First before we start, i leave you the peanut's gallery stereotypes, just so you have a little guide:
Samuel Dakotha - The girlish boy (Waking Bad)
Ursula Dubois - The Paranormal Expert (Thunderstrike16)
Lionel Keane - The conceited soccer prodigy (OC of mine)
Ken Campbell - The extreme influencer (OC of mine)
Aislin Tori - The horoscope fangirl (OC of mine)
The classic introductory tune of the Aftermath can be heard as an animated logo appears on screen: A globe crisscrossed by railroad tracks, with the words 'Total Drama Express Tour: The Aftermath' in the middle.
The introduction fades away to reveal a set, there is a couch in the middle of the place, on which Chris Jr. and Emma are seated, to their left there is an empty blue couch. Above them is a large turned off screen.
"Welcome everyone to Total Drama Express Tour: The Aftermath! It's a long name, isn't it? I'm your host Emma McLean, and here I have my Co-Host!"
The girl points at her brother, who is staring at the camera with a nervous smile.
"Chris... That's your cue." Emma says through clenched teeth.
"Oh, hello! I'm Chris McLean Jr. b-but please call me Junior." The boy smiles forcedly and nervously, while waving his hand.
"On this new podcast we'll be in charge of analyzing and debating the show week by week, with high quality opinions. This season of TD has a lot of love, a lot of betrayal... In short, a lot of drama! And we'll talk about all of those things on The Aftermath." Emma explains. "Pops said he couldn't take charge of hosting the show so he gave us the privilege of being here in the studio. Doesn't it excite you, brother?"
"Uh... Yeah, I'm pretty happy to be here."
"Speak for yourself." A female voice is heard coming from the right of the kids.
"Oh, that's right! The peanut gallery!" Junior says, looking straight at his sister.
"It would be pretty boring if it were just the two of us here, so that's why we have our Peanut Gallery." Emma points to her right, raising her eyebrows, so the camera reveals some bleachers where five people are seated.
"Let's have them introduce themselves." Junior says, activating the microphones for the peanut gallery.
"Hi everyone! It's Ken Campbell here on Total Drama!" yells the first guy from the bleachers: A blonde guy with perfectly groomed, slicked-back hair, dressed in a blue jacket and a white T-shirt, along with white cargo pants.
"Ken is a social media star, and he's in charge of getting us advertisers! That's why he's part of the peanut gallery." Emma explains.
"That's right!" Ken shouts, making the rock and roll sign with both hands and sticking out his tongue. "You can follow me on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch and Kick as BeatsBy-"
"Moving on to the next person! We have the person in charge of the romance section!" Emma says, pointing to the guy to the right of Ken.
"Hi everyone! I'm Samuel Dakota but you all beautiful people can call me Sammy!" The guy is tall and muscular, with short light blonde hair and purple eyes. He's wearing a pink T-shirt, shorts, tight farmer trousers and pink loafers.
"I-If you haven't realized, Samuel is Samantha's brother, the contestant." Junior explains.
"Yup, that's right! I forced her to audition so we could both get in, but in the end only she got in... The irony!" The guy says, speaking in an effeminate tone.
"And tell me, do you like the color pink or is your outfit just a coincidence?" Asks the person sitting next to him, a redheaded guy with hazel eyes. He has sharp and delicate features, a pretty tiny nose and leafy eyebrows. He's wearing a white shirt surrounded by a gray jacket, white Jordans and black Adidas joggers.
"Excuse me? My shirt is lightish red!" Sammy retorts, frowning.
"Oh, really? I thought it was pink! I guess I have some kind of dyslexia." Ken says, scratching the back of his neck.
"You mean daltonism, right?" The redheaded guy asks again.
"But wasn't that the one where you can't eat sugar?" Ken asks, with his hand on his chin.
"We present to you Lionel Keane! He's going to be our expert in strategy analysis." Emma introduces. "He's a pretty famous soccer player in Europe."
"It's called football." Lionel insists.
"He has a strong temperament, as you can see." Emma says with a mocking smile. "Our next contestant is a specialist in reading people and has a gift for delving into the beyond, give a round of applause to Ursula 'Akuma' Dubois!"
To Lionel's left is seated an African American girl about 5'4 tall, with beautiful jet black curly hair that goes to her shoulders, and has a couple of purple streaks. She's wearing combat boots, fishnet stockings, a dark purple skirt and a black shirt with a purple circle in the middle.
"Hello." The girl says somberly, staring straight into the camera.
"What do you mean by 'beyond'?" Junior asks, worried.
"I come from Louisiana, my mom has taught me from a young age about communicating with the spirits of Voodoo." Ursula explains, still not taking her eyes off the camera and not even blinking.
"Voodoo like voodoo dolls?" Lionel asks, raising an eyebrow.
"That's a misconception about Voodoo, really the idea of pinning dolls to do harm to someone is a European tradition." The girl explains.
"So what do you do?"
"Give offerings to the spirits of the culture... Monsieur Danny, Monsieur Assonquer." Ursula explains.
"Oh, what kind of offerings? Like a fruit basket for the Day of the Dead, right?" Sammy asks, with a forceful innocent smile.
"Do you really want to know?" Ursula asks, staring intently at the boy.
"No, you don't want to know." Lionel says, putting his hand on Sammy's shoulder.
"But that's pretty cool! I guess you can do spells to attract good luck, love, and all that, right?" The girl seated next to Ursula blurts out at full speed. She's a tall Caucasian girl, about 5'10, with slightly curly purple-dyed hair, pulled back into a ponytail accompanied by messy bangs. She's wearing a beige linen jacket, under which she wears a black printed t-shirt, accompanied by green cargo pants. She wears black Converse and her hands are covered in flashy, large bracelets and rings of different colors. "But question, would your energies cancel out if you got close to any crystals or would they add up?"
"Excuse me... Crystals?"
"And she is Aislin Tori!" Emma introduces, pointing to the girl.
"Uh, right! Introducing myself! Well, uh..." The girl seems to speak with all the energy she has, unable to keep quiet for even a second. "My name is Aislin and I'm a Sagittarius and from Oregon and I'm the gossip expert for the show! In recent years, I've been a moderator for several communities of the series and I'm working on this season's. So I'm really glad to be with you guys."
"And I'm also a caffeine addict." Lionel says, imitating a shrill tone of voice. "Aren't we going to talk about the elephant in the room?"
"Elephant?" Ken asks.
"Yeah, we're only here because we're rejects from the main show." Lionel says, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.
"I don't see it that way, we're so fabulous that they chose us to do this other job!" Sammy exclaims, putting his hands on his hips.
"Don't be such a sourpuss, my friend." Ken says, passing his arm over Lionel's shoulder.
"We're not friends."
"But you called me 'mate' before coming here." Ken says, pouting.
"That doesn't mean... Forget it." Lionel resigns.
"Well, guys, before we start with the interviews I wanted to hear your opinions about these first five episodes, who do you support to win the grand prize?" Emma asks, perfectly imitating her father's presenter smile. "What do you think, little brother?"
"Well, we were there then..." Junior says, scratching the back of his neck. "It would be impartial for me to have a favorite to win, because we organize the challenges."
"Well said, peanut gallery guys?" Emma asks.
"Well, that Corey girl is very cute! I hope she wins!" Ken says, smiling at the camera.
"And that's all you care about?" Lionel asks. "I say whoever's at the head of the Bermuda triangle has pretty good odds of winning."
"Uh! The Bermuda Triangle! We have to talk about that!" Aislin shouts, bouncing slightly in her seat.
"It's one of our main topics, actually." Emma says, nodding. "But let's save it for later, Lionel will explain more about that to us."
"Lionel? You told me you weren't watching the show." Aislin says, staring intently at the boy.
"Ugh, it's part of my contract." Lionel says, resting his head on his hand. "I have to watch the show weekly, as well as not being allowed to speak badly of the show, or the presenters, or-"
"I-I don't think you should say that." Junior interrupts with a nervous smile.
"Uh, Ursula, what's your opinion?" Emma asks, trying to cut off the red-haired boy
"It's really too early to decide..." The girl says in a monotone voice. "But I can tell you who won't win: the spirits seem to be against that Mac kid, it's like they've cursed him since he was little. Sophia seems to run the same fate, but seeing what happened in the last chapter, her curse seems to have been lifted."
"Very interesting, we'll have room to talk about curses later in the show since you love that. Sammy, we hear you!"
"Well, Aislin and I are like, super agreeing that Harlan is gonna win!" says the boy, holding the purple-haired girl's hand, who nods energetically
"Exactly! Harlan is super friendly but he's not dumb, so he's the perfect winner!" Aislin shouts.
"Well, that's what you guys think, but let's hear what one of the show's eliminated contestants thinks, huh?" Emma says, looking towards the backstage.
"Oh my god! Interviews?" Aislin says, letting out a fan squeal. "Sorry, it's just that I love this part."
"Ladies and gentlemen, coming straight from Spain and the queen of kicking butts, give it up for Kira Knight!" Emma announces, as the Spanish girl enters the room, smiling charmingly to greet the audience.
"Thank you so much for inviting me, I needed to get back on TV," Kira says, giving the camera a wink as she sits down crossing her legs.
"I love you Kira!" a girl in the audience screams, making the Spanish girl blush
"Oh please, you guys don't have to be so adorable! I love you all too!" Kira shouts.
"Looks like you've become quite popular among the fans," Junior points out, to which Kira nods proudly
"Maybe it's the only good thing I got out of that show," Kira says, looking up at the ceiling. "Anyway, I take it as a lesson that I should watch some season of the show before participating. I thought it was more of a popularity contest, not weird strategies."
"Well your elimination was pretty surprising, but girl, I would have recommended coming a little informed to the show," Sammy tells her, putting his index finger up.
"You're absolutely right...What's your name?" Kira asks, looking quite interested in the boy.
"Well I'm Samuel, gorgeous, but you can call me Sammy," the boy says with a playful smile.
"I like your energy, Sammy."
"Speaking of that, before you got eliminated you gave a list of people who could DM you, and it raised quite a few questions, do you remember?" Emma asks, who had a remote control in her hand, with which she turned on a TV that replayed the scene from the second chapter.
Kira just frowns and grabs her backpack, also taking the helmet that Chris McLean is offering her.
"Well... I must thank those who made my stay on the show enjoyable. Pedro, Corey, Barbara, Celia, Harlan, Gretchen, Ashley, Liam, Sam, and Lucy, you can DM me on Instagram anytime. Wait, why are you giving me a helmet?"
"You know, for the jump," says Chris, with a Machiavellian smile.
"Jump? Ah—" And so, Chris pushes the girl through the open door of the Wagon of Shame, making her fall from the moving train. The girl's screams can be heard as they fade away. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer!"
"I didn't need to relive that, thanks," Kira says with a nervous smile. "I simply mentioned the people who seemed kind to me and not just losers or jerks, which is why I skipped some."
"Well you missed...Mac, Ryuuko, Charlie, Spencer, Kevin, Sophia for obvious reasons, Jennifer and AJ... Yes, I think they fit that description," Aislin recounts, shrugging
"I notice a sense of revenge in your speech...Are you planning to sue the show?" Ursula asks, staring intently into Kira's eyes.
"Of course! I'm sure the challenges on that show aren't legal!" Kira says. "I don't have anything against you guys, I'm against Chris McLean."
"And that's without you seeing the past seasons," Emma says, playing with her hair. "You're too pure a person for this show, Kira."
"I don't think I define myself like that, but thanks, girl," Kira says, shooting Emma a sincere smile
"The past seasons are worse?" Junior asks, confused.
"You haven't seen them, brother?" Emma asks.
"Dad forced me once, but I fell asleep on chapter three..." Junior admits.
"B-But, he never did that to me, I watched them of my own free will," Emma says, frowning.
"Oh, I almost forgot you guys are his kids," Kira says, bringing her hands to her mouth. "I'm so sorry, but your dad is a jerk. You two are too cute to be the children of that monster."
"Uhm...Thanks?" Junior responds, somewhat confused, while Emma gapes at the girl.
"Ehm, as a last question, the fan question," Emma asks, hiding her face behind her phone. "Ehm, Kira, are you single?"
"That was the question?" Junior says, frowning
"Shut up, shrimp," his sister responds.
"Uh, this question is important," Ken says, looking quite interested.
"Well right now I am," Kira says, as Ken and Emma seem to get excited, and the audience applauds. "But unfortunately I'm not looking for a partner at the moment, you know, most if not all the couples I've had have only sought to take advantage of me and the family business."
"Oh, that's a bummer," Ken says, puffing out his cheeks.
"I actually think she's pretty smart," Lionel says, shrugging. "Couples are a useless thing that only happens because it's socially accepted. I don't have a girlfriend because it would distract me from football, which is all that matters to me."
"So what you're saying is that you don't have a girlfriend because you prefer to share your time with 21 other sweaty men, who wear shorts while running after a ball?" Ursula asks with a mocking smile.
"Exactly," Lionel says, crossing his arms and nodding. "Wait, that didn't sound right."
"Thanks for the interview Kira, you can head to the Peanut Gallery while we welcome our next guest: He's a great ghost hunter with a slight weakness, he's afraid of ghosts. Give it up for Aaron Rogers Jr. 'AJ'!"
The red-haired boy takes the stage and is impressed to see the number of people standing up to applaud him.
"Uhm...Thank you! Thank you!" the smiling boy says as he sits on the guest couch.
"Thank you so much for coming Aaron, I know you've been quite busy," Emma says.
"Yeah, the truth is the last few days have been very busy but...I guess I'm happy," AJ says, scratching his cheek. "T-Thanks for paying for my first-class plane tickets, by the way."
"It's true, we have quite a luxurious level, don't we? There were some delicious spicy wings in the waiting room," Kira points out.
"It's not up to us, it's up to the producer," Junior says.
"Well AJ, we have quite a few questions for you, you've gained quite a bit of popularity among the fans," Emma explains.
"Is that so?" AJ says with a genuine smile.
"We'll see the popularity rankings later, for now, what do you think of your participation in the show, AJ?"
"Well I'm a little disappointed to have left so early, but I still had fun on the show," AJ says. "I went to a party and made friends, that's okay, right?"
"Well your friend eliminated you instead of Charlie," Lionel says with a mischievous smile.
"Oh, oh! I wanted to ask a question!" Ken says, giving small jumps in his seat. "What's it like to be a ghost hunter but be afraid of ghosts, isn't that weird?"
"Well...Y-Yes, I suffer from Phasmophobia."
"Like the game? Cool!" Ken says.
"N-No...It's just that...Well, this is a personal story but, to hell with it, I'm going to tell it," AJ says. "When I was 14, I discovered an abandoned hospital and I went to investigate it, but that night some people came disguised as ghosts and...they s-scared me out of the hospital. S-Since then I've been pretty scared of ghosts."
As AJ finishes telling the story, the entire audience lets out an 'awww' followed by applause
"Even so, it's like super admirable that you kept ghost hunting despite that," Sammy says.
"Thank you, thank you," AJ says, much more liberated
"But going back to the game, your elimination caused a lot of debate, that's true," Aislin says. "Harlan preferred to have Charlie on the team despite a duel between alliances ending in a tie."
"I read Harlan well, he did that because he knows Gretchen and Ashley are easy to convince, but I notice positive energies coming from that boy," Ursula says. "The spirits are on his side."
"S-Spirits?" AJ asks, shrinking in his seat instantly.
"Yes, I can see that several spirits are in his favor, Monsieur Agoussou, who is prayed to for love has blessed him, as has Monsieur Assonquer," Ursula stares intently at AJ, the more the girl speaks, the more AJ seems to get scared.
"E-Excuse me, t-those aren't s-spirits from the V-V-Voodoo of Louis...iana?" AJ asks, stuttering from fear.
"Oh, you were the ghost hunter boy, right?" Ursula asks, tilting her head slightly. "I wanted to talk to you about a few things, you see, I practice Voodoo."
"Voodoo like...Summoning spirits and causing possessions?" AJ asks, pale with fear.
"Exactly, I had a few questions for you, for example, how would you react if you happen to hunt an Oni? What ways would you have of stopping it?"
"A-An Oni?" AJ's eyes widen.
"Yes, you know, one of those 9-foot tall red Japanese demons. What would you do if it attacks you...And starts tearing your limbs with its sharp claws, bathing you in blood?"
AJ seems to stare blankly at the girl while trembling, huddled in his chair, utterly terrified.
"Ursula, stooooop," Sammy says with an innocent smile, waving his hand. "You're scaring little AJ."
"I'm sorry, he's pretty interesting," Ursula says, shrugging normally.
"So, AJ...Do you need a minute to calm down?" Junior says, seeing the trembling boy.
"P-Please," AJ squeaks out.
"While we take a short break, watch this video AJ sent us, roll tape!" Emma says, and the image cuts out.
The video shows AJ standing in front of a building in New York, dressed in an orange coat over a white shirt and a tie, with a device resembling a vacuum cleaner on his back. To his left is a younger girl, also with red hair and dressed similarly. Due to video editing, there's a poorly cut-out floating AJ whistling the "Ghostbusters" theme.
"Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night?" says AJ, taking a step forward, and when he finishes the sentence, he steps back again.
"Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic?" says the girl next to him, imitating him.
"Have you or any of your family ever seen a spook, specter, or g-ghost?" AJ seems to swallow nervously as he says the word "ghost."
"If the answer is yes, then don't wait another minute! Pick up your cellphone and call us!" says the girl, giving a smile to the camera.
"Our courteous and efficient staff is on call twenty-four hours a day to serve all your supernatural elimination needs," explains AJ.
"We're ready to..." they both start to say in unison.
"believe you!" AJ shouts.
"Defeat you!" the girl shouts.
"No, Zara, it's 'believe you,' believe you..."
"Oh, I'm sorry, big bro, can we do another shot?" the girl asks, looking at the cameraman.
"That'll be an extra twenty dollars," says a voice from behind the camera.
"Nevermind, let's leave it like this," says AJ.
A message flashes on the screen: "Roger Bros. Ghostbusters 555-2368."
The image returns to the TV screen, where AJ is already seated in the Peanut Gallery to the right of Ursula, though he avoids getting too close to her.
"Welcome back to Total Drama: Express Tour!" announces Emma, placing her hands on her hips. "We continue with our marvelous interviews, so let's welcome the third and fourth contestants to be eliminated from the show. Give it up for Kevin and Sam!"
The two enter from backstage and reluctantly sit on the interview couch. The audience seems divided, with some appearing to boo while others applaud.
"Hey, Emma!" shouts Kevin, flashing a smile at McLean's daughter.
"Hello, sis!" yells Sammy, supremely cheerful.
"Yo!" greets Sam, giving a slight smile to her brother.
"Wow, I think it's the first time I've seen her smile," says Ken to Lionel, who seems indifferent.
"Do you really have to introduce us together?" asks Sam, crossing her arms.
"Hah! You're lucky someone like you was introduced with someone like me!" says Kevin, glaring at Sam.
"Are you living in another reality or what, idiot?" Sam retorts. "They're booing you, you're literally the biggest idiot on the whole show."
"That's not true! People love me!" protests Kevin.
"Ok, let's see if that's true," suggests Emma. "Audience, react to Sam!"
The entire audience starts applauding.
"Now, react to Kevin."
Kevin stands on the sofa and raises his arms, only to be met with boos from the audience.
"Aw, seriously?!" exclaims Kevin, disappointed as he sits back down. "Well, at least you don't think I'm an idiot, right Emma?"
"Well... you seem like a fun guy," says Emma, giving Kevin a condescending smile. "Uh... Kira, you haven't spoken in a while. Do you want to ask Kevin and Sam a question?"
Kira, who was on her phone, looks up.
"Oh, sorry. I was talking to my lawyer. Hmm..." Kira thinks for a moment. "Well, I guess just the basics. How do you feel about your elimination?"
"I'm pretty indignant about it! Who do those girls think they are to vote me off like that?! I was their captain!" complains Kevin.
"Well, you were a tyrannical, evil, and careless captain," says Sammy, putting his hand on his hip.
"I was only captain for a challenge! And it was that nerdy theater nonsense," defends Kevin.
"Well, a challenge seems too much for someone like you," says Sam, raising an eyebrow and giving Kevin a mocking smile. "I'm quite frustrated with my elimination. I didn't do anything to deserve it, just didn't kiss Liam's ass. Well, that and Celia's paranoia."
"Uh! That's super interesting! Tell me, are you angry with Celia? Because if you are, it's understandable," says Aislin.
"I don't care, I didn't want to be on that show anyway, but it still kind of annoys me," shrugs Sam, putting on a tough-girl expression.
"Um... I have a question for Kevin!" says AJ, raising his hand.
"What a surprise, the damn ginger!" scoffs Kevin.
"I-It's actually about that. Why do you seem to hate redheads?" asks AJ, taking a slight step back.
"Why do I seem to? It's the stupidest hair color a person can have, makes them look like clowns," says Kevin, with a look of disgust. He then looks at Lionel directly. "Two redheads?! Is this a fucking circus?"
"If i say to you what i think right now, i'm going to jail." Lionel says.
"So, you don't like them because they remind you of clowns?" suggests Ursula, tilting her head slightly. "Could it be that clowns scare you?"
"W-What? I-I... No!" stammers Kevin, revealing his fear.
"Alright, I have a question for my super little sister," says Sammy. "Sam, who are you rooting for to win the program?"
"Well, I hope Ryuuko or Lucy win. They were okay on my team," says the girl, crossing her arms.
"Sternocleidomastoid," mumbles Junior quietly, not expecting everyone to go silent upon hearing him.
"What?" asks Emma.
"Well, you said I wouldn't stay quiet for long, and I hadn't spoken for a while..."
"But... forget it."
"Well, I have two options for the winner!" interrupts Kevin. "Either Liam, because he's super strong and has what it takes, or Barbara, because she's pretty hot... Corey too, so I have three options!"
"Uh! But Corey is a thousand times cuter than Barbara, that's a fact!" Ken opines.
"I mean, Corey's so stylish, she's such a queen," says Sammy.
"Exactly, she gives off that... Elegant, haunting." adds Aislin.
"Well, I think it's a good time to move on to our next segment."
"Oh my gosh!" exclaims Sammy, clapping excitedly. "It's finally time?!"
"Exactly. Right now, we're going to have a couple's chat! With Sammy and Aislin."
"Let's fuckin' go!" cheers Aislin, bouncing with excitement alongside her friend.
On the screen, several hearts float against a pink background, with four gray circles in the middle.
"In this super Aftermath section, we're going to talk about the couples that are most popular in the fandom under the hashtag #ETCouples!" explains Aislin.
"In fifth place, we have Sperlie! Isn't that a great name?" says Sammy, excitedly. "Since the episode in Korea, where there was the super party, Charlie got together with Spencer to dance, and since then, the guy has been after her!"
"That's not a couple, it's a case of manipulation!" interrupts Kira. "Poor Spencer is being used and dragged around like a dog."
"I wouldn't say it's that bad... It's more like... Yeah, no, it's that," admits Aislin.
"Plus, Charlie already forced him to participate in my elimination and indirectly in AJ's," says Sam, crossing her arms.
"I don't think Charlie is so evil to just use him, right?" says Ken.
"Oh, you don't know my sister," interrupts Kevin. "Both of us can be... somewhat egocentric, yes."
"Is that how you describe yourself? 'Somewhat' egocentric?" laughs Sam.
"Well, yeah, idiot! But what sets me apart from my sister is that I do have scruples; she'll do anything to win," explains Kevin.
"If that's the case, then we should protect poor Gretchen," says Sam. "Poor girl needs someone to protect her, she's so sweet."
"Well, the love calculator says this couple has a likelihood of happening of... 12%!" announces Sammy.
"The next couple is super new, but it was impossible not to notice! Let me tell you about BarLiam!" says Aislin. "Sorry if the name is bad, it's the only thing I could think of."
"They are soooo aesthetical," says Sammy. "One of the hottest guys with one of the hottest girls in the show."
"Uh, I don't want to be the party pooper here, but... Didn't that shorty say she had a boyfriend?" interrupts Lionel.
"That's true!" points out Ken. "It would be really ugly if she cheated on him on international TV."
"I don't know... With that Liam guy, not, but maybe with Ryuuko," says Kira, with a mischievous smile. "Just kidding, just kidding."
"Still, we give this couple a... 40% chance of happening!" cheers Sammy, happily. "Now let's move on to one of my favorites... HarLevi!"
The audience seems excited.
"Since the party, Harlan and Levi have had so much chemistry, I mean, they're so shippable," says Aislin, bouncing excitedly. "And in the last episode, it seems they finally put their differences aside! How exciting! We give them a 70% chance."
"And lastly, we have my absolute favorites!" shouts Sammy. "CeCo has been trending since Celia's elimination, that scene of Celia telling Corey to eliminate the Bermuda Triangle for her was so... Wow!"
"Don't you think a girl as pretty as Corey could be into girls, right?" asks Kevin.
"And what does that have to do with anything? Don't be a jerk!" says Sam. "I'm fine with them being together."
"Unfortunately, the couple can't happen anymore, as Celia is out of the show," says Aislin, looking sadly at the floor. "So the love calculator says... 0%."
"Speaking of Celia..." interrupts Junior. "Isn't it time to interview her?"
"Exactly, brother!" says Emma. "Before we talk to Celia, we're going to show you an exclusive clip sent to us by a fan from Amsterdam. Roll the video!"
The screen shows a figure from behind being recorded by a cellphone. The figure seems to be graffitiing a wall that says 'verdomde politie.'
"Ha! Luckily, there are curse words in almost every language!" says the figure, revealed to be Celia, putting the finishing touches on the graffiti.
"Stop right there!" a voice shouts from the other side, and the camera moves to reveal a police officer.
"Oh, crap," shouts Celia before running away, leaving behind the spray paint can.
The screen changes clips again, this time showing a press conference. At the table with microphones sits a man dressed in a smart suit, bald with a beard. To his left is the young Lionel Keane, sweating profusely, dressed in the Manchester United Football Club uniform.
"Thank you for granting us this interview, Lionel. It was quite a difficult game for you, wasn't it?"
"Absolutely, yes. I know that we're playing against a Jamaican team, and for them, like for any African team, everything is about... physicality. But I'm sad because we've been robbed of three points. I really don't understand this refereeing, honestly, I don't understand."
"Lionel..." the bald man says, trying to stop the young player.
"I think that because I'm rich, handsome, and a good player, people envy me, if not, I can't explain what happened today. Thank you very much." Lionel finally releases the microphone.
"Lionel, you're on the bench for the next match," says the bald man.
"What? Uhm... Did I say something wrong?"
"Welcome back to Total Drama: Express Tour The Aftermath! We've interviewed all the eliminated contestants except for one, you know who... Everyone, say hi to Celia!" announces Emma.
"Yo!" says Celia, walking with her hands in her pockets toward the interview sofa.
"Great to have you here, Celia!" says Emma, smiling at the girl.
"You should be grateful I came! I was having such a blast in Amsterdam," says Celia with a smirk. "But hey, I'm here now, right? Wassup guys?"
Celia nods slightly to all the former contestants. AJ and Kira greet her amiably, while Sam seems to ignore her, and Kevin stands up and starts laughing.
"Seriously, the team thought it was a good idea to replace me with you? Pf, what idiots!" says Kevin, pointing at Celia. She clenches her fist and furrows her brow.
"Excuse me? At least the whole team didn't vote for me like they did for you, loser," says Celia, forming a mocking smile.
"At least I didn't... I didn't..." Kevin trails off.
"Well, she's got a point," Kira points out, shrugging.
"Isn't it curious that all the team captains have been eliminated?" AJ remarks.
"Oh, it's probably a curse," says Ursula, staring at AJ.
"Haha, good joke..." says AJ, forcing a nervous laugh.
"It wasn't a joke," Ursula retorts, wiping the smile off AJ's face.
"It's not a curse! It's just that whoever is captain has to put up with Sophia and her whining," says Celia, shrugging. "I hope she's happy now that she's captain, although she'll probably get eliminated right away."
"What's wrong with that girl?" asks Sam.
"Well, it seems she's very focused on a political career. Doing my research on you guys, I found out she's run for Albuquerque Youth Representative several times," says Aislin, causing all the contestants to look at her strangely.
"You did research on us?" asks AJ, horrified.
"What? I didn't say anything," Aislin pretends with a nervous smile.
"Anyway, the interview is about me, right?" asks Celia.
"Uh, right... Celia, what do you think about your elimination?" asks Chris Jr.
"Well, it makes me pretty mad, now I don't know how I'm going to pay for dad's..." says Celia, letting out a sigh. "But hey, I guess I brought it on myself a bit, you know, I got a bit carried away with the Bermuda Triangle thing."
"Don't you owe someone an apology?" says Sammy, frowning.
"Sammy, shut it," says Sam, nudging his brother.
"Oh, Sam, I'm sorry," says Celia, looking at the girl. "I should never have trusted that stupid note, I just thought the easiest thing would be to eliminate you. I totally fell into the Bermuda Triangle trap."
"I guess I forgive you..." says Sam, sighing. "But your mistake was trusting that witch Charlie, look how it turned out."
"Uh, that girl definitely needs to go down! I hope Lucy gives her another jab in the jaw!" says Celia, suddenly getting excited.
"I'm sure Harlan won't let Charlotte keep getting away with it," says Emma. "Celia, you mentioned you had to help your dad, can you tell the audience why you needed the prize?"
"Oh, that? Well, it's actually a pretty cool story," says Celia. "One day, I promised my friends I'd take them on dad's truck, and while I was on my way to pick 'em up, I... ended up going on a little 'off-road excursion.'"
"So, you crashed the car," Lionel concludes.
"Basically," admits Celia, causing laughter in the audience.
"Well, I guess it was damage your dad was willing to take if he lent you the car," says Chris Junior.
"Well, about that..." Celia says, nervously scratching her neck.
"Wait... You didn't ask for permission?" Ken says, chuckling.
"Let's just say it was... a surprise loan, okay?" says Celia.
"Alright, Celia, before we wrap up, who are you rooting for to win the competition?" Emma asks.
"Oh, Coco for sure... And maybe Ashley if Corey gets eliminated," says Celia, cheerfully. "Team Corey guys!"
The audience cheers with excitement at Celia's declaration.
"Well, can we get started now?" Lionel asks, staring intently at Emma.
"Well... We're done with the interviews, so yes, go ahead."
Lionel and Ken stood up and walked to the center of the room.
The TV studio screen lit up, displaying a starry sky background with five yellow circles with silhouettes in them.
"Welcome to Express Analysis! The hottest reality show analysis program on the web!" says Ken, making introduction gestures with his hands.
"And also the only one," says Lionel, without much excitement.
"I'm your host, Ken Campbell, and this is my friend Lionel Keane, the soccer superstar!"
"It's called Football. Still not your friend," Lionel interjects. "In this section, we'll take an in-depth look at the strategies of the most interesting players in Total Drama Express Tour."
"Uh, are you guys going to do a sports analysis program?" says Kira, excitedly. "Can I join?"
"Well, I don't think we need anymo—"
"Sure, you can join next time," Ken interrupts Lionel abruptly. "Anyway, we'll start with alliances by looking at one of the most powerful alliances in the game right now... Charlie's alliance."
"If we want to analyze the alliance deeply, we first have to see what Charlotte's strategy is: She knows she's not very popular among the contestants, but she's the kind of person who's used to playing with influences. That's why she's convincing her team that she's useful to them while manipulating the mentally weaker members."
"Gretchen isn't... Forget it, it's true," says Sam.
"Not only that, she's also manipulating that guy Spencer," says Kevin. "She's doing the same thing she did with all the boyfriends she had in high school, sweetening them up with words and kisses to get them to do what she wants! I'm much more direct with women, if I see a girl with big boobs, I go and—"
"Stop right there, please," Lionel quickly interrupts. "With three allies, Charlie is now the strongest player in the game. There's only one person who can stand up to her: Harlan."
"Harlan is a great guy who has two important allies: Levi and Harvey. Besides, he's not a complete jerk like Charlie and has the power to nominate as captain," Ken explains. "He's the only one capable of defeating Charlie!"
"Another significant alliance is Pedro and Sophia's, who have complete control of the Amazon team. The only way to defeat them would be if they betrayed each other," says Lionel.
"And with Sophia, that's almost certain," jokes Celia.
"While the Friendship team is in a civil war and the Amazons are a dictatorship, the Alpha team seems to be just a bunch of losers on their own. While Liam tries to maintain unity in his team, the only significant alliance in that team is Lucy and Ryuuko, who have a slight advantage when it comes to votes. Jennifer seems to be focused solely on challenges, while Mac seems to be playing a floaters' game."
"I have this theory!" says Aislin, jumping excitedly. "If Mac is a Total Drama nerd, then surely he knows what he's doing! He's such good friends with Liam so the guy can't nominate him and thus stay safe! Moreover, Mac may be... the leader of the Bermuda Triangle!"
"The guy can't talk to a girl without wetting himself, and you think he's capable of leading a secret alliance?" says Kevin.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," jokes Celia. "Well, I think Sophia has a good chance of being the leader of the Bermuda Triangle."
"The Bermuda Triangle must be composed of people who like to work in the shadows," explains Lionel. "I guess we still need a bit more evidence to determine who they are."
"It's not my intention to brag, but I think I already know who the person leading the Bermuda Triangle is..." says Ursula, monotonously.
"Oh, yeah? How, magic?" Lionel mocks.
"I prefer the word... 'witchcraft'," says Ursula, causing AJ to move a little further away from her. "Just kidding, there are a pair of people who give me very bad vibes, I'm torn between those two."
"Now that we've talked about the alliances, let's take a look at the popularity rankings, let's go!" Ken exclaims, full of energy. "These are based on how many times the contestants' names have been trending on social media in the past few weeks, but we'll only focus on the top 10, let's see it!"
In the screen, various bars appear to the right of images of the contestants, arranged in a ranking with different percentages.
"Congratulations, Celia, you're the most popular contestant! You win this thing by a landslide," Ken explains, pointing to how the girl was at the top.
"Hey, that's kind of cool!"
"The fact that the most popular contestant is eliminated says a lot about the number of idiots on the show," says Lionel, frowning. "Don't take it as a compliment, Celia, you're just overhyped. If I were on the show, I'd sweep these surveys."
"Are you sure? Even with your grumpy face?" Ken says with a mocking smile.
"I'm very popular in the votes, just so you know. I won the Golden Boy Award for best young footballer by a mile."
"Oh! I think my family voted in that!" says Kira, remembering.
"Really? Is your dad by any chance associated with Real Madrid Football Club Becaus—" Lionel says before being interrupted by Emma.
"We are not here to get you a new job, Lionel, leave Kira alone!"
"Ok, ok... Next up is Gretchen, who even has a fan club account," says Lionel, reading the script incredulously.
"I'm part of it!" shouts Aislin from the Peanut Gallery.
"She's such a cinnamon roll! Next up we have our favorite stoner, Spence!" Ken announces.
"Hey, why do you call Spencer that? We have no evidence he does that!" complains Kira.
"I'm a stoner, I know how to recognize one," Ken replies almost immediately.
"I don't understand how such a tosser can have fans. I guess people just have an understandable likeness for idiots," says Lionel. "Now, a liking that is understandable is the liking for a good villain, that's why Charlotte is next on the list."
"What? But I'm supposed to be the superior Flinch brother!" Kevin exclaims.
"Next up we have our human golden retriever: Liam!" Ken continues. "And from there, we continue with our favorite penguin, Pedro! Get it, Penguin? Because of the tuxedo?"
"Ha! Nice one!" says Celia.
"No, it was not a nice one..." says Sam.
"Next up is the screamy girl, Ashley," Lionel reads. "And in eighth position is the loser Mac. Why do people like virgin losers so much?"
"Hey! H-He's not that much of a loser," Junior defends him.
"I saw his Twitter profile, he likes Twenty One Pilots and Weezer, he's a hundred percent a loser," says Aislin. "A very likable one, though."
"I like his lack of energy! It's like go girl, give us nothing!" says Sammy with a sassy smile.
"And finally, there's Levi and Harlan," Ken finishes reading.
"What? How is it possible that I'm not there?!" exclaims Kevin, standing up.
"Oh, wow, must be a big surprise for you," Sam taunts, dripping with sarcasm.
"Shut up!"
"You shut up!"
"I'm going to punch you for real if you don't shut your mouth!"
"Not if I knock you out first," Sam retorts. The camera stops focusing on them and zooms in on Emma.
"Um... let's go to commercials while these two guys calm down, okay? We'll be back with a great challenge!"
On the screen, a background with a black and white filter can be seen. In the center of the room, Kira can be seen, dressed in a beautiful red dress and with red lipstick (the only color that seems to surpass the black and white filter). The camera takes shots of the girl as she poses elegantly and seductively.
"Passion," says a voice narrating off-screen.
"Elegance."
"Seduction."
"All this and more with the new L'oreal red temptation lipstick-" The recording is interrupted when the camera seems to make a too-fast movement towards the face of the Spanish girl, hitting her.
"What are you doing?!" complains the girl, staring at the cameraman. "I want you off the fucking set, you dumbass!"
"I-I'm sorry," says the cameraman, stepping back scared.
"No, just don't be sorry, think for one fucking second, what are you doing you gilipollas?!" says Kira, then an unintelligible voice is heard from behind the camera. "No, no, no! Don't shut me up! You shut the fuck up Bruce! Hostia puta, pero que puto subnormal!"
The image returns to the TV studio, this time they have redecorated the place and you can see how they raised two stands over what appear to be water tanks, on the stands are seated all the guests and members of the peanut gallery.
"We're back with The Aftermath! What you just saw is the new commercial featuring our beautiful contestant Kira!" Emma announces.
"Are you sure you put on the right tape?" Kira asks.
"Oh, I hope so, Junior was the one on production."
Junior remains in total silence, looking guiltily at the camera.
"Alright, to wrap up The Aftermath, we're going to have our guests participate in a challenge with a super reward. For that, we're going to divide them into two teams: Alpha and Friendship!"
"Why isn't there a team Amazons?" Celia asks.
"Because they're losers, who cares?" Kevin shrugs.
"For Team Alpha we have: Sam, Sammy, AJ, Lionel, and Celia!" Emma announces, showing the guys on the stand to the right. "And for Team Friendship, we have Aislin, Ursula, Kevin, Kira, and Ken."
"Kevin, Kira, and Ken! We're like a boy band! The K-Boys! Can you picture that?" Ken says, smiling.
"Uh... Excuse me, shouldn't I be on the Friendship Team?" AJ asks.
"It was chosen randomly, I'm sorry," Emma shrugs. "Alright, the challenge will be as follows: I'm going to read a shameful secret or phrase to them without telling them which contestant it belongs to. In front of you, there's a red button, if you press it, you'll have the chance to guess who the secret belongs to. If you guess correctly, your team will earn a point; if you fail, you'll have to be submerged in the water tank! If you guess who the secret belongs to, you'll earn a point. The team with the most points wins a reward for the contestants within the game!"
"This has been seen before, hasn't it?" Ken asks, but Aislin tells him to shut up.
"Alright, let's begin. Junior, read," Emma orders.
"Uh... Alright..." Junior starts reading some small cards. "Okay... Who from the cast is afraid of geese?"
"Afraid of geese? That's so ridiculous." Sam laughs.
At lightning speed, Kevin presses the button.
"Yes, Kevin?"
"Uh... Well, I just pressed the button but I'm not sure how to answer, I mean, it could be any idiot," Kevin says, shrugging.
"Then why did you press the button?" Ursula asks, furrowing her brow.
"Because I can't stay silent!" Kevin shouts. "Screw it... Is it the loser AJ? He's afraid of everything."
"That's... Incorrect!" Emma says, and cheerfully presses a button. The contestants from Team Friendship sink into the water, until after about ten seconds, they resurface. "Oops, you got wet."
"Y-You're such an idiot," Kira says, looking at Kevin with hatred.
"I despise your genetics, Emma," Ursula says, frowning.
"Next question: Who has a GPA of 2.3?" Junior asks, and instantly Kevin presses the button again.
"Stop pushing the button if you don't know the answer!" Aislin complains.
"But of course I know the answer, it's me!" Kevin says, shrugging.
"That's correct, one point for Team Friendship," Emma says.
"2.3?! Dude, you're like a genius!" Ken says, smiling at Kevin.
"That's not... You know what? Nevermind." Ursula says.
"Well, one point for Team Friendship, next secret. Whose hair is not their natural col-." Instantly, without even waiting for Junior to finish the sentence, Ken pressed the button.
"I'm sorry guys but I'm not blonde!" Ken cries, looking remorsefully at the camera.
"Uh... Even I didn't know that," Emma says, scratching her cheek. "That wasn't your secret, it was someone else's. But well, should I dunk them?"
"Don't do it, Ken did tell the truth," Junior says, shrugging. "Next secret: Which cast member is adopted? Geez, that's cruel to guess."
"Uh... Oh, I know!" Sammy says, pressing the button. "Is that girl Jennifer?"
"Why would she be?" Sam asks.
"I don't know, she's giving me those father-less vibes."
"Unfortunately, that's... Incorrect!" Emma shouts, sending Team Alpha into the water.
"Holy shit, that's cold!" Celia exclaims.
"Look on the bright side, at least there are no s-sharks," AJ says.
"Well, next secret," Junior says, changing the card. "Which cast member ordered some guys to beat up one of their opponents in a singing contest so they couldn't beat them... That's pretty messed up."
Junior seemed quite disturbed, while Emma just maintained a maniacal smile, quite similar to her father's.
"That sounds like something Charlie would do," Celia says, pressing the button.
"Isn't that going too far even for her?" Kira asks, covering her mouth with her hand.
"And that's... Correct," Emma announces.
"What?!" Several people ask in unison.
"I told you, she has no limits," Kevin explains, crossing his arms.
"Alright, next secret," Junior says, increasingly worried and nervous. "Which contestant speaks the most languages in the cast?"
"Oh, that's for sure Pedrito!" Celia says, pressing the button quickly. "When I was talking to him, he told me it was like six or something?"
"Pedro speaks eight languages, while Jennifer is second with six."
"Oh, Pedri is such an interesting man," Kira says, placing her hand on her hip.
"Nice one Celia!" Celebra AJ.
"Next up we have..." Junior reads the card, and his eyes widen as he reads it, surprised. "I-I can't read this out loud!"
"Don't be such a cry-" Emma was about to scold her brother, but as she reads the card, she agrees with him. "Okay... Yes, let's move on to another one. Whose contestant's house has been robbed twice?"
"Oh, I know this one!" Aislin shouts, quickly pressing the button. "That's Mackenzie!"
"And that's correct!" Emma exclaims.
"Poor Mac, that's some really bad luck," Kira says.
"Or lack of security..." Lionel says, crossing his arms.
"Well, that's two points for Alpha, two points for Friendship," Junior recaps. "Alright, it all comes down to this last question... Which cast member has a Mackerel allergy?"
"What the hell is that?" Ken asks.
"It's an allergy to macaroni," Kevin says, with complete confidence, pressing the red button. "It's Charlie, she doesn't like Mac and Cheese."
They were quickly dunked in the water, resurfacing a minute later.
"My lungs are filled with water..." Ursula says, taking a moment to breathe.
"Don't do that ever again, Kev," Ken says, lying down on the floor.
"Well... Let's do another question," Junior says, changing the card. "The tiebreaker question... Which cast member accidentally killed their pet hamster by stepping on it?"
"Awww, that's so terrible!" Sammy says.
"I hope that rodent's soul finds peace in the afterlife," Ursula says, clasping her hands together.
In the end, it's AJ who presses the button.
"Uh... Well, purely process of elimination... Is it Mac again?" AJ says, looking nervously at the camera.
"And that's... Correct!" Streamers fall from the ceiling to celebrate, while the Alpha team members run to hug AJ in celebration. "Congratulations! You've won a reward for Team Alpha."
"Booo!" Kevin boos.
"So, what do we win?" Celia asks, with a cheerful smile.
"Well, you've just won none other than... A new member for Team Alpha!" Emma announces, raising her arms.
"What?!" The winning team shouts in unison.
"That's right, in the next episode of The Aftermath, we'll have the incredible episode of Second Chance Challenge! The winner of the challenge between Lionel, Sam, Sammy, AJ, and Celia will return to the show as a member of Team Alpha!"
"Shit!" Sam shouts, while the rest of the winners celebrate.
"Do you want to find out who returns to the show? Then keep watching Express Tour and stay tuned for the next episode of The Aftermath: Second Chance Challenge!" Emma shouts, closing the show. "That was a good send-off, wasn't it?"
CONTESTANTS
Team Amazon – Sophia (C), Barbara, Corey, Pedro.
Team Friendship – Harlan (C), Levi, Harvey, Gretchen, Ashley, Charlie.
Team Alpha- Liam (C), Mac, Ryuuko, Spencer, Jennifer, Lucy.
Eliminated - Kira, the flamenco dancer (Seoul) - AJ, the cowardly ghost hunter (NYC) - Kevin, the sexist jerk (London) - Sam, the boyish girl (London) - Celia, the moody rebel (Zaanstad)
McLEAN EXPRESS
Wagon 1 — Engine
Wagon 2 – Chris' Chambers
Wagon 3 – Luxury Wagon (today: Team Friendship)
Wagon 4 – Amazon Team dorms
Wagon 5– Friendship Team dorms
Wagon 6 – Alpha Team room
Wagon 7 – Common room confessional
Wagon 8 — Wagon of Shame
And here ends the first Aftermath of Total Drama: Express Tour! I've always loved the Aftermaths in Total Drama because they're the perfect excuse to see characters return and simply watch them interact and have fun outside the heat of the competition. Unfortunately they often rely heavily on slapstick humor, and that doesn't always translate well to the fanfic format and can be boring. That's why I changed the format in several parts to make it more similar to a podcast, as I was afraid sections like Truth or Hammer, or That's Gonna Leave A Mark wouldn't work. Instead, I hope you enjoyed the challenge and the rankings and analysis.
I hope Chris Jr. and Emma were liked as hosts, as they don't usually have much screen-time in the main chapters, and I see it as a good opportunity to explore them. The same applies to the members of the peanut gallery, both my OCs and Ursula and Sammy!
I also hope you enjoyed the little 'Cut away gags' in the commercials. I had a lot of fun making them, and I think they make this Aftermath more enjoyable. Most of them are references to viral videos, so if you can spot them, I'd love to hear about it in the reviews. Speaking of reviews, time to respond.
thedragonrooster - Celia is such a mood, i really feel like it's a character that writes herself along with another ones like Barbara, Ryuuko, Sophia, Gretchen and Kevin, i usually don't have to put much effort into their dialogues because they come out so easily it's scary.
Tech-Star 2.0 - I mean, if i'm kicking Celia out i least i will do it Iconic. I hope you guys look forward to her on next Aftermath and root for her, or maybe you want other character to return? Let me know!
DaringDF1827 - Next chapter it's going to be pretty interesting with Sophia now in charge of Amazons. Yeah, Lucy-Charlie dynamic kind of mimics Gwen and Heather, but wait 'till next chapter to see a little bit more about that.
XrossMyHeart - Don't worry if you can't review a chapter! Sometimes i surprise even myself with how consistent this updates are (Don't expect to have a weekly episode like the first three because college is hitting me hard but i promise one once a month 3) Corey and Celia are a pair that works so weel in my opinion just by how they would conceptually wouldn't work together, but they end up doing well, love that kind of dynamic.
Space Zodiac - Thank you so much for that wonderful review once again! I'm so glad that the humour lands good, i hope it happens the same in this one since it's more of a comedy based episode. I agree that Harlan can come off as just a 'nice guy', but i think the character has a lot of layers and is really interesting, i'm just trying to giving him time beetween all of the other characters that definitely steal the show. I'm sorry i can't comment a lot of things due to this chapter not really being focused on the character development (from the four aftermaths i have planned, this is definitely the only 'normal' one), but i promise this will be compensated next chapter, wich has a LOT of advances in the arc of three characters, i have a gut feeling you'll like it!
Tempokeep - I'm so glad that you like how i'm writing Gretchen! She's the perfect contrast in a team as frictionning as team Friendship. Those three are such a nice guess! You'll have a little more about it in next chapter. I realized how chaotic would it be for a tiebreaker to be beetween all contestants, specially because it would allow never seen-before strategies. And don't worry, you 97% didn't miss Lucy's secret (There's only been a little bit of foreshadowing but subtle, or i think so lmao, that i think only Nobody245 would've noticed).
Thank you all for reviewing! Looking forward to them is a really big motivation. I hope you look forward to next chapter titled "Those Doha Nights pt.1", this one is pretty in the face with the destination, and yes it's a two-parter! .