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

WEEK 1

[guestservices]

CHOICE

[guestservices]

[Two phone lines are active this week: Line A and Line B. Tsurumaru is expected to choose one to listen into.

There is no hard deadline for your submission, but ideally have your choice in before Thursday!]

CETUS

[guestservices]

[They are here, leaning against the wall, if you wish to speak with them.]

[preowned]

[ well, after reading the contract he just looks up. ]

Lili An, too?

[guestservices]

Yes.

[their tone is apologetic.]

[preowned]

[ this hotel just hates heterosexuals

but he just sighs. ]

Does authorized staff mean all eight of you?

[guestservices]

It does.

[preowned]

[ hmmm ]

Are there others getting contracts?

[guestservices]

I cannot verify that.

[preowned]

I was expecting that...

[ hm.

well. he's just going to sign. ]

What kind of things might I overhear?

[guestservices]

[they pause, as if thinking over how to word this.]

Private conversations of sensitive natures, to put it broadly.

[preowned]

[ i am glad britt figured out how to get this to work

but unfortunately, tsuru just perks up at that. ]

That seems like it would be either useful or funny.

[ sorry ]

[guestservices]

[their tone is lightly amused.]

May it be one of the two, yes.

[preowned]

Is it just small pieces of conversation?

[ he assumes he is not going to be sitting here listening to an hour long gossip session. ]

[guestservices]

You won't be at the phone for long.

[preowned]

[ a nod... ]

Is it randomly chosen?

[guestservices]

Well, each line is assigned to a specific... category, you could say. You'll have to deduce for yourself what they are, based on the nature of the conversation.

[preowned]

Ah...

[ hmm. ]

So I'll try one line this time, and then another the next time... [ a pause. ] Do you know the game rock, paper, scissors?

[guestservices]

I'm familiar.

[preowned]

If you win, I choose A, and if I win, I choose B.

[guestservices]

[tsuru...]

Sure, why not.

[goes to rng a hand]

[preowned]

[ also rngs a hand ]

On the count of three... one, two, three!

[ paper ]

[guestservices]

[rock!]

[preowned]

[ rock paper scissors is gospel so he is choosing line b ]

[preowned]

Aha! Well, that was easy enough. Maybe you'll win next time.