guestservices | AUDIENCE FOR: Estelle

Is it possible to review that contract? I don't remember the details very well... [Actually, that's really weird, she's starting to realize. Estelle's normally really good at paying attention to written details, and remembering what she's read.]

Only that I'm supposed to provide "entertainment" for our host, and I'm not even sure who that is.

[there's a nod.]

One moment. [and truly after a moment they're pulling out their folio of paperwork, flipping through it before handing over a few sheets for her to browse.

it's her contract. they hand it to her, and as she reads it, 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.]

STARLIGHT HOTEL: GUEST PARTICIPATION CONTRACT
This is a contract between Estellise Sidos Heurassein, 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.

PARTICIPANT SIGNATURE: Estellise Sidos Heurassein
HOST SIGNATURE: ̷͍̯͒̄͝ ̸̦͆͜͝ ̶̞̄̓͝ ̷̦̿͊̍ ̶̥̭̗̄̒̕ ̵̼̫̯͋͛̆ ̵̟̤̐ ̷͎͎̎̆̿ ̶̖̣̈́ ̸̻͈͛ ̷̬̿͝ ̸̠͉̹̀

Thank you.

[She takes the sheets in her hands and studies them carefully. Occasionally there's a hitch in her breathing, her eyes widening, but she bites her lip and continues reading to the end before saying anything.]

... Assuming we've all agreed to the same conditions, this means that Sieghart's hostage will be safe, right? Because he succeeded in murdering another "Player," regardless of what came after that.

But then, Flayn's...

...I'm afraid that would be correct. [there really isn't a way to soften the blow on that one.] I'm sorry to say that by the contract, she has not fulfilled the terms.

So to kill someone is to endanger their Hostage, and to accept death is to allow harm to come to your own... When two people come to blows, no matter what the outcome, there's an additional victim.

... That is, unless we can find a way to restore the dead to life...

[they fold their arms over their chest, but they make no moves to take the contract back from her yet.]

Perhaps it would be wise to focus on fulfilling the terms first rather than trying to find loopholes in the verbiage, Miss Heurassein.

[because, yeah, people will die.]

I will. I mean, I'll do my best...

[Her eyes are still on the contract, studying it.]

What does it mean when it says you can make "deals" with us?

[they're patient, though one of their fingers seems to be idly tapping their elbow from where their arms are crossed.]

Players may offer to implement certain changes or rules to the hotel should they be able to provide proper reasoning and justification of its value of entertainment. Essentially, if you can successfully explain why it fulfills the idea of entertainment in agreement with the contract, a deal will be offered.

Changes or rules...? Like what?

Anything that the hotel may find amusing. New items, new locations, changes of habit...things like that.

Like the items in the gift shop?

I wish I could do something to help everyone, but I don't know that it would be very entertaining... considering the only thing I know about the host is that they, um... like murder?

Not necessarily those items, but depending on what you thought of I believe you could at least make a case for yourself.

[there's a pause.]

They do, in fact, like murder. [sigh.] ...an example, if you will. You recall in your trials at the ski lodge you were tasked with voting for a living, guilty party. Here in our hotel, a rule change was proposed prior to your arrival that guests may vote for a dead victim should they see fit. This rule falls under the conditions of the hotel due to the possibility that voting incorrectly for a dead victim would lead to dire consequences.

... I see. So those unknown "dire consequences" are something that the host would find entertaining, and that's why the option is permitted within the terms of our contracts.

Meaning that, for something helpful to meet these conditions, it would have to have a "catch"... Am I understanding that right?

[they nod immediately, straightening up just a little.]

Exactly that. To clarify, not every deal will come through should the justification not meet the, erm, satisfactory benchmarks. So you must have a solid argument to present your case.

[She nods. This is starting to make sense!]

It's kind of like that story, where a mermaid wanted to walk on land, so a witch made a potion to give her legs, at the cost of her voice...

... Oh, but then I'd be the evil witch in this scenario...

You would, but with far less tentacles... [this is kind of quietly said as if they're thinking to themselves.]

Nevertheless, with those conditions in mind I'm sure you can think of something if you really want it badly enough.

That's right... Oh, thinking back to some of the other things that have happened... like when we first got the typewriters, or today's activities...

It doesn't have to be all grim, does it? Sometimes it's more about... sharing things that might be personal, or putting people into situations that may be socially uncomfortable, but not entirely sinister. Those kinds of things count as "entertainment" too, right?

[...hm.]

It's a thin excuse, but I suppose any opportunity that could be twisted into something more gruesome would suffice. Your game today was fairly brutal, wasn't it?

[they are aware that at least one person was shot in the ass and that sounds terrible, actually.]

It certainly was intense in some ways... though, I kind of think everyone was going easy on me...

With someone of your nature, I don't doubt that. Do you suppose that's fair?

I don't know... probably not, to be honest... I wouldn't have blamed anyone if they chose not to hold back.

[there's a nod to that.]

I believe you may have an advantage and a disadvantage here by appearing as non-imposing as you are. But perhaps you can use this to come up with a change to propose.

[if estelle looks nonthreatening, maybe she can engage with others and think of an idea herself without anyone knowing, they mean.]

I wonder... [She looks pretty unsure.]

-- Oh... Do you need this back? Is there any way I can keep a copy? [Holding out the contract.]

AUDIENCE FOR: Estelle

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