“Roomies 2: Country Living” Fanfic Written by Freedom Fighter Okay, now that all of the characters are finally in the mansion, things will go a bit smoother from now on. Correction: With some help from Star Otaku, the famous Anime Survivor 1 writer, who as if you didn't know, is also a Goku/Chi-Chi shipper, we managed to derive a better estimate of Chi-Chi's age for the period of time she's portrayed. The estimated ended up being about ten years younger than my previous one. The error has been corrected in the Casting Special and in the first episode. I have to give props to HevnoAngered for also pointing this out. Episode Rating Warning: PG-13, for a scene featuring nudity about a third of the way through this episode. And without further ado, here's Episode 2! Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fanfic. ***** Tenchi: (VO) Previously on Roomies... Joey: I must be dreaming! This can't be where we're living! Bit: (showing Joey the map) We're at the red dot on the map. We're here! Tenchi: (VO) The residents finally move in, but not without incident... Kiyone: Jessie! I can't believe how lazy you've gotten already! Jessie: (waves a hand at her without turning around) Pipe down, I'm trying to watch this! Chi-Chi: Don't talk back to me, young lady! Tenchi: (VO) Duo and Melfina become close real quickly... Melfina: I'm an android. Duo: But you look as much a human as I do. Melfina: I feel like I can trust you for some reason, even though I've only known you for a day. Duo: Melfina. I... I don't know what to say. Melfina: Just promise that you'll keep my secret. Duo: Anything for you. Tenchi: (VO) And Jeri and Mondo hit it off as well... Jeri: (continuing) The boy in the goggles next to her is Takato. That’s the boy I have a crush on. Mondo: Say, you know, Rika and Takato look awful close in this picture. Jeri: Stop kidding around, Mondo! If Takato had a crush on Rika, he would’ve told me. Mondo: I wouldn’t be surprised if the two are together when you get back home. Jeri: Well, are you going to show me a picture of her? Mondo pulls out a picture of him and Rockna, with their hands intertwined as they face each other lovingly. Jeri: (squeals) You two make such a cute couple! Mondo: (CC) I’m glad Jeri and I have become fast friends. With her around, I won’t feel homesick for Rockna. This ought to be great! Tenchi: (VO) But in the end, it's the duo of Faye and Kiyone that wins the first challenge... Tenchi: Bit, Chi-Chi, Duo, Faye, Jeri, Jessie, Joey, Keitaro, Kiyone, Melfina, Mondo, and Roger, they've got it! Pink team wins! Tenchi steps out of the way as Kiyone and Faye high-five each other and then scream with joy. Everyone runs over to them to congratulate them, including Roger and Keitaro. Tenchi then makes his way through the group and over to the winners. Tenchi: (VO) One challenge down, a whole lot more to go! Read on and see what happens tonight on Roomies! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tenchi: (VO) 12 contestants from 12 different anime shows. 42 days living by themselves in a mansion. But only one will walk away with a grand prize of up to one million dollars. (Begin theme song, showing each of the contestants one at a time) - Bit, pilot of the Liger Zero - Chi-Chi, housewife and daughter of the Ox King - Duo, Gundam Deathscythe pilot - Faye, a bounty hunter/cowboy - Jeri, Digimon tamer - Jessie, member of Team Rocket - Joey, a card duelist - Keitaro, manager of a girls' dorm building - Kiyone, a Galaxy Police officer - Melfina, navigator of the Outlaw Star - Mondo, a Mon Colle Knight - Roger, negotiator and pilot of Big O (Show scenes of Duo carrying a haystack, Bit throwing a picture frame at someone, Kiyone trying to crawl under a security sensor, and Faye pumping her fist in the air in glee) Tenchi: (VO) Some of them will become the best of friends. Others will develop grudges against those they hate. But only one will walk out with a million dollars or more in cash and prizes. (The mansion appears in the background, with the two minivans parked out front.) Tenchi: (VO) These men and women are... roomies! (End theme song, with a picture of all 12 contestants standing in front of the mansion.) ********** Roomies 2: Country Living Story Written by Freedom Fighter ********** Episode 2 - Is There Magic in the Air? Day Two As the residents make their way back to the mansion, Kiyone and Faye are still ecstatic about their victory. Kiyone: (CC) I would have never guessed that Faye and I would win this challenge today! It feels so good to actually succeed at something for once! Faye: (CC) At first I thought that being Kiyone's roommate was a bad idea. But after we won the challenge, I think I'll stick with her for awhile. Kiyone: I've never felt this good in a long time! Faye: I just wish that we would've gotten the money right up front. To think that I have to wait six weeks! Kiyone: But you'll only get the money if you're chosen to win. And that's not exactly a sure bet. Faye: You'll choose me, right? Tell me that you'll choose me when it comes down to the end! Kiyone: Hold on a minute, Faye! I'm not exactly keen on agreeing to stuff like this! Faye: All I'm asking is for one little vote! You won't have to worry about getting anyone else to vote for me. That will be my job! Kiyone: But Faye... Faye: Trust me! Vote for me and I'll vote for you! I'm desperate here! I promise not to double cross you! Kiyone: I'm not worried about you double crossing me. I'm worried about committing myself to one person so early in the game. Faye: Okay, you don't have to agree to this right now. But promise that you'll think about it! Kiyone: Alright, I promise that I'll think about it. Faye: For now, let's just think about what we'll spend the money on! Kiyone: (CC) Faye seems a little overconfident. Sure, we won the first challenge. But what if we don't win any more? And plus, I'm far from deciding who should win it all. I hope Faye realizes that this competition isn't won on the second day. It's won on the forty-second day. Slightly ahead of them on the path, Bit and Joey are having their own discussion over the results of the first challenge. Bit: We stunk, Joey! Plain and simple. There's no way we should've come in fifth place! Joey: Hey, I'm disappointed too, but that doesn't mean you should be taking it out on me! Bit: We should've done better! The only ones we beat were those two kids! Joey: You mean Mondo and Jeri? Bit: Exactly! What's even worse is that Jessie beat us! Joey: I'm not exactly friends with her either, you know. Bit: The only way we're going to win a challenge is to work together! Joey: (smiles) I'm with you, buddy! In the next challenge, we'll beat everyone and win first place! Bit: That's the spirit, Joey! We're winners! The two give each other a high-five and then continue their walk towards the mansion. *** As the group arrives back at the mansion, they spot a package sitting on the doorstep. Duo is the first to reach it. Duo: (shaking the package) I wonder what's in it. It sounds like something's clanging around in there. Roger: (stopping right next to him) Well, open it and see! Duo: We should probably open it on a table or something. There sounds like there's a lot in here. Once inside the house, Duo heads immediately for the kitchen, where he places the package on the counter. Pulling a pair of scissors out of a nearby drawer, he cuts one end of the paper wrapping off, while the others watch. He pulls out twelve 3 by 11 inch wooden slabs, each with one of their names on it. He also pulls out a small three page packet, a small envelope with two electronic keycards inside, and a keyring with four silver keys on it. Bit: What's with the giant nametags? Kiyone: I think it has something to do with that board we saw downstairs. Roger: The one next to that locked room? Kiyone: The very same. Duo starts reading through the packet. All of a sudden, his face brightens up with glee. Duo: This says the room downstairs contains our very own indoor hot spring! The whole group, well, at least most of the older ones, were excited about having a spring inside the mansion. Faye: (CC) Our own hot spring! First we win the challenge today, and now we've got this! Can life be any better? *** A few minutes later, Bit and Joey are in the recreation room downstairs playing some pool. A game of eight-ball, to be exact. Their inexperience at the game shows, though, as they have yet to sink a ball. Joey: So Bit, how are we going to go about winning these challenges? Bit: Simple, Joey. We just do what comes naturally. Joey: Which is? Bit: (after hitting the cue ball and sinking the four) We'll charge in head first, take control of the battle, and head on to victory! Joey: That's a great strategy! But will it work? Bit: Of course it will work! You're talking to Bit Cloud, the leader of the Blitz Team! I know no boundaries! All of a sudden, Faye walks into the room with a cream colored towel wrapped around the back of her neck, with the ends extending halfway down her torso. She watches the two teenagers play for a few minutes from the comfort of a nearby chair. Bit: (preparing to take a shot) How am I going to get the eight ball into one of the pockets? Faye glances at the table and sees that all of the balls, except for the four, are still present on the table. Faye: You're supposed to save the eight ball for last. Bit: Why? This is eight-ball! The goal is to be the first person to sink the eight ball! Faye: (laughs) Where did you learn that? Joey: (points at Bit) From him. This is the first time I've ever played pool before. Bit: I've never actually played pool. I've just heard of it from somewhere. Faye: You two are playing pool and you don't know a thing about the game? Here, I'll show you. Faye snatches the cue out of Bit's hand and then moves around the table until she's at a spot where the one ball is directly lined up with the cue ball and one of the side pockets. Faye: The object of the game is to get your seven balls into the pockets and then sink the eight ball to win. She delicately pulls back her cue before striking the cue ball, sending it towards the one ball. The two connect, sending the one ball into the side pocket and the cue ball off at a slightly different angle, towards one of the bumpers. Faye: One person goes after the balls that have completely solid colors on them, while the other goes on the ones that have a stripe going across them. Once you sink your seven, you can then proceed to go after the eight. Joey: Oh, I see. Bit: Why didn't you tell us earlier? You have been sitting there for the past few minutes. Faye: You never asked. And besides, why should I strain myself explaining a game that you'll never understand. Bit: (taking his cue back from Faye) Oh yeah? We'll see about that! Bit leans over to take his shot. He quickly reels the cue back and then jerks it forward, making it connect with the cue ball. He hits it so hard, though, that it not only misses the other balls on the table, but it flies off and just misses hitting Joey in the stomach. Joey: Watch out, Bit! You trying to take me out or something? Faye is laughing hysterically, rocking back and forth in her chair, while Bit growls angrily before directing that anger at her. Bit: That's not very funny! But Faye continues to laugh, even clutching her stomach in pain at times. Finally, she rocks the chair so much that it tips over backwards, sending her to the floor in the process. Bit and Joey are now laughing at her, as the chair's bottom... and hers, are now sticking up in the air. Faye: Shut up and help me! Joey walks over to help as he tries to contain his laughter. Joey: I hate to say it, but you deserved that one. Joey moves the chair, allowing for the bottom half of Faye's body to fall to the floor. He then extends a hand and helps her get up. Faye: You two are just lucky that I'm in a good mood. Bit: (jokingly) That makes two of us. *** On the other side of the basement, the nameboard, previously empty, now has all 12 of the slabs from earlier on it. Two of the slabs, the ones belonging to Kiyone and Melfina, are on the side marked 'In.' Everyone else's nametags are on the 'Out' side. That is, before a small hand reaches up and changes the position of one of the nametags. Jeri's nametag, to be exact. Jeri opens the door and walks inside the now unlocked room which contained an indoor hot spring. The ribbons that usually hold up the sides of Jeri's hair into ponytails are missing. So are the rest of her clothes. In fact, the only thing she is wearing is a green towel that's wrapped around her body. After walking a few steps, the hot springs themselves finally come into view. And on the far side of the room, in the biggest of the three pools, were Kiyone and Melfina. Melfina: (pointing towards Jeri) It looks like Jeri's here. Kiyone: (shouting at Jeri) Jeri! Over here! Jeri saw the two of them. She gulped nervously a few times as she slowly made her way over to them. By the time she reaches them, her suspicions were confirmed. Kiyone and Melfina were both completely naked. [Author's Note: Special filters are used so that their body parts are digitally covered up, keeping them from being seen.] Melfina: What took you so long, Jeri? We though that you were never going to come! Kiyone: Come on in! The water's fine! Jeri: I'm not so sure I'm ready... Kiyone: Don't tell me you're scared, Jeri! Melfina: (smiles happily) There's nothing to worry about. You're among friends. But Jeri was just standing there in front of them, with the towel still wrapped around her body. Kiyone then realizes what's wrong and slaps her forehead with the palm of her right hand. Kiyone: Don't worry, Jeri. It's perfectly okay if you want to keep your towel on. Jeri: Are you sure? Kiyone: Yeah, go ahead! Besides, we won't be happy unless you are. Jeri nods before slowly inching her way into the pool. Eventually, her whole body, with the exception of her head, is submerged under the water. Kiyone: See? That wasn't so bad, was it? Jeri: Aren't you two a bit... well, you know... Kiyone: Ashamed? Not me. I'm 23 and single. Single! I only wish that I could show myself off to some guys. Melfina: Besides, this is how I'm usually dressed when I'm navigating the Outlaw Star. Jeri and Kiyone's eyes bug out in surprise. Kiyone: You're kidding! Right? Melfina: (shakes her head) It's true. Kiyone: (a little defensive) What kind of sick men do you work for? Melfina: Oh, it's nothing like that! You've got it all wrong, Kiyone! Jeri: This isn't something I'm going to regret listening to, is it? Melfina: Trust me. Kiyone: You've got some explaining to do, Melfina... say, why don't you have a last name like everyone else? Melfina: (VO) I just slipped up! Now Kiyone and Jeri are going to find out about my secret. But before Melfina can begin her explanation, the trio hears someone enter the room. The three turn towards the entrance. The figure becomes instantly recognizable to three females. All of sudden, the guy looks up and spots them staring at him. And that's when three high pitched screams can be heard ringing through the entire mansion. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Just a few seconds before that, Duo was yelling from the top of the staircase. Duo: Has anyone seen Melfina? Mondo appears at the bottom of the steps and shouts back an answer. Mondo: I think she's downstairs. I remember her talking with Jeri about trying out the hot springs. At that exact moment, screaming can be heard from the basement. All of a sudden, Keitaro comes running up the stairs wearing only his glasses and a towel around his waist. He also happens to be dripping water and sweat onto the floor beneath him. As he reaches the first floor, he accidentally knocks Mondo down as he turns to go up to the second floor. Mondo: (lying on the floor with his eyes swirling) Anyone get the name of the car that just ran me over? Keitaro reaches the second floor, as Duo steps aside and allows him to run to the nearest bathroom to dry off. As the door closes, Duo hears Kiyone yelling from the basement. Kiyone: Somebody tell Keitaro that he needs to learn some manners! Roger and Chi-Chi appear at the top of the stairs leading up from the basement, while Bit, Joey, and Faye come out of the recreation room. It is then apparent that Kiyone is only wearing a teal green towel wrapped around her body and that she is dripping water all over. Upon seeing this, Joey instinctively turns away while Bit looks on with curiosity. Roger reacts the same way, but noticing that Chi-Chi is right next to him, he quickly tries to get Kiyone's attention. Faye beats him to it. Faye: Kiyone, put some clothes on! Kiyone: It's not like they can see anything! Unlike Keitaro, who's going to hear a few words from me when I find him! Kiyone then walks back to the hot spring, where she has left a stunned Jeri and a carefree Melfina still sitting in the pool. Kiyone: It's okay you two. I'll have a talk with Keitaro later. Melfina: We're fine, Kiyone. Although Jeri looks a little bit out of it. She points to the young girl, who now has her arms crossed over her chest protectively, even though she is still wearing her towel under the water. Kiyone: And you, Melfina? Melfina: Oh, I'm fine. I told you that this is normal for me! Kiyone: (sweatdrops) Melfina, I think it's time you explained that job of yours. *** Back out in the hall... Joey: (still facing away from where Kiyone was standing) Is Kiyone gone yet? Bit: (rolls his eyes) Joey, you can turn around. Besides, I don't see what you're so scared about. She was wearing a towel. Faye: That's all she was wearing, Bit! Have a little respect for women, why don't you? Bit: I respect women a lot! (under his breath) I just think some of them are crazy. Roger walks down the steps with his hands in his pockets. He takes care so that he doesn't slip on the small puddles of water that Keitaro had left in his escape. Roger: I've never seen someone that desperate for a peek. Faye: He's just lucky I wasn't in there. I would've given him a run for his money. Roger: (with a bit of intrigue in his voice) Say, why weren't you in there? Weren't you excited about hearing we had a spring? Faye: I'll bathe in the spring when I want to. Besides, you enjoy it the most when you're all alone. Roger: (seductively) Is that a fact? Faye: (retorting) Stop thinking you're going to get in there with me, 'cause it's not going to happen! *** Night Two Kiyone, now dressed in a sky blue top and some matching colored shorts, approaches the locked sliding door located towards the back of the mansion. Pulling out the keyring from earlier, she finds the right key and unlocks the door. She slides it aside and spots a metal door behind it with a keycard lock. She slides the keycard into the hole on the top of the lock and pulls it back out. The green light on the lock flashes and Kiyone pushes down the handle, opening the door. She enters the room and closes the door behind her, pushing a switch on to show that the room is occupied. Turning the lights on in the room, Kiyone sees a camera set up on a tripod in the center. The rest of the room is decorated with a few potted plants, some white blinds, and a few other minor things. Kiyone takes a seat in front of the camera, stops a moment to catch her breath, and then she turns the camera on. Kiyone: (CC) I know that Keitaro's trying to get into college, but if he can't read, what's the point? Didn't he know that we were inside? That's why the name board is there! To keep men from getting in when we're in there! A little while later, Kiyone and Keitaro are seen talking alone in the dining room, though we can't here what they're saying. Eventually, though, the two hug and make up. Keitaro: (CC) I just explained that it tends to happen to me a lot. I don't do it on purpose. But at least she understood me. Kiyone: (CC) In a strange way, Keitaro reminds me so much of Tenchi. They act pretty much alike. I'm surprised that the two of them didn't hit it off at the challenge earlier today. Keitaro: (CC) I promised Kiyone that I would be more careful in the future. Besides, I wouldn't want to imagine what would happen to me if Faye or Jessie had caught me inside if they were there. *** Day Three The following morning, things had seemingly gotten back to normal. Mondo, Melfina, and Jessie were sitting in the living room, watching as Jeri performed with her puppet. They all seemed to be enjoying it... well, all of them except for Jessie. Jeri: (looking at her puppet) Say, why don't you tell them that joke that always makes me laugh? Jeri's Puppet: Whatever are you talking about? Jeri: (winks at it) You know, the 'joke.' Jeri's Puppet: Oh. That one. Jeri: Yep. Ready? Jeri's Puppet: Okay, okay... why don't deer have uncles? Jeri: Gee, I don't know. Jeri's Puppet: Because they've got aunt-lers. Get it? Mondo: (laughing) That puppet is so funny! Melfina: (also laughing) I can't help but laugh! Jessie: (rolls her eyes) You have got to be kidding. Jeri notices that Jessie isn't laughing, so she turns her attention towards the red haired young woman. Jeri's Puppet: Why aren't you laughing? I'm the puppet comedian! Everyone laughs at me! See? The puppet than begins to hit itself with its hands. Mondo and Melfina are rolling with laughter. Jeri's Puppet: They think I'm funny. Why don't you? Jessie: (growls) Oh, that is it! Jessie rips the puppet from Jeri's arm, heads to the front door, opens it, and throws it out into the yard. She then turns towards Jeri. Jessie: I didn't come here to see a kid's stupid little pet show! I came here to win some money! Jessie then walks off, heading to the computer room. Jeri stands there, stunned with disbelief. Mondo, quickly noticing this, gets up from his seat and runs out to retrieve the puppet. Melfina gets up and tries to keep Jeri calm. Melfina: Don't worry about Jessie. She's just jealous because everyone's paying attention to you and not her. Jeri: (in a monotone) She threw my puppet out... Mondo runs back in, with the puppet in hand. There are a few strands of grass on it, but it otherwise looks undamaged. Mondo: Jeri, here's your puppet back! Jeri: (still in a monotone) She threw my puppet out... Mondo: Jeri, snap out of it! I have your puppet right here! Mondo hands the puppet back to Jeri. She takes it, slides it back onto her hand, and then resumes standing stunned. Mondo: Well, at least she's not talking like she's possessed anymore. Melfina: I think we'd better get her a glass of water. Mondo: (beginning to pull Jeri with him as he leaves) Just bring it to our room. I'm going to try a few things. Although unsure of what Mondo means by that, she complies. Melfina: I'll be there in a minute. *** A few minutes later, the sound of crying fills the air. It seems to be coming from the white bedroom. And Jessie and Keitaro can hear as they type away in the computer room. Keitaro: (turning towards Jessie) What's with all the noise? Jessie: (shrugs her shoulders) Beats me. Keitaro decides to ignore the noise and he turns back towards his monitor to continue typing. Jessie: (CC) Bit calls the puppet stupid and Jeri didn't seem mad about it. But I call the puppet stupid and she's over there crying with that other kid! What's up with that? *** Over in the white bedroom, we see Jeri crying her heart out... right into Mondo's lap. Mondo isn't concerned about his wet shorts. He's concerned about Jeri. Mondo: Jeri, please don't cry! Don't let Jessie get to you. Jeri looks up at Mondo. He sees that the tears that hadn't made it to his shorts were running down the sides of her face. Mondo continues to try and calm her down. Mondo: Jeri, listen to me! I thought that you were a Digimon Tamer! Jeri: (between sniffles as her crying comes to a standstill) I am... but... Mondo: If you've faced off with scores of good and evil Digimon in the past, why are you letting a girl twice your age get to you? Jeri: (still a little shaken) But my puppet... Mondo: You're right. She had no right to take your puppet and throw it outside like she did. Jeri: (slowly) She called me a kid. Mondo: Well technically, you are still a kid. That seemed to strike a bad chord, as Jeri started wailing again. Mondo gasped in surprise before quickly grabbing Jeri and shaking her furiously. Mondo: Jeri, get a hold of yourself! What happened to the cheerful young girl that I woke up to this morning? Jeri: (stops crying) This morning... Mondo: Don't you remember? I had just finished getting dressed this morning when I decided to open the blinds in the room. You woke up at that exact moment, sat up, turned to me, and smiled! Jeri: (blinking her eyes in confusion) I don't quite remember it that way. Mondo: Okay, so maybe I got a few facts messed up, but I'm trying to cheer you up! Jeri pulls her right hand up to her face and starts wiping the tears off of it. She then smiles a bit evilly before reaching for one of the pillows and hitting Mondo playfully with it. Jeri: You were the one still in bed this morning when I opened the blinds, silly! Mondo: (smiling back as he reaches for one of his pillows) And if I remember right this time, you tried to wake me up by hitting me with one of your pillows! Jeri: You didn't even stand a chance. Mondo: (gets ready to swing his pillow at her) How about a rematch? Jeri smiles again, then whacks Mondo upside the head again. Jeri: You're on! Mondo quickly strikes back, hitting Jeri's left arm. The two continue to go at it for a few minutes, laughing and giggling as feathers start flying around the room. In all of the melee, they fail to notice Melfina walk into the room. She stands there and watches them for a minute before leaving the glass of water she had in hand on a nearby table. She then exits, closing the door behind her. Melfina: (smiles as she walks off) Whatever Mondo tried, it seems like it worked! *** Night Three Faye was outside, sitting on the front steps while smoking a cigarette, as she watched the sun briefly poke its way through the clouds as it set for the night. At the same time, she was trying to keep herself covered as much as possible, since it was getting colder with each passing second. All of a sudden, her passionate sunset is about to be interrupted, as the door opens and Roger steps out to join her. Roger: Good evening, Faye. Faye: Good evening yourself. Roger: Someone's in a sour mood tonight. Faye: Roger, what do you want? Roger: I've been doing a little bit of thinking over the past few hours... Faye: (raising an eyebrow) And? Roger: Tonight would be a nice night to have dinner for two out on the rooftop garden. Faye: It's cold outside! Roger: Then why are you out here? Faye: Kiyone won't let me smoke in the room. And besides, Chi-Chi says that she doesn't want me polluting the air inside. Roger: Just like your heart. Faye: What did you say? Roger: Just like you heart. You know, the way that continuous smoking eventually pollutes your lungs and blocks up the passages leading to your heart. Faye: Thanks for the public service announcement, but as you can see, I don't intend on giving up smoking any time soon. Roger: I could probably help you out. Faye: I don't need your help. Roger: (groans in disbelief) Why won't you let me help you? Faye: Why don't you just bug off? Roger: Why don't you see that I'm trying to be friends with you? Faye: Why don't you see that I'm not interested? Roger: Why don't you see that I care about you? Faye: Why don't you see that I don't care about you? With that, Faye throws her cigarette to the ground without extinguishing it. She then stomps past Roger and heads inside, slamming the door behind her. *** Day Four The next morning, Jessie is outside on the rooftop garden watching the wind blow through the leafless trees. She sighs as she takes a seat on the railing and looks out towards what appears to be the Masaki shrine several miles away. Jessie: Now that I'm here, I'm regretting coming here in the first place. Wait, why I am regretting it? I'm just acting like I normally do! If they don't like me, then that's their problem! Jessie then pulls out a picture that has her, James, and Meowth in. It's a picture of them on their first day as members of Team Rocket. Jessie: Still... I miss being around James and Meowth. There's nobody in the world quite like those two. James, with his quirky ability to cross dress at will. And Meowth, the world's only Pokémon that can talk just like a human. They're the only two people in this world that I trust. I just wish there was someone here I could trust. The wind starts blowing even harder, causing Jessie to rub her hands up and down her arms in order to stay warm. Jessie: There's only one way that's going to happen. And I'm going to make sure that it does. Jessie continues to glance out towards the Masaki shrine as the wind picks up even more, causing a few loose strands of her hair to work their way loose and fly into the air. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Roger heads to the kitchen, wanting to quench his thirst after a good workout in the weight room. Wearing only a black T-shirt and black shorts, he finally reaches his destination. Duo, who was busy preparing the place for dinner, stops and looks on as Roger pours himself a glass of water. Roger: I'll never get used to this. Duo: You mean getting stuff for yourself? Roger: At least in the comfort of my own mansion, Norman could get things for me if I needed them. Duo: Only rich people have butlers, you know. The rest of us had to learn to fend for ourselves. Roger: That doesn't mean that Norman does everything for me! Duo: True... you do pilot that mobile suit of yours. Roger: I wouldn't call it a mobile suit. To me, it's just the Big O. Duo: Big O, mobile suit, same difference. Roger takes a sip of his glass before heading out. Roger: Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm heading up to take a shower. Duo: Just don't do a Keitaro and slip into the hot spring. Roger: (smiles) Wouldn't dream of it. *** Night Four Faye is sitting down on a chair in the study. A strange place for her to be maybe, but she wasn't there to read. She was waiting for someone to show up. As soon as she decides that she's waited long enough, Jessie enters the room with a piece of paper and a pen in hand. Faye: So, you've got a proposal for me? Jessie: Why else would I want to meet with you? To make out? Faye: (looking at Jessie oddly) You're kidding, right? Jessie: Look, I wanted to meet with you because I want to form an alliance with you. Faye: Fair enough. Jessie: I overheard you talking about trying to get Kiyone to agree to vote for you at the end, as long as you for her as well. Faye: Yes, you might have heard that. And your point is? Jessie: I want you to make the same agreement with me! Faye: I don't know, Jessie. You haven't been in everyone's good graces exactly. Jessie: But you've had a few rough spots too. Faye: True. I guess I have no choice. Jessie: Correct, Faye! You have no choice! You must agree! Faye: You're freaking me out! Jessie: Sorry. Force of habit. Faye takes the piece of paper out of Jessie's hand and starts writing up a written contract. It only takes her a minute or two to do so. Faye: Okay. (reads the contract aloud) Whomever signs their name at the bottom of this contract will promise to vote for the person whose signature appears on here with yours. Jessie nods in agreement. Faye signs the contract first, then hands the pen to Jessie to allow her to do the same. Jessie then takes the completed contract and the pen and starts to walk out. Jessie: Don't break the contract! I'll be watching you! Faye: The same goes for you! Jessie: (CC) What a sap! My plan worked! Now, to try and convince the others of how worthy I am to win. Faye: (CC) I can't blame Jessie for trying. Still, at least she'll get one vote... because no one else is going to give her one. *** Day Five It's just another normal day at the Okayama mansion. The sound of bacon being fried over the stove can be heard from the kitchen. In one of the downstairs bathrooms, Mondo is brushing his teeth over the sink. Kiyone walks past the open bathroom door and greets him. Kiyone: Good morning! Mondo spits some of the toothpaste out and then turns towards Kiyone to respond. Mondo: Kiyone! Up early again this morning? Kiyone: Yeah. I have to figure out what to cook for lunch. Mondo: Oh, that's easy! Just pull out a few of those ramen noodle packets out of the pantry and voila, instant lunch! Kiyone: I doubt everyone would like having noodles for lunch for the second day in a row. Mondo: I don't mind. They taste real good! Kiyone: Don't you get enough to eat at home? Mondo: Not really. Professor Hiragi's somewhat okay, but I can't say the same for Rockna. Can't cook worth beans, so to speak. Mondo then realizes that the camera was pointed right at him when he said that. He smacks his forehead in disgust. Mondo: Rockna's gonna hate me for that one. *** While that was happening, Bit was in the computer room, surfing the Internet. All of a sudden, the computer that he is on begins to beep. It turns out to be a new message from Tenchi. He opens the message and reads it before printing out to show the others. Bit: (CC) The e-mail said that today's challenge will require us to mix some magic of the past with the magic of the present. Don't know what the heck that means, but we'll see. *** Later that morning, the twelve can be seen walking past some trees and into a clearing, where they find an assortment of gadgets and other do-hickeys set up in the background. Tenchi is waiting for them. Tenchi: Good morning! Are you guys ready for your next challenge? Chi-Chi: You bet! It feels like it's been awhile since we had that first one. Tenchi: I bet you're all wondering what the message you got from me today meant. Well, in today's challenge, aptly called 'A Bit of Magic,' you will mix a little bit of old school magic with the magic of the present, namely all of these things behind me. And to help me out, I've got a few assistants on hand today. Suddenly, Tenchi and the others are surprised as a smoke bomb goes off behind them. As the smoke clears, three young kids step out of the smoke. The first is a blue haired boy with glasses, the second an auburn haired girl, and the third a black haired boy. The leader seemed to be very confident about this challenge, while the other two were a bit more nervous, and thus they were hanging back from the first. For the record, all three of them are wearing a blue wizard's hat and a long, black flowing robe. Mondo: (pointing to the first) Hey, that dude looks like Harry Potter! 'Harry Potter': I assure you that I am not him. 'Harry' takes off the hat and materializes a wand out of nowhere. 'Harry Potter': Allow me to introduce myself. I am Eli Moon, the reincarnation of the great Clow Reed. The whole group gasps in shock at hearing this revelation. All except for Bit, that is. Bit: One question... who's Clow Reed? Everyone except Bit facefaults. Jeri: Remind me to show you a few good Cardcaptor Sakura websites when we get back. With this sparkling new revelation, Keitaro then quickly recognizes the other two. 'Boyfriend': Let me guess... you think that she's Hermione Granger and that I'm Ron Weasley. Keitaro: Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of... (shouting aloud) And that's that flirtatious girl and her boyfriend! 'Mystery Girl': I'm not flirtatious! 'Boyfriend': A Pokémon trainer's face comes to mind. 'Mystery Girl': We only went on one date! 'Boyfriend': The way you talk on the phone to him, it seems like a lot more than that. A caption appears with all three of them on screen, as Eli watches 'Hermione' and 'Ron' argue. [Eli, Chelsea, and Zachary - Cast Members: "Cardcaptor Sakura"] Roger: (CC) What's up with all the kids? Couldn't they find any adults that know magic? Eli: (coughs) Before 'Hermione' and 'Ron' tear each other apart, I might as well introduce them. The girl is Chelsea, while the boy she's fighting with, her boyfriend by the way, is Zachary. Chelsea and Zachary stop fighting and politely smile at the contestants. Zachary: Speaking of Harry Potter, I remembering hearing a tale of how the famed wizards that the four houses of the notorious Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft were named after determined which students would be able to attend their school. Something about a boiling pot of oil and dishwasher soap... Chelsea: (pulling Zachary's ear) Stop telling lies! Zachary: But it's true! I read the book myself! Chelsea: Sure, sure, whatever. Just don't make stuff up, okay? Zachary: But I'm not! Eli: (coughs again) Before this goes any further, I'm going to explain today's challenge in more detail. Behind us stands three different magical laboratory set-ups. In order to complete this challenge, you'll each have to solve and finish these three experiments, one at a time, in a certain amount of time. Tenchi: Those of you who manage to complete all three experiments will be declared the winners of this challenge. If you haven't figured it out by now, today's your first prize challenge. It's every man and woman for himself or herself. And today, you are competing for this! Eli waves his wand around a few times, causing a CD player to materialize out of nowhere and right into his hands. Tenchi: Today, you'll be competing for a chance to win this Sony D-CJ01 CD Walkman CD and MP3 player! The group claps with glee, wanting to take the toy home for themselves. Tenchi: I guess you could call this prize a little bit of magic for the future. Anyway, let's start the challenge! Zachary: I will explain the first of the three experiments that you will have to complete. Zachary walks over to the smallest of the three set-ups in the background as he goes into explanation mode. Zachary: For the easy level's experiment, each of you will have three small tasks to complete. First, you will see on this table three beakers, each of which hold different amounts of water. One holds 400 mL, the second holds 500 mL, and the third holds 2.5 L. In this task, you must use the two small beakers to fill the large one so that the top of the water is located between the two green stripes on the 2.5 L beaker. That's a small margin of error... only 100 mL in that zone. Note that each time you go to the water cooler, you must fill the beaker completely. Also, each of those two beakers must be used at least once. Zachary shows off the water cooler and then the three beakers. Zachary: In this small box next to the beakers, you'll find twelve different three-by-five inch envelopes with a card inside. Each card has a certain color that you must change the water to. In the box are several packets of red, yellow, and blue dye. You will have to pick the right two out of three to obtain the desired color. Here, you'll only get one shot at it, so make sure that you're correct, or you'll automatically lose. The box appears, with the three dye color packets and the envelopes inside. Zachary: Last but not least, in this small little booth behind me, you'll see three different color balloons. You'll need to pop the balloon that has the color opposite on the color wheel of the mixture you just created in that last task. The right balloon will have a card with the same color on it that was on the card from before. If you pop that balloon, you can rip the sugar packet off of the ceiling in the booth. Be careful that you don't rip it in such a way that you rip the packet and spill the contents on you! Take the packet over to your mixture, empty the sugar into it, mix it with the stirrer here next to the beaker, pour some of it into the smallest beaker and drink it. Zachary points out the booth with red, yellow, and blue colored balloons inside. Zachary: To complete this experiment, this all has to be done in two minutes or less. Kiyone: Sounds complicated. Eli: (smirks) Just wait and see. This is the easy one, after all. Tenchi: You heard Eli. This is only the easy one, but you won't get a chance to win that CD player if you fail to complete this experiment. So let's get things started, shall we? [Random Order Assignments: Duo, Kiyone, Jessie, Mondo, Faye, Keitaro, Melfina, Chi-Chi, Bit, Jeri, Joey, and Roger] [Prize Challenge 1: A Bit of Magic] Everyone except for Duo is sent to a special sequestered area, where Chelsea and Eli watch over them. This is done in order to keep them from figuring out the puzzles by watching Duo. Duo stands behind the table where the beakers are. Zachary stands ready with a stopwatch as Tenchi raises his hand in the air, signaling Duo that the challenge is about to begin. Tenchi: Duo, on your mark! Get set! Go! As Tenchi drops his arm down, Duo grabs both of the small beakers and runs over to the water cooler to fill them. After doing so, he runs back and fills the large beaker. He repeats the process once again until he returns back to fill the large beaker. Seeing that the water level is in between the boundaries, he reaches into the box and pulls out an envelope. Ripping it open, the word 'violet' is on the card inside. He quickly reaches in and pulls out the red and blue dye packets, emptying them into the the beaker. Duo then runs over to the booth and closes it behind him, leaving him trapped in there with red, blue, and yellow colored balloons. Duo: Geese, what's the opposite of violet? Duo grabs a red balloon and puts it between his back and one of the walls. It pops, but he finds 'green' inside. He quickly goes for the blue balloon and pops that one by bringing his foot down on it. Wrong again... he finds 'orange' inside. Duo: (grabs a yellow one) This has gotta be it. He pops that one in the same manner as the the blue one and this time does indeed find the card with 'violet' on it. He reaches up for the sugar packet, bolts out of the booth, and heads back to the beakers. He opens the packet, pours it into the beaker, mixes the combination, and then fills the smallest beaker with it. Duo: Down the hatch... Duo drinks the whole beaker down quickly, but as he finishes it and puts the beaker down, he coughs weakly as Zachary hits the stop button on his watch. Duo: (gagging) This tastes like sugar water! Zachary: That's what it is. It just has some food coloring in it. Duo sticks out his tongue, which has turned violet thanks to the dyes. Duo: (pulling his tongue back in) I guess that would explain this at the very least. Zachary: One minute, thirty-three seconds. Pretty good. Duo tries to wipe off any excess sugar off of his tongue before he swallows it. As he does so, he heads back to the sequestered area, where Kiyone steps out from to take her turn. [Challenge Fast Forward] Kiyone employs the same strategy as Duo, taking the two small beakers and filling them simultaneously twice to top off the large beaker. She easily picks out red and yellow as the colors to get green, and just as quickly scores correctly with her first popped balloon, a blue one. She returns to mix the sugar in and down the mixture. Time: 1 minute, 16 seconds. Jessie decides to do it one at a time, eventually using each beaker twice, but using up a whole lot more time. But she falters in the next part, trying to produce orange but instead produces green by taking the blue and yellow. Time: Disqualified. Mondo ends up having to fill the beakers twice, getting the wrong combination by putting in a third cup of 400 mL before the second cup of 500 mL. He redoes it correctly the second time, but he's running short on time. He draws green and mixes the right colors. In the booth, he also picks the wrong two balloons before popping the correct one, the red one. He runs out to mix the drink. He downs it just in time to complete the challenge. Time: 1 minute, 57 seconds. Faye decides to take her time filling the beakers. She does produce violet with the correct colors, but she runs into trouble when she gets into the booth. She tries desperately to pop one of the yellow balloons, but everytime she attempts, she misses because it slips down to the floor. Finally, she pops one, but as she runs back to mix her drink, time expires. Time: Disqualified. Keitaro manages to do something smart for once, actually employing the two-at-a-time technique as well. He draws orange and mixes correctly, then scores by popping the blue balloon. He returns to drink the mixture. As he finishes, doing so carefully as he didn't mix it well enough and all of the sugar ended up at the bottom, he breathes a sigh of relief. Time: 1 minute, 29 seconds. Melfina also goes the two-at-a-time at route. She mixes up violet, goes over to pop the yellow balloon, and then returns for a cool drink to finish off. Time: 1 minute, 18 seconds. Chi-Chi decides to fill one at a time. But she makes up time by creating a green colored mixture and then taking a red balloon inside the booth and popping it as it floated in between her two hands, which closed with a thundering clap. Finally, she returns and becomes the first person employing the one beaker method to finish. Time: 1 minute, 27 seconds. Bit has quite a bit of trouble on his turn, spilling water as he goes to and from the beakers. And although he used the two beakers simultaneously, the water spillage causes him to miss his mark by milliliters, forcing him to empty the large beaker and try again. Slowing down and treading carefully, he has no trouble finishing the second time. Drawing orange is a snap for him, as he mixes yellow and red, his two favorite colors. He then heads off to pop a blue balloon, but he has trouble inside there as well. He too eventually runs out of time upon running back with the sugar packet. Time: Disqualified. Jeri plays it safe and fills one beaker before heading back. Carefully making sure that she falls within the boundary lines, she takes a bit more time than usual. She also draws orange, but once again she stops to double-check herself. Mixing correctly, she heads to the booth to pop the balloons. But before she can even figure out the right one, she runs out of time. Surprised and dejected at the same time, she exits the booth with her head hanging down. Time: Disqualified. Joey finally changes the failing trend as he goes for two beakers, mixes violet correctly, pops the yellow balloon, and then returns to mix the drink. He gulps it all down and smiles happily as he heads back to the others. Time: 1 minute, 19 seconds. Roger, the last to go, follows Jeri's same steps. Only the difference happens to be that he's using two beakers and that he's drawn green, thus allowing him to pop red. His only setback is when he actually drinks the mixture. He makes a few unpleasant faces as he gulps down the sugar laden water. But he finishes and walks back, but he's not enjoying having all of that sugar go down his pipes. Time: 1 minute, 25 seconds. [Complete Challenge Fast Forward] The whole group is gathered back in front of the experiments. Jessie, Faye, Jeri, and Bit are sitting on a bench off to the side, already eliminated from the challenge. Chelsea smiles and steps forward, explaining the next experiment to the remaining competitors. Chelsea: The three tasks here at the 'normal' level are a lot tougher than the challenges you just finished. Roger: As long as we're not mixing drinks again, I can take whatever you dish out. Chelsea: In that case, allow me to give you the details of this experiment. Chelsea goes into explanation mode as she approaches the second set-up. Chelsea: The first part is a favorite of mine, as you can find this event at any Japanese festival you might go to. There is a small tank here filled with about 30 to 40 goldfish. All that's required of you here is to use this special thin net to catch one of these fish and put it in this small goldfish bowl. Chelsea points out the tank, the goldfish, the small net, and the bowl. Chelsea: Second, you'll catch another fish and put it into this bigger bowl. Here, you'll get this small rod that has an open ring attached to it. The object is to get the fish you just put in this tank to go through the ring three times. Chelsea points out the bowl and the rod for them to see. Chelsea: Last, but not least, we're going to make you fish mongers for a day! You'll each get three flounders from the green coolers over there that are about six to eight inches each in length. You'll have to stuff them with enough ice from those chests over there so that they stay fresh. In fact, there's a weighing machine here next to the table. From the time you get the fish to after you stuff it, it has to at least gain half of a pound. When you're done, you'll transfer the fish to this orange set of coolers. She shows the eight of them the two coolers, the ice chest, and the weighing machine. She then reaches into one of the coolers and pulls out one of the flounders. It looked like it came fresh from the water, except for the fact that it was dead. Chelsea: Complete this and you're one step closer to getting that CD player! Too bad you might smell like fish after this, but that's the way life goes. The remaining competitors begin to play the challenge through their minds as they try to figure out how to go about completing this experiment. Chelsea: Oh, and while you guys are thinking, I'll tell you that the time limit for this part of the challenge is four minutes and twenty seconds flat or less. Joey: (CC) I'm not so sure about this one. I've played that fish catching game a few times and I've never been successful at it. Melfina: (CC) I hope I don't mess up. I've never stuffed a fish before. Kiyone: (CC) I really want that CD player, so I'm going to have to buckle down and hope that I get through this. [Round 2 Assignments (in reverse from Round 1 results): Mondo, Duo, Keitaro, Chi-Chi, Roger, Joey, Melfina, and Kiyone] All of the remaining competitors except for Mondo are sent back to the sequestered area. Mondo heads over to the tank and takes the small net in hand. Mondo: I hope that the fish are biting today! Chelsea: (rolls her eyes) Anyway... are you ready, Mondo? Mondo nods. Chelsea prepares the stopwatch as Tenchi gets ready to give him the go signal. Tenchi: On your mark! Get set! (dropping his arm) Go! End Episode Two Tenchi: (VO) Next time, on Roomies... Joey: (shouting as the fish breaks through his net) Ah! It doesn't want to stay in! Tenchi: (VO) The so-called magic challenge continues... Kiyone pulls the flounder off the scale, reaches into the ice chest, and starts stuffing the flounder as fast as possible. Duo: (CC, shaking) That *bleep* ice was cold! Eli: You have yet to finish this! Mondo is pedaling on the stationary bike as fast as his tired legs will allow him to. Mondo: (shouting angrily) Whomever thought this was an efficient way of creating electricity needs to be struck by lightning! Tenchi: (VO) Speaking of Mondo, I wonder how Rockna will react when she phones in as a surprise... Mondo: Trust me! There's nothing between us! Rockna: (VO) Then why are you talking about her as if the two of you are already married? Tenchi: (VO) And maybe the idea of having a two gender mansion was a bad idea... Faye: Roger hitting on me, Keitaro getting a peek at you, Duo controlling Melfina... Kiyone: I have to agree. Men really are pigs. Faye: (CC) With the exception of Mondo, Joey and Bit decided to pick all of the guys first! Jessie: (CC) I'll show those guys the proper way of treating a woman! Chi-Chi grabs a hold of the handlebars and slides down the zip line. Chi-Chi: (yelling back) I'll show you who the dominant sex is! Roger: (grabbing the bars and sliding down after her) We'll see after this is all over. Faye: (running down the hill as fast as she can) Why me? We see why she is running, as the giant rubber ball she had just pushed up the hill was rolling back down after her. Joey: (running past as he pushes his ball up the hill) See you later, alligator! Additional Author's Notes: Despite being crunched in the middle of final exams, I managed to finish writing this episode. Luckily, we're back to normal length, which was quite a relief for me. Eight-ball, the billiards game, is played as described by Faye. I'm much better than Bit and Joey are at playing it, but I'm a far cry from being an expert at the game. For those of you on the mailing list who knew about the hot springs ahead of time, you knew that something like this was going to happen, especially given Keitaro's weird knack for stumbling into places at the wrong time as he did in this episode. Okay, telling jokes are another weakness of mine. Not being able to think of a half decent one, I used this all too-familiar one. Fans of an American cartoon about a certain boy genius and his sister, who actually tells this joke, will know what I'm talking about. Back to Keitaro and a few other things... expect casual references to things from all of the anime series to pop up from time to time. How many anime series were referred to in this episode? At least seven shows were referenced in this episode. And yes, that is a trick question... see if you caught the trick! Ah... a little art reference. How many of you know your color wheel? For those of you lost in the first part of the prize challenge, use this equivalent. Take two of the primary colors (red, blue, and/or yellow) and mix to gain a secondary color (violet from red and blue, orange from red and yellow, or green from blue and yellow). The color opposite each secondary color on the wheel is the primary color not used to obtain that secondary one. For example, since you did not use the yellow one when mixing red and blue, it is the opposite of violet. More prize challenge notes... Chelsea is right, the fishing game is customary at any Japanese carnival or festival. Something's horribly wrong if you go to one and there isn't a fishing game. As for the whole stuffing the fish with ice thing, go to any seafood place and observe them stuff there. Or just find an old tape of the Seattle season of MTV's "The Real World." Staying on reality shows... yes, this is the same Chelsea who finished tied for third in the girls' house last season. And she is the same one who did all of those things that you remember. Last but not least, the Harry Potter reference. What do you think about the match-ups? Eli as Harry, Chelsea as Hermione, and Zachary as Ron. And for the record, I have not as of yet read any of the HP books or seen the first HP movie. Although if the movie comes on one of the movie channels or something, I wouldn't mind seeing it. It's the battle of the sexes in Episode 3, next week as the first week comes to a close! See you all then! Copyright Date: 4/30/02