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

[nrangel]

So how would you two feel about taking the Truth Booth leap?

[hexensabbat]

I'm up for it if Furina is! I still think it sounds like a blast to go up there, and she's good with cameras.

[nrangel]

I bet the two of you would look incredible too. You're both so cute.

[hexensabbat]

Aw, thanks! Honestly, I feel like we could say that about a lot of this week's matches...

[And she has Thoughts about Serpilia ending up with Luka but. This isn't really the forum for it.]

But we're in a pretty good place! Not bad to have a lot of options for plausible matches. Especially if everyone keeps getting to know each other this upcoming week.

[nrangel]

True!

[ Serpilia's perfectly content to keep the focus on solving this little puzzle of theirs for now, which admittedly does still include her and Luka. ]

For one week and some guesses based on early impressions, I think us getting a third of them right is pretty good. It'll make it a lot easier to start working on the patterns here.

[hexensabbat]

Yeah, exactly! Soon it's going to be our turn to shine!

[The math girlie trio, that is... Ringo is Ready.]

[nrangel]

Time to start gathering up that candy!

[enscene]

[A little nervous, actually! However - ]

This wouldn't be anything new to me! ...Being on Kamera that is, haha, not having my feelings judged in front of a demanding audience. I have no objections.

I want to speak with you more, too, though, Serpilia.

[nrangel]

Oh?

[ She looks a little surprised, but pleasantly so. ]

I hope you mean that as a get to know me talk, and not the way my boss sometimes pulls the old "Serpilia, we need to talk" move.

[enscene]

Hehe, don't worry, you're not in trouble. [Serpilia doesn't have to worry about appearing before the court anytime soon!]

...Why, should you be?

[nrangel]

Hopefully not!

[ She's been on her best behavior here! For the most part. ]

Then knowing that I'm not in any sort of trouble, I'd love a chance to talk with you more.

[enscene]

You didn't fly the first two days we were here, did you?

[Don't worry about it. Though now that she asks, she realizes she doesn't even know if that's something Serpilia can do.]

[nrangel]

Couldn't even if I wanted to, even though people keep asking about them.

[ Gesturing over her shoulder at the light pattern that looks a bit like wings. ]

[enscene]

Then you're in the clear! [Probably. No citations for flying an unaccompanied object at the beginning of the month, anyway. Who knows what other kind of crimes Serpilia could be hiding.]

... Wait, was what I just asked a problem?

[nrangel]

[ Nothing that she hasn't eventually had struck off her record. ]

Why would it be?

[ No Sankta can fly, so it's not a sore subject at all. ]

[enscene]

[Furina's arms cross.]

I've never met anyone with wings like yours, so it's not like I knew if it was a personal issue or not.

[But she wasn't thinking before speaking - or, rather, she was thinking of other things before speaking, which is actually usually what leads to her potentially saying something that sounds far more insulting than she actually intends it. Wings and a halo... someone with both who can't fly could have reasons for wanting it known, though the closest comparison would make is one she's sure Serpilia wouldn't find flattering.]

[nrangel]

Like if I had some kind of abnormality for a Sankta?

[ It's true some can happen in regards to Sankta's halos, though it usually leads them being set askance in placement. The wings tend to be less of an issue given the way those manifest have a higher variety. ]

Nope! It's normal for us. None of us can fly with them.

[enscene]

I see, I understand now.

[And she's relieved to have not asked something the would be culturally offensive to a Sankta or just to Serpilia herself.

Furina brings her hand up slightly, though she doesn't extend herself into Serpilia's personal space, simply making a motion to paint the question in her mind.]

Are they light? [Either in weight or literally light; her question could be angled towards either.]

[nrangel]

[ There's a mischievous little smile that lights up her face when asked that. ]

You wanna touch them and see?

[ She gave Shoko the warning in advance that they were, in fact, light (second meaning), so expectations were already set. Maybe it would be a little fun to let someone find out first hand though. ]

[enscene]

[Furina the most bullyable bachelorette in the house falls for this immediately.

Or rather, she catches that little smile and thinks, perhaps naively, that maybe she's being teased in a different way - the way that Serpilia teased her before they kissed.

(Why is everyone in this house trying to tease her? Poor her!)]

Oh! Would that be okay? [Trying to hide her eagerness...]

[nrangel]

[ It's too hard not to when she's so cute about it. Can you really blame them?

At least this one is pretty harmless as Serpilia spins around on her heel so she's facing away from Furina now. ]

Go right ahead!

[enscene]

[Photos taken moments before disaster...

Even with the invitation open, there's a moment of palpable pause while Furina brings her hand up - a futile gesture of trying to be gentle and considerate enough to stroke the light wings with the back of her knuckles.]

... Seriously?

[nrangel]

[ Help, sorry, she's laughing a little at that. She can't help it. ]

To be fair, you kind of already got it right with your guess, though I don't know if you did quite in the way you meant it.

[enscene]

[It's fascinating and really lovely, in a way, though she wonders how it sprouts from her person. Furina turns her hand in the space where the wings glow, trying to see if the light reflects on her hands, then withdraws, since it still seems a bit intimate.]

Huh... The halo, too?

[If only she'd thought to touch it when they were kissing, but Furina isn't inappropriate and boorish like that.]

[nrangel]

Nope!

[ She reaches up and taps against her own halo. It doesn't make much of a sound, but her finger is clearly making contact. ]

That one's solid. Makes it really awkward to try to wear hats too.