GAME 2 - DAY 1

[protoshepherd]

[ You stir awake on the cold floor, and find yourself in a REALLY CROWDED dressing room with some other people. They may be strangers, they may be people you know, but then you wonder, where are you?

Then it hits you. The last thing that happened before waking up was that you found a message in a bottle. You read the note, blinked once, and someone behind you hit you in the head. You fell to the floor, but that was it. That was all you remember. You must have passed out, and now you're here. Wherever here is.

The room is what it is. It seems to have been a murder scene. Who was murdered, no one knows. Try not to destroy the crime scene, would you? There's only a couple of drops of blood by the outline - and that's a really huge outline, the guy must be at least 6 feet tall. A tile from the floor is missing. Well, whatever. Is that really important? (No, it's not! Not at the moment, anyway…) What may be of importance (?!?!?!?!) is the note written in lipstick on the mirror. It reads: MAKE FRIENDS.

If you exit the dressing room, you'll find yourself in a hallway. There's another room next to the one you came from, but it's locked. There's some noise coming from inside, though… If you put your ear to the door, you may hear a possibly familiar song. But you might even check that out later, because right on the wall in front of you hang twelve square mirrors - about twelve inches in length, and eight in width. Each mirror will reflect only one specific person, no matter how many people are standing in front of it. (Eg. if Person A stands in front of Mirror A, he'll see himself. If he stands in front of Mirror B, he won't see any reflection at all.)

Upon looking at your mirror, you'll find someone behind you. Before you could even react, you hear the words "find wolves, keep secrets" whispered in your ear like an itchy and spine tingling thing. If you look back, the beautiful creature is gone. Its reflection is gone, too.

And when the badger disappears, you'll feel something heavy in your pocket. Pull it out, and you get a Nokia 3210. It's a pretty bulky and heavy device, but hey. It's a cellphone. Although… there are only four features to the phone: Rules, Vote, Calculator, and Snake.

If you check out the vote feature, you'll find a list of names. It seems you can only choose just one pair of names. Once someone votes on it, the bar right below their name grows longer, and you can see how many people voted on it. Everyone should know who their partner is from this list alone.

Welcome to (one part of) the Sunshine Coliseum! The broom closet is locked, and so is the room with the red light. Don't go there, Roxanne. If you head to the stage, you can play with the instruments. Feel free to chill out in the audience area. The chairs are very comfortable to sit on. There isn't much to do, but one should be crafty enough to find means of entertainment. This is game, after all.

Lastly, YOU HAVE NO MONEY TO BUY ANYTHING IN THE VENDING MACHINE. (It has soda and potato chips, by the way. Please don't steal anything...! Or you can. You know. Whatever. It's not like there are cops around!) ]

(SUSPICION POLL)

---

CLUE
* only one member of each team may vote, so please coordinate with your partners!

Schedule:
[ 00 EST 18 April: Clue/Activity!!

00 EST 19 April: Suspicion poll comes to an end and Ousting poll gets put up.

00 EST 20 April: Ousting poll draws to a close. A new day begins, with two teams out of the game. ]

For any team posts or if your character(s) will be talking to another team in private, please remember to filter the post and add protoshepherd to it! Characters will have whatever they had on them, or if they have any pets, then they can have those, too.

Regarding pets/items: SURE GO AHEAD AND HAVE YOUR CHARACTER BRING THEM. If it's a magical item, then it will NOT work.

Hurting other characters is fine, but please ping @sytry on plurk if and when your character tries to kill somebody, or beat them up senseless. There will be an IC punishment for something like this, and they also can't kill anybody, so!!!

Comments

CLUE

[protoshepherd]

[ There's some noise coming from the stage, as if something just crashed. If you head on over there, you'll find that all the instruments have been covered with black cloth, save for a lone guitar hard case. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary with the other instruments, but if one checks the guitar case, they'll find:

- Twenty four packs of Reese's peanut butter cups

And

- A folded piece of paper which reads:
Hello!

Thank you for participating in ░▄▒▓▢

For the first three days, clues regarding the identity of the wolves and sheep will be provided. These clues can either be very straight forward, or it may contain puzzles. Three groups of names will be provided, and one of the three is actually a wolf!

Upon solving the clue, players take it upon themselves to ask these three parties their opinions on the game, the other players, etc.

Here is your first clue:
gnig apsdinerfil, koltahy idlgercor
ksnuu ayiua, uai kkhosiair
llyke-870, ieyly egmr

Happy playing!

This game is sponsored by the Gatewater Hotel and the Los Angeles Police Department. ]

Re: CLUE

[yeahscience]

Guh-nig... apps...dinner...?

[Yes, Jesse is trying to sound the words in the clue out. No, he is not going to get very far with it. He lets out a sound of frustration and tosses the paper down, shouting at the ceiling.]

Come on, you bitch! You finally give us a clue and it's like in Swedish?? Seriously??? God.

[amygdalae]

[--well, at least they have some food. Some.

Bruce's read the note too, and while he has an idea, he also needs that list of names that other people actually have to be certain. Noticing the frustration of this particular individual, Bruce supposes he could... help. In a way, it'll benefit them both.]

It's an anagram. [He says, then pauses for a moment before adding on:] At least, that's my suspicion.

[inspectormacarena]

[....Jesse. Why. See, this is why you're unemployed and Cabanela is a successful investigator. He'll try and break the truth as gently as possible, so as not to break this kid's fragile pride.]

That's not Swedish, baby. Why don't you sit down and have some caaandy while the pros handle this, hmm? [Nailed it.]

[notaccurate]

It is structured like names, that is a pretty obvious hint that it is not a foreign language.

[And it seems like he was right, someone else already figured out the clues anyway.]

[fencefatale]

[ .... oh. That sure just happened, didn't it? ]

Anagrams? [ Please give her a moment, she's going to look at them real closely to see if she can't decipher any of them. ]

[immortalhope]

Of names, if I understand the message correctly.

[She pokes around at her phone a bit, pulling up the "vote" function.] These names, I suspect, would be the best place to start.

[trenchdoting]

[Gumshoe immediately goes for the peanut butter cups and chews on one as he looks over the clues.]

Oh geez... Does anyone hear speak Latin?!

[fencefatale]

I don't, but I think I figured out what it says...

Re: CLUE

[notjustanytoon]

[ Doom doesn't pay any mind to those peanut butter cups. Rather, he merely reads over the riddle once - and after a few seconds of contemplation, checks his phone and the list of names. ]

"087...870.

Amusing how a string of numbers corresponding with a participant is tucked away into this anagram.

Walp

[speedy_rabbit]

[Excuse her a second, Doom, she's just going to be peering over your shoulder to look at that note. Which probably isn't the most difficult thing to do.

Luckily with her helmet on her frown is hidden away behind that yellow visor.]

Last names aren't important where I'm from.

Re: CLUE

[boobily]

[ guess what piece of shit hasn't bothered to remember anyone's names here... and is instead dining on a sole pack of peanut butter cups while scratching his chin at the rest of them. is it... really safe to eat them?

... anyway, he moves onto the slip of paper. ] It's obviously the middle one. Always go with your instincts, baby. [ he winks at no one in particular. quite similar to his introduction to most of these people. ]

[fencefatale]

Do you want me to slap you? [ Because now that she's decoded the message, she's not very happy about this because wow, how rude... ]

[amygdalae]

[...

Is he supposed to make something out of that? Bruce has no bloody clue.]

Is there a reason for that?

[speedy_rabbit]

[Oh my god, Dandy.

She has heard some ridiculous theories and decisions before but this one absolutely takes the cake.

Hopefully she's more intimidating in armor than she is out of it. Especially when one can't see her face because of the yellow visor.]

You're joking, right?

[trenchdoting]

No way! When in doubt, you gotta pick the first one you see!! That's the key to good detective work, pal!

[inspectormacarena]

[Instincts, huh? Having a talent for investigating, Cabanela's all for instinct, but... That's his instinct, not someone else's.]

I don't think so, baby. Let's not do anything hasty, shaaall we?

[catmagnet]

[ Really? An anagram puzzle? That's almost insulting. ]

Hmm... Due to our current circumstances, I suppose I'll let its lack of difficulty slide this time.

[immortalhope]

[Interested parties may approach Lucina in one of two situations. In one, she has the note in one hand, and her phone in the other, and is glancing back and forth between the two, quietly trying to match names to their corresponding anagrams.

In the second, she has discovered the Reese's, and after a bit of hesitation, she takes a bite out of one. Immediately, her eyes widen in shock.]

...Gods, this is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted.

[notaccurate]

[It's a good thing someone else figured out the clues, as Luca is sure it would have taken him an embarrassingly long time to figure them out himself. So he's just going to act like he already knew the answer anyway.]

Now that one mystery has been solved, we should focus on the rest. What is this 'wolf' business, and why does it matter?

[specialest_agent]

[York spends a few minutes comparing the names in the clue with the ones in his phone, and he doesn't take long at all to unscramble them.]

Nice of our host to throw us a bone, Zach. This narrows the number of immediate suspects, at least.

Now, the way I see it, this means one of two things. Either the suspect we're really looking for - the kidnapper - isn't among us... or they're looking for attention. If the clues keep coming, and if the kidnapper is one of the "wolves", they would have to risk being voted out. Unless... the kidnapper DOESN'T include their group in the clues given in the first three days. I can see this little game lasting for longer than that, after all.

But no. That seems like too many variables. Chances are the real culprit is someone else. Maybe there's no harm in keeping this thought in the back of your head, though. Right, Zach?

[He goes for one of the peanut butter cups. Boy, how he wishes he had some coffee to go with it.]

For now, we should try to find out more about the suspects. Sure, we can't forget to consult with Bruce. But I'm sure he won't mind going along with whatever conclusions we reach. He's a scientist, not an investigator.

[speedy_rabbit]

[Having seen the note, it wasn't terribly hard to pick out her name amongst all of them. It's the only one with numbers, anyway, damn Spartan program and it's lack of last names and all of that sort of nonsense.

But she's trying to make sense of the others, turning it over in her head as she puts the pieces together. Luckily it's nothing too difficult, she might be bright but she's not exactly the detective or mindgames type so it's a little relief when it comes to the simplicity of the puzzle.

Taking her helmet off for the time being she tucks it under her arm, using her free hand to run a hand through short hair.]

Of course, blame the soldier for something they didn't do. Typical.

[cynicizing]

[AH HERE IT IS. HERE'S THE PUZZLE. He knew they'd show up sooner or later. But Jesus what the hell is that? Please return to him the stupid number games.

...well there are numbers in there, but they... they aren't helping him.]

...the fuck is that supposed to mean?

[This is ridiculously frustrating already.]

[curedham]

[With the puzzle deciphered by the others, L'Arachel decides to investigate the rest of the instruments and equipment, just in case there are more clues. Somewhere in the process of yanking off coverings, one of the microphones makes a sound.

That piques her curiosity! She waves her hands near it, flicks at it, and starts when it makes another sound.] Oh! [And yo, yooooooooo was that her voice???] ...Ooohhh? [That was her voice.

It makes her voice louder.

Holy shit.

Guess who wastes absolutely no time hopping up on the platform for maximum tallness and attention-grabbing? It's L'Arachel, who doesn't need any help being loud already—]

Attention! [HOPE YOU GUYS DIDN'T INTEND TO USE THOSE EARDRUMS IN THE LONG-TERM] If you could all direct your focus this way, please! Our efforts could serve to be better-organized, and it would do our investigation well! Though the wolves, it would seem, must be prevented from winning, we must not forget that there are two innocents among our suspects as well. What sort of righteousness would it be were they to condemned in the place of the wicked wolves? If our mission remains pure in intent I have no doubt we will be able to enact a mission of true justice and order, and smite these wolves before they can cause harm. Under my guidance, I assure you all that not a sheep shall be slain by a single sinner! [l'arachel what the fuck are you talking about] I believe this stage and this—tool of projection... [tapping her finger against the microphone; this thing is her new favorite forever, can she keep it] ...makes for an ample platform from which our accused may come and testify to their innocence so all may here, or for the rest of us to air our evidence and proposals.

[And she takes a step back, gesturing at the microphone to invite someone else up to it—and then, remembering something, comes forward again.]

Also! I am looking for a... [Squints at her phone.......] Kongwai Tao? Yes? [She tried.] You have been truly blessed to have been placed into an alliance with the beauteous wanderer and champion of divine grace, L'Arachel herself! And if we could meet properly and collaborate, it would benefit us all, I have no doubt.

[Okay, and now she's stepping aside—not off the platform entirely, because she likes being tall and important and in center stage, but she's out of the way. Anyone wanna step up to the microphone? Jeer her from the audience? Look uncomfortable enough for her to decide to drag you up to the podium herself???

Or you can ignore L'Arachel and go play with the horse, who is currently in the audience section, chewing on a seat.]

[fairbrook]

[Anagrams, really? They abduct the lot of them to decipher some bloody anagrams?

Enraged? Of course not! Integra spends her time staring at the list incredulously, squinting.]