover if I win, I'll help try to revitalize your town too, or neighborhood, or whatever. I-if you want at least."
Confessional: Raul: Ebisu Team
Raul is scribbling in a notebook before he places the note to the camera. "This is so freaking awkward. This Monica girl is clearly uncomfortable around me from the time I just freaking showed her my muscles during Freya's challenge, and I don't know I think I might be distracting her or something. And like, I want her to know that this is all no biggie. She doesn't have to be uncomfortable around me or anything, but I just can't. Freaking. Talk."
End Confessional
"So …" Monica decided to go for broke. "I was wondering if you and Vanessa would like to join me in an alliance to-"
Raul coughed at the suggestion.
"R-Raul, careful!" But it was too late, Monica fell off at the very second Raul took another step …
"Oooooooh!" Chris's voice rang over the loudspeakers. "It looks like Raul and Monica have been disqualified from this challenge and are going to have to hope the rest of their team does better or they're heading to elimination at a significant disadvantage!"
Confessional: Monica: Ebisu Team
"Fuck."
End Confessional
Confessional: Raul: Ebisu Team
Raul scribbles down a quick note.
"Fuck."
End Confessional
Camera Focus: Inari
Contestant(s): Ellie, Phooko
"So you're saying to not trust Aaron then?" Ellie asked Phooko.
"If my theory is correct, then yes, that's what I'm saying." Phooko said as Ellie carried him while he led their intern.
"Well, thank you for the warning." Ellie smiled. "I might as well warn you right now as well then, I know it seems like Zaiyrin, Cherry, and I might be tight, but well, I trust Zaiyrin about as far as I can throw him."
"Can you throw him?" Phooko asked sarcastically.
"No, I can't." Ellie giggled. "Guess that means I don't trust him at all."
"How much do you trust me?"
"Not enough to ask for anything, but enough to talk about stuff like this." Ellie responded.
"Have you watched Total Drama Zero Sum, Ellie?" Phooko asked.
"I've watched the first six episodes." Ellie responded. "The last one I saw was 'Catch Waves If You Can' where Eliana was eliminated. I had no idea that Isaac left right the next episode! I kind of liked him, and wished he had more screen time."
Confessional: Phooko: Inari Team
"Wait until she watches Cursed Island!"
End Confessional
"Well, that explains it. Oh . . . I guess you had the winner kind of spoiled for you right away then, huh?"
"I did …" Ellie smiled sheepishly. "But now I'm interested to see how Kaede even won at all, because from what I saw in the first six episodes, I wasn't sure she'd be a winner."
Phooko shrugged. "I guess sometimes winners are easy to predict and you can see them coming, and sometimes they surprise you. I remember thinking there was no way it wasn't going to end in a battle between Oswald and Melody, and, well, Kaede won so obviously that didn't happen, but I guess I'll try to not spoil what does happen for you. And hey, you're technically experiencing that show by participating in this one."
"That's a nice thought, Phooko, thank you." Ellie smiled.
Confessional: Ellie: Inari Team
"Of course, that means that I need to like, um, get to the finale to see how it actually ends. Well, I'm sure I can do my best to do that, at least! Yeah, let's go with that!"
End Confessional
Camera Focus: Nialasach Ruins Entrance
Contestant(s): All Remaining
"And it looks like everyone has returned from the ruins!" Chris announced as the last few contestants returned. "Hopefully this was a good learning and bonding experience for all of yahahahahaahhh, ahh I couldn't keep a straight face saying that. Isaac, you take it from here big guy." Chris pat Isaac on the back.
Isaac gave Chris a small disapproving glare before turning to the rest of the contestants.
"In first place …" he announced. "Having completed all three of their tasks, we have INARI TEAM!"
"Wooo!" Gran and Mirai cheered and hugged. Simon and Cherry fistbumped, and Ellie and Phooko high-fived.
"The last place team, however …" Isaac looked over at Hayaji and Ebisu. "As much as it pains me to say it, the last place team is . . . EBISU TEAM."
Monica and Raul exchanged nervous glances.
Aaron gave Zaiyrin a glare, while Zaiyrin returned with a confident smirk.
Zaheen and Vanessa looked at each other and nodded.
"And now!" Chris butted back in. "Time for Team Inari to spin the Wheel of Reward, to take a luxury away from Team Ebisu!"
"Let's get the couch for our cabin!" Phooko cheered as Mirai walked up to the wheel.
"Wait, you guys have the cabin?" Watts asked.
"Wait, what's so important about the cabin?" Monica asked.
"SHUT UP AND LET ME SPIN THE WHEEL!" Mirai shouted, getting everyone to go silent and stare at her. "Teehee, thank you very much~." She sang sweetly before finally spinning the Wheel of Reward.
It scrolled past all of Ebisu's luxuries. The grill and charcoal, the water bottles, the dinner, the towels, the couch, over and over and over until finally, it landed.
Water Bottles.
Ebisu let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Okay, that could have been a lot worse." Monica looked on the bright side.
"But it already is a lot worse!" Chris announced. "You lot are heading to tonight's Tine Naofa Bonfire Elimination Ceremony! See you there!"
"This is unfortunate." Isaac turned to Team Ebisu. "Perhaps my being here has adversely affected the water team's luck. I haven't historically done well in these shows, after all." He gave a hearty laugh. "Well, I have to be off soon. Artemis will throw a conniption fit if I stay here too long without her."
"Awww!" Ellie's eyes sparkled. "You two did end up together?!"
"Almost a whole year now, can hardly believe it, eh?" Isaac smiled. "Keep fighting the good fight everyone. I know Chris was joking earlier, but I do sincerely hope my challenge has brought you closer to understanding your assigned teammate's personality and point of view, and, hopefully you might feel motivated to work with them going forward in the game."
"I like this guy." Gabriel whispered to Watts.
"I had a feeling you would." Watts smiled. "Yeah, he's great."
Location: Cailleach Bog (Campsite of Ebisu Team)
Contestant(s): Aaron, Raul, Vanessa
As everyone gathered their stuff before heading to the Tine Naofa Bonfire elimination ceremony, Vanessa quickly pulled Raul aside to where no one could see or hear them.
"Raul . . . this is very important. We need to vote off Aaron."
"Why?" Raul scribbled his words on paper and showed them to Rashi. "We have the majority, let's just stick to our own and get rid of our weakest link, Zaiyrin."
"We can't let Aaron get any more power than he already has, Raul!" Vanessa stood her ground. "And if we get rid of anyone else, then Zaiyrin has too much power! Zaheen and I saw the two of them talking!"
"I'm sure Aaron was just playing along to get Zaiyrin off his case." Raul responded. "We don't need to make this vote complicated."
"You're right …" Vanessa sighed. She looked him in the eyes so that he could see her disappointment. "I guess the vote is pretty simple. Come here."
Raul bent down to hug her.
She used this as an opportunity to kiss his cheek. "I'll see you at the ceremony." She said before leaving.
"Hm …" Aaron came out of hiding. "I appreciate you sticking up for me dude. It means a lot. I knew Zaiyrin would spread lies around like that."
"No problem, dude." Raul wrote down. "I got your back, you got mine, right?"
"That's right." Aaron smiled.
Location: Tine Naofa Bonfire Elimination Ceremony
Contestant(s): Aaron, Monica, Raul, Vanessa, Zaheen, Zaiyrin
"Welcome, Ebisu Team, to what for three of you is your very first Tine Naofa Bonfire!" Chris announced as all of Ebisu sat down.
Zaheen looked over at Vanessa.
Vanessa shook her head.
Zaheen nodded at Vanessa.
Vanessa took a deep breath and nodded back.
"Alright, I'll start with an easy one then." Chris smiled. "Zaheen, Vanessa, heads going all over the place, what's that about?"
"I simply asked if she could sketch me a commission, Chris darling." Zaheen saved. "Of course given recent events she doesn't feel up to it at the moment."
"Yeah, not exactly in the mood to sketch anything when all I can do is think about who to vote off." Vanessa said.
"Raul." Chris turned to Raul. "Yes, I am half picking on you because of your throat injury. You and Monica were flat out disqualified from the challenge, how's that affect your decision?"
Raul shook his head. "It … doesn't …" He croaked out. "Ebisu . . . . . is . . . . . . strong …"
"Ebisu may be strong, but there are only three of them." Zaiyrin piped up. "And I have it on good authority that they aren't as strong as Raul would like to believe."
"I have it on good authority that you're the only Inari member on this team, and you're looking to just cause trouble!" Aaron retaliated. "You saw him during the challenge, Chris. This guy just can't be reasoned with."
"I simply only negotiate with heroes or lighter neutrals." Zaiyrin shrugged.
"Monica." Chris smiled at Monica. "Feel like playing that medal of yours tonight?"
"Every night, Chris. I feel like playing it every night, but I know I only get the one shot. What if I play it on myself, and Zaheen is sent home instead? There goes one of my allies."
Chris leaned forwards. "Interesting you call her an ally given what I saw the last time the two of you shared an elimination ceremony."
"Times change, darling, and with your shuffle, times have changed much quicker than they normally do." Zaheen responded.
"Well then … " Chris smiled. "In these uncertain times, I can think of no other way to make things certain . . . than to get up and vote. Aaron, you're up first."
One by one, in alphabetical order, they all got up to vote.
First Aaron.
Then Monica.
Then Raul.
Vanessa was next.
After her was Zaheen.
And finally, Zaiyrin brought up the rear.
Chris went to tally the votes.
After a while, he returned.
"The votes have been tallied." He announced. "I have with me five medals. If I call your name, come up and receive a medal. If you do not receive a medal, then you must immediately enter the Tomb of Shame and give up any hope of winning the million dollars. Now . . .if any of you have a hidden immunity medal and would like to play it...now would be the time to do so …"
Eyes darted around.
Monica clutched her medal but kept it draped around her neck.
Zaiyrin reached into his pocket, but did nothing.
Aaron looked over at Raul expectantly.
Raul reached down.
He scratched his leg.
Aaron nodded.
"Alright." Chris announced. "The first medal goes to . . . Monica."
Monica got up and took her medal.
"The next one . . . Zaheen."
Zaheen got up and took a medal of her own.
"Our third medal of the night goes to …" Chris paused to give the others some tension. "Vanessa."
Aaron, Raul, and Zaiyrin all looked at each other.
"Our fourth medal goes to …" Chris announced. "Aaron."
Aaron stood up and Raul and Zaiyrin both stared at each other down, unflinchingly.
"This is the final medal of the night, gents." Chris informed them. "And it goes to …
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
… Zaiyrin."
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa WHAT?" Aaron looked at Chris. "Count again, it should be tied!"
"Sorry, it's very clearly a majority Raul vote!" Chris announced. "A whole 5 to 1!"
"A . . . ." Aaron stopped. "A 5 to …"
He turned to Vanessa.
Vanessa stuck her tongue out at him tauntingly before stepping towards Raul.
"Raul . . . I …"
Raul gave a silent nod and a smile. He kissed her on the cheek, and he headed off towards the Tomb of Shame, waving as he did so.
"Well, well, well …" Zaiyrin smirked at Aaron as Raul left earshot. "It appears your plan to pin your vote of betrayal on Vanessa has backfired in a most spectacular fashion. Welcome . . . to your new life . . . as my pawn, villain!"
"And that's a wrap on Episode 7!" Chris announced. "How will Aaron fare in this new position? How will the others react to Raul's elimination? And what challenge does Zero Sum's Donovan have in store for our campers? Find out next time!
On Total!
Drama!
Niiiiialasach!"
*Raul's Final Confessional:
Raul simply sits in front of the camera for a couple minutes. He tries to speak multiple times, but finds it difficult. He contemplates writing what he wants to say down, but he decides against it. He looks into the camera again, determined this time. After some trial and error he finally manages to croak out six words. "You . . . were . . . right . . . . . . . . . . . . I'm . . . . . . . . . sorry . . . . . . . . . . . Vanessa . . . ."
End Confessional*
The Votes for those who are curious
Aaron voted for…Raul
Monica voted for…Raul
Raul voted for…Zaiyrin
Vanessa voted for…Raul
Zaheen voted for…Raul
Zaiyrin voted for...Raul
AN:
Poor Raul, am I right? Talk about a blindside. That said, as a character who found it hard to ever really talk, there was no question that he'd be doing poorly in a challenge based around immediate communication and cooperation. He's a good guy, one I really enjoyed writing, but there was no way he was avoiding this kind of fate. That's what happens when villains set their sights on you. But man his elimination is something else for someone who was technically a minion. The worst part is that if he had gone with Vanessa and Zaheen, he really would have been able to get rid of Aaron in a tiebreaker after learning about his villainy. That's the dilemma of placing too much trust in a single person based on how long you've known them.
For those wondering, Raul's alignment was Chaotic Good
Having studied his actions throughout the game, Raul receives the status of: Neutral.
Idk about you guys but I can't think of anything outwardly negative that Raul specifically did, but I'm also having a bit of a hard time thinking about anything positive. He mainly was here as a powerhouse of Team Ebisu. So yeah, Neutral it is.
Raul's best moment is hard to pinpoint for me, but personally, I like the first time he used his real voice to talk to Aaron when he was being confronted for looking for the Fish Medal. I think it really showed how seriously in trouble he thought he was that we would strain to use his actual vocal chords. And how he was actually originally suspicious of Aaron before the 'I already have the medal' lie.
Raul will be back for the finale. Will he seek revenge or will he seek reconciliation?
Donovan's challenge is up next and ooo boy, it's bound to be a doozy. What do you guys think it will be?
And as always thank you for reading!
AN2:
I have a discord server where we talk about TD and post memes and all that stuff, join if it sounds like fun! The link is on my profile page!
EN:
Doobop has a loooooooooooonnnnnggg straaaaaaaaawwwwwww
EN2:
This revision tab is my witness, the first editor's note was NOT ME! But it must stay because it is far too funny to get rid of.
Speaking of funny, so was this freaking chapter. Had lots of fun editing if you know what I mean . . .
Wait, hang on just a sec.
AN3:
Doobop has a loooooooooooonnnnnggg straaaaaaaaawwwwwww
Much better.
