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

POST-MATCH CATHERDING

[singurarity]

[ Welp.

Ritsuka, who looks a little fiercer than her usual chipper smile, has decided to round up everyone who did not just ditch immediately. ]

We've got one extra light, so let me just say a few things. First of all, that's better than nothing. Secondly, I think we should try to narrow it down to which pairs we think might be most likely to try to send them into the Truth Booth next week. Thirdly, I don't think it's the last two Tsukasa had to set up, for a few various reasons, and I think we should set those aside for now.

If anyone's got a disagreement with the match they landed in, beyond the ones who... already made their opinions clear, I'd like to hear that now too.

One more thing--if any of this turns into a fight, I am going to step in and you are going to have to deck me to get me to move and I will kick your ass, I'm not joking about that. I want to get us to the end where people can have their relationships or get their wishes or both, and I don't think I'm the only one, but to do that, we have to at least work together as best as we can! Or at least not against each other.

Okay?

[gravkitty]

[omg she's so cool]

[makeine]

Loud 'n clear, Prez.

[ she certain sounds like one!!!!!




but anna'll keep quiet for now otherwise, chewing on her cheek. ]

[rosethorns]

[Ritsuka... swoon.]

[newlugers]

[ once he's finished rolling his eyes at Akechi storming out of the room... damn, look at Ritsuka go. Steve's been pretty quiet the entire ceremony - evidently still shaken by his mini existential crisis rearing its ugly ahead again after yesterday - but he can't help but comment now. ]

Aye aye, captain. [ wryly, but tinged with admiration. He continues. ] I probably don't need to tell you mine's a total dud. Not that it was even a match.

[ and he's not bitter about that at all!! ]

[singurarity]

Yeah, I sort of figured. [ With a breath, letting some of that fierce leave her tone. ]

How're you holding up?

[newlugers]

[ he shakes his head, shrugging his shoulders slightly. ]

... I'm fine.

[ he's not fine but he's Steve so that's what he's saying. ]

I don't expect anything from people, so whatever.

[counton]

[ No arguments at all here. ]

If we're focusing on who goes to the Truth Booth next, then we're probably better off picking a set who didn't match up at all this week. It's more of a shot in the dark, but our odds aren't any worse than trying to figure out which set of us was correct.

[haircared]

That seems pretty risky...

[ Both are unlikely to get them a correct match, but a 1 in 7 versus 1 in... several thousand? ]

Are you talking about Will and Yanami?

[makeine]

No, I think Ritsuka-chan's right. I'd rather vote for a one in six chance than anything outside it.

[ it's just sensible. and has nothing to do with how her chest feels so heavy. ]

Me and Will-kun are obviously a match, whatever that light might imply otherwise, so let's save us for a rainy day.

[singurarity]

I'm fine with considering it, but I'm not sure how we'd even begin narrowing it down...

[ Her headache's back. ]

[counton]

[ He gets it... ]

This didn't really give us much to go on in the end. Maybe we would be best sending one of the sets to the truth booth, and trying to pick entirely different couples for the matching ceremony.

[gravkitty]

[Dusty is snoozing around here and available for anyone who wants to be purred at or have something comforting to pet. She sits up at attention at Ritsuka's Cool Speech and raises her hand.]

Maomao is really smart and sweet... [She was sitting with her, so she looks over at her with a big bright smile. The thing with the spider venom was weird! But she was so nice with the banner, and she knows a lot that Kat will never know.] ... but she said something about wanting to be matched with someone who only talks to her once or twice a day. And I...

[She stops, turns a little pink. Eheh... Well, she likes being close with people.] I think it would be doing her a disservice...

[makeine]

[ dusty....................... hi kitty....... she'll take a rub........ ]

You think you're too clingy for her? Maybe it's exactly what she needs, though.

[gravkitty]

[He purrs, and his stars get a little more glittery. We will assume this is before Minamibowl]

Maybe... if we're talking about complimentary opposites still. I'll wait until she weighs in!

[(... What if I was hoping for someone who was into me, though?)]

[singurarity]

Sometimes what you want isn't always what you need... do you think something like that would be a deal-breaker?

[ A pause. ]

Though I guess I should probably ask that of her, huh.

[gravkitty]

Yeah, I'm not sure how strongly she feels about it...

[If she's still here, Kat will turn to her directly to ask as well just so it's not like. Talk about Maomao time with Maomao right here.]

Am I like the average guy you're looking for?

/2

[inparfait]

Uwaah, Ritsuka-chan you're so scary... you're really strong, aren't you? Okay, I'll behave...

[ minami's looking at her with a more than panicked expression head slightly bowed, lips drooped. ]

[inparfait]

[ and then he turns towards the rest of the group and grins nasty, eyes an unnatural red, incisors gleaming and pointed. ]

Okay, okay, psych. I'm sooooo bored of playing pretend!!! Do you know how many times I wanted to stab all of you? So I'm calling it quits! I mean I kinda gave up in the middle but I still held my tongue even though I seriously thought I was gonna throw up so many times.

True love? Trying to get along? Why would I care about that as a demon? Oh, but the wish, the wish you say! I don't really want that either. I mean I'll take if it's free, but I'm in the wish making business myself and using other competitor's products like that? No thanks!

Oh, but don't worry, I wasn't lying the entire time. Some things I said were true, and I'll even give you a freebie: I really did pick Will because I think we're matched together!

1/2

[haircared]

[makeine]

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

yeah no she feels even more strongly about not letting him have a centimeter gap. ]

If you're not gonna be helpful, then shut up. I'm not in the mood to deal with another pathetic person.

[singurarity]

[ Wow. Just. Slow, unimpressed golf clap. ]

[boneface]

[ he's so tired that he doesn't even react other than to sigh loudly. of COURSE minami is a DEMON. ]

[counton]

Why wouldn't a demon have as much interest as anyone else?

[ For someone who isn't a demon and has been pretty upfront about not being here for love, he sounds personally offended by that? ]

[willandaway]

[Will isn't even here but from somewhere in the house he is SNEEZING]