vivarium | ambidex voting #3

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ambidex voting #3

A M B I D E X V O T I N G

After escaping your rooms, talking with others, swiping your Ambidex Room cards, and entering, Calhoun appears on the screen to very briefly explain how the AB Voting works (45 minutes to either choose to Ally or Betray, you gain/lose points depending on what your opponent chooses), but to also introduce this round's prizes.

That's right, this round has a whole new set of prizes! They're a bit different from the last round, so listen carefully!

For anyone who chooses Betray, they will be getting a standard first aid kit and a can of food. Calhoun noticed that some of you managed to hurt themselves in the puzzle rooms, so he highly encourages you to take advantage of this one-time opportunity for free medical supplies!

For anyone who chooses Betray and their opponent chooses Ally, you will get a memory regain instead of a can of food! After all, you'll have access to the cafeteria so it won't really be necessary. ~~Unless your name is Clive Dove.~~

For anyone who chooses Ally, well, if your opponent chooses Ally as well, not only will all of your BP increase, you'll even get a gold star of friendship! Doesn't that sound wonderful?

If you're the poor sap that chose Ally and got stabbed in the back, well, sorry, you only lose BP, but maybe Calhoun will have something for you. He likes all of his test subjects, so he won't forget anyone here.

But anyway, happy voting! Calhoun will see all of you later with the results.

BASIC INFO ✖ VOTES + FORMS ✖ PRIVATE POSTS ✖ RESULTS + REACTIONS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Ha! I'm pretty relieved about it myself." Seriously, he'd been pretty sure Jake had been planning to vote Betray.

"We're only gonna get stranger after this," said Heiji. "In here, we don't even know if it's really day or night. But people, they're pretty adaptable. They can get used to pretty much anything, y'know?"

He was still a bit surprised too, to be honest. They lucked out. "In a way I'm still worried for Jake, though. He's so unwilling to trust anyone, and everyone seems wary around him..." He sighed. "I can't blame Clive for it, but I really hope everyone can learn to get along again, Jake included."

"People are a lot more adaptable than I realized, if we're all an example of it. It would be nice to have any idea of the passage of time besides these puzzle rooms- I've been trying to figure out how long we've been here and it isn't very easy." He frowned. "I think it's been well over a week, at least."

Heiji shook his head. "Some people are just like that, I guess. Like tryin' to herd cats." Actually, the image of Hershel wearing a cowboy outfit and trying to rope housecats into moving across wide-open plains was kind of a funny one.

He pointed to his wrist, where there was just the slightest hint of a tan line. "Probably on purpose. Mess with our sense of time, and it makes it that much harder to orient ourselves. Well, even in the absence of light cues, the human body reverts to a circadian rhythm of around 25 hours. You're probably not too far off. Anyway, now that we're clear to enter the cafeteria, how's about we see what's in there?"

Thank you for that image, it will keep me company in dark times. "Sometimes it feels like that's what this game is going to end up being, a study in how to herd a few stubborn, finicky cats."

He nodded. "The timing of the puzzle rooms helps too, I'm sure eventually we'll be able to figure it out better." And that's a very good idea, Heiji. "Yes, let's- having more than a small ration of beans sounds nice, even if I'm sure Calhoun will go out of his way to make sure it's as unappealing as possible." And Hershel paused. "Do you need a hand at all?" Still worried about your leg there, dude, that couldn't be fun to hobble around with.

"It's okay, just let me limp on after ya," said Heiji. "Gotta get used to this sometime, you know?"

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Heiji stuck his spoon into what was ostensibly soup and what more closely resembled congealed cat food. It maintained position. "I take it back," said Heiji. "I ain't feeling so thankful after all."

Hershel regarded his own mystery meat with a soft sigh, wondering if he should be concerned about what died to make such a grey, shapeless looking meal. At least it didn't look human. Probably.

"Honestly I think I miss the beans." Hershel admitted, stabbing at his meal for a moment before putting his fork down. "Remember what we were talking about before, about how humans are very adaptable? Do you think this food is going to get um... more bearable, I suppose?"

Heiji sighed. "Guess it's gonna have to. Okay, down the hatch!" He shoved a spoonful of the mysterious food (?) into his mouth and tried not to make a face.

"Well, it's... edible," he said, downing a gulp of water. "And that means we don't have to be quite as worried about starvin' to death down here. Heck, maybe people will cooperate more now that there's a little less at stake."

Hershel watched this brave warrior take the plunge and try it, impressed at Heiji's nerves of steel. After a moment he looked down at his own, making a determined face as he took a forkful and ate it.

... Ugh. "It's... an acquired taste." Going to gulp down some water too, damn. He coughed as he nodded. "Yeah, that's what I've been hoping. Of course now we're at the point where a betrayal will bring us all down from having access to food again... it may take a round or two for everything to settle more."

He straightened, suddenly remembering something. "Oh Heiji, I've been meaning to ask you if you've ever heard of anything called the Robbers Cave Study or Realistic Conflict Theory."

Heiji grinned; at least he didn't have to suffer through this alone!

"Sure, I've heard of it. In our case, though, we ain't competing in a zero sum game. Maybe that's why it's been a little easier for everyone to work together." Well, everyone whose name wasn't Jake, anyway, but even he'd come around last round.

"But it's definitely true people unite in the face of a shared goal. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' and all that."

Hershel took another sip of his drink as Heiji spoke, obviously considering everything the other was saying. "When Calhoun took me to get my memory back I asked him if they really wanted a natural experiment, and he talked about that Robber's Cave Study. He said um... oh, I guess basically that sometimes he needed to add stimuli to see every possible result?"

"Maybe that's why we've been having some luck, everyone sees Zero as the common enemy rather than each other."

"Every possible result?" This phrase seemed to bother Heiji, who began to half-mutter to himself. "But that doesn't make any sense. Even if you've got a hundred choices, you're only going to see one result. That's why people have computer models to predict future events. Are each of us supposed to be separate players in the scenario? But that would mean at some point they'd shift phases and try to encourage us to work together, wouldn't it?"

He looked at Hershel. "Hey... you ain't gonna say anything nuts like 'maybe this is all a simulation', right?"

"Maybe?" Hershel shrugged with his good arm. "Maybe I worded it wrong... I guess what he was saying is he wanted to see a lot of different reactions? I don't know, honestly most of this is beyond me and Calhoun is vague at the best of times." He sighed. "The one thing I did take from it is he isn't afraid to intervene if he feels like the results aren't to his liking."

Hershel couldn't help a smile at that. "I was thinking more 'it's all a dream?' Maybe we are all hooked up to some other pods and playing a very strange game?" He shook his head, growing serious again. "Honestly I don't know what to think. The only thing I'm fairly sure of is that this really is an experiment of some sort, whether or not Zero is a proper scientist or simply a madman is another matter."

For once, Heiji fell quiet for a fair while. "I got a bad feeling about this," he said finally, then pointed a fork at Hershel.

"Maybe it's just nothin'... but we've already had three rounds of people mostly cooperating. Hershel, be real careful, okay? Don't wander off into some dark corner by yourself. Make sure people know where you are."

Hershel looked a little surprised at Heiji's sudden silence then his comment. It took him a second to understand what Heiji was implying, and his expression clouded a little. "Do you really think..."

He shook his head. "You're probably right, we all have to be very careful no matter what." Says the guy who trusts several people he probably shouldn't. At least he was aware it was probably a bad idea to be that way, even if it didn't stop him from doing so. "You should be too, Heiji. Your leg, afterall."

"I ain't saying anything for sure," said Heiji. "Just... watch out for yourself. We already know these guys are kidnappers, and they've been dangling the threat of death over us, too. We don't know how far they're willing to go to see whatever outcome it is they want."

He laughed and tried patting his injury to show that it wasn't so bad -- only that actually sort of hurt, so he ended up wincing instead. "Ow ow... point taken."

"You're right... And now that Calhoun said something about just replacing people it makes whatever investment they had in us even smaller." Hershel said nothing for a long moment after that, thinking things over before looking back up at Heiji and offering a smile. "We'll have to work extra hard to make sure we can go see London and Osaka, I guess."

Have a raised brow, dude, before he sighed softly. "How is it, your wound I mean? I hope you haven't gotten into any trouble- Light seemed um... upset when I spoke to him."

"That's the spirit!" said Heiji. Although now he was wondering if they had another test site. Maybe people in a different set of rooms, running puzzles of their own... which all sounded ridiculously sci-fi to him.

"I'm doing okay, but I hope Light didn't blow up at you or anything. I mean, it wasn't your fault. Then again, I guess I did kinda get in his face about getting burned." Whoops.

"Oh no, he wasn't pleased but I think he was just frustrated that we all got hurt when they had the same problem. Ema got a cut from the knife in her room, she really wasn't happy about it either." Hershel explained.

And he can't help but smile. "Well, you're friends in a way, right? That's what friends do, get in each other's faces about things like this."

"Yeah? Glad to hear it. Well, that he didn't get too steamed at you -- didn't know Ema got cut." Apparently not very badly, since she hadn't really been favoring anything while helping Heiji.

"Ha, and say 'I told ya so' when someone messes up, too! He got really mad, though. I mean, it coulda been worse. Sure, I gotta lay off it for a little while, but it's not like it nicked an artery or anything. I figure in a week or two, I'll be back on my feet." Heiji frowned a little. "Wonder if I should try sewin' it up?"

"She mentioned it last round but she was very obtuse about it." Hershel sighed. "In fact so was Light when I saw his hand was wrapped... I wish they wouldn't try to hide it, sometimes it helps to have someone take a look. Then again, I guess Ema and Light are more than capable of taking care of themselves, they'd probably be offended if someone tried to fret too much over them." He still wanted to though, it was in his blood.

"I can't blame him, we were stabbed. I keep thinking how lucky we were no one was hit in the neck or an artery..." He shook his head before frowning. "I don't know... don't you really need something more sturdy for stitching a wound than thread? I guess if it just won't close we may need to consider it, if not it's probably better not to. It'd hurt a lot too..." Yeesh, thinking of sewing skin up kind of freaked him out, Heiji you're such a weird adventure dude.

"Oh, that reminds me, I was going to sew up my shirt later, I could do the same for your pants while I'm at it." Guess who's pretty good at shit like this? This guy. His mom taught him well ok. "I'm not sure we're ever going to get the blood out, though."

"You know how to sew?" For whatever reason, this seemed to impress Heiji. "Hey, that's a pretty handy skill to have! I'll take ya up on that offer -- can't have 'em getting caught on something. Who knows when we're going to get a change of clothes?"

He snapped his fingers suddenly. "Oh yeah, sorry about your necktie. Didn't seem like there was a whole lot of time to ask about it. But hey, I bet you could sew that up, too!"

Not that it would ever be the same. RIP necktie :'(

"Oh, well- yes." Hershel looked a little surprised, he didn't think it was a very impressive a skill. Everyone knew how to sew right that's completely normal. "I'm glad Calhoun gave us the kit at least, otherwise I don't want to think about the state our clothes would all end up in." They'd just be hole filled messes at this rate.

He couldn't help some amusement at the fate of his poor, dead as dead can be neck tie. "Don't worry, I think my tie has run it's course. Honestly I assumed I'd be using it for something, though I never expected we'd end up pincushions, of all things. At least it came in handy, and I can keep the two pieces around just incase."

"Well, if ya say so, but let me still buy you a new one when we get out of here" said Heiji, poking at his food some more with his spoon. He frowned at it, then turned it around with a little flourish. "What do you think?"

It was a crude sculpture of a pony running free across the plains, as rendered in gruel. ...Or was it a giraffe?

Edited 2014-08-07 23:34 (UTC)

"You really don't need to, I appreciate the thought though." Hershel tried, he had the feeling if they did get out of here Heiji would still be doing this no matter what, he seemed like that kind of person. He might have commented on that but he needed a moment to be blown away by this incredible show of artistic merit that was a giraffe?? A horse?? Maybe a weird looking table with a head??

He's trying really hard not to laugh, alright. "It's um... It's a... horse?" Ok he can't help but laugh a little what a friend. "I'm really, truly alarmed that the food is so congealed that something that artistic is possible. Maybe I was wrong about you, maybe you're a starving art student who ran into trouble with a gun once or twice."

"Hey, it's clearly a zebra," Heiji protested. "See the stripes?"

And indeed, there were... er, bacon bits? Arranged rather haphazardly on the sculpture's body. They could be stripes. Maybe.

In any case, Heiji was just going to go along with the joke. "Yeah, I bet I got held up when they wanted to make off with my latest creation. But a true artist can't just give away inspiration. It's like their life!"

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