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perfectmatch2025-06-21 10:00 am
marriagebroker) wrote in perfectmatch2025-06-21 10:00 am
Entry tags:
week three | match ceremony
We're back, baby!
The courtyard is lit up with lanterns all over and there is now a second special couch near the Furina and Ringo couch from last week. This is the Verso-Nico couch, if they want to sit in it. But they don't have to! Live your truth, boys! Go sit with your situationships instead!
Wei Wuxian is here, still looking happy after his absence this week, and he is dressed to impress in NOT a hanfu this time, but a modern look. He's liking it, honestly. Look at him sparkle!
"Congratulations, my friends! You are once again free from a blackout and losing a wish as you found a perfect match at yesterday's truth booth. Good job!" Wei Wuxian explains, twirling his flute in his fingers as per usual. "You might still get no lights again otherwise but, uh, let's hope not! I believe in you!"
... Does he?
Either way, he bounces on his feet and calls out, "Team Suibian, it's time to make your picks!" Looks like we're ready to go.
The courtyard is lit up with lanterns all over and there is now a second special couch near the Furina and Ringo couch from last week. This is the Verso-Nico couch, if they want to sit in it. But they don't have to! Live your truth, boys! Go sit with your situationships instead!
Wei Wuxian is here, still looking happy after his absence this week, and he is dressed to impress in NOT a hanfu this time, but a modern look. He's liking it, honestly. Look at him sparkle!
"Congratulations, my friends! You are once again free from a blackout and losing a wish as you found a perfect match at yesterday's truth booth. Good job!" Wei Wuxian explains, twirling his flute in his fingers as per usual. "You might still get no lights again otherwise but, uh, let's hope not! I believe in you!"
... Does he?
Either way, he bounces on his feet and calls out, "Team Suibian, it's time to make your picks!" Looks like we're ready to go.
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Based on the clue and the past ceremonies, the most likely ones to be right are Rom and Edamura, and myself and Poppy. Along Maya and Aventurine, if we we assume them to be right.
[ Though, that's only statistically speaking. Thinking back to the first ceremony... ]
And I think we should, going forward. We won't have time to test every match. If we assume Maya and Aventurine are correct, and that neither of the random pairs from today are either, then we should try to test which of the three remaining pairs — myself and Poppy, Edamura and Rom, and Yi Sang and Odile — is the least likely to be correct. If we get a no in the booth, we would then assume the other two are right.
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[ Logically, it works out better that way. Odile won't deny that. ]
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[ They chose each other; why would they do that if they weren't confident in each other as a pair? It might be the most logical conclusion, but of the three pairs, they and Rom and Edamura clearly have the most history to stand on. That has nothing to do with her feelings towards Poppy; it's just fact. ]
After all that lovely poetry, too... ~
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Speaking logically, Yingying, and in regards to the other possible pairings, I see little that would support the group's faith as a whole in our being a match -- especially when therein lies evidence of a different route entirely.
[ She pauses though, tilting her head with a sigh. The ground's nice. ]
... But, no. I am not doubting my choice. The words he spoke to me last night and today solidified, at least... my desire for it to be true. [ A beat. ] If we are. Speaking plainly, as you often ask of me.
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...Heh. I'm happy for you, then.
[ Feeling confident in her choice, and having been able to have a genuine talk with Yi Sang. That's been her wish from the start — that he might be able to speak freely and openly with others. It's more than plenty to know he and Odile have found such genuine companionship in one another. It's been a long road since a few weeks ago, when she'd unintentionally admonished him, after all.
She smiles, and as ever, it's pleasant in a distant way, like a scenic sight from afar. Sweet and enchanting like the fragrance of the wisteria. ]
During the ceremony, for a moment, I thought... you two must understand each other the most. If you feel confident... why not try to get it confirmed, anyway? If it's as you say, that others won't feel confident, then such a turn would suit the wants of both sides. There's nothing wrong with standing firm behind your heart.
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Your confidence is appreciated, and will be remembered later this week. But do not think that we understand one another best -- it was you who saw his gentle heart for what it was at first, and sought to nurture it, him, into who stood beside me today. I daresay he wouldn't have become so confident if it weren't his having you so close at hand, Yingying.
[ Without any of that -- her own admonishment of Odile included -- there could hardly have been any progress or consideration of this in the first place. That is true, in her eyes. ]
... You were the other I felt strong consideration towards, for reasons similar to his. If I can speak with you privately, I would like to tell you those as well.
[ Since they won't be having another chance, and... she feels it important, to impart her thoughts... Especially with such a lovely, distant smile upon Yingying's face; it makes Odile want to draw away the blossoms and see the bark, once again, for what it is. ]
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However Odile might look at it, the way she sees it, she can't get through to him the same way.
There's a certain beauty in stories that go like this, one with a happy end that isn't cliche. She thinks of Yugu, and what kind of tale she might spin of it all. ]
Oh? Inviting me to a secret getaway?
[ Her eyes light up with interest, intrigued to hear what her reasoning might be. Odile has been among her choices before, too. Doing what she does best, she raises a curled hand under her chin, acting bashful while teasing Odile. ]
I... I'm not sure I'm ready to hear a confession like this...
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You are more than ready, Yingying. If I may step behind the lovely curtain that falls faithfully between us?
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She takes her arm pretty quickly without protest though, sighing as she gets up from her beloved fainting couch. When she doesn't get the reaction she's looking for, she drops the act pretty quickly, too. ]
Alright, take me away, sweetheart...~
god i'm so sorry jams
... It will be once they are well out of earshot that she'll speak up again. ]
I was surprised, you know, when you agreed with me on the chances of "fate" mattering the way people think it does. I thought at first glance you would fall into the same pattern as others -- that it was a sure thing -- simply because of the way you held yourself before I asked your thoughts on it.
[ A simple glance, categorizing her briefly into one who would believe it, and then proven wrong a moment later. She huffs in amusement, tilting her head towards Yingying's. ]
"Fate is something you have to shape with your own hands." That is what you told me then, and it is something I believe wholeheartedly. In the same breathe, the same is true of our futures, of wishes, of anything we would like to see manifested in our lives -- including your own, rooted as you seem. As you feel yourself to be, the chance of a wish freeing you besides.
I, like many others, had been taken by your blossoms at first -- but in parting them I found not the delicate stem of a flower, nor a young sapling bent towards a stream, but the sturdy trunk of a tree that had long since been taken for granted by those who had forgotten what lay within. For its shade, its scent, its beauty... and left alone save for when one needed it. I know that you are genuine in your happiness to help others. Never again will I put it to question, and I should not have in the first, but...
[ She pauses, coming to a gentle stop. There is... concern, in a sense, in the words that follow -- but more in a curiosity way than anything pitying or dismissing of Yingying's feelings. ]
In your efforts to ease the burdens of others, to take from them their worries and see them smile... to whom do your own belong? Do your branches not weigh heavy with grief, with loneliness, with being "other" to the people who wish upon your kindness? You are genuine in your efforts, in your happiness, but such warmth is fleeting once the flame has run out and others forget to light it once more.
[ Odile does have more to say actually, but she'll give Yingying a moment to soak it in with a slight squeeze to her arm. ]
It is that "other"ing which relates you and Yi Sang to myself, and I felt it clearly when we spoke plain on the lake. I was touched that you'd ask my thoughts on a matter important to you, and while I could not answer your idle query then, I should like to now: You will go wherever you may please, and I would like to first and foremost offer you my own lands as your first stumbling steps to freedom. It is not so different than your own in many ways, and I'd be glad to have your companionship besides.
... I know there are others whom you may prefer, be it their company or world or whatnot, but I wanted to offer such to you before it was too late to do so. Because, just as I find Edamura companionable, just as I find Yi Sang the same, so too do I want for one like you: A companion who may read my heart, or give me time and reason to speak it honestly. You have done so in good faith. One who understands what it means to be 'other' amidst a crowd of those similar yet dissimilar to them, who has felt aimless and unsteady in realization. You have, though it is remedied here somewhat by our unknowing of you.
Most of all, however, [ and this is coming to the end of her many words it would seem, from the wry smile she gives the other woman, ] I'd like to see the kind of future you would imagine for yourself, and play a part in it as well. That is why I have considered you as strongly as Yi Sang for my own, Yingying.
never apologize
Prior to coming here, she had no reason or means to look out for someone who might play a role like that for her. Her health is poor and dwindling, and her state of being ensures that no others except the one can reach her. It's not that she doesn't realize the inequity in her relationships; it's part of the design, baked into her very reason for coming here. Experience life again, but more importantly, grant the other wishes.
Yingying doesn't interrupt. She listens patiently, masking any surprise she feels at Odile's offer.
Is... something like that even possible?
Aventurine, Edamura, Shoko, they've all offered her their wishes. Her gaze falls to her hands, then shuts entirely. Her life really is blessed — she's been remembering now, what it feels like for the others around you to wish the best for you. Like her moms, aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters had. It's bitter, but nostalgic too, like the taste of old medicine. ]
Inviting me over to your place...? Hehe. It turns out you're secretly the sweet type, too...
[ Odile's lands are more similar to her own homeland; she wouldn't feel so ... alienated as she does in the present era of time in her own world. It's a tempting and tender offer, all at the same time, and she doesn't take it for granted, nor does she take it lightly. ]
I'd like to see it. The people there, the customs, the robes.
[ Her smile is quiet and to herself, thinking of her home before it went up in flames. Before the star fell, before her health became like this.
The jump from her own time to the present is too jarring. Maybe... Odile's home would be a good stepping stone, while she acclimates. It might even be good for her recovery. She's not sure she can offer Odile even a speculation of what her future might be like — even these three weeks have told her little of what life would be like again, outside of warm from being in companionship with others. ]
You could afford to be a little more optimistic, Odile, [ She chastises her, but it's gently, raising her head to meet her eyes again. ] You've hardly asked me, and you're already acting like I may not want to go.
[ "There might be others she would prefer," and so on. Like with Poppy, when Yingying sees hopelessness or doubt, she plucks it like an unruly weed, like she always has as a fairy meant to give people belief. ]
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[ Odile lapses into quiet for a moment, face warm at the-- callout, frankly, of her sweetness. Her gaze turns from Yingying, towards the tall branches around them. How they bow over, but don't crowd. Protecting and asking so little in return.
... No, she suppose it's fine if...
A shake of her head, and she'll face Yingying again. ]
We are close. [ She didn't speak so much just to deny it in her embarrassment. ] ... Allow me to ask, rather than assume in my offer. Will you come home with me?
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I'd like to... [ She trails off, brow knitting deeper. ] Let me think about it, okay?
[ That isn't a roundabout way of her saying no — she does need to think about it. There's the matter of her being in custody, for one, both by the tree and by the government. Then, her health... ]
I'm not sure what's going to happen with my body. I may not even be fit to travel, haha.
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The process of elimination, is it . . . Given the answers that would arise by corollary, it is a sound strategy.
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[ There's simply not enough booths to do anything but that. ]
From what the others are saying, it looks like finding the other "het" pairing is our best bet, so it might be your turn in the booth after all.
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His gaze drifts—not to hide away, but in reminiscence as he smiles.]
If such is the case, I have no complaints. As you once braved the booth for our collective sake, so shall I.
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You're in a good mood today, hm? All smiles and lots to say...
[ It would've been nice if she could have seen this side of him earlier... whatever he and Odile must have talked about must have been significant. If she were the type to get jealous, she might. But after her talks with Aventurine and Luka, she's since laid down her sword in her pursuit, gracefully accepting that she may be fighting a losing battle, or an oblivious one, at least. Even though right now would be a perfect time to tell him he's cute for acting like this, she refrains. ]
Could it be that Odile's poem really got your heart going...?
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The abundance that now rests in my heart comes from leaning on the shoulders that have been proffered to me over the course of our stay here. Without them, I would still be lost in overlong ruminations . . . That includes not only Miss Odile, but you as well, Miss Yingying.
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Heh. I only told the truth, that's all...~
[ She gives him a signature smile, genuinely pleased, but keeps her affectation playful and coy, and in that sense, distant to a degree. Mission success, right? That's the most important thing, and she's really happy for him to get to this state. ]
But I'm glad that everyone gets to see this side of you. Like I said when you first picked me, I wanted to hear you speak your mind more like this.
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They've all heard his share of words tonight. He has to wonder, however, how well he's been hearing Yingying's in their shared time. It could be nothing, but . . . ]
Miss Yingying, if I may . . . I would like to speak with you by the wisteria.
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[ She blinks, caught off guard. I would like to speak with you is already an odd request coming from him, especially out of the blue. ]
Mm, since you asked so nicely... what's this all of a sudden?
[ Maybe something is the matter...? Her gaze is innocently curious, not really having suspicions for what he might want to talk to her about — something related to what he and Odile must of talked about would be her best guess. Or maybe something private, about one of the contestants? Either way, she rises from her beloved fainting couch, stretching as she does so they can head out to the wisteria. ]
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Truthfully, he hasn't a clue what he's doing. All he knows is that he doesn't wish for misunderstandings to fester between them. The past week or so has taught him that he once erred by leaving a stone unturned after hearing a crack; no more.
Slowing to a stop by the foot of the tree, his gaze falls on its trunk, where it softens and lingers in greeting before he turns to Yingying's form.]
. . . Until recently, I considered thoughts to be meager things that were too wearisome to put into words. Thusly, I would present a figurative sheet of blank paper when asked about them, when I in truth came to be trapped in worries of all manner.
[Putting aside his stint of being taxidermied, he has always had difficulty expressing himself to where he'd sooner feign having no opinion. It was never intended to convey that he didn't care until he stopped caring at all, which was when Yingying found him by the pond, the tragedy of her forward movement winsome in his eyes.
He folds his arms in front of himself and bows his head in recollection.]
Your earnest desire to hear the unspoken and witness the unseen . . . As you have long guarded the precious wishes of others, I thought to grant one of yours, however rash and ungainly. But, in allowing myself to be consumed by my very own thoughts, I fear that I may have misunderstood the meaning behind your words.
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It's not a matter of wondering whether he cares at all; that much has been obvious from the start, because he most certainly does about most, if not all others around him, much more than he must fully realize. A want to nurture that turned into these feelings, but she wouldn't hold them over his head in exchange for her genuine companionship and wish for him. As such, her expression sobers the more he goes on, gaze turning up at the canopy of flowers. ]
...Everyone has misunderstandings from time to time.
[ As with most things, she'd rather just be assertive and forward about this, rather than play coy and act like she has no idea what he's talking about. Maybe Luka or Aventurine had said something... in which case, she hopes he wasn't hurt. While she felt she had made her intentions clear, it didn't come off that way, and that was fine. She could accept that. ]
Most of all when we're occupied with our own thoughts.
[ No fault really lies with him, she means. For once, she's being the one that won't meet his eyes, feeling a tightness in her chest she hasn't before, sweet and sharp. But she smiles regardless, the curve of her lips gentle. Only when she speaks again does she look back to him, brow knitted, but eyes honest.
He wanted to try granting one of her wishes, is that it? Well... ]
Misunderstanding or not... my most important wish about you already was granted. Don't fret so much.
[ If he's really alluding to something he heard through the grapevine — the fledgling feelings for him that she'd tried to let take flight — then that was always, undoubtedly, the lesser wish between the two. She would never forsake the former for the latter; she's really, earnestly happy that he's gotten to this point, that he can smile and express himself so freely when it seemed like such a burden before. It does feel like a wish granted, in some ways. So, he doesn't need to feel bad, or feel that his efforts went wasted, or feel regret for not realizing the second, less important, but more personal wish of hers. ]
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He remembers his clumsy attempt at words during the first ceremony, followed by the devastation of his ineloquence coming down like a sharp blade on the faint thread of hope he'd been chasing. Yingying's patience and understanding in the following week were like a lifeline amid the mounting despair, and he dared to let himself dream for want of something more. For that kindness to go unreciprocated must have been perplexing. It must have been wearisome, to speak yet be so utterly unheard.
He thinks back to all the times they've interacted, and all that's been said of them.
"Yingying certainly is lucky to have someone so thoughtful."
"I see how tired you are all the time, sweetheart. And you're there at the wisteria so early, too . . . you must think I'm some wicked spirit willing to feed on just anyone, is that it~?"
"Can you really not think of anyone who has paid extra special attention to you recently?"
"I'm happy you picked me."
He thought that it was normal. That this is simply how Yingying is, infinitely generous and giving in her wishful love, in how she calls to people with terms of endearment. Just as how he grew an investment in their peers here, wanting to see where the road to recovery would take them in the hopes that he might find something similar. Only . . .
"If I were to return back in a new body, I still wouldn't know the language or technology of the times . . . I might feel even lonelier. Like I don't have a place to belong anymore."
"My heart fluttered underneath the wisteria with you . . . so this time, I'll be the one to bravely ask you to not leave my side, sweetheart."
"Don't you know I want to see you, too?"
"█ █████ ███ ██ ████ ███, ███ ███ █████ ████ ██. That's what I think!"
"If you want to give one to someone, there's someone better than me to receive it."
"She is a kindred spirit . . . and a flower whom I wish to see in bloom."
Yi Sang's gaze drops, filled with consternation over his own ignorance. Then his expression tightens, and his eyes flit back up to Yingying as he unfolds his arms.]
No, I believe I shall.
[He will fret. He won't make excuses for not seeing the bloom that's been reaching out to him, for ignoring the wish suffused in its hopeful petals. For regarding something so precious with a slantwise glance.]
Allow me to apologize . . . for not seeing your heart when it was laid plainly before me.
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If he's sorry, is it simply because he didn't know? He can be so blunt and forward; it's one of the refreshing qualities of his personality. But it's hard to tell if the apology is offered solely because he thinks he might have offended her, or if it comes bearing a greater reason, like affections of his own.
In the end, she can't think of a response to his last words, nothing more than a quiet hum, carried on the wind through the blooms. A contemplative stretch of silence washes over the two of them — her gaze still fixated elsewhere. ]
Haha. Just when I thought you weren't going to puzzle it out before the end...
[ She had tried the genuine and straightforward route at the ceremony, the teasing route, the overtly flirtatious route by getting into his space... to no avail. She'd thought that his reactions, or lack thereof, could be the result of only two things: 1) he was truly too oblivious to catch on, or 2) he was only deferring to her advances, not accepting them.
Before she goes on, she has to take a deep breath in through her nose, steeling herself. ]
Is it so surprising? That I would be fond of you.
[ There's a note of dry humor to the words, but they're strained with emotion too, taut with the uncertainty of what words will come from him next. Yet, it's the most direct reference to the topic at hand she's made thus far, no longer wanting to skirt around or leave room for further misunderstanding. Yes, he's right... she had laid her heart bare for him, even if he's only stumbled across it now. ]
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