Bomb
Irredeemable!
A 1x1 BETWEEN @Bomb and @Alex Azure
Prologue: Stealing a Traveler’s Heart
London was a very bustling city, but what makes this world so special is that many inhabitants are finding puzzles left and right. In a sense, the citizens of London are stumped by the puzzles that appear all throughout the world.
In fact, if one were to live in a world where almost no puzzles existed, then perhaps a world chock full of them would seem like a nice place to go to as an escape or a vacation. One traveller, an eighteen-year-old, (better described as a kid than a man,) set his sights upon the puzzling London streets. In an alley on Chancer Street, a mysterious, swirling light appears. It takes a somewhat circular shape, and from it, the traveller appears.
The boy’s name was Mason. He had emerald eyes and long orange hair, which had been peppered with streaks of black dye in an ill-advised sense of self-expression. He wore a green cloak on his shoulders and a golden locket around his neck. The boy was a strange sight, even in his homeland, but didn't stand out too much against the backdrop of London's colorful cast.
In fact, an equally odd man happened to be in the alleyway as Mason appeared. He wore a dark coat and a white mask. As Mason appeared in the portal of aura, the man seemed much less surprised than an ordinary person should be. Indeed, he seemed much more intrigued and amused than shocked. The man spoke to Mason with a low, gravelly voice.
???: “Well, well. What a surprise. You certainly came from somewhere interesting. The question is, where.”
Despite all the warning flags that were firing up from this man, Mason's nature was to trust people and give them a chance. After all, prejudice and assumptions kill all across the multiverse. So, he indulged in talking with the man until he proved himself dangerous.
Mason: “Yeah… I suppose where I come from is a bit of a puzzle. I'm not exactly allowed to say.”
???: “A puzzle, you say? I’ve encountered many puzzles in my day. Perhaps you would like to try one?”
Mason: “Oh, sure! I love puzzles!”
While putting his entire focus into the puzzle, he didn't notice when the man had stolen a precious object: the golden locket that was around Mason's neck.
Masom: “Hm… Perhaps the answer is 334?”
???: “I'm sorry, friend, but that answer is wrong. Quite sad for you. I suppose I'll be taking this necklace as payment for your failure. So, what ancient temple did you pilfer this from? Is this perhaps what gets you hop around worlds? I wonder how much charge it has left.”
Mason: “Hey, give that back! It's a family heirloom, and last I checked you weren't family!”
Mason reached for the necklace, but the man swiftly ducked under his arms and escaped out of the alleyway. Mason gave chase, but found nobody there when he reached the main street. Nobody except a nearby officer, a man known as Inspector Hastings.
Mason: “Officer! Help! A mysterious man just stole something very valuable from me!”
Hastings: “Well, I didn't see anybody pass by. Did you happen to get a look at their face?”
Masom: “Er… No.”
Hastings: “Perhaps a name?”
Mason: “Not really, no.”
Hastings: “Do you even know which direction they went down the street?”
Mason: “...”
Hastings: “Well, chap, it seems that you're a bit out of luck in tracking this one down. All the police are very busy on cases right now, so I don't have anyone besides a beat cop or two to look for this thief. It sounds to me like you need a private detective. I'll be sure to have people on the lookout for a shifty character, but I don't think we can do much right now.”
Mason: “But where am I supposed to get a private eye?”
Hastings: “There's literally a detective right on this very street! (pointing down the street) Layton Detective agency, right down there!”
Mason: “Ah. Thank you, officer!”
Hastings: “Be warned, though. Layton is known to only take strange or interesting cases.”
Mason: “I know how to make it interesting.”
Inside the building had an elegant feeling, with the exception of a few things scattered, and the desk at the center of a wall was heavily cluttered with papers, binders, and books. Sitting behind the desk was a woman, wearing a beige coat over her red dress. Coming to view as Mason walks in was a white and brown dog, laying on the blanket-covered basket nearby.
Kat: “Oh, hello, and who might you be?”
Mason: "I'm from another universe."
Kat: "Is that so?"
Mason: "I can show you the multiverse. Thing is... I lost the thing that lets me travel the multiverse."
Kat: "Interesting. So you want me to help you find this thing?"
At this moment, the dog started barking, but to the ears of Katrielle and Mason, it was heard as audible human language.
Sherl: "Are you really going to believe this boy's loony story?!"
Mason: "Yes. It's a golden, heart-shaped locket with a keyhole design on the front. This guy in a mask and fancy cape stole it from me when I failed to solve his puzzle. Think you can track it down? ... Did that dog just talk? Are they supposed to do that in this universe?"
Sherl: "You can hear me talk too?"
Kat: "So a thief stole this locket from you when you failed to solve a puzzle? What kind of puzzle was it?"
Sherl: "This is no time to be thinking about puzzles, Kat!"
Mason: "Ah... Give me a piece of paper and a pen, and I'll write it out."
PUZZLE #001 - A Glacial Gift (20 Picarats)
"My friend gave me this birthday present, but it was delivered in a block of ice!
The card that came with it said you can use five 150 ml cups of hot water to melt 30 g of ice, and that I'd have to work out how many cups of hot water are necessary to melt the 2 kg ice block that's around it."
Can you work out how many cups of hot water are necessary?
Mason held a blank stare at Kat. He was completely dumbfounded by the puzzle’s solution.
Mason: "I am such an idiot... I even worked out all the math in my head of the cup to kilogram ratio... And the answer was zero! Please, Miss Layton, help me through some of these puzzles. I really need that necklace back. If the man in the mask finds out what's inside..."
Kat: "But of course! I'll do my best!"
Sherl: "So you're finally going to do work? "
Kat: "I always do work Sherl. Come to think of it, where's Ernest?"
As Katrielle would say that, another man came into the room, holding stacks of papers and books. He was wearing a blue vest and striped pants.
Ernest: "Oh, who's this? A client?"
Kat: "Yes, his name is... I do believe we forgot to ask for your name? But I suppose we should introduce ourselves first. My name is Katrielle Layton. And this is my assistant, Ernest Greeves."
Ernest: "A pleasure to meet you."
Kat: "And this is Sherl. He works as our mascot."
Sherl: "Kind of forced to work with them. Also, Sherl isn't even my own name. I have no memories of who I was."
Kat: "I know that, but we haven't found any clues about what little memories you have..."
Mason: "Mason Moretti. I'm a traveller of sorts. I travel so much, some people just call me Trav. I don't have much on my person in way of payment, but... What if I could show you three other worlds?"
Kat: "Oh, that would be so exciting!"
Sherl: "Yeah, sure. We'll be visiting alien territory, Kat."
Ernest: "Wow, other worlds. Who knew they existed?"
Mason: "Then let's work together and get my necklace back!"
Case 1: Other Worlds, Upside-Down Thinking
The quartet left the confines of the office and headed out into Chancer Street.
Ernest: "So, Kat, where does your detective's intuition say to go first?"
Kat: "Hmm... perhaps we should visit the scene of the crime."
Mason: "It was in an alleyway, just up here."
Kat: Then that's where we're going. Lead the way!
As the group entered the alleyway, they discovered that the portal of aura energy was still open and active from Mason's initial arrival. However, as they approached the portal, it suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke.
Ernest: "Wh-what was that?"
Sherl: "Well one thing is for sure, and that is I believe that loony story might be true..."
Kat continued to stare at the portal that had disappeared, looking for any clues that might have been left behind. On the ground, beneath where the portal stood, was a small patch of white cotton fuzz.
Kat: "Oh, what is this?"
Kat picked up the cotton substance that was left and examined it.
Kat: "If you don't mind me asking, does this substance always get left behind when that portal dissipates?"
Sherl: "You really believe that was an actual portal?"
Mason: "Huh? No, not at all! Usually, all that might be left is some smoke and some latent energy that some people or technology can sense. Nothing physical gets left. And no, Sherl, I'm not some loony."
Kat: "Hmmm... so this cotton-y object was left behind when it wasn't supposed to. Meaning it came from somewhere else."
Kat made sure to remember this clue, as it could be vital to the case.
Ernest: "Still, this whole 'multiverse' portal is very peculiar. And if I may ask, why did you decide to travel here, of all places?"
A nervous look stretched across Mason's face, and it was accompanied by an equally nervous laugh.
Mason: "Well... You see... I've only had this multiverse thing for a couple of weeks. I don't know exactly how it works. I kind of think about the type of place I want to be or the people I want to meet, and a friend of mine takes care of the rest. The way my friend explained it is that the necklace can tell her where the portals should lead, and she makes the portals. The necklace... is kind of a confusing thing. The way it works itself is a puzzle. All I know is that I wanted a place where I could challenge my brain. I guess the necklace said I wanted to come to London, but with puzzles."
Kat: "I see, so even you don't know how it fully functions."
Ernest: "Speaking of necklaces, why don't you try out this puzzle about necklaces, Mr. Moretti?"
PUZZLE #002 – An Expensive Necklace (30 Picarats)
A jewelry shop sells customized necklaces made of silver. The necklace can be adorned with up to three gems. The jewelry shops sells up to four gems, where a ruby costs 40£, a sapphire costs 45£, a topaz costs 50£, and a diamond costs 70£. A couple of special sales are in effect, where:
• Buying at least two of the same gem will reduce the total cost by half.
• Buying a diamond reduces the cost of the cheapest gem type in the arrangement by half.
A customer buys a necklace with three gems. Using these pieces of information, what is the cheapest arrangement of gems possible?
Ernest: “Wow you cracked that puzzle easily. I thought I was able to throw you off, but you shrugged it off!”
Kat: “But of course. Why else do you think Mr. Moretti accepted the thief's puzzle? It's obvious he is a puzzle lover, like us!”
Mason: "Yeah! I do love puzzles! It's just... Puzzles aren't as useful where I come from. So you're encouraged to do other things, like train to fight and excel in school…”
Sherl: "Alright, so we found a cotton piece. Where does this lead us, Kat?"
Katrielle thought about it, but it seems that she didn't have enough clues.
Kat: "Hmm... maybe we should visit the tailor? Maybe we can ask her about this material ad if she sold it to someone."
Ernest: "You mean Bowlyn Hill, miss?"
Ernest appeared to be worried when Kat mentioned the tailor. Sherl also had that grim expression.
Sherl: "So we're going to that place huh?"
Ernest: "You see... It's kind of a bad place to be in alone."
Kat: "But fear would prevent us from moving forward. So onward!"
Ernest: "True..."
Kat: "We can get there on bike. Don't worry, it's going to be alright, everyone!"
Mason: "How many bikes do you have?"
Kat: "Why do you ask?"
Sherl: "Isn't it obvious. You let me ride in the basket while Ernest runs to catch up!"
Ernest: "Oh, I don't mind running behind Miss Layton."
Sherl: "Just what a dogsbody would say..."
Kat: "Is that so? I didn't notice."
Sherl: "Are you being serious, Kat?"
Kat: "I suppose we can take the bus first."
Mason: "If I had my necklace, I could just make another bike... Well, I suppose we have to look at the bus schedule."
Kat: "Alright. I believe there is a bus stop on the other side of this alleyway. Ernest, would you go ahead and check the bus schedule?"
Ernest: "Right away miss!"
As the others walked towards the bus stop, they would see Ernest, who ran up to the stop ahead of everyone else, looking at the notice.
Kat: "What's wrong Ernest?"
Ernest: "It looks like some prankster replaced the sign with a puzzle!"
Puzzle 003: A Bus To Catch (40 Picarats)
Looks like the bus schedule has been replaced with a much more confoundingly worded schedule. However, Ernest is determined to discover the correct bus route. The schedule has three different busses that return to this stop at specific intervals, based on their routes, as follows:
• The Green Bus first arrives at 7:10 AM, and returns every 45 minutes.
• The Blue Bus first arrives at 8:00 AM, and returns every 40 minutes.
• The Orange Bus first arrives at 8:15 AM, and returns every 25 minutes.
The clock reads 8:40 AM, and the sign says the next bus to arrive will lead to Bowlyn Hill. Which bus should Ernest get on?
Mason, watching the scene of the puzzle from an outsider view, had his attention drawn to something on the road.
Mason: “There are three sets of tire tracks here, which means all three busses were here and left. We probably did moss them by a few seconds, so the Orange one is the next to arrive. I guess we have to wait here at the station. Maybe someone here has any clues?"
Ernest: "Now that you mention it, there is someone sitting on that bench there. Let us go ask him."
The man on the bench was... peculiar, to say the least. Katrielle and the others met him on occasions, but he did help them by giving them puzzles before.
Ernest: "Good day, mister, do you mind if we ask you something?"
Stachenscarfen: "Oh, it's all of you. Looks like you picked up a new friend, huh?"
Mason: Hello! You can call me Mason. I'm looking for a stolen item. Have you see any suspicous people about?
Stachenscarfen: "Hmm... suspicious people, huh? Well, alot of people could be considered suspicious, but what's most suspicious is where you came from."
It sounded like Stachenscarfen had an inkling of how Mason wasn't of this world, but how did he know that?
Mason: (suddenly nervous) "Oh! Well... I'm from America, if that's what you're asking. I suppose you don't see a lot of Yanks here in Britain?"
Stachenscarfen: "Yanks? Well, I don't see them too often. Hmm... I do recall seeing a group of suspicious looking people. But I'll tell you what: solve this puzzle and maybe I'll share that info with you."
Mason: "I've been here thirty minutes and this is the third puzzle I've had thrown at me. What's with Londoners? (but now with confidence) Bring it on!"
PUZZLE #004 – Ace In the Hole (35 picarats)
How rude! Someone cut a small circle in the Ace of Diamonds! In order to fill in the circle that the prankster cut in the Diamonds, you must cut out another circle from one of these cards. Which card do you need to cut from? You can disregard the coloring of the suits.
Stachenscarfen: "Hmm... nice work. That puzzle had me stumped for a while now."
Mason: "I don't like the kind of puzzles that trick you and turn your thinking on itself."
Kat: "Still, that was a really clever puzzle. As soon as I heard the first hint, you did mention 'lower half', right? That is when I noticed: the symmetry of the printed suits. It makes sense!"
Mason: "Can you tell us what you saw now?"
Stachenscarfen: "Of course. I saw a group of three figures walking down the road. They were wearing beige capes and hooded, and seemed to whisper to each other."
Kat: "A group of three caped people? Mason, does that sound familiar to you?"
Mason: "I only remember seeing one... Did they have any masks on, and did the capes have this fluffy fringe on the trim?
Stachenscarfen: "Can't say for sure if they have any Mason, but the capes did not have anything fluffy on them."
Kat: "Wait, fluffy fringe?"
Katrielle took out the piece of cotton they picked up from the alleyway.
Kat: "Mason, do you think that this piece of cotton came from that fringe?"
Mason: "Yeah. I remember the man's outfit having a fluffy thing around his neck. So if the cotton came from his outfit, that means it's probably the same guy! But he has two buddies dressed just like him?"
Kat: "Hmmm..."
Mason: "Did you know where they were headed?"
Stachenscarfen: "If I had to take a guess, up the road to the tailor. One of them looked to have a hole in their outfit."
Sherl: "A hole, huh?"
Kat: "Thanks for your help."
Meanwhile it seemed like a bus was coming to view. If one were to look carefully, it had a distinctive orange color.
Ernest: "Looks like the bus arrived."
Mason: "All aboard! C'mon, Sherlock."
As the group got on the bus, they looked for a seat. They eventually resided near the center of the bus.
Ernest: "So if I'm right, this bus will take a few stops until we get to Bowlyn Hill. We'll know when we get there."
Mason: "Maybe in the meantime, we can go over what we know. Maybe spill some more exposition."
Kat: "I think so to. So what did we find so far?"
Ernest: "Well, we did find a cotton-y substance that could have come from our culprit"
Sherl: "And three similar looking people, to boot."
Kat: "One of those three also has a hole..."
Mason: "Which means that that one is where the cotton came from. The question is, what did it get ripped on?"
Kat: "Hmm... or maybe it was just loose? There are still too many mysteries around this."
Mason: "What's weird is that the portal was open when we got there. I'm pretty sure I closed the portal behind me when I came to London..."
Sherl: "Maybe you just forgot?"
Ernest: "Maybe, but Mr. Moretti seems to be sure."
Kat: "The portal... Mason, you did mention that you don't completely know how to use your pendant, right?"
Mason: "Yeah... I kinda got it as a family heirloom... Sort of. It's technically from my family... From thousands of years ago."
Ernest: "A family heirloom? How fascinating!"
Sherl: "Also sounds like an artifact to me."
Kat: "Still, it's pretty interesting to see that it still works!"
Mason: "An artifact... That's what the thief called it too. Asked if I'd stolen it. Perhaps he knows what it is already."
Ernest: "But how would he know what it is if you came from a different world? That makes no sense."
Sherl: "Pinstripes has a point. There is no way the snatcher would have known."
Mason: "That's right... Geez, mysteries feel like a puzzle that doesn't give you all the pieces."
Sherl: "So, maybe it was just someone who nicked the pendant for the money?"
Ernest: "That would be our best guess at this moment."
Kat: "Oh!"
Mason: "Huh? Did you figure something out?"
Kat: "No, it looks like we're approaching Bowlyn Hill!"
Sherl: "You're right. I already see the old, run down buildings."
Mason: "This just looks like downtown back home."
Prologue: Stealing a Traveler’s Heart
London was a very bustling city, but what makes this world so special is that many inhabitants are finding puzzles left and right. In a sense, the citizens of London are stumped by the puzzles that appear all throughout the world.
In fact, if one were to live in a world where almost no puzzles existed, then perhaps a world chock full of them would seem like a nice place to go to as an escape or a vacation. One traveller, an eighteen-year-old, (better described as a kid than a man,) set his sights upon the puzzling London streets. In an alley on Chancer Street, a mysterious, swirling light appears. It takes a somewhat circular shape, and from it, the traveller appears.
The boy’s name was Mason. He had emerald eyes and long orange hair, which had been peppered with streaks of black dye in an ill-advised sense of self-expression. He wore a green cloak on his shoulders and a golden locket around his neck. The boy was a strange sight, even in his homeland, but didn't stand out too much against the backdrop of London's colorful cast.
In fact, an equally odd man happened to be in the alleyway as Mason appeared. He wore a dark coat and a white mask. As Mason appeared in the portal of aura, the man seemed much less surprised than an ordinary person should be. Indeed, he seemed much more intrigued and amused than shocked. The man spoke to Mason with a low, gravelly voice.
???: “Well, well. What a surprise. You certainly came from somewhere interesting. The question is, where.”
Despite all the warning flags that were firing up from this man, Mason's nature was to trust people and give them a chance. After all, prejudice and assumptions kill all across the multiverse. So, he indulged in talking with the man until he proved himself dangerous.
Mason: “Yeah… I suppose where I come from is a bit of a puzzle. I'm not exactly allowed to say.”
???: “A puzzle, you say? I’ve encountered many puzzles in my day. Perhaps you would like to try one?”
Mason: “Oh, sure! I love puzzles!”
While putting his entire focus into the puzzle, he didn't notice when the man had stolen a precious object: the golden locket that was around Mason's neck.
Masom: “Hm… Perhaps the answer is 334?”
???: “I'm sorry, friend, but that answer is wrong. Quite sad for you. I suppose I'll be taking this necklace as payment for your failure. So, what ancient temple did you pilfer this from? Is this perhaps what gets you hop around worlds? I wonder how much charge it has left.”
Mason: “Hey, give that back! It's a family heirloom, and last I checked you weren't family!”
Mason reached for the necklace, but the man swiftly ducked under his arms and escaped out of the alleyway. Mason gave chase, but found nobody there when he reached the main street. Nobody except a nearby officer, a man known as Inspector Hastings.
Mason: “Officer! Help! A mysterious man just stole something very valuable from me!”
Hastings: “Well, I didn't see anybody pass by. Did you happen to get a look at their face?”
Masom: “Er… No.”
Hastings: “Perhaps a name?”
Mason: “Not really, no.”
Hastings: “Do you even know which direction they went down the street?”
Mason: “...”
Hastings: “Well, chap, it seems that you're a bit out of luck in tracking this one down. All the police are very busy on cases right now, so I don't have anyone besides a beat cop or two to look for this thief. It sounds to me like you need a private detective. I'll be sure to have people on the lookout for a shifty character, but I don't think we can do much right now.”
Mason: “But where am I supposed to get a private eye?”
Hastings: “There's literally a detective right on this very street! (pointing down the street) Layton Detective agency, right down there!”
Mason: “Ah. Thank you, officer!”
Hastings: “Be warned, though. Layton is known to only take strange or interesting cases.”
Mason: “I know how to make it interesting.”
Inside the building had an elegant feeling, with the exception of a few things scattered, and the desk at the center of a wall was heavily cluttered with papers, binders, and books. Sitting behind the desk was a woman, wearing a beige coat over her red dress. Coming to view as Mason walks in was a white and brown dog, laying on the blanket-covered basket nearby.
Kat: “Oh, hello, and who might you be?”
Mason: "I'm from another universe."
Kat: "Is that so?"
Mason: "I can show you the multiverse. Thing is... I lost the thing that lets me travel the multiverse."
Kat: "Interesting. So you want me to help you find this thing?"
At this moment, the dog started barking, but to the ears of Katrielle and Mason, it was heard as audible human language.
Sherl: "Are you really going to believe this boy's loony story?!"
Mason: "Yes. It's a golden, heart-shaped locket with a keyhole design on the front. This guy in a mask and fancy cape stole it from me when I failed to solve his puzzle. Think you can track it down? ... Did that dog just talk? Are they supposed to do that in this universe?"
Sherl: "You can hear me talk too?"
Kat: "So a thief stole this locket from you when you failed to solve a puzzle? What kind of puzzle was it?"
Sherl: "This is no time to be thinking about puzzles, Kat!"
Mason: "Ah... Give me a piece of paper and a pen, and I'll write it out."
PUZZLE #001 - A Glacial Gift (20 Picarats)
"My friend gave me this birthday present, but it was delivered in a block of ice!
The card that came with it said you can use five 150 ml cups of hot water to melt 30 g of ice, and that I'd have to work out how many cups of hot water are necessary to melt the 2 kg ice block that's around it."
Can you work out how many cups of hot water are necessary?
Kat: "Hmm... Cups of hot water, huh?"
Sherl: "You need this many cups to melt a giant ice cube? I feel like the answer is in the hundreds, maybe thousands!"
Kat: "No Sherl. This isn't about the amount of cups we should use. It's about the amount of cups necessary."
Sherl: "You lost me."
Kat: "See, you don't need hot water to melt the ice."
Sherl: "I get it, you just have to let it warm naturally!"
Kat: "So naturally, the answer is 0 cups!"
(Total Picarats: 20)
Sherl: "You need this many cups to melt a giant ice cube? I feel like the answer is in the hundreds, maybe thousands!"
Kat: "No Sherl. This isn't about the amount of cups we should use. It's about the amount of cups necessary."
Sherl: "You lost me."
Kat: "See, you don't need hot water to melt the ice."
Sherl: "I get it, you just have to let it warm naturally!"
Kat: "So naturally, the answer is 0 cups!"
(Total Picarats: 20)
Mason held a blank stare at Kat. He was completely dumbfounded by the puzzle’s solution.
Mason: "I am such an idiot... I even worked out all the math in my head of the cup to kilogram ratio... And the answer was zero! Please, Miss Layton, help me through some of these puzzles. I really need that necklace back. If the man in the mask finds out what's inside..."
Kat: "But of course! I'll do my best!"
Sherl: "So you're finally going to do work? "
Kat: "I always do work Sherl. Come to think of it, where's Ernest?"
As Katrielle would say that, another man came into the room, holding stacks of papers and books. He was wearing a blue vest and striped pants.
Ernest: "Oh, who's this? A client?"
Kat: "Yes, his name is... I do believe we forgot to ask for your name? But I suppose we should introduce ourselves first. My name is Katrielle Layton. And this is my assistant, Ernest Greeves."
Ernest: "A pleasure to meet you."
Kat: "And this is Sherl. He works as our mascot."
Sherl: "Kind of forced to work with them. Also, Sherl isn't even my own name. I have no memories of who I was."
Kat: "I know that, but we haven't found any clues about what little memories you have..."
Mason: "Mason Moretti. I'm a traveller of sorts. I travel so much, some people just call me Trav. I don't have much on my person in way of payment, but... What if I could show you three other worlds?"
Kat: "Oh, that would be so exciting!"
Sherl: "Yeah, sure. We'll be visiting alien territory, Kat."
Ernest: "Wow, other worlds. Who knew they existed?"
Mason: "Then let's work together and get my necklace back!"
Case 1: Other Worlds, Upside-Down Thinking
The quartet left the confines of the office and headed out into Chancer Street.
Ernest: "So, Kat, where does your detective's intuition say to go first?"
Kat: "Hmm... perhaps we should visit the scene of the crime."
Mason: "It was in an alleyway, just up here."
Kat: Then that's where we're going. Lead the way!
As the group entered the alleyway, they discovered that the portal of aura energy was still open and active from Mason's initial arrival. However, as they approached the portal, it suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke.
Ernest: "Wh-what was that?"
Sherl: "Well one thing is for sure, and that is I believe that loony story might be true..."
Kat continued to stare at the portal that had disappeared, looking for any clues that might have been left behind. On the ground, beneath where the portal stood, was a small patch of white cotton fuzz.
Kat: "Oh, what is this?"
Kat picked up the cotton substance that was left and examined it.
Kat: "If you don't mind me asking, does this substance always get left behind when that portal dissipates?"
Sherl: "You really believe that was an actual portal?"
Mason: "Huh? No, not at all! Usually, all that might be left is some smoke and some latent energy that some people or technology can sense. Nothing physical gets left. And no, Sherl, I'm not some loony."
Kat: "Hmmm... so this cotton-y object was left behind when it wasn't supposed to. Meaning it came from somewhere else."
Kat made sure to remember this clue, as it could be vital to the case.
Ernest: "Still, this whole 'multiverse' portal is very peculiar. And if I may ask, why did you decide to travel here, of all places?"
A nervous look stretched across Mason's face, and it was accompanied by an equally nervous laugh.
Mason: "Well... You see... I've only had this multiverse thing for a couple of weeks. I don't know exactly how it works. I kind of think about the type of place I want to be or the people I want to meet, and a friend of mine takes care of the rest. The way my friend explained it is that the necklace can tell her where the portals should lead, and she makes the portals. The necklace... is kind of a confusing thing. The way it works itself is a puzzle. All I know is that I wanted a place where I could challenge my brain. I guess the necklace said I wanted to come to London, but with puzzles."
Kat: "I see, so even you don't know how it fully functions."
Ernest: "Speaking of necklaces, why don't you try out this puzzle about necklaces, Mr. Moretti?"
PUZZLE #002 – An Expensive Necklace (30 Picarats)
A jewelry shop sells customized necklaces made of silver. The necklace can be adorned with up to three gems. The jewelry shops sells up to four gems, where a ruby costs 40£, a sapphire costs 45£, a topaz costs 50£, and a diamond costs 70£. A couple of special sales are in effect, where:
• Buying at least two of the same gem will reduce the total cost by half.
• Buying a diamond reduces the cost of the cheapest gem type in the arrangement by half.
A customer buys a necklace with three gems. Using these pieces of information, what is the cheapest arrangement of gems possible?
Mason: "Well, using basic math, it makes sense to start off with the cheapest gem, a ruby."
Sherl: "I think you're starting off on the WRONG idea, Mr. Moretti."
Mason: "Well, three rubies gives you the doubles discount. Let's do some calculations."
Mason's finger traced through the air as if it were a pen writing on paper.
Mason: "Forty times three, divide by two for the sale, equals sixty euros. I wish I had a scale on how good that was. If I were buying it, I'd want to take any sale I can get through, so let's trade a ruby for a diamond. Then the rubies only cost twenty. Twenty plus twenty plus seventy, divide by two... That's only fifty-five! Wow, that diamond discount really helps! If only I could apply the diamond discount to the diamonds. Wait..."
Mason closes his eyes and begins to really think. His left hand rests on his temple, while his right finds its place over his heart. His stature is very closed off as he thinks.
Mason: "Three diamonds makes both discounts. Thirty-five... times three... Divide by two... fifty-two euros and fifty... Whatever you British use instead of cents. Still, that's lower than anything else so far! It has to be it."
Mason: "Three diamonds!"
[Cue victory pose, will draw later]
(Total Picarats: 50)
Sherl: "I think you're starting off on the WRONG idea, Mr. Moretti."
Mason: "Well, three rubies gives you the doubles discount. Let's do some calculations."
Mason's finger traced through the air as if it were a pen writing on paper.
Mason: "Forty times three, divide by two for the sale, equals sixty euros. I wish I had a scale on how good that was. If I were buying it, I'd want to take any sale I can get through, so let's trade a ruby for a diamond. Then the rubies only cost twenty. Twenty plus twenty plus seventy, divide by two... That's only fifty-five! Wow, that diamond discount really helps! If only I could apply the diamond discount to the diamonds. Wait..."
Mason closes his eyes and begins to really think. His left hand rests on his temple, while his right finds its place over his heart. His stature is very closed off as he thinks.
Mason: "Three diamonds makes both discounts. Thirty-five... times three... Divide by two... fifty-two euros and fifty... Whatever you British use instead of cents. Still, that's lower than anything else so far! It has to be it."
Mason: "Three diamonds!"
[Cue victory pose, will draw later]
(Total Picarats: 50)
Ernest: “Wow you cracked that puzzle easily. I thought I was able to throw you off, but you shrugged it off!”
Kat: “But of course. Why else do you think Mr. Moretti accepted the thief's puzzle? It's obvious he is a puzzle lover, like us!”
Mason: "Yeah! I do love puzzles! It's just... Puzzles aren't as useful where I come from. So you're encouraged to do other things, like train to fight and excel in school…”
Sherl: "Alright, so we found a cotton piece. Where does this lead us, Kat?"
Katrielle thought about it, but it seems that she didn't have enough clues.
Kat: "Hmm... maybe we should visit the tailor? Maybe we can ask her about this material ad if she sold it to someone."
Ernest: "You mean Bowlyn Hill, miss?"
Ernest appeared to be worried when Kat mentioned the tailor. Sherl also had that grim expression.
Sherl: "So we're going to that place huh?"
Ernest: "You see... It's kind of a bad place to be in alone."
Kat: "But fear would prevent us from moving forward. So onward!"
Ernest: "True..."
Kat: "We can get there on bike. Don't worry, it's going to be alright, everyone!"
Mason: "How many bikes do you have?"
Kat: "Why do you ask?"
Sherl: "Isn't it obvious. You let me ride in the basket while Ernest runs to catch up!"
Ernest: "Oh, I don't mind running behind Miss Layton."
Sherl: "Just what a dogsbody would say..."
Kat: "Is that so? I didn't notice."
Sherl: "Are you being serious, Kat?"
Kat: "I suppose we can take the bus first."
Mason: "If I had my necklace, I could just make another bike... Well, I suppose we have to look at the bus schedule."
Kat: "Alright. I believe there is a bus stop on the other side of this alleyway. Ernest, would you go ahead and check the bus schedule?"
Ernest: "Right away miss!"
As the others walked towards the bus stop, they would see Ernest, who ran up to the stop ahead of everyone else, looking at the notice.
Kat: "What's wrong Ernest?"
Ernest: "It looks like some prankster replaced the sign with a puzzle!"
Puzzle 003: A Bus To Catch (40 Picarats)
Looks like the bus schedule has been replaced with a much more confoundingly worded schedule. However, Ernest is determined to discover the correct bus route. The schedule has three different busses that return to this stop at specific intervals, based on their routes, as follows:
• The Green Bus first arrives at 7:10 AM, and returns every 45 minutes.
• The Blue Bus first arrives at 8:00 AM, and returns every 40 minutes.
• The Orange Bus first arrives at 8:15 AM, and returns every 25 minutes.
The clock reads 8:40 AM, and the sign says the next bus to arrive will lead to Bowlyn Hill. Which bus should Ernest get on?
Kat: "What an interesting puzzle. If one were to calculate, then all three buses would coincide with 8:40."
Sherl: "What in dog's name? Does that mean all three buses are correct?"
Ernest: "No Sherl, I'm sure only one bus would take us to Bowlyn Hill."
Katrielle was deep in thought. Putting her hand on her chin, she thought of ways that a bus would be able to arrive first despite the bus times coinciding with each other. And then, she hit an idea.
Kat: "What if the sign isn't completely accurate?"
Ernest: "What do you mean, Miss Layton?"
Kat: "What I'm saying is, there must be a condition that allows for at least one bus to be delayed. What if there are many passengers?"
Sherl: "I don't get it."
Kat: "What I'm saying here, is that usually, citizens of London get up to go to work in the morning, causing the first bus ride to be full. Wouldn't it make sense that the bus would take more longer stops than necessary?"
Ernest: "Oh, you make a good point, Miss Layton! So the answer is the bus that already passed it's first ride: the Green Bus!"
Suddenly, five picarats hidden within the puzzle jumped into the air! However, whenever they came back down, they did not return to the puzzle. Rather, they disappeared into thin air. The 40 picarats became a mere 35.
Mason: "Hey, that's exactly what happened when I did the ice puzzle! Does that mean we got it wrong?"
Ernest: "It appears so. But where did we go wrong?"
Kat: "Now, now. I believe we can take another look here."
Sherl: "Coming from you, who gave that false advice..."
Kat: "Hmm... Did we miss something?"
Kat looked over the puzzle again: The first arrival, the amount of time it took to return.
Sherl: "I wonder... What if we've been looking at this puzzle wrong?"
Ernest: "You've got something in mind, Sherl?"
Sherl: "I think we've been thrown off by this riddle. The puzzle stated that the next bus to arrive will take us to Bowlyn Hill. But what if we already missed all three buses cued at 8:40?"
Ernest: "What are you talking about?"
Sherl: "I mean, it's obvious by this point. It's 8:40AM and no bus came yet. Maybe this puzzle stated 8:40AM but it didn't state a matter of seconds."
Ernest: "So... The next bus to arrive..."
Sherl: "Is the Orange Bus? No doubt about it now."
(Total Picarats: 85)
Sherl: "What in dog's name? Does that mean all three buses are correct?"
Ernest: "No Sherl, I'm sure only one bus would take us to Bowlyn Hill."
Katrielle was deep in thought. Putting her hand on her chin, she thought of ways that a bus would be able to arrive first despite the bus times coinciding with each other. And then, she hit an idea.
Kat: "What if the sign isn't completely accurate?"
Ernest: "What do you mean, Miss Layton?"
Kat: "What I'm saying is, there must be a condition that allows for at least one bus to be delayed. What if there are many passengers?"
Sherl: "I don't get it."
Kat: "What I'm saying here, is that usually, citizens of London get up to go to work in the morning, causing the first bus ride to be full. Wouldn't it make sense that the bus would take more longer stops than necessary?"
Ernest: "Oh, you make a good point, Miss Layton! So the answer is the bus that already passed it's first ride: the Green Bus!"
Suddenly, five picarats hidden within the puzzle jumped into the air! However, whenever they came back down, they did not return to the puzzle. Rather, they disappeared into thin air. The 40 picarats became a mere 35.
Mason: "Hey, that's exactly what happened when I did the ice puzzle! Does that mean we got it wrong?"
Ernest: "It appears so. But where did we go wrong?"
Kat: "Now, now. I believe we can take another look here."
Sherl: "Coming from you, who gave that false advice..."
Kat: "Hmm... Did we miss something?"
Kat looked over the puzzle again: The first arrival, the amount of time it took to return.
Sherl: "I wonder... What if we've been looking at this puzzle wrong?"
Ernest: "You've got something in mind, Sherl?"
Sherl: "I think we've been thrown off by this riddle. The puzzle stated that the next bus to arrive will take us to Bowlyn Hill. But what if we already missed all three buses cued at 8:40?"
Ernest: "What are you talking about?"
Sherl: "I mean, it's obvious by this point. It's 8:40AM and no bus came yet. Maybe this puzzle stated 8:40AM but it didn't state a matter of seconds."
Ernest: "So... The next bus to arrive..."
Sherl: "Is the Orange Bus? No doubt about it now."
(Total Picarats: 85)
Mason, watching the scene of the puzzle from an outsider view, had his attention drawn to something on the road.
Mason: “There are three sets of tire tracks here, which means all three busses were here and left. We probably did moss them by a few seconds, so the Orange one is the next to arrive. I guess we have to wait here at the station. Maybe someone here has any clues?"
Ernest: "Now that you mention it, there is someone sitting on that bench there. Let us go ask him."
The man on the bench was... peculiar, to say the least. Katrielle and the others met him on occasions, but he did help them by giving them puzzles before.
Ernest: "Good day, mister, do you mind if we ask you something?"
Stachenscarfen: "Oh, it's all of you. Looks like you picked up a new friend, huh?"
Mason: Hello! You can call me Mason. I'm looking for a stolen item. Have you see any suspicous people about?
Stachenscarfen: "Hmm... suspicious people, huh? Well, alot of people could be considered suspicious, but what's most suspicious is where you came from."
It sounded like Stachenscarfen had an inkling of how Mason wasn't of this world, but how did he know that?
Mason: (suddenly nervous) "Oh! Well... I'm from America, if that's what you're asking. I suppose you don't see a lot of Yanks here in Britain?"
Stachenscarfen: "Yanks? Well, I don't see them too often. Hmm... I do recall seeing a group of suspicious looking people. But I'll tell you what: solve this puzzle and maybe I'll share that info with you."
Mason: "I've been here thirty minutes and this is the third puzzle I've had thrown at me. What's with Londoners? (but now with confidence) Bring it on!"
PUZZLE #004 – Ace In the Hole (35 picarats)
How rude! Someone cut a small circle in the Ace of Diamonds! In order to fill in the circle that the prankster cut in the Diamonds, you must cut out another circle from one of these cards. Which card do you need to cut from? You can disregard the coloring of the suits.
Mason: "hm... The Ace of Hearts! It has to be! The point of the heart matches the point of the diamond!"
Suddenly, three picarats flew off into the air!
Stachenscarfen: Heh, if you want, I can give you a hint in exchange of a hint coin.
Mason: "A hint coin? Geez, you all make money off these puzzles? What are hint coins?"
Kat: "I guess you don't know about them. Hint coins are found throughout the world. You can exchange one hint coin for a hint, as the name applies. After three hints, the last hint, which we call a Super Hint, costs 2 hint coins. I only suggest using hint coins when we're really stuck, or harder puzzles will be more difficult to solve."
Ernest: "I've been holding on to a couple of hint coins, if you wish to use one, Mr. Moretti."
Mason: "Alright, Ernest. Give me a coin. Let's see what this hint is..."
Ernest: "Of course."
Ernest handed Stachenscarfen a hint coin in place of Mason.
Stachenscarfen: "Hmm... so here is the first hint: 'You need a card whose pattern matches the lower half of the Ace of Diamonds.' Does that help you?"
Kat was deep in thought after hearing that hint. What if…
Mason: "maybe it's the bottom diamond on the spade? But the red lines aren't thick enough... How about the X's on the clubs? But those don't make points like the diamond... If you just got another diamond and used that, this wouldn't be a problem. Kat, do you have any good ideas?"
Kat: "In fact, that is a good idea Mason. If we had another diamond card, this wouldn't be a problem, after all. Mason, take another look at the puzzle description. Notice anything?"
Mason: "Weird... It's not asking to fill the card, just the hole. And it says 'one of these cards,' almost as if we can choose... The Ace of Diamonds?"
Mason posed with two fingers on his right hand making a “V or Victory” as a sign of success.
(Total Picarats: 117)
Suddenly, three picarats flew off into the air!
Stachenscarfen: Heh, if you want, I can give you a hint in exchange of a hint coin.
Mason: "A hint coin? Geez, you all make money off these puzzles? What are hint coins?"
Kat: "I guess you don't know about them. Hint coins are found throughout the world. You can exchange one hint coin for a hint, as the name applies. After three hints, the last hint, which we call a Super Hint, costs 2 hint coins. I only suggest using hint coins when we're really stuck, or harder puzzles will be more difficult to solve."
Ernest: "I've been holding on to a couple of hint coins, if you wish to use one, Mr. Moretti."
Mason: "Alright, Ernest. Give me a coin. Let's see what this hint is..."
Ernest: "Of course."
Ernest handed Stachenscarfen a hint coin in place of Mason.
Stachenscarfen: "Hmm... so here is the first hint: 'You need a card whose pattern matches the lower half of the Ace of Diamonds.' Does that help you?"
Kat was deep in thought after hearing that hint. What if…
Mason: "maybe it's the bottom diamond on the spade? But the red lines aren't thick enough... How about the X's on the clubs? But those don't make points like the diamond... If you just got another diamond and used that, this wouldn't be a problem. Kat, do you have any good ideas?"
Kat: "In fact, that is a good idea Mason. If we had another diamond card, this wouldn't be a problem, after all. Mason, take another look at the puzzle description. Notice anything?"
Mason: "Weird... It's not asking to fill the card, just the hole. And it says 'one of these cards,' almost as if we can choose... The Ace of Diamonds?"
Mason posed with two fingers on his right hand making a “V or Victory” as a sign of success.
(Total Picarats: 117)
Stachenscarfen: "Hmm... nice work. That puzzle had me stumped for a while now."
Mason: "I don't like the kind of puzzles that trick you and turn your thinking on itself."
Kat: "Still, that was a really clever puzzle. As soon as I heard the first hint, you did mention 'lower half', right? That is when I noticed: the symmetry of the printed suits. It makes sense!"
Mason: "Can you tell us what you saw now?"
Stachenscarfen: "Of course. I saw a group of three figures walking down the road. They were wearing beige capes and hooded, and seemed to whisper to each other."
Kat: "A group of three caped people? Mason, does that sound familiar to you?"
Mason: "I only remember seeing one... Did they have any masks on, and did the capes have this fluffy fringe on the trim?
Stachenscarfen: "Can't say for sure if they have any Mason, but the capes did not have anything fluffy on them."
Kat: "Wait, fluffy fringe?"
Katrielle took out the piece of cotton they picked up from the alleyway.
Kat: "Mason, do you think that this piece of cotton came from that fringe?"
Mason: "Yeah. I remember the man's outfit having a fluffy thing around his neck. So if the cotton came from his outfit, that means it's probably the same guy! But he has two buddies dressed just like him?"
Kat: "Hmmm..."
Mason: "Did you know where they were headed?"
Stachenscarfen: "If I had to take a guess, up the road to the tailor. One of them looked to have a hole in their outfit."
Sherl: "A hole, huh?"
Kat: "Thanks for your help."
Meanwhile it seemed like a bus was coming to view. If one were to look carefully, it had a distinctive orange color.
Ernest: "Looks like the bus arrived."
Mason: "All aboard! C'mon, Sherlock."
As the group got on the bus, they looked for a seat. They eventually resided near the center of the bus.
Ernest: "So if I'm right, this bus will take a few stops until we get to Bowlyn Hill. We'll know when we get there."
Mason: "Maybe in the meantime, we can go over what we know. Maybe spill some more exposition."
Kat: "I think so to. So what did we find so far?"
Ernest: "Well, we did find a cotton-y substance that could have come from our culprit"
Sherl: "And three similar looking people, to boot."
Kat: "One of those three also has a hole..."
Mason: "Which means that that one is where the cotton came from. The question is, what did it get ripped on?"
Kat: "Hmm... or maybe it was just loose? There are still too many mysteries around this."
Mason: "What's weird is that the portal was open when we got there. I'm pretty sure I closed the portal behind me when I came to London..."
Sherl: "Maybe you just forgot?"
Ernest: "Maybe, but Mr. Moretti seems to be sure."
Kat: "The portal... Mason, you did mention that you don't completely know how to use your pendant, right?"
Mason: "Yeah... I kinda got it as a family heirloom... Sort of. It's technically from my family... From thousands of years ago."
Ernest: "A family heirloom? How fascinating!"
Sherl: "Also sounds like an artifact to me."
Kat: "Still, it's pretty interesting to see that it still works!"
Mason: "An artifact... That's what the thief called it too. Asked if I'd stolen it. Perhaps he knows what it is already."
Ernest: "But how would he know what it is if you came from a different world? That makes no sense."
Sherl: "Pinstripes has a point. There is no way the snatcher would have known."
Mason: "That's right... Geez, mysteries feel like a puzzle that doesn't give you all the pieces."
Sherl: "So, maybe it was just someone who nicked the pendant for the money?"
Ernest: "That would be our best guess at this moment."
Kat: "Oh!"
Mason: "Huh? Did you figure something out?"
Kat: "No, it looks like we're approaching Bowlyn Hill!"
Sherl: "You're right. I already see the old, run down buildings."
Mason: "This just looks like downtown back home."
