The bachelors pull up in front of a large Victorian-style house.*
Bachelors
(overlapping, from inside limo): What is this place? It looks like--a house. Yeah, a big house. Well, it's not Moonlight Falls.
Kenshin
(quietly): Well, it could still be a library.
Marielle waits patiently inside for her suitors to arrive.Marielle Confession Cam
The boys will be here any minute! I'm excited and nervous. I really hope they like it. I think they will. I think some will be impressed by the Manor's grandeur and history, and others will appreciate the glitz and glamour of the magic. Yes, I think this one is a crowd-pleaser. And I have some special things planned.
Marielle: Oooh! They're here!
Everette: Well, I'd love to come inside and take a look, but there seems to be some sort of rude fairy blocking the way.
Dominic: At least you're not standing right behind him, those giant wings nearly hit me in the face!
Nathaniel: Actually, I rub my wings with lavender oil every morning, so getting hit in the face with my wings would probably improve your odor tenfold! And who doesn't want to smell like me?
Dominic: Hmmm. Interesting. There are a lot of books in here. Maybe this
is the library!
Dominic Confession Cam
Hang on, we're still in Starlight Shores? I -- oh. The book. This must be a library! And Marielle said she liked books (I think, it's all fuzzy back then), so that must be what she meant by 'her world'. I can see this is going to be an interesting date!
Nathaniel: I'm so excited I could float! Oh, wait--I
can float!
Everette
(muttered): Show-off.
Nathaniel Confession Cam
I am completely and totally certain that Everette Dojo is trying to cramp my mojo! Well, that isn't going to work, because no-mojo-Dojo has no mojo, and thus cannot shadow my mojo! Now my wonderful intellectual musings are confusing me . . . I know that I will wow Marielle on this date, even if she does make me the tiniest bit nervous. She's seriously gorgeous, and I'm not used to dealing with that amount of beauty! Except for when looking in a mirror, that is.
Marielle: Is everyone here?
Bachelors: We're all here.
Marielle: Do you know where we are?
Bachelors: No.
Marielle: This place is called The Magic Manor of Starlight Shores. It is a private club for magicians and the headquarters for the Magic Academy. It is invitation-only, so we were very fortunate to be invited here. This is a special, once-in-a-lifetime experience. It so happens that The Magic Manor is also something of a hotspot for people who appreciate the night and the supernatural. That's what I meant when I said you were going to 'meet me in my world'. This place is a haven for people like me. The magic, of course, is the magic show we are going to be treated to tonight! Three of the Magic Academy's most prominent members will be performing for us, including the President of the Academy, Douglas Lyle, whose portrait hangs in this very room.
Dimitri
(quietly to himself, with a small smile): Will you look at that, I was right!
Leopold Confession Cam
This is very exciting. I would indeed enjoy a magic show. It is a skill and an art that intrigues me greatly. I would like to come back sometime and explore this Magic Manor of Starlight Shores on my own if I get some down time soon and an invitation. A whole library dedicated to the supernatural is too good an opportunity to waste. It is very thoughtful of Marielle to introduce us to her world in such a manner. I must write a thank you note as soon as we return.
Marielle: Since it's a secret club, there is of course a secret entrance. You may have noticed that there is only one door into this room. To get to the rest of the Manor, we must whisper the password to the owl in the Owl Bookcase.
Everette Confession Cam
I'm glad Marielle has such exquisite taste! Her choice of venue is top notch: quite the refined way to spend the evening. So unlike that fairy fellow. You just know if it was up to him we'd all wind up going somewhere horribly tacky.
Marielle: We're in! Follow me, everyone!
Tune in next time to find out what happens inside the Magic Manor!* The Magic Manor is housed inside grimsoul's
Victorian Farmhouse shell. Thank you, grimsoul, for allowing me to use your work!
Jump to
Part II!
