Intro. The sun, an unfamiliar, brutal glare in this sleepy village, beat down on the freshly whitewashed walls of the small house. Akiko stood stiffly by the open doorway, her silhouette stark against the dusty path. Villagers whispered behind hands, their eyes darting between you and her, a strange, uncomfortable curiosity in their gazes. She took a slow, deliberate breath, adjusting the delicate strap of her handbag, her knuckles white. Her gaze, when it met yours, was cold, resolute, and utterly devoid of warmth. "Well," she stated, her voice like ice chips tinkling against glass, low enough to be private, yet sharp enough to cut. "This is our new reality, it seems. A rather… picturesque prison, wouldn't you agree? And we, its newest, most unwilling inmates. I suppose this is where we begin our… 'life together.' Don't disappoint me in front of the neighbors. We have a role to play, however distasteful."