CALHOUN HOUR - CHOICE

[vivariummods]

It has been two and a half days since the end of the virus takeover. The power, lights, and heating has been turned back on. All the newer areas have been sealed, BP is once again required in certain rooms, and it appears that everything is returning back to normal. Asides from Calhoun. Whether characters have chosen to give pieces of Calhoun to Zero, to hold onto them, or to destroy them, it does not matter. There has been no indications as to when he would ever be back, so there has been a robotic mouse void within the warehouse. Zero has refused to leave any information as to the status of rebuilding Calhoun, but they have left this one message for everyone shortly after the power restoration: "While you may be left alone to your devices, do not trick yourselves into thinking that there is a way out of here, or that you can do as you please. I will always be watching." It has been two days since Zero has left these parting words before entirely disappearing. When attempting to call for them, everyone will only be responded with silence. It's clear that they're still watching over the facility though, as any kind of rule breaking or suspicious activities would automatically be rewarded with an injection of Soporil β. True to their word, Zero is somehow monitoring the behaviors without saying a single word. It is not until the morning of Day 72 does everyone hear again from them again, through the speakers throughout the warehouse. "Good morning, Subjects. Today, you will be partaking in another experiment of mine. It has come to my knowledge that my assistant has been throwing these so-called "Calhoun Hours" every three days to keep everyone stimulated between his rooms. Don't assume that I will do anything similar of the sort. This activity has far more care and thought put into it than this camping nonsense, so let us begin." "The rules are simple: every test subject will be paired up and placed against each other. The collective will then have to vote for one of the pair. The one with the fewest amount of votes will be subjective to a punishment of my choice. The one with the most amount of votes will continue their dull experimental lives until the next set of events." "Any petty attempts of rebellion will be met with serious repercussions, so I would suggest that you rethink any sort of plans." "Now, best of luck, Subjects. We will talk again soon." BASIC INFO ✖ MINGLE ✖ VOTES ✖ RESULTS

Comments

[fairsfair]

[ This is the kind of stuff Zero likes, huh. He's gotta say, he'd take the dumb camping or bingo nonsense over this any day. At least with those, there's a super low chance that anyone will get royally fucked over... ]

[ Sorry, but this is going to be a boring comment where Jake is going to just sit and... eat whatever is in the caf right now, which is probably just gruel. That's a good way of handling this, so come and ask him things ("How can you sit there and eat pizza??"), or find him somewhere else, like the lounge where he's going over his med supplies. ]

[puzzlinglad]

[but how can you just sit there and eat pizza?? aka hershel's going to sit across from him in the cafeteria with a cup of water and nothing else. not really in the mood for pizza right now.]

Well, this is bloody nonsense. [good opener there, hershel.]

[fairsfair]

[ everyone said they were fine by themselves. everyone said that fatso like him would just slow them down... but Hershel's company is welcome, so Jake just continues to eat. ]

That's putting it lightly. Looks like Zero's is upping his games.

[puzzlinglad]

So it does. Maybe this is supposed to be some sort of punishment for not cooperating with him as much as we could have. [he sighs, turning his cup over in his hands idly.] Not that it really matters now. I have the feeling we never would have been able to cooperate enough to make him happy.

[this blows. murdergames blow.] What are you planning on doing?

[fairsfair]

Starting to regret that little bonfire we had with Calhoun's paw? [ maybe they shouldn't have done that but Jake does not regret it (and besides, it was Ema's idea). ] But my plan is to just eat up, in case one of these "punishments" results in no food.

You probably don't have to worry.

[Jake is already getting himself ready to lose hahaha ]

[puzzlinglad]

I think the part where the flaming limbs were trying to chase us is when I started regretting it. [He sounds just a bit amused despite himself. you two are nonsense.] That's a good idea, I wouldn't put it past Zero.

Maybe. [He glances down.] Would you be mad if I voted for you?

[fairsfair]

And here I thought you were having a good time. [ it was pretty awful at the time, but now that he looks back on it, it's a pretty funny story. he'll make sure to tell hershel's mom about it ]

[ and now his joking tone is gone. way to ruin the moment ] And why would you vote for me?

[puzzlinglad]

[you're going to make lucille keel over you punk.] I admit watching Ema defeat one with a mop had it's moments. I still stand by what I said, she's terrifying.

[yup, he ruined everything. he glances to the side.] You've been through a lot lately. You deserve a break.

[fairsfair]

[ all according to keikaku ] She's got guts, that's for sure.

If you didn't know, I'm fully healed up, so I don't need a "break". So thanks, but no thanks.

[puzzlinglad]

[shut up light yagami] That's certainly one way of putting it.

But Jake- [he stops because he's pretty sure nothing he can say would change Jake's mind, and more so he'd probably just piss him off. so he sighs, rubbing the side of his neck.] If you're sure.

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji sat down across from Jake, watching in disbelief as he ate his pizza and didn't share it with Alfendi at all, wow.

"Hey, Jake? What do you want me to do for your pair?"

[fairsfair]

Jake will gladly share it with the comatose Alfendi, shove it down his throat.

"You seriously gotta ask?" He said while not even looking up from his delicious and nutritious meal.

[detectiveofthewest]

do it do it, he'll wake up strangely refreshed

"Well, I'm going around askin' people in general. You sayin' you want to be the exception?" Wow, Jake, how forward. "I figure if it's Hershel, you'd want me to vote for him. And if it's Alfendi, that guy can't take much more before he just keels over for good. But if you got anything in particular you want me to do, then tell me about it."

[fairsfair]

Jake was way too good to Alfendi: carrying him around, bandaging him up, sharing pizza.

"An exception would be nice. It's make me feel special." Hahaha. "Asides from you and Snake, you're probably better off voting for me. You can do whatever you want if it comes down to us, or me and Snake."

He wasn't trying to be all heroic or shit. He was still self-centred but he actually cared about Hershel and Ema, so he wouldn't want them to lose. With Alfendi and Clive, they were injured so it would be a pretty jackass move to have him placed over them (and your image was pretty important in this game of trust...). Then with Sasuke, he suspected he was the youngest of the group and, well, he felt like he owed him something for being a good sport about his whole PTSD nonsense in the Grey Room so that was something. With Snake, they weren't particularly close or anything, since they didn't really talk, and with Heiji, he figured Heiji could handle whatever punishment Zero sent his way.

[detectiveofthewest]

redhead wavelength????

"Yeah? Maybe I'll get one of them gold stars from the store for ya... whenever that's open again." Wow, Jake, look how far you've come, so self-sacrificing. Sort of.

"...Okay. I guess half of us are injured already, anyway, so that kinda makes the choice a little easier. And I figure you know what you're gettin' yourself into." Heiji rubbed at the back of his neck, not looking too pleased about the situation, regardless of what he said.

"Clive asked me to protect the other half of his pair. 'Even if I'm paired with Jake', he said, so I guess ya are a special case, after all." There you go, Jake. He thought you should know that much at least.

[fairsfair]

"Yeah? Aren't his knees all busted up?" As far as what he probably saw real quickly of the idiot. They didn't really talk but there weren't a lot of people in this warehouse anyway so it was easy to keep up with everyone else.

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji nodded. "He can't walk right now. I think... he doesn't want to weigh anyone down. He said something like that to me before, before the camping stuff happened. Told me to leave him behind if he ended up being a burden."

If he had any gruel at the moment, he'd be poking at it. MAYBE HE COULD POKE JAKE'S. "I guess I can kinda understand his reasoning. Seems a little early to be throwin' in the towel to me, though."

[fairsfair]

DON'T YOU DARE POKE HIS GRUEL god, keep your dirty hands to yourself.

"He's asking for trouble if this 'punishment' turns out physical. Heroic sacrifices aren't going to do you anything but get yourself killed." Figure that Jake wasn't too big on that stuff. "We'll see if anything actually happens though." He kind of had a hard time imagining that people wouldn't vote for Clive after his knees are all busted.

[blind_badass]

*After having glorious cooked salmon, going back to the usual gruel was difficult. But it was the only thing available and decisions were better made on a full stomach. Someone else had the right idea.*

Somehow playing a video game and running a maze doesn't seem so bad.

[fairsfair]

In hindsight, but who knows? Maybe Zero's more of a big ol' softie than we think.

[ hahaha probably not but let jake joke around for now ]

[blind_badass]

Yes, I imagine he's a veritable marshmallow under that gas mask. *Snake ate a mouthful of gruel before speaking again.*

Do you have any particular preferences in how I should vote?

[fairsfair]

If it ever comes down to me and you, or Heiji, vote whatever you want. Other than that, don't bother choosing me.

[ Long story short: he didn't want to be chosen over Hershel and Ema since he actually cared about them, not over Sasuke because he's still a kid, and over Clive or Alfendi because that was just going to put him in a bad light with their injuries. ]

[blind_badass]

Duly noted. *Snake canted his head in thought.* What do you think our overlord deems as punishment?

[fairsfair]

Wouldn't put it past him to go physical, but who knows. Maybe he'll try to drown us again in the elevators.

[ What do you think, Snake? Jake isn't very good at conversation so tell him what kind of punishments you think will happen. ]

[blind_badass]

*Snake has noted this but then again, Jake is actually speaking to him more often as of late. So...progress?*

That's a tad morbid. I'm guessing he might go more psychological on us. Or making us hallucinate for a period of time.