Total Drama Academy
The Reboot Paradox
a Total Drama fan fiction story
by Lord Akiyama
Author's Note: This is a reboot, or reimagining, of my original Total Drama Academy story, which is still active mind you. This universe is developed on the idea that there had been only three shows that were made roughly at the same time: Total Drama Island, Total Drama: Revenge of the Island, and Total Drama: Pahkitew Island.
Chapter Five
It was several minutes before ten when all twenty-four newly christened students of White Rose Academy gathered in the garden outside Rue Plumet. They were awaiting their pre-booked tour guide to take them around the city school. For most, they wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. Largely so they could finally go about doing something on their own for a change. The last few days had seen them all pretty much grouped together as one. From their transportation to the school to their initial introduction and even, to a degree, their interview with Mlle. Caine. It was starting to get quite tiring being together.
A few tried to find ways to pass the time before they were taken on their tour. As one would expect, Sam was seen playing his GameGuy 2.5. Only a couple continued to express fascination with Dakota, her arms wrapped around her gamer boyfriend's mid-section from behind and her chin propped upon his shoulder to watch him play with a gentle smile on her face. As much as she desperately wanted to get away from everyone and not care about any of them, Heather stole glances of the romantic couple. Still in disbelief that someone like Dakota had fallen for someone like Sam. Harold and Beardo appeared to be becoming chummy more and more with each new beat-boxing session they engaged in. LeShawna, Geoff, and now Bridgette among the admiring audience.
Ezekiel couldn't stop watching Dawn in curiosity. The Moonchild in a serene state in her surroundings while sitting cross-legged and meditating. Even with Ella sitting behind her, singing a song that attracted an audience of birds and small woodland creatures, enchanted by what was being sung. Rather, it seemed like the singing only added to how serene Dawn appeared. Ezekiel had never seen anything like it. Fascinated, he dropped to the ground and worked to cross his legs the way she did. Given he had not done anything like it before, it giving him a little trouble. Dawn gently opened one eye and witnessed his struggle before managing to succeed. Gentle amusement behind the smile that formed on her lips before closing her eye.
"'alo there!" a voice called out. It was loud and sudden enough to cause Ezekiel to tip over. His frantic attempt to not collapse onto the ground failing. "Yoo hoo!"
Cameron was the first to consider the source coming from the other side of the gate. He looked through and saw standing before him a young girl of equal height. Freckles that popped against milk chocolate skin. Wildly frizzy dark hair matted down by a rather over-sized Navy blue Russian Kasket titled to the right, almost covering her eye. Unlike the others, she was wearing her school uniform. Though it seemed like the coat was over-sized as well, at least the way the sleeves seemed to extend out over her hands. Dirty red neck handkerchief and dirty red unbuttoned vest worn over the coat being visual features that stood out after the equally dirty brown satchel hanging to her left and her blue eyes.
"You're the tour guide?" Cameron asked. He was quite taken aback by the mere presence of her.
"That be me!" the girl answered. It may not have been strong, but the cockney accent was undeniable. She tipped her hat with a flick and bowed. "Name's Frances. 'ow do ya do?"
"What, this is your career path or something?" Duncan questioned. He looked at the new arrival with a curious brow raised as he and the others gathered around to get a better look at her.
"Side gig," Frances responded. She gave a light giggle as she thumped her chest. "Tha school only evah really do tours fer newbies like yerselves. Not'a bad way fer someone like me to make a few coin on tha side. But 'nuff 'bout me, lads. C'mon out so we can jump tha trolley."
"We're using the trolley?" Heather said. She had no problems expressing how she was finding the whole thing quite indignant.
"Would ya rathah walk?" Frances noted. She raised a brow of her own back at Heather. To the others, she made a valid point.
(Confession Cam)
Ezekiel - /Tries to sit cross-legged while on seat./ "That Dawn sh'oore is s'oom'thin', eh. She was all c'oolm an' everythin'. N'oot like m'oost everyone else here." /Struggles to put right knee down./
Dawn - /Meditating, hovering a foot off seat./ "It is quite nice to see others be inspired by the beauty of nature that surrounds them. I sense a nice yellow aura emerging upon Ezekiel and Ella's pink aura is as radiant as I could have imagined. For the singing of a songbird is among the most soothing of sounds one can hear."
Ella - /Speaking to the birds and small woodland creatures that surround her./ "Oh, how exciting it is to meet someone so welcoming and thoughtful of all of you, my little friends. The next two years will surely be the most magical ever!" /Animals respond in agreement./
"All 'board!" Frances called out. She watched as the others stepped onto the trolley at a very leisure pace. Hardly a need to rush, given the slow speed of the vehicle itself. She spoke again once all were seated, being loud enough that there was no need for a megaphone. She patted the shoulder of the apparent driver at the front. "This 'ere's Bob. Say 'i, Bob!"
"Meh," Bob grunted.
Even from merely looking at the back of his head, any one could easily tell Bob probably looked like the crotchety old man that he sounded like. From the lack of what remained of his white hair to the increasing number of wrinkles ever present upon any skin that was exposed. Most figured he was likely what Max would end up appearing as an old man, albeit with quite the under-bite and a squint that seemed to be locked in place forever.
"Not one fer talkin', be Bob," Frances noted. She gave Bob another pat on the shoulders before turning her full attention to the others. "Takes three days ta tour tha school in full and ya only paid fer today. So we'll hit tha spots ya fancy. There should be tablets beside ya. Go an' grab one and key in which places yer most int'rested in seein'."
The others looked around for a second and found what they were looking for. There were more than enough tablets to cover all twenty-four presently on the trolley. Few took their time in examining their options while everyone else seemed to be keen on getting this over with as quickly as possible by picking the first thing that perked their fancy.
"So how long exactly are we gonna be in this tin can for?" Duncan asked. He was among those who made his pick as quickly as possible. Courtney, who obviously sat next to him, looked for something specific to select.
"Dependin' on yer picks, pro'bly eight hours," Frances answered. She gave out a shrug, though that didn't seem to please many of the others.
"Eight hours?" LeShawna questioned. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Seriously?"
"There's plenty places ta go whenevah ya need tha loo," Frances noted. Speaking as though this would provide some comfort and satisfaction. "An' 'bout two is when we'll pick up some'in' ta eat. Which 'as been paid fer, by tha by."
"Whew!" Owen exhaled. "That's a relief. I'd starve if I don't eat anything by then."
"You had five servings of breakfast this morning, you corpulent nincompoop of a cousin," Max stated. He sounded quite displeased. "One of which was supposed to be mine!"
"It was?" Owen gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry, Max."
"Every day you do something that makes me move up my timetable of finally enacting my liposuction scheme upon you," Max grumbled. The volume of his voice slowly increasing. In particular when he emphasized his favorite word. "The one evil plan with even a shroud of moral dignity as I'm sure it would procude more than enough soap to supply some third-world country for decades."
"Hee-haw!" Izzy whispered
She had managed to hang upside-down and to Max's left, just outside his peripheral view, when she let out the sound and quickly retreated upward before he could react. The would-be super villain shot his eyes wide open and began frantically looking around for the source. Inspired, Beardo mimicked Izzy's voice nearly on the button in voicing a whispering echo that sounded like it was coming from all sides. Izzy, who was now sitting next to Owen without any one noticing, gave the human soundboard a thumbs up in approval and delight.
"Curses!" Max uttered. "Super Donkey must be around here some where! I must prepare!" He turned to the one person who had any interest in listening to him. "You did bring the evil contingency pack like I told you to always bring, right Staci?"
"Sure did," Staci answered. She nodded as she pulled over the backpack she had been wearing. "This reminds me of my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Uncle Damien. He invented the emergency broadcast system, yeah. Before him, they would make a thousand roosters crow at the same time to issue warnings across a whole town."
"Hmm.." Max mused. He pondered what he had just heard, tapping his chin. "A thousand roosters crowing... Do make a note of that, Staci. I must keep that in mind for future evil plots while dealing with the present situation at hand."
A strange curiosity had seemingly compelled Frances to watch the whole scene unfold before her without interruption. She raised a perplexed brow and looked over to some of the others. Their immediate response was to merely shake their heads.
"Ain't worth acknowledgin', mate," Jasmine said. "Will fry yer brain."
(Confession Cam)
Izzy - "Owen told me about Max only once before. Said that he was pretty scary sometimes. Such villainy cannot be tolerated, even if he is related to my man by blood. Good thing we have a defender of justice like Super Donkey around!" /Cackles./
Max - "It is clear that I must remain on constant alert, even when I'm improving my evil craft at this school. Super Donkey is the greatest threat to my goal of global domination yet! Strange, though, that her presence seems to be made known any time I do anything to confront that imbecile I'm forced to recognize as my cousin..."
Owen - "Max never seems to like anything I do. I could never figure out why, though. I'm just trying to have some fun with my cousin. There can't be anything wrong with that. At least it's not so bad now that I know my hero Super Donkey will swoop in to save the day!"
"An' off we go!" Frances proclaimed.
She had pumped a fist high into the air in a victorious manner. This was despite the trolley having never once stopped, though it was likely because the data regarding which locations the students wanted to see had been collected. It may also be because she just wanted to do it as part of being the tour guide.
"Gonna be a bit 'fore we hit our first stop, so lemme talk a bit 'bout Académie de la Rose Blanche," Frances stated. "Tha ol' place been 'round for 'undreds of years. Exact foundin' kinda got lost in 'istory, same wit' exact location. Best figured was some time after 1540 and some where up North. It's undah'stood tha place was established ta bring ta'gethah Na'ives, Brits, and French peacefully. Truce aftah long time fightin', pro'bly years long, I's reckon. Some'in' 'bout tha spirits of tha land convincin' them all ta play nice or else."
"Yes," Dawn said. "The spirits were none too happy with all of the needless bloodshed."
"Ya one of them spirit-talkahs, lass?" Frances noted. She raised an amused brow at the other.
"I've been known to communicate with them whenever I'm fascinated.," Dawn replied.
"Yer gonna like this place, then," Frances said. She let out a light laugh and flicked the tip of her hat. "Already got ourselves a buncha folks like yerself."
"So I've heard," Dawn responded. "I look forward to meeting them."
"Quite," Frances uttered. She turned her attention back to everyone else. "Any ways, so as not'a piss off tha spirits any more than they pro'bly 'ave, tha place kept to itself from tha beginnin'. Buggered off in full ta avoid gettin' pulled inta tha Seven Years' War, so I've 'eard. Been supah secret evah since."
"Can't imagine there's a whole lotta people here, with that being the case," Trent noted.
"Think tha most we evah 'ad was 'round ten kay," Frances said. She brought up a hand and used her fingers to visually accentuate the numbers she spoke. "Couple swear been as 'igh as twenty, but nevah confirmed. Av'rage bein' two."
"So in a given year there's about two thousand," Bridgette surmised aloud. "Yeah, that's not that much for a city school."
"Meh," Bob grunted. It wasn't particularly loud, yet it got Frances' attention.
"Ah, 'ittin' our first point of int'rest, folks," Frances announced. "Some one must be all political an' such. We're comin' up on tha town 'all."
"Of course..." LeShawna muttered. She was quiet enough that Courtney would not have been able to hear despite directly shooting a condescending glare at that back of her head.
It took a few minutes before any one could finally see the town hall. Frances intentionally kept quiet for dramatic affect, grinning along the way. That's because what the twenty-four were imagining came nowhere close to being what was revealed before them.
"Holy sh-/censored/!" Lightning cried. "That's tha town hall?" For someone like him to voice this aloud certainly meant that it being regarded as impressive would be an understatement.
"Cor blimey, indeed," Frances said. She let out a giggle before continuing to speak. "This 'ere town 'all is 'bout five square miles, give or take."
"Five square miles?" Cameron uttered. Like the others, his jaw had dropped in absolute awe at the sight before him. "Seriously?"
"Serious as a 'eart-attack, mate," Frances responded. She giggled again. "Known as Palais Lamarque this one is. Like ta call it Lamarque fer short."
The palace was massive to say the least. Just from looking at the front, it was a multi-layered structure that was perhaps two thousand feet wide and five hundred feet high. That didn't take into account the unique designs that gave it the impression of being a series of different buildings housed together as one. Merely from an external view, the Gothic architecture would remind one of Notre Dame with the smooth carved pillars and the numerous gargoyles that were placed about. Even in the daytime, there appeared to be a light orange glow that lit the whole thing from the bottom up.
"My goodness..." Courtney exhaled. She leaned in seemingly for a closer look, even though it was unnecessary. "It's magnificent..."
"Every governmental branch under one giant roof," a voice proclaimed. It was sudden and unexpected, forcing most everyone to look around before finding the source approaching them. "In service of the people, of course."
Unique was the ideal word to describe the figure. Wearing the school uniform, but with the collar of the undershirt pulled up and the coat buttoned once at the bottom, itself tucked into a red sash belt that was tied and hung to the left. The coat opened all the way out to the tips of the shoulders to fully expose the fortunately clothed upper body with a red vest present. The hands covered in black leather gloves deep in the trouser pockets. Flaming red mullet-style hair that was stiff and stood upright with the unusual bonus of a ponytail that fell over the right shoulder. While not completely white, the complexion was certainly pale and unnaturally so. Blue eye paint covering the area from the top of each eye lid to the bottom of the thin black eyebrows managed to further enhance the heterochromia eyes below. The right being green and the left being brown. They wore a smile that looked as genuine as it did unearthly. The term genderfluid sprung immediately to mind.
"'ey there, Jareth," Frances called out. She gave a light wave to the approaching figure, who nodded in return.
"Conducting the grand tour I see, Frances?" Jareth noted. They had a voice that was both deep and light. A British accent that wasn't particularly strong, yet no less accidentally alluring. They walked in pace with the trolley without having to put too much effort.
"As grand as it'll be, guvnah," Frances answered. She let out a light laugh before turning back to the students aboard the trolley. "Lads and lasses, say 'alo ta Jareth. They be a shoe in ta be next year's mayor, mark my words. Oh, sorry. Student body president."
It was difficult for any of the twenty-four to imagine the last time they got hit with back-to-back visuals that left them as taken aback as they were with Palais Lamarque and mere minutes later with Jareth. Some, regardless of gender and their already being in relationships, struggled to keep their jaws closed and prevent any trace of drool to appear. Jareth seemed at ease with the looks they received, perhaps being used to having had this reaction to them enough times to be as nonchalant as they were.
"Confidence as reassuring as ever, dear Frances," Jareth commented. They let out a chuckle of their own and then looked over at the others. A few swore light shined off them for seconds, resulting in a glorious glow. "So, you must be the Total Drama crowd. Well, allow me the chance to do what others have done already and welcome you to Académie de la Rose Blanche." They managed to give an impressive bow while still walking and keeping pace.
"Oy!" Frances cried. "Ya lot did'na tell me yer them reality show kids! I's woulda made a bettah effort at makin' this 'ere tour special!"
"I'm sure your efforts have been greatly appreciated," Jareth said. A more amused chuckled escaped their lips. "It's why you get paid more than usual to conduct these tours, after all."
"An' 'ere I's thought it was me winnin' personality," Frances responded. She let out an amused giggle of her own.
"Who could resist?" Jareth remarked.
It was uncertain if the friendly banter between Jareth and Frances had come to an end or would have kept going. That was because someone decided to take this moment to introduce themselves to the new arrival. More of an attempt to break themselves out of being further charmed by the mere presence of the aspiring student body president.
"Pleasure to meet you, Jareth," Courtney squeaked. It was as sudden as her shooting a hand out toward them for a shake. Attempts at being composed having failed instantly the second she opened her smiling mouth. "Your career path is politics, then?"
"Something along the lines, I'm afraid," Jareth replied. They were calm and cordial, if not slightly amused still. Gently accepting her hand for a shake that lasted a few seconds and then releasing it. "Can I assume that is yours as well, my dear?"
Duncan was one of the few who wasn't exactly charmed by the presence of Jareth right off the bat. He was taken aback and a little in awe, but he nonetheless maintained his senses and, perhaps more importantly, his emotions. So he was not entirely fond of what he perceived to be this new arrival possibly hitting on his Princess. His arm that laid behind her shoulders slowly moved to take hold and pull her in towards him. Courtney didn't seem to register this was happening. If Jareth was mindful of his actions, they didn't show it.
"Yes," Courtney responded. Though it was more like she blurted out her answer. "Courtney."
"Honored to meet you, Courtney," Jareth said. They nodded their head in a slight bow. "Perhaps we will be seeing one another often, given our seemingly shared destinies."
"Are we done yet?" a voice suddenly called out. It wasn't hard to find that it belonged to a desperately disgruntled Heather. One of the other few to not be immediately charmed by the presence of Jareth, at least from the way she had crossed her arms and threw her nose in the opposite direction of them. "This is about as exciting as watching paint dry."
"Someone here not enjoying themselves, I see," Jareth noted.
They noticeably slowed their pace a bit until they were level with Heather's position. Duncan took this opportunity to pull Courtney in more swiftly. She did finally register what her punk boyfriend was doing, causing her to blush madly and squeeze her thighs rather tightly. Heather, on the other hand, was doing what she could to avoid making eye contact with Jareth. Allowing herself to only steal a glance or two in checking to see where they were.
"That's what happens when you're essentially here against your will," Heather commented.
"Though I imagine the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, do they not?" Jareth asked.
"Like I'll get any of those benefits favorably..." Heather scoffed. This seemingly amused the other enough that they let out a gentle laugh. She continued to look away from them.
"I will confess, even here they're not just going to be handed to you on a silver platter right from the start," Jareth stated.
"Oh, no," Heather growled. Against her better judgment, she turned to fully face them. She tried to look as stern and determined as possible. "Don't give me that crap about how it takes hard work and dedication to get what I want around here. It's a buncha bull and you know it."
"And I won't," Jareth responded. Another chuckle escaping their lips. "I am, however, curious about your disinterest in at least giving some effort into taking advantage of an opportunity millions would kill for."
"What, so you can spin whatever answer I give into some kinda campaign promise towards becoming student body president or something?" Heather questioned. There was obvious sarcasm in her voice that was accompanied by a disbelieving brow being raised.
"I'm apparently a shoe in, as dear Frances just said, so I imagine I don't need to make any more campaign promises to secure the position," Jareth noted. Then they really looked her in the eyes. "No, I really am interested in your plight. You're probably the first I've met to ever actively want to not be here. It intrigues me."
Now Heather was taken aback. Practically lost for words. A sense of anxiety slowly overcoming her. Looking to find something, anything about them that was disingenuous. A trace of hidden malice that she herself had been perfecting for years. She was having trouble finding anything. This bothered her immensely.
"Jareth!" a voice called out. Everyone looked over to see that it belonged to one of the two bodies that were before what was perhaps the front doors of Palais Lamarque. Probably the one that was waving.
"Duty calls," Jareth sighed. Their pace slowing down again in preparation to depart. "I return you to Frances' charge. May we all meet again." They pulled out a hand to wave with two fingers pressed together and smiled. Seconds later, they turned on their heel and walked away from the trolley toward the palace building.
"Don't hold your breath..." Heather muttered. She did everything she could to keep her voice down so that the others wouldn't hear. Slightly shrinking into her knees she had pulled up and held against her upper body.
"Latah, Jareth!" Frances called back. She returned her attention to the twenty-four seated before her. "Charmin' they be. Now then, where was I's? Ah, som'ore 'bout Lamarque."
(Confession Cam)
Courtney - "Wow! That Jareth is... Wow! Their mannerisms, how they speak. I can easily believe they're a shoe in for student body president, or however politics is down here." /Pauses and sheepishly taps fingers together./ "Hopefully Duncan doesn't take my interacting with them the wrong way. I appreciate his being protective of me and our relationship. I just don't want him doing something that would be too troublesome for the both of us."
Duncan - "I don't care if you're male, female, sexless, tall, short, fat, skinny, human, animal, alien, ghost, machine, or deity. Try to make a move on Princess, I cave your goddamned skull in and use it as a commode."
Heather - "I am hating this place more and more. And I've only been here three days." /Shudders./ "That sexless freak of nature... I'm staying as far away from them as I can help it. I don't like them. No doubt. None whatsoever." /Frantically shakes head./
"Most tend ta not stay 'ere all that long," Frances stated. "Fairly barren, as ya can see. But it bein' a temperate savanna as opposed ta bein' a Montane savanna, given were supposed ta be somewhere North, make it an interestin' place ta study fer some folks."
The trolley was passing by the vast landscape the tour guide was describing. A bit of an anomaly amongst the vibrancy that seemed to otherwise encompass the entirety of what was White Rose Academy. It wasn't hard to imagine who of the twenty-four was interested in the nearly desolate scenery before them.
"What about tha wildlife?" Jasmine asked. Her attention was fixed between looking out at the savanna and listening to whatever Frances said. "Do they get by alright?"
"Do'na see 'em often, but they're out there managin' okay, as I's 'ear it," Frances answered. Giving out a shrug as she spoke. "Caught sight of a few wallabies, I's did."
"Okay, so there's furry little rodents roaming around in the open," Heather scoffed. She very much wanted to get off the trolley and out of here with any semblance of expediency as could be possible. "Can we move along?" She flinched upon Jasmine suddenly hovering over her with an expression that was as far from amused as imaginable.
"You know this moves kinda slow, right dudette?" Geoff noted. He scratched the back of his head underneath his hat. "Can't just 'move along' like that."
"You could probably keep pace with this trolley walking next to it," Harold added. An observation that seemingly provided inspiration for someone else.
"Would you have a problem if I jog alongside for a bit?" Sky asked Frances. She raised her hand a little out of habit. "You know, stretch my legs a little?"
"Fine by me, lass," Frances replied. She let out another shrug. "Yer not tha first ta do so and pro'bly won't be tha last."
"Thanks," Sky said. She was just about to hop out of the trolley when someone decided to express apparent resentment at her actions.
"Oh, no you don't," Lightning proclaimed. He practically stood right up and looked accusingly at the aspiring Olympian. "You ain't showin' up tha Lightning!"
"Geez, I'm only gonna jog for a bit," Sky responded. She rolled her eyes in disbelief at this guy trying to seemingly call her out for jogging. "Not like I'm in a marathon or anything."
"Then you best not sho' up, midget!" Lightning retorted. He leaped out of the trolley and began jogging, not really caring to keep pace with the slow moving vehicle. "Cause yer about to be sha-embarrassed by tha Lightning!"
"Ugh," Sky groaned. She was about to contemplate what to do now that this idiot was turning her simple jog into some sort of competition when she heard snickering. She looked over to see that it was coming from the tour guide.
"So ya wanna race, do ya?" Frances asked. A mischievous grin forming on her face. "Tell ya what, tha place we're goin' ta get yer food is a ways up. First one there ta get 'em wins."
"Now that's more like it!" Lightning stated. He thumped his chest and began to pick up speed. "Y'all watch! Tha Lightning gonna smoke the wannabe Olympian without breaking a sweat!" Without hesitation, he took off running.
Sky was utterly dumbfounded. Still seated in the trolley, having yet to even step off for the intended jog, watching the figure of the moron disappear into the distance ahead. It took another minute or two before she looked around. Most everyone else were just as perplexed as she was. Those who were familiar with Lightning, though, sighed and shook their heads. Frances was on the verge of a hearty laugh.
"An' 'ere I's thought I's 'ad'a work 'im up a lil'," the tour guide said. She laughed a little more before managing to ease herself down to speak clearly. "Several miles up be tha big ol' eatin' district. 'undreds of eateries there be. 'e do'na know which place ta go ta."
"You were gonna send 'em runnin' without tell 'em any of that?" LeShawna asked. She didn't know if she should be appalled or amused.
"Nah!" Frances responded. Waving her hand as she spoke and giggled. "I's woulda sent 'em off wit' one of them riddles I picked up from folks I's know. But 'im takin' off runnin' like that was bettah than I's coulda done." She let out a snort before turning to Sky. "Mind pickin' up tha food if I's tell ya where ta go? Figured ya be up fer it fer gettin' 'im off yer back."
"Sure," Sky answered. She wasn't sure if she should be as entertained as she was feeling from this strange turn of events. She instead shook her head. "Where am I going?"
"Dawkins Pub," Frances replied. "It's furthah in tha centah of tha district. What's more, ya gotta say some'in' particular at tha door. Special pass-code, as it were. They're usually not open til evenin', but they make an exception fer me. Savvy?"
(Confession Cam)
Geoff - "I kinda don't know what that Frances chick says half the time, but it all sounds pretty cool to me. Totally knows her way around and everythin', like managin' to get grub when they're not open and all. Ya don't meet folks like that any more, ya know what I mean?"
LeShawna - "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Frances girl was one of them street urchins before comin' here. I've met some and she fits tha bill in a lotta places. Very curious to know how she got here."
Cameron - "Frances is quite the character, don't you think? Never seen any one buzzing around with the kind of energy she has. Quick witted, too. I wonder what she's aspiring to be? And why would she take up being a tour guide for extra coin?"
Sky slowed from jogging to a walk as she entered what Frances had simply described as the eating district. And it was clear that the tour guide was not kidding with how abundant and diverse the eateries were. From the fanciest of fancy restaurants to fast food joints to desert pop ups to international saloons. If Sky had to figure, it would probably take a month or so to sample each and every establishment present.
She didn't have to move too far to locate Lightning. The competitive jock appeared to be engaging in quite the argument with someone, a manager perhaps, at what was probably a sit-down pizzeria. No doubt confident that this was the place to retrieve the food for Frances and the others. Sky kept walking, not bothering to stop. She could hear him plenty enough as it was.
"Tha Lightning is pickin' up food for tha trolley," Lighting proclaimed. It seemed he was not taking the news that he was at the wrong place all that well. "You best believe this is tha place tha sha-food is bein' picked up from. So you best hand over them pizzas."
Sky did what she could to avoid being caught in Lightning's line of sight. She did not want to get mixed up in his stupid competition any more than could be helped. So she continued onward. Taking another fifteen minutes of walking at a casual pace, taking in and examining all that surrounded her. She figured it was best to have some idea of where one was either going or wanted to eat when coming here. There was just way too many unique and intriguing places to consider.
She came upon her destination. Given that it was not open during the day, Dawkins Pub looked as though it was the exterior corner of a building that housed a different establishment. She imagined that it would be a wholly different display when it was properly open in the evening. It required further investigation to locate the door, painted the same color as the walls. With a deep breath, she knocked a few times and waited. A slit suddenly appeared with a pair of eyes looking through them. Taking a couple seconds before looking down on her.
"We're closed," a voice spoke. It was gruff, only slightly muffled from being on the other side of the door. And it had a thick British accent, possibly an older male.
"Once the villain, you're a villain to the end," Sky said. She spoke rather quickly so that she could be heard before the slit closed. There was a pause before she got a response.
"Your light fingers," the voice said.
"Your inspiration," Sky said in return. She received a grunt of a chuckle.
"So you're with Franny's tour, eh?" the voice noted. It was still gruff and thick, but it seemed to be somewhat more hearty than before. "Hang tight, lass. I'll have your food out in a tick." With that, the slit closed.
Having to take the voice's word for it, Sky sighed and leaned up against the wall to the side of the almost invisible door frame. She took a minute to resume looking around. Chances were that the area was sure to be more vibrant and alive, as it were, at night. Only two or three nearby establishments seemed to be operating during the day.
She noted one that looked to be the fanciest restaurant seen to date. Certainly with the service dressed in a full tuxedo, of all types of clothing to wear. And yet that wasn't what was attracting her interest. Rather it was the pair of customers that were seemingly waiting to be seated. They were wearing the school uniforms. Only they were not Navy blue. They were white.
The door beside her opened suddenly. A large, burly arm emerged and placed down two bags onto the ground. The arm retreated back in and the door closed. Sky looked down and took a quick look at the contents within the bags. Each bag containing fifteen boxes of an equal, small size. One bag had a green sticker upon the boxes, the other having a brown sticker. The slit on the door opened once more and the eyes looked back down upon her.
"Tell Franny to not worry about a tab," the voice said. "She's covered. For now." The slit then closed, probably for good until evening time.
"Thanks!" Sky called out. Not worried about getting a response, she proceeded to grab the bags and carry them away. When she looked back up, she noticed the pair she thought she had seen in white school uniforms were no longer present. She didn't let that worry her either and walked off.
While the bags were far from heavy, she doubted that she could comfortably jog while carrying them. It was going to have to be a walk back to the trolley. Fortunately, it was heading in her direction, so the distance would be closing as she approached. At least, that was what she was thinking about before she heard a voice that made her remember that she wasn't the only one that had been sent off to retrieve the food.
"Pee King Duck my ass!" Lightning hollered. "We better have had Kung Fu Chicken waitin' for tha Lightning!" He was now engaged in an argument with the staff at a Chinese-focused restaurant. And it was turning into quite the scene as a fairly large chef with a fairly large knife was about to jump in.
Part of Sky really wanted to just take off right then and there. Leave Lightning to whatever disaster was surely about to befall him. However, it didn't overwhelm her the way the other part did. The part that championed reason. Reason being that if she didn't get Lightning out of there, it was bound to create consequences for everyone else.
Sky begrudgingly let out a very loud whistle. More than loud enough to catch Lightning's attention, among others. The jock turned and caught sight of her. Which also meant he caught sight of the bags she was carrying. Causing his jaw to drop in disbelief. Sky merely looked back at him with her eyes furrowed. Waiting for him to get the message and head on over to her before he troubled any one else worse than he probably had by then. It took a minute before he finally snapped out of his stunned paralysis and walked toward her. Not bothering to apologize to the unhappy restaurant staff he had been annoying moments ago.
"I apologize for the inconvenience this idiot caused to you all!" Sky yelled. She had closed her eyes and let out a very unhappy exhale before speaking. "He was in such a hurry that he neglected to find out where the hell he was supposed to pick up our food!"
She opened her eyes, which allowed her to see that Lightning was in a huff. No doubt over her calling him out the way she did. She did manage to see that, at the very least, the restaurant staff seemed content enough to accept her apology. Figuring that was probably going to be the best form of satisfaction she would receive at the moment, she turned her focus back to Lightning. The jock coming to a stop less than a foot away from her.
"You cheated," he stated. He clearly wasn't going to be persuaded to believe otherwise.
"This is not a game, moron," Sky retorted. She spoke through clenched teeth and her furrowed eyes were more pronounced than before. She didn't bother to wait for his response, having turned on her heel immediately to march toward the trolley.
"Of course it's not a game!" Lightning yelled back. It took him a few seconds before he walked after her. "It's a race! And you cheated, midget!"
"I'm talking about our being here, dumbass!" Sky returned. She only glanced over her shoulder long enough that Lightning had hopefully registered the disdain on her face. "This is not some competition like it was back on the damned islands!"
"Then why is tha Lightning here if not to compete?" Lightning responded. Speaking as though this was supposed to be a universally accepted fact. "Tha Lightning will do nothin' less than win the whole sha-bang!"
"So you've said countless times like a broken record!" Sky yelled back. Her frustration level was boiling over. "I don't know why we're here, other than that Chris figured it would be funny for him to put us through this! I'm not questioning it now because it's an opportunity to fulfill my dream future that I wouldn't dare pass up! But it's for the future, not the present! You, on the other hand, I can't fathom why you're so determined to turn everything into some sort of game that you're willing to jeopardize everyone else's opportunities and possible enjoyment just so you can say you won right now!"
"That's right!" Lighting proclaimed. "Nothin' is gonna stop tha Lightning from winning! Not you! Not yo' cheatin'! Not tha midget who cheated to win our show! Not even this so-called school! Tha Lightning will win no matter what!"
It was fortunate for Sky that she had a split second to register that the bags in her hands were not to be thrown down. She would have done so as she stopped dead in her tracks, tilted her head up, and unleashed a furious scream that made Lightning jump back in terror. The scream lasted roughly half a minute, the echo lasting twice as long. She remained standing for a moment, seething as she tried to calm herself down. Lightning was extremely unsure what to do and just stayed back, contorted in a way that looked as though he was trying to cover half of himself. Soon, Sky let out a huge exhale and continued walking.
"You try to turn any little thing I do into some stupid competition between us again, I will beat your ass into a pulp!" Sky stated. It was stern and it was heated. "Do you understand?" She kept walking away. Not bothering to turn to see how badly she had intimidated him.
(Confession Cam)
Lightning - /Is visibly shaken./ "Tha-That midget thinks she can intimidate tha Lightning? She got another thin' comin'. Yeah right she can beat tha Lightning's ass to a pulp. Ain't no way she gonna get away with that." /Nervously taps foot with increasing speed./
Jasmine - "Now I'm really concerned fer Sky. Whatevah 'appened between 'er an' this Lightnin' fella... Must'a shook 'er up real bad, ya know. An' wit' 'er still tryin' ta move on from tha 'ol Dave thin'... It's worrin', mate."
Sky - /Stares into the distance to one side, sniffs./ "I don't think I know what I'm doing anymore. I should be focused on achieving my dream of being in the Olympics and I'm at a place that will help me realize it. Yet when it seems like everything is going fine... someone pushes my buttons just enough to..." /Buries face in hands and groans. Pauses before looking up to camera./ "... Was signing up for Total Drama a mistake?"
Sky barely ate any of her food. She pretty much resigned herself to slouching in her seat, staring into the void, looking exhausted and upset. Shawn and Jasmine were concerned enough about her that they moved to be directly behind her. Waiting for when she might be in need of comfort. Lightning sat as far back as possible on the trolley, roughly near Heather. While he sat straight with his arms crossed over his chest and his nose held high, those who were willing to look closely could tell he was shaken.
The recognition of the foul mood Sky was in left everyone to eat in relative silence. Some with an inkling of worry that Shawn and Jasmine had. Otherwise, it was understood to do what could be done to let the atmosphere cool. Though it seemed Frances was willing to sneak in a couple silly faces that nearly made Cameron laugh when he happened to be looking in her direction. This didn't go unnoticed by LeShawna.
It was a while before it was felt that things were calm enough for Frances to resume her duties as tour guide. The point that seemingly woke a portion of the others to be fully alert and in awe was the entertainment district. By now, they all would surely have expected it to be so huge to essentially be a metropolis in its own right. But that didn't make it any less of a location to marvel at seeing for the first time.
"We call tha 'ol thin' tha ABC," Frances explained. "That's because tha Northern-most area is Alexandra, Central-most is Barbican, an' Southern-most is Claude-Michel. So Alexandra, Barbican, Claude-Michel becomes ABC. We're proud of ourselves fer that." She let out a giggle, not really caring if a couple folks were rolling their eyes. "Any ways, we'll be goin' down tha line 'ere. Alexandra is where stuff like music an' games an' tha like are done."
"Oh, how wonderful!" Ella cheered. She immediately began leaning as far out of the trolley as she was willing to get a better look at her surroundings. Gwen wore an amused grin seeing her cousin so excited and then giving her beau a shrug. Trent shook his head before he himself leaned out, though only slightly, to get his own view.
"Games, huh?" Dakota noted. Letting out a giggle as she gave her boyfriend a gentle nudge. "Guess you'll be spending a lotta time here, sweetie."
"I guess so," Sam responded. He let out a chuckle before he yielded to his girlfriend's nudging and leaned out for a look.
"Oh, go on now, sugah," LeShawna said. Speaking to her boy with a light laugh. "You know you wanna look, too." She fell back as much as her seat would allow so that Harold could lean over her to see what some of the others were seeing.
"Groovy..." Beardo uttered. Saying aloud one of the many words everyone else was thinking to describe the sight before them all.
Calling the scenery colorful would be a bit of an understatement. It was an assault on the eyes, if one were not careful. The psychedelic nature of everything would surely leave many feeling dizzy should they try to stare too long to comprehend meaning on a surface level. A unique approach to the mixture and usage of the rainbow coloring effect that resulted in a dazzling display that changed perception of light. All the while the trees and shrubberies managed to blend in just right from any and every angle. The structures were hardly straight, looking instead like they had grown from out of the ground rather than having been constructed. And this was just the appearance of the landscape.
It was like there had to be a soundtrack that forever played when out and about. A soothing rhythm that was relaxing as it was exotic given the riffs of an electric guitar echoing all around. More over, it seemed to add to the visual ambiance, almost in that it could change the perception of how the whole place looked and even felt. Perhaps the most surprising thing was that the few people walking around in the school uniforms somehow did not seem all that out of place. Almost like they managed to bleed in with their surroundings.
"Oh my," Ella exclaimed. She was taken aback, though not quite as much as might have figured. "This is all so lively."
"Far out, man..." Beardo said breathlessly.
"Indeed," Harold agreed.
"Staci, quick!" Max cried. He appeared to be in a state of panic. "The black out oculars! If I don't wear them soon, I will regurgitate everything I ate over the last three days!"
"Remember what the dormouse said," Izzy stated. Speaking in a dream-like fashion not unlike Dawn. "Feed your head." Given that it was Izzy speaking, no one was really sure if she was just being herself or not.
"A remarkable place, truly," Dawn commented. This was despite her eyes being closed. Though no one was really paying attention to her. If they did, they would have noticed she was hovering a foot above her seat in a meditative state with her sweater seemingly fading in and out of different colors every minute or so.
"You doing alright there, babe?" Trent asked Gwen. He looked over his shoulder to get a good look at his goth girlfriend. She was using a hand to obscure her vision enough to keep the visual assault at a minimum.
"I'll be fine," Gwen answered. There was uncertainty if she was trying to convince Trent this was the case or if she was trying to convince herself.
"It's why I's keep these 'andy," Frances proclaimed. Those who looked caught sight of her pulling out sunglasses from a breast pocket on her coat. Putting them on while wearing an amused grin.
"I can see why this would be the place for games," Sam chuckled. Dakota was the first to quickly notice that he wasn't exactly looking at the landscape in full. Rather, he was looking in awe at the clouds above. "Bet that's a really cool version of Pac-Man up there."
Dakota and the few others who were willing to look saw what Sam was seeing. The clouds themselves were moving. Much faster than they would naturally. Shapes that seemed to move along under some form of command. It really did look like a game of Pac-Man was occurring up above. Leading those who were seeing to wonder if this could only be viewed from within Alexandra or if it could be watched elsewhere in the school.
"Can we please get the hell outta here?" Heather demanded. She had buried her face into her knees, which she was holding up against her upper body. "I don't want to end up with a migraine before nightfall!"
"Just 'ang in there, lass," Frances responded. She giggled in amusement. "We'll be outta 'ere before long. I's promise."
It was a promise that was kept. It just took a good long while, given how slow the trolley moved. But eventually, the psychedelic atmosphere of Alexandra was behind them. Many let out huge sighs of relief, their senses no longer being overwhelmed. Though Ezekiel hopped off for a minute to hurl into the first trash can he saw.
"Give ya lot a tick to recovah," Frances announced. She was in a jolly state watching some groan and moan until they could relax. She only waited around five minutes before she spoke again. "So any ways, we be enterin' Barbican. This 'ere be all tha theatres an' film an' TV an' tha like. Not as colorful as Alexandra, mind ya, but it be more alive at night."
Whereas Alexandra seemed to pop from an explosion of colors, Barbican popped in exhibition. Advertising would be the theme upon first impression, each establishment announcing and presenting nearly in full what was happening within. Be it the plays and musicals running in the theatres or that something was being filmed inside a huge enclosed sound stage. There was always something was being promoted in a way that was meant to grab attention. One could only imagine how much more vibrant it all looked at dusk.
"This is all so delightful!" Ella cheered. She was practically singing as she hung from the side of the trolley to get a better look. "Such fantastic sights to behold!"
"I'm sure you'll get plenty of chances to see them all," Gwen noted. She allowed herself to again let out an amused light laugh over how her cousin was taking everything in.
"Oh, but we must!" Ella responded. The sing-song voice now becoming more prominent. "I'm yearning for the extraordinary spectacles they will surely perform!"
"I bet they make all kinda cool spectacles in that one!" Izzy proclaimed. She pointed out what was perhaps the largest of sound stages seen. "I bet they can film big ol' pirate ship battles in that bad boy! We probably coulda fit my giant monkey co-star in there no problem."
"Giant monkey co-star?" Cameron asked. He wasn't the only one raising a perplexed brow.
"Didn't you know?" Owen asked. There was excitement in his voice at getting to talk about this, it seemed. "Izzy got to, like, make three different movies after our show ended. It was so awesome to see her do!"
"But it's only been a couple months since," Bridgette noted. "And one of them had a giant monkey in it? Surely these were small productions to make three of them in a couple months."
"No way, José!" Izzy stated. She shook her head while a wicked grin formed on her lips. "In addition to that giant monkey movie, I did an awesome samurai-style revenge flick and I got to make a pretty hefty musical. I coulda lined up another five if I hadn't been comin' here."
"That's remarkable," Cameron said. Despite his confusion at how it was that someone could make three completely different types of films in a couple months, he was nonetheless impressed.
"A musical?" Ella gasped. She was practically squealing with excitement as she leaned over as close to Izzy as her seat would allow. "Oh please, tell me all about it! Did you sing through the whole production? Was the romantic piece enchanting?"
Frances seemed content to hang back and not say anything for a while. Amused at hearing Izzy regale Ella with her behind-the-scenes stories of her making three films over the past couple months. She wasn't the only one. Ella's joyfulness appeared to have had an affect on Sky. Her melancholy washing away with each perky jubilation expressed by the apparent fairy tale princess. It was enough to make her form a small smile and let out a light laugh.
Ella remained enthralled with Izzy's storytelling long enough for the trolley to had seemingly pass through what was Barbican. Most, like Duncan, would rather not hear anything coming out of the crazy girl's mouth. But she made it very difficult for everyone to zone her out and found that they instead were focused on listening in. Which managed to slip out of her talking about the three films she supposedly made the past couple of months and somehow transitioned seamlessly into a wholly unrelated anecdote.
"So the Englishman says, 'I do it for the Queen', and jumps out the window," Izzy stated. She added an accent went speaking a specific role. Ella was enraptured with anticipation over what she was hearing. "And the Scotsman says, 'I do it for my country', and stabs himself in the head with a pair of scissors. And the Irishman says-"
"'eads up, lads and lasses," Frances announced. A simple interruption that was surprisingly effective in getting Izzy to drop her anecdote completely and for Ella to instantly forget what she had been listening to. "We be comin' up on Claude-Michel. This be tha more artistic of tha ABC, as it were. Galleries an' museums, but also modelin' an' tha like."
If Alexandra was psychedelic and Barbican was elegant, then Claude-Michel was voguish. The whole of the area was all about style. Be it how everything was designed to how they were displayed to how even the smallest of things were interacted with. The emphasis was on how it looked, and to a lesser extent whether or not it was chic and fashionable. Somehow, it all managed to come together without clashing, offering a visual presentation that was instantly attention-grabbing and very impressionable.
"Whoa..." Geoff uttered. He was among some who were taken aback with what they were seeing. "This is... somethin', bra..."
"I d'oon't kn'oo what I'm l'ookin' at, eh," Ezekiel commented. Scratching the back of his head underneath his toque and looking very dumbfounded. "I w'oodn't wanna be l'oost here either. I w'oodn't kn'oo where t'oo g'oo."
"It's like everyone here are already walkers, but they just don't know it yet," Shawn noted. "Everything just looks so... stiff."
"I may not connect to it on a personal level," Harold said. "But there is no denying that it is all rather impressive."
"Unfortunately..." LeShawna sighed. She clearly wasn't a fan either, but felt she had to admit being in agreement with her boy.
"Does hit me with some inspiration, though," Gwen said. The only expressive feature she displayed being a raised brow. "Probably why art galleries are here, too. And they don't seem to mind if what's displayed is way out there."
"Sounds like you're hitting the sketchbook the second we get back, babe," Trent noted. He let out a playful chuckle.
"Afraid so," Gwen responded. She lightly tapped the side of her head. "Gotta a whole lotta ideas flowing up top I'm now itching to put down on paper."
Dakota had her attention focused more on Sam than her surroundings. Mixed feelings beginning to fill her. Before the show, before Sam, she would have been all over being in a place like Claude-Michel. The ABC as a whole, but Claude-Michel seemed to tug at her desires slightly more. Now, though, she was very unsure. The dream of a past self she was afraid of being again, even if Sam had said he liked her no matter what. He seemed to take the area with some curiosity. Nothing dismissive, though nothing that left him engrossed.
"Hey, is that who I think it is?" a voice asked.
It was soft, feminine, nearly at the level of a whisper. A level in which no one on the trolley should be able to pick up on. The exception being Dakota. Thanks to the mutagens enhancing her hearing, even when in normal form.
"Maybe," a second voice answered. It was also feminine. "I mean, the green and orange kinda throws it off, but it does look like Dakota Milton."
As Dakota suspected, they were talking about her. She didn't know how to take it at the moment. But curiosity would get the better of her. She risked glancing over, trying not to appear as though she was listening in. Though she had never been all that good before at being stealthy. Several yards away sat two girls and a boy. All three looking as though they were crafting some clothes. None of them really paying any more attention to her at the moment, as it were.
"Heard something happened to her when she was on that show over the summer," the first female said. "The one on the island? Maybe that's why she's green and orange."
"You know what sucks?" the second female questioned. "That she's still not too shabby looking. Even with the green and orange. Must have good genetics to pull it off."
Dakota raised a hand to brush her hair over her ear shyly. She still wasn't sure if she was fond of this kind of attention any more. But she did like that she apparently remained good looking. Sam was right about that. The knowledge causing her to squeeze his hand gently. He noticed. They managed to turn to one another at the same time smiling.
"Heard something else about her," the boy said. Chiming in for the first time. "Apparently she hooked up with some geeky boy."
Dakota darkened. Sam noticed this. Recognizing that something bothered her, though he hadn't figured out what. He coughed and seemingly hoped to make some attempt at diverting her attention quickly. He wasn't quick enough.
"Really?" the first female responded. "Huh. Guess something real bad must've happened to her to do that. Her social media posts beforehand made it seem like she had no interest in hooking up with anyone until she made it big or something."
"And a geeky guy?" the second female questioned. "I would've thought they were so far beneath her to even consider."
"Maybe it's just a phase," the boy said. "I bet she only hooked up with him because of what was happening on the island. And when she sees someone as good-looking as me, she'll drop him in an instant." He let out a hearty laugh. This was making Dakota's blood boil.
"Well, of course next to some geeky boy, you would be drop dead gorgeous," the first female noted. She too would let out a hearty laugh. "I mean, she has to know how damaging to her imagine it is to be in a relationship with any one of such ilk."
"Seriously," the second female agreed. "They offer her nothing of value and she inches one step closer to dropping off the map by becoming some pathetic house wife. Mark my words."
"That's a undeniable fact," the boy stated. "At least by hooking up with me, she'd maintain a glamorous lifestyle through my clothing."
Sam had finally figured out a way to distract Dakota's attention from whatever it was that bothered her. Asking her advice on fashion worked out alright back on the island. Might as well use it here. He turned only to find that she was no longer in the trolley. He only had to look up slight to see her marching toward three people who seemed to be laughing about. And she was transforming at rapid speed.
"Uh oh..." Sam uttered.
The three teenagers were deeply caught up in their laughter, failing to realize someone approaching them until a growing shadow fell over them. They looked over and immediately blanched in terror. For a second, they thought they were seeing Dakota Milton, who was impossibly growing in height. Uncertainty overcame them when spikes began to protrude from the arms and razor-sharp claws extended out. The monstrosity before them snarling and fully enraged. The claws slamming down upon the clothing they were crafting, instantly destroying them. That was the least of their concerns.
"INSULT SAM AGAIN, TEAR STOMACHS OPEN!" the beast growled. "UNDERSTAND?"
It didn't take too long before everyone else on the trolley caught sight of what Sam was seeing. Heather squeaked in terror and tried to hide under her seat right away. Lightning hung to the side to try to hide from sight behind his seat. Ezekiel curled up and pulled his toque down over his eyes as he shivered. Most forgot that this was the first time Frances, or any other person beside them for that matter, beheld Dakotazoid.
"Cor blimey..." Frances whispered. She was paralyzed with dread.
The three Dakotazoid loomed over went through various stages of terror. The sudden smell of urine ignored while the girls whimpered and the boy working his way into letting out a high pitched whine. A full minute of this was apparently not satisfactory for Dakotazoid. She swiped both claws in a tearing motion. This not only turned the crafted clothes into several mangled pieces of useless cloth, it sliced in half the table they were on. Both pieces swiftly tossed aside and smashing into multiple pieces.
"UNDERSTAND BITCHES?" Dakotazoid roared.
The three gave out the most horrified screams imaginable. It lasted a good couple of minutes, the echoes left behind for a lot longer. Dakotazoid stayed hovering above them for a moment, the red slit irises over the yellow eyeballs burned a most furious fire. The snorting and snarling getting heavier and more aggressive. Satisfaction was apparently reached as she let out one more snort before swiftly turning and marching toward the trolley.
She walked beside the trolley upon reaching it, at level with where Sam was positioned. Turning her head to look back at the three fallen teens. A look that told them to dare not test her. Their crying over themselves made it clear that there would be no danger of them even thinking about insulting Sam ever again. She kept her eyes on them as she walked until seemingly turning around a corner and out of view. She turned her head to a waiting Sam. He was doing his best to give her a reassuring smile.
"DON'T LIKE SAM INSULTED!" Dakotazoid stated. A surprisingly saddened tone despite still being in a monstrous form. It was further bolstered with her becoming crestfallen.
"You don't have to worry, babe," Sam said. He let out a light chuckle. "I'm certain they won't insult me again. You made sure of that." He leaned over a bit so that could reach out and stroke her cheek with a hand.
Dakotazoid smiled and brought a clawed up to gentle hold over his. Not really paying attention to her undergoing the process of transforming back. A moment later, his hand had turned to clasp her wrist and pulled her toward him with whatever gentle strength was had. She allowed herself to be pulled into the trolley and landed upon him. Her transformation complete as she buried herself into his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around her. She started sobbing.
"You're the sweetest boyfriend in the world," Dakota murmured.
"And you're the most awesome girlfriend ever," Sam responded. The gentleness in his voice enough to make her smile, albeit weakly.
No one else on the trolley dared to say anything to dispel the moment between the lovers. The only noises heard being the squeaks the vehicle made in motion and Dakota continuing to sob. Everyone was otherwise watching in silence. Letting it last for a good long while.
(Confession Cam)
Dakota - /Wipes away tears./ "Why can't these ass-/censored/ leave Sam alone? He doesn't do anything to warrant being picked on the way he does. I mean, he's such the sweetest guy. How the hell does being in a relationship with him damage my image, any way?" /Sniffles and wipes away tears again./ "F-/censored/ these motherf-/censored/-ers!"
Sam - "It really bums me out whenever Dakota gets sad, you know. She's, like, the coolest person alive. She should be happy all the time." /Pauses and sighs./ "I guess I'm so used to other people belittling me that I kinda managed to not be bothered by them any more. But they're bothering her instead. That's awful, man."
Bridgette - "That poor girl. I'm pretty sure each one of us can talk about having endured horrible things on the shows. I still get sick thinking about skunks. But I can't imagine any one who could possibly have had it worse than Dakota. Her situation is so sad."
It took a while for the atmosphere to settle enough that the tour guide could continue proper. Stops such as the sporting district and the beach garnered attention from those interested in them. Otherwise, it seemed things were going to remain mostly quiet from everyone through the remainder of the tour. Emotionally exhausted by some of the events that had taken place over the last few hours. They were all ready to go back to Rue Plumet They just had to get through what was hoped to be the last area to tour as dusk was on the verge of setting.
"Burgess Garden Park is where ya go ta clear yer 'ead and be at peace," Frances announced. "Twenty square miles of green an' nature."
"Barf..." Heather muttered. The stern looks were no longer working in getting her to shut it. So it was left to LeShawna to smack her on the back of the head. Heather merely grumbled in displeasure before going quiet as requested.
Burgess Garden Park was not just entirely green and nature. There were impressive statues and water fountains spaced in a way that each one was regarded as unique features within their locations. The scattered forest trees managed to give an air of calm and relaxation just by looking at them. Laying beneath any one of them resulting in euphoric harmony. Very little in the ways of sound to disrupt the peace, save for the occasional chirping of birds. At the center was a charming pond that offered tranquility unfounded elsewhere, bolstered by the inclusion of a singular massive willow tree sprouting from a small, lonely island. This one, in particular, drew curious attention.
"Legend bein' tha willow tree was among tha first additions when tha school was first established," Frances proclaimed. She made sure to point specifically to the massive tree in the middle of the pond. "Planted by tha Na'ives to personify growth, so I's 'eard before. As ya can see, it's been grown' alright. Actually 'asn't stopped since."
"I imagine it's a very strong tree to be able to continue growing given the conditions that surround it," Courtney mused aloud. Like some of the others, she was looking out at the willow tree with impressive awe.
"It's important to the spirits of the land," a voice stated. "That is why it is strong."
A good number of folks jumped in surprise upon hearing the feminine voice, given that it was coming from within the trolley. A couple flinched in further surprise seeing that the source of the voice had seemingly appeared out of thin air before them. Seated next to Dawn was a young woman with light skin, long black hair, a blue kimono with red edgings and belt, and, most notably, a dark red sash that completely covered her eyes.
"Oy!" Frances cried. It was more in annoyance than disbelief. "I's thought I's asked ya ta lemme know if yer gonna haunt my tour so I's can help ya."
"Gomen nasai, Frances-chan," the new arrival said. Her speaking in Japanese further bolstered by her sweet and light accent. "My presence was unexpected, even for me."
"Sure it was," Frances responded. Though she rolled her eyes, she nevertheless gave out a light laugh. Then turned her attention to everyone else. "Meet Megumi. She do'na seem ta mind bein' called Blind Meg, though."
"It is what it is," Blind Meg said. She appeared to be sitting on her knees upon the seat she was in. An interesting visual paired with Dawn in her cross-legged meditative state.
"If ya 'ad'na guessed, she be one of them spirit-talkahs, like yer friend 'ere," Frances added. She nodded her head at Dawn. There was an unexpected moment of silence. Unexpected in that there was an expectation that either Dawn or Blind Meg would introduce themselves to one another. Which seemed to not be happening.
"Aren't y'oo g'oona intr'ood'ooce yerself, Dawn?" Ezekiel asked. He was quite curious about why there was silence between them.
"As I's 'ear it, they be talkin' as we speak," Frances stated. This caused many, Ezekiel in particular, to look at Dawn and Blind Meg with curious brows raised. Not quite certain how to take what they were just told.
Dawn opened her eyes. A blue glow emerging out for a few seconds. And then her vision cleared.
While it was not her first trip to the spirit realm, it was the first within the lands of White Rose Academy. A dark mist of blue and purple all around. White glowing outlines of moving shapes passing through. Among them fish that seemed to be swimming in the air and deer grazing sporadically. Not too far off, the green glowing outlines of the willow tree. It had the strongest glow of any other around.
Dawn looked up slightly. Above her was the red glowing outlines of Blind Meg. Though she was in her seated position as she was in consciousness, she was upside down. And her sash was around her neck. For her eyes were looking right back at Dawn. Able to see with clarity in the spirit realm.
"Konbanwa, Dawn-chan," Blind Meg said. Her voice echoing, and yet did not cause any disturbance to the other spirits around.
"Good evening, Megumi," Dawn responded. Her voice echoing as well. Her blue glowing outline began to float slowly so that she was level by eye-line with the other while maintaining her cross-legged sitting position.
"Under normal circumstances, we would have met later on," Blind Meg said. "But I'm sure you're aware that we are seemingly not under normal circumstances."
"I am," Dawn answered. "Something troubles the spirits of the land."
"Very good," Blind Meg proclaimed. "You are well connected with the spirit realm."
"Thank you," Dawn said. "Though I'm afraid I have not been permitted to know more about what it is that troubles them at this time."
"You are not the only one," Blind Meg responded. "Even myself and the others here are not being permitted with foresight into the matter."
"Could the presence of myself and my companions be a source of the disturbance?" Dawn asked.
"We're not sure," Blind Meg answered. "We're leaning more into believing your presence is coincidental. But it seems as though we have no choice but to wait for events to play out before we receive a better understanding of what troubles the spirits of the land."
"Could there be anything else besides myself and my companions?" Dawn questioned.
"Perhaps," Blind Meg replied. She was clearly being vague. "Again, there appears to be nothing more that can be done until whatever is to happen happens first."
"I see," Dawn said.
"Until then, thank you for meeting me on short notice, Dawn-chan," Blind Meg stated. Her outline nodded her head as a bow.
"You're very welcome, Megumi," Dawn responded. She nodded in return.
Dawn opened her eyes. She was back in the conscious land. Catching sight of Ezekiel looking at her with confusion. She looked up to see that Frances had just finished saying how her conversion with Blind Meg was taking place as she spoke. A few gasps and dumbfounded coughs sounded. Dawn didn't need to see that Blind Meg had vanished as suddenly as she had appeared.
"Ah, so ya done talkin' wit' Blind Meg already," Frances noted. She looked at Dawn while leaning up against a walled surface within the trolley. "I've been meanin' ta know, lass. How long is a conversation between ya spirit-talkahs when it's been a second in tha real world?"
"However long it takes," Dawn answered. She said so in a matter-of-fact tone. "It depends upon the conversation and how long one is able to maintain connection to the spirit realm."
"I'll just take yer word fer it," Frances responded. She let out a shrug and then looked out upon the horizon. "Well, I's guess we're comin' on tha end of tha road. Should 'ave ya lot back at Rue Plumet a lil' aftah dusk. But before we get there, 'ow's 'bout grabbin' them tablets once more and gimme a five-star review? Y'all should 'ave plenty of time ta write 'bout 'ow my tour was tha best ya evah 'ad. Savvy?"
(Confession Cam)
Shawn - "What is it about services wanting us to give them five-star reviews, man? I never understood how that helps them out, so they say. Wouldn't it be better if they just asked for a tip? Not like we had any money on us in the first place, though, but still."
Next Up: Downtime
Greetings!
Thank you for reading Total Drama Academy: The Reboot Paradox. I feel like I'm comfortable enough with my writing pace now to be able to do these end chapter notations. What would comfort me even more is if you guys would be dears and send in reviews. I really want to hear what you guys think as I progress in the storytelling.
What that said, allow me a moment to answer some questions that were asked in the reviews. Specifically ones that won't risk spoiling what's to come.
143670A (AO3) - I'm assuming this is an AU where Action, World Tour, and All-Stars didn't happen
This is correct. The idea is that the original Total Drama Island, Revenge of the Island, and Pahkitew Island happen back-to-back-to-back over the course of a single summer in that order.
KayKayTwilie (AO3) - As I know TD is known for having multiple endings, did your watch of TDPI have Sky as the winner? For me, Shawn won. Or is this a personal choice of cannon divergence for the story?
My determining who the winners were in the three shows was based on the results as first broadcast in Canada. Despite my being based in the United States, I consider the Canadian results canon considering it is the country of origin for TD.
That's it for now. Hope you enjoy where I take you guys on this wonderful journey at Académie de la Rose Blanche.
Please send in reviews!
Total Drama and its characters are copyright © of Fresh TV, Teletoon and Cartoon Network (and soon Max). This story was created purely out of sheer enjoyment so please don't sue. Or throw me off a thousand-foot high cliff into a shark-infested lake. That would so smarts.