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

[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!!!]

[boneface]

[ YEAH OKAY WHATEVER, BUD. OR NOT BUD. ]

[willandaway]

[WOW!!!]

[hey now that you've tagged me-- after [MUTTER MUMBLE INSERT TIME HERE] with Akechi, will is also!! actively looking for him!!!]

[boneface]

[ BUT I NEED TO GIVE AYA TIME TO MANIPULATE WILL PROPERLY!!!! ]

[willandaway]

[HE'S AN ATLUS PROTAG TOO HE ISN'T THAT EASILY MANIPULATED!!]

[but fine I can wait a bit, but points at eyes point at Ryuji WILL IS COMIN' FOR HIM!]

[boneface]

[ And now here is Ryuji!!! Jacket gone, tie loosened, he is eating a sandwich in the kitchen because he is still kind of Mad and food helps. At least Will can catch him before he and Wednesday leave back for the honeymoon suite...! ]

[willandaway]

[oh thank goodness; he was bit worried he would miss Ryuji before he departed. either way, he enters the kitchen quietly, slipping himself into the space next to Ryuji with elbows resting against the counter]

[he is quiet for a moment, but. . . then he speaks, gentle but audible]

How is your hand?

[punching can hurt. he knows!!]

[boneface]

[ Ryuji is given pause when Will approaches and sits next to him and he glances at his hand, the knuckles a bit scraped and red from his punches. But it doesn't really bother him, he's done worse. Felt worse. He just sighs and shrugs. ]

S'fine. What do ya want, Will?

[ He saw you go after Akechi first, he's on guard a little now. ]

[willandaway]

[he can see those scratches and newly-forming bruises on Ryuji's knuckles, and with a small breath, he holds out his hand, fingers extended]

To make sure you're okay.

. . . can I see?

[he doesn't have the Healer on him, of course, so he can't do much. but he does at least want to assess the damage]

[boneface]

[ He'll hesitate for a moment but after a moment, he sets down his sandwich and holds out his hand for Will. He doesn't expect him to be able to do anything about it, not like if he went to seek out Josuke, but he doesn't think he should be allowed to heal up his knuckles that easily either. ]

I'm okay though, I am.

[willandaway]

[there's no immediate response. not until after Will carefully takes those fingers in his own, pulling Ryuji's hand forward so he can run a gentle touch across those bruises. tsk. . .]

Physically. . . yes.

[. . . yeah, this could be way worse. the damage is minimal; probably not even something he would need to draw the Healer out for. but he still doesn't want to leave it as is. with his grip still loosely wrapped around Ryuji's palm, he dips his other hand into his bag, pulling out a small bottle of salve that he begins to open up]

Emotionally, though-- I don't believe you.

[sorry Ryuji he is just being GENTLY AND BLUNTLY HONEST]

[boneface]

[ He doesn't expect the salve, didn't think Will had things on him for this sort of thing. So, he just lets him continue holding his hand a little awkwardly. Alright, sure. Take care of him.

At the words though, he rolls his eyes but he appreciates the bluntness anyway. ]

Alright. Then ask what ya wanna ask.

[willandaway]

[Will works as he talks, spreading a bit of the ointment onto Ryuji's bruises. it's a soothing salve, cool to the touch, and should help with the sting of those injuries]

[Ask what ya wanna ask, Ryuji says. . . and Will isn't so sure he wants to ask questions as much as he wants to give his companion the chance to open up on his own terms]

[. . .]

. . . you've endured a lot of pain. [that much was obvious, judging from the things he was saying to Akechi at the match ceremony] It angers you. . . that he would pretend it never happened.

[boneface]

[ The salve does help, does soothe a sting Ryuji didn't even bother to notice. He sighs, shoulders slumping a bit, and listens to Will's words. Then his teeth grit just a bit because yeah, it pisses him off. ]

We were teammates. Not friends but he was on the team. He stopped bein' fake around us, started bein' his real self. Stopped hiding. When I saw he was here, I thought we'd just team up again. Figure this shit out together. But instead, he's actin' like he has no idea who I am and who my friends are. Which is so disrespectful to the people he's hurt.

[willandaway]

[Will was right, then. self-sabotage. keeping people at a distance because it hurts to even think about getting close to others]

[. . . which does not make it fair to Ryuji, of course. especially when such lies clearly hurt. especially when it sounds like Ryuji had wanted to mend those bridges]

[. . .]

If I ask what he has done, will you tell me?

[not to judge. never to judge. but because Ryuji deserves an outlet— a listening ear— for his pain, too]

[boneface]

[ Ryuji wants to tell him. He wants to spill it all, really, because he's sick of feeling crazy. Of being told he doesn't know what he's talking about.

But this is a big thing — if he shares this and the wrong people hear it, there goes Akechi's chance at all at building bridges with people here. He can't ruin that completely, he can't. ]

Hey... there's a place here with no cameras, right? I can't take ya back to the honeymoon suite, but maybe we can go there. Then I can tell you.

1/3

[willandaway]

Ah-- yes. Of course.

[Will's answer is quick, if only because he understands why Ryuji wants that privacy. he took advantage of it as well, earlier on in the week, when he and Anna snuck away to--]

[willandaway]

[. . . . . . . . . . . . . o]

[willandaway]

[a firm nod]

We can go, but you'll have to talk very quickly.

[HE WON'T CHEAT. HE IS NOT A CHEATER!! ANNA HATES CHEATERS]

[boneface]

[ Now. That sure was a reaction. Just going to stare at Will for a loooooong moment. ]

I... huh? [ Wait. ] Is this a bad idea?

[willandaway]

No.

But only if you can tell your story in five minutes or less.

[I. . . WILL]

[boneface]

[ okay. give him a second to like. think. because will is not helping him here.

it's called the embrace space. five minutes or less. no cameras. oh.

ohhhhh. ]

... Do we need to ask Anna first if it's okay?

[willandaway]

[oh thank god Ryuji got it]

[hooks a finger into his scarf and tugs, a bit bashful]

. . . I'd like to. If you. . . don't mind.

[he still maintains that Anna doesn't control his actions, and that he is free to do as he wishes during the entire competition. but. . . he wants to be mindful of her feelings, too. they're important to him]

[. . .]

[she has become important to him. . . and knowing what he does about her past-- he would never dare do anything to injure her heart again]

[boneface]

[ He's got you, bro!!! Ryuji looks a little relieved that he understood what was going on here. He didn't expect to.

So, he nods and he'll pull his hand back from Will and stand up. He does pop the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth though, because Sanji probably made it and he does not want to hurt Sanji's feelings.

With his mouth full: ]

Let's go find her.

[ Except, you know, muffled. ]