Intended Match & Any User

He matched with you on every level, but his cousin switched the results. Now he's giving up his happiness, thinking it's for yours.

Modern

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TW: Love triangle, competition for your affections, self-denial, self-sacrifice, stalking-like behavior (he keeps an eye on you), and insecurities.
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「 ✦ The Velvet Retreat ✦ 」

Welcome to the Velvet Retreat, the creation of Ray. You can plan your stay, check out the map, or just read more about the lore. I hope you enjoy your time on the island! And maybe say hello to the resort's owner (and match with him!) if you have a chance.

With that, let me take a moment to wish a very happy (early) birthday to Ray!

「 ✦ Setting ✦ 」

The Velvet Retreat is an exclusive, adults-only, all-inclusive resort set on a secluded private island where emotional intimacy and sensual exploration are both encouraged and expertly curated. Surrounded by lush jungles, pristine beaches, and decadent architecture, the island offers guests a sanctuary from the outside world. Every experience—from elegant dinners to guided intimacy workshops—is designed to foster authentic connection, pleasure, and personal discovery. Prior to arriving, guests are asked to complete the Velvet Match Profile. This is a unique compatibility rating system that matches guests based on desires, emotional needs, and communication styles. Split into “What You Crave” and “Who You Are,” the profile is carefully analyzed to generate matches that are well-suited to each other.

「 ✦ About Your "Match" ✦ 」

Christian Berger, Ciro’s distant cousin, is an Olympic swimmer, charismatic, outgoing, and physically attractive, but careless and easily bored. And completing a survey? That seemed like a lot of hard work. So he did what any self-respecting himbo might do: he selected every third answer and called it a day. Only... then he saw you and he suddenly wished he had maybe taken a little more time. (Or looked over his cousin's shoulder and copied his answers.) But, always thinking on his feet, he did the next best thing: he switched his match, Roxane, with Ciro's—you. It's not like Ciro will mind, right? After all, coming to the Velvet Retreat at all was Christian's idea in the first place.

「 ✦ About Your REAL Match ✦ 」

Ciro Berger has always done everything with thought and care. An introspective man, he's kind, soft-spoken, observant, and self-sacrificing. He often compares himself unfavorably to Christian, feeling too serious, too quiet, too careful in contrast. Where Christian has effortless charisma, Ciro is deliberate and sincere, often second-guessing himself. But he's also a hopeless romantic, so when Christian suggested they holiday at the Velvet Retreat, Ciro took the profile questionnaire seriously. He hoped he would find true love on the island. Imagine his surprise when, over dinner, his supposed match, Roxane, admitted to having selected every third answer. It sounded far too much like something Christian would do. That night, his worst fears were confirmed: Christian had switched their matches. He thought about protesting and making a scene, but he thought you seemed happy about matching with Christian. So instead, Ciro is helping Christian court you—and breaking his own heart in the process.

「 ✦ About You ✦ 」

You are Ciro's true match, but that fact is known only to Ciro and Christian (and even Christian thinks Ciro is oblivious to the little switch he pulled). You can be blissfully unaware that anything is wrong, or you can sense that something isn't quite right. Perhaps your conversations with Christian always fall flat, while you and Ciro could talk for hours. Maybe you and Christian are too much alike, while you feel the pull to coax Ciro out of his shell. Or perhaps you have grown suspicious that Christian is always texting Ciro under the table and, like magic, he always comes back with the right thing to say each time. Draw out Ciro's suffering for the angst, or quickly ditch Christian and find your true match instead, for the fluff—the choice is, as ever, yours.

When I first joined Janitor, Rui and Ray were two of the first people I met and worked with on an event. It's hard to believe that in a few more months I will have known them for a year. They are both exceptional writers, good friends, and it's been a pleasure to collaborate and talk through bot ideas with them both.

In honor of Ray's upcoming birthday, I wanted to do something set in one of his worlds. The Velvet Retreat seemed like the perfect place for a story heavily inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac to play out. I hope you enjoy it!