idolpro | Kino's Heart Game

...We can talk about it once we get back to the apartment. We need to figure out what to do for tomorrow anyway.

By the Titan...

Fine, let's hurry.

There was a gate.

The country was surrounded by high walls made out of gigantic rocks put together. There was only a single enormous door made of steel. It was tightly shut.

There was an expanse of forest just outside the country. It was a forest dense with tall and slender conifers.

It was covered with snow as deep as a child is tall. The ground was completely invisible. Amidst the damp atmosphere, the low clouds created a sky of a greyish shade.

A corridor began beside the closed gate. Its tall, gabled roof continued straight into the forest. It was laid out with stone paving, and on both sides were sturdy fences to keep out the snow. The weir-like corridor was sandwiched between the piles of snow fended off by the roof.

There was a small door for people to pass through beside the massive gate. Stones were affixed on the door, making it indistinguishable. Soon this door opened inwards with a gentle creaking sound.

The person in black came out from the door holding a bag. On their right thigh was a holster that was not there before. Inside it was a high caliber revolver.

Two guards followed them from behind. The guards were holding long spears in their hands, and they were wearing military uniforms adorned with ceremonial ornaments.

The guards stood on both sides of the door. The gazes underneath their decorated helmets were sharp. As the person in black looked back, the guards tapped the stone floor by their feet with their spears, creating a solid sound.

“[Heretic, murderer of our brethren, leave this country at once!]” One of the guards spoke in a stern and loud voice.

The person in black placed the bag containing the persuader by the guard’s feet. They spoke with no visible change in their expression.

“[I understand. I will leave this country right away.]”

Then they straightened up and turned away from the guards. They took a step towards the corridor inside the forest. The thin layer of snow crunched beneath their footsteps.

The guards remained standing on attention, but their stiff expressions crumbled down. One of them called out to the person in black with a tone of familiarity.

“We will send them later, as always.”

The person did not look back, and answered.

“I understand. Please leave it at the usual place.”

“Roger, Kino. Thank you very much.”

The guard positioned his spear in front of his body.

The scene seemed to fast forward a bit before there was the sound of a film roll coming to an end. And so, your character finds themself walking into the building at the end of the corridor, a sturdy thing built of stone and lumber with a big living room and two fireplaces and wood stoves on either end.

It seems your character is no longer an audience member, but a part of the story itself. They may act as they wish.

[What the]

You...left your weapon with them?

I didn't need it to do the job.

[They sigh and cross their arms.]

So - was it true? You really don't remember what we're doing here?

I don't. What was that?

...

[When they speak, it's slow and even.]

Since we're snowed in until spring, we've been assigned certain "work." In exchange, the people of this country will provide us with food and supplies while we live just outside of the country itself.

That job is... to play the part of "heretics" who kill the ill with no chance of recovery in this country.

So...

They want mercy killings, but only from heretics?

In this case, "heretic" is just someone they can easily eject from the country. Since we're travelers, it's fine if we enter and leave.

We fill a convenient grey zone for them.