The First Night - Part 1
Grey shifted his weight, glancing over at the dragon by his side. “When did you say they’d be arriving again?”
A grin spread on Neo’s face as he shook his head at his friend. “They’ll be here soon enough. A little nervous, are we?”
“What? No! I…” The bachelor let out a sigh. “Yeah, okay, maybe a little. But it’s a big deal. I might be meeting the girl I’m going to spend the rest of my life with tonight...it’s terrifying. Exciting, but terrifying.”
Neo clapped Grey on the back, winking. “You’ll do fine. They’re all here to get to know you. And you’re pretty great. Don’t worry about it.”
“Can you run me through how tonight goes again?”
“Grey, I’ve talked you through this like seven times already!”
The purple dragon laughed nervously. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know where my mind is at today.”
“I get it, you don’t need to be sorry.” Neo patted the dragon’s head and stuck out his tongue. “The girls will get here one by one, driven up in a limo. They’ll get out, you’ll meet them, and then they’ll head inside where they get to meet each other. Once all fourteen bachelorettes are here, you’ll have the rest of the night to get to know them all.”
“One night isn’t a lot of time, Neo.”
“I know. But by morning you’ll have a decision to make. Two, actually. First off will be the First Impressions rose, which you’ll give to the girl who made the biggest impact on you. And then which two girls to send home.” The host grinned. “See, not complicated at all.”
Grey rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the driveway that looped the entrance to the mansion. “Sure. Right. Not at all complex.”
“Exactly. You’ve got it my friend. And I believe your first date is arriving now.”
Grey could feel his heart begin to beat faster as the gates opened, and a sleek black limo drove up. The night air suddenly felt warm as his pulse thrummed in his ears. It seemed like he would never be able to concentrate on the dragon that was about to enter his life. Certain, that was, until she stepped out onto the driveway.
She was beautiful. Her colours seemed to melt into one another, shifting and shimmering in the setting sunlight. In her claws, she held a rolled scroll, tied with a neat silver ribbon. But what really caught Grey’s attention were her eyes. They seemed to promise adventure, like all she ever needed to have in her life was carefree fun.
Grey walked down to meet her near the driveway, offering a smile. “Hi. I’m-”
“Grey!” She grinned and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Oh my deities, I am so very excited to meet you! You look even more amazing than I thought you would, you’re just fantastic! I’m Anoiche! Here!” With more enthusiasm than he thought possible, she thrust the scroll into his claws. “Open it!”
A grin crept across his face as he undid the ribbon, rolling the scroll open.
The parchment was embellished with silver and purple ink, detailing a winding path. There were several points along the way, spelling out different types of adventure and fun. At the end, a large ‘x’ was marked over a heart shape.
Giggling, the Imperial nudged his side with her elbow. “It’s a map to my heart.”
A sharp laugh left Grey’s lips as he glanced over the map again. “This is amazing. Did you draw this?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I’m not very good, but I’ve had a few sticky situations that would have been helped by a map. So I’ve been working on my skills, and thought this would be a good chance to practice.”
“It’s incredible. You have some real talent for making maps.” Grey rolled up the work of art and turned back to the Imperial. “I can’t wait to get to know you.”
A bright smile lit up her face as she moved towards Neo and the mansion. “You too. And Grey? Good luck with meeting everyone else.”
Grey’s head was still turned watching Anoiche enter the mansion when the next limousine pulled up. A long spiral uncurled herself from the back seat and moved up to greet Grey, her strong form never seeming to stop moving.
He couldn’t help but be impressed by how tough this dragon - Mallorie - seemed to be. Both physically and in personality, he was sure she would be a worthy competitor in any sport he cared to match her in.
The next limo to arrive brought in a tiny Fae, who’s sweet demeanour immediately made Grey feel comfortable in her presence. He walked down to meet her, and they made their way back up to the entrance of the house, chatting about the water. She seemed incredibly knowledgeable about marine life, and Grey was very excited to hear more of what she had to say later on.
As she went into the house, she turned around to face him. “Make sure you enjoy it. I know this whole thing is a lot of pressure, but make sure you’re having fun as well.” With a smile, she disappeared through the door.
Once Niaka was inside, Grey turned around, expecting the next limousine to be pulling up any moment. A few beats passed, and he began to shift his weight, taking a moment to soak in the crisp air of the evening. The sun was just ending it’s path down the sky, dipping below the horizon, casting a few final rays of golden light over the terrain.
Grey’s attention was suddenly jerked back to the drive when a loud thundering of hooves began to shake the ground. He took a step back, watching in awe as eight horses galloped through the gate and around the drive, drawing a regal-looking carriage behind them. The carriage was silver, shimmering in the fading sunlight of golden hour.
When the horses drew to a stop, several steps eased out of the carriage in front of the door, and a footman rolled out a purple carpet from the steps up towards the entrance of the mansion. The end of the tassel fabric brushed Grey’s foot, and he raised an eyebrow.
The gilded door swung open, revealing an incredibly decorated young dragon. One of the footmen offered her a claw and she took it, gracefully gliding down the stars and towards Grey. “Well hello there.” She nodded at him slightly, setting her lips in a thin line. “You’re...shorter than I expected.”
Grey did his best to bite back a laugh, stunned into hilarity by the pompous attitude of this dragon. He took her extended claw and kissed it. “Unfortunately, that was beyond my control.”
“I suppose I could overlook it.” She glanced up towards the mansion, eyes sparkling. “This is quite impressive.”
“Thank you, I built it myself.”
“You did?” Shock radiated through her previously unchanged face as she looked at him.
He laughed. “No, it’s been here for years. I don’t know when it was built, actually. I’m sure Neo does though.”
“Well.” With a nod from the Pearlcatcher, the footmen began to unload stacks of trunks and boxes. “Hopefully there will be enough space for all my things?”
Grey’s brow raised, taking in the pile. “You certainly didn’t pack light.”
“Oh, my dearest little doll. You’re so adorable. Naive, but adorable nonetheless. I never wear anything more than once. To do so would be such a faux pas. No one of my status would ever be caught dead in a prior outfit.”
A slow nod seemed to be all the reaction Grey was able to muster, the rest of his concentration taken up by just how over the top this dragon already was.
“I should be heading inside now. I suppose I’ll see you in there?”
“Yes.” He swept into a dramatic bow, grinning madly. “I look forward to it.”
As she strode into the mansion, Grey caught Neo’s eye. The two of them broke into a fit of laughter before turning back to the driveway, certain things couldn't get any more wild.
Oh how wrong they were.
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Here we go! I had so much fun writing these intros! What do you think of these four?
And don't worry, the girls we don't get to see much of in their limo entrances will have their chance at the spotlight before the night is up!
I also want to thank you all for your comments (and hi to those who are new on the pinglist!). I haven't had a chance to respond, but I appreciate all the HYPE! :D