Love Sinks: Weeks 3 - 4

(Read the previous weeks here.) 

WEEK 3

Confessional:

. . . Huh? Oh, my legs are feeling much better. Thanks for asking. I was expecting we would have undergone more of the transformation by now. But either bodies need to recover before they continue the process, or they are just being nice to us. I’m not sure which . . . I like Charleston a lot. I have visited the city several times in the past. I like touring the historic sites and the people are very friendly. However, I’ve always stayed in the city. But this is the first time I’ve been on the beaches. I’m not much of a beach person. I know, that must sound weird for someone dating a woman who lives in the ocean, but I feel that Atlantis probably isn’t much different from home, just underwater. Is there such thing as an underwater beach? I don’t think so. What would that even be? Shallow water before you reach dry sand?

Charleston, SC 

Anyway, it’s been an up and down week. I received some really discouraging news just after the last week’s balloon ceremony. One of the incentives of being on the show is that we could invite a friend to visit the set and watch a day of filming. I could have asked Hunter, but one of my best friends growing up was Martin.  He’s really into this whole reality tv thing, so I thought he’d love to come. Unfortunately, I received word from the producers that he refused. He said he couldn’t condone my choice to abandon my family and friends and didn’t understand why I would want to date a ‘sea girl’ when there are plenty of good women back home . . . No, I don’t think he’s prejudiced, at least he’s never seemed that way in the past. But then again, finding out about the Atlanteans, learning about their society and the reasons why they’ve kept their distance for so long, it’s new and we are all trying to figure out how to deal with it. Still, I think Martin is just missing the good old days.  In college, we used to bar-hop together to pick up girls. Double-date. All that sort of thing. I think he’s just upset at losing his wingman. Also, he might be a little jealous that I might actually be settling down soon. Hopefully, I can talk to him directly in the next few days.

Then there was the one-on-one date. I was shocked to see my name on that card. I know I don’t necessarily stand out among the rest of the guys. Nadre and I went to a fancy restaurant where we and some of her friends had an early dinner.  The chef prepared many dishes that featured Atlanean cuisine: various types of seaweed, kelp, ocean lettuce, sea cucumber . . . Oh yeah, I know sea cucumbers are animals, not plants. All that Disney stuff you see about fish and lobsters and mermaids all living together as friends. That’s all bunk. A load of carp. <I chuckle at my sea humor.> Underwater animals are just that to the Atlanteans, animals. Just as we on the surface we eat beef and chicken, they eat fish and mollusks . . . Yeah,  apparently I’m not that well versed in Atlantean etiquette, or maybe just royal etiquette. I’m not sure which. I took a sip of my wine before the Princess had even been served. Then I had started to nibble on my appetizer before I noticed the rest of the table staring at me, shocked. Did you know it was inappropriate to eat or drink before the Princess? I had no clue. All my dates in the past have typically been burger and fries nights and it’s normal to dig in when the food arrives . . . Well, I apologized, but then said the only thing I could think of. I plead ignorance. In fact, I think I made some lame attempt at humor by suggesting I was protecting her. You know, tasting the food first to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. Nadre’s friends did not seem amused, but the Princess did give me a reassuring smile. I was afraid the incident would doom me at the balloon ceremony, but I only lost two balloons, so I guess I recovered well enough.

Eventually, things got a little more normal. We continued the meal, which was excellent by the way, and the conversation eventually flowed to Nadreall’s childhood. I learned some interesting things from Rinah, Nadreall’s best friend . . . No, she’s not royalty. She’s just a normal person -- or Atlantean. Uh, I’m not sure exactly sure what the correct term is. But she told me that when Nadre was a young teen she would leave the castle to explore the city. Her parents hated that. Not because they thought it was improper to mingle with the city folk, but because they never knew where Nadreall was. She would just leave without telling them. That must have been frustrating, but I admire her willingness to get to know the people she ruled over. She wasn’t afraid to explore her world. That was how she and Rinah met. Rinah didn’t even know she was a Princess till after they became good friends.  Y’know, people often think of royal families as out of touch with the real world, and I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this experience.  Royal family. A society much different from ours. But stories like these just make me want to know more about Nadre. I really think I could fall in love with her.

. . . Charlie!  What can I say? Who could have guessed he was still in a relationship?  Nadreall just walked into the house and pulled him aside.  None of us knew what was going on.  Then, without any warning, he was sent him home. She told us later that she received a text from another woman claiming to be in a relationship with him. I still don’t know if he ever admitted to anything or if the woman was just that convincing. Regardless, he’s gone. I’m shocked -- I’m just shocked. He seemed like an honest dude. I guess that just goes to show that you never really know a person. Every day’s a surprise around here.

The Rolls:

Draw: 5 Cards

King of Spades: You were allowed to invite one close friend to come visit you on set. That friend re-fused you, saying they were hurt by how willing you are to abandon your old life for someone you just met. How do you cope with this?

Do not discard this card. Set it aside. If this is the last King drawn of the four Kings, your past pulls you back from this relationship and you quit, realizing you're still too tied to your old life. The game is over.

Joker (Black): Here is a good place to explain Jokers. Drawing a Joker means a contestant has been eliminated from the show. The previous card drawn informs the reason behind the elimination (per a chart in the rules). If the Joker is the first card drawn in a round, then the next regular card is used to determine the reason. If only Jokers are drawn, then the player is eliminated, which makes rounds where only one or two cards are drawn particularly dangerous. After the round is done, the Jokers are shuffled back into the deck that remains undrawn.

(Based on King of Spades) - The Heir eliminated a contestant after discovering they were still in a close relationship with someone else.

Queen of Hearts: The Heir introduces you to Atlantean cuisine and fine dining. You make several etiquette blunders that leaves everyone at the restaurant glaring at you. How do you recover? Roll for balloons. 2  Down to 34

Six of Spades: The contest is in a big city on the coast. Do you live nearby? Do you feel at home here or like an outsider?

Six of Hearts: The Heir introduces you to their closest friend. They share old stories with you about the Heir. What do you learn that gives you a greater appreciation for the Heir as a person?

Token Roll: 2

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WEEK 4

Confessional:

I was just doing some reading when -- knock, knock, knock -- the film crew was at my door to take some shots of my room. Was totally unprepared, but after three weeks you think I would be ready for the unexpected . . . Embarrassed? Well, that’s putting it a bit mildly . . . Oh, the sketch? That wasn’t horrible. My brother’s the real artist of the family--he does most of the artwork for our graphic novels--but I’ve picked up a few things here and there. I was just practicing. <I hold the sketch up to show it to the producer.> It’s supposed to be Nadreall, if you couldn’t tell. That's a starfish. 

Sure, if I knew my privacy was going to be “invaded” <I use finger quotes to indicate I’m being tongue-in-cheek> I probably would have put it away. But there are worse things to find . . . Yes, like the pamphlet. That was more than embarrassing. That was mortifying. Every day there seems to be at least one group of Anti-Atlantis protestors demonstrating near the shoot. While we were being escorted back to the hotel, a young woman broke through security and ran up to me. She just shoved that pamphlet in my hand and I instinctively took it. I intended to throw it away, but must have just laid it down on the dresser and forgot about it. Obviously, I don’t believe any of that junk, or I wouldn’t be here, potentially leaving my home to live with the Princess. I really hope you guys don’t air that. While I want to believe that people are willing to give a person the benefit of the doubt, unfortunately, the reality is that people like to believe the worst.

The pool party, on the other hand, was a blast. When Blaine first stepped into the room and told us the cocktail party was canceled, you could literally feel the pall that fell over the group. But all that changed the second Nadre stepped in wearing that sexy two-piece  <whistle> and announced we were having a pool party. There was beer and champagne. Burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Some time alone with the Princess. It was a great afternoon. At least until Freddy got a chip on his shoulder. The pool had one of those little floating hoops and a ball and someone suggested we play a game of water basketball. I was on a team with Wayne and Cedric. We were playing against Eddie, Matt R., and Freddy. Most of us were just having a little fun, but Freddy once again took it way too serious. Pulling down trunks. Dunking heads to get the ball. Be very loud every time he scored a basket, and not in a celebratory way, but in a way intended to insult and demean us. “Another point, losers! C’mon, if you want to live with the Atlanteans you gotta stop swimming like tadpoles.” Yeah. They won. And Freddy made sure Nadreall knew it, yelling “We all know who the Big Fish is now!”  What a jerk. I think we’re all hoping he goes home soon.

The Rolls:

Draw: 2 Cards

Two of Clubs: The Heir takes everyone out swimming and some contestants launch a swimming competition. Do you participate? Did you win?

Seven of Clubs: The film crew asked for a tour of your contestant room. What embarrassing things were you forced to talk about? <C.Q. Carelessness/Art  Intolerance/Information>  Roll for balloons.  5 Down to 29

Token Roll: 3

(See the next week here.)