The Bachelorette

[Relina Zhan]

All things (Simone Denny feat. Wildlife)

Location: Palace of Saint Clavelle, Dimitor, Gallinore, Hapes Consortium

Time: 1700 hours

It was a busy day at the Duchal residence on Gallinore. The planet's location was near the border between the Hapan Interior worlds and the Rifle Worlds on the Gallinore Spine trade route. The planet's location made it a hub of activity from all corners of the Hapes Consortium, a majority of that activity consisting of commerce and trade. The planet's capital, Dimitor, was a huge urban sprawl of durasteel and ferrocrete spires, land and sky traffic lanes, apartments and condos, a quieter suburban area, a marina, a spaceport, and most anything else one would find in a bustling metropolitan area. At the top of a hill leading to a wide cliff, the Palace of Saint Clavelle stood, overlooking the city and an upper-class suburban area.

The Ducha's servants had been laying on the finishing touches on their preparations for the Duchal House to receive guests.... but not just any guests. The Ducha had been set up by her twin sister, who conveniently left that morning on political business to Hapes Prime, the Consortium's capital world. The concern was that if Ducha Relina Zhan was going to reject every eligible suitor who came to call, be they commoner or noble, she would fail to conceive an heir and continue House Zhan's long noble bloodline; a bloodline that stretched all the way back nearly five milennia to the dawn of the Hapes Consortium itself. If the matriarch wouldn't play the game her ancestors did, love notwithstanding, then she'd be set up on international holovision. Such a thing was unprecedented and never seen before. The Ducha had, reluctantly and begrudgingly, accepted the contract with the production network.

Relina knew nothing of what she could expect, although the general basis of the reality game show sort of content she was to participate in she had seen before. "Prince Charming" was quite popular in this region of the Galaxy, incidentally. Perhaps there was something as gratifying to Hapan women in this show as there was in watching barely clothed, musclebound men fight in a caged arena. Actually enjoying the latter, Ducha Zhan couldn't blame them. Although she resented going through with this, she couldn't argue that she was 30 years old now and probably had anywhere between fifteen to twenty more years of her reproductive life remaining with her current age being the apex of muliebrity. She was in her prime now and it could only go downhill from there. Yes, this event was unique and would probably elevate her celebrity status from the local area to the rest of the Galaxy. Whether this was good or bad, she wasn't sure yet.

Representatives of the Holovision network behind the "Prince Charming" programme were arriving already. It wouldn't be long before the Contestants themselves were welcomed to the Saint's Hall where the Ducha now headed alone. She was dressed like a noblewoman, as well; for some reason she felt the need to show her uniquely Hapan noble style to the foreigners being brought to her residence. She wore a flattering, formfitting gown that reached her ankles, deep purple in colour with rosegold trim, and with long, fitted-point sleeves. It was of premium Lashaa silk that seemed to 'flow' across her skin as she walked. On her dainty feet were expensive designer sandals that had straps that slung sensually up her legs. She wore little make up, using only light splashes of colour that co-ordinated with her dress and accessorised her already drop-dead gorgeous facial features. Her jewelry was visibly expensive, but sparse; rainbow gem earrings that faintly glowed with an inner light unique to the silicon-based lifeform native to Gallinore, a tanzanite pendant on a delicate gold necklace, and her late mother's wedding band, a priceless, rainbow-gem-inlaid gold treasure. Her blonde-red hair was done professionally in a chic updo.

As she reached the Hall, she would glance up at the large statue of Saint Clavelle, inhaling deeply as her grip tightened on her commlink. It was showtime.

[member="Joza Perl"]
[member="Junko Ike"]
[member="Arisa Yune"]
[member="Ryn'Dhal"]
[member="Connor Harrison"]
[member="Ciana Teigra"]

 

[Ryn'Dhal]

Ryn'Dhal had been visiting Hapes, largely because he'd never been before. What should have been a nice, peaceful, uneventful adventure, took a turn for the... worse? It became.... eventful...

He was approached by two fast talking humanoids. Businessmen by appearance and mannerism. Before he knew what was going on, the helmeted felacatian was whisked away in a vehicle to a location of which he did not know.

After getting on site, there was a lot of hustle and bustle, where he soon found himself in a dimly lit room, with nothing but a camera, and an interviewer with him.

"What made you enter into the competition?" The interview queried, the camera rolling.

"Competition? I, I don't know where or why I'm here! These guys told me they needed help, or something, and that I was just what they needed! What... er... 'competition' is this?" He asked nervously, eyes darting back and forth behind that faceplate.

"Why, a competition for the greatest prize in the galaxy! Love!!" The interviewer replied with dramatic flair.

"L-l-love?!" The young Fel stammered. "I think I may be the wrong guy for this...." he started, before being cut off by the interviewer.

"Nonsense! You're mysterious, and everyone loves a good mystery! So, why the mask and gloves, if we may ask?"

Rubbing those gloved hands together nervously, he furtively eyed the door. "Let's say.... acute social anxiety. Mask helps make everything more bearable.... can I go now?"

The interviewer laughed, before nodding. "We'll have more talks with you later. But yes, you may leave, we have others talk to still!"

"Others?" He asked, perplexed.

"Why, your competition, of course! Best of luck Ryn'Dhal!"

As he stumbled away, he realized that the holoprojector in front of him was playing his interview. A slight delay, but still effectively 'live'. It then showed a still frame, while posting basic vital information about him. Name, height, weight, homeworld (Voss), and other less important information.

Shaking his head, he couldn't help but laugh at the insanity if it all. Just then, one of the two businessmen who picked him up approached, and ushered him to the staging area where the 'contestants' would be soon gathering to await the arrival of the 'Bachelorette'™.

Standing nervously, he tugged at the tunic of his robes. He dearly wished he had brought the damned cloak this time. After finished adjusting his attire, ensuring he looked as presentable as possible, for reasons unknown to him, he would begin scanning his environment, spotting the next contestant as the arrived at the staging area....


[member="Relina Zhan"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Junko Ike"] | [member="Arisa Yune"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Junko Ike]

[member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Ryn'Dhal"]

JUnko had heard the rumors, she loved watching sappy holodrama's masked with a spin of reality to add to the drama and stuff. It was amazing what they could and would do after all while she stretched out in the one room. Getting dressed and all of her make up so she could test out and wear her very nice, very new and very sleek princess kimono with the hair piece of her own. She had worked hard to get them and providing a new level of detail to all of her things was the fact of all the people here she might have to deal with... She knew Relina. That first time meeting her on Rhen Var at the party and that dress that made you notice she had the guns to match her stature.

Oh yeah Junko though getting her hair set up nice while she was wearing the kimono with a small look at the room and herself in the mirror. She was small sure, she was thin and finely muscled able to provide herself with a very very nice layer of the make up. It would make her shine as would the executive excess for herself lightly. The perfume was there whe she started to walk out and go to meet the others. Her competition would likely be all males which for her could be a thing but this was a battle for the future of her libido... can't accept a substitute when it comes to a chance to make sure she had the right stuff... If she had to battle them all she would and if she had to dance she would.

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Quinn would have been running around like a crazy woman trying to put all of the finishing touches in place. As the Ducha's handmaiden. She was perfectly happy with her position and she would do anything for her. After all it was Relina who gave her a place to live and a job. Quinn would finally make her way to the Ducha as she made her way down the hall and would stay a few paces behind her and to her right ready to do whatever was necessary

[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza had gotten herself into this the same way she gets into most messes: drunk.

She’d been visiting Hapes on business, and was currently very not pregnant because liquid time. One bottle of wine flowed into the other, and she found herself as a contestant to win the hand of a certain Ducha Zhan. Joza happily signed the consent forms so long as the drink flowed freely. Perhaps the producers still hadn’t found their token sloppy lush, but thankfully a certain Zeltron was around to fill that role.

Sashaying towards the staging area, she didn’t seem to mind if there were cameras on her. In fact, Joza seemed to be swaying her hips a bit more than usual, accented by the impossibly tight dress she wore. It looked as if her bust would be making an unscheduled appearance should she move the wrong way.

Spotting the unusual form of Ryn’Dhal, the inebriate woman pointed with one hand—because the other was busy holding an unmarked bottle of something—and proudly declared “Kitty!” Cracking up at her own nonexistent joke, she took a healthy swig from the bottle and settled down for the time being.

Kark yeah she was gonna win this.

[member="Quinncolson"] [member="Junko Ike"] [member="Ryn'Dhal"] [member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Quinncolson"] | [member="Junko Ike"] | [member="Ryn'Dhal"] | [member="Ciana Teigra"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

Relina stood near a window through which she stared at the gathering outside. Three people arrived so far, brought like celebrities. In fact, one of them was known to her and she wasn't in the slightest surprised by her presence, one Junko Ike. As Quinn arrived, she seemed as if she had been rather busy.

"There you are, Miss Quinn. Tell me, have our guests' quarters been prepared?" she asked of her. For the next few weeks, the Palace of St. Clavelle was going to be home to foreign guests. The pool deck and its wet bar would, in all likelihood, become a gathering place.

One of the women, she noticed, appeared to be a little inebriated, evidenced by the bottle in her hand. She had heard of Zeltrons and their partying reputation and the fact that it took alot to get them drunk. A neatly shaped brow lofted. She was attractive, but what sort of person was she? There was also a mystery person with... a tail? This was going to be interesting...

 

[Ryn'Dhal]

His tail went rigid at the sudden shriek of "Kitty!", as the helmeted Jedi spun on a heel. The movement was fluid, smooth, and definitively betraying his feline nature, facing the 'threat' swiftly as any startled cat would have. A quick recovery though, as he smoothed himself out, his tail dropping low again with little more than an idle flick behind him, as he gave a polite bow of greeting to the two approaching women. "Not a salutation I am familiar with, but how do you do." The words danced forth musically, as if velvet turned into a sensation one could feel with their ears.

Through the thin slits of that mask, both [member="Joza Perl"] and [member=Junko Ike] could see keen, intelligent, golden eyes watching them, glittering like topaz gems behind that mask. "I am Ryn'Dhal, and I assume you two are also here for.... this.... competition???" He asked, obviously at a loss as to what exactly was going on. Two women, was he to 'compete' with them for 'love'? What a bizarre contest this was.

Ryn didn't fully comprehend the concept of romantic love. Familial love? Yes. Brotherly love? Definitely. The love and affection one holds for comrades in arms? Check. Even love and compassion for those one protects. Sure! But romance? That was a different, and mildly horrifying, monster all together.

Watching the two women curiously, the Jedi waited, genuinely intrigued, if confused, at what lay ahead.....

[member="Relina Zhan"] | [member="Quinncolson"] | [member=Ciana Teigra] | [member=Connor Harrison]​

 

[Junko Ike]

[member="Quinncolson"] [member="Ryn'Dhal"] [member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Joza Perl"]

Junko was there watching them now as she raised an eyebrow seeing ore of the people that had come around. There was the one that the zeltron called kitty... from the looks of it someone else she wasn't certain about and well the zeltron. Junko stood there with a look on her face while she moved forward seeing what she could make of the woman. She was tall, fit, ample and curved... which were all pluses in her book while she moved up looking at her and at the bottle of wine she had before Junko spoke offering a small smile to her face though. "And who are you my lady? NO one said we'd have a zeltron in this, seems almost an unfair advantage given your strengths." Junko though offered her small hand to Joza and winked while she was looking at Ryn. "So sexy thing do you have a good plan going into this?"

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"Yes my lady." She would say smiling. She herself was dressed in a nice dress but nothing too over the top for she was here to work. She would be happy to see Relina in such a good mood. It would make her happy. She would look about the grounds, she had been busy all day to prepare them for the guests who would show

[member="Junko Ike"]
[member="Ryn'Dhal"]
[member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza’s eyes seemed to be fixated on the shrouded man’s tail rather than the rest of him, evidenced by how she tilted to the side to try and look at it as he turned and introduced himself. Gradually her gaze would waver up his body, as if trying to discern his other feline features. Unfortunately—or fortunately—those were covered for now. “Yes, how do you do, kitty.” She nodded firmly, as if that made any sense.

Wobbling around as she heard another voice behind her, she was greeted with the sight of one Junko Ike. Joza wasn’t sure if she’d seen her somewhere before, but she felt vaguely familiar. Maybe. When she mentioned her strengths, Joza exhaled sharply and flexed her free arm. “Yup.” Dropping the arm to her side, she offered the woman a lopsided grin. “I’m Joza. I dance, and I am going to drink more than all of you!”

Turning on her heel with unprecedented grace for an inebriated woman, she pointed violently at poor Ryn’Dhal. “Especially you, Mr. Kitty—“ A pause, and her face contorted into a look of heavy suspicion as she stalked forward, pressing her face up towards Ryn’s mask and peering at his golden eyes. “Are you…Mr. Kitty, are you a Sith?” Her words were laced with venom but there was a hint of betrayal in her eyes. Not Mr. Kitty!

[member="Quinncolson"] [member="Junko Ike"] [member="Ryn'Dhal"] [member="Relina Zhan"]

 

[Ryn'Dhal]

The masked Knight blinked, perplexed, before giving a slightly exasperated sigh. "No, I am not a Sith." He said, endeavoring to keep exactly how annoyed he was by the question out of his voice. It wasn't all her fault. He did look the part. "If you must know, it is significantly easier to pass in society as you see me now, than with the open mockery and ridicule I live with daily for simply being in my own skin."

He looked about, before shaking his head. "Why am I even here, this is a farce." He'd grumble, pulling away from the intoxicated Zeltron and the overdressed woman. He sought some of the staff. Hopefully someone would be able to see sense, and maybe help the Fel out of this mess.

[member=Joza Perl] | [member="Relina Zhan"] | [member="Quinncolson"] | [member=Junko Ike] | [member=Ciana Teigra] | [member=Connor Harrison]​

 

[Junko Ike]

[member="Quinncolson"] [member="Ryn'Dhal"] [member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Joza Perl"]

They were all around and she could see Joza flexing and that she was interested in some other kind of kitty then the woman Relina. She gave a look though while she listened to everything that was there and she was waiting to see Relina for a moment while the only male in the competition was.... calling it a farce. She had a look on her face when she was standing behind Joza and she asked if the one padawan was a sith.... Junko looked at him as he seemed to look and sound like it was a terrible thing before she spoke raising her arms up behind Joza and preparing for something wicked. "A farce.... no dear kat man this is not a farce.... THIS IS HAPES." Her hands came down towards the lushes chest to play the bongo's and make a drum sound to emphasize the work that was going into it and get the strong jedi master she knew a wake up call as they were bringing in more booze.

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Ryn'Dhal"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Quinncolson"] | [member="Junko Ike"] | [member="Ciana Teigra"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

Relina turned from the window and went to the door, a pair of soldiers stationed there as security in dress blues opening the large doors for her. Almost immediately, she was approached by media representatives. She'd hold her hands up placatingly, gesturing for them to not mob her while the soldiers flanked her. Her eyes then fell upon the arrivals.

"I trust this gathering is about to grow in time, no?" she asked. She'd look to the show's production crew and nodded to them, gesturing with a quick cant her of her head toward the open doors. "You may.. set up inside." she added. Incidentally, Relina spoke Basic with a noticeable accent.

There she was... out in the open. Right in front of most of the expected candidates for the one who would, hopefully, give her an heir. But two among them were women. Relina was discrete about her sexuality and happened to be attracted to both males and females. Further, her homeworld was known for its biological laboratories and it wouldn't take much to conceive by another woman. The lack of orthodoxy in all of this was absolutely astounding and to her, mindbogglingly so. This was her sister's idea, alright. Her threat to set her up whether she approved or not was made good upon and with not only her own nation watching, but the whole Galaxy with access to the featuring channels was as well. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place, up the creek without a paddle.... or in layman's terms, royally screwed.

"... you are going to get yours, Alessandra Zhan. You are going to get yours..." she muttered under her breath in Hapan.

 

[Nyt Rito]

The youngling had been tooling around on Hapes for a while now. How he got there? Unknown. How long he'd been there? Also unknown. How he'll get home? Seems like a pattern....​

​

But, digressing, the young Naulotan was ambling along, head-tails bobbing about behind him as he grinned, looking this way and that, taking in the sights and sounds. Speaking of sounds, and even sights, there was a Zeltron, being.... um... 'accosted'.... by another humanoid.... who was.... making drumming noises? The youngling angled his head, confused, before shrugging. A masked individual was moving away, but other humanoids were attempting to direct the masked man back to what appeared to be a staging area.​

​

The youngling meandered around, until he found some documents. Sifting through, because he was a sneaky, easily undetected little troll, he gleaned some information. "The Bachelorette" he read to himself. Reading a bit more, he got some of the gist of what was going on. He happened to spot a microphone nearby, coincidentally left unattended. He heard some staff members walking around complaining about the wait for the Host of the show, and that they were broadcasting live. Ratings were about to tank.​

​

Ratings? Show? Live airing?! The Youngling felt like his name-day came early! Snatching the mic, the youngling bounded and tumbled into view of a camera. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Tonight, we have a story of love, and the toils and trials and heartbreak that comes with it! These lucky contenders are here, preparing to give their all in hopes of being the lucky one to win the affections of the one, the only, the beautiful [member="Relina Zhan"]!!!!" The charismatica youngling projected into the microphone, gesturing grandly to the Star of the show, who happened to be exiting her home at that very moment.​

​

The camera-man had hastily zeroed in on the youngling, and the show-runner gnawed nervously on his nails, but the kid did reasonably well. Live numbers were showing positive response. The camera had moved with the gesture, now filming Relina as she descended the stairs, and would proceed to follow her as she approached the contestants to greet them. The youngling would saunter over to the show-runner, head-tails dancing behind him as he walked. The child would pip up cheerfully, "So, mister, what's this gig pay anyways?" he'd ask, grinning broadly.​

​

​

[member="Junko Ike"] | [member="Ryn'Dhal"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Quinncolson"]​

 

[Junko Ike]

Junko stood there with a grin while she gave a final squeeze to get a feeling of the size of the competition when the other ones were looking at all of them. Prepared to work on many of the other things here. The MC was there, was ready to begin it before she stood ready for anything. "Well now the fun begins." Sticking with it until it was her turn and she got to see Relina again with a nod of approval. Relina was still smoking hot and ready to look at many more of the things. Allowing her a few ideas when she tapped her chin looking to see who the others were thatwere there with her. "Well the real competition is the zeltron those pheromones are going to be tricky."

 

[Ryn'Dhal]

The obviously distraught felinoid threw his gloved hands into the air in defeat, as it had become quite obvious that the staff here had little intent in aiding his departure. Turning, tail low in defeat, he returned to the Atrisan and Zeltron, to await the approaching Hapan woman. This was utter insanity.

There was no way this was real.... but then, his eyes snapped wide in horror. They were going to want him to remove his mask, on live holovid! His tail began flicking in agitation as his anxiety grew at that thought. Revealing his abnormality, it was horrifying.

As [member="Relina Zhan"] approached, he gave a slight, polite bow, and withdrew slightly, to give the other two women a more forefront position for introductions. After all, he was out of here first chance he got, so the other two were much more important for the Star of the Show to get to know.

"How do I get myself into these messes...." he'd mutter bitterly to himself under his breath.

[member="Junko Ike"] | [member="Joza Perl"]​