vivarium | THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Sometime early in the morning (or at least what feels like it, considering that there aren’t any clocks around), Calhoun will scream into a megaphone to wake everyone up. He won’t explain what’s going on, but he will say that he has a surprise for everyone. What is it? Well, they won’t know until they get up! So, everyone line up by the hallway’s door!

He’ll be calling everyone into a “☆ SECRET ROOM ☆” one by one, and spending a few minutes with them. In this room, it’ll be nothing but a table, two chairs, a metal cabinet, and a lone lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. Anyone who’s seen enough cop shows will notice that this is an interrogation room. Granted, there’s a sleeping pod in the corner of the room (rather similar to the same device that returns memories) and this room is a pretty fictional interrogation room as the real things aren't so hardboiled, but Calhoun is a fan of cop dramas and he only has so much power, so this is what he went for.

Anyway, in here, Calhoun will do one of two things:

1) Reveal an unpleasant secret about them. Of course, it might sound fictional at first, but then he’ll go into his little cabinet and pull out a folder to back up his claims. These reports don’t look fake, and well, just think of what the others might think if they heard of this. Sure, you can deny it all you want, but what about your fellow test subjects? How can they ever see you in the same light again? Even if you attempt to convince them otherwise, this will forever linger in the back of their minds. They might even start turning against you, and while Calhoun’s a pretty nice mouse, he can’t do anything to stop you silly test subjects from doing something dramatic.

2) Grant them the fragment of a memory. What a kind mouse Calhoun is being, giving you a freebie! They’ll be placed in a pod, as per the usual, and given part of a memory. The problem is this freebie cuts off at the worst possible time, and any begging, threats or inquiries into the matter are only going to be met by Calhoun’s snickers. It would be awful if something happened and you could never find out if your dear friend Timmy ever got out of that well, right? A real tragedy. Oh well, too bad for you, buddy.

Once Calhoun has called everyone one by one into this “☆ SECRET ROOM ☆” of his, he will gather all the test subjects up, stand on counter of Calhoun’s Corner and make an announcement.

“Listen up, test subjects! While yesterday’s round of Bingo was all fun and games, it’s time to spice things up around here! This is starting to get really bland, like oatmeal bland, and my Master has given me the go ahead to shake things up.”

“Some of you, I've told you a dark, spooky secret, while for the rest, I've shown you a little memory! Who got what, though, no one knows! But you know who you are and you know what you have to lose.”

“So what was the point of all this? Welllllll, like I've said, it’s so boring here, that I’m giving you the chance to redeem yourselves of this sinful dullness. How, you wonder?”

“Give me a show.”

“I think you all know me well by now, what entertains me and what I like to see. So, give me the performance of a lifetime by the end of the next AB Voting round! Of course sooner is better, because you never know if I’m gonna like these plans of yours, but go ahead, take your time! I mean it’s not like there’s much I can do, excepppppt…”

“I can just reveal those little secrets of yours to everyone! Don’t think you can just shrug it off as something I've made up too. I’ll spread out those reports and all the evidence for everyone to see, and we’ll see how long it takes for them to turn on you.”

“And those with a memory, don’t sigh in relief, because you’re not safe either! I’ll ensure that you will never get the rest of that memory I showed you. You can wonder for the rest of your lives what really happened. If you think it’ll be as simple as just asking around when you get out, think again. You’ll never know the whole truth unless you remember it yourself, since this mouse can get his paws in the outside world’s evidence.”

“What if one of you manages to entertain me? Well, not only will you get your full memory back, but everyone’s memories and secrets will be safe! They won’t be getting anything back, but maybe one day, and you’re the one who did all the work, those ungrateful cads!”

“Well, I think that’s about it. Toodles! You know where to find me if you have any questions or love letters for me.”

He winks at the crowd (looking at you, Zelos), then hops off the counter, back into the safety of his shop.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

((OOC: This is because of what Calhoun did to him and I assume he told everyone but you can feel free to just use his real name.))

Opting for my real name instead of my new moniker? I feel like I need a snake's calculation to know what will make Calhoun pleased.

Does it bother you? Our names are basically the only things we have that are ours here. I didn't know if you wanted to give it up that easily.

It's odd but I feel rather comfortable with this name. So it's possible that it might also be one of my actual names. If so, I wonder where it sprang from.

Have you thought about what kind of show to put on?

Puppet, maybe. I'm sure we can dig up a few socks around here somewhere. What are your thoughts on preparing 'entertainment' for our captors, Snake?

Perhaps if it were along the lines of a Punch and Judy show. I'd been considering fight someone for entertainment and for everyone to bet on. Calhoun seemed rather eager to poke fun at my blindness during that video game.

[she grimaces at the idea (not that he can see it), and (as usual) answers in a somewhat different direction]

Doesn't seem as though it would be much of a fight. I mean, I feel like you'd take out the challengers too easily!

*It is JUST the right answer though, as it does pop his smoldering anger into being smugly pleased.* You see? Everyone is so worried but I'm positive that I couldn't have taken care of myself as well as I do without being able to defend myself just fine. Jake didn't want to take me up on the offer and I think it would have made for a fine show.

You seem to be a cool, analytical sort, Ema. Of everyone else in this game, since Jake won't cooperate, who would make the best opponent for me to fight?

I...

[ughhh unsure how to feel about this]

Well... What's your fighting style? If nothing else, you should try to find ones that match. Fists versus Heiji whacking you on the arms with his practice sword is not exactly prime viewing.

...What's the big deal with wanting to fight anyway? Did you remember you're secretly in UFC or something?

I confess it's the first idea that popped into my head. If in fact I am actually a UFC fighter, I might have just been promoted to the coolest person here.

The problem is, the rat wants us as each other's throats as part of a show. Fighting would be the most ideal but...perhaps there's another kind of competition we could do.

Is the rat even that into fighting? I mean, look at what we've been tasked with thus far, the bingo topics, the stupid movie even. It seems more just into making people uncomfortable than actual combat. I feel like there's probably some way around this that includes a minimum of bludgeoning damage.

So doing something that makes a lot of people uncomfortable but the rat enjoys? *Okay, he's seriously listening now.* Hmmm. What kind of show could we put on that would do that?

Something...dramatic. Melodramatic. Something out of a soap opera...

*This is sounding better all the time.* With lots of betrayals and backstabbing.

Of course! Lives shattered, relationships dashed in an instant! Demonic possessions!

I think this is a much better idea than me getting punched in the face. Let's plot, my dear Ema.

Trust me, face-punching is much better when couched in a coherent narrative to engage the audience.

Ahhhh, I see where you're going. You need to build the emotional impact between characters so that the physical impact hurts more.

[she smiles, reaching up and patting him on the cheek.]

Love hurts, after all.

Indeed it does. I have a few ideas about that... *They spend a lot of time in quiet conversation.*

((OOC: I figure that's a good place to end that.))

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

You can call him Snake now

ah i figured she didn't know because...paying attention... :')

Hehe

best detective :|b

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