perfectmatch | week three

Hm, well played, Miss Yingying.

[ He sees what she's done there...truthfully, if he hadn't identified a different card that was undoubtedly his, he might have believed he was the Friendless One, given the people he might call friends probably wouldn't return the favor. Back home, friendship is a rather...transactional relationship, most of the time.

But maybe that's close enough to count. ]

Alright, I'll play your game, but in exchange, for each wrong guess, you'll also tell me something I don't know about you yet. Do we have a deal?

Mm, sure, it's a deal. You can ask me anything you like, as a cherry on top.

[ She can't think of anything she'd be unwilling to share about... at least not right now. Flipping through some of the other envelopes, she'll take her first stab in the dark, after some hemming and hawing. ]

So, for my first guess... maybe.... you got cut in front of a bunch as a kid?

[ A shake of his head, and a chuckle. ]

Definitely not that one. My sister would have never have stood for it.

[ She definitely could have a "he asked for no pickles" kind of vibe. He realizes that Yingying could deliberately guess poorly to get more information out of him — he definitely will run out of "friends" before they get through all the cards — but ah, well. He'll find a way to use this to his advantage. ]

So, a friend of mine, then...how about my fellow Stoneheart, Topaz? Though she's probably rolling her eyes at me calling her a friend right now. We argue more often than not, but she just makes it so easy to push her buttons. [ A good-natured laugh. ] Don't tell her I said this, but I admire her a lot, too. She has a much better heart than most IPC executives.

[ Himself included! He's dead inside, but Topaz...she still believes in something.

...Anyway. ]

Alright, my turn! Are you romantically interested in our sweet Yi Sang?

[ Cute.... a protective older sister. She can see that for him, being a doted on little brother. It certainly makes his confidence and flourish that much more endearing, knowing he used to have someone always standing in front of him.

Topaz, too, seems like a fitting friend for him. Rolling her eyes at a genuine show of affection, easy to rile up, admirable, even if he wouldn't say so to her face. For a moment, she closes her eyes, trying to imagine what kind of person she might be, to be the first among his friends he would bring up. Now would be a nice time to sink her claws in and interrogate him more about her, like if he ever had a crush on her or something, but he quickly takes a swipe at his own questions. ]

What makes you say that?

[ She hums innocently, leaning back against the edge of the pool. Is she? Well... ]

He's sweet, but doesn't know it. [ Yingying admits after a brief pause. In fact, he seems totally oblivious to this sort of thing. Which is fine; it doesn't change the kindness he showed her. ] He was telling the truth at the ceremony, you know. About staying all night by the wisteria, waiting for me to reappear.

[ Which sounds like something a hero in a fairytale would do, waiting til the sunrise until an old, rotted tree transformed into something beautiful again. She thinks any person would take a show of sincerity like that to heart, and it's why she's not ashamed to admit that to Aventurine, that he really has moved her, even if he wasn't intending to. Her smile quiets, and she looks at Aventurine to the side knowingly. ]

All my pursuing has turned up nothing, though...~

[ It's not for a lack of trying! But her feelings aren't really hurt, now used to how stiff and awkward he seems to get whenever she makes a move. It'd been cute to watch him get flustered at first, but now... she's begun wondering if it's that at all. Having given him the full goss he requested, she goes back to the envelopes, serene despite joking about having unrequited feelings. ]

I'd like to ask about your feelings in return, but I suppose I have to solve this riddle first.

[ Neither thing really surprises him — that Yingying does seem interested in him, and that Yi Sang remains stiff and difficult to woo. Had things gone differently, he can even admit he may be in a similar position. Yi Sang's lack of awareness is somehow part of his charm, and Aventurine has grown to cherish his companionship, even if he's not seeking him romantically. It certainly seems like it would be a great deal of trouble.

When Yingying said she'd like to try pursuing someone, she sure picked a difficult case. His mouth twists into a smile, pointed but fond. They'd be sweet together, he thinks. Like blooms on a sapling. ]

Well, if you'd like someone else to try rattling him to his senses, just say the word. [ He's happy to attempt to instill some sense of self-value into their dear friend. ] But that's right — no freebies for you! It's time for your next guess.

[ Hopefully she's right this time, he is quickly going to run out of friends to talk about. ]

[ She'll get to the bottom of the Nicoven goss somehow.... ]

Hmm... no, not this one, not this one either... and the smoking one must be Shoko...

[ She tosses out the macaroni one, and then the calf one, too. ]

Could it be that your room is secretly messy? Prim and proper on the outside, but different on the inside.

[ trust your instincts, yingying........you already know who's at the bottom

With a flourish of his hand: ]

Me? Definitely not. I'll own up to a bit of controlled chaos now and then, when I'm deep in a project...but I'd hardly call it a sty.

Then.... the scheming one?

[ She's not above trying to sneak in an extra guess before he comes up with a question for her... this is good for him anyway, he'll only have to admit to having one (1) more friend instead of 2. ]

Haha, shockingly, that one's not mine, either! Though certainly a pretty likely candidate.

[ In fact, he's certainly done that very thing before. It's just part and parcel for the Stonehearts, a famously eccentric group with differing agendas; only their allegiance to Diamond keeps them together.

...So Yingying won't be hearing about any more of the Stonehearts today. Even Jade isn't really someone would consider a "friend". More like his sponsor, his investor. ]

My turn, then. Another very esteemed friend of mine: Doctor Veritas Ratio, of the Intelligensia Guild. If that name doesn't tip you off, the good doctor is something of a genius, but the problem is that he knows it, too. He's always going on about "curing idiocy" and such malarkey, but when it comes to games of chance...he's a reliable partner to have at my side. Rather easy on the eyes, too.

[ He can just imagine Ratio's face upon hearing this, too — oh, this is rather fun, actually. He can say whatever he wants about them with zero consequences! ]

Alright, Yingying. Who do you think your Perfect Match is?

[ A hot guy who's a genius?! What amazing coworkers Aventurine must have... she wishes she could see a picture of him, too. She's definitely picturing like, and old style doctor, the kind that lived in her village, that mixed pills with a mortar and pestle. ]

My Perfect Match? Hmm....

[ She actually has to Think about it before she answers right away — there's no clear option for her, right now. Even if she's one of the only two contestants that have two of the remaining people definitely crossed off. ]

I'm probably matched with a woman. I can't be with either Luka or Yi Sang, so it's just way more likely that it'll end up that way. [ But then... so many beautiful ladies... ] My best guess would be Shoko? I can see it being Odile or Poppy, too.

Hmm, Miss Yinging and Miss Shoko...I can see it. You might just bring a bloom of color into her life that she needs. Plus, she's a doctor! Maybe she'd be able to assist with your health.

[ Then again, considering what Yingying had told him about her condition...if Shoko couldn't do anything about it, that'd only be harder on them both. Goodness, this is tricky! ]

I do wonder, Miss Yingying...what do you make of you and myself as a potential match? We have some things in common, after all.

[ Shoko's a doctor, yes... but she also seems to understand Yingying's loneliness, too. Being the one person left behind. In that way, all three of them are similar. Case in point: ]

Mm, it's possible. You were going to be one of my picks, before we wanted to sit you and Nico together... heh.

[ All that to say, she already thought of it as a possibility, might've pushed harder to pursue him more if things had been different. Now, though, with the hint and everything else, it hasn't been an ideal time to bring it up.

Again, it's not something to be ashamed about... and she feels like Aventurine could afford to feel a little more desired, anyhow. ]

What sort of things do we have in common, hmmm...? Go on!

[ He has wondered, what might have happened had he not confessed to Nico so soon. Maybe there's not much point to it now, but he does think...given enough time, he and Yingying could have stumbled into something quite special, too. ]

Well, not necessarily the sort of things one wants to share with another person, but...we do have somewhat similar origins, don't we? Growing up in community-focused homes that we can no longer return to. I doubt there are many people here who can really understand what that sort of loss is like.

[ How it feels, to not have anything to return to...but he doesn't mean to bring down the mood too heavily. ]

Oh, and there's what we talked about before, with us both trying our hand at pursuing, instead of being pursued.

[ Somewhere they can "no longer return to" is the nice way of putting it. That had been her reason for initially considering him as a match, after all. She still doesn't quite know how Aventurine lost his home, nor does he know the full details of how she lost hers. She's been wondering all this time if it was so violent and abrupt as hers, but, like him, it's not quite the time for such a dour thing.

She's quiet for a moment, giving the topic the weight of silence it deserves. ]

...I can't say I didn't wish that whoever my match was, that they might understand what I felt that day. And what I've felt since then. [ Of course, she wouldn't wish that scale of loss on anyone. But it would feel less lonely, having one person who could comprehend such a scale of grief. While it's certainly a morose thing to talk about, she maintains a sense of serenity about her. ] Although, I think there's one more thing in common between us.

[ Teasingly, she pokes him right in the center of his chest, smile slight. ]

Can you guess what it is?

[ Something else, is it? The gagtag still crosses his mind, because they are both absolute killers in the looks department, but he doubts that's what she's getting at. BUT — ]

How stunning we'd look as a couple? Just kidding. [ Even if it's true! ] I could think of a few more things, but the other thing that comes to mind...hm. We're both not exactly forthcoming about how we feel.

[ Though their reasons for doing so may be different, they're still alike in that way. Being open and straightforward has made it harder for them to get to know one another closely, even for all they do seem to get along, and have in common. If for that reason alone...maybe what makes them similar makes them a poor match in the eyes of the competition. ]

[ She taps him once, twice more in the chest, smiling knowingly. ]

I was going to say... really, we're both the sincere type.

[ She knew that as soon as Aventurine had offered her his wish, despite not really knowing her much. They might both play at being flirty and elusive and mysterious, but she thinks beneath that, Aventurine has a kind soul. ]

Even if you can't see it yourself...~

[ She finds him...sincere? It's true, he can see how that fits her, but that's hardly the first word he would use to describe himself. Or the second, third, fourth...on and on. ]

Me? Sincere? Are you sure about that? You know, Avgins have a long history of being mistrusted for their scheming and trickery.

[ It's hard to think of himself in such...honest terms. ]

[ She hums, not convinced. ]

And yet... you offered your wish to me without hesitation, even though we've only known each other a few short weeks. So I could live freely.

[ She settles a little more into the water, looking down at their reflections instead. ]

Unless you're trying to say that was a scheme or a trick?

[ ...Hm. Well, she's got him there...well played.

Instead of answering, he waves his hand quickly, motioning back to the stack of cards. ]

Come now, enough about that. Onto your next guest.

week three | mingle

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