Author Note: Goodness, has it really been over a month since I updated this? I feel so bad, I seriously did not mean to leave it for that long. Especially on that "cliff hanger..." I'm gonna use the oldest excuse in the book: school
Yes school. You college kids and highschoolers reading this know exactly what I'm talking about, you middle schoolers reading this, oh, you can't possibly imagine. And you elementary schoolers... I'm just not sure what I think of you reading my story...
Anyway, here's the new chappie! Finally! And I kinda freaked myself out. Nearly 5,000 words, that's what this one is. In fact, if I hadn't promised the introduction of the contestants in this chapter, I'd've probably split this into two chapters.
This one goes out to my buddy E.C. (do you mind if I call you that?) Thanks for your encouragement. I hope the new chappie pleases you, it being extra long and stuff.
And for the rest of you readers, heres a game you can play, each contestant has a description before they're named, see if you can guess who they all are. Kudos to you if you get them all right.
And in Bachelor(ette)/ heck, all reality tv, fashion, there are little "interview" type paragraphs in there too.
This is waaaaaay too long to make an author note. So go read it already!
~Chapter 3
Raine stood on the balcony of her appointed suite, admiring the mid-afternoon sun's gaze sliding through the trees and dancing the in the fountain below. It had been several hours since she'd arrived at Zelos' mansion, and she was enjoying her newly found freedom to its fullest degree.
When she'd first set foot in the house, she was immediately whisked through its many ornately decorated hallways, to each posh and spacious room. Zelos seemed to delight in showing her every nook and cranny of his newly remodeled home.
The add-ons were minor. Some new wallpaper here, some gaudy statue of a plump cherub there. It seemed he'd spent the most on the gardens, through which he'd taken Raine and Regal, naming off every flower as it came to his mind.
Raine hunched forward further over the balcony. Dear Origin her feet hurt. Raine had underestimated just how big the Wilder home really was. Sure, they'd rested there a few times during the World Regeneration Journey, but she'd never really comprehended its grandeur.
But it made for a painfully long tour, and Raine had stolen away to the room Sebastian the butler directed her to before being forced to explore the eastern wing, leaving Regal to the mercy of Zelos' loud mouth.
The suite itself was rather nice; it was spacious, with a large, four-poster bed, an adjoining bathroom and doors on the far-wall suggesting a garden overlook.
But upon entry, one was assaulted with a smog of roses. The usually pleasant aroma wafted up from the sea of rose petals dumped throughout the entire room, rising to a stifling odor. Raine had immediately crossed the lava pool of red petals to open up the balcony doors and let the pleasant afternoon zephyr carry away the gaudy stench.
Raine waited on the balcony for the room to clear out before she turned to again brave the room. The smell was greatly diminished, but still present.
A red sea parted under her suitcase as she drug it across the room. She dusted some petals off the comforter and hefted the bag onto the bed. She began putting things away, settling in.
When she entered the bathroom she found it too polluted with petals, even in the toilet, which made her cringe. She also found a note written in lipstick on the mirror, Welcome Bachelorette!
She wasted no time producing the glass cleaner she'd managed to fit in her suitcase and scrubbing the greasy words off the mirror. Such a waste of makeup, she thought. Not that she was much of a judge, she didn't often wear makeup and never in excessive amounts. She was more into a natural beauty approach, or at least that's what she kept telling herself.
Her task complete and all her possessions stored away, she spied a conveniently placed bowl of red fruit resting on the vanity. She was famished and gratefully reached for one. With her mouth full, she groaned, realizing that they were all passion fruit.
There was a swift knock at the door. Raine scarfed down the rest of the fruit and went to answer it, expecting it to be Sebastian again.
Instead she found Seles, Zelos' younger sister, flanked by her butler Tokunaga, standing at her door.
"Why, hello Seles."
"Hullo," the younger Wilder said in a low voice.
Raine smiled. "I've spent the entire morning being dragged around this house and I had yet to see you. How have you been."
"Same as usual," was her curt reply. "Are you all settled in?"
"For the most part," Raine replied.
"Good, you're wanted in hair and makeup."
"Hair and…" Raine blanched.
"And bring you're dress too," she added, "she'll want to see it."
Raine slowly turned, "Ah… sure." She went to fetch the dress.
Seles leaned forward a bit, peering through the door. "Oh God, he really did have them put rose petals in your room."
Raine returned. "This was Zelos' idea?"
"Yeah." Seles let out a snicker. "He mentioned it over breakfast this morning; I didn't think he'd actually have someone do it."
Raine closed the door, casting one last glare at the blooming room. "I really wish he hadn't."
"So do I."
With Raine in tow, Seles turned and drifted down the hallway, Tokunaga, in his black suit, like a shadow following in their footsteps.
Seles threw her hands behind her head as she walked, careful not to disturb the large yellow hat that rested upon it. "That's just what I need, a bunch of strange people coming into the house, smelling it up with flowers. My allergies…"
"I'm sorry that this whole television business is such a burden on you," Raine said with a hint of guilt.
"Oh you're fine Raine, I don't mind you. I rather enjoy your company" Seles rolled her head aside and gave Raine a knowing look. "But if I were you, I'd be more concerned for myself."
"How do you mean," Raine asked, unnerved.
"Well, I can just stay in my room the entire time, while you have to hang out with these loonies all day." She turned ahead once again. "You'll see."
"I guess I will see, won't I?"
A few more turns down the lavish halls saw them standing in front of a plain white door. Seles went in.
"Big brother, I brought her like you asked."
Inside, to Raine's annoyance, was Zelos sitting in a purple salon chair. He rose as they entered. "Ah! There's the Cool Beauty, now." He flashed her a smile, and Raine almost laughed out loud when she saw that he had tin foil and various pins and clips woven into his hair.
Beside him stood a thin black woman, grinning and looking expectant. Her purple ringlets of hair formed a small globe around her head. Zelos indicated her with a flourish "Raine, I'd like you to meet Astrid. She's the stylist. Astrid, meet…" He motioned dramatically, "the Bachelorette."
"Oh my gosh, this is her?" Astrid beamed. "She's so cute!"
Raine forced an uncomfortable smile onto her lips.
"Isn't she though?" Zelos nodded his agreement, casting a suave smirk Raine's way. Whether or not he actually thought Raine would find this charming was unknown.
Before Raine realized what was happening she felt two gentle but forceful sets of hands on her shoulders, guiding her towards the purple salon chair set in front of a mirror. She found that the hands belonged to the both the Wilder siblings.
"Seles…!" Raine's voice was high and agitated, like a cat before water.
"Sorry, Raine," the younger Wilder said. "You did sign a contract."
Raine swore, remembering the line's previous use. She made faint protest before Zelos and Seles pushed her into the chair.
"Where is the Oh So Revered company president anyway?" she griped, resituating herself. "Doesn't he have some important role in this production."
"Oh, he does," Zelos said, settling down into another salon chair adjacent to Raine's. "He's somewhere else getting ready."
Astrid slid over to the redhead, her fingers already expertly unweaving the clips and tinfoil. "I'll just finish you up quick so I can get started on Raine's makeover," she told him. Zelos sat perfectly posed, as if this were a regular occurrence for him.
Raine pressed on. "Is Regal the 'host' or some such?"
"Oh, no, Raine. You'll see later on." A mischievous smile creased Zelos' profile under his cowl of tin foil. "You see, I'm the host."
"You're-"
"Yep. Its me." He chuckled a bit. "It is my house after all."
"Our, house, big brother," Seles corrected him. "Remember, you signed over part of the deed to me when I moved here."
"Oh, right, of course."
Raine was chewing on her lip, awaiting her turn.
Astrid continued to work on Zelos' long red tresses of hair. "The only problem with being the host is that I don't get to look my best." He nodded to Astrid. "I mean, of course you make me look drop-dead gorgeous, hunny, its just they won't let me wear what I want to." He looked back over to Raine. "Believe me, if I was a contestant, there'd be no contest." He winked.
Raine buried her face in her shoulder.
"And, you're all done!" Astrid chirped. Zelos stood and gazed at his reflection.
"Wonderful as ever!" He exchanged smiles with Astrid and began crossing the room to the door. "I'll be getting out of your hair now, no pun intended."
Zelos set Raine's chair spinning before reaching the exit. "Work your magic on her, Astrid!" he said.
The spinning room came to an abrupt stop. Astrid stood before Raine, brushes, combs lipstick and tubes of mascara laced between her fingers like ninja weaponry. "I can't wait!" she grinned.
Raine felt uneasiness rise in her throat. The way her plum-colored eyes seemed to sparkle was unsettling.
Seles retrieved the box that Raine had deposited upon entry. "This is her dress," she drawled, proffering it to Astrid.
The stylist's face lit up as she scooped up the formal package. "Oh how gorgeous! What a pretty color!" She ran her fingers through the material and held it up to the light. Her eyes flicked back and forth from Raine to the dress several times before she neatly placed it back in the box.
She gave a little huff, still beaming widely. "I'm inspired now!" she announced. She glided over to her client and placed her hands on Raine's shoulders. They conversed through the mirror.
"Alright Raine," she said, beginning to toss her silvery hair. "Paint me a picture of the perfect you. The you you've never had the time, money or resources to create."
"I think I look fine the way I am," Raine muttered.
"Of course you do, you're beautiful, Raine!" she said, guiding a brush through Raine's hair. "You're skin is so fair and smooth, and this silky hair of yours is to die for! My job is to make you look the best that you possibly can, and make you feel good about yourself!" She paused her strokes. "That sound okay?"
She certainly seemed passionate about her job, Raine concluded. She supposed she was warming up to Astrid a bit. The butterflies in her stomach had quieted some. "Give it a shot, I guess."
Later that evening, the time of the infamous event arrived. Raine stood, as instructed, at the beginning of the walkway that lead up to the Wilder mansion. There, she was told, she would wait and greet the contestants as they arrived. A young man with spiky hair, the camera technician, was set up a ways away, fiddling with his lenses and other filming equipment.
In the growing darkness of dusk, Raine was lit from behind by the soft glow of porch light above the mansion's door. It caught and shone like moonlight in her smartly styled hair and glistened on the conservative amount of body glitter that Astrid had insisted upon.
Her silvery blue eyes were framed by a pretty face, dusted with makeup without looking like she was wearing any at all.
And her dress, the turquoise and white materials of a few different shades cascaded to her feet in individual sheaves. The midriff was an aqua silk, and there was a loop that tied around her neck. It was a cool night, and the dress had no sleeves, so Seles had loaned Raine a white knitted wrap to ward off the cold.
Raine had to say she was impressed with her appearance, though she regarded her reflection as a different person from herself.
"Well, its almost time." Zelos had appeared beside her. He wore a simple black suit with a matching tie, and his hair was pulled back into a conservative braid. "See, I told you they made me look boring," he said, flaunting his new look.
Raine only smiled.
"Now, I'm gonna be in the house welcoming the guests, so you'll be on your own out here. But don't worry, you'll do fine. I mean," he chuckled, "what's the worst that could happen?"
Raine suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of foreboding.
"Hey, what's with that look?" Zelos placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be fine." A clatter in the distance turned both of their heads.
"Looks like the first car is here. I have to go. Good luck!" He dashed up the steps and into the house.
Raine watched the carriage roll up the lane, and felt her entire body go tense again. She took a deep breath and let it hiss out. "This is so stupid," she muttered.
The carriage came to a stop, the door opened and out stepped a navy blue boot. A man emerged, tall, wearing a white and red outfit, similar to military formal wear, and a dark blue cape hanging from his shoulders. His long cobalt hair trailed in a loose ponytail.
Raine's mouth went dry. "Yuan?" she stammered "You're here?"
"Hello, Raine," he said languidly. "Yes, I'm here."
"Ah." Raine was speechless. She had not expected anyone she knew to show up, and the shock of a familiar face rendered her unable to think of anything to say.
Yuan Ka-fai - 30
Landscape Tender
Asgard
Yuan: Things like this are embarrassing. And I don't want to embarrass myself, or Raine. I like Raine, she's fine, I just don't want to be here right now. I should be at home tending to the tree… But that agent man they sent… he's very… persuasive.
"Lets just get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible," Yuan sighed. He turned heel and headed up the walkway without another word.
Raine swallowed, not sure if she felt annoyed or relieved that he had left so abruptly. She had barely a moment to collect her thoughts before another carriage arrived.
A spare young man slipped out of the cab and cautiously shut the door. He adjusted his glasses and approached Raine, a shy smile on his face. He wore a homely green sweater and khaki pants, and his blue hair was tossed in a boyish style.
"Hello, Professor Sage. Em- Miss Sage. Raine," he stammered. "It's good to see you again."
"Linar." Raine found herself smiling. His was a familiar face, but one she'd not seen in awhile. She found she was much more comfortable in Linar's company than the previous contestant's. "Its good to see you too. How have you been?"
"Good. I've been… wanting to see you again for awhile now. Um," he held up something he'd been holding, "these are for you."
Raine took the small bouquet of simple gray flowers he offered her. "Oh, how sweet of you," she said.
Linar Van Spoelendal - 21
Scholar
Asgard
Linar: I've always had a deep admiration of Professor Sage. She's such an inspiration to me. So when the man in the suit told me about this opportunity, I became excited to see Miss Sage again.
"Those are ashelias Asgardias," he informed her, indicating the flowers. "You can dry the petals and put them in your tea. They're good for runny noses, and upset stomachs, and fevers. You can put them in you bath too…" He suddenly flushed red. "Um, I'll, ah, see you inside then." And he ducked away towards the mansion's door.
Raine set the flowers behind her. "That was awkward," she decided.
On the heels of the last carriage, a new one approached. This man wasted no time getting out. The man rose to his full height and gave his long rusty-crimson hair a toss. Angled frames sat upon his nose, but unlike Linar, who also wore glasses, this man exuded an air of authority and self-assuredness. His stylish dark suit was neatly pressed and much care was put into his appearance.
"Raine," the man said as he approached.
"Richter?" she cried. "How are you here?"
Richter Abend - 21
Researcher
Sybak
Richter: I'm told that man in black can find anyone anywhere. I don't mind though. Any place would be more interesting than where I have been for the last year.
"Don't worry about it," he said. "I trust the world is in no worse a mess than when I left."
"The world's fine," Raine told him. "But how are you-"
"I'll see you inside." He strolled casually to the door of the mansion.
Raine watched him leave in astonishment, someone she never thought she'd see again. And what's more, it seemed that he had returned to participate in is silly little production. How had the ones in charge managed that? Wasn't the entire balance of the world dependant on Richter being at the Ginnungagap? Wasn't-
As if to tell her that no one cared about her opinion on the matter, the next carriage pulled up with a screeching halt. Almost before it had stopped the next contestant barreled out.
"We're doing this!" he said. "Whether you like it or not!"
The young man straightened and regarded Raine with cool red eyes. He was dressed casually in white and blue, despite his display thus far. A blond cowlick danced upon his head as he approached.
"Hey, Raine," he said, very blasé. "The kid's too scared to talk to you, so I-" Suddenly his entire demeanor changed, and his voice rose to a sharp cry. "I'll do it!"
The more confident ego wrenched control away from the other. "No, you'll say something stupid. Let me handle it."
Raine's eyebrow rose. "Emil and Ratatosk I take it?"
"What's up?" Ratatosk said. "Say hello, Emil."
"Hello."
Raine could not imagine how confusing or downright silly they must have looked in the camera's eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and shook off a chuckle in spite of herself. "But why are you here? Both of you. What about Marta? What about…?"
Emil Castagnier - 18
Monster Rancher
Palmacosta
Emil: (To those more in the know, Ratatosk: ) I just wanted the kid to see what kind of things he's missing before he ties the knot with that girl, Marta. I know he's going to eventually, may as well get out a bit before. She doesn't exactly know about this either so… yeah. This probably isn't the best way to teach the kid a lesson, but it'll work. Beats what I was going to be doing for the next thousand years.
Raine added in a lower tone, "Just so you know, before you, I saw-"
"Richter? Yeah, I know he's out. Notice I'm out too?" He waved his hand in dismissal. "Don't ask us how we got it to work though. Way too complicated. Say good-bye, Emil."
"Um, bye Raine. Sorry for the whole-"
"We're going now."
The blond boy(s?) stomped off towards the mansion doors. Raine cast an apologetic look to the camera. She wonder if any amount of editing would enable that conversation to make any sense to the general public.
Soon the next carriage and the next contestant strolled up. Raine's face turned just as red as the young man's outfit when she saw him. The spiky haired brunet rubbed his face with a gloved hand before proceeding ever-cautiously. "Hello, ah, professor."
"Lloyd?" Raine said, aghast.
Lloyd Irving - 20
Craftsman
Iselia
Lloyd: Um, yeah… Raine was kinda my teacher. Back in school. So this is… this is a little weird.
Raine folded her arms stoically, beginning to recover. "Mr. Irving, I find this a little inappropriate," she told him.
"I know," Lloyd agreed, his eyes not able to travel anywhere but the dirt. "I didn't want to come, but they… They forced me! They have this secret agent guy, he's absolutely terrifying and he-"
"Young man, I will accept no excuses!" she chided. It was as if they had gone back in time to Lloyd's school days. "Now undoubtedly you are under some kind of contract just as I am, so I want to you to go to the manor right now. I'll decide your punishment later after this whole ordeal is over."
"Yes, ma'am." Lloyd turned, head hung low, and drug his feet up the stairs.
When he had reached the top Raine heard a deep melodious chuckle. "How delightful."
She turned to find that the next contestant had already arrived, as if he had appeared out of the dusky shadows. It was a man she did not recognize. Tall and willowy, with incredibly pale skin and mischievous narrow eyes of a dark ochre color. He was dressed completely in purple, a fine amethyst suit that had a sort of otherworldly quality. His longish black hair was the only unruly quality about him.
"A new face?" Raine muttered to herself.
"Oh, no my dear. We have met before. Under different circumstances of course. I am not surprised you don't recognize me in this form."
Raine stared at the newcomer in puzzlement for a moment before something clicked in her brain. Her mouth opened an closed like a fish before she pulled it into a knowing smirk. "I supposed I shouldn't be surprised at what a marvelous shapeshifter you are, Tenebrae."
Tenebrae smiled coyly; giving a little bow. "You flatter me."
Tenebrae Penumbra - 30
President of a prestigious club
Temple of Darkness
Tenebrae: (deep chuckling, accompanied by a darkly mischievous expression.)
"As for what you're doing here…?" her tone rose to invite his explanation.
He chuckled, obviously enjoying himself all too much. "Forgive me, when my master and our temporarily permanent guest both flew the coop, I got lonely. None of my other siblings are quite the company, you see. So I decided to follow them to the surface. I do hope you'll humor me, my dear." His smile became more malicious. "My master doesn't even know I'm here yet."
"I see…" Raine intoned, unsure of what to make of her newest guest.
"I'll be taking my leave now; I'll see you inside, then." He bowed one more time, purely for his enjoyment, and trotted off to the house.
The next car pulled up, and a man with unruly auburn hair and a serious, stoic expression rose. "Good evening," he said nonchalantly.
"No, this is impossible," Raine said, wide eyed. "Just how powerful is Lezareno?"
"Because I am supposed to be nine-hundred-billion miles away by now, am I not?" Kratos asked dryly.
Kratos Aurion - 31
Mercenary
Meltokio
Kratos: I must commend that man in black. His methods certainly are… potent, if extreme.
"Your son is here too," Raine muttered.
"He is?" Kratos sighed. "That does no bode well."
"You're gonna have to face him sooner or later. Go on then."
Eager for this whole charade to be over, Raine shooed Kratos on and ushered in the next carriage.
This one produced an eerily familiar young man with long tresses of blond hair and green eyes that lit up as soon as he saw her. He approached her, dressed in a white suit, with a multicolored scarf thrown over his shoulders, not the most fashionable choice.
"Hello, Raine!" he said cordially.
"Do I," Raine began, squinting, trying to place her déjà vu, "know you?"
"Of course, you do, silly. It's me, Mithos."
Raine nearly fell over.
Mithos Yggdrasill - 26
Unemployed
Heimdall
Mithos: I always really liked Raine when I was traveling around with their group. She's a nice, sweet, pretty, caring woman. (sighs and looks distant, refusing to say more)
"This is the last straw!" Raine cried.
"What?" Mithos asked, a childish curiosity painted on his face. "Is it because I look different? I made myself look 26, the perfect age-"
"You're supposed to be dead!"
"Oh, that," he said. "Love transcends death, you know."
"What?" Raine felt a shudder run through her.
"It was good talking with you. I look forward to getting to know you more." Mithos had an innocent smile on his face as he said this, and what unnerved Raine the most was that it actually looked genuine. The would-be genocidal overlord bounded up the steps like an excited child. Raine stared after him, at a loss for words and slightly frightened. At least he didn't seem insane anymore. Well, at least he seemed harmless.
Yet another carriage pulled up, and Raine groaned as she saw it. Whose company would she have to abide this time.
To her surprise, out stepped a well-groomed man in a stylish business suit. His wild blue hair had been tamed with a comb and a ribbon, and his serene blue eyes caught Raine's gaze and held it. "Hello, again." He smiled.
"Regal." Raine returned the expression. "I should have anticipated this is what Zelos meant when he told me you had a role to play in this production."
Regal Bryant - 36
Lezareno Company President
Altamira
Regal: I must say, the production is coming along rather nicely.
"Indeed, I'm participating too."
"But is that really wise?" Raine asked insightfully. "You are the president of the company putting on this show. People will accuse you of stacking the cards."
He nodded in agreement. "I have thought of that. But this really isn't something that you can, as you put it, 'stack.'"
"Plus, you met me at lunchtime, and you came to escort me from my home. What have you been planning Regal?" Raine accused, a sly grin on her face.
Regal took her teasing in a good-natured way. "Purely coincidence," he insisted. "I'll see you inside soon then; the next carriage is the last."
Raine felt a glimmer of relief. Soon this ridiculous charade would be over and done with. For the night anyway. Regal trekked up to the manor as the final carriage pulled up. The door opened, but no one got out.
"Please, don't make me go out there!" came a high-pitched and stressed voice. The carriage's occupant was apparently arguing with the driver. "No! No! Please!"
Raine found the voice all too familiar, and a black hole opened up in her stomach, swallowing any relief she had felt previously. As the carriages occupant lost his fight and was forced to emerge, Raine saw that her fear was confirmed.
The small boy crawled out, and shrank against the side of the carriage, mortified. He seemed to have been forced into his Sunday best, and his silvery white hair was tousled beyond help.
"Genis?" Raine cried.
"Raine!"
Raine's lips could barely form words. "But this is a-"
"I know!"
"And you're my-"
"I know!"
Genis Sage - 15
Student
Iselia
Genis: (intense silence; then: ) They put me in the wrong carriage! This guy comes to my house earlier today, asking me if I want to work on a television set, and then I find out the reason why my sister left this morning, and then-!
"This is so messed up!" Genis doubled over a moment in emphasis. "Why did you sign up to do this, sis?"
Raine felt her face flush, her temperature rise, and then she broke out into a cold sweat. Here she was, all glitzed up, participating in a reality romance series, and now she had been found out by her teenage brother. She did not know if she could be any more mortified than she was at that moment.
I hope you won't regret it. Regal's words came back to her.
"Let's- Let's just-" Letting her sentence hang, she grabbed her brother's shirt collar and dragged him up the stairs. "Forget this ever happened."
"I wish I could," he lamented.
Raine thrust open the door and shoved her brother in. Only it had slipped her mind that her role was not yet over.
Ten other males stood in the foyer of the mansion, excluding the cameraman. They all turned on her at once when she entered, and Raine's heart skipped a beat in panic.
"Ah! There's our Cool Beauty now! The one and only Bachelorette!" Zelos slid up next to her, and thrust something Raine believed was called a microphone under her chin. A camera rolled in for a close-up. "Tell us, Raine, what do you think of your contestants?" he proffered, his voice sounding full and boisterous, like a coliseum announcer. Raine could have laughed out loud at the irony of this simile.
"I-" Raine could not form words.
"Speechless, we see!" Zelos announced strangely in the third person. "Well, now we have all of our contestants assembled. They are, in no particular order: Yuan, Linar, Richter, Emil, Tenebrae, Lloyd, Kratos, Mithos, Regal and… what, Genis? Really? Well, if that's you're thing…" Zelos thrust his fist out to the camera. "Join us next time, love fans, for another riveting installment of Lezareno TV's The Bachelorette!"
There was a click, and the cameraman said, "Got it," and flashed a thumbs up.
Zelos walked off, chatting up the cameraman, probably about how he looked in the shot, leaving Raine alone in room with ten men staring across at her. The room was at a standstill
After an awkward silence Raine cleared her throat rather ineffectively "Well," she choked. Oh Origin, what have I gotten myself into?
Author Note: So? You like? How many contestants did you guess right? If you got Tenebrae's good for you. I was not originally going to include him, it was just a crazy idea I thought of literally two paragraphs before I wrote it, and was like "Heck! Why not!" He's such a fun little creeper. At least this way we have an even 10 contestants.
And if you're wondering about Linar's funky last name "Van Spoelendal" that was just something I had to make up on the fly. It's Dutch that translates loosely to "From the Wind Valley." Appropriate, I guess. I'll likely never use his "last name" again though.
Hope you enjoyed!