The Contract

Oh lord.

By Snarky LisaPublished 3 months ago • 3 min read

By signing this contract, you agree to forever be bound by it in some way or another. Even if you manage to feel like you’ve escaped the letter of the terms (and there is a non-zero chance that you will), the spirit will always remain with you — for better and for worse.

First of all: your values are going to be impacted. Whether they’re reinforced, drastically changed, or both, you cannot leave the place this contract covers without having your moral and ethical qualms hit. The zone is designed to make you question your morality, after all.

Maybe you’ll come out of the place inspired to help fight for the greater good, even when it gets tricky. Maybe this could even encourage you to stay and aid the place in question through its wildly swinging highs and lows.

Or…maybe your personal ethics will be pushed to their breaking point the longer you stay in the area. Perhaps you’ll end up doing deeds you never could have possibly thought of before you entered this contract — and as they slowly (or quickly) slip further and further into the deep end, you’ll irreversibly lose your sanity.

Secondly, don’t sign this contract to come into the place expecting peace and quiet. That is going to absolutely destroy you the moment you walk in, as this area thrives on the complete opposite.

Fights aren’t just occasional instances in this zone: they’re the bread and butter that this place is built on. Arguments are spectacles, lashings are stylized, and tension is never, ever done in a way that guarantees a neat resolution. A solid one, maybe. But the most solid resolutions also tend to be the most punitive ones, with justice being served in an uncaring, permanent manner.

That being said, the thrill of the game can also be a decent mood booster if used carefully. There are still plenty of times when the spectacle is more fun than draining. These are the times when the place feels less like a war zone and more like a safely run casino: high energy, high stakes, but also high rewards.

Of course, like a casino, you must be careful not to lose yourself in the thrill either. Indeed, getting addicted to the shock factor of this contract’s place has spelled the downfall of many, many contractors over the years. These unwary signers have come from diverse backgrounds, and have ended up in various positions before sealing their fates from betting far too much.

To minimize the negative effects of this contract, it is critical to build up personal real estate elsewhere. For the love of God — do not rely on this contract’s place as your sole source of friendships, business allies, prizes, or financial gain.

Chances are that whoever you meet here will eventually abandon you, whether they want to or not. It is great to build connections with your colleagues, as they can help you both survive the place and increase your rewards. But investing in them for anything related to permanence has a strong probability of leaving both of you emotionally wrecked down the line.

Overall, the strongest and most clear survivors of this contract are the ones that pick their battles, construct their lives both in and out of the place, and ultimately, once they’re satisfied — leave. Few successful signers decide to remain forever, as the place’s thrill is designed to eventually wear off.

In the end, there are many ups and downs to this contract. Only a select few will ever truly understand them. With all that being said and done, there is one last thing here:

Do you agree to these terms and conditions?