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 Six
(Confession Cam)
Chris - "As you would expect, don't plan anything for the kiddies to do and they'll scatter to the four winds. Getting themselves into all sorts of trouble along the way." /Snickers./
While it was just past dawn, there was more than enough daylight for Bridgette to comfortably surf. She had been dying to do so for a while. Certainly after hearing what great waves could be tackled at the beach. As far as she was concerned, these waves were better than great. They could very well be the best waves she had ever surfed. She only been at it for a little over thirty minutes. And yet she could not be convinced otherwise. Not with the overwhelming feeling of excitement and joy throughout her entire being.
Geoff patiently waited at the swash zone. Watching with great admiration as his girlfriend engaged a beautiful barrel. The girl was an absolute natural at this. He already knew that, having seen her surf many times since their show had ended. Watching Bridgette excel in her element was too appealing and delightful to look away. So entranced he was that he was locked in a daze to register moments later that she was suddenly surfing toward him. Flinching in reaction only when his smiling girlfriend lunged at him.
Bridgette pounced onto her boyfriend. The momentum managing to force the surfboard Geoff had been stationary on to glide inward, even if only for a few feet before stopping suddenly against the beach berm. The one-two combination of their bodies connecting and then falling back to practically slam upon the sand was enough to knock the wind out of Geoff. Though he seemingly didn't mind. Not when Bridgette was on top of him.
Another second for him to regain his senses was more than enough time to pass before she smashed her lips against his. Letting out a purring giggle as she did so. Under normal circumstances, their game of tonsil hockey would go on for hours. Seemingly forever if conditions found them utterly alone in rather romantic settings like the beach. It was actually unknown how long they had been locking lips, though it could be reasoned that it was less than five minutes, before something managed to disrupt their make out session.
"Ha!" a voice cried out. "Ain't no one can best tha Lightning! This place will best recognize who tha real deal is!"
Against their better judgment, Bridgette and Geoff released themselves from their kiss and looked over. About half a yard away was Lightning. He looked as though he was panting, most likely catching his breath from whatever activity he had been doing that resulted in the collar area of his shirt to be drenched in his sweat. But that was the least of his concerns. He was pumping his fists up high in apparent victory. The couple looked at him for less than a minute before deciding they had seen enough. They were about to resume their sweet loving when the jock spoke again. This time directly at them.
"Oh, don't think tha Lightning didn't see you two steal a glace at tha sha-greatness!" Lighting declared. He was looking at them in a fairly judgmental manner. They were uncertain if he was being derisive. Frankly, they didn't care.
"Um... Okay," Geoff managed to say. "Whatever, bra."
"Not even yer sickenin' face suckin' can distract you from tha champion of this here beach!" Lightning proclaimed. He thumped his chest for effect. That annoyed the couple enough to suddenly care. They really didn't want to, as evoked by their shared eye rolling. "And that was just an easy race to prove it!"
"You were racin' someone?" Geoff asked. He raised a brow, preventing him from seeing his girlfriend sigh was annoyance.
"Of course!" Lightning replied. He stood proudly with his fists upon his hips. "Tha Lightning wouldn't be here if there hadn't been one! Some wannabe Olympian she turned out to be." This, unfortunately, piqued the surfer girl's interest.
"You were racing Sky?" Bridgette asked. It was her turn to raise a brow.
"With how slow she's bein', she'd be better off doin' somethin' else," Lightning said. He moved his arms up so that he could cross them over his chest. The couple really had no clue what the hell he was doing with his constant shifting of his stance. "Crystal clear she can't hang with tha Lightning."
"She didn't mention anything about being in a race with you," Bridgette mused aloud. Perhaps not surprisingly, the jock was too self-absorbed to have taken note of what was said.
"Tha midget wants to think she won't compete with tha Lightning," Lightning commented. Now he was raising his hands up to clasp behind the back of his head. This was just strange to the couple. "Ain't no way she can be an Olympian thinkin' like that. Not when she can't get to this here beach in a respectable time."
"Dude, if you were racin' Sky to the beach, you totally lost," Geoff stated. "She was already here when we arrived an hour ago." This definitely caught Lightning's attention.
"Say what?" Lightning uttered. He leered at them with a disbelieving look.
"Yeah," Bridgette confirmed. She positioned herself so that she held her head up by the chin with his hands, supported by her elbows placed upon Geoff's chest. He was far from bothered by this. "Said she wanted to get a feel for places she can work out comfortably. Was doing that for another fifteen minutes before leaving."
"Tha midget's cheatin'!" Lightning declared. He stomped on the ground a few times in a huff. "She ain't allowed to have an hour head-start on tha Lightning!"
"Bra, I think Sky's just doin' her own thing, ya know," Geoff noted. "She ain't racin' you."
"Yes she is!" Lightning yelled. He was seconds away from throwing a temper tantrum. "Tha Lightning will prove it! Which way she go?"
"Dunno," Bridgette replied. She let out the best shrug she could given how she was positioned upon her boyfriend. "We were catching waves when she left."
"Probably too busy suckin' face to notice," Lightning scoffed. "Tha Lightning heard that's all you two do." He ignored the glares the couple gave him. Too busy thinking to himself with regards to how he could locate his chosen opposition by rubbing his chin. "If she ain't here, then she probably at tha gym. No better place to work out."
His mind made up, Lightning wasted little time in leaving the beach. Oblivious to the fact that he didn't know where the gym was. Nevermind that he didn't know which gym he figured Sky would be at. But off he went, resuming a run that was hindered for a little while due to being upon heavy sand. Geoff and Bridgette watched for a very short moment just to make sure he was well out of hearing range. When they were satisfied with how far away he was, they sighed.
"We should've just ignored him, sweetie," Bridgette said. She took a hand away from her chin so that she could lightly trace circles upon the center of her boyfriend's bare chest.
"He's one of those jocks who wants everyone to acknowledge him, babe," Geoff noted. He was relaxed enough to bring his hands back to clasp behind his head. "He'd bother us to give him attention if we didn't say somethin'."
"Familiar with the type, huh?" Bridgette remarked. She raised a teasing brow that was accompanied by a smirk. "Is that based on personal experience?"
"Nah!" Geoff chuckled. "Not that personal. Just hung out with a couple in my time, ya know."
"I bet," Bridgette purred. She traced a few more circles on his chest before exhaling a deep breath. "Alright, let's get back out there." She tapped his chest with a slap as she proceeded to remove herself from straddling him.
"I thought we were in the middle of somethin'," Geoff mused. It was a weird attempt at trying to sound seductive only to change in a panic to being flirtatious. He realized too late that he was going about how he said his words in ways that frankly were so wrong that he should be burying his head in the sand. The surfer girl didn't seem put off.
"Oh, don't you dare play that up, Geoffrey," Bridgette giggled. She was on her feet and squeezing water out of her ponytail. "Besides, I think this next set of waves will be good and I still dying to scratch the itch."
"You got it!" Geoff cheered. He leaned back, bringing his knees up over his chest, then pushed off with a kip-up. He was about to do something else, but paused upon noticing that Bridgette's attention was elsewhere. A curious look on her face. "What's up, babe?"
"Dunno," Bridgette replied. Her voice was low. "Thought I saw something."
Geoff looked over to catch was Bridgette was seeing. Out in the distance, on the delicate line between nearby and far off, was an impressive looking cliff. Covered in greenery that it was practically tropical. Occasional bird noises that were emanated added to the atmosphere. Perhaps that were something up that had grabbed his girlfriend's attention. They looked out at it for a moment. Waiting to see if something would appear. It was another minute later before the surfer girl let out a sigh.
"Probably nothing," Bridgette uttered. She let out a shrug. Seconds later, her concerns had washed away instantly. "C'mon, sweetie!" She grabbed Geoff's wrist and went running back out into the ocean. Her boyfriend as obedient as one was willing to be happily.
The shadowed figure beneath all the greenery at the top of the cliff waited a few minutes before shifting into a more comfortable position. A series of small clicking sounds followed.
(Confession Cam)
Bridgette - "I am well aware that Geoff and I spend a lot more time kissing than... anything else. But that doesn't mean that's all we do. He can be a romantic talker when he can. Not many opportunities to do that, I admit. But we're not just kissing every waking moment we're together. Seriously." /Bites bottom lip nervously./
Sam couldn't remember the last time that he felt even the slightest bit of anxiety while waiting. More specifically, he couldn't remember the last time he felt anxious despite having a gaming system in hand. Perhaps it had happened maybe once or twice before. And yet it was absolutely alien to him, the inability for whatever game he was playing to take his mind off of something. Such was the case for being in a relationship, it seemed.
They asked him to wait outside. It might have been an hour since Dakota went in to meet with the academic counselors. A consequence of what happened the other day when she transformed and threatened students who were bad mouthing him. He tried passing the time logging some hours on the GameGuy 2.5. He paused way more often than he would normally. Too concerned about what kind of reprimand his girlfriend would receive. Gaming was an afterthought.
He was in the middle of another stretch of pausing when he caught sight of Dakota stepping out of the building. She sighed and made her way toward him. She didn't look terrible. Perhaps she wouldn't be punished badly. Sam focused on that possibility. Anything that remotely resembled a positive. Something that would lead to his girl smiling. She sat herself next to him on the bench. He turned off his gaming system.
"They let me off with a warning," Dakota said. There was a trace of relief in her voice. "No strike against my record."
"Well, that's cool, right?" Sam asked. Positivity. Whatever he could do to take her words and use them to bring her spirits up.
"They do want me to look into taking some kinda anger management, though," she replied. She brought a hand up to wipe at the bottom lid of her eye. There were no tears, or rather there were no more tears for her to wipe away.
"Oh," he uttered. He cleared his throat quickly. "You alright with that?"
"I dunno," she sighed. She slouched back. "Probably won't be any different then when I saw my therapist before, maybe." She didn't look terrible, but she felt no less disheartened.
"Hey," Sam said. He brought a hand over, gently brushing it against her cheek. She looked over at him. "We're still here together."
Her lips managed to form a smile if ever only slightly. It was something. As tiny as it was, it raised her spirits even a little bit. She brought a hand of her own up to clasp hold of his. Looking back at him with soft appreciation.
"Come with me," Dakota said breathlessly. She stood up, still holding his hand. In motion that she was moments away from pulling him onto his feet.
"Alright," he responded. He went along willingly.
They didn't go that far from the administration building. The destination was a few blocks over, as Dakota recalled being told how to get there. They went with a brisk pace that was a step or two below being a power walk. There was no hurry, she just wanted to get there. A futuristic looking building that was multi-storied and uniquely designed to stand out like a sore thumb from everything else in view.
Moments later, they were somewhere on the fifth floor. After several turns, it appeared they were in the room Dakota was looking for. Various screens and projections overlaid one another as they moved at varying speeds around what was seemingly the inside of a large sphere of a room. The walkway leading only to a point that was believed to be the exact center. A computer station being the one object upon the platform. They went over with Dakota leading the way. She took a moment, punching in some keys. Seconds later, a large still image generated before them. She stepped back to view it in full. In particular the young girl who appeared to be the primary subject. A familiar looking young girl.
"That's your mom?" Sam asked. He hesitated at whether or not he should be whispering, resulting in an odd low voice. How it sounded was hardly recognized.
"Mm-hmm," Dakota answered. Whatever tension she might have been feeling up until that moment melted away. The result of seeing her mother once again, even if in a still image.
"I can see the resemblance," Sam mused. He let out a chuckle. "I bet your mom was awesome."
"She was," Dakota responded. Letting out a light laugh of her own. Though she remained focus on the image of her mother, she also spared a look at the object the young girl was proudly holding in her arms. "I can remember her talking about really finding her footing here. Everything else since having been told by daddy."
"So all those fancy inventions, like the bus and the hologram..." Sam started to say. He trailed off a little as he examined the image further. This was so that he could come to a logical conclusion. "Those were your mom's designs?"
"A couple prototypes originated here, I've heard," Dakota answered. She let out a sigh.
"Cool," Sam uttered. He too spared a look at the object Dakota's mother was holding.
"Her inventions were part of why daddy was away for so long," Dakota said. Not wanting to, she looked away from the image so she could face her boyfriend as she continued to speak. "He felt obligated to make them into reality and didn't wanna wait until it was too late." She paused and let out another light laugh. "The hologram he was the most afraid of, actually. Thinking he would lose himself tinkering with it to bring mommy back, as he put it." In facing her boyfriend, she could tell that he hesitated from wanting to say something. A moment of silence passed before she gave him a nod.
"How old were you when your mom passed away?" Sam asked. Even with her approval, he found it quite troublesome to let the words out.
"Seven," Dakota replied. Though the tension remained subsided, she was instead crestfallen. "One of the last things mommy told me was to be my own person. Which I took to her asking me to not follow in her footsteps when she was gone." She sighed and glanced back at the image of her mother before continuing. "And then daddy became absent as often as he was, pretty much leaving me on my own growing up. Guess that's when I developed the need for attention."
"Well, you could say it worked," Sam said. A spontaneous attempt to lift her spirits. "You got my attention." This resulted in her letting out a gentle giggle.
"How is it that you manage to say something so sweet?" Dakota asked. The smile she formed was a little wider than the last. A positive sign.
"I'm just being me," Sam responded. He let out a shrug and chuckled. "So should you." Her smile suddenly dropped, though not enough to be a frown.
"I'm not sure I know who I am right now," Dakota said. She unconsciously began rubbing her arms. "I was future starlet one minute. Then I was Dakotazoid the next. Now I can't be Dakotazoid unless I'm really mad." She paused, looking away for a split second and biting her lip nervously before continuing. "And I'm concerned what would happen if I went back to being the old me, even if it's just to help figure out which way I should take my future. I'm scared I might... push you away."
The probability that her hesitation to speak aloud her last words being fear driven would reasonably be the most likely conclusion. Then again, it was difficult to pick up on whenever her heightened senses kicked in. So Sam would not have been aware that her mutagen enhanced hearing caught wind that they would not be alone soon until two girls were about to enter the room. Caught up in their own conversation that they were taken by surprise to see Sam and Dakota in the room. The sight of Dakota in particular causing them to tense.
Dakota stole a glance at them and did nothing more. Their reaction to her presence more than enough to tell her that they knew who she was, who Sam was, and, more importantly, what she had done the day prior. Sam struggled for a second on figuring out what to do. Seeing that Dakota was doing nothing, he decided on what he considered to be the diplomatic approach. In other words, something he would rarely ever do to strangers for seemingly no reason.
"Uh, hey there!" Sam called out to the girls. He cleared his throat, having recognized there was some slight wobbling in his voice. He continued to speak, taking a step toward them. "Kinda new here. If you haven't noticed." He tried to chuckle. It sounded weird. "Name's Sam."
"H-Hi..." one of the girls managed to utter. It was the bravest thing she could do. Certainly in contradiction when she and the other girl were slowly stepping back and away.
"And this here is Dakota," Sam said. He tried to put on a smile. It was a little shaky. He wasn't sure if Dakota not moving helped or hindered things. It ended up not mattering.
"S-Sorry to disturb..." the other girl stammered to say. She didn't bother to properly finish the sentence. She, along with the first girl, wanted to leave. "Just... trying to..." As if fearing for their lives, the girls made a break for it and ran away.
"Okay," Sam uttered. Out of habit, he tried to produce a wave. "Later."
"Word travels fast," Dakota muttered. She let out a quiet sigh.
"Hey," Sam said. He turned to his girlfriend, hoping to project an uplifting face. "That just means you won't push me away. Everyone knows you're protective of me."
"I don't like you being picked on, Sam," she stated. It sounded like a pout. Further accompanied by her crossing her arms over her chest with a huff.
"I know," Sam said. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck while slowly approaching her. "Kinda been used to it that it stopped bothering me."
"It bothers me," Dakota declared. Her voice was quiet. It nonetheless had the same impact it would have had she been screaming. She was upset.
"Yeah," Sam uttered. He allowed for there to be silence for a moment as he tried to figure something to say that will brighten her spirits. He went with the first thing that came to mind. "How about this, okay? I figure some way to not get picked on so you don't get into any more trouble becoming Dakotazoid. You be the awesome girl I love and show it to the world. And we'll do them together."
"Together..." Dakota whispered. She slowly looked up once her boyfriend had closed the distance and began to gently wrap his arms around her waist.
"That's right," Sam said. He made a soft attempt at sounded confident. "Kinda like the Weird Living games. We make a choice, we accept it, and move forward. What do you say?" After a second, it seemed that the display of confidence might have worked. What with her bring her arms up to wrap around his neck.
"I think I need to keep watching you play your games," Dakota replied. She gave off the widest smile she had worn all day. "Learn how they shaped you into the best boyfriend ever." She then pulled him in so that their lips could lock together in a kiss.
(Confession Cam)
Sam - "Okay, maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew here. Figure some way to not get picked on? How am I supposed to do that? I don't think I thought this through like I should've." /Sighs, rubs back of neck./ "Man, being in a relationship with someone as cool as Dakota sure is tougher to hang onto than it is to get into."
"Grande Cream White Mocha Frappuccino," the cashier announced. They finished writing down the name of the intended recipient on the cup before placing it on the counter.
Heather walked over and paused from grabbing her drink automatically. She took a second to pull out the card to be used to pay for it. After a second of uncertainty, she held it over a small box-shaped device near to the right of the cup. She let the card hover above until a beeping noise was heard.
"Accepted," an automated voice sounded. It was artificially programmed to be feminine.
Heather pulled back the card and then finally grabbed the cup with her name written on it. The cashier merely watched for a moment. Afterward, they went about wiping down the counter and frappuccino machine. Heather went over to a random table to sit at. As she drank from the cup, she examined the card for a bit.
It had been given to each of the students shortly after their interview with Mlle. Caine. For all intents and purposes, it was a school issued credit card. They were to use this card for all purchases made during their time at White Rose Academy. The payment they would receive from their part-time work to go automatically into paying back the card. It was purposefully designed to be a psychological test. Because there technically was no real limit to how much could be spent on the card. However, it ran the risk of incurring one hell of a debt upon graduation, if not careful. The point being to use the card wisely.
Heather wanted to be alone. As far away from the others as possible without getting lost or overwhelmed. She figured hardly any would dare venture back to Claude-Michel so soon after what happened the other day. She wasn't surprised there was a coffee shop in the area. She would've been surprised if she hadn't run into one, to be frank, given how common they had become in this day and age. And a frappuccino would help set her at ease, if only briefly.
Four figures entered the coffee shop. It was like the air had been sucked out of the room for just a second. Three of the figures were young women who expressed the attitude of absolute ownership of their surroundings. The croquet mallets they each held accentuated their attitude and then some. Two had long blonde hair, the other being a dark brunette of equal length. One of the blondes had a pink broken heart pin upon her tie, the other wore rimless glasses. The brunette had a red ribbon bow at the top. All three were wearing the school uniforms as business attire. The stand out being the pink armbands each had over their right biceps. The fourth figure was a hulking behemoth shrouded in a hooded cloak. The only other feature that stuck out being the black dog collar visible on the neck.
Heather allowed herself a split second of seeing them before returning her attention to her card and her cup as quickly as possible. She didn't need to look at them any further to know what kind of women they were. In another life, she likely would have been one of them. As long as she kept to herself and did little to nothing that would draw any sort of attention she would be fine. Let them get their coffee, do their thing, and leave without so much as a notice that there was any one else around. The long silence did not comfort her, however. Several moments later, it was broken.
"Go ahead and speak your mind, girls," a voice spoke. There was a light, albeit dark all the same, laugh that accompanied. "Not like she's gonna be able to do anything about it." Heather grimaced. They spotted her, knew who she was, and proceeded to attack.
"What about the cameras?" another voice asked. It lacked any semblance of concern the question might have conveyed normally.
"What about them?" the first voice scoffed. They were enjoying this moment. "All we're doing is talking sh-/censored/ about a loser bitch behind her back. Ain't nothing wrong with that." A trio of laughter followed. Heather was far from amused.
"Actually makes it funnier that there would be cameras about," a third voice commented. This one had a strong accent. One that was best described as valley girl. "Whole world gets to see her become more pathetic, really."
"Played all her cards almost from the start," the first voice noted. Not holding back any punches. "Not even subtle about it. And yet it was all for naught. Loses right before the finals and gets shaved bald in the end."
Heather lost her composure enough to merely shoot a glare over at the four figures. That was all she could do in a futile attempt to respond. Not when the three girls were armed with croquet mallets that they surely knew how to use. Though the more threatening was the hulking figure that towered behind them. A heavy that was exactly that and then some. Her looking at them only made the trio laugh all the more merrily and menacing.
"Oh, just look at her," the brunette said. She was the third voice to have spoken before. "She's all mad now. Bet she wishes she was the other one from the other day and threaten to disembowel us or something."
"Even if she could, she still can't do anything," the blonde with the broken heart pin stated. She was the first voice. And given how she stood, she would presumably be the leader of the bunch. "Won't change what she's become. A reality show hack who can't cut it in the real world. And she knows it."
"Probably regrets being on the show in the first place," the other blonde in glasses mocked. By process of elimination, she was the second voice.
"Oh, that's only the tip of the iceberg," the brunette laughed. She gave Heather a proud sneer. "She f-/censored/-ed up so badly, she has nothing to fall back on. A stupid cow who won't be able to make it as anything."
"Doesn't know how lucky she really is to be here," the second blonde uttered. She threw her nose up and flashed an awful smile.
"Absolutely," the first blonde proclaimed. Her smirk was perhaps the most sinister of all. "And I bet that's eating her up on the inside, that there is nowhere else she can go. Here, she has even a fraction of a chance of having a future. Out there, she's damned because of her exploits. But no matter what, the bitch is a talentless Kardashian wannabe."
"Grande Cream White Mocha Frappuccino," the cashier announced. The same drink as Heather's. It was retrieved and paid for by the first blonde.
Nothing more was said. The trio of girls merely stared down Heather, who hesitated to respond. Satisfied with their work, the figures turned and left the shop. The first blonde took one last glance at Heather before the door closed behind her. The look in her eyes made it clear that she looked forward to meeting again. Heather was unable to move for a moment afterward. She finally turned back into a proper seating position. She looked over at her frappuccino and gagged with disgust. She'll have to come up with something new to drink next time.
(Confession Cam)
Heather - /Seething./ "Oh, how I want to cut a bitch..."
Gwen was certain that it was unconsciously mandatory to pay a visit to the willow tree when even passing through Burgess Garden Park. There was nothing more grand or impressive from all that the eye could see around. And there was an air to it. A magnetic force that drew pretty much any and everyone to look and admire. Showering them in a peaceful calm that more than soothed the most savage of beasts. She might be able to conjure some inspiration just from the few minutes she took to look at the big old thing.
Satisfied with the time she spent hanging around the willow tree, she was allowed to pull herself away. Returning to her attempt to locate someone she thought would be either remaining at Rue Plumet or possibly checking out Barbican. An hour of searching there being surprisingly fruitless led her to check Burgess Garden Park. It did provide her with the opportunity to look at the various statues and water fountains throughout. Mostly marble or bronze sculptures that were inspired by various cultures with the prominent being the Italian Renaissance.
She was sparring a minute or two admiring a particular statue that was as close to Gothic horror as would probably be allowed in a place that was to evoke tranquility when she managed to catch sight of Ella. Spending nearly the entire morning looking for her cousin wasn't something she was planning to do, but there it was. The delicate young girl was seated beneath a tree and surrounded by what was essentially a legion of woodland creatures. The absolute picture of serene if there ever was one. Amplified by her sublime singing. Though her presence would more than likely cause a scene no matter what she did, Gwen took her time approach her cousin. Stopping just outside the gathering of furry little creatures and resting a fist upon her hip. It didn't take long before Ella concluded her singing and looked over to her cousin, almost expectantly, while the animals cheered.
"We need to talk," Gwen said. The second she spoke, the animals stopped cheering and flinched. As expected, they seemed concerned with her arrival just by how she looked normally.
"Oh, but of course," Ella responded. She was still singing in a way and maintained a jovial expression that the animals seemed to be at ease with. Albeit with reluctance.
"You got better at keeping yourself in check, haven't you," Gwen noted. She was about to sit herself down in the spot she was standing. The animals then parted enough for her to get closer to Ella. Perhaps her cousin had quietly insisted them to do so. Choosing to just accept this happening, Gwen proceeded to slowly head closer to the other.
"Why, yes," Ella said. No dampening of her spirits present anywhere in her expression or her voice. "I'm so glad you noticed."
"Believe me, I'd have been over the moon if I heard you roasted that ass-/censored/ for what he did to us on that damned island," Gwen commented. She was conscious that the little furballs remained uneasy with her presence even as she had been allowed to sit close to her cousin. She honestly didn't care and ignored them.
"I'm so sorry again you had to suffer through his mistreatment," Ella said. Her delightful mood dipping slightly so she could express her sorrow for what her cousin experienced. "And as I have admitted before, he was not particularly nice to me either on Pahkitew Island."
"Which is why I'm surprised you seemingly never turned once," Gwen noted. She draped her arm upon the one knee that was up. "Last time I saw, all it took was some idiot chauvinist kid to flat out say that he didn't like you to unleash the dragon and destroy a whole city block." Speaking aloud this revelation caused the little creatures to shake with terror. Ella maintained her focus on Gwen. "Chris is a hundred times worse, maybe even a million. How is it that you didn't devour him within five seconds?"
"Well, after I had more recently 'unleashed the dragon', as it were, mother and father thought it best to send me to another place that would help me further temper such outbursts," Ella answered. She used air quotes for 'unleashed the dragon', further shocking the woodland animals surrounding them. Until her expression brightened. "Thus, I was at Aurora Belle Academy for the previous few years. And they had delightful teachers who taught me all about managing my feelings to such a degree that I can actually control it."
"Really?" Gwen mused. She raised an intrigued brow. "So you can turn on command?"
"Indeed!" Ella declared. Her singy song voice returning. "Isn't that magnificent?"
"Kinda impressive, actually," Gwen admitted. She even formed an amused half smirk.
"So now I only let it happen when I want it to, not when my emotions are affected," Ella concluded. This was seemingly enough of a positive proclamation for the animals to cheer.
"Guess I can rule out trying to push your buttons to turn the bastard into a red pancake," Gwen noted. The accompanying scoff adding to her joking dark humor.
"I'm afraid so," Ella replied. She played along in her upbeat manner.
"Ah well," Gwen uttered. She raised her shoulders enough to shrug. "At least I know you're still the terrible monster of our youth underneath all this sparkling magical unicorn fart." The little animals were back to being concerned with her presence once again.
"Oh, Gwendolyn," Ella said. An adorable giggle escaping her lips as she spoke. "How I do love you and your adorable similes." Her response was not what the creatures were expecting. They weren't entirely sure how to process this.
"I bet you do," Gwen mused. She let out a sigh and was about to let the silence overtake them when something crossed her mind. A spark of inspiration, as it were. "Say, this whole managing your feelings. Think you'd you be able to teach that to someone else?"
"Oh, it would be my absolute pleasure!" Ella sang. It was as though she was starting to literally glow with delight.
"Good," Gwen said. She took the heightened positive atmosphere for what it was and maintained her usual demeanor. "Cause after what went down yesterday, I have a feeling you might be making yourself a new best friend."
"Really?" Ella gasped. She clasped her hands together and look down to the animals. Her smile the widest it had been yet. "Did you hear that, little ones? There will soon be someone new to share our wonder and joy with!" The animals cheered along, seeing this as a truly positive thing to bare witness to.
"Might I suggest leaving out the woodland creatures at first," Gwen noted. She raised a separate brow to the way the little furballs were reacting to all of this. "How those lessons go might end up accidentally resulting in them becoming part of my future taxidermy exhibition." This statement was enough to make even Ella pause. She merely looked at her cousin with a quizzical look. The animals were horrified. All of this made Gwen laugh.
(Confession Cam)
Gwen - "It's usually not my place to set up friendships and all. Bridgette would probably be the best to do that. But I did kinda promise our folks early on that I'd do what I could to help Ella make friends. Granted, this promise was made before she went through all that conditioning at Sweetie Pie Etiquette School and Aurora Belle Academy. Still, I think it would be a helluva lot safer for everyone's sake if she can help out Dakota."
"Being stealthy is extremely vital," Shawn stated. If he had been talking about something a little more common, his speaking while crouching down behind one of the chairs in front of the wall television would seem strange. "All the more so when the entrance is presently our one and only direct exit to the outside. So to get the most out of being stealthy, you have to be so familiar with everything around that sole path to possible safety."
"'oom..." Ezekiel uttered. He scratched the back of his head beneath his toque. All while being in a more seated position behind one of the other chairs. "There's the wall TV and the st'oody. Isn't that everythin' there is t'oo kn'oo?"
"Not quite," Shawn responded. A sort of manic intensity was slowly beginning to emerge. "Being aware that surrounding the exit are the wall TV and the study is just the first step. You have to know how to best navigate through them."
"Eh?" Ezekiel squeaked. He was shaking with both nervousness and terror.
Jasmine sighed and shook her head, though in amusement. As much as she would like for her boyfriend to ease up on his obsession with the apocalypse, she also knew that the sharing of survival tactics with someone was probably the best way he was going to ever get around to making any more friends. The downside being that it risked causing the unfortunate victim to be plagued with nightmares that might last a while. But if they endured, Shawn would let them in and they could have something resembling a normal friendship.
She sat in the eating area, a plate of chips to snack on. Chips as in what North Americans called fries. She never understood some of the strange differences in labels to things like that. But that was the least of her concern. She was keeping an eye on the way Shawn was educating Ezekiel on surviving the apocalypse. Because she knew her boyfriend had the unfortunate habit of getting carried away. The kind that could cause damage. Her job was to step in when it seemed like he was about to do something that might be dangerous.
"Take the study, for instance," Shawn said. He pointed over to the glass enclosed area before suddenly rolling over enough to be inside it. He waited for Ezekiel to reluctantly crawl over before continuing to speak. Sometimes waving his arms around for effect. "You find yourself trapped in here, like so. There's glass walls all around, making it very easy for your presence to be fully exposed. Walkers will come right up to the glass walls and bang on them in an effort to break in, if they spot you. And walkers are capable of breaking through, most especially in large numbers. So it's game over if you're spotted. Got it?"
"'ookay..." Ezekiel responded. He didn't get it.
"Now, what you need to figure out and quick is how to avoid being seen should you find yourself stuck in the study," Shawn noted. He slowly started to stand up, just not completely straight. "As you can see, there's not too many objects that you can hide behind."
"No muckin' around, sweetie," Jasmine called out. She finished chewing on a chip and swallowed before she continued. "We just got 'ere, aftah all. And it ain't just tha three of us. Besides, break 'em now and they're useless latah on."
"Right," Shawn conceded. He stood up straight and mumbled to himself a little. Seemingly to put himself in check. "Limit touching things. Keep it simple, keep it basic." He turned back to Ezekiel, walking backwards through the study upon resuming his dissemination. "Okay, you could throw the tables over and hide behind them, so long as they're positioned to block your presence. Chairs can help as additions to that."
"Thr'oo tables 'oover..." Ezekiel muttered. He scratched the back of his head underneath his toque again. He still didn't get it.
"Time would be an issue, but that there's so many books here means than can come in handy too," Shawn continued. He stopped backing up when he got to what was the farthest shelf in the study. He brought a hand up to grab a random book. "How many you'll need to cover yourself will be dependent on size, both yourself and the books them-"
Shawn had merely pulled at the top of the random book his had chosen. His finger had tipped it so that the upper portion of the book would be exposed enough to eventually grab it and fully remove it from the shelf. The book had tipped to a roughly thirty degree angle. A panel on the floor that Shawn was standing on swung down instantly. Shawn dropped through the newly created opening so fast that he didn't have time to properly react. Seconds after he had disappeared into the ground, the panel swung back up and locked back into place.
"Shawn?" Jasmine coughed. She had been watching Shawn practically the whole time and was dumbfounded at what just happened. Enough to be stun locked for several seconds. Upon regaining her composure, she leaped over the table and dashed into the study.
Ezekiel had immediately curled up into a ball. Absolutely bewildered by this sudden change in events and fearful at how bad it might be. He remained in place, unwilling to do anything more than shiver. Which was just as well as it allowed Jasmine to investigate without interference or further concern for any one else's well being.
All things considered, she managed to be calm. Keeping a level head and mindful of the potentiality that she would end up in the same predicament as her boyfriend if she wasn't being careful with what she was doing and with her surroundings. She was an arm's length away from the shelf. Her arm's length, as it were, figuring this was a good enough distance to avoid falling through the trapdoor Shawn went through. She pulled at the books one at a time and waited a few seconds before moving on. This took a couple minutes before coming upon a book labeled The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Upon tipping the top to a roughly thirty degree angle, the trapdoor opened. She stood a couple inches away from being in a position that would have caused her the fall through.
"Shawn!" Jasmine cried. She flinched and the trapdoor closed. She waited a moment and then pulled at the book. The trapdoor opened. "Shawn, can ya 'ear-" The trapdoor closed. She estimated around three seconds. A very small window to do or say anything. She pulled at the book again. The trapdoor opened.
"-can hear you!" Shawn called out. Rather, it was the tail-end of his calling out in response. And it sounded like he was a pretty good ways down. Down in what appeared to be absolute darkness. The last word managed to get through before the trapdoor closed.
"Can ya see?" Jasmine asked. Speaking when she opened the trapdoor again. This appeared to be the most viable way to communicate at the present moment. For her to constantly reactivate the trapdoor and have three seconds to speak or hear.
"-little!" Shawn responded. He was speaking immediately after catching the last word his girlfriend would say to him.
"Can ya get out?" Jasmine questioned. She was piecing together options to solving this puzzle they had accidentally discovered.
"-far!" Shawn answered. He hadn't figured out the timing yet. Or he probably wasn't aware of it, given how little he could see.
"Um..." Jasmine mused. She looked around and remembered Ezekiel was present. She bit her bottom lip for a second to think and then spoke to the prairie boy. "'ow 'bout 'eadin' out for a tick? If ya see someone who might be able ta 'elp, let 'em in, m'kay?"
"'ooh..." Ezekiel uttered. Something clicked in his head, telling him to take advantage of this opportunity to leave. "Sh'oore."
"Ta, mate," Jasmine said. She gave the other a smile, seemingly one that was meant to reassure her as it was intended to reassure him. She then turned back to the cycle of communicating with her boyfriend in three second intervals. The trapdoor opened. "Shawn!" The trapdoor closed. She paused a second. The trapdoor opened. "Wait three seconds!" The trapdoor closed. She paused again. The trapdoor opened. "Then yell short answers!" The trapdoor closed. She paused once more. The trapdoor opened. "Got it?" The trapdoor closed. She waited a moment and then pulled the book. The trapdoor opened.
"Short answers!" Shawn yelled. It would seem he understood the timing.
"Good, sweetie!" Jasmine called back. She still had a ways to go to figure out how to solve this puzzle they had gotten themselves into.
Ezekiel scrambled to his feet and headed out through the front door. As much as he was glad that someone like Shawn was seemingly talking to him in a friendly manner, the approach was becoming quite intense. There was just so much for the prairie boy to process and often wondered if any of them were good. That didn't take into account the high probability that he would be receiving nightmares regarding the apocalypse going forward. Perhaps the one positive was that he got to interact with a girl like Jasmine and not be afraid she would punch him at any second because of what he said on his show.
He had taken a couple steps outside when a realization dawned upon him. He really didn't want to wander out, certainly not on his own. The chances were too great that he'll run into one or a number of girls who might regard him with immense scorn for his words and strike. Being on his own to endure that was not what he was looking forward to come time for him to start his education program, which would surely separate him from the others. It was likely why he was willing to put up with Shawn's antics. At least it kept him away from actual physical harm.
Uncertain of what exactly to do, Ezekiel realized that he wasn't alone. Looking over, he spotted Dawn. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn she was in the exact same spot she had been in prior to the guide tour the other day. Sitting cross-legged and what looked to be a tranquil state of peace. He had been intrigued about this whole thing she did, more so after the encounter with Blind Meg near the end of the tour. He didn't understand it one bit, and yet it fascinated him.
He quietly walked over until he was a few feet in front of her. She didn't flinch. She didn't even open her eyes. He dropped to the ground. Crossing his legs like he tried before, though now he seemed to get a better hang of being able to do it without feeling disjointed. Satisfied with how he sat, he looked over at Dawn. Still no movement or reaction from her. He closed his eyes. Wondered if there was something to it in combination with crossing his legs.
"If you wish to see with your mind's eye, you must let go of your physical limitations," Dawn said. Her voice soothing as it was dreamlike.
"Physical... limitat'oons?" Ezekiel questioned. He opened one eye. It looked as though she still hadn't moved or reacted despite having apparently spoken.
"Meditation," Dawn responded. Her lips did move to speak. But that was it. Almost as though she was not bothered by any and everything that surrounded her. He closed his eye and exhaled.
"I feel itchy, eh," Ezekiel muttered. He struggled to ignore sensation that was start to get to him. Because he had his eyes closed, he did not see Dawn smile in amusement.
(Confession Cam)
Ezekiel - "I like this better than tha island, eh. I'm already makin' friends wh'oo are bein' helpf'ool an' all. Like Dawn, sh'ooin' me ab'oot all this meditatin' and n'oot be b'oothered by my takin' my time. Alth'oo Shawn may be... t'oo helpf'ool, eh? He's s'oo intense ab'oot tha ap'oocalypse. Like it'll happen any sec'oond."
/A door suddenly swings out behind Ezekiel, bursting through the wallpaper. Ezekiel yelps and drops to the floor in terror. The door has been opened by Shawn. Shawn looks slightly disheveled, frantic, and excited./
Shawn - "THERE'S A SECRET EMERGENCY BUNKER UNDER THE BUILDING!"
The door was kept open for a slight moment longer. Trent figured this was one way to prevent any of what emanated from within striking down poor little Cameron. Those visiting a motorcycle shop for the first time would find themselves taken aback instantly. For a kid who had spent much of his life in a protective bubble, chances were that it might cause him physical harm. They went in when a satisfactory amount of time passed and were content with the air quality being less polluted.
"You sure you wanna be here with me?" Trent asked. He did take a moment to breathe in the establishment's scent, though merely to get a taste of what they were walking into. "The smell can be a bit overpowering for first-timers and the exhausts might be problematic."
"To be perfectly honest, I just wanted to avoid being around Shawn," Cameron replied. He let out a nervous chuckle, though his attention was less on the conversation itself and more at the atmosphere that surrounded them. One that left him with a sense of awe. "I mean, I know he means well. But I think he can be a little too..."
"Overzealous?" Trent suggested. He let out a chuckle of his own and he himself focused more on what was being displayed in the shop.
"Yeah," Cameron confirmed. He let out a little cough, but it didn't feel like anything more than just clearing his throat being in an unfamiliar environment. "I'm worried I might have nightmares soon because of all of his talk about the apocalypse."
"Call it an unfortunate side effect of being a reality television star," Trent said. He was slowly making his way toward the shop's apparent counter while continuing to browse at all that was visible before them. "Everyone is quirky in some way or another."
"What about you?" Cameron asked. The direction of the conversation was at a point that he was now facing the other instead of looking around. "You seem rather... normal."
"I have a fear of mimes," Trent noted. He mimicked counting off points with a free finger. "My stomach is weaker than a feather. I can't decide between a career in music or motorcycles. Drove on a bike for two hours at night because I wanted to see my girlfriend." Unable to come up with anything else after a second, he shrugged and let out another chuckle. "Sure, I guess that's fairly normal, all things considered."
"Anything I can help you boys with?" a voice called out. It was fairly gruff while maintaining clarity to be perfectly understood.
Emerging at the counter was a large man, in height and somewhat in width. The handlebar mustache was quite bushy, perhaps to compensate for the lack of hair at the top despite a good amount around both ears and an impressive ponytail at the back. The sleeves of the unbuttoned denim coat appear to have been ripped off while being worn over a black heavy metal T-shirt.
"Not really," Trent answered. He presented himself as pleasant as he could to the apparent proprietor. "Wanna familiarize myself with the place."
"Planning to work here?" the man asked. He raised a brow as bushy as his mustache.
"Not sure," Trent replied. He approached the counter until he was close enough to lay an arm upon it. "Don't really have a better idea of the program the school is gonna put me on. But even if I don't work here, I'll probably shop here often." There was a second of silence, which almost worried Cameron. Then the man grunted what seemed like a laugh.
"What's your type?" the man questioned. He gave Trent a once over with his eyes.
"The goal is eventually getting my own streetfighter," Trent responded. He formed a proud smirk on his lips when he said the type of bike.
"Streetfighter, eh?" the man noted. He let out another laugh and rubbed his nose. "Probably wanna focus on Ducati, then."
"So I've been told," Trent commented. A hint of excitement in his voice.
"Well, I'll leave you to continue 'familiarizing yourself' with the joint," the man uttered. He let out something that was a cross being a scoff and a sniff before turning over to the register. "Holler if you need anything." He put on a pair of reading glasses as he seemed to busy himself going over papers that he pulled out from beneath the counter.
"Thanks," Trent said. He stayed at the counter, though he didn't need to move all the much with all that he could take in of the shop.
"Streetfighter?" Cameron mused. He positioned himself to be close to Trent from behind.
"Bit of a muscle bike, sure, but it's a beauty," Trent proclaimed. He spoke rather breathlessly as he turned his head to face the other. "Might interest you, actually. Maybe not to ride it, but it's development as a customization."
"Really?" Cameron asked. His interest had been piqued suddenly.
"Yeah," Trent said. He leaned a bit onto the counter as he relaxed himself. "See, it got its inspiration from Japanese bikes that were-"
The door opening with quite an unusual bang caused everything to go absolutely still. The presence of the new entrant more than enough to keep everyone's attention in their direction.
The black helmet covering nearly the entirety of the head save for a specific slit at the top to allow for the green Mohawk to stick out in its glory. The black leather jacket covered in hand-stitched patches zipped fully open to expose the feminine body having a small red top. Underneath the top being fish-netting that only covered the chest while still showing off the tattoos beneath the neckline and a spike choker above. Black leather shorts that were dangerously small held by the damnedest studded silver belt. More fish-netting over the exposed thighs before coming down to knee high black leather boots. A dirty black backpack slung over just the left shoulder.
"Hey there, de Vil," the man behind the counter called. He took his glasses off and seemed to be moving away. "Just gimmie a tick and I'll nab your parts." He disappeared into the back without any further acknowledgment of others in the establishment.
"Don't take too long," a female voice spoke from beneath the black helmet. It was muffled only slightly. The figure walked over to the counter and pressed their back up against it. Their hands raised up behind the helmet, seconds later resulting a clicking noise being heard. The helmet opening outward from the back.
The only coloring the young woman used on her face was eyeliner. She didn't even wear lipstick. Not when she had a wicked lip piercing about a third to the left over her bottom lip. And though she had one hell of a green Mohawk, she still had plenty of hair to comb spiked bangs to the left of her face and over her right ear. As visible as her natural black hair was, a considerable amount of green dye was used throughout.
Cameron embodied what was perhaps the exact reaction one would have upon seeing the woman. He was intimidated. Enough that he tried to hide from view behind Trent. Trent didn't seem to be intimidated from his body language. At most, he merely looked in recognition of her presence in the shop. But this did not go unnoticed.
"Like something you see?" the woman called de Vil asked. Her speaking and accompanying head turn to face Trent was sudden. Allowing her to catch sight of him merely shrugging. Clearly not the response she was expecting. Which made her laugh lightly. "Really? A shrug?"
"Nothing to say," Trent replied. He was maintaining his composure rather well.
"Is that so?" de Vil purred. "Should I be popping my top or something?" Trent's response was to raise a brow. She let out another light laugh. Her amusement more apparent than before. "Maybe you ain't the faker I was about to mark you for."
"I'm not trying to be anything I'm not," Trent stated. As much as he wanted to, he decided against swallowing. He figured anything he did increased the chances of giving out the wrong impression for her to pounce on.
"So you say now," de Vil mused. She looked away for a brief moment while continuing to talk, opening her backpack in preparation for receiving something soon. "I give you a few months. Maybe another month or so more than most newbies since you're 'real'. If you're not broken afterwards, perhaps I'll come calling."
"Suppose I'm not comfortable with where this conversation is going," Trent said. He stated to feel a little more anxious the longer she kept talking to him.
"Hmmm..." de Vil uttered. A wicked smirk forming on her lips. "What kinda leash are you on?" This caused Trent to scoot away from her. She laughed in continued amusement. "I see."
"Here you go," the proprietor said. The timing could not have been better for Trent as the man returned with the parts for de Vil.
"Thanks," de Vil said. She retrieved the requested parts and began putting them into her backpack. "Just put it on the tab."
"You aware how hefty that tab's becoming, right de Vil?" the man commented. He crossed his arms over his chest sternly.
"Absolutely," de Vil declared. She returned a smile to him as she zipped up her backpack and slung it over her left shoulder. "You know I'm good for it."
"The sooner, the better," the man noted. He raised a brow at her in resigned disbelief.
"So concerned about my pay," de Vil mused. There was a hint of playful mocking in her tone while putting her helmet back on. "Honored to be your most treasured customer."
"Whatever," the man scoffed. He barely made an attempt at a wave. "Later, de Vil."
"Catch you around, Green Eyes," de Vil said to Trent. One could only guess if she did anything like perhaps a wink from behind her helmet. She didn't bother waiting for a reaction as she was out the door before anything more could be said or done. Leaving the two boys rather bewildered regarding what they had experienced.
"What was that about?" Cameron asked. He remained hiding behind Trent despite the departure of the girl, seemingly deciding it was better to stay there for now.
"You probably don't wanna know, Cameron," Trent answered. His body language suggested that he managed to maintain his composure. His feelings said otherwise.
(Confession Cam)
Trent - "I like to think I'm used to getting hit on by girls and not be too bothered by them. Happened all the time in school over the last few years. I'm apparently a handsome guy. At least I know I am to the one who matters to me. But I dunno. That de Vil girl seemed... strange. Enough that I might need to be extra careful should I run into her again."
Given that it was fairly well known that she was an aspiring Olympian, Sky was a little surprised that Lightning had yet to make any attempt to swing over to the Olympic development center in his stupid attempt to create some pathetic competition between them. Then again, the center was more of a proper educational and research facility than one for actual physical training and preparation. As such, something that the idiot would have little patience and interest in. Sky had lucked out in finding a proper place to get away from him and had been hanging out here for hours.
It was nice. Impressive and inspiring, in a way. An absolute wealth of information to study and learn. No doubt designed to help in enhancing the mentality of aspiring Olympians like Sky. Every now and then, she would pause to truly take in a particular subject that would catch her fancy. It wasn't so much a museum as it was a resource. So she did not feel quite out of place having a towel draped over her shoulders, wearing running attire with the sweat that had been around the neck area drying, and constantly drinking from a water bottle. That there were numerous stations for her to refill at her leisure added to the appeal.
It took a while, but she found a room that contained a particular subject that she was most interested in. A subject that was, unfortunately, fairly light on content in comparison to many others. Yet it was important to her. Thus, she had spent the past hour going through all that was available. Taking everything in and seeing if there was anything new she might discover. So focused on the subject that she was quite literally lost in them. Enough that she took no notice of someone else entering the room moments ago until she finished viewing the latest video program she was on. She was about to start up the next program when she unconsciously looked away for a brief second, which was all it took to finally catch sight of the figure leaning up against the door frame.
The young woman might have been taller than Jasmine, as far as Sky could presume. She was certainly thicker. Her upper body mass being quite impressive without looking too much like a bodybuilder. This was despite wearing a jumper that would be slightly looser to accommodate bigger sizes. The features that really stood out, though, were the beaded choker around her neck, the long dark brown hair that was braided and hanging over the left shoulder, brown skin that blended well within the shadows of the barely lit room, and tattoos that were focused around the mouth and jawline.
There was a slight moment in which Sky and the woman locked eyes on one another. Perhaps waiting to see who would be the first to act. It was Sky who eventually gave the woman a nod. The woman gave one in return. Satisfied with the acknowledgment between them, Sky turned back to the program she was starting up. Hardly a minute had passed into the program before one of the two decided to speak up.
"Learning about Kenneth Moore?" the woman asked. Her voice was fairly low, both in tone and in volume. It didn't cancel out any femininity she had.
"Was interested to see how the school told his story," Sky replied. She maintained focus on the program playing before her.
"Cree?" the woman questioned. Both knew instantly that it was about lineage.
"Yep," Sky answered. She thought for a minute, deciding to consider her conclusion based on memory as opposed to turning back to examine further. "Kanyen'kehà:ka?"
"That's right," the woman responded. She waited a second before speaking again. "O'kèn:ra." This was the next step in introducing themselves.
"Ash?" Sky determined. It took her a moment to figure out the name the other would identify as.
"Very good," Ash said. She let out an amused light laugh.
"Kîsik," Sky said in return. It was Ash's turn to figure out her name identity.
"Sky," Ash mused. Sky nodded in confirmation while maintaining her attention upon the program. Ash didn't seem to mind and continued speaking. "Safe to assume you're new?"
"Arrived a few days ago," Sky answered. Her focus upon the program was slowly diminishing. Perhaps in favor of the conversation she was now engaged in.
"Which sport?" Ash questioned. This resulted in a scoff from the other.
"All of them," Sky replied. She was quick to recognize that pride was missing in her voice when she said this.
"One of those, huh?" Ash noted. She let out another amused light laugh.
"I guess," Sky responded. She shrugged a little. "You?"
"Heptathlon," Ash proclaimed. She exhaled and shifted her leaning on the door frame a little. "Nowhere near as as ambitious as you, but no less challenging."
"Perhaps I'm being too ambitious," Sky stated. This was accompanied with a sigh.
"Are you?" Ash asked. It seemed she was quick to have something to say in return.
"I dunno," Sky uttered. She wiped her forehead with her towel unconsciously as there were no signs of sweat present. "Not really sure about things lately."
"Reality setting in?" Ash mused. The question to be taken as both serious and as a joke.
"Not yet, actually," Sky noted. She did smirk, but only briefly. "More like... other things."
"Distractions?" Ash suggested. The other spent a moment to think about it.
"Maybe," Sky answered. She began to rub her arms.
"Personal level?" Ash asked further. She was definitely quick to have something to say.
"Yep," Sky confirmed. She slouched forward. Though she was trying to watch the program before her, she very much wasn't paying any attention to it.
"Ah," Ash uttered. She let out another exhale. "Well, that's something for you to figure out."
"It's how to figure it out that's been... troubling," Sky noted. She had let out a scoff beforehand to emphasize it as a predicament.
"Too bad there's no instruction manual on dealing with these things," Ash said. Both girls lightly laughed in amusement.
"Yeah, really," Sky responded. It was enough of an ice breaker that she could regain focus on the program she tried to watch. No further conversation was made for a little while.
"A great champion of your people, Kenneth Moore," Ash stated. She spoke upon the subject of the program that was being played.
"An inspiration," Sky proclaimed. She felt it in her heart that it was true.
"Perhaps there's a page or two of his story that might help you," Ash suggested. This left the other to think about it for a moment.
"Perhaps," Sky concurred. She let out a sigh as she re positioned herself to sit straight.
"Until we meet again," Ash said suddenly. An unexpected end to the conversation that just happened. And yet Sky wasn't entirely bothered by this. She looked over for a moment. The two nodded to one another again before Ash pushed herself off the door frame, exiting out of the room and disappearing from view.
"Until then," Sky whispered. She turned back to the program that was still playing before her.
(Confession Cam)
Sky - "Still not sure what I'm doing. But I feel a little more clearheaded now than I was the other day. It helps that I didn't have to deal with the dumbass and his stupid attempts at treating every little thing as a competition." /Exhales./ "Just have to take things one day at a time, I guess. Learn from whatever mistakes I've made and make myself better. Hopefully."
Next Up: Pre-School Jitters
Back from the holiday break and weathered the storm that was work to get this chapter up. One thing I do kinda miss from my previous time away from writing was the occasional commentary reviews. Would be nice to see those pop up again. But I leave you all to determine how you wanna approach reviewing my story. So long as you review my story, please.
Nyaa_Margarita (AO3) - I can't help but feel like there are some similarities between White Rose Academy and Hope's Peak Academy, mainly the part of guaranteed success in life upon graduation. Probably a coincidence, but I wonder if you've taken inspiration from Hope's Peak Academy.
I have noticed some TD folks taking an interest in Danganronpa. I have not played Danganronpa, so the proper answer would be that it is a coincidence. The first couple games are on my PlayStation backlog, though, having purchased them recently.
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.