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

[poans]

[He glances in Yingying's direction from his seat. Ranking matches is a bit . . . ]

[hexensabbat]

[don't be a wuss]

Whatcha got for us, Yi Sang?

[poans]

[He is a wuss.]

Assigning numbers to a connection is . . . unideal.

[hexensabbat]

So's picking a perfect match in front of a crowd, but you did that much! C'mon, it's just a guesstimate. A vibe check.

[poans]

[He did it, because Yingying brought his name up first . . . ]

For what vibe are we checking?

[hexensabbat]

How much you think the producers would put you and Yingying together. Algorithm, vibes, gut feeling--whatever you wanna call it.

[poans]

. . . I have naught to say.

[hexensabbat]

[.................]

Yeah, I guess I should've expected that. Oh well.

[poans]

However, I believe you and Miss Furina share a certain amount of compatibility.

[hexensabbat]

Yep, seems like it to me! Of course, it's just the first week so we still need to get to know each other better, but...

[Hmm. How to put it.]

I think I'm really curious about how she sees the world.

[poans]

Miss Furina wishes to experience the world as herself with a clear reflection. Something I believe you, as one who stands for the "preservation of humanity," can see value in.

[researcherstory]

[ Go girl give us nothing. ]

Allow me to rephrase. What about Yingying offers you a "certain definition of ease", and do you believe such a thing could be taken into account when deciding who may be able to cease, or even join you on, the wandering you've found yourself amidst?

[poans]

I believe my reason from the ceremony sufficiently answers your question.

[Perhaps he wasn't eloquent enough to get his points across, which would be par for the course. It would've been better if he'd kept his silence. Only . . .]

Like you, Miss Yingying walks with purpose. I imagine wanderers like myself are drawn to the meaning in her path as she glances both ways before crossing. Id est, where my feet take me has no bearing on the trajectory of Miss Yingying's journey.

[researcherstory]

[ No, he was too eloquent, Odile may have understood but did everyone else? Not a chance. This is a little better. ]

Then I would say your pairing is unlikely. You seem in need of someone who might grant you a light within the dark unknown that lies ahead, rather than a scent which surrounds and lulls you unto complacency. There is nothing wrong with the latter [ before Yingying's Feefees are damaged ] but for you in particular, o' wanderer, a respite is as transient as falling leaves.

[ In the end, he will need to move forward. There is little use in watching the back of someone who looks both ways, but not behind her to see if he still follows, wobbling as his path may be. ]

Are my words unsound?

[embellwish]

[ ....... ]

Do you think of me as so distracting, Odile?

[poans]

["You have nowhere to return to, and you’re dragging that tottering body along?"

Her words don't hurt. Rather, they leave him feeling hollow, reminding him of the crack there. No matter how many rests he takes, the petals will fall through the cracks between his fingers, and he will continue to bleed and limp without an end in sight. Odile affirms the truth of his futile existence; he has neither the thoughts nor voice to refute it.

Yingying speaks. Her warmth is there, and he knows it, too, will soon fade. He simply closes his eyes, allowing his silence to speak for him while Yingying and Odile fill the emptiness.]

[embellwish]

[ This is a prime opportunity to tease him some more, but she just smiles when he looks over, tilting her head. ]

Hmm...? Wondering about what score we should have?

[ A gentle question, not a prodding one. She'll even move a little closer so he doesn't have to say his answer across the way, or anything like that. ]

[poans]

[His eyes dart away the second she looks his way.]

What thoughts might you have, Miss Yingying?

[embellwish]

[ She pauses to give the question the weight and consideration it deserves. See, she can be serious, sometimes. Much like he had at the ceremony, she speaks like a poet, to begin. ]

Sun sets, and shadows stretch. Nothing is set in stone. Something that appears likely may not be that at all at a different time, on a different day.

[ This is perhaps the clearest, most straightforward thing she's said regarding the matches. Despite her flirtatious and outgoing personality, it reveals her view of the matches is much more grounded in reality; quantifying such a chance seems futile to her, as futile as it is trying to make sense of blots of ink on paper. ]

I'm not so sure something like our likelihood can really be explained by a number. What I can say... is that if I had gotten to choose, I would have chosen you also.

[ That is a more sure sign of her confidence and will than any number she could give it, at least in her opinion. She's not like Ringo, or any of the mathematical types among their number, thinking that something like compatibility is too amorphous to think about in such a logical way. For now, it's enough to tell him that she found him most likely of everyone. ]

[poans]

[To reduce something to numbers is to strip it of its humanity. Exceptions may abound in living beings, but not the world of science. For that reason, he refuses to quantify what exists between them or anyone else.

Yingying's beauty stems from the fluidity of her grace. Rather than pushing in a single direction, she spares all that's around a lingering glance. Perhaps that's why she can view each moment in time with such openness, why she's noticed his rigid presence within her periphery . . . why she'll stop in her forward movement in order to hear words that might never come.

Brimming with curiosity and nostalgia, she shares the world as reflected in her eyes. If he were to peer into them now with her choice uttered aloud, what would he see? Yet the courage to do so eludes him, his gaze drawn down instead to the folds of her garment.]

Then . . . we are in agreement.

[embellwish]

[ She can see cogs turning in his head, the way he still comes up short for words. A few days ago, she might not have understood why. But ever since the ceremony, seeing the careful, graceful words he'd penned right from his soul, she figures it's less that he doesn't have anything to say, and more that he doesn't know how to say it. There's a vast canyon between his thoughts and the outside world, and he has no idea how to cross it.

But Yingying is clever, observant, and excellent at reading people. His muted responses and avoidant gaze aren't discouraging to her — they're endearing. Deciding to try taking some of the seriousness out of the air, she returns to teasing him gently. ]

I can see you glancing at me~

[ She sing songs, soft and playful. There's not force behind the words, she won't strong arm him into complying or pressure him, but she does want to get her feelings across. ]

Don't you know I want to see you, too?

[poans]

[She's stopped, putting the past and the future to the side as she waits for more than his words. Yi Sang recalls his words from earlier in the day.

"As you wish."

Ordinarily a promise of surrender to the whims of others, with Yingying, who was once a vessel for the prayers of her people, it's an indulgence. Who else would feel more strongly about wishes than one who's had to hold onto the dreams of so many? She, too, dreams. Then . . . if a mere look is all she desires, the power to raise his chin and fulfill that wish rests within him.

If she were to see into his eyes, would the last vestiges of him burn away, leaving naught but ash to fertilize the soil where more flowers will bloom? The question weighs on him as he lifts his head in slow increments. After a beat, his eyes follow until they lock tentatively onto hers.]

[embellwish]

[ She's not fully expecting to lift his head — she would've been perfectly fine if he'd used her words as an out to pondering over the possibility of their match... if he'd simply gotten flustered or shy, she would've enjoyed that too.

But when he does meet her eyes, tentative and hesitant, he'll be met with the soft warmth of her gaze, affectionate and doting. Yingying has had plenty of people declare their love for her, look into her eyes and try their very beset to win her heart over. There have been those that stammered and had a hard time looking at her directly. But there's never been anyone quite like him. His avoidance seems to have more to do with himself... than with her.

She holds his gaze for a beat, then smiles a little wider, wanting to say something before he breaks away. ]

Hi, sweetheart.

[ He doesn't have to say anything back, it's enough that he was able to lift his head. She'll keep encouraging him like this — she can't get enough of slowly discovering these secret sides of him. Seeing his dark eyes for the first time directly like this... she's a little surprised, herself, that her heart flutters. ]

[poans]

[With bated breath, his dark, tired eyes look into hers.

The warmth he spies in her affectionate gaze turns back the clock, reminding him of a time in his youth when he'd gather twigs and set them alight under the night sky. Embers dance in Yingying's eyes like the bright little lanterns made of burning twigs back then, and he finds himself pulled in the same way he used to lean in and savor the heat. Yet, unlike a fire, doing so doesn't burn as he'd feared.

Her eyes glisten with life. She greets him anew, her cadence sweet, and he finds himself, small yet distinctive, reflected in her delight. How bright it is; how beautiful and serene.

Wordlessly, he breaks away as she anticipated with a blink and a faraway look, his ears tingling in tune with the odd throbbing of his chest.]

[embellwish]

[ As expected, he averts his gaze, but she wants to believe he didn't regret lifting his head to look at her. That maybe he saw something that might make the next time more worthwhile. It's hard to tell if the flush at the tips of his ears is from stress or embarrassment or some secret third thing... but she beams all the same, amused. ]

I'm seeing all these new sides of you today, [ Which is said like praise. Wanting to reach out to him — but not wanting him to feel spooked — she gently reaches out and draws the backs of her knuckles against his hair, a gentle, smoothing pet. ] You must have woken up feeling extra determined and courageous.