Week 0

[productions]

Who: Designated Killers and Mastermind
What: Assignments
When: Early Morning, Sunday

[Early this morning, several guests will be awoken before 6 AM by a loud alarm ringing in their room. Lying on their desk will be a telegram, signed The Producer, instructing them to go immediately to the billiards room.

Once they arrive at the billiards room, they will find the door in the back open. They will then be able to proceed into the smoking room, where others await.]

Comments

[teenspirit]

[ Sonia begins screaming. This is the producer?! This kind-looking young man? ]

S-stop it! Stop saying such horrible things!

[vytis]

Please calm down, Miss Nevermind. I'd hate to see you lose your incentive simply because you refused to believe the rules.

[teenspirit]

I shan't play! There isn't a single thing that could compel me to do so!

[vytis]

You are the Princess Royal of the Autocratic Monarchy of Novoselic, yes? [Lithuania's tone says he's sure about that already.]

[teenspirit]

Oh...! My beautiful country! [ She begins weeping, abruptly. ] Please, send me home to mama and papa! There are so many that would die in my place! [ She seems to have no problem saying such a thing. ]

[vytis]

It seems like you've already figured out your incentive already. But here, I have something a little more specific for you.

[An old-fashioned black and white video video begins to flicker in the fireplace. There's no sound, and the picture is shaky, but it is possible to see clearly what is happening. A title card appears, and then another card with text on it:

Sonia's Motivation
Success!

The feed shows shaky images of the country of Novoselic in some kind of crisis. News reports are interspersed, but it is not clear exactly what is happening. The news reports speak of riots, a mystery incident, and a country gone astray. But the image instead changes to the image of a manila envelope with Sonia's name on it.

Once Sonia succeeded, she was given information to help her avert an impending disaster.

Another card then appears:

Failure!

The image of the envelope fades away. Instead, the pictures show Sonia's parents asleep in their beds, when a mob breaks down the door, drags them against the wall, and shoots them. The images change again to scenes of brutal violence throughout the country, interspersed with news reports of a terrible civil war. Large parts of the country are seen burning, and images of people fleeing and gravesites also appear.

When Sonia failed, the leaders of Novoselic were executed and the country descended into civil war.

The image changes again - it is no longer black and white, but suddenly an incredibly realistic and modern news feed talking about some sort of incident. The feed cuts off before it explains what happened.

The video ends.]

[teenspirit]

[ Sonia watches in utter horror. The images must be faked, right? Surely it was all a lie, just a trick... But those were her parents, the people who lovingly nurtured not only her but a nation of people who relied on them, and that illustrious land... those good-hearted people... They were burning. ]

S-stop it! Stop it! T-turn it back on! What happened?! Where did you f-find such-- m-my... my beloved parents! What have you done!

[vytis]

Nothing yet--and as long as you play your part, you can avoid that situation entirely.

[teenspirit]

Tell me! Tell me right now! Let me free from this place so that I may warn them! I shall give you whatever you want, be it money, gold, or priceless treasure!

[vytis]

I've already told you what I want, Miss Nevermind. You are to participate in our game following the rules I explained earlier.

[teenspirit]

That can't be the only way! Please! Let me buy my way out!

[vytis]

That's the only way--unless you'd like the awful vision of your country's future to come true, of course. Then you don't have to do anything.

[teenspirit]

L-let me... Let me think about this... I feel faint... [ Despite her dramatics, Sonia is telling the truth: she's gone pale, and looks dizzy, like any classic Disney Princess in distress. ]

[vytis]

Oh, goodness, that won't do. [He actually does look concerned, bizarrely enough.] Try to calm down and breathe.

[teenspirit]

[ She sways into one of the plush chairs, a hand on her forehead. ]

I... I have no intentions of dying... No, I refuse... I won't let that happen...

[vytis]

Take deep breaths. Putting your head between your legs would help, too.

You just have to play along and nothing bad will happen to your country or your family.

[teenspirit]

[ Sonia feels miserable that he is being so kind to her. Somehow, that makes it worse. ]

...It's my only choice, isn't it? [ She smiles tremulously, tears pouring down her cheeks. ]

[vytis]

Yes, it's your only choice.

[teenspirit]

[ She curls up and turns away from him, indicating that she considers the conversation to be over. But her silence is agreement in itself: she has begun to accept the proposal. ]