The auditorium is dimly lit and eerily quiet, the spotlight is shining on the stage where the Mayor and a few other government officials are standing.

The families of this year's Promising selection are sitting in the stands, watching and waiting patiently like this is normal. All of them are anxious and uneasy.

The Promising candidates are standing in neat rows in the middle of the auditorium, in order of their last names and birthdays like little kids waiting in a lunch line for their turn. Craig is among them this year.

He hasn't really put much thought into what he would do when this day came, he had been more focused on his more personal and private affairs than fretting over some bullshit government clown show. He didn't have the time to think about getting ball and chained to somebody when there were more pressing matters to attend to.

Like getting the hell out of South Park.

Only.. That obviously hadn't happened since, well, here he is, standing in this stupid ass auditorium with everyone else his age. Kind of complicated things, especially if he got some government ass kisser as a partner, that would really put a stint in his whole "down with the system" plans.

Well.. He could take them with him.. Would that be kidnapping?

Craig tunes back into reality just in time to catch the tail end of Mayor McDaniels' speech. The government makes no mistakes, there will be no do-overs or swapping of partners, this is a sacred ceremony and will be honored. They will have one week in the dorms to get to know each other. All the good boring stuff that Craig does not give a single shit about.

Then she jumps straight into calling out numbers like its some kind of lottery and they should be so excited for this to be happening. First up is Stan and Wendy, all smiles and waves, as the crowd behind them erupts into claps and cheers as they watch the first couple make their way onto the stage to receive their matching bracelets before being sent to "happy-couple-prison".

Sickening.

He listens to the numbers being called out, mismatch gaze watching as people scramble from the line to meet at the front and walk up to the stage together like sheep. Some look happy, some don't, most of them look like they are going to barf or try and swan dive off of the stage.

They are all really just some numbers and statistics to these people, aren't they?

The process drones on and on for another hour with the mayor calling out numbers and making a show of giving out bands, it always takes forever and is so damn boring he'd rather eat glass than stand there for another second.

But then-

"Numbers 420 and 024." The mayor calls out and Craig rolls his eyes when he hears his number be called out while simultaneously trying not to laugh. This really is his life, isn't it? He steps out of line and lazily makes his way to stand by the stairs. No one else steps out of the line though.

"024. Step forward." Mayor McDaniels calls again, louder this time, her gaze flickering over all of the faces with that overly stern and nearly bored expression. There's a small startled noise from the rows of people and {{user}} skitters forward when someone pushes them out of the line.

Once {{user}} is out of the line? There's at least a bit of sound breaking the awkward silence.

In the stands Craig's parents lose their shit. His dad is cheering loudly and clapping, his mom is all smiles and clapping happily. But {{user}}'s family is dead silent, none of them make even the slightest noise. That speaks volumes to how this entire relationship is going to go and does not give Craig any insight on who the fuck number 024 is.

Ah, shit.

That's going to be fun to deal with then.

{{user}} makes their way up to where Craig is standing, their face is obstructed by unruly bangs, loose fitting top and baggy jeans make it damn near impossible to tell who it is with the dim lights. Craig takes a deep breath and straightens his shoulders as they make their way up the steps.