I actually wanted to ask you about Alphi, though. He was supposed to do the task for healing, right? He wanted to help me, so I'll do it for him, if that's okay.
In that case, I would point you in the direction of Shinobu. [a pause.] Miss Kocho. She messaged me last night to take over from where the task fell through.
[they reach for their folio of papers, rifling through it before pulling out a small stack and handing it to kazunari.
it's his contract. as he reads it, the words sound familiar, like he's read them before; additionally, the signature at the bottom matches his own perfectly. he will know instinctively that this is the contract that he signed, and that he is bound by its terms.]
This is a contract between Kazunari Miyoshi, 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.
I figured it might be. But as long as you guys all get home safely, and whoever you might have come for too, then that's enough for me. You all deserve a good ending, just like the rest of us.
Why not? You're all here for your own reasons. This whole thing took you away from your lives, same as us. Doesn't everyone deserve a chance to go home?
I think... that I don't want to give up on finding way to help them so easily. It might take a while to find answers, just like it did in the prism, but that doesn't mean there isn't any way at all.
And I know there's no guarantee that we will find it, even if there is a way. But it's not something that I can let go of just yet.
Is it? [ what does that mean? ] I don't know. It just took a while to hear from them before, so I think they could still be somewhere, just... out of reach. Besides, wouldn't it be an entertaining twist if they come back later?
[ there's that teasing sparkle in his eye for a just a moment before he glances away, expression dimming a bit. ]
Can I ask you something else? I'm not even sure if you'll be able to answer, but... the person who got away yesterday. If they were controlled by the shadows, what will happen to them now? Will the shadows keep messing with them, or... are they free, now that they've killed someone?
You would think, but that doesn't fall in line with what the Host finds entertaining. [kazu's teasing, slightly, but gemini sounds a bit subdued about that.]
...it's difficult to say. We can't quite determine yet if the shadows have even left them or where they might have gone next. But regardless of what happens to them, their hostage is now considered safe.
Guess I'll have to agree to disagree, then. Comedy's more my thing, anyway.
Is there a way for you to find out? Or a way for someone to help them, if the shadows don't go away. I... I want to be able to help, like someone helped me in the prism. I know it's not the same here, but if there's any chance, I want to try.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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It's better than some I've received. Despite the fact we aren't allowed room to be picky, I would say that this is more favorable. Thank you.
[and so the painting goes away to somewhere safe.]
How may I help you?
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[ beams! he's delighted! ]
I actually wanted to ask you about Alphi, though. He was supposed to do the task for healing, right? He wanted to help me, so I'll do it for him, if that's okay.
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...while I admire your gumption and approach, you needn't worry. Someone came to me yesterday to take up the task in his stead for your healing.
[sometimes...people are still good.]
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...Am I allowed to know who? I owe them a thank you, at the very least.
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In that case, I'll thank her as soon as I can.
While I have you here, could I see the contract? I want to read the whole thing.
1/2
[they reach for their folio of papers, rifling through it before pulling out a small stack and handing it to kazunari.
it's his contract. as he reads it, the words sound familiar, like he's read them before; additionally, the signature at the bottom matches his own perfectly. he will know instinctively that this is the contract that he signed, and that he is bound by its terms.]
2/2
This is a contract between Kazunari Miyoshi, 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: Kazunari Miyoshi
HOST SIGNATURE: ̷͍̯͒̄͝ ̸̦͆͜͝ ̶̞̄̓͝ ̷̦̿͊̍ ̶̥̭̗̄̒̕ ̵̼̫̯͋͛̆ ̵̟̤̐ ̷͎͎̎̆̿ ̶̖̣̈́ ̸̻͈͛ ̷̬̿͝ ̸̠͉̹̀
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...So Clem and Sieg's hostages, and whoever Bucky took the fall for. They're definitely going to be okay? No matter what else happens?
[ that's the only thing that could make it better. ]
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That would be correct. So long as they've taken a life, regardless of their own endings their hostage will be free at the end of the term.
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[ though it still sucks that anyone had to die ): ]
...Did you have to sign a contract, too?
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I figured it might be. But as long as you guys all get home safely, and whoever you might have come for too, then that's enough for me. You all deserve a good ending, just like the rest of us.
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What makes you so sure of that though?
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Why not? You're all here for your own reasons. This whole thing took you away from your lives, same as us. Doesn't everyone deserve a chance to go home?
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And again I have to ask, what makes you so sure? What makes you think we were taken from our lives rather than accepting a job we were qualified for?
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And I know there's no guarantee that we will find it, even if there is a way. But it's not something that I can let go of just yet.
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...might I ask you something, Mister Miyoshi? What will you do if you actually cannot find those answers?
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I suppose if that's how you feel, there isn't anything to deter you yet. [and that's not a bad thing, considering there's still acceptance.]
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[ there's that teasing sparkle in his eye for a just a moment before he glances away, expression dimming a bit. ]
Can I ask you something else? I'm not even sure if you'll be able to answer, but... the person who got away yesterday. If they were controlled by the shadows, what will happen to them now? Will the shadows keep messing with them, or... are they free, now that they've killed someone?
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...it's difficult to say. We can't quite determine yet if the shadows have even left them or where they might have gone next. But regardless of what happens to them, their hostage is now considered safe.
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Is there a way for you to find out? Or a way for someone to help them, if the shadows don't go away. I... I want to be able to help, like someone helped me in the prism. I know it's not the same here, but if there's any chance, I want to try.
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