Chapter Text
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Roomies 25th Anniversary
Episode 1
A Lot’s Changed in Twenty-Five Years
It is a cool, misty morning in Tomoeda, Japan, where Cardcaptor Sakura Kinomoto lives along with all of her friends from school. Standing outside a giant mansion is teacher Kaho Mizuki, now in her early fifties.
“Hello, and welcome to Roomies – 25th Anniversary,” she says. “You may have known me as Layla McKenzie back in my younger days. I now go by the name of Kaho Mizuki, and yes, I still teach at Tomoeda Elementary School. A quarter-century ago, at this very mansion, we hosted sixteen girls in a reality show unlike any other. These sixteen girls took part in various competitions, while learning to live with each other, for a six-week period. In the end, they voted on the top four, and then the champion of the season, who received a large sum of money.”
She brushes her hand through her hair.
“Twenty-five years later, we are hosting the same sixteen people at this mansion. The difference now? These young women are now all in their upper thirties. Many of them have been married, and some of them have had children. But they have agreed to all come back here for another six-week stay, and renew friendships and rivalries, with the opportunity of winning up to a million dollars!”
She points up at the mansion.
“The sixteen women will again be staying in two-person rooms inside this mansion. There they will have to learn once again how to work with each other while also competing against each other. They will rack up potential money throughout the season, then one will have the chance to win it at the end – if, and only if, she is voted as the winner. It’s winner-take-all as we bring to you the 25th anniversary of Roomies!”
Sixteen young women
Four different anime shows
Forty-two days living alone in a mansion
One lucky soul walks away with up to one million dollars in cash
Opening video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qyu0hOwjoM
Some of these women will form long-lasting relationships
Others will develop intense rivalries
But only one will walk out with up to a million dollars in cash
These women are... roomies!
Arriving first at the mansion, as was the case twenty-five years ago, is Meiling Li from Cardcaptor Sakura. The Hong Kong resident formerly known as Meilin Rae has her hair in the classic niújiăotóu hairstyle, the two buns atop her head. Wearing a blue kimono, she steps out of the car she was in and starts walking toward the house with her suitcase.
“How things have changed in twenty-five years,” she says. “Last time I came here, it was in a limousine. Today, I got here from Haneda Airport in a Uber. I flew in from Hong Kong, so I’m a little tired. But I’m more than ready to do this again! I’m now 36 years old, still looking for my special someone. After all, I convinced Sakura to go after Syaoran, and now they’re together. I’m not the brat I used to be, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t show who’s large and in charge!”
Next up comes Jun Motomiya from Digimon. She exits a car and takes her suitcase up the sidewalk, when she sees Meiling standing there.
“Howdy!” Jun says.
“Really? ‘Howdy’?” Meiling says. “You’re just as weird as you were twenty-five years ago.”
“At least I’ve grown up,” Jun replies. “Which apparently you haven’t.”
Meiling crosses her arms and looks away.
“I’m now 42 years old,” Jun says. “I’ve long gotten over my crush on Matt. But I don’t think I’ve gotten over the maturity levels of some of these people out here, in particular, Meiling. She’s acting like she’s still in elementary school. And it doesn’t matter, high school, grammar school, whatever school, if you’re going to be immature, you don’t deserve my time.”
Arriving next is Misty from Pokémon. As she gets out of her car, she blows a kiss to the driver. She then walks with her suitcase on the sidewalk.
“It’s Waterflower,” Meiling says, pointing Misty out to Jun as she walks up the hill.
“Hey, Misty!” Jun exclaims.
“Hi!” Misty replies as she gets closer.
“You’re earlier than I expected,” Meiling says.
“That’s the thing about Ash, I got to get him going early or else we turn up late,” Misty says. “Good to see that I’m on time.”
“I’m engaged to Ash,” Misty says. “I’m 36, and no one knows this yet, but I’m pregnant. Very early stages of pregnancy, but yes, I’ve got Ash’s first child on the way. We’ve tried to keep it hush-hush from everyone. I’d like to win this game so I could have some money to support our new family. And I came so close to winning a quarter-century ago that I believe I have the ability to pull off the victory this time around.”
Arriving next to the mansion is Chiharu Mihara from Cardcaptor Sakura. As she comes out of the car, so does Takashi Yamazaki. The two of them wrestle each other playfully as Chiharu grabs her suitcase and leaves.
“You better believe I’m getting you back for that!” Chiharu shouts, before Takashi drives away.
“You may know me as Chelsea,” Chiharu says. “That was a nickname I used as a kid, but now I go by my real name, Chiharu. My boyfriend Takashi – who used to go by Zachary – is a lot of fun to be around. Eventually we’ll get married, but we’ve been dating for so long that some people wonder if we’ll ever get hitched. I mean, I’m 36 now... we started dating over two decades ago! I think neither of us wants to be the one who proposes.”
“Hey, Chiharu!” Misty calls from up the hill, and Chiharu goes up to greet her.
“Hi!” Chiharu replies. “Ready for this?”
“You better believe it,” Misty says. “We’re going to kick some butt.”
The next car arrives, containing none other than Kari Kamiya. As she steps out of the car, a flashback is shown on screen.
...
“Kari, you have just won Roomies,” Miss Mizuki says.
...
“I’m really here, and I really just won $345,000!” Kari says. “Amazing!”
...
Back to the present, Kari walks up the hill to the other women, who are waiting for her.
“Oh, great, here comes the queen,” Meiling says.
“Queen?” Kari asks.
“You did win the last time we were here, didn’t you?” Meiling asks.
“Oh, that!” Kari says. “Oh, come on, I’m not special or anything. I didn’t even win all that much money compared to what I could have won. Only like $300,000 or something.”
“That’s like winning over $600,000 today!” Jun says.
“Let’s face it, you’re a big deal around here,” Misty tells Kari.
“Oh, come on, guys...” Kari says, blushing.
“I’m 35 now, and I’ve gone through a lot of life since winning this game a quarter-century ago,” Kari says. “But now I’ve got a giant target on my back because I won the first time away. Who wants the rich to get richer? Obviously this is going to be fifteen times harder on me than anyone else, because no one’s gonna want me to win again. So, I’m here just to have fun. And if I win? It’ll just be a nice bonus!”
Next to step out is Naoko Yanagisawa, the bespectacled girl from Cardcaptor Sakura.
“Hey, everyone!” she exclaims, rushing up the hill to reach the other women.
“Hey, Naoko!” Chiharu exclaims.
“Boy, it’s been such a long time,” Naoko says, walking over to the others.
“Nice to see you, four eyes,” Meiling says.
“I’m glad to see you haven’t changed,” Naoko says while bumping Meiling with her elbow, and everyone laughs.
“I’m now 36, and I do just as much writing as I do reading,” Naoko says. “I’m an author now, writer of several novels. But writing doesn’t make me all that much money, so I’d like to pick up some funding in this contest! I’m gonna try to make friends by being friendly and quiet, and see if that’s enough to get me to the end.”
Coming up next is Casey from Pokémon. She arrives with an Electabuzz uniform on, with the yellow hat and striped yellow jersey. She is wearing a baseball glove on her left hand, while dragging her suitcase with her other hand. As she comes near the other girls, they can all hear her singing the Electabuzz fight song.
“I know that song,” Misty says.
“Casey!” Chiharu exclaims. “We knew it was you from your song!”
“That’s right!” Casey replies. “Electabuzz are number one!”
“I was 10 when I first played,” Casey says. “Now I’m 35, and a lot has changed. The Electabuzz used to be the worst team in the league, but last year they won the Poké Series! We are now champions of the Pokémon world! We beat the Magikarp 4 games to 3 in the Poké Series and claimed our rightful spot as the best team in the league! And now I work as part of the promotions department for the Electabuzz. My Chikorita and I go around selling tickets and souvenirs at every road game. I even advanced out of the first round of the Pokémon League Tournament this January! What better way to cap it all off but by winning this show too!”
A taxi pulls up, and out comes Mimi Tachikawa from Digimon.
“I’m on my way!” Mimi calls, as she drags her suitcase up the sidewalk. “Oh, I hope I don’t ruin these shoes!”
“Mimi!” Kari calls. “Great to see you!”
“You look like you had a redeye flight,” Chiharu says.
“Oh, yes, came all the way from New York,” Mimi says. “My hair isn’t too messy, is it?”
“I’m now 36, going on 37,” Mimi says. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen some of these people... I’m not sure if we’re going to get along well. I know that last time I had some problems even with someone I knew, Sora – so if that’s any indication, this could be a long six weeks.”
Coming up next is Rika Sasaki from Cardcaptor Sakura. She hands off her keys to a valet parking attendant, then takes her suitcase and heads up to the others.
“Look, it’s Rika!” Chiharu exclaims as Rika walks toward the others.
“Hello!” Rika says.
“I’m known as the invisible woman, because I’m shy and I don’t make many public appearances,” Rika says. “My name was Rita twenty-five years ago, but now that I’m 35, I go by Rika. Hopefully these women have grown up from being mean girls, but somehow I doubt it.”
Two cars arrive next, one by another. Out of the car appear two identical green-haired women, both carrying a suitcase. The two of them come up to the other women, who are left to wonder why there is a pair of them.
“Okay, this is Duplica, but you’re also Duplica,” Meiling says, pointing at each one of them.
Suddenly the Duplica on the left goes *poof* and disappears, turning into a Ditto.
“Twenty-five years, and you’re still pulling pranks!” Misty exclaims.
“That’s right,” Duplica says. “Sometimes you need double the effort!”
“Never change, Duplica,” Kari says.
“Two things I want to do out here, win – and win!” Duplica says. “I want to win this game, for sure, but I want to win it on my terms. And that means being the crazy silly girl I’ve always been, whether I’m 37 or not! I’m going to make some people surprised out here!”
Pulling up next is Yolei Inoue from Digimon. She takes her suitcase and joins the other girls outside the mansion.
“Yolei!” Kari calls. “You made it!”
“Yes, I did,” Yolei replies, as she joins the others. “Is this going to be fun or what?”
“It should be awesome!” Jun says.
“I’m now married to Ken with three kids, at age 37,” Yolei says. “So, I want a chance to get away from parenting for a little while and have some fun! The real world is so tiring. Any opportunity to get to kick back and relax is much appreciated!”
Arriving next is none other than Sakura Kinomoto. She steps out of the car, then leans in to give a kiss to Syaoran Li, before grabbing her suitcase and joining the other women.
“Hi, everyone!” she says.
“Oh, look who it is,” Meiling mumbles.
“It’s someone who’s used to having cameras follow her around,” Chiharu says. “Good to see you, Sakura!”
“Good to see you too, Chiharu, Naoko, Rika!” Sakura says. “Oh, and you too, Meiling!”
Meiling simply crosses her arms. “Yeah, yeah,” she replies.
“Last time I was here, I lost an eye-watering amount of money at the Final Four,” Sakura says.
A flashback is shown of the finale of the original series.
...
“$545,000!” Sakura says, reading her potential prize money.
“I know, it’s heartbreaking,” Miss Mizuki replies. “Believe it or not, out of the finalists, Sakura, you did have the most money.”
...
“Yes, I came up short of a whole lot of money,” Sakura says. “But there’s only one way to make up for that – go back and win it again! I’m going to make amends with anyone who didn’t get along with me the first time and work things out. And I have to – I’ve got Syaoran and my two kids to support!”
The next one to arrive is Sora Takenouchi. She kisses Matt Ishida on the cheek, then grabs her suitcase and races up to meet the other players.
“Oh, great,” Misty mutters.
“Yeah, this might not turn out too good,” Mimi says.
“Oh, come on, guys!” Sora says. “I’m not that annoying!”
“That’s what you think,” Meiling mutters.
“I’m going to prove to you that a lot’s changed in twenty-five years!” Sora says.
“These other girls are wary of me, because of how immature I acted the last time we were here,” Sora says. “But that was 2001, this is now. I’m now married to Matt and I’ve got a daughter and younger son. I’m not the same old Sora, and these people are going to find that out!”
Suddenly, a spaceship zooms in, and it lands right outside the sidewalk to the mansion.
“Huh?” Rika says.
A girl exits the spaceship, which then folds up and turns into a small cat/rabbit creature. The “cabbit” jumps up onto the girl’s shoulder.
“Hi, everyone!” the girl says.
“Sasami, is that you?” Misty asks.
“Absolutely!” Sasami Jurai replies.
“You haven’t aged a single day!” Sora exclaims.
“Yeah, you look exactly the same as the last time we saw you!” Casey says.
“That’s me!” Sasami responds. “You all have grown up so much!”
“The last time I was here, I looked the same age as everyone else,” Sasami says. “Now I look twenty-five years younger than everyone. But that’s okay! I’m going to make friends and get people to like me because of my cooking. And then I’m going to take all the money back to Jurai with me!”
A limousine pulls up to the sidewalk, and out comes a woman dressed in fancy clothes. She is holding up an iPhone as she walks up the path with her suitcase.
“And this is the sidewalk to the mansion I’m going to be staying in,” the girl says. “And up here are all the people who I met back then – including, of course, Sakura!”
She then holds out the phone and zooms in on Sakura.
“There she is!” the girl exclaims, rushing over to Sakura. “So good to see you again!”
Tomoyo Daidouji almost drops the iPhone as she glomps Sakura.
“How have you been?” Sakura asks.
“I should be asking the same to you,” Tomoyo says. “I’m doing a documentary on my time out here on this show! And one of the stars is going to be you, Sakura!”
“Aren’t we already being filmed?” an embarrassed Sakura replies.
“It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to see Sakura!” Tomoyo says. “Obviously, I can’t tell her of the feelings I still have for her, because she’s now married with children. But I can still film her all I want while we’re out here! This is going to be my big chance to make my documentary about the great Sakura Kinomoto!”
Finally, a fancy car pulls up, and out walks a beautiful woman. She kisses her husband and her daughter as she exits the car, bringing along her suitcase.
“Oh, great,” Meiling says, seeing her coming.
“She looks like a star!” Sasami exclaims.
“Oh, I’m just Giselle!” the woman replies.
“Looks like she’s as stuck-up as ever,” Jun says.
“And late,” Yolei states.
“Hey, I’m fashionably late,” Giselle says. “I wanted to save the best for last.”
Everyone else just rolls their eyes.
“That’s right, I am *the* Giselle Gravelpot, the seven-time Pokémon League champion,” Giselle says. “I’m married to my husband Joe, and we have a daughter named Synneva. We live up at Indigo Plateau, where I run the Indigo League. Since the last time I’ve been here... wow, a lot of stuff has happened. But I’ve still got my beauty, my brains, and my humble attitude!”
“Well, we’re all together now,” Sakura says. “Let’s all go in.”
The other women follow Sakura’s lead to meet Mizuki. She stands outside the front door, holding the key.
“Welcome to Roomies: 25th Anniversary!” Mizuki says, and the women all cheer. “Over the next six weeks, you will bond with each other as well as argue with each other, as you play for the chance to win up to a million dollars in cash!”
Everyone cheers upon hearing this.
“But, before I give you the key to go inside, I’ve got to lay out the rules. Every day, at noon, you will receive a video message from me on the large television. We’ve come a long way since the days of manila envelopes and VCRs. Anyway, I will explain the challenge of the day, which then you will compete in. Winners of each challenge will get money added to their pot, a jackpot that they will receive if they receive the most votes at the Final Four.”
The players look on with excitement.
“Here’s how the game will work. You are staying here for six full weeks, or 42 days. During the first 40 days, you will earn money toward your pot. You’ll receive $50,000 for winning a challenge, and there will be 16 challenges across the first 40 days. You will also receive $5,000 per day as long as you speak in the confessional booth.”
“So, we get money for confessing our sins?” Giselle asks.
“If you so desire,” Mizuki replies. “But remember, I am not your father confessor; you will receive no absolution from me. It’s the easiest $5,000 you’ll ever make; by the end of 40 days, should you participate in every confessional, you’ll already have $200,000 in your pot whether or not you win a single challenge.”
The players all cheer, while Mizuki smiles.
“At the end of 40 days, whatever amount of money you have in your pot is what you will receive if you win this game. However, there will be only one winner. On Day 41, you will cast four votes each for which four people you feel deserve to win this game, for any reason you’d like. You may not vote for yourself. Whichever four people get the most votes move on to the Final Four. There, on Day 42, the other 12 players will cast one vote each, and the player who receives the most votes wins their pot of money.”
“That’s worth playing for!” Misty exclaims, as some of the others laugh.
“Finally, it’s time to find out who you will be roomies with!” Mizuki says. “When you go inside the house, find the package with your name on it, and open it up to see what color you got. Your rooms will be color-coded, so whoever got the same color as you will be your roomie. Good luck.”
“And may the odds ever be in our favor!” Chiharu says.
Mizuki hands over the key to Kari.
“Since you won this game last time, I think it’s only fair that you get to open the door first.”
Kari takes the key and opens up the front door.
“Well, I guess this is it,” she says, and the other fifteen women follow her inside.
Day 1
Kari leads the women into the house, where they find everything in spectacular shape. They walk through the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen. Finally, they come to the game room, where on top of a pool table lay sixteen small packages with players’ names on them.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Sora says. “Let’s open them!”
The players all rush over and open up their packages, finding marble inside. They quickly rush to meet who their new roommates will be.
“I got purple!” Meiling exclaims. “Who else has pur-”
She stands in utter silence as she sees Giselle holding up the other purple marble.
“Oh, wonderful,” Meiling says. “Of all people, Miss Pokémon Tech.”
“That’s Pokémon League Champion Giselle Gravelpot to you!” Giselle replies. “This ought to be fun.”
“Yeah, a lot of fun,” Meiling mutters.
“I got stuck in the same room as Gravelpot, who just so happened to be my rival 25 years ago,” Meiling says. “Now I’m going to have her in my hair for the next six weeks. Talk about the odds not being in my favor.”
“Meiling was annoying enough the first time around,” Giselle says. “Now that she’s going to be with me for six weeks, I wonder if my gorgeous black hair will turn gray. Not that I’m old or ugly, but that I won’t be able to put up with her for that long.”
Yolei and Naoko both notice that they have yellow.
“Nice to meet you,” Yolei says to Naoko.
“It’s been a long time,” Naoko replies, as the two of them shake hands.
“Somehow both of us women with glasses got matched together,” Naoko says. “I don’t know if that’s a stereotype or something, but we’ll be spending a lot of time together over the next six weeks.”
“I’m so glad to be matched up with Naoko,” Yolei says. “She seems quiet and reserved, and that’s perfectly fine with me.”
Jun sees her black marble, then walks over to Rika to match up with her.
“Oh, wow, we matched together,” Rika says.
“Yeah, looks like it’s the two of us,” Jun says.
“No big pranks from you this time around!” Rika says.
“I’ll try to refrain,” Jun replies with a laugh.
“I’m a little nervous about rooming with Jun,” Rika says. “Last time around, she played a prank that made Giselle lose her mind and everyone else lose their trust. If she pulls that again, I could be in deep trouble.”
“Everyone looks at me like I’m this prankster, when it was only one thing that I pulled, and it was just a joke to make one of the villains of the house look bad,” Jun says. “But I’m going for redemption this time around. I’ll get along with everyone, and not have all the drama we had last time.”
“Hey, who’s got green?” Mimi asks.
She then looks across the room to Sasami, who is holding Ryo-ohki. The cabbit is holding the green marble in her mouth.
“Well, Sasami, looks like the two of us will be together,” Mimi says. “Good thing I’m not allergic to cats.”
“She’s a cabbit!” Sasami replies. “She’s nice, she won’t bite.”
Mimi then reaches out and tries to take the marble out of Ryo-ohki’s mouth, and Ryo-ohki bites down on her.
“Ow!” Mimi exclaims. “I think I broke a nail.”
“Well, usually Ryo-ohki doesn’t bite,” Sasami says. “Anyway, nice to meet you again.”
“Oh, I’m just not sure this is the best matchup for me,” Mimi says. “That cat thing might be a problem.”
“Mimi can be a little weird, so this might not be the pairing I would have wanted,” Sasami says. “But we’ll see how it turns out.”
Kari opens hers up and sees the red marble. When she looks around the room, she sees Sakura holding up the other red marble.
“It’s me, Sakura!” Kari says.
“Oh, good, it’s you,” Sakura says. “I’m quite happy with the way this turned out.”
“We both made it to the end last time,” Kari says.
“Let’s do it again!” Sakura replies, and the two of them fist-bump.
“They say that iron sharpens iron, and it’s true,” Kari says. “Getting to room with Sakura means that we’ll get to improve our own games thanks to each other. It’s a real win for the both of us.”
“I feel there’s a big boost to be had by rooming with the champion,” Sakura says. “Whatever she did the first time around, I can learn and use to my advantage the second time around. The goal is to be the one carrying out that check this time around.”
Duplica sees Chiharu holding the pink marble, and the two of them hug.
“Now, am I hugging the real Duplica, or just a reasonable facsimile thereof?” Chiharu asks.
“That’s for me to know and for you to find out!” Duplica responds. “Just kidding, I’m the real Duplica.”
“Let’s make this a good six weeks,” Chiharu says.
“Absolutely!” Duplica says.
“I get to room with someone who’s cheerful and happy,” Duplica says. “If she can keep things from getting frustrating, then she’ll be someone who I’ll cherish for a long time.”
“Duplica may have a split personality, so to speak, but she’s all together when it comes to being friends and stuff like that,” Chiharu says. “She seems like a safe person for me to confide in.”
Casey meets up with Tomoyo, with each of them holding an orange marble.
“Casey!” Tomoyo says. “If I wasn’t going to get Sakura, you’re the next best thing! I want to film you and your baseball skills.”
“You’re a hit!” Casey replies. “I’m happy to have gotten tied with you; now, let’s go out and generate some offense!”
“Yes!” Tomoyo says, as the two of them high five.
“I think I hit a home run with getting Tomoyo!” Casey says. “She’s sweet, she’s kind, she’s friendly – she covers all the bases! It’s a real win getting her on my team.”
“I was hoping to get someone to film during my time out here, and since it’s not going to be Sakura, I’m going to go with Casey!” Tomoyo says. “The two of us should make a great pair.”
Finally, the two women with the blue marbles meet each other – Misty and Sora.
“Well...” Misty says as she meets Sora.
“Yeah...” Sora responds.
The two of them stare at each other for a minute.
“Oh¸ what the hell, let’s let bygones be bygones!” Sora then says.
“That’s what I like to hear!” Misty replies, and the two of them share a warm hug.
“Let’s go to our room and start unpacking!” Sora says. “Not just us two – all of us!”
“Absolutely!” Jun exclaims, and the women head off to their rooms.
“I came so close to winning the first time here,” Misty says. “But it was my sour relationship with Sora that held me back from winning. If I could have just gotten one more vote, things would have been different. So, time to make up with Sora and get along with her.”
“Last time I was here, all that happened was controversy after controversy,” Sora says. “First, I had a spat with Misty, then I argued with Mimi. If I can avoid those kinds of confrontations, I might actually have a chance at winning this game.”
The women all go to their respective rooms. Tomoyo has a giant suitcase, with all kinds of different outfits.
“Are you going to wear all those?” Casey asks.
“No, no!” Tomoyo responds with a chuckle. “These are for whoever I happen to film. If you want to wear some of them, just let me know. I’d love to play dress-up with you!”
“Any baseball uniforms in there?” Casey questions.
Tomoyo laughs. “I’ll see what I can find.”
Misty and Sora begin to unpack, and a small picture falls out of Misty’s suitcase onto the floor. Sora picks it up, revealing a picture of Misty and Ash together.
“You two get together?” Sora asks.
“Yeah,” Misty says. “We’re engaged.”
“Congratulations!” Sora replies. “I’m also married, with a pair of kids. Life comes at you fast, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” Misty says. “And that’s why I’ve got a secret I want to tell you. But don’t let anyone else know this.”
“I’m listening,” Sora says.
Misty leans over and whispers to Sora. “I’m pregnant.”
Sora slaps Misty on the shoulder and laughs. “Shut up! Congrat-”
“Shhh!” Misty says. “I don’t want this information to fall into the wrong hands. You never know what a Giselle or Meiling could do with it.”
“You’re right,” Sora says. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“So, Misty reveals that she’s pregnant,” Sora says. “I can’t imagine going on a reality show when pregnant. There was no way I was coming back here if this had been held several years ago. I just know that Misty’s going to be very vulnerable, and my goal is to keep things as friendly as possible with her. History is to be rewritten between the two of us!”
Meiling is busy setting up everything in her room, when she looks over at Giselle.
“You ever get together with that someone special?” she asks.
“Absolutely!” Giselle exclaims. “I ended up marrying my Tech school sweetheart Joe, and we-”
Giselle pauses as she sees tears well up in Meiling’s eyes, and she has a rare moment of self-awareness.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “Did I offend you somehow?”
“You did nothing wrong,” Meiling replies. “But it’s just tough to listen to, all you people with your husbands and children. When I lost Syaoran to Sakura, it was tough enough, but I did all I could to encourage the two of them. But now, I sit here all those years later, never married, never even dated. It’s hard for me to hear about others who are so happy.”
Giselle walks over to Meiling and puts her hand around her shoulder. “I wish I could say I understand, but I can’t say that,” she says. “Everything in my life has always come easy. I don’t know what I would have done if I had your kind of luck.”
“Thank you for caring,” Meiling says. “I knew this was going to be tough, but I didn’t know it’d be this tough.”
“I thought I could make it through six weeks without breaking down,” Meiling says. “Here, I didn’t make it through the first day. Ever since I lost Syaoran, nothing’s broken my way. I’ve never found that special someone. And now, I sit here 25 years later, in danger of becoming an old maid. It’s just not fair... but it’s also not fair to blame this on Giselle. I don’t know, maybe I have grown up since last time. I can actually feel compassion for others now.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I feel bad for Meiling,” Giselle says. “She has a pretty tragic backstory. If I didn’t have Joe and my daughter, I might feel as hopeless. But it’s not hopeless for her. She still has her story to write, and maybe I can do something to help her rewrite her script.”
Sasami notices the large amount of clothes Mimi brought.
“Wow, you brought a lot!” she says.
“Well, of course!” Mimi says. “I still like to wear something new every day.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Sasami says. “I want to cook something new every day! I’m going to hurry up and go see that kitchen!”
“Most people don’t like cooking, but I’m the opposite,” Sasami says. “I want to make some good stuff for everyone. I don’t mind the work. And besides, it might actually get me some votes this time around. The quickest way to someone’s heart is through her stomach, right?”
While Sasami races down to the kitchen, Sakura and Kari head down to the game room.
“Wow, they’ve really spruced this place up since the last time,” says Sakura.
“Bumper pool... air hockey... foosball... darts... ping-pong... wow, so many games,” Kari says. “At least we know we’re not going to get bored.”
“And look at the backyard!” Sakura says.
Kari joins Sakura at the back window, looking out at everything that is in the backyard.
“Obstacle courses and soccer fields!” Kari says. “This is going to be crazy this time around!”
“I sure hope they don’t expect us to balance on those...” Sakura says.
“I get the feeling they expect us to do everything,” Kari says.
“Looking outside, I can see that production has spared no expense in creating challenges for us to participate in,” Kari says. “It’s a far cry from when we were kids... back then we had some challenges that involved simply staying up for 48 hours, and we still couldn’t do it! I hope that I’m able to do well, even though I’m not the most athletic person here.”
At around noon, all the women are gathered together in the living room around the large television.
“Greetings, everyone,” Mizuki says. “I know you’re all still getting ready from moving into your rooms. “That is why I am pleased to tell you that there is not a challenge today! Feel free to use the time today to get back acquainted with each other. I do want to point out, though, that you should be on the lookout for these.”
She holds up a package very similar to the one in which the marbles were held in.
“These are and will be hidden all through this mansion and even outside of it,” Mizuki says. “If you happen to find one, you may open it either in public or in secret. These are what as known as ‘advantages.’ When you play an advantage, you earn $5,000 to your pot. There’s no telling how many there are, how many there will be, or even what possibilities they might give you in this game. All you should need to know is that you will earn money by playing them. What you exactly do with them from there is up to you. Now, you all go and enjoy yourselves and have a nice evening.”
The message turns off, and everyone looks around at each other.
“Let’s party!” they say.
Some of the girls start talking to each other on the couches in the living room, while others go to the game room and start taking part in the games. It’s Yolei and Rika on the foosball table, Chiharu and Naoko at the bumper pool table, Casey and Duplica playing darts, and Meiling and Giselle in a contentious air hockey match.
“You can’t put your hand on the table to stop the puck!” Meiling yells at Giselle.
“I’ll play the way I want to play!” Giselle yells back.
“Look, I’m trying to win this thing fair and square! And I can’t if you’re putting your fingers in the way to stop the puck!”
“Maybe someone’s just a sore loser!”
The two of them keep arguing, while the other girls try to ignore them.
“There’s a real rivalry between Meiling and Giselle,” Chiharu says. “Those two are at each other’s throats over the most insignificant of reasons. What’s interesting about it is that they’ve actually got a sister-like bond, but they just can’t stop arguing.”
Kari, Misty, Sakura, Sora, and Jun are all lounging in the living room talking to each other, with Meiling filming on her iPhone.
“So, two kids and a husband?” Misty says to Sora. “You’ve come a long way.”
“Yeah, it’s hard to believe where I was at a quarter-century ago,” Sora says. “We were all so immature.”
“Speak for yourself,” Jun breaks in, and everyone busts out laughing.
“Everyone knows the big prank I played the last time I was out here,” Jun says, going into a flashback.
...
“Jun?” Sora says.
“You stole everything?” Giselle says.
“I would have never believed it... oh wait, I probably would,” Naoko says.
“I knew Giselle didn’t steal all of that stuff!” Misty says.
...
“So yeah, I have a checkered past,” Jun says. “And to get rid of that reputation, I’ve got to prove myself as trustworthy, or I’ll again be left out of the Final Four.”
Sakura turns to Kari.
“I lost an eye-watering amount of money last time I was here,” Sakura says. “My pain was your gain, Kari. How did you spend the money?”
“Well, to tell the truth, I didn’t spend it,” Kari replies. “I mean, sure, there were a few things I bought, but mostly I just put it away and saved it.”
“For a rainy day?” Tomoyo asks from behind the iPhone.
“No, just in case we Digidestined get dragged into another saving-the-world exercise,” Kari says, and everyone breaks out in laughter.
“I’ve got to put on a show of strength out here,” Kari says. “The fact of the matter is, I did end up blowing through most of the money. I’m not exactly all that rich. But one little white lie won’t hurt, right? How else am I going to win this game twice?”
Sasami and Mimi come running in from the kitchen. “Food’s ready!” Sasami says, and the women get up and head to the dining room.
“All right!” Sora says. “Thank you so much, Sasami.”
“And I helped!” Mimi breaks in. “I put the spoons on the table. But not the knives or forks... they might cut my fingers if I did that.”
“Never change, Mimi,” Sora says.
“If I am to break through and win this game this time around, I’ve got to make sure to be friendly to everyone,” Sora says. “That includes Mimi, who I fought with last time I was here.”
The women in the game room are also headed for the dining room, except for Giselle and Meiling, who are knotted up at six goals apiece in their air hockey match – and they are playing to seven.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” Meiling yells at Giselle. “I told you, you can’t stop the puck with your fingers!”
Giselle makes one slap of the puck, and it bounces off the edge before slipping into Meiling’s goal.
“Ha! I win!” Giselle exclaims.
“Yeah, only by cheating!” Meiling responds.
“Hey, you’re just jealous that you didn’t win,” Giselle says.
“Why, you...” Meiling says.
She grabs Giselle’s right hand and shoves it into the goal. Giselle winces in pain as her fingers are smushed.
“Now do you like putting your fingers in front of the goal?” Meiling asks.
“All right, all right,” Giselle says. “I concede...”
“Good,” Meiling says, pulling Giselle’s hand back out. Giselle quickly pulls her hands away, not wanting to get squeezed again.
“... Nothing, that is!” Giselle exclaims. “I beat you! Never bet against the great Giselle Gravelpot!”
“Ooh, you...” Meiling mutters as she leads Giselle up to the dining room.
“It’s hard to put into words how irritating Giselle is,” Meiling says. “Deep down, I know she has a pure heart, but it’s tough to get along with her when she can act like such a bitch.”
The women all enjoy Sasami’s cooking, which consists of steaks, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberry sauce, and fortune cookies.
“Sasami, you really should be on a different reality show,” Sora says. “You need to get on one of those cooking shows! You’re so good at this that you’d win for sure!”
“Oh, I’m not so sure,” Sasami replies.
“Yeah, seriously, do one of those Food Wars, or something,” Chiharu says. “You could compete with the best of the best!”
“Everyone’s praising me for my cooking, which is a bonus,” Sasami says. “By getting them on my side via my cooking, I stand a much better chance at making it to the Final Four this time around.”
After everyone is finished eating, they head back to their rooms for the night.
“Hey, anyone check the score of the Magikarp game?” Casey asks as the women walk down the halls. “The Electabuzz are in a tight race with them for the pennant.”
“You and your Electabuzz,” Meiling says. “I don’t have a phone on me, or I’d check.”
“I can check!” Naoko says.
She pulls an iPhone out of her pocket and flicks through a couple screens.
“Starmie 3, Magikarp 2, final,” Naoko says. “So, you got your wish!”
“Yes!” Casey exclaims. “That gives us a two-game lead in the standings. Let’s go Electabuzz!”
Tomoyo quickly closes the door behind Casey in order to not force the entire building to hear the Electabuzz fight song.
“So, any plans for tomorrow?” Sora asks Misty alone in their room.
“Yeah, to kick some ass,” Misty replies. “We’re going to make mincemeat out of whatever challenge we take part in!”
“I sure hope it has something to do with soccer,” Sora says. “That’s my sport of choice.”
“I’m ready for anything!” Misty says. “After coming so close to winning last time around, I’m going to make up for it by winning nearly every challenge I enter! I want the full million, not just a charity case of a couple hundred thousand. Hopefully there are a lot of other competitive people like me, though, or else my competitive spirit isn’t going to get me a single vote.”
“I’d love to play a soccer match!” Sora says. “But I am ready for anything they may throw our way. I don’t want to get to the end and then have very little to play for. I want a lot of money!”
That night, after everyone else has gone to sleep, one woman sneaks out of her room and down the hall.
“The shenanigans begin now,” she says.
She makes a beeline to the living room, without anyone else in the house noticing it. And with that, the craziness of Roomies: 25th Anniversary is about to begin.
Next time on... Roomies: 25th Anniversary...
Someone finds an advantage...
She picks up the item and stuffs it in her pocket.
“I’ll sleep on it... literally.”
... leading to more shenanigans...
“Yes, yes, yes! Now it’s time to have fun!”
“You bet! Time to get diabolical!”
... and yet more advantages...
“What is this?” she says.
She notices that the tightly wrapped package has the word “Advantage” on it.
“Oh, wow!” she says. “Is this for real? My luck may just be changing now.”
Next time, on Roomies: 25th Anniversary!
Players’ pots:
Everyone: $5,000