OPERATOR.

[guestservices]

OPERATOR

Today, when Tsurumaru is in his bedroom, he will receive a message on his typewriter.

Sorry for the interruption in your routine, but your presence is required.

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

The room looks to be a control area, one wall lined with machinery covered in panels and unlabeled buttons and switches; pushing or pulling them doesn't appear to do anything, however. Prominently, a number of phones are hooked up to the wall as well, with lights on or off to signify their active state.

Cetus is leaning against a different wall, but they hold up a hand in friendly acknowledgment when Tsurumaru enters.

"We don't want you gone for too long, so I'll be getting straight to the point."

They walk over to Tsurumaru and hand him a pen and a paper that reads PARTICIPATION CONTRACT: ADDENDUM.

"Read it carefully and sign it, if you would."

RULES

1. Once a week, the Operator will be required to oversee phone operations in the hotel.
2. The Operator will be given a choice between the available lines to tap into.
3. The Operator will be able to hear a conversation, the nature of which depends on the line chosen.
4. The Operator is not to disclose that they are performing these duties. Discussing them with anyone other than authorized Hotel Staff will be considered breach of contract and will result in the death of LILI AN.

N̸A̵V̴I̶G̶A̶T̴I̴O̸N̷.̷

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

Comments

[guestservices]

I don't know if I'm necessarily happy or unhappy. Depending on the circumstances, it wouldn't be bad to have more work to do.

[preowned]

Ha ha, if only everyone had that work ethic...

[ a pause ]

I need to make sure-- it is likely obvious to the dead that I have extra duties at this point. [ otherwise it makes no sense for the same person to be calling each week. ] Is that fine in regards to Lili An?

[guestservices]

[they hum.]

That's fine—it wasn't something you could help, after all. With that said, if any of them outright asks, it'd be better for you to sidestep. You don't want them to start talking about you in their letters, after all.

[preowned]

It doesn't seem like they have yet, so I assume that works out.

[guestservices]

[they nod.]

Better for the focus to be on what you can discuss with them, rather than the hows of you're able to talk to them.

[preowned]

[ he nods. ]

That makes sense. They're all probably smart, so it'll work out.

[guestservices]

[a beat]

They're hard workers, yes.

[preowned]

Are the rest of you unable to talk to them?

[guestservices]

We're not completely barred from communication, no.

[preowned]

Oh! That's good, it would be terrible if they were lonely.

[guestservices]

Mm-hmm. From the sound of it, while i imagine they miss all of you on this side, they're not lacking in company, at least.

[there's... more dead people...]

[preowned]

Ha ha, no.

A lot of murder did happen.

[guestservices]

A lot of murder did, in fact, happen.

[preowned]

Yeah!

... so, can they die over on that side? Again?

[guestservices]

If they have, I haven't heard about it.

[preowned]

Hm... they can be seriously injured at least...

[guestservices]

They can, yes.

[preowned]

Is there a reason they can't do tasks for healing over there?

[guestservices]

Mm... it's just how things work.

[we didn't want to keep track of more tasks]

[preowned]

[ that's fair ]

Hm, alright... it really is different depending on the place...

[guestservices]

What was it like in your previous one?

[preowned]

Hm... well, at the camp, we could get injured where the dead were, but we were healed shortly after.

[ so like

it hurt, but then they'd be okay. ]

[guestservices]

I see.

... In this case, I imagine the Nightman wanted to up the stakes, by requiring that you give something in exchange for healing.

[preowned]

... I guess that would make sense.

It would not be very "exciting" if you just let the dead rest.

[guestservices]

You'd be correct about that. In fact, the Nightman would probably be happier if the dead couldn't be healed at all.