tushanshu_logs | [EVENT | Mystery Games] INVESTIGATIONS LOG

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[EVENT | Mystery Games] INVESTIGATIONS LOG

Characters: Arno Dorian, Aya, China Sorrows, Gene Khan, Hiro Hamada, Jack Frost, Klaus Reinherz, Midii Une, Pepper Potts, Raine Sage, Valdis, Zelgadis
Date: 15-28 August 2015 (2016 in-game)
Location: Various
Situation: Let the Mystery Games begin!
Warnings/Rating: None yet, please label threads as needed!

On the morning of the 15th each team receives a package at their residence, dropped in their letterbox or by the door. The package gives details of their assigned crime and their teams, as well as the teams competing against them. The package also includes a roll of fake banknotes as a stand-in for real juulan, and a map of the area their crime will take place. In some cases, this area will be very large, or be a series of areas in different sectors, and may come attached with a schedule so that the actors can take breaks without being accosted.

There’s also a short list of rules for the games at large, though these are primarily common-sense (ie; no real brawls, no real weapons, no real injuries, no buying of answers from other teams). Teams aren’t allowed to ask each other questions about their cases, though no penalty is given for general interaction.

Contestants are also allowed to leave the area in which their crime takes place, but any clues gained by doing so will be considered breaking the games’ fourth-wall and thus cheating, and is grounds for disqualification. No one should need to leave the crime-area to solve the crime! (Discussion amongst team-members outside of crime areas is not considered cheating, obviously, though the judges do recommend such discussions happen in private to prevent some over-excited bystander interjecting. They’ll do all they can to maintain the integrity of the games, but they’ll need the contestants’ help for that!)

The packages will, finally, direct teams to attend to their crime-scenes at a specific time and no earlier -- in order to stagger the arrival of each of the teams at their respective crimes. The first day is the only time where such rigid timing is necessary, though it’s common courtesy, in the event of running into another team at a witness’s house, to come back another time and without spying.

LINKS
Crime #1 Investigation | Crime #2 Investigation | Crime #3 Investigation | Party/Awards Log | OOC post

OOC
Some starters have been provided for each crime, but feel free to label specific in-game locations for each new thread as needed! We have no preference how the threads get divided up depending on what works for each group of players, but please keep all the Crime #1-related things to its top level comment, all the Crime #2-related things to its, etc etc.

Please note that players are free to puppet the NPC teams as they see fit, so long as they keep to the outlines provided in the OOC and log information. The mods will not be NPCing any of the mystery game characters for this log, so player teams can write them as needed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The Case of the Mother's Empty Nest will have teams spending a good amount of time in the Wood Sector, with stops in both Central and Earth. All the participating "players" of this mystery seem very in the game, enthusiastic about their roles, and aside from Mesul at the beginning, none of them break character unless there arises an actual problem between the teams. The Case #1 specific locations are marked with bright green flags, except for the alley where Juhino was supposedly taken from, as it runs behind a high-traffic area and thus the area shopkeepers were worried about accidental interference with their businesses.

Kedan participants at the College will be marked by wearing a green armband of the same colour as the flags, so they can be easily located amongst the bustle of the regular student body. Because the College is still in session and actual classes are going on, all teams will be warned not to get carried away in their investigations, and any unruly teams which disrupt the normal activities of the College will be asked to leave, and will lose access to that investigative venue of the case.

There are a total of five teams including the Foreigners' working on this case, and it becomes evident fairly early on that two of of the four kedan teams must be working in tandem with one another and slipping each other information. While there's no way to prove this conclusively since it is against the rules, it'll be important to keep one step ahead of this unconventional alliance if the other teams have a chance of winning.

He's been watching, as they carry on with their investigations, and he's been noticing a couple things he's a little salty about. Mainly a couple of teams he's a little salty about. One didn't show up here, the other didn't show up there, he's seen two or three members of both teams lurking not far from one of the crime scenes, obviously interacting, and he's starting to get suspicious.

They pass a couple of opposing team members as they're walking down the street. He's pretty sure they weren't talking about the weather until they saw the Foreigners' team hanging around.

"They're cheating," he huffs. "Seriously?"

Edited 2015-08-19 04:17 (UTC)

China glances over. And down. Hiro's about a full foot shorter than she is, and a mess of a teenager, but he seems sharp enough so far. "Of course," she says with a smile, which says somewhat more of amusement than the carefully pleasant one with which she'd introduced herself. "They think they can get away with it. And we certainly don't have any conclusive proof, apart from some shifty glances. What do you plan to do about it?"

For her own part she seems amazingly unconcerned by this turn of events, at least for now.

She'd been quiet up until that point. Seemingly lost in her own world as she continued to jot down a series of notes in her notebook. French, if anyone dared to glimpse over her shoulder, though the wall of blonde hair obscuring her face.

One would think she hadn't been paying the least bit attention, but her head immediately jerked upward the moment Hiro uttered the words cheating. She shared after him, gaze switching to China when the woman spoke in turn, and then over to a few of the other team member groups still in the area.

"If they're cheating, then there had to be proof. We just need to find it."

"Or we just focus on beating them rather than investigating them," Zelgadis said. "The more time we spend on them, the less we have to actually try to solve the mystery. The only other option would be to ask the other teams to keep an eye out on this, but avoid working with them otherwise."

He couldn't remember if that was against the rules, but it was at least in the spirit of the rules.

"Okay, but they're sharing information, which means they're doing everything twice as fast as us! Which means no matter how much we focus on investigating, they're gonna be one step ahead," he presses with a quiet huff. It's hard to win the game by playing fair when the other guy's cheating.

"Look, if we can't find proof, why don't we just sabotage them? Convince both teams their allies are feeding them fake information, and then let them deal with each other." Because somebody can't just let it go.

"Proof of words alone won't be easy," China warns. "It's most likely to show in their results, by which point it will be too late." But she gives Hiro a look that might be approval, before returning her attention to those teams still in the area. "Sabotage, on the other hand..."

Convincing them that up is down and left is right? That's more her style. She smiles again. "I can be very convincing," she says, like it's her own private joke. "Shall we split up temporarily, then? There's no point in diverting everyone from the mystery, after all."

Edited 2015-08-25 09:33 (UTC)

Midii was tempted to argue that she could multi-task well enough. Focus on the clues presented to her and keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviors on the parts of the other teams.

First, she turned to Hiro. "But if we get caught, then we'll be the ones getting in trouble." After all, to do the convincing, they would have to be seen conversing with both teams. Which could get messy. "There must be some way to prove that they're cheating that won't risk our team too."

Then, she side-eyed China. "How would you split us up?"

The Theft of the Smithy’s Prize begins in Metal Sector, and is limited to an area several dozen blocks in area (a good third of the sector) and good chunk of the area of Fire Sector along Metal Sector’s border. This area is clearly marked on the maps the team receives, but just in case is also physically marked out with purple flags, with kedanese writing identifying the casefile number (according to the judges’ numbering system).

There are six teams involved in the pursuit of this case, including the one made up only of Foreigners. The kedanese teams can be seen every now and then in the established area -- some of them taking the game seriously, others managing to have fun in the meantime. One in particular is determined to take first place, and is driven with a competitiveness and insistence to adhere to rules which means they will turn and walk away from other teams rather than speak to them even innocuously. (Fortunately, this team is recognisable due to the purple scarf they all wear. Team uniforms ahoy!) The rest of the kedanese teams are more laid-back in their play.

Everyone in the marked areas have been warned of the games and will respond as their natures or nervousness allows -- kedan who claim not to know anything will be the biggest percentage, primarily because they haven’t been given a script or are too nervous to be involved. Though there are one or two mischievous persons who might try to feed the teams false clues, in general the populace looks down on this kind of tampering and it comes with a fine, so there won’t be too much of it happening.

Jack has suggested that the four of them meet up at Xinhi and Oyora's shop in the Metal Sector, to get the initial layout for the case and discuss where the most logical place to head next would be. Although the power boost granted to all Foreigners from Zatanna's ritual had proved to be the tipping point in getting the Winter Spirit enough magic to weather (har) the summer heat, he was still taking it easy, and parked himself in the shade while he waited for the others to arrive.

Raine hadn't spoken to Jack in a while, but she remembered him fondly; when she arrived she glanced around for the other members of their team before crossing to Jack. In concession to the heat she had no jacket, and there was already a faint pinkness across the bridge of her nose. "Hello, Jack," she said. It was warm enough a greeting, but her gaze slanted back to the shop front sooner rather than later. "Have you been waiting long?" A pause, and she added, wry, "And have you seen anything interesting in the interim?"

Klaus showed up in his usual prim and proper dress slacks, waistcoat, and tie. How he wasn't dying in this heat was anyone's guess.

"This is all quite exciting, isn't it?" He mused, peering around curiously in case the thief sprung out from behind a bush or something. Odder things have happened. "I hope I'm not late."

"Hi Raine," he answered. He didn't have much occasion to interact with the healer ~~since the other white haired idiot monopolized most of her CR time~~ but he'd always found her kind and knowledgeable. "Just got here myself," he added. "I saw one of the kedan teams, but they were just leaving."

Which made sense, since the arrivals had been done purposely not to overlap. The spirit offered Klaus' arrival a wave. "Not late," Jack assured the giant man with a grin. "We're still waiting on Pepper to get here, we're a bit early still."

Pepper is failing miserably to keep it cool. She is pumped. Although she gets to do the detective thing most days, there's something about it being a competition that makes it extra exciting. She's not quite skipping on her way to meet with the rest of the team, but it's close.

"Hi!" She skids to a halt next to Raine. Klaus she had seen on the network but she hasn't been formally introduced. Jack was at the Welcome Center, but Pepper hasn't seen him since then. He's more visible to her now, for some reason. "Where do we start? Have the other teams left? Can I interrogate them? Hi, I'm Pepper," she adds, turning to Klaus. "You look awesome. Nice sideburns."

Klaus looked quite relieved when Jack assured him he wasn't late. "That's fortunate. I believe there's one more to our num-"

Speak of the devil. Well, Klaus couldn't quite blame her for her enthusiasm. Klaus bowed at her rapid-fire introduction.

"You're most gracious, Miss Pepper. Klaus Reinherz. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I think we're early," Raine told Pepper, smiling at her enthusiasm. She nodded to Jack, who'd dispensed that fact. "Everyone has their information packets? The rest of you have all met each other?"

She'd been considering settling down, but with the rest of the group now collected, there would be little point. "And if anyone has any preliminary ideas, it may be a good idea to share them now."

Jack held up his little clue baggie and nodded. "I got halfway here and had to fly back and get it," he said sheepishly.

"Did anyone think of a list of questions to ask them?"

Pepper holds out her information packet as well - the fake money and a few other things are in her bag, from which she extracts a notepad and waves it around excitedly.

"You bet I did! I even wrote them down," she replies at top speed, flipping it open. "Of course, we'll probably think of more as we go along. And we probably shouldn't all question them, because that's too many people at once. Anyone want to take on canvassing? Also, I'm totally on top of snacks for a stakeout, because what awesome investigation doesn't have a stakeout?"

The Case of the Serpent’s Demise begins with meeting Lien in the back courtyard of Yunxu’s mansion. (Interactions with Lien and other Mystery Game NPCs can be handwaved, as long as established personalities aren’t changed.) The investigation will not take the participating teams further than a block away from the mansion, an area clearly marked both on their maps and by little red flags. The only exception to this is if the team decides to go to Stark Industries, which is completely optional and not necessary to solving the case.

If Lien notices Foreigners ‘cheating’ - i.e. using powers and abilities the other kedan teams don’t have access to - he’ll do everything he can to stay in character and gently deter the rule-breaking. If he’s forced to break character, he’ll angrily remind everyone that the dining room is used for a great variety of purposes, and anything you find without using the provided kit has a good chance of not being related to the crime at all. This is a game, people. Seriously.

There are four teams total, with the other three being all-kedan. Because this crime is effectively limited to the mansion, the teams won’t have to deal with too much bystander gawking or ‘help’. However, one of the participating teams will be doing their best to either sabotage or crib off of the Foreigners’ findings. It’s up to your characters how they want to handle this!

Aya had never played a game like this before.

It was fascinating. Once she was able to enter the mindset that none of this was real, and that no lives were lost or in any immediate danger, it became easy to focus on the puzzle from a more objective angle. Each clue must have been deliberately placed, and as such, should not be ignored. But there was also the determining of what constituted a clue. What was important, and what should be dismissed.

She wasn't alone, either. Much like her travels with her fellow Lanterns, Aya had allies. Allies whom she turned to the moment opportunity presented itself for discussion.

"I have presently memorized the map and pinpointed locations of significance. Beyond that, I lack insufficient evidence to make an educated hypothesis at this time. That stated. I am open to suggestions."

Valdis was busy looking around the room, carefully managing the scents that she was smelling, although it wasn't as if that would help them much, since this was all staged. When Aya spoke, a teasing glint lit up her eyes, but she refrained from saying what was on her mind.

"I'll admit that I have no idea where to start," she said, "But examining the crime scene more closely might be helpful, in addition we should speak to potential suspects."

"There's a thought." Arno nodded at Valdis and her suggestion. "I could have a look around, myself. "

He looked about to squint or something, ready to engage The Sight so that he could possibly find...something. Unless, because this wasn't real...Would that still work? He was unsure, and bit his lip, surveying things normally for now.

"Is there anywhere higher ground would make sense?" He glanced around, considering if there was a path to reach a chandelier or anything of that sort.

Gene had signed himself up for this because he'd wanted to investigate something that wasn't going to end in violence. The fact that he and Valdis are on Team Murder does not escape him. What a crazy random happenstance!

"I can talk to the suspects," Gene says. Hey, he can be charming and diplomatic when he has to! Most people in Keeliai still think he's a quiet, dutiful Foreigner rather than an apocalypse-causing ex-supervillain.

"That seems a good idea too." Arno agrees. It IS funny, actually. "Usually I'm the one murdering people." He muses, idly flicking out his blade, then flicking it back in again because, obviously, not to be used here. Probably.

"I suppose there IS also retracing the suspected steps. That's meant to be popular, yes?"

Valdis turned to look at Gene, "Be subtle about it," she said, knowing that he probably would be anyway, but just in case. She knelt on the ground next to the outline and closely examined the floor, "Not always," she said to Arno, "Can I borrow that magnifying glass, Aya?"

Aya was busy giving Arno a certain look for the comment about murdering people. Though she had grown used to the concepts of speaking ironically and sarcasm...there was something about the context that led her to believe this wasn't the case.

She almost didn't hear Valdis' request. Fortunately, her memory banks recorded the message and allowed her to revisit it in time to catch up.

"Why? What do you believe you see?" She passed the glass over, attempting to follow the woman's line of vision.

Gene smiled at Valdis. "When am I ever not?"

Loads of times, Gene.

He glanced at Arno. "We can retrace the suspects' steps and speak with them together." Two heads, better than one, etc.

Valdis gently took the glass from Aya, ignoring the two boys for now as she searched the area.

"Black sand," she replied.

"Good plan." Arno nodded, though he planned for the most part, to let Gene do the talking, just in case. He was aware he tended to have a habit of...well, forcing things out of people. It probably went against the spirit of the game, but...they should actually speak about it too.

"I believe I've heard of a tactic, 'Good Policeman, Bad Policeman.' I think I'm better suited to the bad one. OR we could take turns."

As for Aya, that was probably a conversation they should ahve at some point. He HAD quite liked her upon meeting after all, and it would be better not to completely burn the bridge. Later, when he'd had time to frame it, they could speak. But for now...investigating the room. Let's see now.

If this had been an actual crime, ironically enough, Aya would have better known what to do. A preliminary chemical analysis. It would only take a few seconds' time, and would have immediately let them know whether it was a lead worth pursuing or a waste of time.

"Is there a means of testing the sand we have access to?" Within the rules of the game, of course.

"Maybe in the kit?" Valdis replied, scooping up a bit of the sand into a small bag she had taken from the 'forensics kit'.

She had half an ear on Arno and Gene's conversation though.

"It's good cop, bad cop, Arno," she corrected with a small smile.

"Being the good cop would be a change, for me," Gene said wryly. "But I'll take it, if you're so opposed."

He glanced at Aya and Valdis. "Let us know if you need us for anything."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[EVENT | Mystery Games] INVESTIGATIONS LOG

TEAM 1 INVESTIGATION - THE MOTHER’S EMPTY NEST

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TEAM 2 INVESTIGATION - THE SMITHY’S PRIZE

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order what order

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TEAM 3 INVESTIGATION - THE SERPENT’S DEMISE

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(Damn notifs! My apologies!)

(I had the same problem before. /shakes fist at DW)

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