HOUSEKEEPER.

[guestservices]

HOUSEKEEPER

Today, when Harrowhark is in her bedroom, she will receive a message on her typewriter.

You didn't think you'd just get to laze around all day, did you? Get up. You've got a job to do.

Immediately after she finishes reading the message, she will feel compelled to walk into the elevator, inside which a shadowy elevator attendant appears as a guide. Once she arrives at the destination, she will find herself in a room.

It looks vaguely like a combination of office and supply closet, with shelves against one wall that have a variety of labeled boxes on them - "Cleaning Supplies," "Linens," "Poisons," "Uniforms," and so on. Normal stuff. Along the other wall, there is a desk with ink, a quill, some papers, and a few binders. Two chairs are in font of it, in case Harrowhark would like to take a seat.

Vulpecula is standing by the entrance, their arms crossed, and they give a little huff as she passes through the entryway.

"About time. Okay, let's make this quick, before anyone notices you're gone."

They procure a few pages that are bound together, then flip to the very last one and hold it out to her. It's labeled PARTICIPATION CONTRACT: ADDENDUM.

"Read this over and familiarize yourself with it. This isn't a negotiation, so you'll either sign it or you won't - but if you won't, you might not like what happens next."

RULES

1. Once a week, after at least one murder has been committed but before the discovery of the victim (or victims), you will perform housekeeping duties.
2. These duties will be performed in exchange for THE BODY's safety. If these duties are not performed, THE BODY shall be wiped from existence.
3. Prior to the murder(s), you will choose three (3) guests whose personal rooms you will visit. This choice will be communicated to Vulpecula, who will ensure that you are granted access to these rooms.
4. On Thursday night, you will be responsible for searching your three chosen rooms for any evidence that the occupant may have committed a murder. Any such evidence must be deposited in the housekeeper's cart in the Housekeeping Room.
5. You must select a minimum of one belonging from each room to put into the housekeeper's cart, whether evidence of a murder is found or not. You may select more than one item from each room if you wish.
6. Once you have made your selections, be sure to clean the rooms thoroughly, change out the linens, and make the beds. Be sure to include a mint on the pillow. Customer service is key!
7. You may encounter a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on one or more doors in the course of your duties. If that is the case, you will not be able to enter, but will still be given credit for performing your duty in that room.
8. You are not to disclose that you are performing these duties. Discussing them with anyone other than authorized Hotel Staff will be considered breach of contract and will result in the destruction of THE BODY.

N̸A̵V̴I̶G̶A̶T̴I̴O̸N̷.̷

█ LOCATIONS █ STATUSES █ PROFILES █ AUDIENCES
█ REPORTING █ PRIVATE CONVOS █ MURDER

Comments

[guestservices]

I see... I never really had attendants before. [a beat.] And now, I guess I am an attendant? Funny how that works out!

[outsidebones]

It is a fine occupation. But I was always preoccupied with the affairs of running the House, as well as my studies.

[guestservices]

[they come to a stop in front of harrow's room. could they just open the door themselves? maybe, but it's her private space, so that would be rude.]

What did you study, anyway? ...death stuff?

[outsidebones]

Death stuff, yes.

[she says, slightly...disheartened by this description.]

Necromancy is the art of manipulation of thanergetic and thalergetic fields. Thalergy is the energy of life - the reproduction of cells, the growth of living organisms, etc. Thanergy is the energy of death and decay. Most obviously, the death of a complex organism, and ideally the death of a complex sentient organism, as these are the creatures that have ghosts and their deaths therefore produce a significantly greater amount of thanergy. However, all living and once living things produce some degree of thanergy. As we speak, our cells are decaying; we are aging. And a corpse, though long dead, is still also in the process of decay, and therefore new thanergy is being emitted.

My specialities lie in the last. Flesh decomposes quickly, but it takes bone a long time to decay. As such, they are incredibly powerful reservoirs for thanergy if one has the patience to manipulate them. It is less flashy than some schools but it is reliable and self-sustaining. I carry ancient bone with me everywhere I go, and thus unlike some necromancers who must seek out death to be able to use their skills, I always have a reliable source of power.

[guestservices]

Thalergy, thanergy...

[vulpecula repeats the words under their breath, as if trying to commit them to memory, and listens attentively as harrow explains. well... probably, anyway. their face is turned toward her, it's just hard to tell how much attention they're paying because of the veil.]

What's important isn't that it's flashy, right? It's that it's effective. Thinking of it that way, those other necromancers you just mentioned seem sort of... [...stupid...] ...shortsighted?