SAPPHIRE

[dramatispersonae]

[You are standing in an amphitheatre constructed of off-white marble with several rows of seats surrounding you on all sides; in the performance space at the bottom is another banquet table, with fourteen different crowns placed upon it. They are, in no particular order:

A jeweled tiara lined with diamonds
A crown of wheat
A faded kokoshnik
A coronet with its jewels missing
A gold diadem
A civic crown made out of oak leaves
A mural crown
A naval crown missing a sail
A hoop crown missing the top insignia
A crown of thorns
A striped nemes
A crown of dandelions
A plain modius
A coronation crown with beading on the side falling off]

Comments

PART ONE

[dramatispersonae]

[Mr. Right's voice echoes quietly off the amphitheatre walls, sounding closer than normal.]

Ladies and jellybeans, it's my pleasure to inform you that you've all been chosen as potential heirs to the throne of your own little kingdom. Isn't that something? Ah, but there's only room for one at the top, so you'll have to make sure you impress me enough to earn that title. We'll find out later on how much potential is really in you. Now I know most of you don't got experience with this sort of thing, so I'll guide you through the process. Think hard about what kinda ruler you'd like to be. King, queen, prince, princess, duke, duchess, marquis, marquise--pick whichever title suits you. I'm fond of "emperor" myself. Regardless, every monarch's gotta have a mark of their autonomy, so your first task is to pick a crown--any crown. Make sure it's one you can hold onto, though--once it's on your head, it won't be easy to keep it. And if you do, make sure you're prepared to carry its weight.

((Each team member present picks a crown from the pile to wear; one team member per crown, please. ONCE YOUR CHARACTER HAS DECIDED ON A CROWN, IT WILL NOT COME OFF. If you arrive past part one, make sure whatever crown you choose is not one that's already been chosen by your teammates.))

DISCUSSION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DISCUSSION

[performing]

[gingerly picking up the crown of thorns 8|a]

Re: DISCUSSION

[sirenes]

Don't pick that one!

Re: DISCUSSION

[glorious]

[ . . . ]

Red?

Re: DISCUSSION

[appleofhiseye]

I'm not letting you put that on your head.

Re: DISCUSSION

[appleofhiseye]

Can we pick none?

Re: DISCUSSION

[glorious]

Are you not going to try to take Sapphire's throne?

Re: DISCUSSION

[telepathetically]

Dibs.

[picks up the crown of dandelions]

Re: DISCUSSION

[sirenes]

[picks up the KING TUT HEADDRESS]

DECISION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DECISION

[glorious]

Red: A civic crown made out of oak leaves
Yuki: A crown of dandelions
Sayaka: A striped nemes
Apple: A gold diadem
Selenia: A crown of wheat

PART TWO

[dramatispersonae]

[Mr. Right's voice comes echoing through again, sounding amused]

Ain't you all looking fancy. But good looks and a winning smile aren't enough--trust me, I know. Question is, do you think you deserve that kind of title? Regal-looking or not, you've got to walk the walk and talk the talk. And a ruler's just a nobody if they can't reach deep into the hearts of their subjects. What makes you so special? You got to think about what being a leader really means to you, and how you'd handle it in particular. The first thing every ruler needs to address is what kinda rules they're laying down. So here's your second task: figure out how you'd pluck the heartstrings of your vassals--in this case, your teammates--and play me a sweet tune.

Sounds pretty open-ended, right? Well, like everything in life, there's a catch: those crowns aren't just shiny little decorations. They've been worn before, and inherited certain... traits from all those past generations. And there's one piece of advice all those old dead guys can agree on: if you want to avoid being usurped, you'd better live up to your predecessors.

[If you chose the jeweled tiara, your trait is: HATEFUL.
If you chose the crown of wheat, your trait is: SORROWFUL.
If you chose the kokoshnik, your trait is: LYING.
If you chose the coronet, your trait is: CHARISMATIC.
If you chose the diadem, your trait is: PESSIMISTIC.
If you chose the civic crown, your trait is: OPTIMISTIC.
If you chose the mural crown, your trait is: BRAVE.
If you chose the naval crown, your trait is: MOURNFUL.
If you chose the hoop crown, your trait is: FLIRTATIOUS.
If you chose the crown of thorns, your trait is: RECKLESS.
If you chose the nemes, your trait is: ANXIOUS.
If you chose the crown of dandelions, your trait is: WHIMSICAL.
If you chose the modius, your trait is: SERIOUS.
If you chose the coronation crown, your trait is: IGNORANT.

((The second task is a speech! Your character must perform as a monarch giving orders with the trait listed to their chosen crown. Their purpose is to address rules and regulations with your teammates as your subjects, but feel free to interpret this however you like! You can go full-on monologue or soliloquy, or do a simple list, or whatever. Be ~creative~! If you arrive late, please specify which crown you're wearing in your comment.))

DISCUSSION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DISCUSSION

[telepathetically]

Whimsical rules....?

Re: DISCUSSION

[performing]

[optimism isn't so bad '-'a]

Re: DISCUSSION

[glorious]

[...Sorrowful.]

Re: DISCUSSION

[appleofhiseye]

...Selenia, can we trade crowns?

SPEECHES

[dramatispersonae]

Re: SPEECHES

[sirenes]

[AHEM] Ladies and--I mean, people of Sapphire . . . ! Hear me, Miki Sayaka, your new ruler! As the new leader of Sapphire, I have to set down some ground rules, so . . . I, I really hope you listen to them! Because I'm your leader so you have to, and if you don't, it's--off with your head!

[YES.]

So, yeah! First of all, everyone has to listen to everyone else! If we're in a game or something like that, everyone should get the chance to say what they think so we can compromise on our answer! And also everyone has to say what they think, too! I mean, this is number two! If you have a problem or you feel a certain way then there shouldn't be any thinking that you shouldn't say anything because you're not as important!

[SELENIA.]

Because we're all equally important! As your new leader Sayaka I say so! Um, so, number three . . . number three is, since there are seven members of the team and seven days of the week then every day one of us gets to choose what kind of thing they most want to eat and we can have that for dinner, if we can make it. Even though there aren't really weeks here, but nevermind that! That's my proclamation!

And, number four . . . no one is allowed to do anything that could hurt them without running it by the rest of us first! Especially Queen Sayaka! I don't mean normal stuff, like going out for a walk and accidentally falling down, but serious stuff, like a quest that could hurt you. Even if you think it's worth it! Because you're on a team now and you can at least let us know first even if it's something so important to you that you'd do something really stupid for it! The price of miracles is really high . . . that's something I learned myself. Sometimes you don't know how high it is until you pay it. But if you trust in Sapphire, then trust us to support you! But that doesn't mean supporting dumb choices you make!

. . . Yeah, so, uh, I think that one was really important, so . . . maybe I should stop . . . but, number five is that in celebration of New Queen Sayaka we're all having crispy chicken and rice tonight for dinner! With sweet red sauce!

And that's the end! So, all hail!

Re: SPEECHES

[appleofhiseye]

Uhm...Well, since we’re all here we should talk about rules and regulations. We’ve got some pretty good ones already, I think. Actually I don’t think we have any, which might be a problem. So I can take this opportunity to set down rules? And we’ll see how it goes.

Re: SPEECHES

[glorious]

People of Sapphire, hear my plea.

We have lost many of our members to the Darkness, some of them taken into the book and some suffering a fate far worse. And each time there is a moment of silence, a moment of doubt -- a moment where they're among us still and yet feel unable to speak.

Sapphire, we must not turn away our members at this critical time. If they feel that they cannot speak, we must give them reason to do so. We must hold their hands and assure them that they are a member of this team, and that their pain is of import. If they cannot reach out to us, then we must reach out for them.

And to those who feel as though they may drown, don't turn away those reaching out to you. Reach out for us so that you may be saved. Don't fade quietly away into the dark for we will mourn you, but fight it so we may join you. Even if we fail, the spirit of Sapphire will surely be with you, burning a small light to guide you home once more.

That is to be my first rule.

Re: SPEECHES

[performing]

You know what, guys, I don't really believe a lot in rules or things like that. Guidelines, sure -- we can have a moral consensus and a general agreement. That's fine! But sometimes you've just gotta know in your gut when the better thing is to break the rules, so hell if I think there's anything that needs to be set in stone. The important part is that we can't give up. That'd be the one thing I'd ask you guys to do. No matter how bad things get, no matter how rough -- there'll always be a way through. If you're alive, then you can get better. And it's not like any of us are alone, here. We've got friends on the other teams, but we've also got each other. A burden shared is a burden halved, and that makes things that much easier to get through. Maybe it'll take a long time, maybe it'll seem like forever. But if you just give up, you'll never reach that end.

I can't say that I know or that I'd even understand what everyone's been through. But I do know that we're a team of bloody stubborn people, and no matter what, as long as we stick to it, we'll make it through to the other side.

[deep breath]

Don't stop. Keep walking. And if someone falls, be the one to help them keep going.

... And I guess if you don't, I will just bodily drag all of you guys with me.

Re: SPEECHES

[telepathetically]

Okay, my turn. Rule 00. Forget EVERYTHING they just said.

This is the important stuff as decided by GRAND HIGH VICEROY YUKI.

01. you need to say "good morning" to every owl you meet. It's very rude if you don't.

02. and you shoudn't say "good morning" to the octopi. It's still rude, but they can deal. They're gross.

03. there is no third rule.

04. don't call me Grand High Viceroy Yuki.

Don't call me Princess Icicle either. That's 05. But I will accept Shirakawa-sama.

06. failure to respect the third rule will result in the criminal receiving forty lashes from a wet noodle.

07. I get first dibs on the bathroom in the morning. And all the hot water. The water must be dyed rainbow.

08. Every Tuesday you must skip.

09. Every Thursday you must skip backwards.

10. Every Sunday you must skip when you see a sunflower.

11. Failure to skip means the criminal must wear socks with sandals.

12. Socks with sandals is tacky. The criminal must get themselves a new outfit. I recommend mummy wraps and daisy chains.

13. You have to call me Grand High Viceroy Shirakawa.

14. This is getting kind of long... nobody else is allowed to make more than two rules. Actually, since I'm Grand High Viceroy, nobody can make rules at all SO

15. Red has to give up his bed to Sapphire. He has to sleep on stardust.

16. Everyone else gets triple bunkbeds. I get the top. An incest gets the middle.

17. Strangers must be addressed by a flower name of your choosing, because they're pretty and they smell nice and you shouldn't say otherwise even if it's true.

18. Don't look directly at the moon. It'll hurt your eyes.

19. Hug every puppy.

100. Failure to follow rules 20-99 will require the criminal to write them all out in the desert with a pair of tweezers.

PART THREE...?

[dramatispersonae]

[Mr. Right's voice can be heard, low and reverberating as though coming from inside your own chest--but he only laughs... and then, abruptly, the crowns you are all wearing trigger an effect.

If you are wearing the tiara or the crown of wheat, you are suddenly overcome with the urge to cry.
If you are wearing the kokoshnik or the coronet, you lose your voice completely.
If you are wearing the diadem or the civic crown, you are suddenly overcome with lust.
If you are wearing the mural crown or the naval crown, you suddenly feel incredibly clingy or in need of physical affection.
If you are wearing the hoop crown or the crown of thorns, you suddenly recall your worst memory and are unable to put it out of your mind.
If you are wearing the nemes or the crown of dandelions, you are suddenly overcome with violent urges.
If you are wearing the modius or the coronation crown, you are suddenly overcome with the urge to scream.

Mr. Right speaks, sounding darkly amused.]

I told you, didn't I? A crown's a weighty thing. Too bad--guess I'll have to keep looking for someone better.

[With a sudden jerk, you are brought back to the Ring.]