Five Floors of Torment

[Miraculous]

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A casual bump.

[Mirdini]

"What about the other kids here? What do they know about Lupe's... accident?"

[Miraculous]

"What about the other kids here? What do they know about Lupe's... accident?"

Lilith shrugs nonchalantly. "We were all here that evening. So we should all know something. I was in the science lab, trying to fix Braden's remote control car. I didn't hear anything unusual, but that's probably because of this." She reaches into her pocket and shows Magnus an MP3 player. "I was listening to this at the time. This all happened during winter break, so only us boarding kids were here. Luca found the body first. He told the principal, who called an ambulance, and... Well..." She shrugs again. "That's really all I know."

Felix is wandering between the bookcases aimlessly.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

[momatoes]

> Investigate the courtyard, then. Make sure to watch out for the mannequin.

(ah, I did not read this for the longest time. I am probably too out of the loop :0 )

[Miraculous]

> Investigate the courtyard, then. Make sure to watch out for the mannequin.

"Thanks for the help, kid. I'm going to go look into this," Magnus says.

"All right then. It'd be good if we could get this mess sorted," Lilith replies, with a soft smile. Magnus turns for the door to leave, but stops when Lilith speaks up once more. "Actually, there's probably something else you should investigate."

Magnus sighs heavily, looking back towards Lilith. "How many mysteries does this school have anyway?"

"It's just that..." Lilith starts, looking a little unsure how to explain it. "See, we're in the middle of the school term. Or we're supposed to be. But there's no other students. No teachers either. They just... Slowly disappeared, one by one, until it was just us left. It's quieter now, but... Well, it doesn't matter. I just thought you should know."

The detective nods slowly as he moves for the door again. "Right. I'll keep an eye out for your classmates," Magnus says. It's only when he closes the library door behind Felix that he mutters "Yeah, like someone could hide a couple hundred kids and teachers in a school." Sighing, the detective proceeds downstairs, then out into the courtyard. He does not encounter the security guard along the way.

Heinemann High: Courtyard
Magnus hurriedly closes the courtyard doors behind him, not wanting to let any of the snow inside. The courtyard in the centre of the school is covered in a blank of fresh white snow. Looking up, Magnus can see the turbulent sky, a vicious storm of grey clouds and falling ice. A spiderweb of paths wind around the courtyard, eventually converging in the centre where a dozen stone benches sit in a circle, like a ring of altars.

Eight small ponds, two on each of the four walls, are completely frozen over. Around each pond is a small flower garden poking through the layer of snow. Magnus notes that each flowerbed is predominantly a unique colour; going from the eastern pond on the north wall and going clockwise, they are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink and white. Besides the surrounding flower gardens, the ponds are all identical.

Thankfully, the courtyard is protected from the icy cold winds by the walls of the school, so Magnus has no fear of hypothermia here.

Felix sneezes suddenly.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

[Mirdini]

> Investigate around/on each pond for any clues - has the ice refrozen recently or something that might have fallen from Lupe's pocket as she fell?
Additionally, test the strength of the ice cover on each pond - if one is weaker than the others that might be the one (If they are all very solid/resistant to pressure it would confirm our suspicion that she must have been pushed from an upper level).

[Miraculous]

> Investigate around/on each pond for any clues - has the ice refrozen recently or something that might have fallen from Lupe's pocket as she fell?
Additionally, test the strength of the ice cover on each pond - if one is weaker than the others that might be the one (If they are all very solid/resistant to pressure it would confirm our suspicion that she must have been pushed from an upper level).

Magnus methodically investigates each pond one by one. His initial thoughts turn out to be correct. Besides the surrounding flowers, each and every pond is identical. Even when he warily tests the strength of the ice covering the surface of the pond, he finds that they are all equally strong, even enough to support the detective when he reluctantly steps onto the ice. If conditions were the same on the day of the supposed murder as they are now, Lupe would not have fallen through the ice by simply walking on it. Even that assumes that the girl was foolish enough to walk across one of the ponds, a task difficult to do given how obvious they are.

Felix shakes some snow out of his fur.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

[Mirdini]

> Head back inside for now, go and check out Room 1 and if nothing else interesting is within you can go ahead and count the clocks and head back upstairs to the Japanese room.

(Combination so far: 7-?-12-?)

[Miraculous]

> Head back inside for now, go and check out Room 1 and if nothing else interesting is within you can go ahead and count the clocks and head back upstairs to the Japanese room.

Magnus quickly hurries out of the courtyard. While the chill might not be strong enough to cause hypothermia, that certainly doesn't make it pleasant enough to idle outside. Once inside, he follows the corridor around and check each classroom door until he finds...

Heinemann High: Classroom 1
Inside is a very generic classroom; row after row of small wooden desks dominate the room, with bookcases and cupboards at the back of the room and a teacher's desk and blackboard at the front. While the windows on the west wall would normally offer a view of the school grounds outside, they are currently obscured by white frost. The detective notices two things of interest upon entering the room. The first is that there is only one clock visible in the room, hanging above the blackboard. The second is that a young girl in a cheerleader's outfit, thoroughly inappropriate given the cold temperature that penetrates the school from the blizzard outside, is sitting at one of the desks, playing with her phone.

She looks up from her mobile as Magnus enters, then sighs in irritation. "Another police officer? You're a bit late," she says bitterly, still fiddling with her phone.

Felix is sniffing at the floor.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

[Mirdini]

> Question the girl about the previous police officer (This time YOU have to write some dialogue Mirac ).
> Make sure she isn't wearing a wristwatch or that there isn't some type of not-immediately-visible clock in the room (I'm paranoiiiid.)

[Miraculous]

> Question the girl about the previous police officer
> Make sure she isn't wearing a wristwatch or that there isn't some type of not-immediately-visible clock in the room.

Magnus raises an eyebrow at the girl. "What do you mean by that? There was another police officer?"

The girl sighs, looking thoroughly annoyed at the intrusion. "The other guy in the trench coat, the one who looks like he takes steroids as breath mints? Then followed it up by eating a whole cow..." she mutters. "Do all you police officers wear those coats, or are you just stuck in the twenties?"

Magnus scowls. "I'm not a police officer. I'm a private investigator. And I'm wearing this coat because it's cold, in case you haven't noticed."

"Then perhaps you need to harden up," the girl retorts with a sneer. Magnus takes an instant disliking to her.

Magnus does a double check for clocks. The girl isn't wearing a watch of any kind, nor does there appear to be any hidden-yet-visible clocks in the room.

Felix jumps up onto the teacher's desk, looking smug.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

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The joke is on you, writing dialogue is my favourite part of writing.

[Mirdini]

> Head upstairs to the Japanese room to count the fans/investigate further - the girl doesn't seem like she'd be particularly helpful. We can always come back if we need to wring her for information.

[Miraculous]

> Head upstairs to the Japanese room to count the fans/investigate further - the girl doesn't seem like she'd be particularly helpful. We can always come back if we need to wring her for information.

"If I'm disturbing you so much, I'll be on my way," Magnus mutters bitterly. The girl does not respond. The detective makes his way to the Japanese room on the second floor, remembering the door door south of the library covered in hiragana characters.

Heinemann High: Japanese Classroom
The Japanese room is every bit as generic as the last classroom, except this room is decorated with various Japanese trinkets; posters of cities like Kyoto and Hiroshima, reproductions of ancient drawings depicting stern warriors, manga pages torn out from their books and posted up on the walls and, most importantly, nine open fans hanging on the north wall of the classroom.

Lilith is here, shuffling through papers on the teacher's desk. She jumps as Magnus opens the door, but relaxes upon realising it was caused by a familiar face. "I was hoping I'd run into you again," she says with a shy smile. "I felt bad that I couldn't help you more, but then I remembered something. The day before Lupe was found in the pond, I remember seeing Luca give something to Braden. I mean, normally that wouldn't be suspicious, but the two of them hardly ever talk to each other. They barely know each other. And when I approached them, Braden jolted like he'd been busted for something and ran off. Luca refused to tell me anything. Anyway, I figured that if he wanted to keep something secret, Braden would keep it in his locker."

"So... You thought that Braden was keeping something secret in his locker. So you came to the Japanese classroom," Magnus says, nodding slowly.

"That's the problem, I don't know which locker belongs to Braden. They're randomly assigned. But I know how we can work it out. Before the break, we had finished all our assessment so the teachers just gave us stuff to keep us busy in class. The Japanese teacher gave us puzzles to solve. If you solved it, he gave us a matching sticker. Everyone put their stickers on their locker and I'll bet that Braden did too. If I can just find the puzzle that he filled out..." Lilith murmurs, continuing to shuffle through the papers.

Magnus briefly contemplates helping Lilith search. While her suspicions are a bit flimsy, searching through personal property usually does provide useful insights into a suspect.

Felix is pawing at a tissue on the ground.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

[Mirdini]

> Might as well help her out, but remember that all we have to go on is her word - she isn't cleared of suspicion yet by a long shot. Heck, she could've planted something in Braden's locker and planned to frame him that way. Either way this investigation should be helpful.

Combination: (7-9-12-1)

[Miraculous]

> Might as well help her out, but remember that all we have to go on is her word - she isn't cleared of suspicion yet by a long shot. Heck, she could've planted something in Braden's locker and planned to frame him that way. Either way this investigation should be helpful.

Combination: (7-9-12-1)

Magnus joins Lilith in her rummaging of the papers on the desk. "Exactly what am I looking for?" he murmurs, flipping through some kanji test papers.

"Just a worksheet. It'll probably have Braden's name on it. It should also have a picture on it, matching the sticker he got. I know Mr. Cam would have kept it, he keeps everything..." Lilith replied.

"Is... This it?" Magnus asks, holding up a sheet of paper.

Lilith glances at it and grins broadly. "Yes, yes, that's it! What's the p-" she says, but her smile suddenly fades as she notices that while Braden's name is on the sheet, it has not been filled it. "But I was sure he got a sticker, everyone in the class did! Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless he couldn't do the puzzle, or he didn't bother, and Mr. Cam gave him the sticker anyway," Lilith says with a heavy sigh. "This... Complicates things."

Magnus frowns and eyes the worksheet over. "What sort of puzzle is this anyway?"

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"It's called a nonogram. Mr. Cam says it originated from Japan. In fact, apparently two different people, with absolutely no connection, invented it at very similar times. Anyway, it's kind of like a picture crossword. You see those numbers in the rows and columns? Those represent the number of squares in that row or column that need to be filled in," Lilith explains.

"Why do some have more than one number?"

"That means that there's more than one group of filled-in square in that row of column. So in the row that says '2,2', that means that in that row is two filled-in squares, a gap, then two more filled-in squares. Of course, you don't know how many squares are in that gap, or before the first two squares, or after the second two squares. In the row that says '12', you would fill in twelve squares in a row. Except you don't know which is the first square to fill in. The row that says '8,1,3' would have eight filled-in squares, a gap, then one square, then a gap, then 3 squares. When you fill it in all right, you get a picture," Lilith says.

Magnus sighs. "I hate puzzles," he mutters as he picks up a green pen from the desk and takes a closer look at the puzzle.

What does the finished nonogram depict?
:> _:

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I am feeling particularly fiendish at the moment. It might be easier for you to print the nonogram out and work on it in pencil. If you finish it, but you're not sure what the picture is, fill in the squares using Paint and post it here as proof that you've cracked it. Here are more instructions on how nonograms work, in case you're still unsure.

[Mirdini]

Finishing the nonogram, Magnus obviously sees that it depicts Bilious Slick a universe a frog.

[Miraculous]

Finishing the nonogram, Magnus obviously sees that it depicts Bilious Slick a universe a frog.

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"It's... A frog," Magnus says, eyeing the completed nonogram with unrestrained resentment.

"You were expecting something else?" Lilith asks with a light smirk.

"I was expecting something more impressive, like a sumo wrestler, or a samurai," Magnus mutters. "So this means that his locker has a frog sticker on it, yeah?"

Lilith shrugs. "I assume so. I mean, maybe he didn't get the sticker at all, or maybe he didn't put it on his locker."

"Let's not make things any more frustrating than they already are, shall we? Any idea where a locker with a frog on it is?"

"Hrm," Lilith murmurs thoughtfully. "I think I remember seeing one outside the art room on the first floor. It's worth a shot."

Felix swats the tissue playfully.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

[Mirdini]

> Follow the girl, keeping in mind she may not be nearly as trustworthy as she likes to present herself.

[Miraculous]

> Follow the girl, keeping in mind she may not be nearly as trustworthy as she likes to present herself.

Nonogram in hand, Magnus, Lilith and Felix proceed out of the Japanese room to find Braden's locker.

As they step outside the classroom, Magnus warily looks both ways down the hallway outside. "What are you looking for?" Lilith asks.

"That plastic security guard," Magnus murmurs. "I'd rather not run into him. They're a lot stronger than they look." Together, they step out into the hall and begin to walk for the stairs down.

"The security guard? He only showed up a few hours ago, actually, not long before your friend first appeared. It came upstairs from the basement. Been patrolling the whole school ever since. We've mostly just been trying to avoid it. Just... Going through our regular routines," Lilith says with a shrug.

Magnus pauses and gives the girl an incredulous look. "The rest of your school has disappeared, there's a mannequin walking around with a nightstick and a blizzard battering the school. But you're all just pretending it's another normal day?"

Lilith sighs. "We don't have much of a choice. I guess... We were just waiting for something to happen, someone to show up."

"A knight in shining armour?" Magnus snorts. "Don't hold your breath."

Lilith says nothing more.

Heinemann High: East Hall, First Floor

"I think this is it," Lilith says, motioning to one of many lockers across from the art room. "I should have remembered, Sarah always came to see Braden after class. Art was the only subject she was ever good at."

Magnus examines the locker more closely. The only thing separating it from the other lockers in the sticker of a green, pixelated frog stuck to it. The locker is naturally locked, with a 4-digit combination lock. Magnus tugs on the lock, but finds it to be sturdy enough to resist him, despite appearing to be quite flimsy.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

[Mirdini]

> Ask Lilith if she has any idea how to open the locker. If not, let's check the Principal's office for a list of locker numbers/combinations (and while we're there we may as well open that safe).

[Miraculous]

> Ask Lilith if she has any idea how to open the locker. If not, let's check the Principal's office for a list of locker numbers/combinations (and while we're there we may as well open that safe).

"Any idea what the combination to this lock is?" Magnus asks.

Litlith eyes the lock and shakes her head. "No. Everyone supplies their own lock. I don't really know Braden all that well, so I've no idea what the combination could be."

Magnus sighs in frustration. "Of course, this couldn't be easy. Come on, let's go check out the Principal's office. Maybe they keep records of the lock combinations in case someone forgets theirs," he says. Lilith nods and the two of them make their way to...

Heinemann High: Principal's Office

"Found anything?" Magnus asks.

"Nothing," Lilith responds.

The detective groans. Despite having spent the last fifteen minutes searching through not just the Principal's office, but also the staff room preceding it, they have turned up no sign of any lock combination lists. The only thing Magnus does discover is that Miss. Tate's laptop is now miraculously un-destroyed, as if it had never been damaged in the first place.

"What do we do now?" Lilith asks, leaning on the Principal's desk.

"Well, that wasn't the only reason I wanted to come back here..." Magnus murmurs absently as he approaches the wall safe. Remembering the note and his investigations, he inputs the safe combination; 7-9-12-1. The detective grins broadly as the safe clicks and unlocks. As he swings open the door, however, the grin quickly fades. Inside is metal box, wrapped in heavy chains. A padlock holds the chains together, yet it lacks any sort of opening mechanism, such as a keyhole or combination tumblers. Magnus swears under his breath. Unless he can somehow remove the padlock or the chains, he won't be able to open the lock box.

Felix is sitting on a pile of scattered papers.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

[momatoes]

Do you still have the bolt cutters? Can you test it against the chain? Alternately, ask Lupe where these kinds of tools could be found.

[Mirdini]

You could also try using the bolt cutters on the lock on Braden's locker if that fails.
We should probably also check Miss. Tate's laptop.

[Miraculous]

Do you still have the bolt cutters? Can you test it against the chain? Alternately, ask Lupe where these kinds of tools could be found.

You could also try using the bolt cutters on the lock on Braden's locker if that fails.
We should probably also check Miss. Tate's laptop.

Magnus searches through his coat pockets for the bolt cutters he picked up on the first floor. He then places the lock box on the principal's desk and attempts to cut the chains or padlock off. He groans in frustration as he realises that the small bolt cutters are no match for the thick chains and sturdy padlock.

"You're going to need something a bit more heavy duty, looks like," Lilith comments.

Magnus gives her a withering glare. "Any suggestions?"

"The manual arts room," she replies, matter-of-factly. "There's a table saw that can cut through anything in there."

"Perfect. In the meantime, this failed attempt has given me an idea. Come on," Magnus says as he puts the bolt cutters and lock box away in his inventory and exits the office.

Heinemann High: Office
On his way out, Magnus remembers that Miss. Tate's laptop is now fully operational. "Just a minute, I want to see if there's anything useful on here," he says to Lilith as he presses the laptop's power switch. The screen flickers to life and a few moments pass as the OS starts up. Magnus sighs heavily as the log-on screen appears. A box and a blinking text prompts demands a password from him. Without any idea of what the password is, Magnus won't be getting in any time soon. Forgetting about the laptop for now, the trio of man, girl and cat leave the room.

Heinemann High: East Hall, First Floor
"Come on, come on..." Magnus murmurs as he applies the bolt cutters to the lock on Braden's locker. He lets out a triumphant cry as it snaps cleanly off once some considerable pressure is applied. Tossing the now ruined lock onto the ground, he opens the locker. Wrinkling his nose at the musky scent of teenage boy wafting from within, he unashamedly shuffles through the contents; trash, photos, paper, textbooks, notebooks, a tracksuit, crotc unmentionables and a variety of other forms of junk.

"What's that?" Lilith asks.

"Hrm?"

"There, wedged between the math book and the helmet."

Magnus searches for the object in question and quickly finds it. He pulls an absurdly thick book out of the locker and eyes it over. A dreary super-natural fantasy romance novel. Despite being a paperback, the book must be as thick as a phone book, and just as dense. You could probably shoot a bullet through the front cover and not even make it to Chapter 38.

"That... Doesn't look like the sort of novel that Braden would read, let alone most guys his age..." Lilith says with an amused smirk. "Do you think that's what Luca gave him?"

"I don't know. But it could be worth hanging on to," Magnus says as he tucks the Trashy Novel away into his coat pocket. He's not quite sure, but he gets the feeling the book is very important indeed.

Felix is wandering aimlessly.

What will the detective do now?
:> _:

[Mirdini]

> Manual arts, see if we can't bruteforce the lock - though I doubt that's going to be an option we might as well explore the school further regardless.