|
Mix. posted:We made sure to pay them below minimum wage, because it was a really difficult job. If you make a lot of money, you don't work as hard. That's just the truth. you thought it was mastermind, but it was me, amazon mechanical turk E: The update is at the bottom of the previous page.
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2024 00:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 18, 2024 15:28 |
|
|
“These dumb rubes. Puppets dancing on our strings. The detective scored rankings won’t change anything, they’ll just vote for the pairs that we say are good. The illusion of control within our meticulously desig... wait what, they voted wrong! Oh no!”
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2024 09:05
|
|
|
The detectives are presumably very good at picking up inconsistencies. If the rankings are that different from how they voted, all they'd need to do is compare a few of the votes, so even splitting them up in three or four groups doesn't mean they won't figure it out. So the question is now, will the game masters stick to the original plan and risk discovery, or will they alter the plan?
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2024 09:17
|
|
|
It would be interesting if this discrepancy in expected ratings was engineered on purpose by detectives who want to test it. But I'm also just amused at the idea of them all voting their true opinions, and the gamemasters getting their hipster taste in detectives all offended
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2024 10:11
|
|
|
I'm really enjoying the evil puppermaster just being bland rear end corporate nonsense so far, complete with its own idiots and intelligent folk. It's a nice change of pace for a mystery.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2024 15:17
|
|
|
 The detectives say goodbye to each other for the day, in anticipation of Stage Two. [BGM: Thinking Thoughts]  We'd finished watching the detectives' videos. I'd laughed at almost every single one for one reason or another. The detectives in the videos shot me death glares, but it was worth it. Detective 775 hadn't laughed once, though it was probably harder to when you were holding yourself up with one hand. He said it was for 'circulation reasons', but I knew that was just an excuse to goof off. Like he'd predicted, we'd come in third again. After seeing our video, I wondered once again if I was slowing him down. He seemed confident enough, so I was sure he had something up his sleeves. ...Probably literally. [BGM: Trickster]   Do you know... who the best detective is here? Yeah. It's Red July, right? What an icon. Wrong. You get an E plus plus, which is closer to an F minus than an E sharp. Is it close to a D minor? No. ...What about an E augmented? You fail the class. Okay, why? She's the fastest detective here. But that doesn't mean she's the best. Well, you failed to provide the proper context for your question. If you meant best in terms of quality, I would say... Well, probably you. Wrong again! Taking a crime scene seriously is a must for any real detective, and turning it into a circus is practically the complete opposite.Wow, couldn't he take a compliment? That's pretty self-deprecating. Don't take it too seriously.  Never take anything seriously, unless it's a joke. But you just said – oh, whatever. So who IS the best detective? I'll give you one more guess. … Slakes...? Wrong yet again! Wow! Isn't this like asking who the best soccer player is? How can I be wrong? It's just an opinion! Let's not get into subjectivity. I have a 34 volume tome about THAT argument. Sorry, but the tome proves that there is an objective truth to everything. But who determines what an objective truth is? Shhhhh! Shh! Shh! Shh! It's all covered in the tome. Cool, that's basically an appeal to authority fallacy, but I'm just going to ignore it since we don't have that much time. Just tell me what you're thinking. I'm thinking... Her. ...Is she behind the greeter? No no. The best detective IS the greeter. Huh? I didn't say they were in the competition. That's cheating! The greeter, who I have christened with the incredible name of Haney, is the best detective here. She was the winner of this competition in the past. Now she's watching for new talent, on the lookout for a possible apprentice and ultimately a successor. How do you know that? Did she tell you in the elevator? I'm a detective. Oh, I see, you're a detective huh, oh gosh I didn't know! I deduced it. WOW! You deduced it! How cool – good for you. Let me just walk you through my deductive process. Yes please, go ahead. It's like an – Oreo? Give me a break, that's completely out of context. Orrreannnnge.... ...Orange. You just changed it!!He cleared his throat and glared at me. It's like an orange. You don't have to peel the orange to know there's fruit inside. Similarly, I don't have to ask Haney if she's a detective to know that she's got the blood of a crime-solver in her veins. That... isn't really an explanation. What clued you in? Several things! First! Her blond hair – What?! That's stupid! It's dyed, but more on that later. Second! The look of boredom on her face – Her expression?! Why would the Game-master hire someone so unenthusiastic? I don't know, why does the guy at Target tell me his job sucks without me asking every time I buy fifteen pairs of the same jacket? The third! How she knocked me out – What, was her punch especially deductive in nature or something?! Well, how did she know I was faking it? The protocol was for people who got injured. For all she knew, I was seriously hurt. If she's a doctor, then why work as a greeter? The obvious answer is that she deduced it. Um, that sounds like a gish gallop argument to me. I'm completely unconvinced. ...Fine. I recognized her. I'm naturally familiar with many detectives. Haney is the best. What? Why didn't you just say that from the beginning?! It was a test. Oh stop it with your 'It was a test'! Alright, it wasn't a test, just wanted to look smart.Well, now what was I supposed to say? Stupid honesty!! I sulked in silence for a few moments. The silence was eventually broken by the announcement chime. *ding dong diiiing!* [BGM: A Matter of Simple Deduction]   Directions for your hotel route will be provided shortly by the greeter, Haney. Huh? I thought you made up that name. I did.Now I was even more confused. She liked it, and now it's her fake name. Aha! I get it. So you were talking to her in the elevator! No wonder she saw through your injury, kind of hard not to when the supposedly wounded detective sits up and starts casually chatting!I knew I'd hit the nail on the head when he didn't immediately retort. Showed how much he REALLY cared about finding out whot he Game-master was.   Here's your route map. The hotel is optional, but it's all expenses paid so I recommend it. Thank you Haney!She walked away without another word. ...So what is this? Are the directions written in invisible ink? You mean you don't know how to read a map? Forget that, I don't know how to read... period! I'm completely illiterate. What?! I only listen to audiobooks. I can read stop signs. That's about it. There was no way I was buying that. I decided he was just trying to make me feel better after our heated exchange. Thanks for the confidence boost. Guess you'll be relying on me to show you the way to the hotel.Great, now I could pay him back properly for helping me solve the last case. Quid pro quo, or whatever. I'm not staying there, I'm going back home.There went that plan. I felt a presence to my left, and Haney materialized out of nowhere. [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]   Go to the hotel. 775 shuddered. I felt it too – like ice had formed over my entire body. It had just only a second, a one way exchange, but when she looked into my eyes I didn't need to see proof to know 775 was right about her. Her eyes were like floodlights. They saw my soul, and read it like an absorbing work of fiction.  Uh... Disregard my previous statement.Looked like 775 would be joining me at the hotel after all.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2024 00:06
|
|
|
I'm not gonna do back to back updates SUPER often, don't want it to get overwhelming, but sometimes if the chapters are particularly short/bite-sized I'll do it to keep things breezy 
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2024 00:07
|
|
|
Soo... did the author try to get some product placement money? Doesn't seem like there's much sense in using a real brand as opposed to a made-up one or generic cookies.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2024 12:18
|
|
|
I think it's just that most people have a concept what an oreo is. So this makes for such deep and personally relatable similies. If he was talking about Oseos, I would assume that he's talking about an in-universe knockoff brand and everyone would be confused why he uses the knockoff for his rhetoric. cant cook creole bream fucked around with this message at 13:55 on May 1, 2024 |
|
#
?
May 1, 2024 12:42
|
|
|
Oreo is probably the easiest way to explain a 'sandwich cookie' without having to actually explain one.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2024 12:56
|
|
|
 A simple staff member at the mysterious detective competition is actually a detective from a past contest! She urges Detective Nell and Detective 775 to go to the accommodations provided by the competition, against 775's original intention. [BGM: Silence]  It took a while to navigate us to the hotel. It wasn't because I couldn't figure out the map, I was just unfamiliar with the area. A cozy-looking building awaited us. A sign outside said 'Quail Hotel'. What awaited us... ...was the Second Stage of the mysterious detective competition. [BGM: Hotel Quail]  The hotel had a distinctly old fashioned vibe, but it was a comfortable kind of old fashioned. There was a desk for the receptionist, but nobody was there.  A crowd of detectives was gathered in a lounge area with couches and a piano. 775 nudged me. That's Detective Slakes. The detective ranked second? Yeah. He's pretty cool. He knows how to fold napkins. What about his skills as a detective? Eh.  Are you talking about me behind my back again, clown boy?[NEW BIO: Detective Slakes] Stop calling me clown boy. I'm a clown GUY! Right, right, yeesh. How's he treating you, Nell? Saw the video. There was no need to do a headstand. That's what I thought!! Headstands are fine exercise for strapping young gents. Simply capital! Alright, whatever. Is that a piano? It could be a harpsichord. Those cunning harpsichords, always disguising themselves as a piano. A harpsichord has two sets of keys, “detective”. Let me at those ivories, and I'll bang out a fantastic tune. Please do! I'd love to hear some Chopin! Sure, I know a little Nocturne. He sat at the piano and cracked his knuckles. But when he pressed down on the keys... No sound came out. Uh... The only keys that work are C, F#, and A...He played them, one after the other. I recognized the melody. We all did. The Game-master's announcement tune. *ding dong diiiing!*  That's right, contestants. It's my favorite song.Was he summoned by the melody? Weird. Welcome to the Second Stage of the contest. Every detective who did not go to the hotel would have been eliminated. But, shockingly, you're all here. Thought I could catch you out. But here we are. I'm a bit disappointed, honestly. Tomorrow, the contest will resume. Today, you should all sleep in the provided rooms.I looked at 775 for his reaction. I didn't deduce this. Well I'm glad you admit it! If Haney hadn't given you that tip, you would've been eliminated. Speaking of Haney...She had appeared at the hotel desk and was handing keys to detectives. We were handed our keys. I got room 257. Detective 775 got 259. The detective pairs seemed to be deliberately put next to each other. We headed for the elevator.  I pushed the button before 775 could get to it. He glowered for a moment, then motioned at the button box. Look at that panel... It looks like it slides. What do you mean? He pushed at the panel. [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]  It slid over, revealing a completely new set of elevator buttons. But these buttons were green. What do you make of that? They didn't hire a color coordinator? The green half is probably the criminals' side.He impulsively pushed a green button. The elevator halted. I could hear gears shifting and turning around us... With a jolt, the elevator started moving again... Sideways.  What did you do now?! Let's go meet the people who are making up these mysteries! I have a few questions.I turned off my accusatory stare and sighed. Yeah, me too. But warn me next time. I will... do my best not to.What a jerk. [BGM: Criminal Side]  The doors opened with an ominous creak, and we stepped into a corridor that could only be accurately described as being... trashy. Any moment, a criminal could walk out of a door... Was Oscar the Grouch the decorator?775 didn't reply.  Sorry. That was supposed to break the tension, and it didn't really work. No, it didn't. Want to hear a joke about a fish? ...Okay? A fish walks into a bar and calls out to the bartender. He says, 'I'd like a glass of water, with beer in it too.' And...? That's all. The joke is that the fish puts the emphasis on the water, even though he's really ordering a beer. People are always biased in one way or another. That's an important lesson to learn. Sure, but I sort of wanted to hear a REAL joke.It had been a disappointing fish joke, but it had successfully broken the tension. Doesn't seem like anyone's around here. There'll be people... down in the lobby. The lobby? We were just there. Not that lobby. There's more than one. That one was for detectives. The one we're going to is the one for criminals. There was a long flight of stairs at the end of the hallway. I suspected as much... the elevators don't go here.He hopped down the steps three at a time.  We reached ground level. 775 looked through the glass of the lobby door, and then opened it.  We were greeted by the sight of a room with the now familiar run-down aesthetic, and several criminals chatting by the receptionist desk, where somebody had placed a plate of cookies. It was an exact mirror of the detective lobby... If we get in a sticky situation... Just remember the fish and the beer! Not helpful.We approached a nearby criminal who was the largest human I'd ever seen.  Rough past few rounds, huh? Yeah... well, for some. But I've been in sixth since this thing began and I haven't given it up yet. This is my partner Laney. I'm Craney.Couldn't he have thought of a better naming convention than 'aney'?! Anyway, what's your name? Can't you read my nametag? Um... it's kind of high up. Oh. Yeah, true. It's 'Killersoul'.[NEW BIO: Mastermind Killersoul] I almost laughed, but managed to stifle it. I KNOW it's stupid. Everyone tells me so. What? Noooo... It's really... really cool. Thanks. Well, it does kind of sound like a teenager thought of it. They're locked in now, so I can't change it. I'm just trying to be intimidating for the contest. You're plenty intimidating already, without an edgy name. Aww shucks. Say, what are you guys's codenames? I'll look for you on the boards! I'm called... Sleeves.He was SO BAD WITH NAMES!! This is... Four-Eyes.Excuse me?! See you around.He left, but not before shoving two cookies in his mouth at once. 775 made eyes at the doorway.  We've probably palled around enough here. Yeah.We left the lobby, went back up the stairs... And boarded the elevator, this time headed for the right floor. [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]  What a waste of time. No. It most certainly wasn't. That entire encounter was strange. It was one of the least threatening conversations I've ever had. Don't judge a book by its cover. I think you mean 'Don't judge an Oreo by its packaging'. That's not an expression. Oh really? Have you ever had a birthday-flavored Oreo? It tastes like melted candles. Disgusting. No comment. Anyway, the whole trip was worth it just for these.He flipped up his sleeves. Two cookies flew out of them, and he handed one to me. No thanks... calories. Everything has calories. I'm trying to watch my weight. You have terrible taste in film.I let his bad joke go unremarked upon... [BGM: Silence]  The doors opened to an almost identical corridor, but this time much cleaner. I opened the door to my room.  Finally, I could relax. On one of the beds lay a boxed present for me, from the Game-master. I opened it. There was nothing inside but a note that said 'It's the thought that counts'. Puzzled, I went to bed. ***** [Killersoul's Interview]  How long have you been incarcerated? Hmm... only three months!What is your modus? When I approach a crime, I try to plan everything out so that no trace of me exists. It's like I'm a ghost! I leave no trace – which is, in a way, how you know it's me! ...Maybe I should've copied someone else's modus...Why do you want to win this competition? I'm not in it to win it, I'm in it to kick it! What? Kick it! Slang for relax! Hey – remember the 90s?! I'll be here all week!How well do you work with others? I get along with mostly everybody! I think it's my laidback attitude... People just like me, man! They always want to talk! No further questions. That's alright by me!
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2024 00:50
|
|
|
I hope Killersoul is in for tax fraud or something
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2024 01:03
|
|
|
Mix. posted:
I think that one was actually kind of clever, and I'm not sure what that says about me ...
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2024 01:41
|
|
|
Antivehicular posted:I hope Killersoul is in for tax fraud or something He kidnapped a puppy out of a home that was abusing it and rehomed it to a loving family.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2024 02:14
|
|
|
TheDavies posted:I think that one was actually kind of clever, and I'm not sure what that says about me ... It's okay, I chortled at that one too.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2024 14:29
|
|
|
 Detective 775 and Detective Nell took a trip to the criminal side of the competition. Was it worth the risk? [BGM: Waking]  The complimentary room was nice. It reminded me of the first mystery I'd solved, 'Eternally Checked-In'. I had read a paper on smoke inhalation the previous day, so that made it easier. Also, my partner had insisted on examining the dummy before anything else. Detective Sally... she was still in the contest, but much lower in the rankings... Things had happened pretty quickly for me. It was early in the morning, around seven. I'd slept in my clothes, and my hair was all messed up. I thought about a shower, but there wasn't time and I hated showers anyway. The water was always either too hot or too cold and never just... warm, but slightly hot. The Game-master's announcement tune soon played... *ding dong diiiing!*  Good morning. In case you were wondering, we own this entire hotel, and have closed it from normal business today for the competition. Please step out into the hall now, as the Second Stage is beginning!My hotel door unlocked by itself. Creepy.  I walked out and locked the door behind me, like it mattered. Head down to the lobby, where we'll make some general announcements.As I walked down the hall, Detective 775 came out of the room opposite mine. He was wearing extra big shoes today. He'd probably say 'The feet lead to the head, so if there's room to spare in the shoes, that means you'll have a clearer mind' or something even more obtuse if I asked him why he was wearing them, so I kept my mouth shut. Let's play a game. Alright, I'm... game.As always, he didn't laugh at my joke. I call it the 'Induction Game'. What? Don't mix work with play. I'll say some fact that I made up, and then you try and come up with logical reasons for the fact to be true.Other detectives stepped out into the hall, headed for the lobby. Go ahead, I'm ready. The detective behind us uses drugs to solve crimes. Huh. I glanced at the detective, a short, pale man. Um, he's a bit twitchy. I don't see any sign of twitchiness. Quite the opposite, actually, he looks perfectly calm.Was he going to nitpick every answer I gave him?! I thought it was just a simple game! Fine. His long sleeves could be to conceal the marks of injection needles. That's pure conjecture. You're jumping to conclusions. Yeah, this game of yours kind of forces you to do that. Or maybe you're just a bad detective. Have you already forgotten about... your method? Um... you want me to go up to him and put my face ten millimeters away from his? Hmm. Because that's my method, 77-something. Why don't you just tell me what you're thinking? I can't possibly tell you what I'm thinking. Brain language is impossible to pronounce.I was on the edge of throwing up my hands and refusing to work with him ever again. But then...  You know what, Nell, you're right. I've been a little hard on you. I've forced you to do lots of things you didn't want to do. So, I'm sorry. Oh... Well, uh, it's fine I guess... Great. Look – he keeps the drugs right there in the band of his hat. See?I felt pretty stupid for not catching that one... Wait, so this isn't just a game of yours? That's his real method? Yes. Detective Sess, also known as 'The Narcotic Detective'. Basically, he creates drugs that he claims enhance certain deductive abilities. I don't care if it works or not, because however he does it, he's a competitor. He's in fifth now. That's not too far from us... I can hear you guys talking about me.[NEW BIO: Detective Sess] We ignored him and continued down the stairs to the lobby... When we arrived, the detectives were all near the bar, making a fuss about something. [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]  Haney was lying in the middle of the floor near the bar, with a wine glass spilled next to her and her hand clutching her throat. Oh my god! Are you okay?[BGM: Trickster]   Hey. You guys tell me how I died, and the announcements will begin. We have to do what?  Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! A simple, simple mystery for simple, simple sleuths to solve![NEW BIO: Detective Eastman] I recognized him right away – Detective Eastman. When I had first arrived at the contest, he'd singled me out and began lecturing me about what a great detective he was. ...I wasn't a fan. It is extremely obvious to me that Haney here slipped on a banana peel, as is the classic joke... What an incredibly stupid way to die! No, that's not the solution. That was merely a joke! Because of course the obvious, obvious, obvious answer to this easy, easy, easy mystery is... You were poisoned! No, that's not the solution. Ahaha! You're narrowing down the possibilities for me – you don't even realize you're playing right into my hands! The real answer to this extremely easy mystery is that you were stabbed. No, that's not the solution. Should the corpse be talking? Ah! That's the answer! You're talking, so you never died in the first place! The mystery is that there is no mystery!There was a dreadful silence. ...No.[BGM: Red]   There was an expanding sponge hidden in the olive that came with your martini. When you drank it down, it expanded in your throat, you choked and died. You can tell it's a martini from the smell of what spilled and the kind of glass it was served in, and a martini usually comes with an olive. There's a toothpick in the nearby trashcan, I'm sure. Your hand is cupped around your throat in an odd way, hinting at an obstruction, probably caused by an object. The question then was, how did you swallow something that size without realizing it? Because it wasn't big when you swallowed it. Easy. Now let's get on with the Second Stage. Yeah. You're right. There will be an announcement soon. Feel free to have a drink from the bar while you wait... But I don't recommend the martini. Wink. Did you just SAY 'Wink'? Hey Red, what the hell was that? You're the top-ranked detective, don't you think you should have let the less skilled detective take a crack at it before you just blurted out the solution? I was becoming overwhelmed. My method has been... causing me problems, recently. What kind of problems? I'll explain later...*ding dong diiiing!* [BGM: A Matter of Simple Deduction]  Congratulations, Detectives! You solved the mini-mystery. That mystery was an example. There are sixty criminals currently in this competition. Each one has his or her own mode of operation – which we call their 'Modus'. Like 'Method' for detectives. That's right, Slakes, my charming boy. This mystery was, quite obviously, the work of Mastermind Gag, a criminal who specializes in choking his victims. What an appropriate name he has! ...It should be, because we have nicknamed all the criminals. They do not use their real names in the contest. In this next stage, I'm going to have criminals switch moduses in each round. You can't just solve the crime, you also have to tell me which criminal committed it. You'll be looking for clues that'll reveal which criminal is pretending to be another. For instance... If Mastermind Sparks was pretending to be Mastermind Gag when committing this crime, he would've left the smell of smoke behind, or he might not have been able to resist his pyromaniac tendencies and set the martini on fire, since alcohol is flammable. Get the idea? We'll begin soon anyway, so it doesn't matter.[BGM: Hotel Quail]  This'll be fun. By the way, I figured out why the criminals have nicknames... Oh, really? It's for our benefit. Being professional detectives, most of us, we might have grudges against particular criminals. In order to leave that behind at the entrance, they don't reveal the real names of criminals. It's like an Oreo. The cookies of grudge and bias are held back by the frosting of obliviousness. That's... nice.I was only half-listening through my irritation at having to suffer through another bad analogy about an Oreo. Did he work for the company or something?? Was this some sort of sponsorship? Why an Oreo? They weren't even good! They hadn't been good for decades!! *ding dong diiiing!*  The Second Stage is now ready. Please go back to your rooms.Back to our rooms? Uh-oh. My worst fears were soon confirmed... [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]  After climbing back up the stairs to our floor, me and 775 entered our rooms to find them set up like mystery rooms, with dummies and atmospheric flickering lights. I wondered why they gave us separate rooms initially. It would make sense for partners to share one room, but now I see why.I could think of a few reasons why sharing rooms wasn't ideal, but I didn't have time to argue about it... We needed to focus on solving the mystery. ***** [Eastman's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What experience have you had as a detective? I have vast experience, experience that you cannot even begin to comprehend! I would like a specific answer. Ready yourself... I have been working as a volunteer detective for... One year. Wow. What does 'volunteer detective' mean? I volunteer my services to people in need! They are always so grateful! I'm sure.What is your method? I use my remarkable intellect to come up with a bunch of different possibilities... If you keep thinking of different possibilities, you will eventually hit upon the truth! I've solved every single crime this way, to one hundred percent accuracy!Why do you want to win this competition? People laugh at me all the time... This competition will show them, once and for all, that I am the best! It will become a fact that they cannot deny!How well do you work with others? Heh! I don't just work 'well' with others, I work 'great' with others! They're all so secretly jealous of me that they're dying to work with me! That's why they don't return my calls – they're playing the waiting game! No further questions. Why don't you want to talk to me anymore? Don't you want to hear more from my brilliant mind??… Hello?
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2024 16:36
|
|
|
anilEhilated posted:Soo... did the author try to get some product placement money? Doesn't seem like there's much sense in using a real brand as opposed to a made-up one or generic cookies. Nell posted:I was only half-listening through my irritation at having to suffer through another bad analogy about an Oreo. Did he work for the company or something?? Was this some sort of sponsorship? Why an Oreo? They weren't even good! They hadn't been good for decades!!
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2024 18:14
|
|
|
This is a very strange game, both in-universe and out.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2024 23:07
|
|
|
Yeah, I feel like there has to be some kind of twist, although I'm hoping it's not going to turn into a standard death-game plot. I would also accept if the big reveal is "this is all straightforward and just being run by some eccentric billionaire who is having fun herding weirdos around," though.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2024 23:17
|
|
|
I feel like the twist is going to be all the detectives are actually criminals, and all the criminals are actually detectives.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2024 16:06
|
|
|
clifton779 posted:I feel like the twist is going to be all the detectives are actually criminals, and all the criminals are actually detectives. I would be very curious to learn about the detective who solves crime through arson.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2024 16:15
|
|
|
That's how you do chemical analysis on the clues.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2024 18:36
|
|
|
It turns out the so called locked room was just a heap of ashes. The suspect could have easily walked in and killed the victim!
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2024 20:54
|
|
|
 Detective Nell and Detective 775 are about to tackle the first mystery in the mysterious detective competition's Second Stage! *ding dong diiiing!* [BGM: Criminal Side]  Look on your hotel room side tables. There was an earpiece and a new kind of casefile... This earpiece will help you communicate with your partner. You will both be in separate rooms. The two rooms are slightly different. One was prepared by the criminal with their usual mode of operation. The other was prepared by a different criminal, imitating the mode of the other. Spot the difference with your partner's help. This stage is called 'Mode of Operation', if that wasn't already obvious. The mysteries are, once again, locked-room mysteries. Sorry for the redundancy, but I just find them so enjoyable!I put in the earpiece, and immediately started gloating to 775... Ha! You were wrong about them switching the type of mystery this round! So I was wrong. Big deal. It happens.He was clearly offended and disappointed in himself.  This mystery is called, 'A Deadly Idea'. The door was locked with an ordinary key from the inside when this crime was discovered. Take a look at the casefile to see more details. [A Deadly Idea] Mr. Readsalot, an esteemed publisher, was found dead at 11 AM. The most likely suspect? Mr. Purpleprose, a terrible, violent novelist who had been rejected 1000 times by Mr. Readsalot. The room was locked from the inside when the crime was discovered. You do not have access to the autopsy report. SPECIAL BONUS: Why did Mr. Readsalot reject Mr. Purpleprose so many times? The new Suspects File has a selection of five criminals and their moduses. Use it to figure out who's imitating who. [Wanted: KILLERSOUL] MODUS: Killersoul makes his victims look like they've been killed by ghosts. He's a master at getting into locked rooms without leaving a trace.  [Wanted: DRENDER] MODUS: Drender always twists her victims into strange shapes after killing them.  [Wanted: ARES] MODUS: Ares kills her victims by ripping them into pieces.  [Wanted: BONES] MODUS: Bones kills her victims by breaking their bones.  [Wanted: FILTER] MODUS: Filter kills his victims with noxious gas. He's an expert chemist.  Use the 'Mark' button to indicate which criminals you think are responsible. The timer starts... Now! Nell, come on, I need you to talk to me, talk to me please! It's been six seconds. Nell! Describe what's in your room! Okay, okay...I had to get my bearings, fast... This was going to be tricky! [BGM: Mode of Operation]   'Mr. Readsalot'... Okay, so in my room, Mr. Readsalot is blue. Same here. He's contorted into a weird pretzel shape, right? Uh... no? Interesting. Haven't we seen a blue victim before...? Hmm... It was in The Invisible Weapon, when we were first introduced to Nell and 77X. Yeah, wasn't there one in 'The Invisible Weapon'? Exactly. Yes. So, why was that the case? Well, doesn't the dummy give us a clue as to the method of death? Like, with the second mystery, the dummy was burned, and in the fourth one, the dummy had a little broken heart... The blue victim in the third mystery, Mr. Stash, was poisoned, I think. Yes!! I'm shocked you remember that! My mind is like a steel trap. I occasionally get caught up in it. So I guess now all we have to do is figure out HOW Mr. Readsalot was poisoned. Seems so. Seems to be a children's book. Yup, got one here too. Huh. Our rooms are pretty similar so far. Mr. Readsalot must've been reading it... But why? Does he have kids? How is this even relevant? Hmm... I don't think my room had a lamp in it before... Side table to the left of the bed? Yes. Definitely part of the mystery. Might be a good use for that method of yours... [BGM: Magnify]   The bulb has some weird residue on it... It smells... strange. It's over here, too. Like a toxic chemical of some kind. Do you think it could be... Poison? There's very little question in my mind... and my mind is usually full of questions. I'm a bit tired of hearing how amazing your mind is. But let's say you're right. What's the point of painting a lightbulb in poison? Hmm... I'll have to think about that.[BGM: Mode of Operation]  I was still totally lost... Maybe 775 had a clue...? 775? What are you thinking? The only difference in our rooms is the position of the victim, right? Mine is twisted into a weird shape, and yours is fine... Yes, that's right. What that may mean... is that we can figure out the two criminals responsible for our respective mysteries right away! What? How come?! Figuring that out depends entirely on noting the differences in the crime scenes... and we already have enough to work with. We know the method of death was likely poison, which points to one criminal in particular... and of course, my victim is twisted into a weird shape, which clearly points to a different particular criminal. Do you know what I'm talking about, or do I have to just tell you? No, of course I know what you're talking about! Then would you mark them on the file, please?I had no idea!! Of course, a quick look at the Suspects File might help me understand... I just needed to mark the two criminals 775 was thinking of...  This one's pretty easy, mostly to just let you get used to the gimmick for this stage. Is it... Drender and Filter? Yes, that's who I was thinking of... Hah! Filter's the only criminal who uses poison... And the contorted victim in your room fits Drender's modus. Yes, but now we have to figure out the actual mystery... Fortunately, it's pretty simple. What was the purpose of putting the poison on the lamp?Oh yeah, that had been pretty strange...  OBVIOUSLY it was supposed to have killed the lamp.  Ah! What if... the bulb heated up the poison...? Exactly. And that would only be possible with one of these old-fashioned bulbs. But why would they want to heat it up? You tell me.GREAT! JUST WHAT I WANTED TO DO! MORE THINKING!!  Ah – to evaporate the poison... turning it into gas! Yes, that's what I was thinking. Wait, isn't this the entire solution? The murderer comes in while the victim's out... paints the bulb with poison... the victim turns the light on... the poison evaporates and kills him! Exactly! I'm doing my dance right now! Didn't have to tell me. But wait a minute, in your room, the victim's all contorted... Is there a completely different solution in your room?! I don't think so. Whew! As I said, I'm familiar with poisons... Drender could've used a poison that caused Mr. Readsalot to contort into this strange shape. Nice! It's so tidy!It seemed like we'd solved everything...  ...oh, right! Oh right, the bonus question... We should really be better at remembering to answer it... 'Why did Mr. Readsalot reject Mr. Purpleprose so many times?' Hmm... Let me check the casefile again. ...Okay, so it says Mr. Purpleprose is a novelist... ...but Mr. Readsalot was reading a children's book! So, maybe he was rejected because he was submitting his novels to a picture book publisher! Great work, Nell! I think you've hit the nail on the head! Thanks!Finally, some recognition of my talent! Took him long enough! Submit!!*ding dong diiiing!* [BGM: A Matter of Simple Deduction]  Correct. Your score on this mystery is 100 percent. Your answer to the bonus question was acceptable. Awesome! Unfortunately, there was an error in our ranking systems, and we can't release all the ranks at once. It may be a while before you hear how you ranked, but it will be sometime after lunch at the latest. ...Until then.My earpiece went dead. I took it off and joined 776 out in the hall. [BGM: Trickster]   How about, to celebrate my 776th case, we hold a little party? As long as there's a clown at the party. There's always a clown of some sort. Sounds good!I was looking forward to meeting more detectives. Meet you in a few minutes.He wandered off to recruit some desperate lonely people, which was easier than you'd think. After about fifteen minutes, I knocked on his door. [BGM: Red]  He opened it, revealing himself, Detective Slakes, a detective I didn't recognize, and to my surprise, Haney. How'd you get her to come to your party? I asked. Obviously. But isn't there some sort of rule about the greeter being overly familiar with detectives or something? They hadn't thought up that rule yet, apparently.I was getting the feeling that I'd just helpfully broken an uncomfortable silence. Hi, I'm Detective 775 – ahem, 776's partner Nell. He wanted to have a party to celebrate his official 776th case, 'A Deadly Idea'. Thanks for humoring him. Since you're all here, let's just relax and have fun! Everyone stared blankly at me. Nell, you may not realize this... But the real reason 776 is throwing this party is not to celebrate some new random interger his name's changed to. We're discussing something important. The rankings. Ah... oh.I was mentally facepalming again and again and again and again. It's the first time this has happened in... a long time. You'd know, since you were here for the last one. You mean she was a previous contestant? Wouldn't have ever guessed that. By the way, Nell, I'm Roel.[NEW BIO: Detective Roel] You sound like you look attractive. Is that accurate? Hadn't noticed. Hadn't noticed.Insulted again!! Judging by that, I guess you're super ugly. Down to the real business at hand – why this is happening. I think I know why, and you two probably have guessed too. I've been hearing her lying all throughout the competition. But I thought it was for another reason. Who? What?I was still reeling from being called ugly. I didn't like to think that sort of thing would bother me, but it kind of did.  We're talking about Red July. We suspect she's cheating. It's why this ranking 'glitch' happened. Game-master's covering it up for some reason. What?!How could they even think that? They must be jealous of never taking the first place spot! Don't get excited, Nell. It's just a suspicion. A well founded one, though. Did you see what she did in the lobby? Well, Roel didn't, but she heard it. I can hear when people are lying. Their heart-rate tends to increase. Their voice tends to tighten and go up slightly in pitch. When solving for other factors... they're lying. I only need to hear a sample of a statement without a lie and free of tension, and I can recognize whenever the person's not telling the truth. Her voice changed the most when she said 'Easy' and also when she was talking about the trashcan. It's reasonable to draw from that that she had thought of her method of cheating when she said 'Easy' and that made her slightly stressed. Also, we didn't think much of a great detective like her observing the contents of the nearby trashcan, but if she didn't, and someone told her what was in it, then when she implied that she did that may have also produced stress!He abruptly stood on his head, but I didn't even blink, I was so used to it. By the way, don't mind me. I'm just jogging my memory for clues. I didn't say this before, because it was a little embarrassing. But I've been trying to talk to Red July this entire competition. Her lips are usually sealed so tight it'd take a crowbar to pry them apart. But back in the lobby... You're right. Red July rarely ever talks, and she'd know better than to make a deduction someone else could've made instead. It's almost like she was impatient or overly eager to demonstrate. Well, now I'm extra flattered that she wanted to talk to me of all people... Yeah, it's not like her at all to be such a blabbermouth.I knew Red July wouldn't have let me down!  May I remind you all... of two words which will make everything clear...Everyone stared at him expectantly. Fish and beer.We all groaned. I knew he'd do that. But I let him do it anyway... I'm referring, of course, to my classic joke about the fish ordering a beer. You've all heard it, right?I half expected somebody to punch him, and that somebody was me. A fish walks into a bar... Yes, we've heard it. AND your stupid Oreo analogy. So? What of it?[BGM: Trickster]  Well, the moral is: bias. Everyone has it.He started running around the tiny room. We need to take into account that we might be cutting Red July slack because she's been ranked best in the contest. Let's look at the facts. The rankings haven't been announced, which is out of the ordinary. Red July made a deduction that seemed out of character for her. We drew from those two facts the hypothesis that Red July was cheating...He knocked over a lamp. Slakes groaned and clutched his face in annoyance. Why did I come to this lunatic's party?! Ah ha! Obvious! Because I was bored? Well, you're right. No, what's obvious is why Red July was acting strange.I stood there while he caught his breath, waiting with the others for the answer. Come on, nobody? It's one of those forehead slap things!! Slakes? You're ranked second! Nothing? Roel?? You're in fifth! Haney! You're the best detective in the room! Doesn't everybody know?![BGM: Hotel Quail]  Actually, yes, but I've been having too much fun watching you run around and brag about your skills like a prat. In fact, Roel and Haney know, too. They were planning on keeping you in the dark for longer, so you owe me one now. Red July hasn't been Red July this whole stage. That was Detective Honor. Oh, duh! I figured that out right away, I just thought it was too obvious so I didn't say anything.Nobody cared. By the way... The best way to tell Honor apart is visually. Their imitation of Red July's voice, presence, and even smell is quite good. But not enough to fool me.It was at that moment I realized something about Roel... The way she had been talking this whole time, it sounded like...  Roel, are you blind? Yeah, genius. Do you think I use a cane for fun? Anyway, I couldn't sense Honor back in the lobby, only Red July, which is even greater evidence for the switch. So if Honor was mimicking July in the lobby, and Honor wasn't in the lobby, then... where's Red July?That's when Red July opened the door. ***** [Roel's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What experience have you had as a detective? Nobody hires me or anything, but I snoop around crime scenes and poke my sensitive nose into other people's business. I'm kind of a busybody. But that's how I was able to catch the Jaundice Killer, among others... I've been doing this kind of thing all my life.What is your method? I have high somatic, auditory, olfactory, and gustatory sensitivity. Often this allows me to overhear conversations or determine certain substances better than those with the crutch of sight. ...But I won't say having a disability is why I have this ability. If I ever regained my sight, I would do everything I could to keep my vision sharp. People often neglect their own bodies' abilities. I'm not special. Anyone could do it.Why do you want to win this competition? If I win this contest I would be able to pay off my medical debt. ...I know you're probably curious about why I am blind. I have diabetic retinopathy. If I had had a million dollars before... I wouldn't have gone blind.How well do you work with others? I have to work well with others. I rely on other people for a lot of help... That's what happens when you live in a world designed for sighted people. I'm grateful, but it sure is an inconvenience. No further questions. That wasn't too bad...
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2024 00:58
|
|
|
LOL so Random House Publishing 
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2024 01:11
|
|
|
 Is the highest ranking detective of the mysterious detective competition cheating? This is the problem currently plaguing the contest's Game-masters... [BGM: Ticks and Tocks]   What do we do, what do we do...?Our Game-master room had been set up in a hotel room this time, and the furniture had been pushed to the sides... We were all a little cramped.  We'll have to announce the rankings at some point. This happens sometimes. Do you think this is the first time a detective's been under suspicion?He looked at me like I wanted to know the answer.   No? No. No it isn't.Kane was busy sorting every tie she owned on her desk. We were a chaotic group of Game-masters, that was certain. It wasn't just the new development, we'd always been unorganized. Look. There's smiley faces on that one. Toss it.We were all agitated and stressed. It may not have been the first time this had happened, but that wasn't any reason not to worry over it. Let's start from the beginning.He wiped our whiteboard clean and started making notes...  We'd been using it to tally how many times we'd gotten a wastepaper ball to land in the trashcan without hitting a wall or bouncing.  What'd you do that for, Clark? I'm sure I was in first! Nah, I was.Now that our scoring system had been destroyed, we'd never know. Fine, I'll give it to you. Next time, everyone'll start with five points each.At this point we'd discussed the situation so many times I was desperate to talk about something else. Please help me concentrate. ...Actually, there's no way I'll be able to concentrate. You draw, Kane.He handed Kane the marker. This round's mystery was solved in less than 56 seconds by Red July. It took Slakes one minute and eighteen seconds, and 776 a minute and forty five seconds. That's not counting deduction time.Fortunately for the detectives, we didn't count the time it took to explain the deduction unless it was an incorrect deduction. The deductions took thirty to forty seconds on average, and for the top three, they were all correct. You're forgetting why we thought she was cheating in the first place.She'd been drawing the various times on the board in a neat, organized script. Our cameras were disabled and we had no time to fix them. And not just any cameras, all of Red July and Honor's. When we sent a guy down to fix the problem after Red July had solved the mystery, he found her room empty. She'd apparently left with Detective Honor right when we told her she'd won. Then we started a search, and they couldn't find her anywhere. Yeah, we know all this. We have yet to figure out... why Red July didn't want us to see what she was doing through the cameras, what she was doing, and how she'd managed to turn them off without us seeing her do it. Wow, it's a mystery! Too bad there aren't any detectives around to solve it for us... We'll figure it out eventually. Meanwhile, they're waiting for the ranking announcement.She turned, glaring at each of us with eyes that wouldn't have been out of place on a hawk. Who's going to do it? I will!She pulled the com from its cradle.  The final rankings have been organized. Mellie. Eh? The com button. You didn't press it. They didn't hear you. Ah...Mellie reached for the button, but Clark held up a hand. Wait. We haven't decided whether Red July's staying in or not. Let's do this the democratic way. We'll vote. This isn't really a democratic country... I think what Mellie means... is that that isn't a good way to decide. Let's kick July off the rankings this round, and conduct our own investigation during the second round. Then, if we're wrong about her cheating, we'll issue an apology. Good, that's what we should have done in the first place.He grabbed the com from Mellie, who played a brief, half-hearted game of tug-of-war with it before giving it up, and pressed the announcement button. *ding dong diiiing!* The jingle was heard. Hello, my brilliant little bundles of mystery joy.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2024 14:54
|
|
|
 Detectives have gathered for an impromptu party to discuss the problems Red July is having, however they are interrupted by a surprise visitor... Red July herself! [BGM: Red]  About time you showed up, Honor. Better late than not to be, as they say.They reached up, grabbed their chin, and pulled, revealing a face beneath their face.  Agh! Something wrong? No, not at all... you just surprised me.[NEW BIO: Detective Honor (Undisguised)] Their real face was very plain... That probably helped them with the disguises. What's going on? Red July is unable to participate in the contest at the moment. Yes, we'd figured that out... But... why? Is this room bugged? It WAS bugged. But I found all the bugs and disabled them! Good. Then it's safe to tell you... Red July's incredible deductive powers come with a cost. Every so often, her brain will become overloaded and shut down... ...so she needs to rest right now. That's all this is? What a relief... I almost thought Red July... well, I won't go there. So, this is the best possible time for us to try to overtake Red July, eh? No, Slakes. I believe you're looking at this all wrong. What? We need to help Red July. The Game-master thinks Red July is cheating. He told us as much at the end of the round. That's why the rankings haven't been announced for the round yet. Hold on, we're going to hear them soon. What? How do you know? I can hear them in the other rooms...*ding dong diiiing!* Right on cue, the Game-master's jingle sounded out...  Hello, my brilliant little bundles of mystery joy... So, something strange went on in this round. Two rooms were completely dark the entire time. Now, you may know that we have hidden cameras in the rooms so that we know how the detective solved the mystery. Since we couldn't see into this detective's room, there's a possibility that they cheated. So, as we're dealing with this horrible circumstance... we're going to hold off on revealing any rankings until we know what's going on.The intercom clicked off. Wait, Honor, why not just tell the Game-master what's wrong with Red July? The Game-master can't know this weakness of Red July... It would undermine the...For some reason, Honor looked at Haney for her reaction. It's fine, Honor. These are all high-ranking detectives. I will explain everything. Cool, more explanations. The worst part of every detective novel. The facts are these: I approached Red July last stage about a certain project of mine. It's called T.A.D.S. Tads? The Tentative Alliance of Detectives in Secret. T.A.D.S. You're almost as good at naming things as I am! Last competition, I tried to get into the Game-master's room twenty-two times. Fortunately, they never caught me at it. This year, working as a staff member, I'll finally get to the bottom of this competition. Find out what they want. How they operate. What the point of this is. There was... another competition? Yes. But it was in Canada. Ah, of course I didn't hear of it... Nobody knows what goes on in the mysterious land of Canada. Red July agreed to help me. That's why it's important that the Game-master is kept in the dark about how Red July's method works. Literally. Last round... Honor and Red July solved the mystery in the dark. What?! But how? Why? It's the only way to circumvent the cameras. There are too many to disable. Hold on... Red July's brain wasn't working. So how did you guys solve the mystery? Were you cheating after all? Uh... Well, yes. It was the only way to keep the Game-master from knowing Red July's weakness. I told Honor the answer, and they pretended to solve it. Whaaat?! That's so unfair. It will only be for a few rounds...! I'm done with this. It's Red July's problem. Let her figure out a solution on her own. I'm not going to help a cheater. I totally disagree! Let's help Red July cheat, everyone!Slakes looked at 776 like he was completely out of his mind, which, to be fair, was true.  I see where you're going with this, Haney! Think about it... The Game-master's currently distracted with this crisis, which is actually a non-issue. It's the perfect opportunity to find the Game-master. I'm glad you see it my way, 776. I don't know much about how the contest operates... but the Game-master's room isn't difficult to pinpoint. It's definitely in this hotel. With Roel's listening abilities, she may be able to locate it while an announcement is being made. It's possible. I would like to meet the Game-master... I imagine all of us would. First though, we have to keep the Game-master from throwing Red July out of the contest... If he finds out she cheated last round – Yeah, but she DID cheat. So I still don't see why it's a bad thing if she's kicked out. If she's booted out of the contest, guess who gets to be in first place? Me. Poor old Slakes. Stuck in second place the whole contest... I'm sort of inclined to agree with Slakes. What use does Red July really serve to your plans, Haney? Sure, she's an amazing detective... but if everyone in this room puts their minds together...  We're probably collectively smarter than her. It's just the truth.I'd stayed silent for too long... I refused to hear them dunk on Red July any longer! I can't believe you're saying this!! Red July is the best detective in the contest. Even if she hadn't cheated, without this weakness of hers, she'd probably have wiped the floor with you, Slakes! What's REALLY unfair is trying to get ahead of Red July at a time when she's clearly not able to properly compete! That's like bragging that you can walk better than someone who uses a wheelchair! Shame on you!Slakes looked into my eyes, considering my words. Suddenly, his expression changed... Hmm. You're right. I'd rather beat Red July when she's at her best. ...It would be a shallow victory, anyway. I knew you were a good person, Slakes! I guess you've convinced me too, Nell. Awesome! So now what? Thank you, Nell... If you all want to help Red July, I have an idea. We just need to buy her a little more time. One round should do – she should be back to normal. ...Just do what we did. Solve the murder in the dark. If the top five detectives all do it, the Game-master will have to focus his suspicion on all of us. I already do that, so it'll be no problem. Will Haney tell us the answer? Unfortunately, I can't possibly be in enough places at once to tell all of you the answer... So we'll have to actually solve it... in complete darkness?! We can do it, Nell! Okaayyy... Now I was a bit worried. But if it was for Red July's sake... I'm in. I'm in. Yup. I'm in! You are all members of T.A.D.S. now. Hah hah hah. Awful name, but fine. Just don't make me pay dues. And I'd better get to meet the Game-master.He left. *ding dong diiiing!* The announcement jingle sounded.  The second round is starting soon. Please make your way into the lobby, as we'll be setting up the next set of mysteries. This is it. Solve the mystery as fast as possible, then meet me on the criminal side. I think that's where the Game-master's room is. Sounds good.Were we finally going to meet the Game-master? I wondered what I should ask him... ***** [Honor's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  Why are you dressed as Red July? Red July is a famous detective... I have followed her career for a long time. I decided that if I was to enter the competition, I would have to become her to stand a chance. Of course, I cannot duplicate methods. However, I can duplicate fashion style.What experience have you had as a detective? Seven years as a detective for the OCPD. Three years as a private investigator.What is your method? Disguises. I become others. In mind, in spirit, in heart. I fully embody them. This allows me to interrogate witnesses with the comfort of anonymity. This contest is about solving mysteries without being able to interview witnesses. Your method seems to be mostly focused on witnesses. True. However, I am not an idiot. I'm confident I would be able to solve any mystery you threw my way. Very well...Why do you want to win this competition? I don't want to win it. I want to meet a lot of detectives. It's always good to see new faces.How well do you work with others? I work very well with others... who wouldn't want to work alongside themselves? I get along with just about everyone... as long as I don't show my real face. No further questions. No problem.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2024 14:54
|
|
|
Completely random shot in the dark, I bet the top detectives such as Nell will solve the mystery behind the contest, but in doing so will end up missing or losing some rounds causing them to be disqualified, and Detective Hackett ending up the winner by default because he was the only one unaware of the larger mystery behind the scenes, so he was the only one who ended up attending the final round.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2024 15:42
|
|
|
clifton779 posted:Completely random shot in the dark, I bet the top detectives such as Nell will solve the mystery behind the contest, but in doing so will end up missing or losing some rounds causing them to be disqualified, and Detective Hackett ending up the winner by default because he was the only one unaware of the larger mystery behind the scenes, so he was the only one who ended up attending the final round. Nell isn't a top detective, she's a complete novice that got lucky to be partnered with a top detective. She is learning very fast, though! For a certain definition of learning.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2024 17:10
|
|
|
When they immediately started blabbing about secret plans, I was kind of wishing 776 would pipe up like, "uh, guys, I was just joking about finding and disabling all the bugs already". For a clown-adjacent character I'm surprised he's grown on me so much. Mix. posted:
Just look at that face!  Honor seems cool, too, it was nice to see them out of disguise mode.
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2024 00:27
|
|
|
The cast of this game is really endearing; I hope it doesn't turn out to be a secret death game or something, because I've been kind of appreciating a twisty mystery game that isn't entirely about death.
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2024 01:20
|
|
|
I'm not gonna comment on anything story-wise since we're not even 1/5 of the way through the story yet, but I will say that the vibe pretty much carries through the whole game for the most part, you don't have to worry about any swerves on that level
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2024 02:30
|
|
|
Antivehicular posted:The cast of this game is really endearing; I hope it doesn't turn out to be a secret death game or something, because I've been kind of appreciating a twisty mystery game that isn't entirely about death. Does the tragic loss of all those mannequins mean nothing to you?
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2024 12:51
|
|
|
 There's a plot in the works to finally meet the Game-master of the mysterious detective competition. But in order for it to work, Detective Nell and Detective 776 must solve Stage Two's second mystery in the dark! [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]  Solving a crime in the dark was way harder than Haney made it sound. Fortunately, since the windows in the hotel were real, it wasn't entirely dark... Could be worse. We're not bumping into each other, seeing as we're in separate rooms. Try to separate your thoughts from your mind... and stand on your head!There was no way I was doing that again. Time to get down to business...  [A Window of Opportunity] Mrs. Capulet was found dead in her hotel room at 7 PM. Mr. Montague, Mrs. Capulet's bitter boyfriend, was arrested. The room was locked from the inside when the crime was discovered. You do not have access to the autopsy report. SPECIAL BONUS: In one version of the mystery, Mrs. Capulet would have been arrested if she hadn't been killed. Why? Hmm... it was a little hard to read in the dark... I fumbled for the Suspects File...  [Wanted: FARAWAY] MODUS: Faraway is a sniper who can assassinate victims from over a hundred and six miles away.  [Wanted: MINEFIELD] MODUS: Minefield deals exclusively in explosive devices, usually with the aim of catching his victims in his explosive traps.  [Wanted: QUIVER] MODUS: Quiver shoots her victims with her signature “Ghost Bow”, which rarely leaves a trace.  [Wanted: SILENCE] MODUS: Silence is a mime who uses bombs, an incredibly unique concept. Okay... Time to investigate what little I can here... Are you saying something, Nell? Just talking to myself! Heh heh... heh...The dark room made me a bit nervous... [BGM: Mode of Operation]   On the bed... is there a rock with a note on it? No. There is, however, a bomb near the window. You sound pretty calm about it. This isn't a real mystery, Nell, remember? None of this is real! Yeah yeah, I know!!He didn't have to remind me! How patronizing. This must be part of the discrepancy that will tell us which criminals are responsible for this mystery... What does the note say? It's an old-fashioned love letter thing. It says, 'come towardst the window, my lady fair'. I don't think that's accurate for the time period. Whatever. Maybe there's a clue on it... [BGM: Magnify]   Didn't seem like there was anything there...  Seemed like a perfectly normal note... no special poisoned ink...no super secret code... Just a terrible imitation of the style of The Bard. Oh well. You win some, you completely and totally fail at some. [BGM: Mode of Operation]  There's shattered glass on my side. My side too. By the window, right? Yup. Something definitely came in through the window. It's Detective 101 to deduce which direction something smashed a window from. All detectives must do it at some point. I congratulate you, Nell. Uh... thank you. 'Mrs. Capulet'... Okay, I'm seeing an obvious bullet wound on Mrs. Capulet over here. A painted on hole with a trail of blood running from it? Yes. Okay. Both our sides are the same then.So far, so good...  It looks like we've investigated everything... Wait, Nell. Check the window sill, near where the hole in the window is... Yeah? Is there a thin red line on the sill...? I'll check. Yes, there's a red line here. Do you think it's blood, or something else? It's definitely blood, otherwise it'd just be needlessly confusing. When has something like that stopped the Game-master before? Hm. Fair enough.We'd investigated all there was to investigate... now to make sense of it all!  Good thing the mystery was near the window... it's really dark in here! Yes. I hope it pays off. So, the only difference between our rooms is that mine has a bomb in it, and yours has a rock instead? Seems so. Okay, let's start with the MOD.... the Method of Death. I know what MOD means!! If we look at the Suspects File, two of them probably could have created the wound seen on the victim... why don't you mark those for me?Always making me do the menial tasks!  Well, there are two killers who use piercing weapons, so... Faraway and Quiver... Yes, those two have similar moduses. The Game-master's getting tricksy this round... it was either a gun or an arrow that killed the victim. Since we don't have the autopsy report, we don't know which... Hey! If this was a real mystery, we could've figured that out right away! That's often the case, I've noticed. There's also never more than one suspect. True... So, anyway, I think I know which one it is... and a particular clue points to the one I'm thinking of...A clue that pointed to the weapon that was used to murder the victim...? Which clue was 776 talking about... ?!  The thin line of blood on the sill! We know the hole in the glass was far above the sill... That line bothers me. Does that have something to do with what you were thinking of, 776? Yes, precisely. We didn't find a bullet or arrow in the room. I think that red line has to do with how the weapon was retrieved from the room... Ah! I get it! There's no good way to retrieve a bullet from a distant location where you shot it to... but the same isn't true for an arrow... if you tie a string to it! Exactly, Nell! Yes! The arrow had a string attached! After shooting it into the victim, the killer retrieved it from the room simply by pulling the arrow back through the window. If we assume the killer shot the victim from a higher vantage point... ...there's little chance that the arrow would get stuck inside the room!! Nice! So this must mean... Quiver is one of the criminals who created the mystery! Yes, that is my thinking as well. Awesome, we were getting somewhere! Furthermore, I think we can safely say that you got Quiver's room. My room has a bomb in it... Looking at the Suspects File, there are two criminals that seem the most probably suspects. This is an easy one, Nell!He was right, it was pretty easy... Silence and Minefield... See? This one's easy! I wouldn't be so sure. The Suspects File says that Minefield deals in explosive devices... that doesn't rule him out entirely, right? But the aim of this bomb wasn't to create a trap...It WASN'T to create a trap...? What role did the bomb and the rock play in the mystery...?  I see...! Both the rock and the bomb acted as a way to draw the victim towards the window... After Mrs. Capulet locked herself in the room, the killer threw the rock through the window. The note told her to come to the window, so she obliged, and was shot with the arrow. In your room, the killer threw a bomb through the window instead. The victim went to throw it out of the window, but got shot! That's it entirely, Nell! Awe-inspiring work! Thank you! Now we just need to mark the correct suspects on the Suspects File... That's simple enough. Quiver and Silence... Good work., Nell. Thanks again!Wow, he was really laying it on thick.  Oh right, the bonus question... Hmm... well, let's think about it... Maybe...! … No, never mind, I've got nothing. I'm thinking it's probably the bomb she would've thrown out of the window if she wasn't shot. It was just a dud, meant to draw her towards the window, but maybe someone could've gotten hurt. At the very least, throwing a dud bomb from your room would likely raise suspicion. It's not perfect, but it's the best we've got, right? Submit!![BGM: A Matter of Simple Deduction]  Correct. Your score on this mystery is 100 percent. Your answer to the bonus question was acceptable. Great work, Nell! Oh, I didn't do much, ahahahaha... Um... as for your rankings... you appear to have solved your mystery in the dark. That made it impossible to verify. It seems... that this is the case with a number of pairs this round. While we sort out this... issue... the rankings will not be released. Hope that was enough to help Red July... Yeah...[BGM: Trickster]  I rushed out into the hallway. He was already standing there, a pleased look on his face. We outsmarted the Game-master and solved the case! What a nice day. Makes me want to tell a joke! Please don't, we don't have time – Two friends are having an argument... The older friend says, 'I'm older than you, so I automatically win the argument.' The younger friend sagely replies: 'Yes, but that just means you've had more practice at being an idiot.' I'm guessing this joke has a moral? Never use age as a basis for superiority. You're just saying that because you're younger than most of the detectives here. I admit it. But there's more to it than that. I just like jokes with morals. Yeah, I noticed.[BGM: Hotel Quail]  Alright, time to meet up with Haney! Time to go to the criminal side again... oh boy. The detective side is worse. Everyone's a rival. On this side, it's like everyone's part of one big family. That's only if they're part of the mafia.Still, he made it sound pretty appealing. The doors opened to the ugly, trashy criminal side hallway... I love a nice, welcoming atmosphere. Feel free to murder someone. I'm sure the Game-master would let you switch sides. I think a robbery would suffice.We quietly made our way down the hallway... fortunately, it didn't seem like anyone heard us. At last, we reached Room 54. The door wasn't locked. I stepped inside, cautiously.  The sight that greeted me was similar to when I'd arrived at 777's party in almost every way, except this was in a far more decrepit room and there was an extra person, who I guessed was the criminal the room belonged to. Look, there's my friend and former partner-in-crime... Four-Eyes. What?! I mean, yeah, that's me.Why did I have to have 777's stupid nickname for me?! Why couldn't we have discussed this beforehand? Hello... and you are?I offered a hand to the criminal.  Sociopath Constrictor. But call me Garden.[NEW BIO: Mastermind Garden] She shook my hand, firmly. Very firmly. Ow... Uh, that's a peculiar name. Is it your first or your last? She just smiled and didn't reply. If we're dropping code names for now, then I'm Craney and she's Laney.Slakes winced. Glad I wasn't the only one who hated 777's names. Oh. That's unfortunate.777's face dropped. You can't choose what you're given... Let's change the subject. Garden has helpfully provided us with a room to start your investigation from. Don't call it that – makes it sound like you're some kind of detective. Wouldn't want that, right? Hm. Our rebellion, then. Stupid. Lame. … T.A.D.S. meeting. What does that mean? The... Terrific... Amicable... Detainee Society. Bad. Terrible. Let's just get on with the meeting... Visionary here- She indicated Roel. -will tell us where to find the Game-master. I think I know where his room is now. I'll have Twenty-Faced Fiend wait here and signal us when the round's starting. If they need help, they'll use a special whistle and I'll send... Snake... to assist them.Slakes grimaced at his code name. Snake? Sounds like our moduses are similar. We should murder someone together sometime. Ha ha. Ha ha! Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha! Lovely. Visionary, Snake, Craney and Laney will go with me... let's go now, while the rankings are still being announced and the round hasn't started. Yeah, nice mystery this round.I hadn't noticed before, but her room was set up like a crime scene.  I glimpsed two dummies, one in a chair and one on the floor, but before I could look closely, Haney glared at me. Oops, guess we weren't supposed to see that yet. Ah, yeah, what was it called again? The... Buy One Corpse, Get One Free, I think? Let's get on with it, shall we...? See you next round... If you don't die! Aha ha ha ha!!On that note, we left Garden's room. [BGM: Sauntering Around]  What a pleasant criminal. That was intense... What's my modus, Haney? You're a killer clown, of course. Yeah, yeah, makes sense. Nell, you are an embezzler. Okay. Roel is a fortune telling fraud. I can do that... and have done it, in fact. Honor's a shapeshifting thief... and Slakes, you're a snake-charmer. You just love ridiculing me, huh? It took hours to come up with. Hours. We had arrived at a stairway. In case of an emergency, even the top floor has an exit. Today, we'll be making it our entrance. This is where the Game-master's room is? Yes. At the top of the long staircase is a door that looks like it goes to the roof... but, after listening carefully, I think that it actually leads to the Game-master's room. Great, lead on. At the top of the stairs... was a door with a gold trim. Written on the door in the same spidery script with which the note and the name tags were written were the words: [/i]'Finding the answer to a mystery is like finding love. It's hard, and though you may lose hope along the way, those who look always find it. For us, it is finding love. Because we love mysteries.'[/i] Cheesy and poorly written. Makes me want to gag. Disgusting. No detective in their right mind would ever want to go near this door... how ingenious. Well, I think it's really sweet!! The word you're thinking of is 'saccharine'. Fine! You guys are so unsentimental...With nothing but a push... the door swung open. [BGM: Voices]   Hello, children. Oh dear, did I leave the door unlocked...? You're the Game-master? ...Wait, forget I asked. You're too young... Don't judge someone by their age. That's called ageism. Yes, I know what ageism is... Wait, so does that mean... you ARE the Game-master? No. I am called the Voice-master. In order for the Game-master to respond in real time in every room in the contest... there are hundreds of 'Game-master Voices' set up in a call center in a building nearby. They are the ones you're talking to during the mysteries.777 looked slightly disappointed. Oh. I thought we had a rapport... No more than you do with a telemarketer. What...?! WHAT WHAT WHAT!? You broke Nell. Oh, I'm sorry. Lewis... it's you? The famous boy detective from the detective competition in England? Yes, yes, that's me.[NEW BIO: Voice-master Lewis] Do I know you? I'm from the Canadian competition. Hmm... Detective Larika Downs. My name is Haney now. That's an awful name. Yes, it's the worst, but it provides an extra layer of security. Excuse YOU! So that's it, then? The point of the competition? To recruit staff members to work in the next competition? How banal. No. It's an option if you participated in the last contest. The Game-master likes to keep everything in-house... Oh... does that mean every staff member is a detective? Yes, but I could've told you that. Lewis, when you won the contest... what happened? I won a million dollars. And... I was told to keep in touch. That was all. Well, good to know you actually get the million dollars. Look, I don't have any of the answers you're looking for... I'm sorry I'm not the Game-master. However... I may be able to let you talk to one of the Game-masters. Really...? Yes. Being the Voice-master... I have a direct line to the Game-master himself. The real Game-master. Excellent! But... it's risky. I could lose my job here... and it's a very high paying job. Yes, it is. It has dental and mental and a 401k. Wow, better than any job I've had. So, since you managed to assemble most of the top-ranked detectives in my little room here... Maybe we could trade? You see, I write mysteries. That's how I solve crimes, by writing out what I see, and having my fictional detective solve them. It gets lonely up here, so there's plenty of time to write. There's no reason for me to participate, so I decline. Can we leave? So you don't want to talk to the Game-master? I don't need you. I can talk to him any time I want to, when I'm solving a mystery. That's just one of the Voices talking to you... the actual Game-master is on a completely different level. Hmm... I suppose you're right. Solve my mystery, detectives. That's all you have to do, and it's literally all you do. I guess it makes sense to do something for you, since now we know about the Voices... I'm up for it. Brilliant! I'm so happy...! I'm happy, too. I get to loudly point out all your grammatical errors. I fully welcome any feedback you have......What an oddball. But, so was everyone else I'd met in the contest... We were so close to speaking with the real Game-master. We just had to solve this kid's stupid mystery. Piece of cake!! ***** [Garden's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  How long have you been incarcerated? Three out of one hundred and sixteen years. Isn't it silly... why do they bother adding so many years? They know I'll be dead by then. I guess they're intimidated. How flattering!What is your modus? Constriction. I have a whole snake theme going on, if you hadn't noticed. I did. You love it, don't you?! This is why I have so many fans!! Every murderer should have a fabulous style!Why do you want to win this competition? I don't want to win this competition... I'll probably try not to win, actually. I can be one of those disposable people you get rid of dramatically. You can play really epic music while telling me my mystery is bad. Thanks, but we're not filming this; it's not a reality show. Then what's the point of this contest...? I'm the one asking the questions.How well do you work with others? Fine, as long as they aren't... some stalker who waits outside of fast food places trying to buy me lunch, digs what I ate out of the trash can and photographs it for their 'collection'... And then while I'm in prison spends all their time lobbying to get me out, with a petition and everything... and then submits me to be interviewed for this contest so that I can eventually go free! People like that... Are total scum!! No further questions. You really should film this. It would get so many hits. This contest isn't supposed to be widely known about. If it were, there would be... problems. Hmmmm...? Is that so...?
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2024 19:06
|
|
|
Everyone is just so endearingly incompetent. Also that poor woman was probably raised to be a criminal with a first name like "Sociopath". Constricting is probably a family tradition.
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2024 23:07
|
|
|
.
Mix. fucked around with this message at 01:23 on May 12, 2024 |
|
#
?
May 10, 2024 23:31
|
|
|
Mix. posted:
<snort> Cute, cute.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2024 05:21
|
|
|
 The detectives have stumbled upon a past contest winner who's working for the detective competition! He says he can get them in touch with the Game-master, but only if they solve a mystery from his book! [BGM: Lord Loomy]  Lord Loomy welcomed his client into the ramshackle room of his clubhouse, nicknamed 'the Barriskew' by the self entitled Lord. It was where he invited people in to solve their troubles, as a mental exercise. ...But cash in his pocket didn't hurt, either. [NEW BIO: Lord Loomy] I'm going to be treating Lewis's narration as just text and put it in italics, just to keep things clean looking. Wait, is this 'Lord Loomy' some kind of kid? Yes, yes he is. I can only write for my demographic, as I am not old enough yet for my work to convey the maturity of that of a more experienced novelist.His client sat down. She was the daughter of the Mayor of Slumpville, and – Can we please just hear the mystery part?It was rude of him, but I was glad he'd asked. Who knows what filler-y crap we'd have been forced to sit through? Lewis obligingly flipped ahead for a dozen or so pages.  '– And the shade of eyeshadow you're wearing contains particle traces of glitter, which lends itself to the overall feeling of tackiness that I tend to avoid, yet you appear to revel in. In summary, I don't like you.' 'Well then,' said his client, clearly impressed by his stupefying powers of reasoning, 'I don't like you either. You haven't even listened to my case yet!' 'God forbid,' said Lord's assistant, Mr. Onion, who happened to be an athiest but often used such expressions anyway – [NEW BIO: Mr. Onion] How is this the mystery part?! It's like a...He stopped and reconsidered before continuing. ...well known brand of junk food. The cream of story essence and character development is obscured by the cookies of pseudo-intellectual humor. The mystery part is coming soon. Everyone knows that a good mystery story has to have some other engagement besides the mystery. What's wrong with a little humor? Well, when it comes at the expense of the characters... Are these even characters? Seems like they're just one-off jokes with one central gimmick that you exploit to death because you don't know how to write good dialogue. That's a bit harsh. He's just a kid, for crying out loud guys! Come on! Fine, fine, continue to waste our time...He waved at Lewis to continue.  'Mr. Onion, do you think it's time to hear this person's story?' asked Loomy, putting his hands on his hips as he so often did. 'You tell me, you're the detective,' said Mr. Onion sarcastically, as he so often did. Hey, that's the second time you used 'so often did'! Redundancy is indeed to be avoided, but I thought I would use it here to point out the similarities between Mr. Onion and Lord Loomy. Can we move on, please? You're just making this take longer! Fine. But get to the mystery soon.Lord Loomy made a gesture for the girl to tell her story. 'Three days ago, there was a murder in the bed and breakfast where I was staying, and unfortunately I was the prime suspect,' said the girl. 'By the way, what's your name? I forgot to ask you,' said Lord Loomy. 'Took you long enough to notice. Apparently the size of the heel on my shoes is more important,' she said. 'To me, it is. I do not require a label to place upon the objects in my house, for instance. I only need to know that the table's a table, and the lamp's a lamp. You are a human. [Insert Latin phrase summing it all up here.] Now, what do you go by?' 'I'm Mira.' 'Last name?' 'Onion.' [NEW BIO: Mira Onion] 'I didn't know you had a daughter!' Lord Loomy said to Mr. Onion. 'You also managed to miss that I was elected Mayor of Slumpville, and instead focused on pointing out to me how I'd lately taken more cabs than usual,' said Mr. Onion. 'And, furthermore, I have two daughters, and I do not like coffee, those burn marks were from a malfunctioning toaster.' 'Anyway, what were you saying?' said Loomy, ignoring Mr. Onion.  'We were on a family trip, and we stayed at a bed and breakfast. On the way there, my sister Jira's ex-boyfriend showed up – Mr. Digs. He would also be staying at the hotel,' she said. 'Was his shirt unbuttoned or was he wearing a snood?' asked Loomy, raising an eyebrow. 'Neither. So, we checked in at the hotel. We were given two rooms. One for mom and dad, and one for the two of us. In the dead of night, I heard... a whistle.' 'A whistle?' asked Loomy. 'Could this perhaps be the summoning of some ghastly poisonous creature to your room?' 'No, it was a slide whistle. I told Jira to cut it out and we all went to bed as usual. The next morning, we learned that the man that checked in had died, right in his hotel room – stabbed to death. It was locked, so they'd used a master key to get in. And get this: in his hand was the key to me and Jira's room, as well as his own room. So how could his door have been locked, if he had the only key? And there's something else you should know... the nail of the index finger of his left hand was cut off.' Finally! The mystery part! Is there more to it? Well... what follows is their investigation, but if you think you've solved it, all the clues are there. Excuse me.He proceeded to start hitting himself. Detective Slakes crouched on the floor and began muttering. What an odd way to go about it. As for me, I'll be attempting to figure out the mystery without hitting myself or crouching on the floor, thank you very much. Dare I ask why you're hitting yourself? Sometimes I need a quick boost of brainpower. All pain runs through the brain. By socking myself in the face repeatedly, I'm activating defensive triggers that'll increase pain tolerance, and awareness of my surroundings and situation in the event of an incoming attack. When I need to rapidly increase my awareness in general, this works in a pinch. Hmm... I should try pinching myself too! Great.[BGM: Criminal Side]  Slakes stood up. There was something... different about him. Was he... smiling?  It's wonderful to meet all of you. Slakes doesn't usually let me meet his friends. We're not exactly friends yet. I may not be your friend, but you are my friend! I'm friends with everyone. We all have more in common than you'd think. 99.9 percent of our DNA Is alike, after all! Yeah, you also share 99.9 percent of your DNA with Charles Manson. Is he your friend? Ha ha, of course he is! Nobody deserves to be judged for their mistakes. That's very... accepting... of you. I know it must seem shocking. I am the polar opposite of Slakes, after all! He calls me Mastermind Sekals![NEW BIO: Mastermind Sekals] I'm a bit too stupid to be called a Mastermind, though – so just Sekals will do! So... what am I here to do? Did he just want me to meet his friends? No, I think you're here to solve this fictional mystery... Oh right, Lord Lousy or something, right? He always brings me out to solve mysteries for him. Wait, how come? He can't solve it himself? No, of course not! Slakes is terrible at solving mysteries... but he's great at coming up with crimes! I have the opposite problem. So, I solve the mysteries, and he creates my crimes. ...Oops, don't tell anybody that! Full disclaimer: I'm completely innocent of all crimes, hahaha!I didn't believe him, but he seemed a little dangerous, so I kept quiet. Okay, my brain is fully charged now! Let's solve this case! The first thing I think I should make clear is... Jira is the killer. With that, everything else falls into place... Hardly. Just imagine the crime scene, Nell! It's really quite simple.I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of the high-ranking detectives... so I did my best to imagine... [BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]   Was there anything found on the bed? The bed was found undisturbed. The door was locked from the inside? Yes. He was stabbed? Yes, that's correct. Is Mira wrong about that? No, she's correct. Their investigation does find that the victim was stabbed. Okay... and the key was found on the victim? Yes, that's right. I think the key to the mystery is the missing nail! You're on the right track there...Looking at the missing nail... and thinking about what we knew about this fictional mystery... I thought I knew the answer...  Why, it's the solution to the locked room, of course! Duh! Ah, I've figured it out! Oh, that's cool. What have you figured out? The literal key to the mystery is the nail! The nail is the key! Yeah, we know it's the key to the mystery... Oh, I get it! The nail was taken off and cut into the shape of the key! Very smart, Nell! Thanks! Yeah, nice one, Nell. I was almost there. I agree... I'll be keeping an eye on you, Nell! You seem like a very promising detective!I wasn't completely sure if I should accept the praise of a dangerous criminal... but I decided I'd take it wherever I could get it! [BGM: Voices]  You solved my mystery. Good job. Excuse me for a moment.He pressed a button on his headset. There are detectives here, and as the prize for winning a game of mine, I promised they'd get to speak with you.He nodded, then held out the headset. Be quick. Only one of you can say something.We all glanced at each other. What about me?! No, you're not a detective. It's me. This is why we're here. You promised us we'd all get to talk to the Game-master, Haney. I got you here, but that doesn't mean you should be the one to do it. Neutral parties are better than any of us could be! We shall ask Nell to do it. Then she can relay our questions! What a great idea! Ah... me? But... I haven't figured out what to say... Clock's ticking. Fine, have Nell do it.I nervously took the headset. What would the mysterious runner of the contest, the omnipresent Game-master, sound like? The headset filled with white noise. I winced and reflexively threw the headset to the ground. *ding dong diiiing!* Your connection has been terminated. That's it, I guess. Slakes? Is that you? Yeah, it's me. Looks like you really screwed up. And it's all Nell's fault. Why couldn't you wait for me to come back? Oh boo. Bring back Sekals. Yeah, yeah, I know. All internal polling indicates – nobody likes Poor Old Slakes. Stop calling yourself that. Nobody pities you. I think you should all leave as quickly as possible. Sounds like the Game-master's mad at you.So... we did. ***** [Slakes's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What experience have you had as a detective? Over two decades... private investigator. Though, I refused to take on infidelity cases... so I probably got less experience than I would have otherwise.What is your method? By channeling my 'other half', as I like to say. ...This split personality of mine was created twenty-one years ago... when I banged my head on a doorframe. When he takes over, I'm aware, vaguely, of what he does... but some things I blank out on. He does know how to solve crimes, I'll give him that.Why do you want to win this competition? I'm the only one I know who knows the criminal mind as well as I do. In order to defeat a mastermind criminal... you need a criminal detective. I see this contest as just another mystery to solve... I will not fail to solve it.How well do you work with others? I think people appreciate my professional attitude. Yes, I'm a bit of a grump.… … … But I have a heart of gold. ...Can't believe you made me say that. I didn't make you say anything. ...No further questions. Good. I was getting bored.***** [Sekals's Interview]  How long have you been incarcerated? Oh, about ten months now!What is your modus? Well, to be honest, I'm pretty terrible at crime! That's why my friend Slakes helps me out there. He's another person that I keep locked in my head. Ha ha!Why do you want to win this competition? To be freed, of course. Money is no object to me. I could hypothetically steal as much money as I want to! Ho ho ho!How well do you work with others? Dazzlingly well! Why, other people are my best of friends! They always smile so widely at me! No further questions. Oh, was that all?
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2024 16:18
|
|
|
I love how this game takes a huge dump on these youth mystery stories which have an incredible amount of preamble and really lame solutions. Slakes/Sekals is such a weird dynamic. Not just because turning the name around creates additional syllables, but that is also a weird quirk of the English language. Come to think of it, maybe the e is silent and it's pronounced "Skulls". But also, apparently Sekals is really bad at actually committing crimes so he always asks his headmate Slakes to do them for him and he has no objections? But these two must be really efficient for their body to have a double duty at this competition. cant cook creole bream fucked around with this message at 19:58 on May 12, 2024 |
|
#
?
May 12, 2024 19:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 18, 2024 15:28 |
|
|
 The detectives have lost a chance to speak to the mysterious runner of the detective competition, the Game-master. What new plan will enable them to find out more about the contest? [BGM: Waking]  After leaving the Voice-master's room, the sting of defeat in the air was palpable. Haney cleared her throat.  Didn't hurt to try... It was pointless. We didn't get anything out of it. We learned useful information. It was far from a waste of time. That there's a call center of people pretending to be the Game-master? Who cares? That doesn't help us. We still didn't get to question the Game-master. Slakes. If you want to talk about what doesn't help us, you'd be first on the list. Oh yeah? Well – Does anyone want to hear a joke??...Worst timing ever.  Here's a joke: Etha and Mr. Comfort are arguing over a banana – What are these names for? Are they part of the joke? They're an inside joke. May I continue the one on the outside? Yeah, go on. Mr. Comfort wants the banana because it is the only thing he knows. Etha wants the banana because she understands the ridiculousness of it. What...? While they are arguing, a monkey – conforming to widely accepted tropes – grabs the banana and runs away. Alright, what's the punchline? Etha and Mr. Comfort were sitting under a banana tree. Huh? Oh, I get it. Yes, but do you get the moral of the joke? Morals are to jokes what mold is to food.After that, 777 didn't talk for the rest of the trip to the lobby.  When we arrived, we found the detectives gathered around a paper sign pasted to a sandwich board. Fortunately, the crowd was sparse enough to get a good look at it. The sign read 'Rest in Peace 9888 – 6589'.  This is stupid. What makes you say that? It's a cypher. It's stale. It's boring. It's stupid. What's so stale about it? There are people who make a living decoding these things, you know. I know. But the whole concept of a code or a cypher is incredibly boring. A mystery is always changing. There are misdirections, false paths, brilliant deductions, crimes on crimes and crimes within crimes. A cypher is like a lazy mystery. There's only one solution. It's also not clever – you just have to know the code to solve it. That's not always true. Sometimes there are codes on codes and codes within codes!I was trying not to sound like I was personally invested in the reputation of cyphers... but Slakes was ticking me off a little with his pretentious attitude! Sometimes you don't know the code, so you have to use all sorts of different codes to find the answer! The only books where you find cyphers... are books that aren't creative enough to invent mysteries.He didn't seem to want to change his mind, so I dropped it.  Is it just me... or is everyone I've met here extremely weird? We're detectives. It's practically in the job description. Only a weirdo would obsess over details, fill out mountains of tedious paperwork, testify in court, and look at dead people for a living.He had a point. Now, help me out of this cage! I'm trapped!I ignored his antics and peered at the cypher. Slakes stepped over to the cypher, too. Rest in peace? RIP?He looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone. They just looked uncomfortable. Uh... someone died? Shut up! That's not the right answer!! Clearly, you have to do this! He ripped the sign off. Where the previous sign had been placed, there had been another one behind it. This one read, 'Congratulations'. See? I was right. This is a detective competition, not a cryptologist one. But in a way... didn't you solve the cypher?He just grunted. Like Haney said last round, the other detectives have a greater need to solve these pre-round teasers than we do. ...Admittedly, they're bad at them. Nonetheless, you're a jerk.His intimidating glare was minimized by the fact that he was shorter. Get used to it. People don't like me, and I don't like them. That's how the world works. My world works differently. It always breaks for lunch at the appropriate time, and gets promotions frequently. That's why I've decided to trust you. Oh, really? How come? There are two kinds of jerks: people who admit they are, and people who don't, and I like honesty even if it's tactless. Tactless honesty is the only kind there is. But whatever, do what you will. Trust who you'd like. Your weirdness is only paper thin, so I doubt you'll stick around me much longer.777 looked... incredibly hurt. OUCH!!*ding dong diiiing!* Has anyone solved the cypher yet? ...Oh, never mind, this message isn't live, it's triggered when someone wins. Well done! You know what to do. Head back to your hotel rooms for the third round.As we walked up the stairs to our floor, I noticed 777 wasn't hopping up them as he usually did.  Should we solve this in the dark...? Maybe Red July doesn't need the help... Were you offended? By what? When Slakes said your weirdness was only paper thin. Yes, yes I was. It was very offensive. You know, most people don't want to be weird. What's the first thing you thought when you met me? I found you profoundly irritating. See? It's part of my – I mean, the dancing, the demands, the terrible unfunny jokes, the smell of clown make-up, the clown make-up, all this clown make-up that's on everything now... Yes... I get it. Are you wearing a jumpsuit? What is that? It's a fashion disaster! Why do you keep things in your sleeves? Haven't you heard of pockets?! What? I like pockets! Have you seen the inside of my sleeves? They're full of pockets! ...And yes, clown make-up smells horrible. But you know what? My parents gave me a bottle of it for good luck in the contest, so it has sentimental value!! I thought your parents were dead!777 turned to me with a serious look on his face. Where'd you hear that? When you said 'my parents were clowns', it was past tense, so... Yeah. They retired. It's a job, you know....Whoops. We'd reached our doors at this point. 777 turned to face me, opened his mouth... then closed it without saying anything.  Slakes appeared out of nowhere, with his partner Asper. [NEW BIO: Detective Asper] Haney told me to... help you guys out. Roel's, Red July's, Honor's, and our rooms have been darkened. They can't see us on the cameras in there. What does this suggest to you? Ah! The weaker four team up to take on the top two! You mean... Wait, that's cheating!! Haney's desperate to talk to the Game-master, somehow – any means will do. So, here goes. If we work together in the dark, we' ll solve it two times as quickly, and they won't suspect the team-up. That'll give us even more time to explore this place... ...and find the real Game-master room. We should discuss it with Roel, she can tell when someone's lying, right? She's only as good as a regular heart detector. So she's not that great at it, to tell the truth.Good to know. How is this gonna work? If you'd thought to check the side table drawer, you'd have seen there's a spare earpiece for each of us...He handed one to me. It'll work like this... I'll take 777's spare earpiece. You will take mine, 777. Nell, you'll take Asper's. Hey there! I'm– Asper will take Nell's. Okay. We should hurry, then. Yes. Grab the spares from your side tables, and pass them out to us in the hall.I should've been more nervous about cheating... but Slakes was a very high-ranking detective. If he was okay with risking his position in the contest, then I had no excuse. Alright, I'll do it. Yeah, okay.He was probably still sore about Slakes's comment. I hurried into my room and grabbed the spare earpiece... Thanks.The door shut behind me. ...It locked.  Welcome to the third round of the Second Stage... this mystery is called 'Buy One Corpse, Get One Free'. Hello? 777? What? No, it's Nell. Ah, great. For some reason I didn't realize if I got 777's spare, I'd be speaking to you. Why wouldn't you want to speak to me? Hm... on second thought, you're far less annoying. Well thanks. Please look at the casefile for the crime summary, as always.[BGM: Mode of Operation]  [Buy One Corpse, Get One Free] Mr. Cheats and Mrs. Madison were both found dead in a hotel room. They were supposed to meet me there at 6 PM. The prime suspect is Mr. Cheats' wife Mrs. Cheats. The room was locked from the inside when the crime was discovered. You do not have access to the autopsy report. SPECIAL BONUS: Why did Mrs. Cheats kill Mr. Cheats and Mrs. Madison? ...And the Suspects File for who the dastardly culprits likely were. I hope you're not talking about me! Oh... hello, Sekals. [Wanted: SILENCE] MODUS: Silence is a mime who uses bombs, an incredibly unique concept.  [Wanted: MINEFIELD] MODUS: Minefield deals exclusively in explosive devices, usually with the aim of catching his victims in his explosive traps.  [Wanted: TOYER] MODUS: Toyer likes to turn her victims into living weapons. One death is not enough for her violent tastes.  [Wanted: JACKS] MODUS: Jacks uses many, many small incisions to kill his victims slowly. Your time starts... now.Little did the Game-master realize... I had a master detective helping me this time!   'Mr. Cheats'... Mr. Cheats has a knife in his chest. He's sitting on a chair. He has... stitching? On his stomach. Same here! Not for me. 777's is different. No knife, but he's covered in tiny scratch marks. His Mr. Cheats has tiny scratch marks. That points to Mastermind Jacks, of course! Oh, of course!! Hmm, this knife... Mr. Cheats already has stitches in his stomach... but the knife is stabbed into his chest. Very unusual... some head standing is required!I had other methods... well, another method, so to speak. [BGM: Magnify]   The knife was bloody, but otherwise normal...  Didn't seem like there was anything there... Oh well. You win some, you completely and totally fail at some. [BGM: Mode of Operation]  'Mrs. Madison'... Mrs. Madison is by the window. She's clutching her throat. Same. Same. Hmm...We'd investigated all there was to investigate... now, to make sense of it all! Two victims this time... interesting. We need to solve this very, very quickly, Nell! No time for pointless tangents! So stop wasting my time, then. Relax, everybody! Nell, I have a special assignment for you... Yeah? Is the murder weapon in this case the same for both victims?Hmm... Mr. Cheats had clearly been stabbed with a knife... and Mrs. Madison was blue and clutching her throat... The answer was obvious!  I mean, it is pretty obvious. No, obviously not! Mr. Cheats was most likely killed by the knife... but Mrs. Madison was killed by something else! Very good, Nell! So, what was she killed by?What was she killed by...? Well, she was the color blue, which the Game-master used to indicate... Poison...? But we didn't find any signs of poison in the room... Hmm... that's true. Nell, tell Sekals to feel Mr. Cheats' stomach. Why don't I just feel Mr. Cheat's stomach?! I'm not just a telegraph operator between you and Sekals! Very dated, Nell. I don't mind feeling Mr. Cheats' stomach. Hmm... there's something inside it... Nell? After feeling around myself... the stitching on the stomach came undone...  What is this? I believe it is a gas bomb! Hmm... the plot thickens. A gas bomb? Wait... Is that how Mrs. Madison was poisoned? I think you've got it, Nell! Mrs. Madison was poisoned with a gas bomb that was placed inside Mr. Cheats' stomach! What's going on?! We've basically solved the mystery! Oh, that... that... Mrs. Cheats stuffed the bomb inside Mr. Cheats to kill Mrs. Madison? ...Yeah. He made it sound like it was really easy to figure out... But we have a problem, right? Take a look at the Suspect File... Huh. It's unclear whether Mastermind Toyer, Mastermind Silence, or Mastermind Minefield were responsible for the bomb... they're all good candidates! They may all seem like good candidates at first, but look at their records... Nell, which of the three do you think did it...? Mastermind Minefield! While the other bios are tempting... this case is, ultimately, about a trap created with an explosive device! Great job, Nell! Amazing! Is there anything we haven't covered, then? As I said, Mr. Cheats is covered in little scratches on my end... so that's obviously Jacks. Is Asper's also covered in little scratches? Yes. Well, there's only one criminal that could be... I think we're ready to mark the correct ones! Minefield and Jacks... Good job. Put that in on my end as well. Really speeds this process up to have an extra two brains! Yeah! Hmm....... Oh right, the bonus question... Right, right... 'Why did Mrs. Cheats kill Mr. Cheats and Mrs. Madison?' Well, obviously because he was cheating on her, right? Because... he was cheating...Suddenly, it dawned on me... that showing what happened to people who cheated could be a message from the Game-master... ...a pretty sinister message.  Correct. Your score on this mystery is 100 percent. Your answer to the bonus question was acceptable. But you, Detective 778, Detective Slakes, and Detective Asper are disqualified this round for cheating. Pairing up with another detective is not allowed. Please enter the elevator.Everyone looked grave as we stepped out of our hotel rooms. …Except Asper. He looked really cheerful. He was probably the kind of guy who always looked cheerful. The elevator door dinged open and we stepped in.  How did the Game-master find out we paired up...? The lights were off! Did someone rat us out? Did Slakes speak up at one point deliberately to clue the Game-master in? Did he tell the Game-master this was going to happen? Was... this it? Was I out of the contest? I could just barely see a small smile on 778's face. ...It was totally him. ***** [Asper's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What experience have you had as a detective? Just another private detective... been doing this about six years, nine months, four days, two hours, five minutes, and forty-eight seconds? Something like that.What is your method? I'm not particularly special or anything... but I do have a reputation for my extremely accurate guesses. I don't know why, but I can accurately guess distances, ages, occupations... and often who did the crime. However, it doesn't make things much easier, because I do need to back up my guesses with hard proof.Why do you want to win this competition? Million dollars! Not that it's that much money or anything... but for a long time, I've wanted to see how well my guesses work in a casino. But... I don't want to waste any of my money on that. If I win a million dollars in the contest, it's sort of like I didn't really earn it, so I'd be able to experiment with it. Do you know what I mean? Competing in the competition is very difficult. If you win, you will have unquestionably earned the money. Yeah, but I didn't earn it one cent at a time or anything. It's just dumped in my lap, so there's less attachment to it. I guess I see your point. I hope that's an accurate guess!How well do you work with others? I think I get along really well with others... what helps is I kind of fade into the background. I'm used to it, and it makes for a great team dynamic. No further questions. No problem.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2024 01:17
|
|