[she will come grab a seat at the bar, then. fortunately the drinking age is non-existent but presumably 18 where she's from unfortunately she does not drink.]
[ i would like you to know that her feet do not even remotely come close to touching the ground at this bar seat. me, a mod.
aquila slides into the seat beside her gracefully, opening up the binder with a gloved hand and a slight flourish. ]
Got the goods for you. [ as they rifle through the papers, they suddenly make a soft aha noise. ] Think you already saw the addendum for Housekeeping, but here's the rest.
[ they slide the paper to harrow across the bar so she can read it.
as she reads, the words sound familiar, like she's read them before; additionally, the signature at the bottom matches her own perfectly. she will know instinctively that this is the contract that she signed, and that she is bound by its terms. ]
This is a contract between Harrowhark Nonagesimus, hereafter referred to as "the Player," and the Nightman, hereafter referred to as "the Host". By signing this contract, both parties agree to and are bound by its terms.
GENERAL INFORMATION. The term of this Agreement shall begin upon signature. The Player shall check in as a guest of the Starlight Hotel, and the agreement shall continue through its termination date of approximately eight weeks later when the Player checks out, should they survive their stay. During this time, the Player shall provide entertainment to the Host by participating in murder trials, casting votes for a culprit, attending executions, and engaging in a variety of weekly activities. The Player consents to any scenario which will make observing their stay more entertaining for the Host.
Someone of importance to the Player, hereafter referred to as "the Hostage," has been obtained by the Host to be held in captivity and will remain so even if this contract is not signed. By signing this contract, the Player agrees to register as a guest of the Starlight Hotel in exchange for the chance to gain custody of their Hostage. Should sufficient entertainment be provided, the Hostage will be set free and returned in a satisfactory manner regardless of the state of their mortality and vitality.
During the course of the Player's stay, the Host will be largely unavailable but will be aware of all ongoings within the hotel to accurately gauge the level of entertainment provided. The Host has authorized eight individuals, hereafter referred to as "Hotel Staff," to act on his behalf. Questions, concerns, and complaints must be directed to Hotel Staff. Directives from Hotel Staff should be honored in the same manner as the Host’s directives.
HOTEL STAFF. Hotel Staff can be identified by the Starlight Hotel uniforms and answer to the names "Aquarius," "Aquila," "Cetus," "Gemini," "Lepus," "Orion," "Virgo," and "Vulpecula". Hotel Staff will be authorized to make deals with the Player for additional incentives or introduce new rules for the purposes of entertainment; however, they may not void the terms of this contract.
ENTERTAINMENT. Any Player who is alive* and in the Lobby of the Starlight Hotel to check out at the termination date of this contract will be considered to have sufficiently fulfilled the terms outlined. The Player and their Hostage will be freed as per the above terms.
Any Player who is not alive and/or is unable to return to the Lobby of the Starlight Hotel to check out at the termination date of this contract will be considered to have failed to sufficiently fulfill the terms outlined, and their life and the life of their Hostage will be forfeit.
To sufficiently fulfill this agreement, the Player must provide entertainment for the entire duration of their stay.
An exception to the above clause is as follows: if a Player commits a murder of another Player, their Hostage will be released in a satisfactory manner at the termination date regardless of the Player’s survival. As the Host's preference for entertainment is murder, those who provide this form of entertainment will find that the Host will honor these terms even if a Player is found guilty by trial or removed from the game by another Player later.
Additionally, the Host will be unable to harm, kidnap, imprison or otherwise interact with any Player or Hostage who has been released at any point in the future, except to send them to whichever world they wish to go to once their stay at the Starlight Hotel has concluded.
*For the purposes of this contract, alive is taken to mean in the same general physical condition as their arrival (with an allowance made for injuries sustained over the course of their stay); undead Players will be considered "alive" provided that the nature of their undeath is identical to how it was when they arrived.
ENTERTAINMENT, CONTINUED. Should a Player murder to ensure the safety of a Hostage, only the Hostage corresponding with that Player will be protected by these terms. Players may not commit murders to ensure the safety of another Player's Hostage.
The Player who strikes the killing blow will be considered to have committed a murder, and thus only their Hostage will be spared. Acting as an accomplice to someone else's murder will not free your Hostage. Appropriate compensation will be rewarded for your assistance which may prove to your benefit.
The following acts of murder do not fall under entertainment:
✦ Excessive murder by a singular party. ✧ Murder of all other guests by a singular party or a coordinated group. ✦ Suicide with the explicit intent to save the Hostage. ✧ Murder of a member of Hotel Staff.
A Player is not barred from taking part in a murder more than once should they have a legitimate reason to do so. However, any and all attempts to eliminate a mass amount of Players at once will be considered an attempt of early termination and thus will be considered a breach of contract.
Failure at limitation will result in permanent erasure.
BREACH OF CONTRACT. Should the Player fail to fulfill the terms of this contract, the lives of both the Player and the Hostage will be forfeit to the Host. This includes but is not limited to failing to cast a vote, refusing to participate in murder trials, refusing to watch the executions, deliberately abstaining from weekly activities, divulging information that they have been instructed to keep secret, attempting to end their stay at the Starlight Hotel early, or encouraging other Players to breach their contract. For more information about what may constitute a breach of contract, speak with Hotel Staff.
SUMMARY. By this contract, the Player agrees to provide entertainment to the Host, by following schedule in exchange for the life and safety of the Player's hostage.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will allow the Host to take the life of both the Player and the Hostage.
[did she sign it in blood. she squints to see if it's blood. contracts are definitely only binding if you sign them in blood, that's the law.
...anyway. she reads it carefully and in silence for a long moment, expression still, and then sets it down.]
Hmm. Interesting.
[another long moment of silence, dangling her feet from the stool.]
So murder is not required, only sufficient entertainment. And you are permitted to introduce additional, non-contradictory rules, so long as those rules serve the purpose of entertainment.
But if we die here, unless there should be a revival at the end of some sort, our hostage is lost too unless we commit a murder.
[ it is signed with grape juice (no) it's blood if that's how she would have signed it, yeah
they've propped their chin in their hand while she's reading - the veil moves slightly as they glance back at her occasionally from where they're flagging down the shadowy bartender, who slides across a drink with a straw in it. as they're taking it, aquila tips their head a bit, regarding harrow again. ]
[she puts her chin in her hand, a little focused on the text.]
...Perhaps it would be fruitful to discuss whether there are methods of entertainment that are appealing to the host besides murder? As far as I see it, the best we can do to spare lives is to ensure the conditions are met with as little bloodshed as possible.
Certainly. I am not naive; I do not think we are going to resolve this by determining he would be equally satisfied by poetry as he would by murder, and we shall get by with weekly recitations of our original works.
[drumming her fingers on the table.]
In addition to the murder that will surely continue to be necessary, what are the things he might find appealing, is what I mean.
[ this gets them to laugh, actually - they shake their head with it, sipping from their drink. ]
You much of a poet, Harrowhark?
[ teasing.
but, they do consider it seriously.] Well, he's the only person that could answer that for sure, and I'm pretty sure there's not another answer. He's pretty straight to the point about what he wants.
[ they glance up briefly and then shake their head, sipping their drink. ] So. You could think on it, yeah, but it's a huge risk. One wrong move, et cetera.
I abhor poetry. But I do know the Noniad by heart, unfortunately. It's simply dreadful. And I know one additional poem that God taught me once. It's...fine.
If it becomes relevant.
[she is also joking, but important for her views on poetry to be known.]
Understood. But if it is as you say, I do not think I have the luxury to wait and hope to survive until the end, or hope for a resurrection that may never come. [she chews on her lip, thoughtful for a moment.]
May these terms, and the availability of our contracts in general, be discussed freely?
C'mon, do you know any good poetry? It's not all bad. Maybe. Kinda wanna hear the God poem, though. That'd be a great tip.
[ they laugh, at that, now looking away from the contract and returning properly to their drink. ]
These sort of things never really have the luxury of time, yeah? [ aquila tips their glass briefly in her direction. ] And yeah, you can talk about em, long as it's not about your addendum. Still might wanna keep it - don't go yelling it off the rooftops, but I don't think I gotta tell you that.
Anybody can come ask to look at it, though. People've just gotta ask.
[she kicks idly against the seat which she's sitting on like a baby.]
They do not. No one ever really tried to kill me in earnest on the station, but I was perpetually surprised by this. I did attempt to give off an impression that may have frightened some off, but...frankly, I would be an easy target and I have to consider the possibility.
[ they seem pleased, though they take a long drink from their straw, and slurp a little so it makes an obnoxious noise. ] Sounds like...maybe you endeared yourself to the people there....?
[ harrow might get the sense that they're smiling when they say that, like it's teasing. ]
So, taking the defensive route, then. Not usually my first tack, but, definitely not a bad strategy.
Wow, you just insulted me three times in two sentences!
[ they also don't sound offended by this at all. ]
Anyway, you seem like the kind of person who is wary of basically everyone. [ is that a compliment ] Maybe with an exception or two, but you're probably wary of us, and I think you're endearing.
[ this is said in that exact same smug tone. hehe ]
And I prefer offensive in general. Not gonna create a bunker, that's all I'm saying!
Certainly. Many. I feel a little sorry for the ones who are here somewhat on their own, I admit. But I find many of them are individuals I can quite get along with.
...Todd is not so bad. I was also responsible for the escalation. I miscalculated - a large man with a weapon might be presumed to be somewhat fearless in a place like this, whereas I have a need to assert my strength when challenged.
But I didn't consider the shift in dynamic caused by the fact that I have five people from the space station who will defend me and he is rather solitary. It is quite obvious he could no more afford to back down from a challenge than I could.
Mhm. So, here, it's gonna be the same, but half those groups already exist. Iunno what that means for you guys in the long run - can't predict the future. But it means that kinda behavior's probably gonna repeat itself. Can you mix those groups up, or do they just get more and more specialized? What kinda group do you guys want to see? If any.
Only time's gonna tell, I guess. I'm interested to see it.
[ after that thoughtful moment, they glance over at harrow, as they're looking at their drink. ]
C'mon, have a drink. What do you want. Hot water? [ was that a joke? it's lighter, either way. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Aquila.
1/2
aquila slides into the seat beside her gracefully, opening up the binder with a gloved hand and a slight flourish. ]
Got the goods for you. [ as they rifle through the papers, they suddenly make a soft aha noise. ] Think you already saw the addendum for Housekeeping, but here's the rest.
[ they slide the paper to harrow across the bar so she can read it.
as she reads, the words sound familiar, like she's read them before; additionally, the signature at the bottom matches her own perfectly. she will know instinctively that this is the contract that she signed, and that she is bound by its terms. ]
no subject
This is a contract between Harrowhark Nonagesimus, hereafter referred to as "the Player," and the Nightman, hereafter referred to as "the Host". By signing this contract, both parties agree to and are bound by its terms.
GENERAL INFORMATION.
The term of this Agreement shall begin upon signature. The Player shall check in as a guest of the Starlight Hotel, and the agreement shall continue through its termination date of approximately eight weeks later when the Player checks out, should they survive their stay. During this time, the Player shall provide entertainment to the Host by participating in murder trials, casting votes for a culprit, attending executions, and engaging in a variety of weekly activities. The Player consents to any scenario which will make observing their stay more entertaining for the Host.
Someone of importance to the Player, hereafter referred to as "the Hostage," has been obtained by the Host to be held in captivity and will remain so even if this contract is not signed. By signing this contract, the Player agrees to register as a guest of the Starlight Hotel in exchange for the chance to gain custody of their Hostage. Should sufficient entertainment be provided, the Hostage will be set free and returned in a satisfactory manner regardless of the state of their mortality and vitality.
During the course of the Player's stay, the Host will be largely unavailable but will be aware of all ongoings within the hotel to accurately gauge the level of entertainment provided. The Host has authorized eight individuals, hereafter referred to as "Hotel Staff," to act on his behalf. Questions, concerns, and complaints must be directed to Hotel Staff. Directives from Hotel Staff should be honored in the same manner as the Host’s directives.
HOTEL STAFF.
Hotel Staff can be identified by the Starlight Hotel uniforms and answer to the names "Aquarius," "Aquila," "Cetus," "Gemini," "Lepus," "Orion," "Virgo," and "Vulpecula". Hotel Staff will be authorized to make deals with the Player for additional incentives or introduce new rules for the purposes of entertainment; however, they may not void the terms of this contract.
ENTERTAINMENT.
Any Player who is alive* and in the Lobby of the Starlight Hotel to check out at the termination date of this contract will be considered to have sufficiently fulfilled the terms outlined. The Player and their Hostage will be freed as per the above terms.
Any Player who is not alive and/or is unable to return to the Lobby of the Starlight Hotel to check out at the termination date of this contract will be considered to have failed to sufficiently fulfill the terms outlined, and their life and the life of their Hostage will be forfeit.
To sufficiently fulfill this agreement, the Player must provide entertainment for the entire duration of their stay.
An exception to the above clause is as follows: if a Player commits a murder of another Player, their Hostage will be released in a satisfactory manner at the termination date regardless of the Player’s survival. As the Host's preference for entertainment is murder, those who provide this form of entertainment will find that the Host will honor these terms even if a Player is found guilty by trial or removed from the game by another Player later.
Additionally, the Host will be unable to harm, kidnap, imprison or otherwise interact with any Player or Hostage who has been released at any point in the future, except to send them to whichever world they wish to go to once their stay at the Starlight Hotel has concluded.
*For the purposes of this contract, alive is taken to mean in the same general physical condition as their arrival (with an allowance made for injuries sustained over the course of their stay); undead Players will be considered "alive" provided that the nature of their undeath is identical to how it was when they arrived.
ENTERTAINMENT, CONTINUED.
Should a Player murder to ensure the safety of a Hostage, only the Hostage corresponding with that Player will be protected by these terms. Players may not commit murders to ensure the safety of another Player's Hostage.
The Player who strikes the killing blow will be considered to have committed a murder, and thus only their Hostage will be spared. Acting as an accomplice to someone else's murder will not free your Hostage. Appropriate compensation will be rewarded for your assistance which may prove to your benefit.
The following acts of murder do not fall under entertainment:
A Player is not barred from taking part in a murder more than once should they have a legitimate reason to do so. However, any and all attempts to eliminate a mass amount of Players at once will be considered an attempt of early termination and thus will be considered a breach of contract.
Failure at limitation will result in permanent erasure.
BREACH OF CONTRACT.
Should the Player fail to fulfill the terms of this contract, the lives of both the Player and the Hostage will be forfeit to the Host. This includes but is not limited to failing to cast a vote, refusing to participate in murder trials, refusing to watch the executions, deliberately abstaining from weekly activities, divulging information that they have been instructed to keep secret, attempting to end their stay at the Starlight Hotel early, or encouraging other Players to breach their contract. For more information about what may constitute a breach of contract, speak with Hotel Staff.
SUMMARY.
By this contract, the Player agrees to provide entertainment to the Host, by following schedule in exchange for the life and safety of the Player's hostage.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will allow the Host to take the life of both the Player and the Hostage.
PARTICIPANT SIGNATURE: Harrowhark Nonagesimus
HOST SIGNATURE: ̷͍̯͒̄͝ ̸̦͆͜͝ ̶̞̄̓͝ ̷̦̿͊̍ ̶̥̭̗̄̒̕ ̵̼̫̯͋͛̆ ̵̟̤̐ ̷͎͎̎̆̿ ̶̖̣̈́ ̸̻͈͛ ̷̬̿͝ ̸̠͉̹̀
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...anyway. she reads it carefully and in silence for a long moment, expression still, and then sets it down.]
Hmm. Interesting.
[another long moment of silence, dangling her feet from the stool.]
So murder is not required, only sufficient entertainment. And you are permitted to introduce additional, non-contradictory rules, so long as those rules serve the purpose of entertainment.
But if we die here, unless there should be a revival at the end of some sort, our hostage is lost too unless we commit a murder.
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they've propped their chin in their hand while she's reading - the veil moves slightly as they glance back at her occasionally from where they're flagging down the shadowy bartender, who slides across a drink with a straw in it. as they're taking it, aquila tips their head a bit, regarding harrow again. ]
That's the gist of it.
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...Perhaps it would be fruitful to discuss whether there are methods of entertainment that are appealing to the host besides murder? As far as I see it, the best we can do to spare lives is to ensure the conditions are met with as little bloodshed as possible.
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Mmm. There's nothing stopping you from having that conversation, really, but that's pretty risky.
If you're trying to limit what he finds entertaining, that'd be a breach of contract, and we know exactly how that ends.
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[drumming her fingers on the table.]
In addition to the murder that will surely continue to be necessary, what are the things he might find appealing, is what I mean.
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You much of a poet, Harrowhark?
[ teasing.
but, they do consider it seriously.] Well, he's the only person that could answer that for sure, and I'm pretty sure there's not another answer. He's pretty straight to the point about what he wants.
[ they glance up briefly and then shake their head, sipping their drink. ] So. You could think on it, yeah, but it's a huge risk. One wrong move, et cetera.
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If it becomes relevant.
[she is also joking, but important for her views on poetry to be known.]
Understood. But if it is as you say, I do not think I have the luxury to wait and hope to survive until the end, or hope for a resurrection that may never come. [she chews on her lip, thoughtful for a moment.]
May these terms, and the availability of our contracts in general, be discussed freely?
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C'mon, do you know any good poetry? It's not all bad. Maybe. Kinda wanna hear the God poem, though. That'd be a great tip.
[ they laugh, at that, now looking away from the contract and returning properly to their drink. ]
These sort of things never really have the luxury of time, yeah? [ aquila tips their glass briefly in her direction. ] And yeah, you can talk about em, long as it's not about your addendum. Still might wanna keep it - don't go yelling it off the rooftops, but I don't think I gotta tell you that.
Anybody can come ask to look at it, though. People've just gotta ask.
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[she kicks idly against the seat which she's sitting on like a baby.]
They do not. No one ever really tried to kill me in earnest on the station, but I was perpetually surprised by this. I did attempt to give off an impression that may have frightened some off, but...frankly, I would be an easy target and I have to consider the possibility.
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[ harrow might get the sense that they're smiling when they say that, like it's teasing. ]
So, taking the defensive route, then. Not usually my first tack, but, definitely not a bad strategy.
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[she doesn't seem offended though, just argumentative.]
You prefer offensive? I kill someone this week, before I know how the mechanics play out? No. Stupid.
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[ they also don't sound offended by this at all. ]
Anyway, you seem like the kind of person who is wary of basically everyone. [ is that a compliment ] Maybe with an exception or two, but you're probably wary of us, and I think you're endearing.
[ this is said in that exact same smug tone. hehe ]
And I prefer offensive in general. Not gonna create a bunker, that's all I'm saying!
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Condescending. If you find it endearing to be insulted, that has more to do with you than with me.
[she says this very authoritatively for someone whose ears are turning red.]
I'm less wary than I ought to be, truthfully. And a bunker has its benefits, too.
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[ bully
anyway: ]
Maybe, but it sounds kind of boring. ...Still, you got to come with a lot of people who you trust, right? That's pretty lucky, here.
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…Yes. It is lucky. I do have a good relationship with those who came from the station. Most of them are ones I had grown quite close with.
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they make a thoughtful noise. ]
That is lucky. There's a couple little groups like that, too, but you guys seem pretty tight knit. Always a good thing, to have good allies.
Anybody from outside of your group catch your interest, Harrowhark?
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[ they sip their drink, finishing out the last of it and rattling the ice. ] Maybe you should take some of the loners under your wing.
Except Todd, probably.
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But I didn't consider the shift in dynamic caused by the fact that I have five people from the space station who will defend me and he is rather solitary. It is quite obvious he could no more afford to back down from a challenge than I could.
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[ that's good, actually; they wave down the bartender to have their drink topped off. ]
But I think that's a good point. At the Station, did people fall off into like - groups? Once you guys'd been there for a while.
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Only time's gonna tell, I guess. I'm interested to see it.
[ after that thoughtful moment, they glance over at harrow, as they're looking at their drink. ]
C'mon, have a drink. What do you want. Hot water? [ was that a joke? it's lighter, either way. ]
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