Author Note: Hello out there, had you thought I'd gone missing? I'm quite embarrassed to say that I haven't written much this summer, much less posted anything. Some writer I am, huh? But enough about my sorrows, you came to read this story.
A stupid crack-fic idea I had. Be forewarned, this story is neither serious, nor completely random. So if you love the show, The Bachelorette, read this, if you hate the show, read this. If you like Tales of Symphonia, why aren't you reading it already?
Oh yeah, because the Disclaimer is in the way: Ahem! I don't own ToS, nor the Bachelor/Bachelorette series.
Eugh... New story jitters. Well in any case I hope you read, enjoy and review.
Tales of the Bachelorette
A Tales of Symphonia Fanfiction
~Chapter 1
"Oh, allow me."
"You're such a gentleman."
"Only because I have such a beautiful lady."
Raine groaned, half-heartedly slurping from a glass of ice tea that she had ordered nearly a half hour ago as she spied on the happy couple from several tables away. The unsweetened beverage now stood in several puddles of condensation, the rings stamped into the table's pristine glass surface. She leaned far onto the table, propping her head up with her palm. Her straw rested at the ready, already in her mouth, as she continued to watch the couple.
He'd taken her coat and pulled her chair out for her. She, blushing, had slipped into the chair and complimented him on his manners. He, settling into his own chair in turn complimented her.
Raine was surrounded by scenes just like this. It was lunchtime at the Altamira Hotel café, a popular meeting place for young couples. The many fronds and leaves around the room basked in the noon sun that shone down in beams through the café's prism-like roof, setting the many fountains and waterfalls throughout aglow with the complete spectrum.
The people flocked like migratory love birds to this little paradise, all in pairs. Raine had to agree it was a rather romantic setting. Too bad the date she was waiting for was anything but a romantic one.
Her attention found its way back to the couple she'd seen enter. She noticed the man offer a portion of his food to the woman, who was looking at it in that certain way. Her fork hovered above the salad she'd ordered to preserve her image. Raine watched as he guided a spoonful into her mouth.
Generous, he's doing well.
The rest of their meal consisted of a barrage of compliments, about her the color of her eyes, her beauty, her bell-like voice, he took her hands, the smoothness of her skin. She accepted all of these with a quiet giggle and the soft coloring of her cheeks.
Blind compliments. He'll go far.
After the cleaned dish of their shared dessert was taken from the table, the woman brought out her purse, only to be stopped by the man. He was going to pay for their outing.
Marry the man, already. she mentally urged the woman.
The couple left, and a watery crackling signaled that Raine had drained her tea glass. She stared at the cold crystals that remained in distain.
She pondered calling the waiter to bring her a refill, but she noticed all the serving staff busily buzzing around the other couples that populated the café, seeing that their fairytale outings were just that. She didn't bother calling their attention to her lonesomeness.
She found more couples to watch, and pondered them. There was so much superficiality in the air, the way they talked to each other without ever really meeting. But it was something Raine supposed, which was more than she'd ever had the pleasure of suffering through. But a strange feeling ran through Raine when she saw each new couple. Was it… jealously? No, she wasn't jealous of the two-dimensional relationships she saw sprouting here and there. No… it was something else.
"Oh, Raine! I'm so terribly sorry that I'm late."
Raine looked up, correcting her posture. Her "date," had arrived.
Regal approached her table and invited himself to sit down. He was preened and groomed, wearing a stylish business suit with his long blue hair tied in a braid. It wouldn't surprise Raine if he had prepared as if he really was going on a date. But Regal had told her when he'd contacted her that this was more of a "business proposition." She had no idea what that was supposed to mean.
"Again, I'm so sorry," he said, setting down a leather briefcase at his heel. "I was stuck in a business meeting that ran an hour over-schedule. I hope you'll forgive me."
"Of course," Raine answered flatly.
"Ah." He exhaled, as if he were out of breath, resting his arms on the table. After a moment he said, "I hope you've been well."
"I have," Raine said, continuing the idle pleasantries, "And you?"
"Busier than ever, I'm afraid. What with trying to pass global trade agreements and working towards peace efforts."
"Sounds very busy," Raine agreed, examining her empty tea glass. She shook it, hoping Regal might notice.
"Yes, well, comes with being Lezareno's President I suppose."
Raine had always regarded Regal as the most polite and proper member of their World Regeneration group. With any luck, his chivalry might kick in and he'd ask her if she wanted more tea. Not that Raine wasn't fully capable of getting it herself. But it was a sort of… experiment she'd formulated in her head.
"So tell me," he continued, "what have you been up too?"
"Same old, same old," Raine droned, swirling her glass.
"How is Genis doing in school? I heard he transferred to the Palmacosta Academy."
"My brother's grades are as pristine as usual," she replied mirthlessly, shaking her glass and trying to sip the last drops of moisture out through the straw, purposefully making it as noisy as she could. Regal just stared at her through the gurgling ice.
She soon ran out of lung capacity and smacked the glass back down on the table. "You wanted something?"
"Oh, yes, as a matter of fact…" Regal leaned under the table to retrieve her briefcase, leaving Raine to slouch forward in defeat. Why was he not taking the hint? She'd witnessed couples whose male counterparts would gladly give every stitch of cloth on their body if their dates appeared to be even one degree cooler than usual. They were at their every beck and call.
But then she reminded herself that his was not a traditional "date" and felt so stupid for having thought it was. She was beginning to seem desperate, even to herself. Why did she all of a sudden want this kind of attention? She'd done perfectly fine for the last 24 years of her life without a male counterpart. But, maybe it was time for a change…? No, she was perfectly fine the way she was! But… still…
As she tussled with her thoughts Regal's head reappeared and he set a packet of papers on the table. Raine struggled to quiet her mind enough that she could focus on the sheaf he pushed forward to her.
"What is it?" Raine asked, glancing down at the first page. She frowned when she read the header. Next to a small graphic of a rose, it said in swirling text "The Bachelorette."
"It's a synopsis of a new television show that scheduled to air on Lezareno TV later this month," Regal supplied.
"Television," Raine repeated.
"Yes, it's a newer form of broadcasting that my company recently developed. Having a set in your home gives you access to all kinda of content beamed in through specialized waves."
"Fascinating," Raine mused.
Regal smiled. "It's caught on like wild fire in Tethe'alla, and we're working on making it more available in Sylvarant. We're also hoping to broaden our audiences." He tapped the sheaf of paper. "This was a new project agreed upon by our staff. We took up a vote to decide the first contestant and as it so happens I…"
Raine's eyes were already skimming through the page. A certain set of words caused her to stumble and backtrack. "'Reality romance series?'" she read aloud, perhaps louder than necessary.
"…I nominated you."
Raine looked up at him incredulously, not sure if she should feel grateful, outraged, or that pity had been taken upon her. Regal bowed sheepishly at her gaze.
"It was a very popular idea with the ladies of our staff. When I told them about you, they agreed you'd be the perfect candidate."
"In what way?" Raine's eyes narrowed, her voice was dangerously low. "What did you tell them about me?"
"Ah…" Regal's eyes shifted back and forth behind the reading glasses he'd slipped on, searching for a way out of that question. "Uh, you see, this premise is this:" he began hastily. "A woman is chosen to be the star for a season. The 'bachelorette.' A group of men is selected to be candidates. They stay in a beautiful mansion throughout the course of the season. Separately of course. The ultimate goal is that the woman were to build a connection with one of the men, and possibly build a relationship with that man." He smiled faintly. "Doesn't it sound-"
"Like a box of hamsters," Raine supplied dryly.
"Oh come now, Raine." Regal steepled his hands. "Be a little more open-minded. Here, read the summary on the sheet." He slid the sheaf closer to her until it nudged her sleeves folded at her chest.
Sighing, she gave into her the greater curiosity that she would not admit feeling at that point and continued skimming the page.
'"The Bachelorette"
Lezareno TV - Channel 78
Reality Romance Series
Fifty minute episodes; one hour blocks allotted.
Approved episodes: 10
A series in which one lucky woman (interviewed and picked by staff) is chosen. Ten men, (interviewed and picked by staff) are also chosen. (Also works in reverse, though, "The Bachelorette" was agreed on for the first season) She and the guests are accommodated in a special mansion. During the course of the episodes they go on special "dates" some as a group and some one-on-one. At the end of each episode, a "Rose Ceremony" is held, in which the bachelorette awards a red, long stemmed rose to the men she wants to see stay another week. Only a certain number of roses are given, and decrease each time. The goal is to eliminate the men until only one remains. That man "wins" the Bachelorette, and they live happily ever after.
"Whoever writes your summaries," she told Regal, "fire him."
Regal sighed.
Raine just could not get over how incredibly tacky, and cheesy and… and biased the show sounded. As if one could just appear on television and magically walk away with a true love by the end of it. How absurd!
Raine gazed up at Regal with cynical eyes. "Global trade agreements and peace efforts an yet your company still has time to put out this kind of nonsense?"
Regal sighed again. "Look, I know its not perfect," he spoke frankly, "but I urge you to give it a try. This could be a wonderful opportunity if only you'd open your mind up to it. How bad could it be?"
He's right, Raine realized in a deadpan, I have absolutely nothing to lose.
At this revelation something inside her began egging her on telling her to just do it, to see just how bad it could possibly be, daring her situation to become worse than it already was.
"Well, what do you say?" Regal asked.
Raine took a deep breath. "I'll do it."
Surprise flickered in Regal's eyes, as if he hadn't actually anticipated being able to make her accept. But soon they showed more with a gleam of satisfaction "Wonderful," he beamed.
Peeling back the pages of the packet before her reveled a long blank line. "I'll just need you to sign here then…"
The thought of sealing her deal with the devil with something so binding as a contract caused her to waver a moment. But she put her foot down and went on auto-pilot, taking the ridiculously expensive-looking pen Regal offered her and motoring through her signature, Raine Sage, deciding she'd put off regretting it for later.
"And here," Regal flipped to another page. Raine staggered, but managed to sign her name again.
"And initial here."
For God's sake!
She only had to make a few more marks, but it was enough to make her have to rest her head in her palms and massage her temples as Regal replaced the documents in his briefcase.
I'm going to regret this, aren't I?
"Thank you Raine," Regal said enthusiastically, folding his reading glasses and tucking them into a case that he slipped into his bag. "I hope you won't regret it."
Raines eyes snapped open. 'Hope?' What do you mean 'you hope'?
"Oh, it appears you're out of iced tea," Regal noted, glancing at the glass of half-melted ice cubes. "Would you like another glass?"
In silence, she rolled her head back and stared at the sky a moment through the glass roof. She took a deep breath and rolled her head forward again. Meeting Regal's eyes again, she nodded, smiling. He called the waiter over and got her a fresh glass, filled to the brim, and as Raine noticed, it never tasted so sweet.
Author Note: So if you liked this idea, and want to see what comes next, let me know with reviews. No, this is not some stupid GET REVIEWS plot. ...Well actually it kind of is but, anyway! I'm actually stacking up and comparing reviews between this and another story, and the one that gets the most gets updated first. I need all the encouragment I can get people. Even if you don't like it, tell me WHY. I'm hoping to scrape out a bit of a career in writing (someday) so even if you want to flame me, do it, I dare you! I want any feedback I can get! (Though constructive criticism makes me happiest)
^ Nobody reads these things, do they.