week one | match ceremony

[showhost]

The weather is temperate and mild for the match ceremony on this fine Saturday evening, and the crew leads everyone onto a balcony with a cute seating set-up of couches and love-seats. The vibes are Trendy. There are enough places to sit for everyone, but there are only two single chairs, so everyone else is gonna have to cozy up on the couch. Or you can cuddle up in the chairs. I’m not your mom. Also there is only one egg seat. There's mood lighting, like fairy lights.

To one side, there's a small stage of sorts, with a podium where the characters will place their hands to lock in their answers.

Wednesday and Ryuji are led off to the other side so that they can take a seat of honor over on a comfy couch to one side--close to the other contestants, but just far enough away that it's clear they're getting special treatment. Don't you wanna go to the Honeymoon Suite now? Huh???

Anyway.

There are non-alcoholic drinks for people to take at will (all the better to catch spittakes on camera), and the weather is breezy and nice.

And, standing in front of the makeshift stage, with a set of seven unlit lights behind him and one lit light, stands the Overseer. He is dressed the part, of course. He also... looks tired for a moment, but he snaps back to his Proper Hostly Character as soon as the cameras are properly on them and everyone is settled in.

He presses a hand to his chest, sweeping the other outwards.

"Welcome, everyone, to your first Match Ceremony!"

He beams, all classic Tsukasa Sparkles. "As your host, allow me to explain how this will work."

For... the audience mostly. Maybe also for Ryuji? He's not sure how many of the contestants still don't know. It's fine.

"The lights behind me represent each Perfect Match. If--no, when you manage to light every single one, you'll have won, and you will all receive your wishes. For each Perfect Match you find at this ceremony, a light will be lit! And it is your task to figure out which pairs led to those lights appearing."

He nods firmly, eyes and expression shining with confidence in the competitors sitting before him. "And you do not even have to worry about losing a wish this week! It isn't possible for you to have a blackout, since Miss Addams and Sakamoto were a Perfect Match. Congratulations!"

Get on with it, Tsukasa. He clears his throat, pauses just long enough for there to be an inevitable easy cut to commercial break when they edit this later, and then:

"We will begin this week with Team Wonder."

He extends his hand to Dorothea, the other pressed over his heart. "If the lovely Miss Arnault would come up to start us off...?"

Looks like it’s the moment of truth, so strap in.

--

The ceremony has finally arrived! Each character on Team Wonder will be called up in an order determined by the producers (read: rng'd). Each will get their own sub-toplevel that characters can react to at will.

After the matches have all been locked in, we will then find out just how many you all got right.

Otherwise, feel free to use this log for reactions/toplevels for pre- and post-ceremony, and anything else you please. The world of reality TV dating is yours to embrace.

Comments

results.

[showhost]

1/?

[aspirings]

[When everyone has returned to wherever they're sitting, Tsukasa returns to the stage and just kind of. Takes a moment. He straightens his outfit, runs his fingers through his hair, drags in a deeeep breath... and slaps that actor face back on with a dazzling grin at the assembled teens.]

... The time has come to see if your choices have borne fruit! You already have one light, as you can see, and that is thanks to your hard work and intuition!

[DEEP BREATH IN. The rest of the lights go dark.]

Let's begin.

[aspirings]

[The darkness and the pause lingers, giving the assembled--and the audience--more than enough time to feel the strain.


.... .... ..................

And a light joins the already lit light from earlier.

Tsukasa perks up.]

That is one more correct so far...!

[makeine]

[ Ugh. ]

[flaweddetective]

[God.]

[haircared]

[ he wants to be happy but everything is so tense goddamn ]

[willandaway]

[y. . . yay???]

[gravkitty]

[Her smile and optimisim...returning?]

end

[aspirings]

[..............



The pause continues, seemingly even longer still.




And no more lights are lit. The balcony lights return to their dim mood-lighting as the ceremony comes to a proper end. Tsukasa deflates a little, but when he turns to face them, he has straightened and is smiling once again.]

Perhaps the results are not entirely what we might have hoped for, but never fear! You've learned something tonight, and have done incredibly well this week. Next week is yet another chance!

[... He... feels like he should say something else.]

... Thank you for your cooperation.

[And he steps down from the stage.

there u go, teens. discuss away.]

[gravkitty]

[Her smile and optimism...gone]

[warhawks]

[ Immediately leaving the room once it's done. Bye. ]

[hgeegh]

[Timing is a tricky thing. Sanji waits for the discussion to start before excusing himself in search of Asa, because all of that was frankly concerning.]

Asa! Are you here?

[warhawks]

[ Ugh... Asa knows that voice. Too bad it belongs to the second last person she wants to talk to right now.

She's in the bedroom, since she doubts anyone will be coming back here for a while after the ceremony; lying on her bed fully dressed and with her face pressed into the pillow. ]

Just leave me alone.

[hgeegh]

[Oh, she looks positively miserable. Still, Sanji's shoulders drop in relief once he locates her. He hastens to approach, though he stops before he gets too close out of mindfulness for the miniature garden that's her bed in this communal space.]

What's wrong? You can talk to me. I saw you leave the ceremony as soon as it ended . . . and there's the matter of Yanami-san . . .

[They were so close the other day while Asa's expression during the ceremony was nothing short of harrowing. He doesn't understand. What happened?]

[makeine]

[ ............................

what

if it is them?

there's so many it could be but what if it is them?

anna's still displeased, but she'll turn it into frustration at the situation. ]

Well, we've got our work cut out for us, that's for sure.

[flaweddetective]

[Gets up. Straightens his tie. Fucking leaves.]

[willandaway]

[. . .]

[there's a lot he needs to do right now, but--]

[after like. . . ten minutes or so (so Akechi can have a little bit of space), Will is going after him]

[boneface]

[ JUST...... FTR............ RYUJI NOTICES THIS AND FEELS A TYPE OF WAY, WILL ]

[willandaway]

[STOP HE CAN'T BE IN TWO PLACES AT ONCE, YOU'RE ON HIS LIST OF PEOPLE TO CHECK IN ON RYUJI!!!]

[flaweddetective]

[People in his space is, arguably, what he needs the least but this is a group of teenagers that don't know what to leave well enough alone. He's at least made it into the little bathroom to grab the concealer from his overnight bag and back to his little camp spot in the other room before Will finally finds him.

He's in the process of trying to hide the redness from the punch. It'll certainly bruise. Hopefully not swell. He can ice it tonight. It's where all his focus is going at present. If he doesn't he'll dwell. And if he dwells... He'll think about his mom. And like hell is he going down that pitfall tonight.]

What?

[It's more tired than irritated. He's trying to focus. Trying not to think about one thing too much and think a lot about other things. Like revenge. There's so much revenge to dish out. If he's going down he's taking everyone with him.]

[willandaway]

[fortunately for Akechi, Will isn't infringing on his immediate personal space. he stands near the door with one hand resting on the frame, the other at his side, fingers slightly resting against the hilt of his sword]

[. . . he doesn't know Akechi. he doesn't know him very well at all. he doesn't quite understand what kind of relationship he had with Ryuji, or why their conversation devolved into a brawl so quickly]

[as such. . . he has no words. and he is acutely aware of that fact]

. . . do you know how to wield a blade?

[he grasps at his scabbard and lifts his sword slightly, for emphasis]

[haircared]

[ get ready for your check up from nurse josuke, akechi.......... but only after several hours have passed since the ceremony, and any discussions with the group have ended.

He'll only approach if/when Akechi is in a secluded place, leaning against the doorframe with both hands in his pockets before going any further. He knows Akechi must hear him, so he'll wait to see if he gets told to fuck off. ]

[flaweddetective]

What?

[He doesn't sleep with the others and has taken to a little corner of a different room. The positive is that it has a balcony that he likes to linger around. Ritsuka found him here last time and this is, naturally, where he'd be again. This time fussing with the little compact mirror that he brought along with him to help see if he did a good job covering up the impending bruise. For right now he's just turning it in his hands as he thinks so loudly you can almost hear the wheels turning.

And, for what it's worth, the "what" he gives Josuke is not too irritable. Just tired and a touch prickly. It's kind of been a day...]

[willandaway]

[don't think you're escaping a check-in during our Sunday interview sir--]

[titlecard]

[ So...

That went well...? ]