CALHOUN HOUR - ESCAPE

[vivariummods]

When characters begin to wake up, instead of finding themselves in the usual warehouse, they will instead find themselves in an a very unfamiliar area. Maybe they'll wake up alone, or maybe they'll wake up with someone else. Either way, the biggest point is that they're in God-knows-where and it's the start of a new Calhoun Hour. Within seconds later, a familiar voice booms throughout the loud speakers. "Ahem, testing, testing! Hello, can you all hear me?" It's, without a doubt, your favourite robotic mouse, Calhoun. As usual, he sounds a cheery as ever. "Wow, isn't this familiar? It's almost like the first time we've met, you know. Test subject in a new location, maybe alone or maybe with someone else, my charming voice rings throughout the room, trying to drown you all in an elevator. Good times!" "Well, anyway, welcome to your new Calhoun Hour! You can see that I've taken the liberty to move you all to a more suitable location. You may not know it, with how small your brains are, but you're all stuck in a maze! I've had my fair share of running around in mazes, you know, being a mouse and all, so I want to return to favour to you humans! So, you know the drill: explore, look around, try to escape, blah blah blah, I don't need to explain all this! Just get to it! Who knows, maybe the exit here is an exit out to the real world. I might be generous like that, if you manage to find it. If not, well, I guess you can all starve here!" He snickers, then pauses. Suddenly, a loud gunshot-like sound rings throughout the speakers, and Calhoun screams again. "Let's get started!" BASIC INFO ✖ ESCAPE ✖ POST-EVENT MINGLE ✖ TURN-IN

Comments

[not_that_sasuke]

He's only too happy to oblige, dropping the pair of Calhoun sunglasses and marching straight out the door. He feels vaguely unclean.

"So, where to next?"

[detectiveofthewest]

Hmm, good question. Heiji ducked his head quickly into the next room, but it was mostly empty. "Guess that just leaves one door I ain't been through yet."

Which was how he found himself in the hallway at P-24. The door opened; he stepped inside. "Doesn't look like there's much in here, either..."

[not_that_sasuke]

"Just that button." Wonder what on earth it could be for...?

He pretty much immediately regrets the thought once the door clicks locked behind him. He turns the moment he hears the sound, trying to open it again despite knowing that it's probably pointless. He only stops once the recording begins to play.

Really, Zero? Really?

"...You push it."

[detectiveofthewest]

"No way! You push it!" Yeah. Great. It was Team Heroic Sacrifice.

There was no way he was going to push the button on Sasuke, okay. That was ridiculous.

[not_that_sasuke]

Like he's going to push the button on Heiji, either.

"I'll be fine." Probably. "It'll be better if you pushed it."

[detectiveofthewest]

"Ain't you still injured from that Generator Room?" You can't hide the truth from him, Sasuke!!! He fussed over you!

"I'm not injured at all, and you need to look after yourself still. So you push it."

[not_that_sasuke]

"That stopped hurting a long time ago. It's not going to kill me if I get hit by one more trap." Geeze.

"Besides, you're the one who knows iai-do. What if someone needs help defending themselves? I can't use weapons." Or won't, rather.

[detectiveofthewest]

"Don't give me that! You'd totally say it didn't hurt even if it did hurt!" He has your number, Sasuke.

But that was a pretty good point. "But there's no guarantee that physical strength is going to help against whatever hazards come up. If it's something like that trap that got Jake, knowin' how to swing a sword isn't gonna help."

[not_that_sasuke]

...Okay, so maybe Heiji has a point, but. "Really. It didn't hurt too badly." He's had worse.

"It's not just physical strength, though. You have supplies, and you know how to use it all creatively to help the others. You're quick on your feet, too--

I can't do half of that, and I'm not as good at any of it as you. It's better for everyone if you're the one who escapes."

[detectiveofthewest]

"Okay, seein' as how I'm so resourceful, how do you know I wouldn't be better at dealing with the 'consequences' than you?"

DIGGING IN HIS HEELS YOU CAN'T STOP HIM, HE CANNOT BE STOPPED

"In any case, I ain't pushing that button." He paused. "Unless we push it together. There's no rule against that, right?"

[not_that_sasuke]

"I'm good at tolerating pain. I'd be fine." He went through two rooms with Jake, he can now handle any kind of trap this place feels like throwing at him.

"...Do you think it will work?" Like... he'd be willing to try, but given how this place usually operates...

[detectiveofthewest]

"Beats me," said Heiji, quite honestly. "But if we played rock-paper-scissors like ya did with Jake, then we'd both just try to lose, right? And even if we did follow the rules like I did for Truth or Dare, there's no guarantee Calhoun won't just screw us over if he wants, anyway."

HE PICKED TRUTH, MAN. HE PICKED TRUTH.

[not_that_sasuke]

And so did Sasuke, so you know what.

Sure.

"...Alright, fine. We'll press it at the same time." How badly could it possibly go?

Incredibly badly but shhh let's not think about that.

He'll walk up to the button, pausing in front of it to wait for Heiji.

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji pushed the button at the same time as Sasuke.

"Be ready for anyth--" he said, just before gas started pouring into the room. He held out for a little while, sure, long enough to grab his cloth bag and dunk it in his water bottle to serve as a makeshift mask to offer to Sasuke.

But then he'd just kind of crumple to the floor and remain out for at least half an hour. Awesooome.

[not_that_sasuke]

Yeah he honestly should have seen this coming. As with before, he takes a breath and tries to hold it as long as possible, shaking his head when offered the mask. But in the end, he too succumbs to the sleeping gas and is out like a light.

They rock at this.

[detectiveofthewest]

When Heiji regained consciousness, he did so gradually, sleep-talking a little. "No... quit it..." he mumbled, smiling as he rolled over on the tiles.

Heiji half-swatted playfully at whoever or whatever it was he was talking to with his right hand. "Dummy..."

He looked pretty happy...

[not_that_sasuke]

He's definitely groggy when he awakens, but he's silent when he does, slowly becoming more alert to his surroundings once again. Right, they pushed the button at the same time and got gassed and--

...Now Heiji's sleep talking?

There's a definite pause, but he eventually reaches out and shakes Heiji by the shoulder. Time to rise and shine, dude.

[detectiveofthewest]

But why did Sasuke hesitate though, was he hoping to hear more embarrassing things.

It didn't matter, though, because Heiji reached out and hugged Sasuke in his sleep. Ninja capture complete. "Mngh..."

[not_that_sasuke]

He was mostly confused, but that's got nothing on his surprise when he's hugged. He actually freezes up for a second out of shock.

"...Heiji. Wake up." His arm is still free, so he'll try shaking him again, if a bit less gently this time.

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji grumbled in his sleep as Sasuke shook him, but eventually he opened his eyes. "Geez, okay. Can't a guy sleep in once in -- Sasuke?"

He blinked blearily at Sasuke and loosened his grip. "What're... oh, right, the button."

Heiji sat up and let out a long yawn, apparently not too bothered by the close encounter. "Man. Okay, new rule. Follow the rules if it's automated."

[not_that_sasuke]

He's calm enough as he moves away from Heiji, but he's clearly not a touchy-feely person. He isn't Yuusuke, he doesn't really do the whole random hugs out of nowhere thing.

"...I wonder if the doors are still locked."

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji took a moment to stretch widely and yawn again. Sasuke, though. Apparently he and hugs did not mix, poor guy.

"Dunno. Let's try 'em and see."

[not_that_sasuke]

He'll head for the door on the left, then. Let's see if it will--

--Nope. The handle doesn't even budge.

"This one's still locked."

[detectiveofthewest]

"Hold on, hold on," said Heiji, stifling another yawn as he stood in front of the other door. "There's a riddle on this one.

'Throw out my outer.
Keep my inner.
Eat my outer.
Throw out my inner.
What am I?'

I think I heard this one before, actually."

[not_that_sasuke]

Sasuke's probably a little too literal-minded to be much good with riddles like this, unfortunately. He walks over curious. "What's the answer?"