CALHOUN HOUR - WOULD YOU RATHER

[vivariummods]

The morning of Day 6 starts off with a loud siren. Said siren keeps on going for five long seconds before a terribly scratchy voice comes on. "Uuuuuup and at 'em, test subjects! No sleeping in today, so all of you come on down to the lobby, unless you want to hear some more of siren_001.mp3!" True to Calhoun's word, that terrible alarm will continue to go off until everyone gathers in the newly lit lobby. With all the florescent lights now on and working, it's clearer to see just how dull this warehouse is. Everything is a boring metallic colour, there are plates covering up any windows, and every door remains shut tight (other than the one leading to the Greenhouse). The elevators have gone back to being closed off from entry, and standing tall and right in front of them is Calhoun. Two suspiciously clothed tables stand on either side of him, with objects clearly under those sheets. "Sssssssssssssso! I think it's about time we tried something new around here. I'd like to introduce you to something call 'Calhoun Hour'! I've done a few of these before, so I know how to run a real fun one!" He snickers into his paws for a suspiciously long time, then looks back up. "Today's is called 'Would You Rather'. Yeah, yeah, I know, boring title, but I'm a mouse, not some poetic title maker. Anyway, it's pretty simple. We play a few rounds where I give you two choices and you tell me which one you'd rather do. Here's the catch though: I'm pairing you all up, asides from this one comatose test subject, and you're going to give me your decision together as a pair. So, I'll get three votes in total. I'll tally them up and see which is the most popular choice. The teams who didn't choose that choice will now be forced to do it!" He puts up a paw and waves his entire arm back and forth, as if cutting the air. He stops for a few seconds though, mid-wave, then resumes right away. "No ifs, no buts, no ums, you gotta do it! Think I won't keep you all here until you get it done? Because I will, but don't think about trying to cheat the game by all agreeing to the same thing so there are no losing parties. I better see a losing party, all right?" Calhoun then lowers his arm then walks over to a table put his paws underneath the cloth (tippy-toeing to reach...) and pulls out a few sheets of paper. He walks around to hand them out, sometimes missing and just tossing the sheets into midair, but paying it no mind. "This will tell you who you're paired up with and your first round, so get to it! You got ten minutes to decide!"

Comments

[fushuuu]

That was a punch. Rodents can't complain anymore.

[toybombs]

[She shakily brings a hand to her face as though to check before finally giving a relieved sigh.]

Th-thank you...

[toybombs]

[...nooooo.]

I can't, I can't! They're too gross!

[toybombs]

[U-uuu...

She just stares at him with a look that's an odd mix of horrified and bashful.]

[fushuuu]

[just going to continue to stand here

if looks could kill then this corner would be a giant steaming pile of rubble

anyway all of this came from him trying to open his fat mouth so he's just gonna keep it shut for now, sorry she has to deal with such a failure at all things]

[formicarium]

[ Calhoun has been successfully knelled down and having a tail stepped on, but he looks up at Kaidou, fuming. ]

You two are the only ones who are going to regret anything!

[ He doesn't do anything in particular, but right after he finishes shouting, both Ellie's and Kaidou's bracelets will give out a powerful shock. Nothing strong enough to get them electrocuted, but definitely enough to be painful enough to get them to back off (and quite possibly leave a first-degree burn). ]

[fushuuu]

...You really prefer the sewage?

[fushuuu]

[he shrugs awkwardly]

You don't need to thank someone for not hitting you. That should just be taken as a given.

[fushuuu]

Fffuughhh!

[stumbles back a bit, trapped between the urge to fight back and the urge to cradle his left wrist, it feels like a line of fire blooming beneath the bracelet. In the end he splits the difference, getting distance between him and Calhoun and bringing his left arm to his chest, his right holding his tennis racquet like a ward in front of him.

Once it occurs to him, his eyes flick to Ellie, then over to Rio and Atsuro, to see if he wasn't the only one to be hurt]

[toybombs]

[They can just stay in awkward silence until the vote, then. At least a kiss is better than a punch...?]

[toybombs]

[She gives a shudder.]

I can't do that one, either!

[toybombs]

B-but after I hit you...

[H-he isn't mad about that, is he...?]

[elliexir]

[ Rio and Atsuro's bracelets don't go off, but unfortunately, Ellie's does. She lets out a yelp and jumps back (letting go of Calhoun's tail as a result), instinctively placing a hand over her bracelet. As if having a sliced up left hand isn't bad enough, having a burned left wrist makes it ten times worse. ]

[ She hisses and cradles her wrist up to her chest, bending forward a bit. ]

Ow-- what the fuck?!

[fushuuu]

[all things considered he is honestly unsure if that is true]

[fushuuu]

We have to pick one. And if one other group doesn't agree, then we don't have to do it. That's the rules, right?

[fushuuu]

I've had worse.

[...not that he can remember then but whatever]

[1st_response_is_anger]

I'm pretty sure that's not an option, but this choice is stupid anyway. *Man, was she going to have to kiss the nutjob?*

[1st_response_is_anger]

I think it's more than that...but I'm not a psychologist so I don't know where this is all going.

[fushuuu]

[just keeps glaring at Calhoun, so that's how it is... with a snort of disgust, he calls out to Ellie, gesturing with his racquet back towards 'safety', or at least away from the mouse]

Forget this. Come on.

[elliexir]

Same...

[ Ellie doesn't know how to feel about the whole thing, asides from being annoyed, upset, and all related emotions. ]

... What are you going to do?

[fushuuu]

Yeah, it's not. The robot's made that clear.

[he folds his arms, the skin under his bracelet red and blistered]

...Seems like you've got the worst of it, though.

Re: DISCUSSION

[1st_response_is_anger]

*Yep, this got a lot worse in a hurry.* Neither!

[formicarium]

[ Calhoun stands up and dusts himself off. His tail sways back and forth, and he stomps his back paws on the ground. ]

You better run off, test subjects! You're lucky that's all I did.

[formicarium]

Booooooooooooring!!

[ Did you want a mouse shouting at you? Sure you do. Here's that mouse shouting at you. ]

What kind of show would that be, test subject, if you just sit around doing nothing?

[elliexir]

[ Ellie nods at Kaidou, and starts to walk back to where they originally were. She doesn't say anything to Calhoun, but she does give him the good ol' finger before she leaves. ]

[ She then goes back to cradling her wrist. She looks annoyed and pissed at the whole thing, but also ashamed for the plan failing. ]

So much for that.