vivariummods: (Default)
vivarium mods. ([personal profile] vivariummods) wrote in [community profile] revivarium2019-05-16 09:25 pm

02. the nonary game


the nonary game
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【 awakening. 】
It's difficult to say what you might notice first. It might be the discomfort of the cold and hard concrete floor that you find yourself on. It might be the old musky and damp air, riddled with something similar to the smell of mold. Or, if you woke up later, it might be the reactions from your fellow prisoners.

Pushing yourself up from the dirty floor, you'll quickly find that you're no longer in your warm bed back in your cottage or wherever you were prior to this moment. Once again, you find yourself in a new area, but it's immediately clear that this is not as nice as your last awakening. Rather than the warm and bright sun shining down on you, half-functioning lights flicker on and off sporadically and instead of the vast openness of the island, you're in a cramped tiny cell with some of your fellow islanders.

The cell just barely fits three people in it. Although a lack of a bed gives everyone more room for people to stand in, the sink and toilet will uncomfortably get in someone's way. It's highly likely that you might have been asleep on top of someone else or at least had a foot or hand in your face. It's difficult enough to stand in here without hitting someone when raising your arm halfway. There's no way you would have all been asleep on the floor without some limbs crossing over each other.

You can try to shake the bars or the door but you'll find them much tougher than they look. Despite their aged appearance, no amount of kicking, punching, or shaking will get them to budge. With the bars wide open though, you can directly see the cell in front of you and diagonally from you. Perhaps it is at this moment that you realize that everyone is wearing a strange bangle around their left wrist. When you look down at your own wrist, you notice that you have one too.

It's a thick black bracelet with a digital screen. Just like the cell bars, no amount of force will get it off and hitting it against a surface does nothing but activate a high-pitching beeping sound that does not stop until you do. It might be a good idea to heed to the beeping sound as it sounds... alarming and hopefully, someone will be able to stop you before it beeps faster and louder. Once you take the time to examine it, you will find the following details:

    ✖ There is no apparent clasp holding the bracelet together.

    ✖ On the face, there's a screen. Perhaps it's far more appropriate to call it a watch, but whatever it is, it displays a single number in red.

    ✖ On either side of the bracelet is a button. Pressing both at the same time will change the screen and give a timer that counts down from 27 minutes. Pressing either button once will allow you to go through the profiles of your fellow prisoners, starting with their name and the same pixel sprite that was displayed on their cottage door. Turning either button will scroll through the profiles and read the details.
Well, that's that. Asides from fiddling with the buttons, there's nothing you can do about the bracelet itself. Maybe it's best to start getting used to your new cell. After all, who knows how long you'll be trapped here for.

【 greeting. 】
Once the timer counts down to 18 minutes, the monitors in each cell will flicker on. Immediately, a hooded figure with a gas mask appears on the low-quality screen. With the monitor tilted downwards, it almost appears as if they're watching you.

"Life is simply unfair, don't you think?"

The voice comes out cold, mechanical, and distorted. They're clearly using a voice changer. You can try to yell at the screen, question it, or do anything to interact with the figure, but you'll find out that this is just simply a recording. Nothing you do can get them to respond or stop.

"I am 【 Zero 】. I am the one who summoned you here."

You may notice that they used the word "summoned" rather than "kidnapped".

"Consider this a privilege. You have been chosen. You are going to participate in an experiment. The 【 Nonary Game 】. This is a game where you will put your life on the line. Now, it is time. Let our game begin. I wish you all the best of luck."

And with that, the screen goes blank...

【 arrival. 】
It's not until the timer hits nine minutes that something finally happens again. The door at the end of the hall slides open but, rather than a regular sized human, a white robotic mouse walks through. Like Zero, he also sports a gas mask.

"Helloooooo, test subjects!"

His voice is high-pitched and shrill. It's definitely not modified by a voice changer.

"You can call me 【 Calhoun 】. Since my master is a busy person, I'll be taking over from here on out. Now, I see we have some old returning faces." He stops to wink at those particular characters. "But mostly new faces! Well, it doesn't matter if you're new or not because we're putting a twist on this Nonary Game, so make sure you listen carefully!"

captainmarshmallow: (t10)

[personal profile] captainmarshmallow 2019-05-17 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Now that we've ended up in a place like here, we'd better work together and get out of here. You can give us trust lectures when we're not in danger, too!

[She's gonna keep trying to look for something, anything. Why is the TV mounted so high, and why is she so small?]
decipere: (A5OtqWE)

[personal profile] decipere 2019-05-17 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, ma'am.

[ he says in a singing tone but when it comes from him, it just sounds sarcastic and fake (spoilers: it is). anyway, so the door is not opening and there's nothing else around here to really examine... what else? ]

[ and at that moment, the tv flickers on. let's get to the real juicy stuff, guys ]
tosearch: (7)

[personal profile] tosearch 2019-05-17 07:45 pm (UTC)(link)
He's really not listening, but whatever.

[ She's minding her own business until the tv turns on. Why. ]

What the heck is this? Looks like a threat.

[ A serious one too at that. ]
captainmarshmallow: (t1)

[personal profile] captainmarshmallow 2019-05-17 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Wh-wha— what kind of privilege is this supposed to be?! I don't—

[She shakes her head.]

...It's a threat, all right. They're just trying to scare us!
decipere: (08-15)

[personal profile] decipere 2019-05-17 08:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ kokichi watches the video silently, actually managing to keep quiet without any dumb remarks. well, time for a serious face for once. ]

So you think it's fake?
tosearch: (1)

[personal profile] tosearch 2019-05-17 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
After everything we just saw? No. It's gotta be real.

[ Just saying that makes her feel sick. ]

We have to go along with their twisted game.
captainmarshmallow: (t15)

[personal profile] captainmarshmallow 2019-05-17 08:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[...]

...Honestly, you're right, at least so far as that probably is the person responsible for this.

[she has experience with masked terrorists okay.]

When I say they're just trying to scare us, I mean they're trying to make us play along with them! They're talking about putting lives on the line — don't tell me you're willing to go along with that?
decipere: (05-87)

[personal profile] decipere 2019-05-17 08:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't think it's a matter of them "trying" to make us play with them. I don't think we have a choice.

[ he raises his wrist to show off the bracelet. ]

They've already kidnapped us, thrown us down here, and branded us. They really went all out for this.
captainmarshmallow: (t3)

[personal profile] captainmarshmallow 2019-05-17 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[Towa can't really argue this, but still, she frowns.]

...so, what. You're just gonna lay down and die?
tosearch: (ff53z9N)

[personal profile] tosearch 2019-05-17 08:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh hell no! I didn't come all the way here to get my ass kicked.

[ She's not gonna be okay with it. ]

Do they know who they're messing with? We're not going to wait for them to kill us.
decipere: (7KtwVLb)

[personal profile] decipere 2019-05-17 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Is that how you're going to interpret it?

[ for once, kokichi is going to leave airi alone so he could address towa. ]

You either play along or you die. If you want to do nothing then fine, but don't try to make it sound like we're in the wrong for wanting a chance to live.
captainmarshmallow: (t15)

[personal profile] captainmarshmallow 2019-05-17 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Th-that's not what I'm trying to say at all!

I want to live, too! I don't want to play a game where my life's on the line, or any of yours!

It doesn't sound like you play OR you die, it sounds like you play AND you die! That's what I'm worrying about!
tosearch: (7)

[personal profile] tosearch 2019-05-17 09:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Let's take a moment to think about it. We can't figure anything out if we're just killed.[ worst outcome, pass.]

I'm not an idiot and I can tell we're sitting ducks.
decipere: (66815261_p24_master1200)

[personal profile] decipere 2019-05-18 01:55 am (UTC)(link)
Then the choice is easier to make, right? If you're going to die either way, you might as well have fun with it!

[ well, looks like... that's the route he's going to take. it worked for him so well in the last murdergame, right? right. ]
formicarium: (【 CALHOUN 】)

[personal profile] formicarium 2019-05-18 01:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ and it's at that point that the door slides open and out comes calhoun, screaming in his high-pitch voice. ]

Helloooooo, test subjects!

[ lucky for a-team. their cell is right by the door so they can hear his voice the loudest. ]
tosearch: (3)

[personal profile] tosearch 2019-05-18 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
Nothing about this is fun...and you!!!

[Airi stares at the robotic mouse with fury.]

You owe me teriyaki and toast!! At least give your test subjects better food.
captainmarshmallow: (t8)

[personal profile] captainmarshmallow 2019-05-18 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
Wh— what the heck is that?!

[AIRI WHY ARE YOU JUST TALKING TO THIS MOUSE ABOUT FOOD??? WHY IS IT A TALKING MOUSE????]
formicarium: (【 CALHOUN - CONFUSED 】)

[personal profile] formicarium 2019-05-18 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
Wow, I'm not even in the room for three seconds and already I'm getting demands. I'm a busy mouse, got it? I don't have to give you what you want!

[ and then he turns towards towa ]

And excuse me, Ridiculously-short Test Subject, it's who the heck is that, not "what"! Sheesh, you test subjects sure get ruder and ruder by the bunch.
tosearch: (7)

[personal profile] tosearch 2019-05-18 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
I've seen weirder things in my life, Towa. Just roll with it.

[Airi's lost her patience because of Kokichi earlier. ]

Maybe I should make a mousetrap. That way you won't feel tempted to leave and crawl someplace else.
captainmarshmallow: (t10)

[personal profile] captainmarshmallow 2019-05-18 02:15 am (UTC)(link)
I— h-hey!

[She's rolling with it now. What do you MEAN ridiculously-short?!]

Of course we're going to be rude if you're going to kidnap us and call us names! Whatever you're testing, you're breaking so many rules for a proper experiment!
decipere: (yCyvs1E)

[personal profile] decipere 2019-05-18 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
And hey, aren't evil talking robotic animals an overdone trope now?

[ because that's clearly what is important around here. ]
formicarium: (【 CALHOUN 】)

[personal profile] formicarium 2019-05-18 02:21 am (UTC)(link)
Why do you test subjects keep getting everything wrong? I'm a scientific talking robotic animal and who really falls for a mousetrap, anyway? You clearly haven't met any smart mice in your life, Annoying Test Subject!

[ and back to towa ]

Oh? Do tell, So-tiny-we-need-a-microscope Test Subject!
tosearch: (ff53z9N)

[personal profile] tosearch 2019-05-18 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
You're a scientific MORON!

[She's making plans for that mousetrap.]

Hey, Kokichi. I always thought you were annoying but I take that back. Let's set aside our differences for one second and put that mouse where it belongs.
captainmarshmallow: (t15)

[personal profile] captainmarshmallow 2019-05-18 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
...I'm taller than you.

[No, she has nothing important to add to this conversation, sorry.]
decipere: (3198603)

[personal profile] decipere 2019-05-18 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
Now that's the first good idea you've had since we got here!

[ watch out, world, airi and kokichi are going to make a huge mousetrap, i guess ]

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