Chris's Recap
"Last time… on Total Drama Nialasach…
The three new-ish teams got to all know each other better! Or in the case of the New Hayaji, blow up and fracture completely! Gabriel gave all of his teammates a stern ridiculing as they arrived at their new campsite, leaving Rashi, the only member of Hayaji to not come from the now extinct Fudo, completely unsure of what actions to take.
"Meanwhile, on the New Ebisu team, Aaron, Monica, Zaheen and Zastin all began to privately scheme against each other on Team Ebisu, leaving Vanessa and Raul in a swing position.
"On the New Inari, Phooko, Mirai, and Simon seemed to integrate nicely, though at the expense of Cherry's low opinion of Gran lowering once again.
"Zero Sum's Isaac returned to the show in order to host his challenge, pairing these new team members up with each other, allowing Ebisu and Inari to get to know members of teams they didn't originally come from, while pairing Fudo up in pairs that he felt needed to learn teamwork with each other.
"During the challenge, Watts and Gabriel managed to apologize for their fight the previous night. "Alison and Rashi gave us all a history lesson.
"Erin and Mark learned that they truly would never see eye to eye.
"Phooko and Ellie bonded using Zero Sum as a conversation topic.
"Cherry's talk with Simon made her question Gran's place on the team.
"Mirai's drive to win and intense personality started to win both of Gran's heads over.
"Monica and Raul had an awkward conversation about the prize money.
"But the height of this all was Zaiyrin, unmasking Aaron's villainous intentions, while Vanessa and Zaheen were in close proximity.
"In the end, it was the new Team Ebisu that failed to complete the most tasks and was sent to Ebisu's first ever Tine Naofa Bonfire Elimination Ceremony.
"As strategies and motives began to converge, Aaron thought up a plan to betray his ally, Raul, but Vanessa wisened up to it and told her love interest about a plan to vote for Aaron, which Raul refused to do.
"In the end, Vanessa and Zaheen also cast their votes for Raul, sending her own boyfriend home and unmasking Aaron's backstabbing vote to the rest of their team. When he made a big deal out of Raul's departure, I was prompted to reveal the vote margin as unanimous.
"Now Zaiyrin has Aaron on a tight leash, but Aaron and the current swing vote, Monica, both have immunity medals to aid them and skew the votes in their favor.
"We're down to 17 contestants but soon we'll be at 16! Who will fly high only to have their wax wings burn? Find out 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: Cailleach Bog And Team Ebisu Campsite
Contestant(s): Zaiyrin, Zaheen, Vanessa, Monica, Aaron
"Holy crap. Ho-ho-hooooly crap guys." Aaron announced as all five remaining Ebisu members walked back to their camp to eat the dinner that Chef had prepared for them. "A 5 to 1 vote off...and to think he never even played the Fish Medal he had! Damn, you're amazingly smart for calling that, Zaiyrin!"
"Oh? Oh! Well, yes, indeed." Zaiyrin seemed a little taken aback by Aaron's reaction to how things played out. "Hard to believe you also betrayed your closest ally though."
"Don't be ridiculous." Aaron waved the accusation off. "Everyone knows that Vanessa is my real closest ally. Raul was getting in the way."
"We're not allies…" Vanessa softly spoke in defiance.
"Aaron, I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish with a performance like that one…" Monica began. "But I think you can probably kiss your credibility goodbye."
Confessional: Aaron: Team Ebisu
"Darn it all….ugh...how? How the hell did Vanessa manage to vote off her own freaking crush? She struck me as someone took meek or timid to do that. No...Zaheen must be making her feel a little more confident. I can't have those two sticking around together much longer. No matter what though…" Aaron takes out his Fish Immunity Medal and looks at it. "I need to make sure I don't misplay this, and that means I need to be Zaiyrin's lackey for at least one more of these eliminations. It'll be alright, Aaron. You're on the bottom but all you have to do is think WWOD. What would Oswald do? If I can't spread or gain influence on this team...well...hmmm..."
End Confessional
"Alright…" Vanessa and Zaheen silently high fived each other as they went off into the woods to gather firewood since the charcoal grill clearly wouldn't keep the whole campsite warm. "We did it!"
"Indeed we did, darling." Zaheen smiled. "Now though, I fear we're in a more precarious position than we once were."
"Because of Monica?" Vanessa guessed.
Zaheen nodded. "She's a swing vote, and a medal holder. Very powerful, not easily blindsided either, believe me, darling."
"Well, she's not necessarily a swing vote." Vanessa pondered. "Zaiyrin clearly wants Aaron on his leash for a little while, so wouldn't he be looking to take out Monica next?"
"Given my betrayal of her previously and your betrayal of Raul just now, I wouldn't rule either of us out of his radar either. I'm sure in the eyes of Zaiyrin, he's surrounded by villains to take out."
Confessional: Zaheen: Team Ebisu
"In fact, perhaps it may be more prudent to approach Zaiyrin and Aaron about a prospective Monica vote rather than trust Vanessa with a plan of this caliber."
End Confessional
Confessional: Vanessa: Team Ebisu
"It's hard to really process that Raul's gone now. I know that we left on good terms at least, and I'm happy about that, but now I'm really on a team of strangers at the moment. I never really talked to Aaron before the shuffle, and right now, I'm only sticking with Zaheen because of how she voted with me. I don't know...I'm not sure if staying around her is the best idea, especially when I don't have an immunity medal for protection."
End Confessional
Meanwhile, Zaiyrin, Aaron, and Monica were all getting the towels set out as sleeping mats back at the camp.
"Did the two of you hear what the others were talking about after the challenge?" Zaiyrin asked. "When the Wheel of Reward was spun?"
"I heard something about people being excited over the cabin." Monica yawned. "But, I mean, I started with that thing and it wasn't anything special."
"Quite right." Zaiyrin pointed. "That is why we shall obtain that cabin for ourselves! The next challenge we participate in: we focus on Inari!"
Confessional: Zaiyrin: Team Ebisu
"Of course, we'd only get the cabin should we win, but that is secondary here. Inari is blessed enough that all three of my former team members are still together. If I can keep sending that team to elimination, allow Hayaji to implode again, then by the time the next shuffle comes along, I can be primed and ready to thrive no matter where I am sent! Of course, it also will give me more time to analyze the goings on of my fellow Ebisu members. This is not the party I have grown accustomed to playing with, so I have a few character sheets to memorize. Right now, Monica appears the most threatening to my gameplay, but this could very well change."
End Confessional
Confessional: Monica: Team Ebisu
"I am either in the greatest or worst position on my team right now, and I really can't tell. What I do know, though, is that I won't have any distractions from here on out, so I can really give it my all against these people. No attachment to any of them, not even Zaheen. Team lines be damned in my book. I just hope I don't have to play the medal too soon."
End Confessional
Location: Upper Ceol Fields And Team Inari Campsite
Contestant(s): Simon, Phooko, Mirai, Gran, Ellie, Cherry
"Ellie..." Cherry yawned as she walked into the chicken coop to see Ellie collecting eggs. "Alliance chat. Now."
"Oh, uh, alright." Ellie closed and locked the door to the chicken coop. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Gran. He's useless. Do we really need him?"
"Well, if we want Inari to have the power, then we would really benefit from him being around." Ellie replied.
"But. He's. Useless." Cherry remained adamant. "And do you even really want Inari to remain in power?"
"It benefits all four of us." Ellie shrugged. "You, me, Gran, and Zaiyrin."
"Yeah, and I'll be the first to admit, I find his antics and unabashed nerdiness adorable, but if we keep acting like we can get rid of him later, we'll never be able to get rid of him. If we merge with all four Inari still around, that's going to send a fairly clear signal."
"But, like, if we sacrifice him, then it's just the two of us and a medal."
"That's why we bring in Simon."
Ellie stopped gathering eggs.
"We'd be handing Simon a lot of temporary power if we did that Cherry. He could easily turn on us. We should just get rid of Phooko first to avoid any flips or flops."
"Why Phooko?" Cherry rose a brow.
Ellie put the basket of eggs on the floor and walked up to Cherry. "Because he's seen the previous trilogy. Anyone who has seen it can make guesses for what to expect in the coming challenges, and that is going to be a very dangerous advantage later in the game."
"But. Gran. Is. Useless." Cherry repeated. "And didn't you give Simon and the old Hayaji members blankets? He owes us. And he gets along with me for one more thing."
"I…" Ellie sighed. "I promise that I'll think about it. We can talk again after the challenge, and we definitely will if we lose."
"Collateral." Cherry held out her hand.
Ellie sighed again, and tossed Cherry the Fox Immunity Medal. "One of these days, I hope you'll realize you don't need to hold the medal hostage for me to keep deals with you."
"I already don't feel like I need to." Cherry gave Ellie a quick smile before returning to her more usual deadpan. "That's what would make things all that much worse if I ever actually let my guard down."
"Fair enough." Ellie laughed.
Confessional: Cherry: Team Inari
"It was just sitting so poorly with me. I do not tolerate idiocy, and Gran's actions count as idiocy. Hopefully Ellie will see that, otherwise guess who will be keeping her Fox Medal."
End Confessional
Confessional: Ellie: Team Inari
"Cherry's patience with Gran is at a bit of an all time low right now, which is funny, since Gran's patience with Cherry has never really improved from our first elimination ceremony here. I really wish the two of them would just get along but I also don't want to force anything. I just hope that whatever decision we make later, we still make as a unit."
End Confessional
"Look man…" Phooko said to Simon as the two of them filled up the water bottles they had recently won at a nearby stream. "All I'm saying is that we can probably take out any of them in just about any tiebreaker. Think about it."
"Well, who would we even vote for?" Simon asked. "Since you're coming to me for help, I think I can reasonably assume neither of you has the Fish Medal, but we know nothing about Inari's medal! Heck, I don't even know what it's called! Any of those three could have it."
"I think it's a little early for anyone to be playing any kind of medal." Phooko announced. "And besides, Mirai and I will have a good target by the time we actually have to go to elimination."
"But what if you don't?" Simon rose a brow. "You'll still want me to be your ally anyways right?"
"Well, yeah, we need strength in numbers!"
"How about this: win or lose, after the next challenge, we have another conversation. If you can give me a clear target that isn't me, then I can give you a clear answer."
"I guess that's the best I can ask for right now…" Phooko sighed.
Confessional: Phooko: Team Inari
"Gahhh! Simon whyyy? Why are you playing so hesitantly? We really need a big move from you right now, Simon!"
End Confessional
Confessional: Simon: Team Inari
"I'll admit, the thought of voting off one of the OG Inari sounds pretty promising. Especially since I might be able to create a 2 Inari, 2 Ebisu, 1 Hayaji split from it. If they continue voting along team lines, I'd be set for quite a while. At the very least, I finally don't have to worry about Monica or Zaheen trying to get rid of me. But this all means that I would have to win a tiebreaker, and the staring contest has already happened. Literally anything could be next."
End Confessional
Meanwhile, Mirai and Gran were near the edge of a lake, catching fish and occasionally taking breaks for Gran to attempt to impress Mirai with magic tricks that almost always resulted in small explosions.
"Oooh!" Mirai clapped as Gran picked a card from behind Mirai's ear and the card spontaneously combusted in his hand for a few seconds before he rushed to dip his palm in the water.
"Loving it~!" Mirai applauded. "I have no idea how you get everything to combust like that!"
"I have no fucking clue either…" Gran sighed mostly to himself. "Every time I try literally any trick, something like that always happens."
"Huh. I'm surprised Inari lost so much before then." Mirai shrugged. "Why not use that to your advantage?"
"What?" Gran quirked a brow.
"Well, you go all 'BOOM!' whenever you try a trick right? Well, why don't you try a magic trick near an opposing team and have them take the damage of it too? They aren't as used to dealing with the fallout as you are, so you can recover before them!"
"See, the thing about that, Mirai…" Gran brought a finger up. "...Is that it's an excellent idea and I wish I'd thought of it sooner." He put the finger back down as Mirai began to giggle.
"Woo~!" She cheered. "Now we'll be even more unstoppable in challenges!"
"Where have you been all my life?" Gran mumbled.
"Huh?" Mirai didn't quite hear. "I guess I've been preoccupied with my new boyfriend, Aaron, for most of the season. Don't worry, though, I won't let him distract me during challenges! I want to win just as badly as the rest of you!"
"Oh." Gran sighed. "Well, that's good."
Confessional: Mirai: Team Inari
"Gran is really nice and sweet and is making me feel right at home here on Team Inari. Honestly, I kind of think I might have hooked up with him if we were on the same team to start off with. But obviously, I already hooked up with Aaron, and if he turns out to be a villain like Phooko says, I'm not about to hook up with any other guy in case I'm, like, cursed or something, so it's good knowing that I've got someone like Gran on my side."
End Confessional
Confessional: Gran: Team Inari
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
End Confessional
Location: Cloch Mountain Range
Contestant(s): Watts, Rashi, Mark, Gabriel, Erin, Alison
"Oh Gaaaaaaaabrieeelll~" Alison skipped up to where Gabriel and Watts were sharpening the ends of long branches. "Let's head over to the hot tub for some R&R before our next challenge. It'll be a tough and sweaty and gross one so-"
"I appreciate the offer, Alison." Gabriel said, not really paying much attention. "But this is a little more important right now. We have nothing to eat at the moment so Watts and I are going to try to go hunting for some fish in the lake just passed that one smaller hill." He pointed out in the distance.
"Alison, if you want some company in the hot tub…" Mark offered. "I'd be hella down for that."
"Nah, it's fiiiine." Alison groaned. "If Gabey's busy, I'll just go find a spot to get a tan or something…"
Confessional: Alison: Team Hayaji
"Ever since I voted that whore, Jenae, off the island, Gabriel has barely spent any time at all with me, which is infuriating since I'm trying to seduce my way into a fortune here. Like, can't he just sit fucking still for a second and let me lay it on him thick?"
End Confessional
As Mark made his way back to camp, he was greeted by a "be-ee-ee-eeh."
"The heck is that thing?" He pointed to the creature in between Erin and Rashi.
"This, Mark, is Billie. She's a goat." Rashi smiled. "We found her and brought her back here using those wheat blankets the old Hayaji left lying here. As you can see, we've taken some wood from the outhouse roof and turned it into a post to tie her to. Want to learn how to milk her?"
"Rashi, you shouldn't ask Mark a question like that-" Erin began but it was too late.
"There's no tomorrow without today, after all." Mark shrugged as Erin facepalmed. "Maybe later I can learn how to milk Alison."
"Alright!" Rashi cheered. "You've officially been uninvited from this TED-Talk! Please go somewhere far away from us, while we acquire the milk."
Confessional: Mark: Team Hayaji
"Dang, I didn't think that was that bad a joke. But come on, you've seen how hot Alison is, haven't you?"
End Confessional
"Alright, there you go!" Rashi cheered as Erin quickly got the hang of milking the goat. "Now I'll just start bringing these unused shower buckets over to the fire so we can pasteurize it."
"I'm surprised you knew to do that." Erin admitted. "I figured you'd drink the milk straight from the source."
"Well, there are a few benefits to drinking it raw, but I personally find the risks outweigh the protein reward." Rashi admitted.
Confessional: Rashi: Team Hayaji
"Remember kids, pasteurize the milk or you might catch ! Not joking here, you can look it up! Don't worry, any milk you buy in stores is probably already pasteurized."
End Confessional
Confessional: Erin: Team Hayaji
"Rashi is being pretty helpful around camp. She showed Gabriel and Watts how to sharpen those branches into actual primitive weapons, and she's showing me how to milk this goat we just sort of stole from nature, but the best part is that she's a number. A number against Alison or Mark, whoever is pissing me off more at the next elimination ceremony we go to."
End Confessional
Gabriel and Watts were having some relative success spearing fish at the lake, creating fish-kabobs for the rest of the team.
"This is amazing!" Watts marveled at their haul. "We aren't going to go hungry after all!"
"It's pretty impressive." Gabriel agreed. "Still, we should try to focus on winning some food."
"Speaking of winning…" Watts turned to Gabriel. "We'll be thanking our lucky stars that we have Rashi for this one."
"The next challenge is going to be athletic then, huh?"
"100%" Watts nodded. "I'm sure there's going to be a bit of a risk-reward factor involved as well."
"You mean like a-" Gabriel stopped short. He gasped. He pointed behind Watts. "B...b…"
Watts turned around.
A large bear was emerging from a nearby cave, growling at the two boys.
"That's a cave bear." Watts mumbled. "Cave bears are supposed to be extinct." He leaned over. "Gabriel? How do we deal with this kind of bear, do you know?"
"I don't know...I was hoping you did…" Gabriel whispered back. "Maybe it's like lion rules, just back away slowly and don't lose eye contact."
"Okay, yeah, good idea…"
Both Gabriel and Watts did just that.
The bear roared and charged them.
"Not lion rules!" Gabriel shouted. "Not lion rules, turn and sprint! SPRINT!"
He took Watts by the collar and shoved him towards camp. "Get the trap ready just in case!"
"Right!" Watts nodded.
He quickly made sure their makeshift snare was in working order and gave Gabriela thumbs up.
Gabriel hopped over the snare trap, and the bear ran into the trap. The beast was lifted up and suspended from a tree branch.
The branch snapped from the weight.
With that, the bear had had enough and, with a roar, returned to its cave.
The two boys, still startled, hobbled their way back to camp with their fish.
Neither one of them questioned the goat.
Confessional: Watts: Team Hayaji
"Okay….I know Gabriel was saying it before, but it really applies now...we should probably win some food, so we don't have to go hunting. That...that was terrifying."
End Confessional
Confessional: Gabriel: Team Hayaji
"The hell are cave bears doing on Crios Cath? No, no, this is Total Drama, I probably shouldn't question it."
End Confessional
"Took you two long enough." Alison sulked in the corner of the campsite.
"Geez, I'm upset about the cabin being gone too, Alison, but it's not that big of a deal." Watts shrugged.
"Not that big of a deal, James?! It was my fucking privacy from the rest of you! I swear the second we lose, your sorry nerdy arse is fried."
"Let's not get into a losing mindset just yet, Alison." Gabriel tried to cheer her up. "We still have time to prepare for the-"
*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*
"It's CHALLENGE Time!" Chris's voice echoed over the island. "Make your way over to the Tine Naofa Bonfire Pit pronto!"
"-Challenge.." Gabriel finished his sentence.
Location: Tine Naofa Bonfire Pit
Contestant(s): All Remaining
"Allow me to introduce to you, Final 17," Chris began, "The man who not only designed this challenge, but will help Chef and I host it! It's Donovan Key from Zero Sum!"
"Hey guys, how are we all doing?" Donovan waved from beside Chris.
"Don't answer that!" Chris pointed at all the contestants. "Donovan has an important challenge to explain!"
"Right!" Donovan nodded. "Today's challenge is one I like to call 'I Can Make It'. 5 members from each team, which means Hayaji and Inari, you'll each be sitting one person out, will participate, one member to an event: Running, Tree Hopping, Bareback Horse Riding, Ruins Waterskiing, and Hang Gliding. Before each event, you will bet how many miles you'll be able to complete without stopping or wiping out. You have to bet in whole numbers. If you complete your declared miles, that's how many points you get. If you go overboard, you'll get a tenth of a point for each mile overboard. If you go under, your declared miles will count as a negative penalty towards your team's overall score. The team with the highest overall score at the end of the challenge will be declared the winners and will get to spin the Wheel of Reward, taking a luxury from the losing team with the lowest score, who will be sent to Tine Naofa Bonfire Elimination Ceremony later tonight."
"Alright…" Gabriel turned to his team. "Considering our builds, I think it would be best if-"
"I'm sitting out." Mark volunteered.
Both Erin and Alison glared at him in a moment of rare agreeance for the two of them.
"Dude, you sat out Perci's challenge too, what the heck?" Watts asked.
"Look, I'm not the most athletic alright?"
"A few of these aren't terribly athletic, and even running is like, what, you can't just leisurely jog a single mile?" Gabriel crossed his arms.
"Marrrk." Alison growled. "You should know how I feel about getting sweaty."
"Or how I feel," Erin piped up, "As someone who actually probably should sit this challenge out!"
Mark didn't budge.
"Well, if Mark is going to pout like this about it..." Gabriel sighed, "I guess that leaves the five of us."
Inari didn't have nearly as much trouble deciding who to sit out.
"I think it should be me…" Ellie raised a hand. "Not that I don't think I could do anything, but I'm confident the rest of you can do more than I could."
"Was about to give the same general suggestion." Cherry nodded. "Alright, let's see who's going where."
Challenge: I Can Make It
Rules: Teams will select five members to each complete one of five different competitions: Running, Treetop Jumping, Bareback Horse Riding, Ruins Waterskiing, and Hang Gliding. Before their heat begins, players will place bets on how many miles they will be able to complete. They must bet in whole numbers, and they must bet at least one mile. If a player completes their declared number of miles without wiping out or coming to a halt, they earn that declared number as a score of points for their team. Any extra miles completed only count for a tenth of a point, so if a player bets 2 miles but completes 3, their score will be a 2.1, however if a player fails to complete their declared miles, their declared number becomes a negative penalty for their team.
At the end of the competition, the scores will be tallied. The team with the highest score gets to spin the Wheel of Reward, while the team with the lowest score will head to the Tine Naofa Bonfire Elimination Ceremony.
Team Hayaji is sitting out Mark
Team Inari is sitting out Ellie
Running:
Hayaji: Alison: Bet 1 mile
Ebisu: Aaron: Bet 2 miles
Inari: Phooko: Bet 2 miles
Treetop Jumping:
Hayaji: Rashi: Bet 4 miles
Ebisu: Vanessa: Bet 1 mile
Inari: Cherry: Bet 5 miles
Bareback Horse Riding:
Hayaji: Watts: Bet 3 miles
Ebisu: Zaiyrin: Bet 5 miles
Inari: Simon: Bet 5 miles
Ruins Waterskiing:
Hayaji: Erin: Bet 1 mile
Ebisu: Monica: Bet 4 miles
Inari: Gran: Bet 5 miles
Hang Gliding:
Hayaji: Gabriel: Bet 1 mile
Ebisu: Zaheen: Bet 1 mile
Inari: Mirai: Bet 2 miles
Location: Lower Ceol Fields (Running Competition)
Contestant(s): Phooko, Alison, Aaron
"Time for the runnin' challenge!" Chef barked as he hosted this portion. "Y'all gotta run your miles or suffer the consequences! Aaron from Ebisu! Alison from Hayaji! Phooko from Inari! Run soldiers, run!"
Aaron, Alison, and Phooko all took off, though as Phooko got a bit of an early lead, Aaron and Alison hung back at a more leisurely pace.
"Hey." He said.
"Not now, I'm busy trying to look like I'm pacing myself." Alison rolled her eyes.
"I've noticed." Aaron smirked. "But I'm pretty observant. I've seen some of your gameplay. It reminds me of Oswald Pamesi from Zero Sum."
"The only worthwhile player if you ask me." Alison shrugged. "But why do you care?"
"Because I can help out. You're trying to seduce Gabriel, right? I know how you can get him completely wrapped around your finger, and if I tell you, all I want in return is for you to take Phooko out of this challenge."
"Hm~." Alison smirked as she thought over the possibilities.
Confessional: Alison: Team Hayaji
"Now, Aaron is right when he compares me to Oswald in terms of values, but he's wrong in thinking I'm trying to emulate anyone other than myself. Still, that's a relatively cheap price to pay for Gabriel's heart and, by extension, riches."
End Confessional
"You've got a deal, detective." She winked at him. "Lay it on me."
"The first thing you've gotta do…" Aaron began to explain to Alison exactly what she needed to do in order to manipulate Gabriel's heart strings.
After he was done, Alison sprinted off to catch up to Phooko.
"What the?!" He turned to see Alison gaining on him. "This isn't a race, Alison!"
"No, but it is a competition!" Alison announced as she tripped Phooko, who took her with him.
"Wonderful, wonderful!" Aaron passed by both of them. "Thanks for taking each other out for me and Ebisu!"
Location: Glas Woods (Treetop Jumping Competition)
Contestant(s): Vanessa, Rashi, Cherry
"Treetop Jumping!" Donovan announced as Cherry, Rashi, and Vanessa all got ready for their heat. "You cannot let your feet touch the forest floor, and you cannot stop moving from tree to tree! Go!"
Cherry rushed off into the forest, elegantly leaping from tree to tree, leaving both Rashi and Vanessa in her wake.
Confessional: Cherry: Team Inari
"Finally, my circus training comes in handy. I was wondering when this stupid show would start favoring my skill set."
End Confessional
"Vanessa!" Rashi called as they leapt from parallel tree to parallel tree together. "What's going on? Why isn't Raul on Ebisu anymore?"
"He was…" Vanessa tried to call back. "He was, uh….blindsided."
"Well, obviously. But how? Did Aaron flip on him?"
"Yeah, yeah, Aaron flipped on him."
"Ah." Rashi nodded. "You didn't vote for him did you?"
"No, I didn't." Vanessa replied.
Confessional: Vanessa; Team Ebisu
"Why did I lie to her? I had no reason to lie to Rashi, I just did though...I just, I wanted to focus on the challenge!"
End Confessional
"We're coming up at the one mile mark." Rashi noticed. "I still have some more to go, how about you?"
"I'll be stopping. I only bet the one mile and my arms are starting to get sore."
"Then I'll see you around, Vanessa!" Rashi called. "Hopefully, we can meet up again if there's another shuffle or something!"
"Yeah! See you!" Vanessa called back to Rashi as she stopped at the one mile mark, and let her feet touch down on the forest floor.
She heard a whimpering.
The wolf cubs crawled out of the woods. One was missing. The burn mark one. The others were in mourning.
Confessional: Vanessa: Team Ebisu
Vanessa was softly crying in the confessional, but it grew more intense until she was bawling her eyes out.
End Confessional
Location: Neart Highlands (Bareback Horse Riding Competition)
Contestant(s): Zaiyrin, Watts, Simon
"Horseback Riding!" Chris announced with a smile. "Only this time...the three of you are riding bareback!"
"No saddle, eh?" Watts asked. "Only the reins?"
"That's right!" Chris announced. "Your horse has to keep going. If it stops or you wipe out, you are done!"
"Good to know!" Zaiyrin smirked. "May the best cavalier win, gentlemen!"
"Right!" Watts nodded.
"Uh, sure!" Simon went along with the eccentricity.
"Go!" Chris announced.
Zaiyrin wasted no time in trying to slam his horse into Simon's.
"What the heck, dude?!" Simon shouted as he already struggled to stay on.
"Yo, uncool!" Watts noticed and came back to try and bash his own horse into Zaiyrin.
"Sorry, Fudo-...er...Hayaji mage! But you have no points in land vehicles!"
"A horse isn't a vehicle. It's a mount!" Watts argued.
"Guys, this isn't the time to role play!" Simon announced as he slipped. "Watts, help!"
"I'm doing my best. Just try to get out of here!" Watts responded.
"No, for you see, it is not either of you, but myself who will eventually possess the cabin you find so important! A wonderful bargaining chip it will make!"
And with another bash, Simon fell off of his horse.
"No!" Watts gasped.
"Oh, but yes!" Zaiyrin announced. He rammed against Watt's horse.
"Ngh…" Watts did his best to stay on for as long as he could.
The horses galloped across the highlands, occasionally colliding, and then, when Watts passed the 4 mile mark, he finally fell off.
"Haha, enjoy the negative!" Zaiyrin called as he rode off.
Watts smirked from the dirt. "What negative?" He said to himself. "I'm a whole mile over my bet. I'm just sorry I couldn't knock you off that horse."
Location: Nialasach Ruins (Ruins Waterskiing Competition)
Contestant(s): Monica, Gran, Erin
"Ruins Waterskiin'!" Chef shouted from a boat as Erin, Gran, and Monica all took their spots on water skis tethered to the end of the boat. "Stay on the skis for your declared miles! You wipe out, you out even if the skis are still on you!"
"Heh…" Gran laughed, getting both Erin and Monica's attention. "There is bad luck following me at every magic trick...Now, my next trick will make you all win!"
"What the heck is he talking about?" Monica called over to Erin who shrugged in response.
"Just let him ramble." Erin called back.
"Now, to make my water skis levitate!" Gran announced, and surely enough the water underneath the skis boiled as the ends of the vehicles melted.
"You can do this…" He told himself as he brought himself in front of the other contestants, the steam caused by the hot skis connecting with the water engulfing their vision and causing both of them to wipe out!
"Yeah!" Gran cheered as Chef passed the 1 mile mark. "Now I just have to not let go for the rest of my time!"
Confessional: Gran: Team Inari
"I did it, Mirai! It's up to you from here!"
End Confessional
Location: Cloch Mountain Range (Hang Gliding Competition)
Contestant(s): Zaheen, Mirai, Gabriel
"Finally, Hang Gliding!" Donovan announced, as Gabriel, Mirai and Zaheen all took off.
"Remember to keep airborne for your declared miles! If you land before you've traveled your bet, you'll be penalized with that negative score!"
"Woohoo!" Gabriel cheered as he saw the beautiful view of the island.
"It's gorgeous, darlings!" Zaheen had a similar reaction.
"Ohmygosh!" Mirai gasped with a laugh. "I'm QUEEN OF CRIOS CATH!"
"Wow, sounds like you guys are having fun up there!" Donovan laughed.
Confessional: Gabriel: Team Hayaji
"The airborne view… it really really helps you appreciate how big and varied in biome the island is. It honestly felt less like a challenge and more like a vacation."
End Confessional
Confessional: Zaheen: Team Ebisu
"You could see everyone's campsites at once darling, even the Tine Naofa Bonfire Pit. So much natural beauty. No illusion could create that."
End Confessional
Confessional: Mirai: Team Inari
"It was so freaking BEAUTIFUL! If I was allowed to go again, I would have gone again! Donovan, do another challenge for us, I'm begging you!"
End Confessional
When the last of them had come back from their hang gliding adventure, Donovan brought them to the Ionad Desert, where Chris was waiting.
Location: Ionad Desert (Challenge Results)
Contestant(s): All Remaining
"Welcome back from your challenge, everyone!" Chris announced. "Ready to see the results?"
"YES!" Everyone announced.
Chris blew into a whistle and some interns brought out a large tv monitor on a stand. He pressed the power button and a video played.
Running:
Alison's bet: 1 mile, Failed: Hayaji = -1
Aaron's bet: 2 miles, Completed 2 miles: Ebisu = 2
Phooko's bet: 2 miles, Failed: Inari = -2
Tree Hopping:
Rashi's bet: 4 miles, Completed 4 miles: Hayaji = 3
Vanessa's bet: 1 mile, Completed 1 mile: Ebisu = 3
Cherry's bet: 5 miles, Completed 5 miles: Inari = 3
Bareback Horse Riding:
Watts's bet: 3 miles, Completed 4 miles: Hayaji = 6.1
Zaiyrin's bet: 5 miles, Completed 5 miles: Ebisu = 8
Simon's bet: 5 miles, Failed: Inari = -2
Ruins Water Skiing:
Erin's bet: 1 mile, Failed: Hayaji = 5.1
Monica's bet: 4 miles, Failed: Ebisu = 4
Gran's bet: 5 miles, Completed 5 miles: Inari = 3
Hang Gliding And Final Scores:
Gabriel's bet: 1 mile, Completed 1 mile: Hayaji = 6.1
Zaheen's bet: 2 miles, Completed 2 miles: Ebisu = 6
Mirai's bet: 2 miles, Completed 5 miles: Inari = 5.4
"And HAYAJI WINS BY A SINGLE DECIMAL!" Chris announced as Hayaji erupted into cheers. "Inari...I'll be seeing you at elimination, but not before Hayaji spins the Wheel of Reward!"
"This is great!" Watts cheered. "The canoe, breakfast, the fishing spear, the chicken coop, and even the cabin would all be amazing to get!"
"Get the eggs!" Rashi cheered Gabriel on as he went up to spin the wheel.
Gabriel spun the wheel with a smile. It passed by all the luxuries, until eventually…
…
…
It landed on the Chicken Coop.
"YESSS!" Rashi celebrated as she led the charge for Hayaji to envelope Gabriel in a bit of a group hug.
"Alright, that about wraps it up here." Chris smirked. "Inari, I'll be seeing you guys later tonight!"
Location: Upper Ceol Fields And Team Inari Campsite
Contestant(s): Simon, Phooko, Mirai, Gran, Ellie, Cherry
"It has to be Simon. Look at how many miles he bet only to lose us that many points. He's lucky I even got them back!" Gran explained to Cherry and Ellie.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Gran." Ellie shook her head. "We don't know what happened. It could not be his fault."
"And, for all we know, you just fluked." Cherry pointed out. "Besides, if you want to whine about performance, Phooko is the one who couldn't even jog two miles. Vote him off instead."
"T...that's what you guys are going to do too though, right?" Gran asked.
"Obviously." Cherry rolled her eyes. "Now, go meet up with your little girlfriend before anyone gets suspicious."
Confessional: Gran: Team Inari
"Okay, here's the thing though...I'm suspicious."
End Confessional
"Simon, come on, rethink this!" Phooko pleaded as Mirai went to go meet up with Gran.
"Sorry." Simon shook his head. "I'm not going to vote for Cherry. She was too useful in this challenge, and she'll be useful for a few more to come."
"Yeah, that's the problem, dude!" Phooko tried to explain. "Inari can't be that powerful! We have less to worry about physically with Gran or Ellie still around!"
"I said I'd give you an answer." Simon told Phooko. "So I've upheld my end of our bargain. If it's any consolation, Phooko…" He made sure Mirai was out of earshot. "I'll try to convince them to vote for Mirai before you."
"Some freaking consolation!"
"Look, I'm not about to be on the outside of a team's majority again!" Simon got his stuff ready. "Being on the outs sucks, I know it! But if I can survive, then so can you. I'm off to try and convince them now."
Confessional: Simon: Team Inari
"I will not repeat Hayaji all over again on this new team."
End Confessional
"What?!" Mirai's eyes widened as Gran told her his plan. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." Gran nodded. "It would be enough."
"Then, I'll let Phooko know right away!"
Meanwhile, Simon arrived at the camp proper to where Cherry and Ellie greeted him.
"Oh, perfect timing!" Ellie smiled at Simon. "Cherry and I have a deal to discuss with you, Simon!"
Time passed.
The sun began to set.
The six set out towards the Tine Naofa Bonfire Pit.
Location: Tine Naofa Bonfire Elimination Ceremony
Contestant(s): Simon, Phooko, Mirai, Gran, Ellie, Cherry
"Inari, because you have a few players who haven't even been to an elimination ceremony yet…" Chris gave a grin to Mirai and Phooko as the players all took their seats around the bonfire. "Allow me to explain to you how the elimination ceremony works. We sit around the fire and we talk for a bit about the state of your team and your performance in the challenge. Then you each get up and privately vote over at our special voting station, that-a-way." He pointed to where the small voting booth was set up. "Once the votes have been tallied, I'll come out with some medals to give out to the safe contestants. The contestant that doesn't receive a medal is eliminated for good. Everyone understand?"
Mirai and Phooko nodded.
"Alright." Chris smiled. "With that out of the way, let's talk about life around camp. Phooko, better or worse than old Ebisu?"
"That's a tough one, Chris." Phooko rubbed the back of his neck. "Old Ebisu definitely didn't have as much strategy talk from what I can remember, but that might mainly be because we kept winning challenges. No one ever felt the need to talk strategy. We might all be a little late to the game in that regard."
"You know it's funny…" Simon noted. "I think there might actually be less talk of strategy than my old Hayaji team, but...well, we lost quite frequently, so I guess Phooko's theory holds water."
"Ellie, you sat out this challenge.t Think that means you'll be safe tonight?" Chris asked.
"Uhm...no?" Ellie let out a small laugh. "I'm super worried that because I was sitting out I'll just be ganged up on right away and be voted out! I know there are three OG Inari members here but still!"
"Let's speak on that for a bit." Chris smiled. "Cherry, can I assume it's a 3-3 split, along OG Inari and not OG Inari lines?"
"I..don't think that's quite fair to assume, no." Cherry shook her head. "There are clear moves that can be made here, what's important is who it is that makes them."
"Even if one of them might be an ally betraying you?" Chris smirked.
"I trust who I've aligned with." Cherry shrugged. "If they betray that trust, then it is they who will be the bigger loser."
"Show of hands…" Chris motioned. "Who here trusts the players they are working with right now?"
Cherry raised her hand.
Ellie raised hers.
Gran raised his
Simon raised his.
Mirai raised hers.
Phooko raised his.
"Everyone has trust in their partners?!" Chris grinned. "Well, at least one of you is in for a shock! It's time to vote. Gran, you're up first."
After Gran went up it was Ellie.
Then Phooko.
Mirai after him.
Simon after her.
Finally, Cherry went up to vote.
After they all came back, Chris left to tally the votes.
"The votes have been tallied." He announced as he returned with a plate full of five medals.
"If anyone here has a hidden immunity medal and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so."
Cherry looked at Ellie.
Simon looked at Mirai and Phooko.
Ellie reached down…
…
…
She adjusted her stockings.
"Alright." Chris continued. "If I call your name, come up and receive a medal. If you do not receive a medal, you must immediately head into the Tomb of Shame, and give up any chance of winning money off of this show. The first medal goes to…
Ellie."
Ellie walked up and received her medal.
"The second medal goes to…
Phooko."
Phooko let out a deep sigh of relief as he walked up and received a medal of his own.
"Our third medal goes to…
Cherry."
Cherry rolled her eyes as she waltzed up to receive her medal.
"Our fourth medal…" Chris grinned at the three remaining contestants, who all looked at each other nervously.
"Goes to Mirai."
"YES!" Mirai bellowed excitedly as she rushed up to receive her medal.
Gran and Simon both gulped.
"Gentlemen…" Chris announced. "This is the final medal of the night."
He paused for a moment to savour the tension.
"And it goes to…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
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… The winner of this tiebreaker!" Chris announced with a hearty laugh as both Simon and Gran gulped again as he turned to receive a covered platter from a snickering Chef.
"Poor fools, heheh." Chef shook his head as he walked away.
"The warriors of ancient Crios Cath…" Chris began. "Always had to fill up on food to be effective in battle. In time, feasts before a large invasion or defense became a bit of a celebration, and soon, a competition."
Chris lifted the platter to reveal a giant pile of steamed bread rolls.
"Oh." Simon relaxed. "It's just bread."
"Yep!" Chris responded as Gran also relaxed. "It's bread! Bread that the two of you are going to speed eat! You gotta eat more bread rolls than your opponent within five minutes! If anything comes up, it's got to go back down to count! We don't have much time for you to prepare so your five minutes start NOW! GO!"
Gran and Simon quickly went to town, scarfing down bread rolls.
Gran with a roll.
Simon with a roll.
Gran with a roll.
Simon with a roll.
4 minutes left
Gran with a roll.
Simon with roll.
Gran with a roll.
Gran with a roll.
3 minutes left
Simon with a roll.
Gran with a roll.
Simon with a roll.
Gran with a roll.
2 minutes left
Gran with a roll.
Gran with a roll.
Simon with a roll.
Gran with a roll.
1 minute left
Simon with a roll.
Simon with a roll.
Simon with a roll.
Simon with a roll.
Gran with a roll.
"TIME!" Chris announced. "Let's take a look at the scores!"
Gran: 11, Simon: 10
"Woo..." Gran tried to cheer with a small fist bump, but his stomach was so full of bread he couldn't move much.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Simon sighed. "I lost over a single bread roll?"
"Them's the breaks." Chris shrugged.
"Well well...looks like we've come out on top of this one!" Phooko smiled at Mirai, who beamed back.
Cherry and Ellie looked at each other nervously.
"Well...fair's fair...I guess." Simon slowly stood up and got his stuff ready. "I'll be heading to the tomb of shame now. Good luck, you guys! Try to tear the other teams a new one in the challenges to come!"
"Bye Simon!" Ellie called as all of Inari waved him off. "We'll all miss you!"
"Hope we can see you again in the finale!" Phooko called after him.
"Bye, you guys!" Simon called back as he entered the Tomb of Shame. "By the way, those markings in the cabin were actually-"
And he was cut off by Chef slamming the doors behind him.
"And that's a wrap on Simon!" Chris announced as he turned into the camera. "Will Inari recover from this loss? Will Rashi cement herself on Hayaji? Will Ebisu go back to elimination? Find out all these and more, next time!
On Total!
Drama!
Niiiiialasach!"
*Simon's Final Confessional
"I was going to say that the writing on the cabin was actually tampered with. Not that that information is really important to anyone on that iteration of Inari besides maybe Phooko. Basically, even if some of it is from Hubert, some of it certainly isn't. In any case though, really sucks to lose this over not being able to wolf down as many bread rolls as Gran could. Especially because it happened to be only a one bread roll difference! But as disappointed as I am over the method of my elimination, I don't have any ill feelings towards my team, even if half of them voted me off. I was going to get rid of that half eventually anyways. I do really hope that Cherry and Ellie can pull through though. Especially Ellie. I'll root for you as thanks for those blankets back when I was on Hayaji."
End Confessional*
The Votes for those who are curious
Cherry voted for...Gran
Ellie voted for...Gran
Gran voted for...Simon
Mirai voted for...Simon
Phooko voted for...Simon
Simon voted for...Gran
AN: Simon Simon Simon Simon. I liked Simon. Simon was fun to write. Hopefully I will be able to write Simon again one day. His whole story of struggling through Hayaji was amazing, and he was all set to have a good story here on Inari too, but that damn bread roll. Never underestimate the power of tiebreakers guys, seriously.
Having studied his actions throughout the season, Simon receives the status of: Neutral
He definitely has his heroic moments for sure, but I can't quite think of anything he did that a neutral person in his shoes wouldn't also do, so that's why I've got him here. But I'd totally understand if anyone were to decide to give him a Hero rating for like, the way he warned Monica about her playstyle or something.
Simon's best moment: I think Simon's best moment, for me personally, is his conversation with Zaheen in the beginning of the episode where Claude is eliminated. It really sets him up as the like, the one like, not-villainous or underhanded Hayaji member, struggling with these more dubious characters. Actually, I'm changing it! It was when he was celebrating not being with a single other Hayaji OG after the Teams were shuffled. That was adorable.
But this is all just my opinion, what do you guys think?
Katelyn's challenge is up next! What do you think it's going to be?
And as always, thanks for reading!
AN2: I have a discord server! Link on my profile page, check it out!
EN: I don't know what to write here, man. I'm tired. I was about to sleep (at 8pm because medicine makes me a sleepy beech), but then Doobop freaking texted me, and I was like fuck, now I gotta edit. It might not be my best edit job. My bad. I only went through this once, okay. ded. Crios Cath may or may not be uploaded soon. Probably will though because we're crazy.
