the truth booth.

[showhost]

Welcome... to the Truth Booth.

Down a short paved garden path, with the ambient noises of the city all around you outside the walled garden of the house, there's the Truth Booth.

It looks... an awful lot like a garden shed, actually. But surely they wouldn't do that to you? Surely not?

Anyway, you're ushered into the garden shed, where there is a big blank screen hanging on one wall, and two panels in front of it, clearly for the lovely couple to each stand on.

Ready?

Comments

WEEK ONE

[showhost]

[aspirings]

[Looks like you two have been voted into the Truth Booth! Tsukasa appears to lead you to this now unblocked path, one hand pressed to his chest in a princely manner as he gestures down the path with the other. He is IN CHARACTER today, which means for once he's not being loud as shit, wow.]

Welcome to the Truth Booth! Congratulations on being voted in as a likely Perfect Match.

You'll find the Booth down this path. Good luck.

[And then you two are alone to go down the path together. You are, of course, being filmed.

And, though you don't know it, that's being broadcast to both the audience and your fellow competitors. They'll hear and see anything spicy that happens!

Anyway, shall you head down the garden path and to the Truth Booth?]

[boneface]

[ OKAY. HE'S HERE. He got up early and brushed his teeth and took a shower and got all ready for the day. Then he nervously ate cereal and tried to pretend he wasn't nervous. It's fine! It's fine.

But now they're here and he's Ready To Go. He doesn't even bother Tsukasa about Japan. Locked tf in. ]

Alright! Let's do it, this is gonna be fun.

[ Fun??? Yeah, you know what. It's gonna be fun. He looks over to Wednesday, set to walk with her when she's ready. ]

[ohwoe]

[This is far from what Wednesday would qualify as a “hot date”, but Anna insisted. So, her hair is done for this truth booth occasion — no more pigtails for today, letting her hair down and yet still braided neatly in the back.

Otherwise, she’s business as usual, staring down the path evenly, then glancing back at Ryuji. He looks as full of energy as usual.]

Doesn’t look like there’s much pomp or circumstance to this whole affair. [A little path. A gardening shed??] And here I was hoping for something more blood-curdling.

[But sure, it’ll be "fun". She tilts her head down the path to imply she’s ready to go and… starts walking.]

[boneface]

[ Oh, that's........ so cute. Ahhh, Wednesday is so cute?? Ryuji has a moment of full on heart-eyes before he snaps back to reality. It's fine, he's cool. He is. Super chill.

At her comment though, he laughs. ]

What, like, they hang us from our ankles till we confess all our sins? [ wait. ] Hm. That... that would suck.

[ But yes, he'll start walking with her. Down the path! To the shed! It's all kind of... mundane. Why was he so nervous? ]

[ohwoe]

[To be fair, though Wednesday looks as unperturbed as ever, there's still a slight stiffness to her shoulders that might not normally be there. She isn't so much nervous as she is Aware of what awaits them, which ultimately amounts to a fail or a pass. Not knowing is the hard part. The build-up is where this reality TV show is trying to wring out its drama, and she refuses to give in to it... too much.

Still, she can afford a little bit of back and forth (hilariously oblivious to Ryuji's heart eyes moment because she had already started walking:)]

Oh, no, then the show wouldn't wrap up in time. I mean more like... a pit full of spikes that we must leap over before we can see the results. Or maybe a corridor filled with razor-sharp, swinging blades, large enough to slice a man in two.

But it's just a gardening shed.

[boneface]

[ The anticipation is killing Ryuji. He didn't sleep well last night, he definitely barely remembers his breakfast, but the thing about Ryuji is that he's kind of. Forgotten that they're on a reality TV show. So, he definitely doesn't realize this is all the point.

Which means he's a little (a lot) more open about his nerves than Wednesday. As they walk, he glances at her a few times though the conversation is amusing enough to distract him. He looks like he's genuinely considering her suggestions. ]

Okay, but could you leap over a pit of spikes if ya had to? The swingin' blades, if you're careful you can avoid 'em. [ Thinks... briefly of Futaba's palace. ] But the pit of spikes? You just got one shot!

[ Could he do it? With his bad leg? He is genuinely considering this. This is a full on distraction from what they're about to do, thank you, Wednesday. ]

WEEK TWO

[showhost]

[aspirings]

[Upon seeing them come into view, Tsukasa gives each of them a polite nod in greeting, of course.]

Miss Arnault, Sanji. Welcome to the Truth Booth. You've been brought here because your fellow competitors think you are a likely match. Congratulations!

[Still, there isn't any need for him to blab on and on--instead, he gestures to the path towards the garden shed, nodding to them both.]

The rest is up to you.

[hgeegh]

[Sanji shows up in his signature blue pinstripe shirt, black tie, and two-piece suit. Unlike some men in his life, he rises early and showers every day.

He nods to Tsukasa. Then, once they're left to walk the path on their twosome, Sanji cranes his neck toward Dorothea and offers his arm with a smile that belies any nerves he might have—an unspoken invitation that she's free to turn down or take as she pleases.]

I guess it's just us now. [Never mind the cameras.] You're lovely as always, Dorothea. Shall we?

[rosethorns]

[Dorothea is ready! Both for the camera and for the Truth Booth! Make up done, hair pinned partially up with a cute accessory, decked out in an elegant red dress.]

Our turn to shine, then!

[There’s a smile for Tsukasa that brightens a little as she turns to Sanji, and she accepts that offered arm with no hesitation.]

Thank you, dear. Nervous at all?

[hgeegh]

[She can put on a trash bag and still look elegant in Sanji's eyes—not that he'd want that for her. This red dress suits her perfectly.

Hopefully she doesn't mind when a slight tremor passes through his arm once she takes it, because this is the best he can do. If he were to let himself go, he'd collapse on the spot and take her down with him. He might even bleed from the nose—no! He's not doing that here. The twitching of his hand and lips betray him, though.]

Who wouldn't be, walking side by side with you? Ah, but you seem poised as ever. How are you feeling?

[rosethorns]

[Poor Sanji… Don’t worry, Dorothea will support you. She reaches over with her other hand to give that trembling arm a fond and supportive little pat. Another smile at the question, and she’s glancing over at the looming shed. It feels so much more quaint in person than on the screen last week, though she has to admit there’s a little flutter in her chest.]

A little excited, honestly. [The camera attention isn’t a bother, though she’s not sure how true that will remain when it comes down to the moment itself.] A match would be delightful, wouldn’t it?

WEEK THREE

[showhost]

[aspirings]

[Welcome to week three, truth boothers! Tsukasa does not look relieved that it's Ritsuka and Lessing who end up coming out to meet him here, you are imagining it. (There is now 100% less chance of violence in his life.)]

Ritsuka, Lessing. Are you both ready?

[He smiles at them, hand pressed to his chest.]

By now, I'm certain you both know how this works. The path is this way--and good luck, of course.

[Off you both go!]

[counton]

[ He gets it, Tsukasa, he does. Considering who the group was talking about saddling him with during their first round of discussions, he can't blame him for looking like he's just escaped a death sentence.

He has not, however, escaped the struggle to get good cuts for the show out of Lessing. The boy literally says nothing at all as he nods just once after Tsukasa finishes speaking. A single nod in response to the question, the statement about them knowing how it works, and the well wishes. Succinct as always.

Well, it's mostly a struggle to give Tsukasa good footage. He will do one thing that will make for a decent cut for the show, and that is to reach over and take Ritsuka's hand in his, interlocking their fingers together as he gives a small tip of his head forward towards the shed Truth Booth. ]

[singurarity]

[ Tsukasa looks as though he's saved, and Ritsuka offers him a sympathetic smile and honestly is about to just start walking because might as well knock this out and spare Lessing the cameras--

But then he grasps her hand and she blinks, looking down at their hands and then up at him. She looks like she wants to ask something, but...

Another pause, and she'll squeeze his hand, trying this walking thing once again. ]

I wonder if Asa's freaking out right now...

[counton]

[ He'll actually start walking when she does, facing forward again towards their destination. He hums quietly at Ritsuka's comment, considering how Asa had reacted yesterday... ]

She might be. It seemed like she was pretty bothered at the idea of losing your ability to keep people in line.

[ Lessing less so. He has solidly learned this lesson, but unfortunately in this round if Lessing goes, so does Ritsuka, because life is unfair like that. ]

[singurarity]

We've got a few of us who can do that. [ With a sigh. ]

Besides, even if we get this right, I don't think I'm going to be able to just sit back without running back to help everyone get to the finish line anyway. Though--

[ She grins at him. ]

That doesn't mean you'd have to do the same thing. I think you need a breather.

WEEK FOUR

[showhost]

[aspirings]

[Here is Tsukasa, like always! He nods to the both of them as they arrive, smiling warmly. His friendos!]

Mark, Anna-chan. Welcome to the final Truth Booth of the show.

I'm certain you both know how this works by now, so... please, follow the path this way.

Best of luck.

[makeine]

[ his friendos!!! anna's fashion forward as always, she's gonna look good for her debooth or die trying, and...

... well, it's really a different feeling from last week, when will had taken her to this same starting point and walked slowly, pretending as if they were the voted for pair. speaking of a future they could share. showing the wear on his edges, covered by confidence in front of others.

and, just as she'd told him then, this path is made for two and two alone. so she puts it from her mind and takes mark's hand, beaming up at him. ]

You still trust me, big guy?

[titlecard]

[ his friendos...

Where Anna is cute as always, Mark is wearing clothes, as one does. He's never made this walk before; hasn't thought much of it, mind bouncing back and forth a few times as to who his perfect match is going to be.

Which simultaneously seems a lot less important and also a lot more nerve-wracking at this moment. It's not a big deal, it's only for the game — and yet now that he's here it's kind of a big deal, isn't it.

He's staring ahead. Anna takes his hand and he blinks down at her, almost like he's surprised for a second, before interlocking their fingers, smiling, nodding. ]

Yeah. Let's go figure this out.

[makeine]

Everyone always had such nice conversations on this walk, huh? But I just kinda feel like talking about the weather...

[ as she steps forward, tilting her head up at the sky. nice weather, truly. there's an absolute calmness to her though -- the confidence in her gut, or how comfortable she's always seemed just chatting with him shining through -- that she swings their hands with, very slightly. ]

It's Christmas season back home. So I was trying to think about gifts for everyone, but it's pretty hard... Got anything you want, Mark-kun?

[titlecard]

[ The weather... kind of makes more sense for them to talk about, yeah. Mark tilts his head up towards the sky, too, feeling their hands swing between the two of them. It does feel natural, like this is just something they're supposed to do. Easy. Freeing, in a way. ]

Gifts, huh... I've never been good at those. [ Probably not surprising. He turns his head to look back at her. ] Maybe a new video game or something like that... or rare collectible... something I don't already have. That'd be nice.

[ A beat. ]

What about you? Would you want, like... jewellery, or... [ thinking about the novel Will recommended him. Thinking about Will in general, while walking this path with Anna, but, whatever. He's legitimately fine with it now, relaxed, ] a new book, or something like that?