week one | match ceremony

[marriagebroker]

Today's Match Ceremony starts the moment the sun goes down. They will be led to a courtyard on the estate, filled to the brim with lanterns of all kinds and plush couches and chairs for them to sit on. The place is lit bright by the lanterns and the vibe is very cozy. There will be a few camera crews lingering around, ready to catch sight of the contestants as they settle in and get comfortable. There is also food and beverages, some alcohol, some non-alcoholic, for everyone to partake in.

In the center of the courtyard is a stage, hanging above it are eight lanterns, none of which are lit up. Wei Wuxian stands in the middle, dressed to impress for tonight's festivities. In one hand, he has his flute, in another, a cup of huangjiu. He lifts it merrily, giving a laugh before knocking back the alcohol and tossing the cup away. (A staff member nearby catches it, thank god.)

"Welcome, everyone! To your first match ceremony! I am your humble host and we're here to see if chemistry can happen, even under duress~!"

A staff member nearby grimaces at that. It might be the same staff member who caught the cup. It's fine, the producers won't punish him. Probably.

But characters will notice that there is a podium next to the stage for them to lock in their answers.

"For those who are new to this, let's talk about how this works. First, I will call up one of the members of Team Suibian and they will go to the podium over here, make a choice of who they think their match is, and together you will press your hands to the podium to lock it in."

He gives a hum, twirling the flute in his hand a few times before grasping it by the end and using it to point at the contestants.

"As a result of your choices, the lanterns above me will light up with however many perfect matches you've chosen. It is your job to figure out which of the choices made tonight are indeed perfect matches. If you aren't able to get any of them right, you will get a black out. Which means, someone will lose their wish. Don't do that!"

He'll let his warning hang for a moment before smiling, tapping his shoulder lazily with the flute and then grinning broadly.

"With that, let's get started."

——

Each character of Team Suibian will be called in random order, under the selections top level. Feel free to react there!

After the matches, the results top level will reveal how many are right!

Otherwise, feel free to use this log for any reactions, catherding, whatever you want for the match ceremony.

Comments

[beatmatching]

[ after his "talk" with wei wuxian, luka excuses himself to change into something more manageable. a cozy oversized sweater with simple pants is the post stage mood.

until the post match discussion happens, you can find him in the gardens with his back to a tree, reading a book. he's positioned himself just so from the cameras that they get his profile rather than a focused shot. his choice of reading material is a non-fiction textbook about the earth, its geographic history and climates. ]

[nrangel]

[ And she will be going to find him, casually circling in front of him so she's definitely in his peripheral and not sneaking up before she speaks. ]

Got a second?

[beatmatching]

[ serpillia is kind...

luka looks up from his book, expression his usual placid. ]

What is it?

[nrangel]

[ Kind, huh? She would wonder about that assessment of her, but she is at least courteous.

She plops down on the ground in front of him with a quiet "oof", and crosses her legs as she makes herself comfortable. ]

You're kind of hard to read, so I'll just come out and ask it. How are you doing after all that?

[beatmatching]

[ he'll close the book, folding the corner of the page to mark it. when he looks up from the book, he's smiling. ]

The direct approach is almost always the better one.

[ not so idle commentary. ]

I didn't get where I am by walking through unchallenged.

[nrangel]

I can bet. The road to fame seems rocky.

[ And what little she knows of his fans makes them sound like they're kind of intense. ]

So should I take that as you saying you'll bounce back just fine?

[ The truth booth was a shot in the dark, but the matching ceremony seemed like it could have also been a disappointment. Though at least it doesn't sound like he's looking for love, so maybe less of one than it might be for someone sincerely seeking. ]

[beatmatching]

There's nothing to bounce back from.

[ in a way it's all rather expected, actually. which he won't say as much, but that's why he's here.

odd nostalgia echoes from a few directions and that at his core his heartbeat is that of an introvert. ]

[embellwish]

[ Eventually, he'll hear some soft humming coming from the tangle of branches above him — it's Yingying! Perched neatly among the greenery. How did she get up there so quietly and suddenly, when she definitely wasn't there before? It's like she mysteriously appeared, like some sort of formless ghost. She's in the perfect spot to snoop on what he's reading. ]

Doing some studying?

[ She still has too many things she's curious about regarding him... it'll help the game if she understands him more, right? ]

[beatmatching]

[ when did she get there... she definitely takes him by surprise, though he doesn't jump but freeze when he hears her. but it's just yingying, so he picks up where he was mostly seamlessly. ]

Studying would involve music. This is just long forgotten history. [ it might as well be a fantasy novel from the days of old to him. ]

[embellwish]

[ It's a mystery!

Looking at the contents of the book, though, she can see what he means. ]

Mm... my world is like that, too. [ She murmurs, a cool breeze causing some of the leaves to sway. ] Things haven't been how that book describes for a very long time.

[ Did something similar become of Luka's world, then? At the booth, she'd imagined that perhaps the Segyein were just in contact with Earth. Now, she's wondering if his realm had their own Perishing Star-like event. ]

[beatmatching]

[ he might not have guessed from her clothes but fashion trends come around eventually and who knows what kind of cycle segyein attire revolves around. ]

How is it now?

[embellwish]

From what I understand.... there are very few strongholds of people anymore.

[ It's still difficult for her to really picture — before the meteor fell, the world was still engaging in trade, travel, everything. That's the world she knows, but it's not the one she lives in any more. ]

Nature like that is hard to find, [ She points at a picture on one of the pages of his book, lush greenery and clear water. ] Is that how it is for you, too?

[beatmatching]

It exists, but it's artificial. [ a finger glides along the picturesque scenery on the page. ] And the last strongholds of humans fell quite a while back, in the last days of the war. Excluding pockets of resistant that flare up here and there.

[scooptimistic]

[ Maya is... comfortably in a pair of sweats and a sweater now, terrible.

But also pausing once she spots him, before settling down on an unclaimed spot against another side of the tree. She's not going to interrupt someone who's reading. ]

[beatmatching]

[ now is cozytimes, she's excused. luka notices her presence, hears it really, but waits until she's settled and he's turned the next page before speaking up. ]

You forgot a book.

[scooptimistic]

That's fine. I have a bunch of stories in my head.

[ She can keep herself entertained. ]

[beatmatching]

Isn't that just a good night ritual?

[ reciting stories in your head.

did maya come here to nap under the tree... ]

[scooptimistic]

Is it? I just like to go through details to keep my mind sharp.

[ Imagine sleeping until way later. Or napping. ]

[beatmatching]

That's what I've heard.

[ that's what some of the other kids would do. ]

I go over scores in my head.

[reverso]

[Verso approaches once he finds a quiet moment to do so.]

Hm. What are you reading?

[beatmatching]

[ hello, verso.

luka doesn't look up until he's spoken to. ]

Geology, History, or a long gone fantasy.

[reverso]

[Hi.]

I can’t be all three. [Or maybe it could be, in special circumstances.]

[beatmatching]

Why not?

[reverso]

For the people living in this world, their history is hardly a fantasy!

[beatmatching]

It is to me.

[ his mood is a bit...! well it's something. ]