And here is my vignette for the Dragon vs. Ryu h-off:
I had waited outside the office for over an hour. Four other men had waited with me, and one by one they had gone in. Each had come out on the arm of one of the strange women of this island. The receptionist, a platinum blonde girl who was a white snake from the waist down, looked up at some unheard signal and said, “The high priestess will see you now.” I thanked her and went in.
The priestess stood at the office window looking out at the garden. An ornate tea service adorned the low table between us. Without looking back at me she said, “The cherry blossoms are lovely, are they not?”
“Indeed,” I replied. “Just like my home in Tokyo.”
“Ah, yes, Nippon,” said the priestess. “We have had outlanders arrive from there before.” She turned and smiled. That smile was as perfect as her flawless ivory skin, her lustrous ebony hair, and her radiant green eyes. So lovely were her human features that her inhuman features – the horns on her forehead, the wings on her back, and the emerald green serpent that was her lower body – didn’t detract from her beauty. The other women to whom I had spoken since arriving here called her kind ryu, and I could see the resemblance to the legendary dragons of my homeland.
“Our homes are much alike, though there are some… intriguing differences.” Her smile brightened at the flirtatious tone in my voice. She gestured for me to take a seat and settled onto her coils. The priestess poured two cups of tea and handed one to me.
“I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long, Jiro. Under ordinary circumstances we would allow more time before matching you with someone, but it has been an especially difficult time for us. We have had no new men land here in nearly ten years. Then we get five of you in one month! If you have availed yourself of the books in your room, you can understand why the women of my province were so eager to meet you.”
“Yes, I read that,” I said. “So many of you, and so few men. I suppose that the many social events that I and the other men were invited to were for matchmaking purposes?”
“Quite so,” said the ryu. “I have had my oracles and matchmakers working overtime to determine which women would be the best first wives for each of you. I am pleased to say that they have performed admirably. I believe that you all will be happy with their choices.”
I allowed a small measure of confusion to show on my face. “Excuse me… first wives?”
“To be sure,” said the priestess. “With so few men, it is necessary for each of your wives to share you. After your bride has her first child we will find you a second wife, and then a third after your second child is born.”
“That seems… reasonable,” I said before taking a sip of tea to cover my distress.
The priestess giggled. “Worry not, dear man. The matchmakers have made an excellent choice for you. Her name is Amiko, and she is a generous soul who will move heaven and earth to make you happy.”
“I see. I am concerned, though, about one thing,” I said. “I am told that mamono are very strong, and that they can get carried away during… marital… activities.”
The ryu took a sip of tea to cover her smile. “You have nothing to fear on that account, Jiro. I admit that Amiko is… uncommonly eager. She is older than most other women in the province, and she has never known male companionship. Nevertheless, she has a gentle nature. I assure you that her eagerness will take the form of frequency rather than intensity. Does that reassure you?”
“I am somewhat relieved, yes,” I answered. I finished my tea and set the cup down. “Well, I see no point in dragging this out. Thank you for the tea, and for having me as a guest in your province. If it please you, priestess, I am ready to meet my bride.”
The priestess’s smile grew even brighter as she set her tea aside. She extended herself across the table and wrapped her arms around me. “Call me Amiko,” she said. The kiss that she then gave me was even sweeter and hotter than the tea. |