week one | arrival

[marriagebroker]

The characters will arrive one by one, in whatever vehicle suits them the best to the front of estate. It's a beautiful estate filled with plants and trees and little ponds and all kinds of little hideaways. But it all cumulates at the main house, where they will be dropped off and greeted by a familiar face who stands outside the house and welcomes them in. They will be able to bring one suitcase with items and clothes as well as their pet(s?).

The main thing to notice when you step into the house though is that cameras are everywhere. Despite the many little hideaways of this house, there's no privacy whatsoever. Oh well!

When everyone is gathered together, the host from earlier will greet everyone with a merry:

"Welcome, my affection seeking friends! This is where you'll be staying the next few weeks. Find a place to settle in and get to know each other! I'll be around, in case you need anything."

He genuinely seems to mean it, at least?! But that seems to be it, he'll slip away in the meantime and leave you all to it.

A few things to note, of course:

• There is only one "bedroom" which is a large room, with a closet full of futons to roll out and use in said room. Sleepover time!


• There is an extra, extra, extra, extra large futon for Messmer.


• In one of the rooms of the estate, there is a lovely piano ready for use. Feel free to ask for more instruments, if you'd like.


• The kitchen is filled with food of all kinds and modern appliances so folks can cook whatever they'd like! There is also a bar in the kitchen, stocked with alcohol.


• In the living room, there is a screen showing everyone's profiles. It is touch screen, so feel free to swipe through!


• There is, of course, a banner in the living room reading 有緣千里來相會 (which, for the keen-eyed, translates to "Fate brings together those that are a thousand miles apart"). This was definitely written by the host.


• There is a welcome cake.

Boom Boom Room | Property Damage
Truth Booth Voting | Match Ceremony Voting

Comments

b!

[beatmatching]

Then you'll have to learn how to adjust. It's like one giant sleepover, isn't it?

[ quite literally yes, but he says this with a nod to nostalgia of the parties of childhood. ]

[enscene]

Right, exactly! It's just like that.

[She's taking his word for it and definitely pretending to know what a sleepover is like.]

Adjusting won't be a problem, as long as we all get enough sleep. And as long as there's plenty of coffee to go around...

[beatmatching]

[ enough sleep... by who's definition? a quandary for the future. ]

There's certainly a bar. [ so there's likely coffee. the food and refreshments are on the lower rung of his concerns, so he hasn't investigated them yet. ]

Is coffee how you get through your day?

[enscene]

It's how I start my day if I need the boost of energy to tackle a demanding task. I don't know how some people start working right at dawn without a boost.

[Talking about coffee and sleep has a bit of a psychosomatic effect on her. Furina half-stops a yawn, politely shielding her mouth behind her hand to do so.]

I wonder how many home chefs and servers there are among us... [If she gets one expertly mixed drink from someone like Aventurine she's going to end up on the floor. Best not tell her.

[beatmatching]

Dedication. [ this is something he knows by practice. ]

Then I take it the way to your heart is through your stomach?

[ looking forward to her crashout (pos). ]

[enscene]

[Dedication. That does ring true to her - it being the reason she's woken up early so many times before. So Furina can only accept it.]

I do adore my dear Patisserie Supreme and all the delicious meals she provided for me. [And her companionship... though Furina can't say for certain if someone who used to be in her service could consider their connection friendship.]

But someone can't just send me a box of pastries and expect I'll be head over heels for them, either. Even if they are delicious...

[beatmatching]

Hmm. Then what would it take?

[ though to luka it sounds like someone who sent her sweets would have a better start of it, at least. ]

[enscene]

[Is a gift just for her not supposed to get the giver just a little bit of an advantage? Not tribute or devotion or obligation but something intended solely for her.

Still, his question feels a little pressing, so Furina tilts her head to try to not get grilled.]

Are you trying to figure out what I told the overseer in our interview, or are you really curious?

[beatmatching]

It can be both things.

[ though he doesn't clarify, even with her pushback. not that he seems bothered by it, his expression still pleasant. ]

[enscene]

Right. [She sighs, a little put-out that he is absolutely factually correct about that and seems so happy and at-ease about it.]

I don't have a problem with high standards, but it'd be nice to spend time together with someone with no other expectation than that. Nothing to live up to or to let down. ...I mean, in other words, that's just someone who likes to go on dates, isn't it?

[She doesn't want to come across as too weird, so she finds a way to describe it that sounds a little more normal.]

[beatmatching]

Something that's low commitment. That I do understand, given my profession. I'm an idol, so I certainly didn't come here with the intent to get married or anything like that.

[ keep him away from all the romantics. ]

[enscene]

[Furina's lips purse a little. She feels as if she's been misunderstood; after all, the commitment isn't the problem, but the fear of not being enough on her own.

She's second-guessing what she told him, though, so this goes uncorrected for now.]

You're a performer? Then you're right at home in a production like this... maybe not with such an unedited glimpse into your personal life though, right? [Hahaha... She's gone from blowing off interviews to this.]

[beatmatching]

I am.

[ to both things. ]

It would be stranger not to have the eyes of the galaxies on me. Family time the sole exception, of course.

[ the eyes of heperu are weightier than the galaxy, but he doesn't say that. ]

[enscene]

The...galaxy? Magnifique. [For his performance to reach so far, how could Furina, who was never out of Fontaine's gaze, not be awed and impressed by that? How amazing that there are only 16 of them in this cast, and she may have met someone who well eclipses her popularity even at the height of her fame.]

I've stepped down from the stage for the most part, save the occasional exception here and there. My consulting work behind the scenes is satisfying. How did you ever manage to fit in such a time commitment?

[beatmatching]

Oh?

[ fellow performers always pique his curiosity, he'll have to ask her more momentarily. but for now he's happy to answer her question. ]

This is part of my victory tour, in a sense. I recently was crowned the winner of ALST 49, so I've gone on several different TV shows.

[enscene]

Is that so? [Though she isn't familiar with the title of the competition, it's not like Furina is aware of any that transcend universes. In fact, this is the first she's ever heard of and perhaps the first of its kind in general. Different realities aren't exactly an easy sell, especially for the average person.]

Then, a hearty congratulations are in order for your victory! [And she gives him her applause.] Though even here, it seems you aren't free of interviews. [Is she talking about the journalist among their ranks or about the slightly too intimate talking heads? Possibly both.]

[beatmatching]

Thank you.

It'd be stranger not to have to give any, to be honest. [ both maya and wwx are par for the course! ]

What kind of performer are you?

[enscene]

I have many onstage talents. [It's simply the consequence of having so many years to accumulate them. Though the words themselves are egotistical, she kind of just puts it out there like a statement.] I was, primarily, an actress and singer.

My career is mostly behind the scenes now. I direct and produce, and I've taken the time to adapt my own scripts when the consultation calls for it.

[beatmatching]

[ interesting. ]

Do you enjoy that better?

[enscene]

Right now it's perfect for me. It allows me to apply myself in a way that I enjoy.

[beatmatching]

[ enjoyment...

that reminds him of something from many years ago. ]

And you find that important for your craft?

[enscene]

I do. I gave it up entirely for a while. I could only really return to the stage when it brought me joy again.

[From the way she says it, it sounds like she's really chosen a particular way to live.]

[beatmatching]

[ ... ]

I wouldn't know what that's like.

[enscene]

You're good enough to win, but you don't take any joy in performing?

[beatmatching]

[ hmm. ]

I don't think it's necessary.

[ which isn't a no, but... yeah. ]